Title: Too Hot to Hold
Author: Andrew Grey
Series: Currently a Standalone
Genre: M/M
Contemporary Romance/Law Enforcement
Release Date: April 11, 2023
Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print
Gay burlesque performer, Noel West, had dreams of dancing
professionally, but an injury sidelined him. He's wary of other people, largely
because of his profession. When David offers him a ride in a blizzard, he
cautiously accepts, expecting a come-on. David is a gentleman, however, and
that quickly gets past Noel's defenses.
David Hunter is a trust-fund kid and a lawyer. Seeing Noel,
he offers a ride because no one should be out on a frigid night. He has no idea
what Noel does until he refers to it in a snappy comeback, which leads David to
return and see the show. He’s captivated by Noel in a way he never thought
possible and decides to try to get Noel's attention... the old-fashioned way:
he woos him.
When Noel's club is raided on trumped-up charges, he calls
for help, and David answers. But even as Noel starts to realize that David may
be everything he appears to be, he's still skeptical. Especially when he learns
David's father has political ambitions that Noel’s relationship with David
seems to threaten. David will need to navigate family drama to prove to Noel
that his feelings are true and that he really is his prince charming.
Book Links
“Put the phone down,” one of the
officers snapped at him. Noel met his gaze with as much fierceness as he could
muster and held it tightly. “Give me that.”
Noel shook his head.
“Pay attention, Jack,” one of the
other officers said, and the guy stepped back, getting out of Noel’s face as
his phone vibrated. He waited while Frankie spoke with the officers and made a
few phone calls of his own before checking for a response.
On
my way was all
it said, but hopefully it would be enough. Noel watched one of the officers and
Frankie got into a heated argument, and then he turned Frankie around and
slapped cuffs on his wrists. The rest of them stood close together, and Noel
assumed that the patrons out front were probably being hassled as well.
“What kind of shakedown is this?”
Noel asked as one of the officers approached.
“You be quiet. We’re waiting for
a car to take you all down to the station.”
“Really?” David strode in,
dressed to kill in one of those coats that made him look like a prince. “What
sort of evidence do you have?” David slipped off what had to be alpaca or
vicuna and draped it over his arm. “If you’re going to take these men in, then
you need to have specific evidence against each of them. What is it?” Man, he
sounded amazing.
“And you are?”
“David Hunter. I’m the attorney
for Noel, here. He texted me as soon as you arrived. I came down here to see
that my client’s rights aren’t being violated, and from the looks of things,
I’d say this entire raid is questionable.”
“We are acting on a tip about
this establishment,” the biggest officer said.
“Really?” David asked. “And this
tip, it didn’t happen to be anonymous, did it? Were specific people mentioned
by name? Have you seen anything illegal yourselves?” He stepped closer, and
Noel wanted to cheer when the officer began to look at the others for support—a
sure sign of weakness. “Just what I thought. This is harassment, and it isn’t
going to look good for the department. You know that.” David held himself tall
and straight. Noel had been attracted to David’s kindness since that first
night, but this was something completely different. David had Noel’s heart
pounding and blood coursing through him to the point that he could barely
think.
“We need….” The officer looked
like he was going to cry.
David cleared his throat. “What
you need is to have hard evidence before you pull a stunt like this. This club
may not be your cup of tea, but as long as they abide by the law, you are to do
the same.” Man, the way he schooled them was so awesome. Noel wanted to cheer,
but he was too stunned. “Why is this man handcuffed?”
“Yeah, why?” Noel finally found
his voice. “Frankie was trying to protect us.”
“Is this true?” David never
raised his voice, but the command in it was unmistakable.
“He resisted….”
“What? A questionable action by
the department that could very well be illegal?” He motioned, and one of the
officers removed Frankie’s handcuffs. “Excellent. I will be contacting the
superintendent of police so he can sort out this mess.” David motioned to the
door, and three now very subdued officers left the club, the door closing
behind them.
“Thank you,” Frankie said once
they were gone.
David nodded. “You’re welcome.
I’m assuming I didn’t get here in time to save your evening, but at least I
saved you all a trip to the station.”
“How did you know all that
stuff?” Noel asked.
David met his gaze, and Noel
wanted to swim in those eyes. “The department has a certain reputation when it
comes to the LGBTQ community, and I used that to my advantage. They tend to
overreact to certain kinds of complaints. Bias exists everywhere.” David slowly
put on his coat once more.
“Will you really do all that
stuff you said?” Noel asked in a bit of a hero daze. “For us?” He was so used
to being stepped on.
David nodded. “Now, please excuse
me. I have to return to a dinner with my father and stepmother that I’m
expected for, and they’re probably going to be angry.” He paused right in front
of Noel. “You did the right thing by messaging me.” He smiled, and Noel nodded
his thanks, and then David was out the door, which banged closed behind him.
Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and
leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when
writing) He considers himself blessed
with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive
and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle,
Pennsylvania.
Author Links
Facebook
Group All the Way with Andrew Grey
Twitter
@andrewgreybooks
For Other Works by
Andrew Grey
(Please Be Sure To
Stop by His Website
to See
All of His Works)
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