Dazzling Lucas by the Dazzling Nalini Warriar

It’s been a few years since Nalini joined us on our blog, so help me welcome her back. Thanks for introducing us to your new book, Dazzling Lucas, book 5 of 6 in the Wyoming Blues series.

Background for Dazzling Lucas

I started this series with a vague idea of alpha males, sexy billionaires, gorgeous, independent women and quite a bit of steaminess. Now this is my fifth in the Wyoming Blues Series and I’m working on the last one in the series, Intriguing Alok. I wanted to set my books in places with incredible vistas and Wyoming is a fabulous place exactly because of this. However, all of the books in this series are not exclusively set in Wyoming. India is featured quite a bit as I wanted to bring the cross-cultural aspect into the plots.

LUCAS

How does that saying go? Just when you’re not looking for it, it falls into your lap? How about when you’re never looking for it and it smashes into you?

So it was with Divya.

I’m most comfortable when I’m alone in my bed, the night sky brilliant with stars, in Wyoming. Commitment is not part of my vocabulary. But this little vixen turns me inside out and upside down. She isn’t my leggy blonde type at all. A lot of things about her fascinate me. Captivate me. Dazzle me.

Flashes of her curvy body wink at me through the wall of suits. Her voice tugs at me. Her thickly lashed dark eyes dazzle me. And then her mind steamrolls over me.

And what do I do?

Instead of swooping in, I cover her with sugar and donut crumbs; splash tea all over her silk shirt and wait patiently while she kicks me to the curb. From there it’s all down hill for me. I almost get hit in the head with a sugar container she throws at me and I still want more.

How about opposites attract?

She’s a woman so not my type yet made just for me. She makes me want things I didn’t know I craved.

She doesn’t care a fig about my billionaire playboy status, which is actually my private mode. Professionally, I’m a hugely successful oil tycoon planning to take Sheridan Energy to new heights. My worlds collided when in fact I was never on her radar.

So I had to pounce.

DIVYA

He’s a lollipop: seduction at the heart and of no nutritional value whatsoever. Men like him ignore not just my kind. He snaps his fingers and they fall at his feet.

But damn if he isn’t irresistible and gorgeous. I’d demolish the walls I’ve built around me myself to get to him.

Years ago, he was my saviour. He’d seen me then. Then he was gone. And here he is again, his intense blue gaze on my short self. Now he’s muscled back into my life again leaving me to decide if I want another lick.

Lucas Sheridan is back in my life again. I don’t resist for he’s not one for permanency. Monogamy and commitment are Greek to him. Silly me. Don’t know he has a classical education behind him. Whatever that means. So joke is on me.

He’ll be on his way to destroying my planet soon. And I’ll be doing my best to putting it back together.

I stand up to him and don’t run. One quick glance at the gold tipped chestnut hair teasing his shoulders and the stud in his ear twinkling at me and I’m done. I meet his smoldering blues as they linger over me, his devastating smile destroying me the second it hits me.

There’s no doubt this is going to happen. But it will be short. And fast.

Once and done.

For that’s who he is. And what I’m not.

Perfect combo!

Excerpt of Dazzling Lucas

Divya

He stood there like a monolith, intense blue eyes fixed on me somewhere between my chin and covered chest.

Hunger. His blue eyes glittered with it. I read him like a book. He wanted me.

I didn’t know what to make of it.

No man had ever looked at me like this. Heat flashed through me, hitting me between my legs. There was desire in his blue swirls. I couldn’t understand his desire for me since I’d never been the object of any man’s-the one inappropriate one I’d rather forget-attention. Especially one as sexy and gorgeous as Lucas.

We were on opposite ends of the debate. Any debate.

“Lucas,” I squeezed his name out between parched lips and he twitched.

I mean, his pants moved. Should I be flattered? Or frightened? As usual, disparate emotions roiled through me. Did I want him? He was no doubt a beautiful man. Broad shoulders to lean on, arms to hold me tight against him. A body I could salivate over. Then again, he was Lucas Sheridan. Of the fossil fuel type. We were on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Sheridan Energy threw countless tonnes of poisonous chemicals into the air and into the earth for exploration and production, while I found ways to counter them in my quest to preserve and to conserve.

But he was definitely only a lollipop.

Nothing but empty sweetness. One lick and it would be cringe worthy. One lick and it would be enough. It had to.

I imagined my fingers gripping his gorgeous waves of chestnut hair as I pressed against him. A flush of warmth raced from my legs to my cheeks. Good thing my brown skin hid the flush.

Why did I agree to come up to his penthouse? I did it because I liked to torture myself. Back myself into a corner, only to fall flat on my face. But this was not going the usual way. Though I questioned the emptiness of this Lollipop, I still wasn’t prepared for that first lick. He’d taken off his jacket, the crisp white shirt framing his panty-melting face with exquisite perfection. He wasn’t just a cowboy with a Stetson and tanning lines. Bet he was uniformly tanned all over, too. Bet he had a humongous tattoo on one shoulder. I squinted hard to see through the fine fabric of his shirt but failed to detect anything definite, not even a hint of a dark shadow.

This wasn’t the boy I’d crushed on. This was a mature and sexy man who got my attention like no other man. The boy I’d known had a gentleness about him that was missing in this gorgeous specimen before me. The boy I’d known was soft in places life hadn’t marked him yet. This one was hard all over, with absolutely nothing soft about him.

I didn’t know how I felt about that. I recognized the predatory look on him. Lips tight, eyes narrowed, and body tense.

Trusting my instinct, I took a step back. It had saved me from the clutches of my uncle. It had brought me this far away from my family and kept me safe all these years.

Then I took another step back. If I hadn’t being paying attention, I would have missed the slacking of the taut lines of his body. Blue eyes lost their glitter and softened, sweeping over me.

“All done? There’s a hair dryer in the bottom drawer, should you need one.” He leaned over and flicked a strand. Drops of water sparkled in the sunlight as he twisted the strand around one finger. “I think you need one.”

“Right. Will do.” I managed to croak and turned back to the bathroom.

“In the closet, you’ll find some clothing. Pick something out. I’ll send your shirt to the cleaners. Though I doubt they’ll be able to get the tea stains off. Probably a good idea to dip your shirt in a big bowl of tea and make it one even colour instead of holding onto blotches.”

“Thank you,” I muttered and scuttled off to get dressed.

I braided my hair while it was in a semi-dried state, knowing I’d regret the curls it would form. I quickly glanced through the closet only to find a single piece in my size: a Monique Lhuillier raspberry pink flutter dress strewn with delicate flowers. It was a mini but because of my height, it reached to the top of my knees. Nipped at the waist, the V-neck plunged, but there was a buckle to adjust the plunge. The sleeves and the hem fluttered each time I moved.

Going through the other items in the closet, I saw they were all the same size, but not mine.

“Pick something out you said, Lucas,” I said as I came out of the room, slinging my braid over my shoulder. “This is not something. This was the only thing.”

His lips lifted in a broad smile, dazzling me. It was so attractive, lighting up his entire face, the sexy scruff framing the pink mouth.

“I did my best. You didn’t give me much time.”

“I didn’t give you much time? You spilled tea on me!”

“I’m glad I did.”

“What?”

“You heard me. The dress suits you beautifully. The colour is something else. Makes me want to take a bite.”

I let that remark fly over my head. It unsettled me.

“How did you get my size right?”

He stretched his palms out, pointed his chin at the oval they formed. “This,” he said, “is the size of your waist.”

Heat rushed to my face. I squirmed under his gaze as it drifted slowly from my head to my feet. I wriggled even more when he came toward me, but I stood my ground, not backing off. Instead, I grabbed my phone and checked the time.

“I’m giving a talk in fifteen minutes. Gotta go.” I turned to leave and was halfway to the door when his voice stopped me.

“Have dinner with me tomorrow, Divya.” He caught my wrist, and I had to turn back, the dress rippling with me.

“What? Why?”

“Yes, why indeed? Why would a man ask a woman to dinner?”

I was too close to his fabulous broad chest and found my defences weakening. I shouldn’t have come here where he was in control. This was not good. His spicy masculine scent wafted over me. I breathed him in.

He was the enemy.

He took the planet ….

Arg! Fuck! Who was I kidding?

What Nalini’s Readers are Saying about Dazzling Lucas

I really liked this book & the different culture that’s in it. This is Lucas & Divya’s story. They’ve known each other for a long time, they lose contact for a while. And when they meet again! The sparks fly! I really liked this book & can’t wait to read more from her!

– Liz

Dazzling Lucas by Nalini Warriar is a captivating addition to the Wyoming Blues series. The story revolves around the clash of two strong-willed characters, Divya, a passionate architect dedicated to saving the planet, and Lucas, an alpha CEO with a plan that threatens the environment. This collision of values and desires creates an engaging and fiery dynamic that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

Nalini Warriar’s background in molecular biology is an interesting aspect of her authorial journey, and it’s evident that her scientific knowledge enriches the depth and authenticity of the story. The characters of Lucas and Divya are well-crafted, and the tension between them is palpable. Warriar’s writing style is compelling and draws readers into the passionate world of the protagonists.

The book incorporates several tropes that enhance the romance narrative, including the “enemies to lovers” trope as Lucas and Divya clash before succumbing to their undeniable attraction. The “strong female lead” trope is evident in Divya’s character, and the “alpha male” trope is portrayed through Lucas. Additionally, the “environmental theme” adds a unique and relevant dimension to the story.

In “Dazzling Lucas,” Nalini Warriar successfully combines sizzling romance with a thought-provoking environmental backdrop. This book is a must-read for those who enjoy intense chemistry between the main characters and a storyline that addresses crucial environmental concerns.

– kshitij

What’s Next for Nalini?

I’ve tried various writing spots in my house including ‘The Office’ but so far my old recliner is my absolute favourite spot. Music inspires me and it has to be classical. Indian sitar music and Beethoven’s Third both stuff my head with images.

I started writing short stories, literary and women’s fiction. But these were longer books and took longer to write. After reading hundreds of books, I thought it was time for a new challenge. And thus my foray into the steamy romance genre. Now I’m hooked and plan to continue for as long as I have readers who want to read the kind of books I write. My romances are littered with unique and diverse voices and I hope to bring cultures together one book at a time.

Back in 2019, Nalini teased us with her contemporary sports romance, Karma’s Slow Burn, and now she’s switched to billionaire steamy romances.

Writing is my obsession, my escape and my saviour. It takes me places. I hope it does the same for my readers too. If I couldn’t write I would be dead, stuffed with cheese and wine, the last piece of baguette clutched in my bony fingers.

I’m working on Book 6 in this series, Intriguing Alok. The heroine is non-verbal and a glass artist while the alpha male MC is a biotech mogul. I couldn’t resist making him a scientist since in my previous life I was a molecular biologist and the last time I had a scientist as the protagonist was in my women’s fiction title, The Enemy Within.  Intriguing Alok is due to be released in March 2024 and is on pre-order right now.

Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJB7S5KX

 

Let’s Meet the Amazing Nalini Warriar

Nalini dreamed of being a writer then forgot the dream and went on to garner a Ph.D in Molecular Biology. While in her lab, the dream came back and hit her on the head and she’s never looked back.

Fully obsessed with contemporary romance, she likes to watch sci-fi and fantasy, Stephanie Plum getting into scrapes and anything starring any Chris or Ryan. She loves movies without subtitles, thank you Netflix and Prime and dreads the time when they discover ads. She knows they’re just stringing her along until she’s hooked. Like the time she almost got hooked on Mandarin soapies.

An award-winning short fiction writer, her coming-of-age literary fiction Fireflies in the Night won the Next Generation Indie Award and was noted as one of the Best Books of 2016 by Kirkus Reviews. When she’s not writing, she likes to play pickleball, nosh on cheese and baguette and red wine. She’ll give up an evening of writing to be with friends and play board games while noshing. But ultimately, she just can’t live without the bouts of writing and see her words spin into stories and then into books.

Everything has to be a rush like pickleball or writing and if it is not, it’s not worth it.

Social Links

Catch her on her website: https://www.naliniwarriar.com

Facebook: authornaliniwarriar

Instagram: authornaliniwarriar

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Nalini-Warriar/e/B001K7RZ78