First, the FABULOUS Elizabeth Mackey hooked up this cover so TODAY I'm revealing the paperback cover for you guys <3. I'm so very excited.
Gah she nailed this cover. It makes me SOOO happy.
Next order of business. The giveaway I'm doing with Diverse Reader Blog is nuts and it's going SO well, so if you haven't heard about it or haven't gotten your video in, make sure you do! You've got until October 18th, winner being announced on Borrowing Trouble's release day (October 20th).
Okay, so now. Starting Snippet Saturdays (which we know sometimes will be Snippet Sundays. I was just eager for this first one! (This is unedited, as my editor Heidi is still powering away on edits so I used this from the 1st draft) This one's a little longer than the others will be.
First, I'll say, you're probably gathering that this story is VERY southern. I definitely went hard on the small town thing, based near where my family lives actually. In this scene, Jay and Landon have been hanging out a few weeks, watching football, just kicking it. Jay only recently discovered Landon might be gay and it's got his brain clicking and turning in disconcerting ways. When Landon stops by and offers to help with some yard work, things get even more... hot. And it ain't just the southern weather.
JAY changed
into his work boots and a ratty old Budweiser t-shirt. He’d only just pulled
the push mower out and slid on his cowhide gloves when a familiar F-250
trundled up his gravel driveway.
His first
instinct was to tense up, but the smile that stole across his face betrayed
him. His subconscious was really starting to piss him off.
“You know
those lift-kits make you look shorter, right,” Jay teased, trying to get out of
his head. Which turned out to be a mistake because his mouth ran away with him.
“Overcompensating for something?” Don’t
joke about the man’s dick size!
Landon just laughed at that. Of
course he did. His head tossed back, face beaming with amusement. “Old man’s
got jokes.” Landon walked over to Jay and pulled off his ball cap. “How’s it
going?”
Jay let out a hmph. “My kids are better than most, I won’t lie. But we spoiled
‘em, raising them in town like we did. If I want house work done right, I’m
better off doing it myself.”
“Kids today,” Landon said, shaking
his head in mock shame. “Who’d’ve thought you’d be a soft-touch dad?”
“Whatever you say.” Landon surprised
Jay by pulling a pair of old cowhide gloves out of his back pocket. “Saw you
were working so I grabbed these. Mostly came over to check you were still
coming tomorrow night. But if you want a hand around the place I don’t mind.”
Damn Landon Petty. Damn him to hell,
because right as Jay tossed all the strange shit in his mind around, as he
tried to keep himself from thinking on things that confused him so much, Landon
had to just… Be Landon. A good man, a good friend, who no-questions-asked was
willing to pitch in just because Jay was his friend, and he knew Jay was doing
it alone. Even after Jay had been squirrelly around him the last couple of
days. And that undefinable feeling settled in Jay’s gut again, making him
smile, but tremble a bit because maybe… Just maybe the feeling was slowly and
inexplicably becoming more defined.
Landon cocked his head, still with
that friendly smile, and shrugged. “Not really. What better way than to help
out a neighbor?”
“Well, you’re my parents’ neighbor.”
True enough, Landon’s parents were the next house down the way, about three
ponds, a couple pastures and two miles.
“Fine. Helping out a friend.”
Landon’s words held a weight to them that surprised Jay. He also felt a warmth
he wasn’t entirely comfortable with. He remembered all too well what having a
crush on Bethany had felt like; the newness and the need at fifteen had been
overwhelming. This feeling wasn’t quite that, but he wasn’t a hormonal kid. And
this started in his chest, not his dick.
He realized Landon’s brows had risen
and he’d begun shifting uncomfortably. And he couldn’t tell the man to fuck
off. He didn’t want Landon to leave.
He also didn’t want Landon in his
face, right then, either. “Uh, yeah. Yes. Sure. Thanks.” He motioned with his
hand for Landon to follow him. “I appreciate it.” He only half meant it.
He led Landon into his detached,
tin-sided carport and dug out the weed-eater. “The oil-gas mix for this is in
that orange can over there. If you don’t mind getting around the flower beds.”
“Look now,” Jay said, laughing as he
handed over the weed-eater. “I had other stuff to get around to before I could
do anything with the beds.” Truthfully, he didn’t know the first thing about
annuals and what-not.
Jay smirked at Landon who scowled.
“Mama made me help her in the beds every year.” The defensiveness in his tone
made Jay drop that line of teasing. It also brought up stereotypes to things
his fragile hold on the moment couldn’t even handle.
“Well, if you don’t mind doing
that,” he continued like they’d not made that detour in conversation, “I’ll do
the lawn. It usually takes me about two hours.” His yard wasn’t too large,
dwarfed by some of the neighbors’, but still took time with his finicky old
push mower.
“Alright. I’ll get on it.” And they
did. Jay’s mind was blissfully quiet as he handled his task. The repetitive
motions of walking in circles with the rattling mower calmed him. He’d always
enjoyed working in the yard. Just being outside gave him a sense of peace, and
nothing beat that smell of fresh cut grass.
At some point, while dodging an old
ant bed, he happened to glance over, noticing Landon. Damn the man to hell.
Landon had lost his shirt at some point. The plaid button down draped over the
railing on the front porch as Landon moved the weed-eater over the side of one
of the large flower beds that flanked each side of the front porch.
Jay almost tripped right there. He
wasn’t entirely sure whether he’d tripped over the mower, the ant bed, or his
traitorous tongue. Landon’s smooth, powerful back flexed with his movements,
sweat rolling down from his blond hair, over his neck and down toward the rise
over his ass.
Jay blinked, unsure when a man’s ass
had become something he couldn’t look away from but there it was, two firm,
round buns barely contained in Landon’s threadbare 501s. When Landon moved just
so, you could see his broad shoulders and rounded biceps bunch, showing off
their power, their strength. And Jay could see in his mind’s eye his own body
wrapping around Landon’s from behind, rubbing his cock against that firm ass,
running his fingers over those shoulders. A trembling breath left his body as
his body suddenly yearned to feel another person’s skin against his own.
The lawn mower shutting off snapped
his attention back to reality and his nerves roiled so hard he felt like he
could vomit, suddenly. Landon turned his way, and his marble smooth, hairless
torso gleamed with sweat in the afternoon sun. His muscled chest and smooth
stomach were something you’d expect to see in a magazine, a level of physical
perfection Jay had never once possessed. He wasn’t anything to throw rocks at,
not paunchy or anything, but he was softer around the middle like anyone in
their late thirties who didn’t have time to live in a gym. His own torso was
also hairy, nothing like the near baby-smoothness of Landon’s.
The only imperfection was one dark
brown mole just below Landon’s left nipple. And nipples… Now Jay couldn’t stop
looking at Landon’s large round nipples that were a pretty shade of pink.
Perfect for sucking on.
No.
No fucking way. I’m losing my damn mind. Jay had to swallow again to get words out, wondering why in
the hell he was hard for a man, why he wanted to bad to wrap his arms around a
man.
It had to just be residual effects
of seeing his ex and having not gotten laid in so damn long. Right? He wasn’t a
teenager by any means, but men had needs and eventually they started making a
man act a fool.
“Want me to go grab a beer?” Landon
asked. Jay, grateful for a moment to get his shit together, sent Landon off to
do just that.
He made his way to one of the
rocking chairs on his front porch, trying to get his racing heart under
control, but failed because again, he felt a strange warmth from Landon feeling
at home in his house, Landon being so… Domestic.
“Here you go,” Landon said, passing
Jay a beer. Jay took it and chugged, happy not to have to talk for a minute.
You have no idea.
OKAY. That's it guys. Stay tuned for more Snippets, more release info, and more giveaways for Borrowing Trouble. Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter below (same as on Diverse Reader). And click over to Diverse Reader Blog on the link below to get info on my Rainbow Book Fair NYC Trip Giveaway Extravaganza!
For the blurb click over to the GoodReads link.
Thanks guys! Until next time!
<3kaderade
RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY:
Final Tier: (3 winners) Get to choose anything from Kade's back list.
2nd-tier: (2 winners) ARCs of his new book Borrowing Trouble & a back list book.
1st-tier: (1 winner*) $20 GC for Amazon, ARC, paper back, and back list book.
REMEMBER: Rafflecopter giveaway ends the 15th, all prizes will be e-mailed the 16th
so check your spam folders!
so check your spam folders!
Winners are contacted via email on the 16th, so check your spam.
DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT KADE'S CRAZY NYC TRIP
Borrowing Trouble
by Kade Boehme
Coming October 20
I'm so looking forward to Borrowing Trouble!
ReplyDeleteI'de be more than happy to borrow some trouble LOL!
ReplyDeleteJudge a book by its gay cover
Pretty amazing! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance, love the cover. Any book is good I have not read any as of yet
ReplyDeleteNice teaser :) Definitely looking forward to release. Thanks Kade
ReplyDeleteSo excited for this story! I enjoy reading your books! I especially enjoyed Chance of the Heart & Trouble & the Wallflower! ❤😄
ReplyDelete