Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover
Artist: Aaron Anderson
Successful owner of an upscale boutique in fabulous West
Hollywood, Brandon Good swears by his personal edict to “live in the present.”
After a bad break-up, he agrees to dog sit to keep his mind off his ex. Never
did he expect the dog to belong a man from his past, the only man to ever truly
break his heart.
When Jake Westley relocates to join the WeHo fire
department, the last thing he anticipates is reuniting with his secret high
school love. Thrilled with the prospect of reconnecting with Bran, Jake feels
no guilt in using his charming old dog as an unwitting matchmaker. As they
rekindle their friendship, it becomes clear the intense attraction they once
felt is stronger than ever. But as hard as they try to leave the past behind,
painful memories resurface. Bran will have to confront his fears and consider
the possibility that the man he swore was absolutely the wrong one might be perfect
after all.
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction,
Humor, M/M Romance, Romance
Excerpt:
Again, I questioned my sanity. Something was odd in my world
for sure. My heart was beating double time when he finally turned onto my
street. A quick escape was my best bet. I had my fingers wrapped around the car
door handle and was ready to rip my
other hand from his grasp when he slowed down. He must have
sensed my intent to bolt, because he held on to me until I was forced to give
him a “what the fuck?” look.
“Let me walk you to your door.”
“Jake, let’s not do this. Please. I really don’t want this
evening to get any weirder than it already has been. Thank you for tonight. For
dinner and pretending to—”
“Hey, nothing is weird here. It’s dark, and I’m walking you
to your door—”
“I’m a big boy. I’ve got this.” I detached my hand from his
grip and opened the door.
“Thanks again.”
When I reached the sidewalk, he was waiting for me. The man
obviously was hard of hearing.
“You are stubborn.” I gave him my best evil eye before I
trudged up the path ahead of him.
“Me? You’re the difficult one. I’m trying to be nice—”
“You don’t have to prove you’re nice to me. I get it. That
doesn’t mean—suit yourself.”
“Humor me.”
I fished my key from my pocket as I approached the well-lit
front porch.
“Here I am, safe and sound. No need for worry,” I said
flippantly as I turned to Jake.
“You ca—”
I swallowed my words. He was closer than I expected. Much
closer. I felt the warmth from his body but wasn’t prepared for the hunger I
saw in his eyes. I licked my bottom lip nervously. I knew what was going to
happen, and though I wasn’t sure it was a good idea, I wasn’t going to stop
him. He bent slightly and brushed his nose against mine. I felt his breath on
my lips as I waited for him to close the distance between us. Neither of us
moved. He smelled delicious, that intoxicating combination of soap and a hint
of musky cologne I’d noticed the morning he hugged me in my kitchen. I could
have happily buried my nose in his shirt or in the curve where his neck met his
shoulders. I closed my eyes and leaned in the tiniest bit closer, expecting him
to take over. He still didn’t move.
“Aren’t you going to ki—”
And then he pounced. He crashed his mouth over mine and
snaked his arms around my waist, fusing our bodies together. His hands traveled
up and down my back while he licked a sensual line across the seam of my lips,
requesting entry. I heard myself moan as his tongue danced and collided with
mine in a lustful assault. I arched into him instinctively. Jake lowered his
hands to my ass, drawing me in tightly as he thrust his hips forward. The friction
was hot, and his demanding kisses had my head reeling. This was nothing like
our frantic make-out sessions years ago.
Just as that errant thought surfaced to remind me whom I was
grinding against like a teenager on my front porch, Jake turned his full
attention to my mouth. I was painfully hard, but he was right. We shouldn’t be
doing any of this. But I couldn’t seem to stop myself. I bit at his jaw and
then licked my way to his ear, flicking the lobe gently with my tongue until I
felt his teeth at my neck. I made a strangled sound and went limp in his arms.
He was overpowering in a subtle, almost unexpected way. I was two seconds away
from ripping his shirt when a car went down my street blaring hip-hop music at
an obscene volume. I pulled away and rested my forehead against his shoulder.
We stood quietly catching our breath for a moment.
Then Jake pressed a soft kiss on my cheek and stepped away.
“Good night, Bran. Thank you for… well, just thank you. I’ll see you soon.”
I stared after him like an idiot, watching him open his door
and start the SUV. I heard the familiar hum of distant traffic and smelled the
fragrant sweet star jasmine from my neighbor’s garden. Everything looked and
seemed to be in place, but something was different.
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Author Bio and Links
Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she
loves best. Writing full time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel.
An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to a well-told love
story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading
roles both be men! Lane discovered the M/M genre a fews ago and was instantly
hooked. Her first novel was a finalist in the 2013 Rainbow Awards and her third
received an Honorable Mention in the 2014 Rainbow Awards. She loves travel,
chocolate, and wine (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California
with her amazing husband and the coolest yellow lab ever in an almost empty
nest.
Where
you can find Lane:
Website: https://lanehayes.wordpress.com/
Facebook: LaneHayesauthor
Twitter: @LaneHayes3
E-mail: mailto:lanehayes@ymail.com
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