Today we have Ryan Naylor from Amber Daulton’s Ryan’s Temptation. Let’s find out more about him and his story!
Who are you, and what do you look like?
Hi, Eileen. Thanks for inviting me over. The cookies are delicious, by the way.
My name is Ryan Naylor, and I’m a doctor at the Holmfast Medical Clinic in Denver, Colorado. I’m six feet tall with broad shoulders and a lean build. My blond hair is short but long enough that a few locks often fall into my eyes, which are dark-brown. The cleft in my chin drives Chanel crazy. She loves dipping her finger in it.
What’s your goal in this story?
To survive. You always think something bad will happen to someone else—never to you—but I learned the hard way. Believe me, having a serial killer for a stalker is no picnic.
If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?
Free time? I don’t know. I’m used to always being on call, on the go. I’m a bit of a workaholic, actually. But if I really didn’t have anything to do or worry about, I’d take a trip to the mountains and go hiking, or maybe biking. Perhaps whitewater rafting. With Chanel, of course.
Do you own your own home or rent?
Rent. My apartment is actually right above Chanel’s apartment, just two stories up.
Do you get by, live comfortably, or live extravagantly?
I live comfortably. Lots of people think doctors are wealthy since the cost of health care is astronomical in this country, and I know some doctors, especially surgeons, are well off. Not me, though. I’m just your standard men’s health doctor. I have lots of bills, including college debt, and I don’t own or want to own a sports car. The cost of living is absurd, and I took a pay cut when I left the hospital to work at a private health clinic.
What makes you laugh out loud?
Chanel. She’s the funniest person I know, and her humor leans toward sarcastic. She can just give me a look, and I know what she’s thinking or if she’s about to tease me. Our connection is deep and powerful.
Do you have a pet? What kind? If you don’t, what kind would you like to have?
I haven’t had a pet since I was a kid, but I surprised Chanel with a mixed-breed puppy last Christmas. She named the dog Angel.
If you could spend the day with someone you admire (living or dead or imaginary), who would you pick?
I’d choose my dad. He died from diabetes-related complications when I was ten. Before he passed on, I was a normal, carefree kid and only cared about video games and ice cream. Afterward, I spent more time playing outside to keep active and studied more to do better in school. Losing him changed the course of my life. I wanted to become a doctor so I could help people.
What do you consider to be the most overrated virtue and why?
Pride. Back in school, I married my college sweetheart, Kate. I loved her, but our jobs and responsibilities drew us apart. I should’ve listened when she told me she was unhappy, but I let my pride get in the way. Even though I’m happy with Chanel and love her more than life itself, I wish I would’ve been a better husband to Kate. Though, if I had been, we might still be married. I can’t see anyone but Chanel in my life, so I wouldn’t change what happened with Kate if I could.
Tell us three things about yourself that the readers do not know about.
Hmm, let’s see…I love margaritas, I once faced down a gunman in the ER, and I can’t sing worth a damn. Really, a dying toad has a better voice than me. It’s pathetic.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Yes. Even though my book has its dark moments, it’s ultimately a story about love, strength, and the fragility of the human spirit. Life is all about taking chances. If something goes wrong, do your best to keep your head up and move on, or try again.
What other character from your book do you think your author should write a book about? Care to tell us why?
Two of Chanel’s friends show up in my story. Belle is the mouthy musician who helped Chanel and me out of a jam, and Shea is the reserved computer graphics designer at the TV station where Chanel went off the deep end. Amber, my author, has already written their books. Belle meets her match in Arresting Benjamin, and Shea’s love life spirals out of control in Trevor’s Redemption.
About Amber Daulton
Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through The Wild Rose Press, Books to Go Now, and Daulton Publishing, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.
https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton
Excerpt
Ryan came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her, and rested his chin on top of her head. “Dipper will be after us again if we return.”
“I’m enjoying our time here, but if we hide for the rest of our lives, then he’s won.” Please, God. Let Ryan understand. She leaned against her lover’s chest and teased the hair on his forearms. His warmth seeped into her. “Mackeroy and Detective Boyle promised to catch Dipper within a week, but they didn’t. Even after he shot up the motel and killed two people, they still can’t find him. Now, another woman has died. Who’s next?”
“I’m as disgusted as you are, but running back into danger won’t help us—or anyone. We’re only witnesses, not trained professionals who know how to locate and apprehend psychotics. Let’s give Boyle and the boys in blue a few more weeks.”
She sighed, stilling her fingers. He didn’t get it.
The married couple in the Lazy Pines Motel room next to theirs had died from stray bullets. Another motel patron had suffered a heart attack from the barrage of ammo ripping into the building, but at least he survived.
Bile burned up her throat. Those people would still be alive and whole if she and Ryan had never been there. How many more had to die before the police caught Dipper? Would the bastard ever stop searching for her? She couldn’t be indirectly responsible for another death—her soul couldn’t take it. She turned in Ryan’s hold and dipped her finger in his cleft chin.
He wasn’t a coward. No way.
He’d stood on the frontlines so many times—from facing down a gunman in the emergency room to fighting diseases and keeping a smile on a dying patient’s face. Some of the stories he’d told her damn near broke her heart.
Only one option remained. Her heart clenched from the sorrow sweeping through her. If Ryan knew the thoughts swirling in her head, he would probably tie her to the bed. She might like that under normal circumstances.
“Okay. I’ll stay.” The lie fell off her tongue like poison. She brushed her palm across the whiskers dotting his cheek. Oh, Lord. She would miss him. They lived in the same apartment building, so of course, they would see each other again after all this—if she hadn’t already made a date with a casket. The muscles in her shoulders cramped tighter. She would live. She had to.
“Let’s go to bed. I want you naked and safe in my arms.” He teased his lips over her hairline and down to her temple. “I’m going to lick the little button between your legs until you spiral into a thousand pieces.”
She shivered. He could do it too. Why couldn’t she keep her lover and do the right thing? Too bad life wasn’t fair. Mackeroy needed bait to draw Dipper out of hiding, so why not dangle what the lunatic wanted right in his face? Hell, yes. Two could play this game.
To save lives, Chanel would volunteer as bait.
Blurb
Wrong place, wrong time. Now she’s running for her life.
Beautician Chanel Leroc can wield a pair of scissors like nobody’s business. After she witnesses a murder and lands on a serial killer’s hit list, she has to figure out how to protect herself—and fast. The killer tracks her down, but her sexy new neighbor, Dr. Ryan Naylor, drives the brute off.
The police dump the pair in a witness protection program, which doesn’t last long. Either the killer has a connection to the police, or he’s far more intelligent than they realize. All Chanel wants to do is get back to her safe life and get to know her neighbor better. Instead, she and Ryan hit the road and try to survive on their own.
How will they stay alive and keep their blooming romance intact with the killer hot on their trail?
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Download Links
Universal link – https://books.amberdaulton.com/ryanstemptation
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