Another excerpt from Roped In by L.A. Witt & Marie Sexton

Enjoy another excerpt from Roped In by L.A. Witt & Marie Sexton!

*_*_*

I stopped brushing Angel and looked over at Jackson. “What if you’re right?”

“Excuse me?” He met my eyes over Petty Cash’s back.

“So what if I took some kid home? Why should it matter to you?”

“Christ, Graham! Are you kidding? He’s a goddamn punk. A protester. One of those animal rights freaks who doesn’t know the first thing about what we do. After all these years in the rodeo, I can’t believe you can look at him without wanting to punch his lights out.”

“So, that’s the issue? Not that I might have gone home with a man, but that he’s not a cowboy? If it’d been you, on the other hand, it’d be okay?”

“Jesus!” Jackson glanced around the barn, as if we were still at the rodeo and he was afraid of who might hear. “Will you listen to yourself? What the hell’s gotten into you?”

“Maybe I’m tired of lying. Aren’t you?”

I was met by a silence so profound, it scared me. Even the horses froze, as if they could sense the force of his anger and were cowed by it. “I am not like you, Graham. Do you hear me? I’m not like you and your goddamn queer boyfriend—”

“Graham?” a voice called from the front of the barn, and Kaz stepped through the door. “You in here?” He was looking down at the floor, being mindful of the mud and manure getting on his nice clean Converse sneakers, but he finally looked up, and when he saw Jackson, he stopped short. His lips—lips I couldn’t stop staring at—made a soft O of surprise.

Talk about timing.

“Christ!” Jackson swore. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“I can go—” Kaz started to say, but I cut him short.

“No.” I leveled a glare at Jackson. “Jackson was just leaving.”

“Seriously? You want to be alone with this fagg—”

“Enough.” The force behind the word was enough to make the horse I was brushing sidestep away from me, but I wasn’t about to let Jackson push me around. Not tonight. “He’s a guest here, and you’re in my barn,” I warned. “On my property.”

“Not for long.”

That was fine with me. He led Petty Cash away while Kaz stood against the wall, avoiding my gaze. Jackson came back from the stall and headed for the door. He made a point, as he passed Kaz, of bumping into him.

Anger flared up in my chest. I took a step forward, but he was already halfway out the door, and Kaz put a hand out to block me. “Let it go,” he said quietly. “It doesn’t mean a damn thing to me.”

“He’s such a narrow-minded asshole—”

“And starting a fight will only validate it. In his mind, at least.”

The wind went out of my sails and I slumped. I heard Jackson’s truck start, and his wheels spinning on the gravel of my drive. I looked down at my boots. “I’m sorry.”

Kaz stepped closer, ducking his head a bit to interrupt my gaze. “For what?”

“For not standing up for you. This time, and the first time, at the rodeo.”

“It’s not me you need to stand up for, Graham. I can take care of myself just fine. It’s you who has to face this. You’re the one who apparently has to explain something to him. Not me.”

The truth of those words made me hang my head.

“Hey.” He moved closer and put his arms around my waist, settling his slim, lean body against mine. “Forget about him, all right?” He kissed my jaw, and my neck. He stood on his toes, and his lips teased gently against my ear. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

Such simple words, but they lightened my mood considerably. A slow warmth began to build in my groin, spreading up and out to my limbs. All thoughts of Jackson faded away. “Really?”

He nodded, moving to brush his lips over mine. “Yep. Thinking about exactly how to tie you up…”

The thought caused my mouth to go dry. I had to swallow hard to respond, and even then, all I managed was, “Oh.”

“And all the things I’ll do to you once I get you that way.”

*_*_*

Roped In by L.A. Witt & Marie Sexton is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

LATEST PAX RELEASE - Vive La Difference

Genres: Gay (M/M) Erotic Romance

The titles listed below comprise the Vive La Difference AmberPax™ Collection. Buy all five together and receive a 35% discount! To purchase any of the titles individually, click on the covers below to go to the books' separate pages. 

Hold the World Together by Pepper Espinoza Extended Novella (Gay)

Night School Vampire by A.J. Llewellyn & D.J. Manly Novella (Gay)

Roped In by L.A.Witt & Marie Sexton Extended Novella (Gay)

Spot the Difference by Sean Michael Extended Amber Kiss (Gay)

What the Heart Thinks by Vivien Dean Novella (Gay)

 

In conjunction with our newest release, we will be having a giveaway! Any comment made from today throughout the week (4/20-4/26) will be eligible to win the entire pax collection. A winner will be picked at random on Saturday from all comments received.

Roped In by L.A. Witt & Marie Sexton

Graham and his roping partner Jackson have ruled the rodeo scene for ten years running, but lately, Graham’s heart isn’t in the game. He’s tired of the bruises, the cowboy mentality, and the animal rights activists who picket every event. And then there’s Jackson.

Graham and Jackson have been friends since they were boys. But ever since their drunken sexual encounter the year before, things have been awkward. Graham’s accepted that he might be gay, but no matter how attracted he is to other men, he always panics and runs when the clothes start to come off.

Then Graham has a run-in with one of the rodeo protesters, and everything changes. Kaz is young, idealistic, and sexy as hell. And Kaz has an idea for getting Graham past his nerves and into bed.

All they need is a bit of rope. 

Genres: Gay/Contemporary/Cowboys/Western (Modern Day)/BDSM (Light)

Heat Level: 3

Length: Extended Novella (39k words) 

Read a short excerpt...

...He grabbed my neck, pulled me down to his level, and kissed me.

He fucking kissed me.

One second we were facing off and playing verbal games, and the next…

Fuck.

I didn’t know this guy from Adam, but I sank into that kiss like I’d been waiting for it all damned night. Hell, maybe I had.

He took the lead, too, raising onto his toes to bring himself up to my height. He gave me a few seconds to get used to the fact that our lips were touching before he curved a hand around the back of my neck, held me against him, and pushed my lips apart with his tongue. I let him in. His tasted like lemonade. His features were finer than any other man I’d ever kissed, but they were anything but feminine beneath my fingertips. Sharp, bold, roughened by the slightest dusting of stubble as I slid my hand across his jaw.

His body was slight, but hardly fragile or delicate. Under all those skater clothes, he felt like he was nothing but lean, fit muscle, and it made my head spin. I suddenly wanted to see it. To know what he looked like naked. I wanted to take him back to the house, get him out of these clothes, and find out—

Find out what it’s like to be in bed with a man?

My stomach flipped. That was the part where everything always went to hell. Where my nerves always got the best of me, some alarm blaring in the back of my brain, and a night that started with a hot kiss ended in tepid, awkward excuses before one of us made our escape.

Kaz broke the kiss and lowered himself back to his normal height, though he didn’t let go of my neck. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m…” Absolutely one hundred percent positive this will end in disappointment. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Good.” Another grin. “That was the idea.” He pushed himself up and kissed me again.

God, his kiss felt good. I wanted to believe this time could be different, but I could already feel those nerves coiling in the pit of my stomach. I pulled away. Not out of his arms, but away from the kiss. “I don’t know how…” Hell, I didn’t even know how to finish that sentence, let alone the rest.

“Do you always get spooked like this? Or is it because of me?”

I laughed nervously. Maybe I should have been embarrassed, but there was something about his no-nonsense attitude that told me it was okay to be honest. “It’s not you.”

He didn’t let me go, though. If anything, his grip on me tightened. He stood on his toes again to touch his lips to mine. “Interesting.” He reached down to brush my erection through my jeans. The tiniest touch, but it took my breath away. “Seems like you’re into it, though.”

“I am.” And it was strange what a relief it was to finally say that out loud. “I just never know what to do. Or how to do it. Or if I should.” I paused, heat rushing into my cheeks. “And I usually freak out. Kill the mood and bolt before we get too far. I kind of…panic.”

He nodded as if he understood. “I could fix that, you know,” he murmured against my lips.

“How?

“Remember when I offered to tie you up like one of your calves?”

Oh. Fuck.

“You were serious about that?”

He shrugged. “Not at the time, but I am now.” He drew back and looked up at me, eyes gleaming with God knew what kind of dirty thoughts. “If you’re game...” 

Another excerpt from Normal Enough by Marie Sexton

The rain was still falling, although not hard. The Cougar’s wipers dashed the water from the glass in a hypnotically rhythmic pattern. Even the mysterious eroticism of driving Brandon's car couldn’t distract Kasey from his nervous musing as he drove home. He knew Brandon’s name, but not his phone number or where he lived. It struck Kasey as ridiculous that he was so impatient to see a man he knew so little about.

He got a surprise as he turned into the parking space in front of his trailer. His Civic was already there, and Brandon sat on the doorstep, heedless of the rain. Bandit sat on the step below him, his head in Brandon’s lap.

The last thing he’d expected was for Brandon to come here, to his single-wide in a less-than-pristine mobile home park. He cleared his throat nervously, jangling his keys in his hand as he mounted the first step.

“You shouldn’t leave your door unlocked,” Brandon said, by way of greeting.

“You went inside?” Kasey asked, more alarmed than ever.

“No. But your dog was barking up a storm with me waiting out here, so I tried the knob. Guess I’m lucky he’s not much of an attack dog.”

“Guess so.” Kasey looked down at his feet. “How’d you find me?”

“Why? Were you hiding?”

“No, I just…”

Brandon stood, dislodging Bandit’s head from his lap. He took one step down toward Kasey, leaving them within inches of each other, although Kasey had to crane his neck upward to meet his eyes. Cold raindrops landed on his cheeks. Brandon’s hair was soaked. “How long have you been waiting?”

Brandon shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe fifteen minutes? I thought about going to the garage, but there was a chance I’d miss you there. Seemed simpler to come here.”

“How’d you know where I live?”

Brandon gestured toward Kasey’s car. “It was on the title in the glove compartment.”

“Oh.” Kasey felt stupid for not having thought of that.

Brandon smiled, wiping water from his eyes. “Are you going to invite me in, or shall I jump you here in the rain?”

Heat spread up the back of Kasey’s neck, rising to his cheeks. A pleasant glow bloomed in his chest. A smile broke unbidden across his face. “Inside would probably be better.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Still, Kasey was self-conscious as he led Brandon inside. He glanced around, trying to see it through Brandon’s eyes. It was clean—Kasey wasn’t a slob—but the couch was worn and saggy, and his TV was ancient. The walls were covered with movie posters. His kitchen table had only one clear spot on it. The rest was littered with mail and books and car magazines.

“I like it,” Brandon said, looking around. “It suits you.”

Kasey stared at the floor, pulling awkwardly at the side seam of his jeans. His first thought was, Dumpy and cheap? “Suits me how?”

“It’s unassuming. What you see is what you get. Comfortable, without being pretentious.”

He sounded earnest, too, which made Kasey feel a bit better. He watched Brandon take off his coat and drape it over a kitchen chair. He wore jeans and a T-shirt, but he still managed to look clean and tailored, despite his wet hair.

“I was embarrassed for you to see it.”

“Don’t be. Please.”

Kasey nodded, unsure what to say. Outside, the rain was still falling, pattering merrily against his roof. Water ran from his wet hair down the back of his neck, causing him to shiver. He still had his work jacket on. Brandon seemed to fill the room, bright and warm and alluring, and Kasey had no idea how they were supposed to proceed from here.

“How was your trip?” he asked.

Brandon smiled at him, a flirty, sexy smile that made Kasey’s heart miss a beat.

“Lonely.” He took a step toward Kasey and then another, as if stalking him. “I thought about you every night. I would’ve called, but I’m an idiot and I forgot to get your number.” The room was small, and he backed Kasey up against the front door. “I tried looking you up, but—”

“I’m unlisted.”

“Uh-huh.” Brandon nodded, reaching up to brush his fingers down Kasey’s wet cheek. “I really wish I’d left you my iPad again. Tell me you thought about me, too.”

Kasey’s heart pounded and his head spun with a mixture of nerves and eagerness. “I did.”

“Did you enjoy the car?”

He blushed again. “I did.”

Brandon made a low noise, almost a growl, and pushed closer to Kasey, pinning him, kissing him with a sudden ferocity that made Kasey’s knees weak. He pushed Kasey’s jacket off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor as he kissed his neck. “I couldn’t wait to see you. All I could think about doing after landing was finding you. And touching you. And making love to you.” He tipped Kasey’s head back to meet his gaze. “Tell me I can spend the night. Tell me I can finally take you to bed.”

The thought of it made Kasey flush. It raised pleasant goose bumps along his spine and sparked an erotic warmth in his groin. “Of course.”

“Good.” Brandon kissed him again and began unbuttoning his dirty work shirt.

“Wait,” Kasey said, pushing him gently away. “Let me shower first. I’ve been at the garage all day. I’m filthy—“

“I kind of like the idea of getting dirty.”

*_*_*

Normal Enough by Marie Sexton is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

LATEST PAX RELEASE - Grease Monkeys Inc.

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Grease Monkeys Inc. An AmberPax™ Collection of Erotic Romance by Various Authors  Genre: Gay (M/M) Erotic Romance  Cover Copyright ©2012 by Trace Edward Zaber

Included in this collection of erotic romance...
(For more information on each title, or to purchase separately, click on the book covers below!)

Bored, Stroked and Blueprinted by K.C. Kendricks Novella (Gay)

Mechanics of Love by D.J. Manly Novella (Gay)

Normal Enough by Marie Sexton Novella (Gay)

Wrenches, Regrets and Reality Checks by L.A. Witt Novella (Gay)

Wrenching by Deirdre O'Dare Novella (Gay)

 

In conjunction with our newest release, we will be having a giveaway! Any comment made from today throughout the week (3/16-3/21) will be eligible to win the entire pax collection. A winner will be picked at random on Saturday from all comments received.

Normal Enough by Marie Sexton

When Brandon Kenner shows up at Kasey Ralston’s garage with a 1970 Chevelle SS 454, Kasey is smitten by both the man and his car. But Kasey is a mechanic with a shameful secret. He has a fondness for old muscle cars, a fondness that goes far beyond what most people would consider normal. So between what Kasey considers a disgraceful fetish and his long estrangement from his family, he finds it easiest to be alone, even distancing himself from his coworkers.

But it doesn’t take Brandon long to guess Kasey’s secret, and he doesn’t think the sexy mechanic’s fetish is weird. In fact, he likes it, and he makes no secret of his intentions to seduce the man.

Kasey doesn’t know how to resist someone as charming as Brandon, and he’s more than willing to be seduced. But what are Brandon’s long-term intentions? Kasey is afraid of hoping too much, but equally afraid that when all is said and done, Brandon will leave, and Kasey will be left alone once again. Can Kasey be normal enough for a relationship with Brandon, despite his fetish? 

Genres: Gay/Contemporary

Heat Level: 3

Length: Novella (24k words) 

Read a short excerpt...

...They stopped at a red light, waiting to turn. They’d barely left the garage, and even though it was a short trip around the block, it was torture. Kasey rolled down his window and tried to concentrate on the cool breeze blowing by, on the people walking down the street, but he couldn’t ignore the car. The slickness of the leather. The dark seductiveness of the dashboard. He shifted in his seat as they rounded the back of the block, hoping to hide his growing erection. It was ridiculous. It was a car, for fuck sake, but old cars like this always turned him on.

He sighed in relief when the ride ended. He pulled his shirt down over his groin and wiped a hint of sweat from his upper lip. He practically held his breath, anticipating his freedom as Brandon parked the Chevy.

“So,” Brandon said, turning to Kasey, “what time should I—” He stopped short, staring at Kasey, clearly amused, and Kasey had the distinct impression the man knew exactly what was going on in his passenger seat. “You okay?” he asked in a teasing voice.

Kasey’s cheeks burned. “Fine. We open at ten tomorrow. It’ll be ready then.”

He reached for the handle, desperate to escape the car and the laughter in Brandon’s eyes, but Brandon said, “Wait.”

Kasey kept his fingers on the handle and eyes on empty space between his knees and the dashboard. He imagined himself shrinking in the seat, turning small and ugly, his perversity somehow stamped on his forehead. At least his erection was gone. “What?”

“You like the car, huh?” There was laughter in Brandon’s voice, but somehow, no ridicule. Only curiosity. “I mean, it seems like you really like the car, if you know what I mean.”

Kasey ducked his head even farther. This was his worst nightmare come true. “I’m sorry. I’ll tell Reggie I didn’t know what was wrong with it. You can find somebody else—”

“Why would I want to do that?”

Was he serious? Kasey risked a glance at him and was surprised to find that Brandon didn’t look disgusted. If anything, he seemed intrigued.

“So, you find cars attractive? Is it like object sexualization?”

“No!” Kasey said, then immediately felt he’d reacted too forcefully. He shook his head, keeping his gaze on his feet. “No. It’s not like that. I don’t want to fuck the car. Or marry it, for God’s sake.”

“But there’s obviously something going on.”

Kasey’s cheeks burned in embarrassment. He nodded, hoping that would be the end of it.

No such luck.

“Well, what is it then?” Brandon prompted.

Kasey blushed more. Maybe it would be better to lie. Maybe he could convince Brandon it wasn’t about the car at all. Somehow, though, he knew it wouldn’t work. The man was too perceptive, and Kasey’d never been good at deception. So he took a deep breath and blurted out his darkest secret. “Being inside of certain cars turns me on. A lot. To the point where all I can think about is sex.”

A moment of silence, then Brandon said in a low voice, “That’s kind of hot, actually.”

Was he serious? “It’s not normal.”

Brandon laughed. It was such a sweet, open sound that Kasey found his embarrassment waning.

“Define normal...”

Cluttered Confessions by Marie Sexton

Happy Holidays! Can you even believe Christmas is right around the corner? I still have gifts to buy, decorations to put up, and (before I can even start decorating) an unbelievably messy house to clean. Yes, I hate to admit it, but my house is a DISASTER. I’m not quite ready to land on reality TV, but it’s still overwhelming. 

Now, I should clarify: my house isn’t DIRTY. There’s no mold, or rotting food, or piles of trash. We don’t have mice, or cockroaches (one of the benefits of living in Colorado). The house doesn’t stink, and I even scrub the toilets on a pretty regular basis. But good lord, do we have clutter! Piles of shoes and mittens by the door, stuffed animals and books and Legos in the living room, and so much mail and homework on the kitchen table that it’s hard to find a place to eat. The hallway is filled with baskets of clean laundry nobody wants to put away, half the kitchen counter is covered with stuff my husband promised to take to the garage, and the pantry is becoming a game of Tetris. Even my bathtub is littered with toys. 

Yeah. It’s that bad. I’m a friggin’ hot mess. And here’s the thing: our entire family will be coming HERE for Christmas. 

I’ll be honest: I’m beginning to panic. The thing is, DH and I both come from cluttered homes. We’ve come by our slipshod ways honestly. My father tends to hoard mail, newspapers, and magazines, my mother hoards crafting stuff, and DH’s mother hoards… well, just about everything. So on the bright side, our parents don’t judge us when they drop by and have to face an obstacle course to reach the family room, but still, that’s not an excuse to leave it messy. After all, this is Christmas. We’ll be cooking food and eating and drinking, then opening presents, all of which will make an even bigger mess. And better to put that mess in a clean space instead of on top of the existing mess, right? RIGHT?

How does that even make any sense?

That’s the thing about cleaning: it never lasts. You pick everything up just so you have an empty canvas to fill with clutter again. It’s like shoveling while it’s still snowing – you just can’t win, and the only thing you really succeed in doing is making yourself a bit more frazzled. So why bother? No matter how clean the house is when all those guests arrive Christmas morning, it’ll still be a mess – filled with torn paper, new toys, and empty wine glasses – by the time they all leave at the end of the day. 

So where does that leave me? Well, still panicking. Still sure I have to clean. And (having confessed all that publicly), feeling a bit like I do in those dreams where I’m giving a lecture only to look down and realize I forgot to put on a shirt and bra. But in the end, whatever happens, we’ll have fun. We’ll enjoy each other’s company. We’ll open presents, and ooh and aah, and take turns playing with my daughter’s new toys. We’ll eat too much and drink too much and doze on couches and in chairs as well as we can. We’ll watch football on one TV, and Firefly on the other, and laugh frequently. We’ll be a family. 

And I’ll live to clean the mess another day. 

*_*_*_*

You can find Marie at http://mariesexton.net/, and on Facebook and Twitter. 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MarieSexton.author

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