Monday, 9 October 2017

The Shipwreck by Rosalind Abel EXCERPT REVEAL

The Shipwreck by Rosalind Abel Excerpt Reveal


Excerpt Reveal

The Shipwreck
(A Lavender Shores Novel)
by Author Rosalind Abel.



The Shipwreck, Book four in the Lavender Shores Series is NOW LIVE and available to download for FREE with Kindle unlimited.



✮✮✮ THE SHIPWRECK  is here! Grab your copy today! ✮✮✮


Lamont Price’s romance novels have been a hit for the past few years. With his gorgeous looks, kind heart, and tender disposition, Lamont is the darling of Lavender Shores. He’s the guy everyone wants to be their best friend, the guy everyone wants to protect. But even with his success and the love of his family, Lamont feels hidden from those around him. Maybe the first step is attending a writing conference and revealing the man behind his pen name.... Tyler Dixon survives off his beauty and charm. From cover model to runway fashion to weekend arm candy, Tyler’s prices aren’t cheap. While his appearance is taking him places, his life as an artist has little more than flatlined. When an author hires him to appear as the face of her brand, Tyler thinks it’s just one more job. Little does he know another writer is going to steal all of his attention. Escaping the conference to find some breathing room, Lamont runs into Tyler at a bar. Casual conversation leads to Lamont revealing his family’s obsession with helping him find love. It’s not a big deal to Tyler, who has played the role of boyfriend for other people in the past. Before either of them can rethink the situation, Tyler is in Lavender Shores meeting Lamont’s family. Though they’re only pretending to be in a relationship, the chemistry that ignites between them is anything but imaginary…

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When Lamont asked Tyler to pretend to be his boyfriend for the weekend to appease his family, he never dreamed he’d start to fall for the man. Lamont also never imagined he’d share his favorite spot in the world with Tyler, but he had.  Now they’re back at the shipwreck so Tyler can take some photographs of the boat, maybe even use them in his next art show……

We needn’t have worried. It seemed to be one of those days where the fog was a permanent resident. As much as I’d wanted to stay in bed with him, I was glad we came out to the shipwreck. Especially on a morning like this. These kinds of days had always been my favorite here. Days other people thought were cold and miserable, when they stayed away. These times felt like I was the only one in the world, hidden in the fog and mist, just me and my shipwreck. I was certain it said something dark about me, that my favorite spot was a broken-down, wrecked, abandoned, rotting boat. I’d spent several pages journaling about that very fact as I took shelter in the cabin-like wheelhouse before part of it had been burned away. Ultimately, I decided it didn’t matter. Dark or not, this place fed my soul, brought me peace. Now when I returned, I’d be able to feel Tyler’s presence here. Be able to picture him fussing with his camera, slipping into his artist mode. And always be able to have him near, whenever I wanted.
“Okay, come stand over here beside the bow.” Tyler waved me over. Then pointed to a spot in the muck. “If you take a position right here, I can get the name of the Point Reyes lettering over your shoulder, a lot of the boat, and the way the fog is right now, you can actually see just a little bit of the green hills across the water.”
I started to walk toward him, then realized the point of his words. “You want me in the picture?”
“Well, yeah.” He pointed out the spot again, and his tone grew teasing, cocky. “And I can already hear that sound in your voice, so let’s just skip that part. You’ll tell me the photograph will be better without you in it, and I’ll have to point out how beautiful you are. Then you’d say that you don’t want to mess with the authenticity of the shipwreck, that it should be captured in its natural beauty, and I’d have to remind you about how beautiful you are again and that any picture I could possibly take would be better with you in it. Then you’d come up with some other ridiculously self-deprecating argument, and I would tell you you’re full of shit and to shut up and get in front of my camera. So, can you, please, get in front of my camera, already?”
I laughed. I couldn’t remember the last time I had laughed so often. “That’s how it would go, huh?”
Tyler shrugged. “More or less.” He lowered his voice to a loud mock whisper. “By the way, in a few minutes when I have you take your sweater off, you’ll be tempted to argue about that as well. I would suggest you not.”
“Take my sweater—”
He clucked his tongue. “No, no. None of that. We’ve discussed this. No arguing with the photographer. And for right now, you can keep the sweater on. Now get your ass over here, hot man.”
I followed his directions. Feeling completely self-conscious but a little pleased as well.
Tyler got me arranged how he wanted, shifting my shoulders with his hands, then moving my face by gripping my jaw gently. He took a step away, paused, leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips, then walked backward several paces, as he lifted the camera to his eye.
“Perfect. Just keep looking out into the distance like that.” Tyler moved a little to his left. “Slip your right hand into your pocket, please, and rest your left on the hull of the boat. Right about where that little patch of paint is gone.”
I saw the spot he meant and rearranged.
“Great.” A few seconds passed. “Now look at me, directly into the camera.”
I did. Still self-conscious at first, but with the pleased sounds Tyler was making, it began to fade. Considering what we’d done the night before, this shouldn’t be that exposing.
“Seriously, Lamont, these are fucking brilliant.” He walked around, mindless of the mud or when he stepped into deeper water going near the top of his boot, other than having to pause to pull himself free. “You’re gonna want to be your own cover model for your next book.”
Now there was a horrible thought if I’d ever heard one. Tyler moved closer, invading my space with the camera. Focusing fully on my face. There was no breeze, and the fog worked as a sound barrier. All I could hear was the lapping of the water at his feet and Tyler’s breathing. “I don’t hear the click? You actually taking pictures?”
He lowered the camera, cocking an eyebrow at me. “No, I just wanted to roll around in the sludge.” He grinned. “Now that I think about it, pictures of you rolling around in the mud could be quite the hit. And there are settings on digital cameras where you can turn off the shutter noise. I like that best.”
For the next fifteen minutes or so, Tyler rearranged me all around the boat, having me move and twist my body in ways which most definitely weren’t natural. However, he let me check out a couple of the shots on the screen, and like before when I’d seen myself in the mirror with Tyler, I barely recognized the man in the camera. I actually could see them as a cover of a book. Not that I would ever do it. Though my agent would get a kick out of it. Lamont Price on the cover of his own books under the pen name Ginger Peach. As with the pictures I’d seen two nights before, even though Tyler said they needed editing, his photos seemed to tell a story. My story. I couldn’t fathom how he could capture so much with a solitary camera when sometimes it took me an entire novel to explore what he showed in one frame. He was good… better than good.
He went over to the tripod and snapped his camera onto it. “All right, I’m almost done.” He walked back over to me, hand extended, smile devilish. “Get out of that sweater.”
The thought of being photographed without my shirt on was a small bit of terror. “You’ve gotta be kidding. It’s freezing out here.”
Tyler waggled his fingers. “Again, we’ve already talked about this. Don’t make me replay an entire conversation about how I end up getting your sweater. Plus, I saved it till last. You won’t be shirtless in the cold for long. And besides, I guarantee you, it will do delicious things to your nipples.”
Tyler could get me to do just about anything. I started to pull off my sweater, then paused, letting it fall back into place. “You know… this hardly seems fair. If I’m shirtless, you need to be too.”
“Look at you, getting all bossy.” He gave me an appreciative gaze. “I like that.” In one of his almost irritatingly fluid motions, Tyler stripped off his sweater and T-shirt. “Better?”
I moved without even thinking. “Much.” My hands were cold, and Tyler hissed as I touched his chest and ran my fingers over the ridges of his stomach. “You’re the one who should be photographed.”
Tyler slipped his hand under my sweater and pressed his hand to me, causing me to suck in a breath at his cold touch. “It’s your turn to be in front of the camera, your turn to see how utterly captivating you are.” His touch went from sensual to playful as he shoved his hand down the front of my pants and wrapped his freezing fingers around my dick.
I let out a holler and jumped backward without meaning to, accidentally pulling Tyler off balance with his hand still in my pants. He yanked his hand free and caught himself against the side of the boat before he fell. He looked down at the muddy ground and then back up at me. “You are so lucky I didn’t fall. Otherwise, you’d be going down with me, I promise.”
That actually sounded kind of fun, if it hadn’t been frigid water and mud we’d have been rolling around in. “You’re the one who grabbed my dick. I’d say it was your fault.”
“Oh, so you don’t want me touching your dick? Sorry, I keep getting mixed messages.” He tapped the side of his head as he grinned at me. “Don’t worry, I got it now. Tyler does not touch Lamont’s dick. Got it.” He held his hand out again. “Give me your sweater already. I’m freezing out here half naked.”
I pulled off my sweater, the cold instantly making my skin turn to gooseflesh. “You’re mean. Very, very mean.”
I expected another teasing reply, but instead, Tyler’s gaze traveled over my torso. Lust sweeping over any other emotion. “Fuck. I’d never get tired of seeing that.” At his words, he flinched and his expression changed, and he waggled his fingers once more. “Give me the damn sweater already.”
Keeping my expression neutral, I handed it over, and Tyler walked back toward the camera as I repositioned. We’d be saying goodbye soon. Somehow, it seemed impossible. It felt like we were just getting started. Just falling into sync with each other. There was so much more to explore; it almost sounded like Tyler wanted…
I hadn’t been sure what I wanted, not really, but after last night, after simply being on the couch watching TV with him, followed by what was easily the best sex I’d ever had, I thought I knew what I wanted. But that hadn’t been our deal. Not to mention, it would be so like me. I could pretend I could have sex without emotions getting in the way, without feeling things that weren’t really there. But maybe….
Tyler walked back to the camera and hung our sweaters on the tripod, keeping them out of the muck. This time he had me lean back against the boat, spread my legs in a near cowboy-like stance, and hook my thumbs into my belt loops. He made a few pleased noises and then looked over his camera once more. “Unbutton your jeans, and unzip them halfway.”
I hesitated for a split second, feeling the photo shoot take a different turn.
“Don’t worry, Lamont. I won’t have you go any further than that. Although, you, me, a camera, and no clothes could be a lot of fun.”
At his words, my dick twitched in my pants. That was the last thing I wanted. Me naked on film. Or at least, I thought it was. The idea of dropping my pants to my ankles and doing whatever he told me to do while he took my picture, well, that sounded pretty fucking hot, actually.
I unbuttoned my jeans, unzipped them halfway, then retook my position. If he pressed to go further, I just might.
True to his word, Tyler only had me do a couple more poses, taking three or four minutes, before he straightened, adjusted some knobs, and walked toward me, leaving his camera on the tripod. “These were fucking amazing. I can’t wait for you to see them. I’ll send you some copies after I get them edited and ready.”
Suddenly, I didn’t give a flying fuck about any of the pictures. Or how hot it might have been if the photo shoot had gone in a dirtier direction.
He was going to send me copies. Later. As in, there was something after our goodbyes this evening. It was the first time it had even been hinted at, and more than I expected.
A tiny spark of hope ignited. Dangerous or not, it was there.
Tyler came up to me, slipped his fingers into the opening of my jeans, and pulled me around so both of our shoulders rested against the side of the boat, and he kissed me.
I wrapped my arm around his back, crushing him to me. The heat of his body against mine both a welcome relief to the cold and erotic contrast against my skin.
His hand sank in farther, and this time, the chill of his fingers didn’t shock but caused me to cry out into his mouth with pleasure as they wrapped around my cock. I’d already been aroused by the photo shoot with Tyler, but I grew rock-hard in his grip.
“You liked being photographed half naked, didn’t you?” He stroked again as he lifted his lips to my ear, as if keeping anyone else from hearing. “The camera is on a repeat release right now. Let’s give it a show.”
Holy fuck. I glanced at the camera, and Tyler stroked again.
Then there was no thought, no plan, no worry that we were out in the open. Even if there was, the fog blocked anything anyone might see from the houses and grocery store around. I began to thrust into his hand and kissed him again. His other hand slid around my back and dipped to the other side of my jeans, then he slid it down the crack of my ass, lightly fingering my entrance.
I shuddered and broke the kiss, but I continued to thrust against him, the pressure building.
Once again, Tyler was a sensation overload, especially for my starved body. Heightened even more by the awareness of being “watched” and recorded.
The tip of his finger pushed inside me, and I came with a sharp cry.
Tyler pushed in a little farther with a chuckle, drawing out my climax, and then removed his finger.
I shuddered, wishing we could do that all again.
Though his words were teasing, Tyler’s tone was still heated. “I guess you like that.” He smiled and began to pull away.
“Oh no, not again.” My arm was still around his back, and I swiveled us around so he was pressed against the hull of the ship. I sank to my knees in front of him, not giving a shit about the mud or the water or the cold. In a frenzy, I yanked his pants open and pulled them down as far as I could.
“Lamont, you don’t have to—”
I cut him off by taking his dick into my mouth.
Well, not quite—he was much too big to get in all the way—but I took him as deep as I could, the thickness of him stretching my lips, the slick saltiness covering my tongue.
Tyler groaned and arched into my mouth, pushing a little too far, causing me to gag. I popped off him, sucked in a breath and then shoved back down. I gripped his thigh, but Tyler took my hand and moved it to his stomach and used it to make caressing motions over his abs and chest, letting me know what he liked. He released my hand, but I continued, bringing my other up to caress him as well.
Tyler sank his hands in my hair, holding my head still as he began to thrust. Though his pace was quick, he was careful, only so often pushing a little too deep into me.
I could tell he was getting closer, his precome filled my mouth and began to travel down my throat. His breathing grew more and more ragged.
I lifted my hand farther, flicking a nipple. He sucked in a breath, flinched again, and pulled free from my mouth.
“I’m about to come, Lamont.” He took his hand off my head and began to pump his dick.
I pushed it away and claimed his cock once more.
“Babe.” Tyler tensed and then cried out, releasing his load into my throat. It was too much, too big, but I fixed my lips around him, refusing to lose even a drop of him. I swallowed rush after rush of his come. Then he finally let out another ragged exhale and went slack against the boat.
I pulled off him, slowly, giving a final swallow, then looked up.
He caressed my cheek as he smiled down. “You are damn good at that.” Tyler offered his hand and helped me up, then kissed me. Gentle and slow. His hands moving over my back.
I wanted this. Again and again I wanted this. Wanted him.
Someone cleared their throat, and I broke the kiss, whipping around. A few yards away, two men walked toward us, both with huge smiles across their faces.
Fuck!
“Oh my God.” Tyler’s sounded more surprised and amused than the shot of terror I felt. He started pulling up his pants.
“You boys don’t need to stop on our accounts, trust me,” the older of the two called out. There was a brief pause, and then he moved his hand toward his crotch. “We’d be happy to join you, if you want.”
 Tyler laughed softly. How he could laugh in this situation, I had no clue. And when he spoke, he actually sounded chipper. “We appreciate the offer, but…. We just finished up, if you know what I mean.”
Holy shit, I was going to die. Literally going to die.
“You can hang around and watch us then, if you want.” The guy was persistent.
Tyler motioned toward me with his thumb as he stepped around and headed toward his photography equipment. “My boyfriend here is the jealous type. He goes all roid rage if he even thinks I’m looking at someone else. That probably wouldn’t end well.”
I gaped at his back, then glanced toward the men, who were watching me warily. Realizing my pants still weren’t zipped, I fixed that situation and followed Tyler. Within a few seconds, he unhooked the tripod, and we both put our sweaters back on. I gave a little wave of apology to the men as we walked away, though I wasn’t particularly sure what I was apologizing for.
We were almost to the car when Tyler finally lost it and started laughing. “This might’ve been the greatest day of my entire life so far.” He smiled at me like I’d given him the best gift in the world. “A great photo shoot, fucking hot sex, and then that shitshow. Priceless!”
My racing heart was finally beginning to slow, and with his laughter, I was beginning to see some of the humor in it. Thank God it hadn’t been anyone I knew. The men must have been tourists. I wondered how much they’d seen.
I hit a button on my car fob, and the trunk popped open. Tyler’s words came back to me. “Roid rage, really?”
He just laughed harder. “Well, you’re big enough. And I think I’ve seen a spark of uncontrollable rage behind that sweetheart demeanor of yours.” He winked.
“You’re ridiculous.” I leaned my hip against the car and began pulling off the muddy boots.
“Okay, maybe rage is a little too strong a word for your anger issues. Maybe mild slight annoyance with a side of teddy bear fluff would have been a better descriptor.” He laughed again and then motioned toward my ruined jeans. “And the day just keeps getting better. Looks like I get to drive home with you wearing nothing but your underwear. Though, I’m pretty sure those got covered in your come too. You should probably take them off. I promise to think up a good excuse if we get pulled over and I have to give an explanation to the cops.”


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"Another sweet, romantic and sexy winner for me that hit on a number of emotions."
~Debra, Sinfully Gay Romance Book Reviews

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Rosalind ABEL PROFILE PIC
Rosalind Abel grew up tending chickens alongside her sweet and faithful Chow, Lord Elgin. While her fantasy of writing novels was born during her teen years, she never would have dreamed she’d one day publish steamy romances about gorgeous men. However, sometimes life turns out better than planned. In between crafting scorching sex scenes and helping her men find their soul mates, Rosalind enjoys cooking, collecting toys, and making the best damn scrapbooks in the world (this claim hasn’t been proven, but she’s willing to put good money on it). She adores MM Romance, the power it has to sweep the reader away into worlds filled with passion, steam, and love. Rosalind also enjoys her collection of plot bunnies and welcomes new fuzzy ones into her home all the time, so feel free to send any adorable ones her way.
 
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Amazon Author page: http://amzn.to/2qoiuLC
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 Rosalind Abel Website: http://www.rosalindabel.com
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 Lavender Shores Website: http://www.lavendershores.com
 Twitter: @rosalind_abel
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Thursday, 5 October 2017

Safe and Sound (Twist of Fate #2) by Lucy Lennox & Sloane Kennedy RELEASE BLITZ

Safe and Sound
A new steamy MM romance in the Twist of Fate Series by

Authors Lucy Lennox & Sloane Kennedy is available now!!

     Release Blitz Hosted by Jo&Isalovebooks Blog.



SYNOPSIS

I’ve been drowning for a long time. I never thought I’d find someone who knows what that’s like…
Self-proclaimed playboy, Aiden Vale, has it all – good looks, successful career, plenty of cash in the bank and an endless supply of men who know the score… that one night is just that. So the last thing he wants, or needs, is to forge a connection that might mean revealing more of himself than he’s ready to. But when fate intervenes, putting Aiden in the path of someone who threatens to knock down his carefully constructed walls, he’s quick to realize the young man he’s become infatuated with is hiding a painful secret.

I finally have a shot at freedom. I’ll never let anyone take that from me ever again…
Ash Valentine is just looking for a way out, and the last thing he wants or needs is another man controlling every aspect of his life. Desperate for the cash that will help him flee his abusive boyfriend, Ash accepts what is supposed to be a temporary job at a local coffee shop. But nothing prepares him for the gorgeous and enigmatic Aiden Vale, and the small acts of kindness the charming coffee shop regular bestows on him or the new friends he begins to make along the way.
Terrified of once again becoming too reliant on someone else to take care of him, Ash refuses Aiden’s repeated offers of help in any form. But when it becomes clear that there’s something more behind Aiden’s need to save him, Ash begins to wonder if he’s found someone who needs saving just as badly.

I know he wants to save me, but what if he’s the one who needs saving…
As their tentative friendship turns into something more, long buried secrets begin to surface. When Aiden’s need to protect Ash clashes with the younger man’s desire for independence, memories of the one he couldn’t save begin to tear at the fragile cords of Aiden’s soul, and he’s forced to face a truth he’s been hiding from for a long time.
Threatened with losing what they’ve only just found, will Aiden and Ash find a way to accept their pasts or will they let the pain drag them below the surface for good?


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EXCERP


The sound of a dish breaking had me glancing up from my phone. Nearly every single person in the Star-Trek themed coffee shop looked up from their own phones or computers and stared at the young man behind the counter who was standing in shocked silence as he stared at the floor.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly as his eyes shifted to the barista and only other person working behind the counter, Emily. The young man looked absolutely horrified, and even though I wasn’t close enough to see his face, I could feel the tension rolling off him in waves as he stood there.
Waiting.
For what, I didn’t know.
But as the other patrons went back to what they were doing, I kept my eyes on him. He, in turn, kept his eyes on Emily who seemed unfazed because she was busily stirring a drink and then putting the top on it.
“It’s okay, honey,” she said. There wasn’t even a speck of anger or frustration in her voice.
“I’m sorry,” the guy repeated and then he jerked his head around as if looking for something. It wasn’t until he’d done a complete scan of the shop that he seemed to relax a little. Even from where I stood, I could see color flooding his cheeks. My insides clenched when his eyes fell on me.
I expected him to keep scanning the shop, or, at the very least, drop to his feet to clean up whatever had gotten dropped, but he didn’t move and he didn’t look away from me. I couldn’t tell what color his eyes were, but I could see that he had dark hair, darker than my own brown hair, and a lean build. I guessed him to be at least several years younger than me, which put him in his early to mid-twenties at best. My reaction to him was instantaneous and unexpected.
No, there was absolutely nothing unexpected about the fact that I was attracted to him. He was beautiful. I could tell that even from where I stood. The unexpected part was what came along with the attraction.
It was a feeling I hadn’t had in a really long time… not since I’d met Bennett so many years ago when he’d been a baby-faced freshman and I’d been the beleaguered sophomore who hadn’t been able to decide if I wanted to fuck my cute new dorm neighbor or become his best friend.
I’d done both.
The fucking hadn’t lasted long, but my need to protect Bennett’s sweet nature from the harshness of the world had been as strong then as it was now.
But that had nothing on what I wanted to do for the young man currently staring at me like I was some kind of lifeline for him. I managed a quick smile and nodded at him. The move seemed to shake him from his thoughts, and he quickly jerked his eyes away and dropped to the floor. He appeared a moment later with several pieces of a broken plate in his hand along with large chunks of a scone. He pitched them into a large garbage bin behind him and then mumbled yet another apology to the older man standing on the other side of the cash register. I couldn’t see or hear the customer’s response, but when the young man frowned and discretely wiped at his eyes as he went to get another scone from the pastry display, I barely managed to keep from striding to the front of the line and kicking the customer’s ass.
As things returned to normal, and the young man continued to ring up customers, I kept watching him. He was definitely flustered, and I had a strong suspicion it was his first day on the job. I’d been coming to Beam Me Up Latte long enough to know all the employees, and I most certainly would have remembered him. When I finally reached the cash register, I was practically teaming with excitement. I’d already heard the soft lilt to his voice as he’d helped the people directly in front of me, but it had been hard to get a good look at him since there’d been a tall, portly man in front of the line.
The first thing I noticed when he looked up at me was his eyes.
They were breathtaking.
Yeah, I was waxing poetic a bit, but I’d truly never seen such a striking shade of blue. Pale and almost silver in color in the middle surrounded by a dark, stormy gray.
“Um, what can I get you?” he asked, his voice a bit uneven. He quickly dropped his pretty eyes, but then lifted them again, though the move seemed forced.
As though looking someone in the eye took effort.
I wondered why.
“Here’s his, honey,” Emily said as she set my drink on the counter next to the cash register. “Large Americano, no room,” she explained. To me she said, “You’re late today. Hot date last night?”
I barely registered what she was saying to me because my attention was on the young man carefully punching the buttons on the tablet in front of him. His intense look of concentration was intriguing, and I absently wondered if he gave that much focus to everything he did. I also didn’t miss the fact that he was wearing some kind of brace on his left wrist.
“Nah,” I managed to say. “You never showed up.”
Emily chuckled and shook her head. “You couldn’t handle me,” she shot back and then her hand settled on the young man’s arm. He immediately jumped and stepped away from her, before seeming to catch himself.
“It’s this one, right?” he asked as he pointed to something on the screen.
Emily, for her part, glossed over his odd reaction and nodded. She cast me a glance but didn’t say anything else.
“Jenny finally move on to bigger and better things?” I teased.
Emily shook her head. “That girl,” she said with a sigh. “She up and decides she’s going backpacking for three months in Nepal with her boyfriend. Left me high and dry until Ashton here,”— she almost reached out to touch the young man again, but thought better of it before making contact and pulled her hand back— “rode in on his horse and saved the day. Hired him just yesterday so he’s kind of getting a crash course… go easy on him.” There was a hint of an actual warning in her voice, and I had to wonder if she’d somehow sensed the same thing about the young man that I had… that whatever was behind those pretty eyes of his wasn’t just the stress of starting a new job.
“Ashton, this is Mr. Vale,” Emily began.
“Aiden,” I interjected, ignoring the look Emily sent my way.
“Aiden,” Emily finally conceded. “Aiden, this is Ashton.”
Ashton didn’t look up at me as he mumbled a greeting that I couldn’t quite make out.
“You good?” Emily asked Ashton.
He nodded. “Yeah, sorry,” he murmured. His eyes shifted to me as he told me the cost of my drink and Emily went back to working on drinks.
I was in the process of handing over a five-dollar bill when Ashton suddenly spun the tablet around, presumably because he thought I wanted to swipe a credit card through the reader on the tablet like the majority of customers did. I automatically jerked back when it nearly hit my knuckles.
“Oh god, I’m sorry,” he said, flipping the tablet around again as if that would somehow undo the previous action. This time, the tablet did hit me, but it wasn’t hard enough to do much more than leave a little sting behind.
But from Ashton’s reaction, I might as well have lost a finger.
“I’m sorry,” he squeaked as he took a step back.
“It’s fine. Nothing a quadruple knuckle amputation won’t fix right up,” I said with a wink in the hopes the move would put him at ease. I made a big production out of offering the five-dollar bill again, only this time extending my hand high above the tablet as if the device was an open wood chipper. But the attempted humor seemed to have no effect on him because he’d gone pale again. He glanced at Emily briefly before taking the money from me.
“I’ll… I’ll get your change,” he stammered.
“Keep it,” I said, hoping like hell he’d look up at me. I had no fucking clue why it was so important that he did.
He didn’t.
“Hey, Ashton?”
He stilled in the process of putting the money in the cash register and lifted his gaze. He looked like he was standing in front of a firing squad.
“It’s fine,” I said as I held up my hand to show him. “See,” I added as I quickly separated my fingers so I was doing Spock’s famous hand gesture. “Live long and prosper.”
Ashton’s eyes widened for a brief moment before a small smile graced his mouth.
It was the highlight of my fucking day.
A day that hadn’t technically even started yet.
I forced myself to turn away from him, grabbing my drink as I did.
“Mr. Vale?”
His voice sent shivers up my spine. I turned around.
“May the force be with you,” he said, a twinkle of mirth in his eyes.
“It’s Aiden,” I reminded him. I leaned across the counter just a little so only he could hear me. “And I’ll tell you everything that’s wrong with that statement tomorrow.” It wasn’t until I’d turned again and started walking away that I heard his whispered response. A response that immediately became the new highlight of my day.
“I look forward to it.”



Start the series Now.
BOOK #1 IN THE Twist of Fate SERIES.
Lost & Found

SYNOPSIS
He promised to never leave me. But when I needed him the most, that was exactly what he did...

From Bestselling Authors Sloane Kennedy & Lucy Lennox comes an exciting new series about how a twist of fate can change everything...

He promised to never leave me. But when I needed him the most, that was exactly what he did...
Wilderness guide Xander Reed has spent fifteen years trying to forget the night he turned to his best friend in his darkest hour, only to find the young man who'd sworn to always have his back was turning his on Xander instead. Two thousand miles and fifteen years of building a new life in the quiet backcountry of the Rocky Mountains should have been enough to put the memory of Bennett Crawford out of his mind forever, but old wounds run deep and when Bennett suddenly reappears in his life as part of a wilderness expedition Xander is guiding, the scars he thought long healed break wide open.

I'd only ever wanted to protect Xander from getting hurt again. I never considered the one he needed protection from was me...
Bennett Crawford was faced with an impossible choice the night his best friend needed him.

He chose wrong.

As the only son of one of the wealthiest families in New England, he should have had the world at his feet, but losing his best friend at the tender age of fourteen changed everything. And even though Bennett's managed to hide behind a mask of contentment as he takes his place at his father's side in the family business, inside he's searching for the piece of himself that's been missing ever since Xander Reed walked out of his life. Bennett's only saving grace is his work with a group of inner city kids, and when he's given the chance to show the troubled teens that there's a bigger world out there waiting for them if they just have the courage to reach for it, he takes it.

But when he steps off that bus for what was supposed to be a week of fun and adventure, he's instantly returned to the past when he discovers their expedition guide is none other than the boy he let go so long ago. Only, the soft-hearted, insecure little boy Bennett once knew is gone, and in his place is a brooding, bitter man who isn't interested in second chances.

People leave. I know that now and nothing Bennett has to say to me will change anything...
All Bennett wants is another chance to show Xander that friendship was only the beginning. But when a stubborn Xander refuses to even hear him out, Bennett realizes he's going to need to fight dirty.

Because now that he's found Xander again, he's not letting him go a second time...

***No cliffhangers***


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MEET THE AUTHORS

After enjoying creative writing as a child, Lucy didn’t write her first novel until she was over 40 years old. Her debut novel, Borrowing Blue, was published in the autumn of 2016. Lucy has an English Literature degree from Vanderbilt University, but that doesn’t hold a candle to the years and years of staying up all night reading tantalizing novels on her own. She has three children, plays tennis, and hates folding laundry. While her husband is no shmoopy romance hero, he is very good at math, cooks a mean lasagne, has gorgeous eyes, looks hot in his business clothes, and makes her laugh every single day.

Lucy hopes you enjoy sassy heroines and sexy heroes as much as she does.  Happy reading!

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Although Sloane Kennedy always dreamed of being a writer as a teenager, she didn't take the plunge until March of 2015 when she released her first novel as an independent author. Since then, she has released more than a dozen books including the Amazon best-selling "Barretti Security" series, "Finding" series and "Protectors" series. While she initially began writing M/F romance, she found her true passion writing gay romance and all four of her most recent releases reached the #1 spot on Amazon's Gay Romance bestseller list and Freeing Zane, her final book in the Barretti Security series, made it to Amazon's overall bestseller list. Sloane was born in Germany and grew up in Virginia and Wisconsin. Although she currently lives in Wisconsin, the place where she has always felt most at home is Seattle and many of her books take place in the Emerald city. Although she is unmarried, a menagerie of 2 dogs and 3 cats keeps her busy enough and 3 young nieces take care of the rest of her free time. Sloane loves being able to share her passion for romance with readers and she is truly humbled by all the support she's received from fans and fellow authors alike.
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To my new FB friends, feel free to check out my fan group, Sloane's Secret Sinners. We do lots of giveaways and it's the only place you can sign up for a chance to get an ARC.
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https://www.facebook.com/groups/1760064160913779/

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