Tess and Curran have a history. A very hot one-night kind of history. Tess never gave any thought to seeing Curran again, that is, not until she learns he's her boss's brother. Not only that, but the Philadelphia cop will be providing security detail for Tess while she's involved in a very public case against a local mobster. 
 The last thing Curran O'Brien wants is guard duty. But after an incident on the job a few weeks back, his superiors think it'll be the best thing to ease him back into the job. Curran is definitely not prepared for running into Tess Newart again. He's never forgotten that night they spent together in college. Although she doesn't seem quite the same as she did on that night four years ago (more reserved), he'd like a chance to find out that she's the same wild woman underneath all her conservative clothing, and being part of her guard for the foreseeable future, Curran is sure the opportunity will arise. 
 This is the first book I've read by Cecy Robson. From the description I was immediately interested. I always like a good romance where the hero and heroine share a past. And I really loved how Curran and Tess are around each other. Tess comments on this a lot in the story, but she always feels like she can be herself around Curran. This is important to Tess because normally her life consists of following orders set forth by her extremely controlling father. I thought that Cecy Robson did a great job of showing another side of abuse. The fact that abuse doesn't necessarily mean physical, but can also be emotional. Robson made me understand why Tess is still under her father's thumb. Why Tess doesn't break away from him and go out on her own. Even though I would hope in a similar circumstance I would be strong enough to remove myself from a situation I'm not happy with. Sometimes things are not as simple as just walking away (sometimes they are), but Robson brings to light all the factors that go into this kind of abuse. Tess knows her situation and the thing that makes Tess a strong character, despite still living under her father's influence, is that she's actively trying to remove herself from said influence. While I was frustrated at times for what she was going through, I still couldn't deny how strong she was. 
 For all that Curran has this reputation as a womanizer, I immediately liked him because he never treated Tess like she had to be anything different than who she already is, which is in direct opposition to her father always trying to mold her into his perfect toy. I liked that, despite his history with women, he's pretty much devoted to Tess from the get go. While Tess's problems were more in the foreground, Curran has some issues going on as well. Having both Tess and Curran needing each other, and being able to count on each other, and seeing them both let down their guard to share things that they're ashamed of or make them vulernable, is why this book works for me. Their connection was great. 
 I know that this book connects to another of Robson's series, and those characters make appearances, but you don't have to have read them in order to understand what is going on. But if you're like me, reading Once Kissed will make you want to go back and pick up other titles by Cecy Robson. 
 *Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for and honest review.