Title: Guarded Obsession

Series: University Row, Book Two

Author: Brenda Murphy

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: 01/20/2026

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Female/Female

Length: 308

Genre: Contemporary suspense, Romance, contemporary, crime/thriller, lesbian, BDSM, university professor, bodyguard, forced proximity

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Description

Celeste Choi swore she’d never take another protection job, especially not after the betrayal that almost destroyed her. But when her best friend begs for help, she can’t say no. Lou Chavez is on the run from her vengeful ex—a woman who’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants. Hiding out in a remote cabin, Celeste and Lou find themselves locked in a fight for survival and for each other. Lou doesn’t believe she’s worth saving, but Celeste refuses to let her die on her watch. As their enemies close in and an old rival resurfaces with her own deadly agenda, their undeniable attraction ignites into something dark, intimate, and dangerous. To survive, Celeste and Lou must stand together, risk everything, and decide if the love they’ve found is worth the ultimate price.

Guarded Obsession
Brenda Murphy © 2026
All Rights Reserved

Celeste lowered the bottle. “I took a job.”

Rachel pursed her lips and waited a beat before answering. “Second thoughts?”

“None. But—” Celeste shifted her gaze to the floor.

“But?” Rachel closed the distance. “I’m grown now. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“I know.” Celeste squared her shoulders. “I’m worried about the client. She’s convinced she doesn’t need protection. And resistant clients are challenging to keep safe.”

“You’re the best. You’ve never lost anyone.”

Celeste lifted an eyebrow. “You and Yvonne may be able to attribute Felicity Burlington’s death as a result of her own actions but I—”

“Can’t let it go? I hate to break it to you, Auntie, but you’re not omnipotent. You did everything you could. Auntie Yvonne and the jury and everyone who knows the truth knows it wasn’t your fault. For fuck’s sake, she seduced you, drugged you, and snuck out. How could anyone protect a determined idiot from themselves?”

Celeste blew out a breath. “I’ve heard this argument before. I shouldn’t have let your Auntie Yvonne babysit you as much as she did.”

Rachel laughed. “I wouldn’t have gone to law school if it wasn’t for her. Come on.” She stepped closer and laid her hand on Celeste’s forearm. “You’re the best. I believe in you. So does Auntie Yvonne. You need to believe in yourself. Where’s my fierce Auntie who fought for custody when my parents spilt? If not for you who knows where I would have ended up.”

Celeste sighed and took another sip of water. “Still here. How’s your Mandarin?”

“Not as good as my Korean, but passible. Better than my Thai. Why?”

“I need to put out some feelers. I need your help with some of the correspondence.”

“If I can’t handle it, I have some friends from law school who would help with whatever you need.”

“Only if you would trust them with your life.”

“That bad?” Rachel lifted her chin.

Celeste glanced at the clock. “I don’t want to discuss it in the open. You have time to talk now?”

“My class doesn’t start for an hour.”

“Why are you here so early?”

The corner of Rachel’s mouth lifted. “Dutch is teaching today.”

“How’s that going?” Celeste led the way to the change room.

“I’ll know after class.” Rachel settled her workout bag on the floor before she sat in one of the chairs positioned outside the door of the locker room.

“Out in a few.”

“Don’t rush. I have some email I can catch up on.” Rachel pulled her phone from her workout bag.

Celeste entered the code for the locker room and flicked on the overhead lights. She tugged the sweaty towel from her neck and tossed it into the laundry hamper. Once she’d opened her locker door, she draped her hand wraps over the hook inside. She grabbed her shower bag and towel. The floor was cool under her feet as she crossed the tile to the showers. She flicked the shower handle to start the flow before she hung her towel and stripped out of her sticky workout clothes.

After checking the water temperature with her hand, she stepped under the warm spray. She pulled the elastic from her hair, allowing its length to fall. With her back to the spray, she let the water flow over her, washing away the sweat from her workout. The woodsy scent of the shampoo she used rose up as she washed her hair, then her body with the matching body wash the dojang stocked.

Her fingers traveled over her body. Various scars littered her skin; tactile memories of each time she had earned her clients’ safety by sacrificing her own. After reading Lou’s file, no matter what Lou thought, Celeste believed she was in danger. Carolyn Voight wouldn’t be satisfied until everyone who’d dismantled her lucrative art forgery business was punished. Celeste wouldn’t be deterred by a spoiled brat of a sub, no matter how gorgeous.

 

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Brenda Murphy (she/her) writes erotic romance. Her most recent novel, Double Six, is the 2020 Golden Crown Literary Society winner for Erotic Novels, and Knotted Legacy, the third book in the Rowan House series, made the 2018 The Lesbian Review’s Top 100 Vacation Reads list. You can catch her musings on writing, books, and living with wicked ADHD on her blog Writing While Distracted. She loves sideshows and tattoos and yes, those are her monkeys. When she is not loitering at her local library, she wrangles twins, one dog, and an unrepentant parrot

I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. For a free short story, information on book signings, appearances, work in progress snippets, previews and sneak-peeks, sign up for my email list at:

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