Since pretty much the moment I started Rachel Vincent's Shadow Bound (review coming soon!), I have had a OH. EM. GEE.
IAN HOLT.
GUYS. Err, GIRLS. He is probably my new favorite Rachel-Vincent-created male character!
- He's was in the marines
- is a "Blinder" --which means he can control darkness... pretty cool, right?
- an awesome fighter
- has a very good sense of humor and likes to joke around
- is fiercely loyal and protective to the people he cares about
"Holt wasn't bad-looking. In fact, he was actually kind of hot, blessed with broad shoulders, a strong chin, and the smooth, dark complexion only mixed parentage could give."
"Ms. Daniels, unless I've misinterpreted that colorful description of everything I'm not, it sounds like you just paid me a compliment."
"I'm pretty sure that's not what I did." In fact, I'd gone out of my way to make sure that's not what I was doing.
"Oh, I think it is. I think you just said that I'd be better at the job than Tower's last Blinder was because I'm not unattractive. First of all, thank you. Compliment accepted." He bowed his head slightly, like I'd just offered to crown him king of the universe. Then, in th next second, he pasted on a frown. "Second of all, I am offended on behalf of pretty people everywhere. I'm not just a chiseled jaw and eyes you could get lost in. I am the worth more than the sum of my defined biceps, sculped pecs and a six-pack you could scrub laundry on."
I nearly choked on an ice cube. "You have a six-pack?"
"Okay, maybe a four-pack. At least a carton of hard lemonade. But my point is that you have no right to judge my potential as a crime lord's lackey by my looks alone."
...
Then:
I opened the door and stepped into the bedroom, and was greeted with the sound of water running in the bathroom. "Hello?" I called, but there was no answer. "I had to come into the closet since you're--"
Half-naked and dripping wet...
Ian stood in the bathroom doorway, hair dripping, wearing nothing but a towel he was just then tying loosely at his waist. His chest and stomach were bare, dark and defined against the thick white cotton, and beaded with clean water.
Carton of hard lemonade, my ass. That was a full-on six-pack.
I couldn't stop staring. He was beautiful.
From Ian's POV
"Kori was the type to throw herself in front of a bullet to protect someone else, but I wanted her to know it didn't always have to be like that. That she didn't have to fight the world alone. That I wanted to fight with her. If she would let me."
