A Protective Hero Romantic Suspense with Forced Proximity, High Heat and International Intrigue A protective hero. A woman with deadly secrets. A passion that could destroy them both.
Gavin “Hawk” Hayes was born to fly. Now the former fighter pilot has a new mission ... protect the people under his watch.
Katerina “Kat” Morozov lives surrounded by diamonds, gowns, and lies. The life she built in Cupid City’s glittering nightlife hides a past that refuses to stay buried.
Hawk doesn’t trust a word she says. But every instinct tells him she’s in danger. The real danger? Their passion is as explosive as the threats closing in.When Cupid City’s glittering nightlife collides with deadly secrets, Hawk becomes the only shield between Kat and the enemies closing in. He’s disciplined, precise, and utterly unshakable ... until her fire tests every boundary he swore he wouldn’t cross.
For Kat, trusting anyone has never been an option. Yet in Hawk’s arms, safety feels dangerously like surrender. With assassins on her trail and her lies unraveling fast, every step closer to him risks not just her cover, but her heart.
She’s running from the past. He’s the last man standing between her and the people hunting her. In a city where love is as perilous as betrayal, survival means choosing the one thing neither of them ever expected ...each other.
In Cupid City, Valentine’s means glittering galas and dangerous secrets. Heartline Security keeps the city breathing between fireworks and threats. That is, until each protector meets the one person worth breaking protocol for.
A steamy stand-alone story in the Cupid City Security Romance Series
Opal’s steamy stories frequently feature independent, strong-willed females who find themselves surprisingly swept away by alpha males who pursue them with vigor and passion. Ultimately, they can’t resist the sweet satisfaction and protection these men offer. Who could?
On Writing Opal doesn’t like being restricted to what form her stories take. She breaks rules and bends things a bit to keep the tale the way the characters want it told.
In her writing, Opal Nicks explores many different facets of relationships. She hopes to captivate you with the nuances of love. Whether through a budding early relationship or a tension-filled reunion, she gracefully conveys the power and complexity of love-speak.
Her characters often possess an unbridled energy that gives them strength to take risks and traverse peril—all for love.
Some women are taught to survive. Some men are built to protect.
Kat hides behind beauty, control, and the kind of lies that keep her alive. Hawk sees the cracks right away. He’s supposed to protect her, not get pulled in by the woman at the center of something that feels dangerous from the start. But the closer the threat gets, the harder it is to keep distance between them, and what starts as suspicion turns into a connection neither of them can ignore.
As the pressure builds, Kat has to face everything she’s been shaped by, while Hawk has to decide what protection really means. Their chemistry runs hot, but the stronger pull is in the way they shift each other, from mutual distrust to earned intimacy, from pure survival to something more honest and chosen. The danger around them raises the stakes, but the emotional risk is what lands hardest.
Kat starts out guarded, polished, and ruled by survival instinct, then slowly learns how to act from trust instead of fear, letting herself want more than just safety. Hawk begins in discipline, suspicion, and restraint, but grows into someone willing to follow his instincts and care for her without trying to control her. Together they move from tension and defensiveness into a bond built on honesty, vulnerability, and desire that means more because it’s chosen.
A dark, hot romantic suspense about two guarded people pulled together by danger, distrust, and protective tension, then changed by the intimacy that grows once the lies start falling away. At its core, it’s about reclaiming autonomy after control, learning to trust under pressure, and finding a kind of love that leaves room for choice, truth, and freedom.
The Elevator Pitch: A woman who’s survived by turning herself into a flawless lie collides with a protector trained to spot every weakness except his own. As danger closes in, suspicion gives way to a volatile intimacy that forces them both to choose between control and something far more dangerous: trust. What unfolds is a high-stakes romance about identity, freedom, and the terrifying pull of being truly seen.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Operation: Wingman by Opal Nicks delivers exactly what fans of protective hero romance want—danger, passion, and two characters who absolutely cannot stay away from each other.
Gavin “Hawk” Hayes is the kind of hero you can’t help but love. A former fighter pilot turned elite protector, he’s disciplined, focused, and used to being in control of every situation. But when he’s assigned to watch over Kat Morozov, things get complicated fast.
Kat is surrounded by glamour in Cupid City’s nightlife—diamonds, gowns, and high society—but underneath it all she’s hiding dangerous secrets. She’s used to surviving on her own and trusting no one, which makes the tension between her and Hawk even more intense. He doesn’t trust her story, but every instinct tells him she’s in serious danger.
The chemistry between these two is off the charts. Forced proximity, constant danger, and the push-and-pull of trust versus suspicion keeps the story moving at a fast pace. Hawk wants to protect her, Kat is used to protecting herself, and watching those walls slowly come down is incredibly satisfying.
Add in assassins, hidden pasts, and the glittering but dangerous world of Cupid City, and the stakes stay high from beginning to end.
If you enjoy protective heroes, forced proximity, suspense, and high-heat romance, this one is definitely worth the read. It’s a fast, exciting story with plenty of tension, action, and a satisfying HEA. 🔥📚.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Two Sides of the Same Coin - Gavin was tasked to protect Katerina whilst she was in town, but he realised she was more than a damsel in distress from the moment he laid eyes on her. Kat on the other hand was on assignment, but from the moment she met Gavin and spent time in his presence, she felt a connection with him, that she knew was dangerous. Unfortunately, just as Gavin and Katerina started getting close, they found themselves in the midst of chaos and had to navigate all the perils in the path to ensuring their safety.
Spending time together brought Gavin and Katerina closer and soon changed the dynamics of their relationship. Even though Katerina and Gavin were meant to be completing a mission, the circumstances changed, which meant they had to go off script, which led to a situation where they had to balance between their hearts and the task. Luckily, once the mission was completed, Gavin and Katerina were ultimately able to finally choose their hearts, so they could have a chance at a future together.
This was an intense and exciting page turner filled with action-packed moments, angst, suspense, passionate encounters and intriguing characters, that made this story a fantastic read. I couldn’t stop reading from the moment I started and I believe you will really enjoy reading this book just as much as I did.
I received an advanced review copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
An intriguing story. Makes you think with just enough suspense to make you keep turning the pages. Protection from afar becomes an extraction. Operator recognizes operator and who will blink first. Hawk chooses Kat and that makes her feel seen for the first time in her life. She chooses Hawk and maybe together they can bring this to an end. Together they face the threat and finally Kat is free. No more looking over their shoulders waiting for the other shoe to drop. Choosing each other every day to make the life they both deserve.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
OPERATION: WINGMAN is part of the multi-authored Cupid City Security security series. It's a short and steamy, OTT, slow-burn, forced-proximity, girl gets her hunk romance. Hawk is a hunky ex-military man turned security consultant. Katerina is the asset he has been hired to protect. From the moment he sees her, he knows that she is not what she seems. As they end up working together, sparks fly. What happens when the assignment is over? These two had insane chemistry and we got a happy ending after some drama. I can't wait for Pierce's story!
This should have been a straightforward assignment for Hawk. He was to protect Kat, but it soon became anything except that. Enjoyed the action, suspense and watching them fall for each other amidst the chaos. Received a free copy.
Operation: Wingman is apart of the multi-author series Cupid City Security. Hawks job is to protect Kat. The connection between the two is wonderful to watch. Love the book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What happens when protection turns personal? When the mission isn’t just strategic… but emotional? When the one person you’re assigned to guard becomes the only one who can undo you?
This story was never meant to be just about danger. Yes, there are high stakes. Yes, there are secrets, pressure, and moments where everything could collapse in a single decision.
At its heart, Operation Wingman is about control.
Who has it? Who pretends to have it? And what happens when love, and possible sacrifice, quietly dismantles it?
I wanted to explore a hero who is competent, disciplined, trained to anticipate every threat … except the one that comes from within. A man who believes his job is to stand beside, shield, and strategize – not fall.
And a heroine who has spent her life navigating image, expectation, and perception. She’s no damsel. She doesn’t need saving … until she does. She does need someone who sees past the surface of her facade.
The chemistry between them was never soft. It’s sharp, tense and electric. Their connection builds under pressure. Through distrust, proximity, and moments where professionalism slips, something far more real takes its place.
What I love most about this story is that neither of them is totally reckless. They know the cost. They understand the consequences. They fall anyway.
That’s the real mission. Not the operation. Not the assignment. Not the threat. The surrender.
And if you’ve read it already, you know…
This story might be finished, but their life together is only just beginning. Which is why I’m strongly considering something special. A five-chapter epilogue readers can download. If you didn’t see the link inside the book, email me at hello@opalnicks.com and I’ll send it to you personally.
Not just a glimpse or a time jump. But a true emotional continuation. Because some love stories deserve more than one final page.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for trusting me with your time. Welcome to Operation Wingman.
Operation: Wingman by Opal Nicks is the first title I have read by this author and as part of the multi author series Cupid City Security Romance it was an entertaining read. As a forced proximity, protector, espionage, suspense romance it is ideal for a couple of hours of escape. The plot and storyline, that includes some intrigue, drama and action, a vigilant protector hero, and an independent, beautiful woman hiding something, was engaging. Katerina, attending an event during Valentine's week in Cupid City is being observed and protected by Heartline Security Company's Hawk. Danger is flagged and Hawk whisks Katerina to a safe house where mutual attraction simmers and trust formerly absent slowly builds. Hawk intrigued and captivated by Katerina realising there's more to Katerina and the assignment than he was originally briefed on and breaks protocol to protect and help. A tentative trust develops and fuels their simmering chemistry whilst Hawk aids Katerina finish whatever she was caught up in. The steamy and spicy moments and growth of the connection between them had me hooked and turning the pages right through to see how their HEA turns out.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Operation: Wingman is a charming and entertaining romance that blends humor, heartfelt moments, and great chemistry between the characters. The premise is fun and engaging, and the story quickly pulls you into the world of Cupid City Security.
The characters are likable and well-developed, with a dynamic that balances playful banter and emotional connection. The “wingman” concept adds an extra layer of humor and tension as the characters navigate their feelings and unexpected attraction.
The pacing keeps the story moving smoothly, making it an enjoyable read from beginning to end. Fans of protective heroes, workplace romance, and light romantic suspense will definitely enjoy this story.
I would recommend Operation: Wingman to readers who enjoy feel-good romance with engaging characters, playful dialogue, and a touch of action.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Loved this fast paced, high octane romantic suspence quicky. Gavin "Hawk" had learned to function like a robot - tune into the mission and ignore everything else. That changed the moment Katerina "Kat" entered the picture. A client, she somehow slipped under his molded armor anyway - not that it was going to effect his job performance. Almost from the get-go things didn't unfold as intended. The tension Nicks creates between these two is intense, and everything about their interactions feeds into that tension. I couldn't read the pages fast enough, and at the same time I wanted to savor the wonderful storyline and incredible characters. My only complaint, it needed to be longer! Not that anything was left out or shortcut, I just wanted more of the story and of Hawk and Kat themselves. It was THAT good!.
I was gifted a copy of this book and voluntarily provided this review. Happy Reading Y'all 📚
Is it protection or an operation.... Operation or control.... Running or delivering.... Threat or coercion.... Interference or restructure..... Freedom or integrity?
All Kat ever wanted was choice, the chance to make her own decisions and choose her own destiny. Nobody has ever given her that...until Hawk. He doesn't pressure, demand or coerce, he stands strong by her side whilst she makes the choice....he gives her everything...freedom.... identity...future. A fast paced and intense read and the final twist that comes Hawk's way was a complete surprise. I read this on Kindle Unlimited.
Kat doesn't trust Hawk, and Hawk knows there's more to Kat than what he's being told. His military training gives him the skills and intuition he needs to help her. He also knows that she's been trained. When he finds out the truth behind her 'purpose' he risks it all. After hiding, was the risk worth it or will they have to hide forever?
These are two strong, fierce characters that belong together. Forced proximity allows them to see through eachother and they succumb to their attraction to one another. Spicy scenes with vulnerability, protection and unexpected love. This was a great book that kept me guessing the ending. A short-story romance, dual pov that can be read as a standalone.
This was a great romantic suspense and a fun read. Hawke is providing protection for Kat, and with the danger around her, he knows she's more than he knew. She isn't used to trusting people but the more time she spends with Hawke, the more she realizes he's there for her. Expect to get caught up in this intense and exciting read that has international intrigue, action, danger, and a fab balance between their fun banter and strong emotional connection as they work their way to an HEA. Definitely a page turner and I'm looking forward to checking out the other titles in this multi-author series :D
Interesting story of mystery and intrigue. Hawk, a former fighter pilot now works for Cupid City Security is employed to protector Kat Morozov. She holds deadly secrets and doesn’t trust anyone. When Hawk must extract her from a dangerous situation, will Kat accompany him to the safe house? But with assassins hunting her down, the only way to survive is choosing to trust each other. Will the attraction between the two hurt or help to complete the mission? This story had everything: drama, suspense, twists and turns, and enough steam to light a candle. Highly recommend. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
'A High-Stakes Romantic Suspense Featuring a Protective Hero and Explosive Passion'
The characters drove the storyline and they were so very appealing and complex and complicated and perfectly steamy together. Plot was intriguing and intense and well paced. World building was excellent and solidly drawn. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Hawk and Katerina's love story is great short read if you enjoy a bit of tension and danger. Hawk was challenged and his abilities were tested as far his loyalty and decision making ability in complicated situations. And that attraction and tension between them. Well written, great characters, engaging rea. Loved it!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A Cupid City Security Romance story of Katerina Morozov and Hawk. I have to say that was amazing and entertaining. The drama and suspense was well worth a page turning adventure to be found in this incredible story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A Heartline Security espionage story at it's best. Hawk is assigned to protect Katarina but she only meets him when things start to go south. What follows is espionage and steamy times. This is not to be missed.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Loved Gavin and Kat in this novella. Their attraction was undeniable. With heat and spice, tension and suspense. This was the perfect read. I’ve really been enjoying these novellas. They feel like a full novel without all the pages.
I love the story. I love how ballsy, brave and confident Kat is. I enjoyed reading Hawk reading between the lines and see who and what Kat is and how protective he gets.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Katerina is tired of being alone, so when given a chance, she goes with it. Hawk has been assigned to be her bodyguard, not to know everything about her. Now they keep each other safe. Enjoy it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.