2017 has only been here for a few days. But I've already read one deliciously sinful, shamelessly steamy book that enraptured me from start to finish. 
 That's right, friends... I loved Protecting What's His. 
 Twenty-three-year-old Ginger Peet hasn't had an easy life. Every day she struggles to provide for herself and Willa, her seventeen-year-old younger sister. The girls' mother, Valerie, wastes her life away as a drug addict and never gives a second thought to her daughters. From a tender age, Valerie always brought drugs and men home without caring whether her daughters knew she was turning tricks. Forced to grow up too fast, Ginger has always looked out for Willa and tried her best to make ends meet for both of them. So one day, when she finds her mother passed out on the couch with a purse full of cash, Ginger can't resist the temptation. Determined to give them a fresh new start, she takes the money and Willa with her and moves to Chicago, leaving her hometown of Nashville and her mother behind. 
 Lieutenant Derek Tyler is suffering from a bad hangover. One of his officers was killed during a raid and the funeral is today. The day has barely begun and it's already shaping up very badly. The last thing he needs is two females making an absurd amount of noise moving into the apartment across from his. When he confronts the two, he is completely unprepared for the beautiful brown-haired vixen he sees, who easily holds her own with him and displays plainly undisguised wit. Derek is unable to deny the immediate attraction he feels and begins to pursue her with irresistible singlemindedness. Ginger is very much tempted by this gorgeous homicide lieutenant who lives just next door. But she is carrying around some emotional baggage, and is hesitant to have anything beyond a physical relationship. When they finally give in to each other, Ginger tries very hard to keep it purely about the sex, but Derek wants so much more from her. Will Ginger take the plunge and give him what he wants? Or will she decide that it just isn't worth the risk? 
 This book has one of my favorite tropes. A sexy, domineering, possessive alpha male who just can't keep his hands off his female and never takes no for an answer? A confident and sassy girl who is sharp and witty and knows how to keep her man on his feet? Color me enthralled. Throw in the undeniable chemistry and sizzling sexual tension, and you get a magic combination. Derek and Ginger's mutual attraction was definitely off the charts. I enjoyed watching both of them dance around each other. Every time they met, their conversations were so charged and the pull so strong that it was clear they would not keep their hands off each other for much longer. The story never lagged; it was heart-stopping through and through and not to mention, scorching hot. 
 "Try harder, Derek." 
 "Point taken. But one more thing." Derek leaned forward, resting his hands on either side of her on the counter, then dipped his head lower. Ginger's mind reeled as he ran his tongue upward in one long lick of her neck. "The longer it takes me to get between your thighs, the rougher I'm going to be when I finally get there. Understand?" 
 There is a fine line between possessive and controlling, and some books toe that line very closely - it's always a hit or miss with me for alpha males, but I can safely say that I definitely loved Derek Tyler. So much. He was bossy and demanding, sure, but he was sweet too. Once he met Ginger, he started pursuing her, with so much fierce intensity and persuasiveness that she just couldn't resist. Derek was willing to do whatever he could do to get her, and I absolutely adored how determined he was and how he was never afraid to take what he wanted. His decisiveness was such a turn-on - he knew what he wanted and he did anything to get it, including playing dirty. Boy, did he play dirty. Another turn-on. And men who talk dirty are also a hit or miss for me, but I truly loved Derek's dirty talking. The things he said got me so hot and bothered... I had to fan myself a few times. 
 But Derek had a soft side to him as well, and I loved him most when he was sweet, warm and caring. He's a good man. He's loyal and kind and courageous and cares about his officers. Most of all, he was always there for Ginger as a source of solace and comfort whenever she needed it. Once Derek was certain what he wanted from Ginger, he was never afraid to show her how he felt. He was resolute in banishing her insecurity and fears, and he broke through all the carefully erected barriers protecting her heart. 
 "Give me a chance, beautiful girl," he whispered urgently against her mouth. 
 --- 
 Derek hoped for her sake she didn't try to change her mind, because he didn't intend to let her go. He would fight every single insecurity swimming around in that head to keep her. 
 Ginger balks at the prospect of a serious relationship at first, but she cannot deny her connection with Derek. 
 By forcing her to acknowledge that his interest went beyond sexual attraction, he'd effectively blasted a hole in the side of her already-sinking ship. She didn't know her own identity without the illusion of sex. Had always used her looks to her advantage. But he wanted more. He wanted her. 
 Ginger was an easily likeable, vivacious woman. She comes across as strong and brave and looks like she has everything together. She has a good sense of humor, but when it comes to her sister's safety, she does not take it lightly. Ginger is light-hearted but also very loyal and willing to stand up for what she believes in. She also knows that she looks like a siren and therefore is adept at using her looks to get what she wants, especially from men. But in reality, she has a vulnerable side to her personality: the ever-constant fear that she will end up like her mother, and so she never allows anyone to see through her at all. 
 Until Derek. He saw every flaw, every sin, every regret in her and still he wanted her more than anything else in the world. He never once judged or blamed her, but saw what she did not: that it was the fault of circumstance that made her steal money. Derek gave Ginger nothing but unconditional love, knowing that the two of them had a soul-deep connection from the start. He was so protective of her and was strong and unshakable whenever she needed his strength. (I may have swooned.) It took Ginger some time to realise her true feelings for Derek which she had been hiding from herself all along, but as she slowly comes out of her shell, she becomes a vibrant, lively woman whom I couldn't help but love. The two of them have some pretty amazing and funny banter that I enjoyed reading. And the steam level did not disappoint me either. Their conversations alternated between making me laugh and turning me on. If the two of them were sparks, whenever they were together they created a conflagration. 
 The only slight issue I had was the lack of knowledge about Derek's past. His background is very much glossed over and it was quite a shame because I had looked forward to getting to know him more, what drove him, what made him the way he is. 
 Willa, Ginger's younger sister, was a sassy, devil-may-care antisocial punk. But there was a side story about how she met a boy in Chicago high school, and though it was glossed over, I liked seeing a hint of sweet teenage romance as well. It was a lovely side story. 
 And the ending - it made me feel all the emotions at once. I was tearing up over Derek, how he really would do anything for Ginger. How much he really loved her. I'm sighing. Dear Lord, he is everything you could want in a man. 
 "But I would come after you every time. Every. Time." 
 I'm so glad to have started 2017 with such a great book. I'll definitely be looking for more books by Tessa Bailey - she's done it for me with her enchanting style of writing, unbelievably sexy heroes, and one-liners that will either make you drop your panties or laugh till your stomach hurts. Protecting What's His is definitely a must-read. 
 Here's some favorite Derek + Ginger quotes. I just love these two so much and I can't let them go. 
 ***** 
 "When we touch each other, it's honest and real. I crave it." 
 ***** 
 About talking dirty... 
 "Let me be clear, Ginger, since you insist on talking in circles. I want you underneath me in my bed. I want to be buried inside you so deep that I have to remind you of your own name. And I want those motherfuckers leering at you from the other side of the bar to smell me on you for a week afterward." 
 ***** 
 "I'm ruined. You've ruined me, Ginger." 
 ***** 
 His chest rose and fell with a shudder underneath her hands. "I'm looking at you sitting there all puffy-eyed from crying over me. If I kiss you right now, I'll never stop." 
 ***** 
 "Do you feel that, baby? That's your man moving inside you." 
 ***** 
 And this... my God. The ending. I cried reading this. 
 "Ginger...I wish you would answer the phone. I really need to hear your voice." A deep, steadying breath. "You know when I fell in love with you?" Ginger's hand tightened on the phone, her pulse hammering. "That night in my bathroom after your apartment flooded. You'd been crying, but you looked so goddamn fearless. Maybe I should have told you how I feel before now. Maybe it would have prevented this fool's mission." He cleared his throat with difficulty. "Probably not. You're too damn stubborn. But then, I love you for that, too, don't I? Call me, sweetheart. I'll come get you and take you home. Bye, baby." 
 ***** 
 The HEA... (I may or may not be swooning right now.) 
 "Look at me. You own me. I'm owned." He shifted his hips, making her whimper. "You own this, too."