I’m so happy to be here at Love Bytes! Thank you for stopping by for an exclusive excerpt from The Veranda.

The Veranda is the third book of the Lavender Shores series. Each of the novels can be read as a stand-alone or as part of the series. I’m going to let the excerpt and blurb speak themselves, but I will promise you romance, steamy sex, laughter, all the feels, and a happily ever after. Whether you read The Palisade and The Garden (the first two books in the series) or not, you’ll be able to thoroughly enjoy this visit to Lavender Shores.

The Veranda is available from Amazon and is also free on Kindle Unlimited. Donovan and Spencer have quite the journey to love to share with you. One that’s been a long time coming for them.

For our fourth stop on the blog tour, I’m giving you a look at Donovan and Spencer struggling to adjust to their change in relationship. Here’s the back-story, really quick… Spencer and Donovan have had feelings for each other for a decade. Feelings they’ve never admitted to anyone, even each other because Spencer was married to Donovan’s half-sister. Now, because of a divorce, they’re no longer brother-in-laws. They were both recently at a sex-party masquerade, and hooked up, but neither of them thinks the other realized who they slept with. In this scene, there’s been a couple semi-chance encounters and they now both know they have feelings for each other. However, up until this point, family obligations and expectation have stood in their way. Spencer has made it clear that he wants Donovan, regardless. Donovan has been letting outside forces cause him to be too cautious. However, he recently decided to leap and text Spencer letting him know that he was in. All in. (You can check out the sex party chapter for free on Amazon.)

 

By the time Spencer knocked on my door, I’d made sure the house was clean, that I was clean, and I had rehearsed what I was going to say at least a dozen times.

All words flitted away as I opened the door and saw him standing there, hair parted in the same way it had been for over a decade, crisp black suit, expensive shoes, blue shirt, deep purple paisley tie. It was a look I’d seen, and lusted over, countless times. But his eyes? Filled with desire and hope that took every word from my lips.

Spencer walked in and shut the door, flicking the lock. He looked at me expectantly, and then his handsome smile turned devilish. “I believe you said you wanted me?”

I nearly laughed. And he was right. He’d done more than his share of making it perfectly clear he wanted me. Now, it was my turn. I grabbed his tie and pulled him to me, crushing his lips with mine.

There was only a moment’s hesitation before his large hands clasped around my waist and he began to explore over my clothes.

Determined to make it perfectly clear that I was the one choosing him this time, keeping hold of his tie, I pressed into him, forcing him back against the door. I deepened the kiss, filling his mouth with my tongue, and thrust my erection against his hip.

Spencer groaned, his breath filling my mouth. He tasted of spearmint. Probably mouthwash in the car. I had no idea why, but I loved the idea of him preparing for me.

Desire mingled with relief. We were finally here. After all this time, we were kissing and there were no questions, no mystery as to what was going on, what each of us wanted. It seemed too good to be real. I ran my free hand over his body, feeling the planes of his chest below the fabric of his shirt, and the ridges of his abs as I worked my way down. Then I cupped his bulging cock behind the fly of his pants. He pushed against the pressure.

I pulled away slightly, breaking the kiss, and met his gaze. “I….” I almost said I love you. But it was too soon. Even if I had no doubt about the truth of those words. I’d loved him for years. And I trusted that he had loved me for years, secretly or not. Instead I repeated what had already become our mantra. “I want you.”

He smirked. “Yeah, I’m getting that.”

I couldn’t say I loved him yet, but I needed to make it clear. “No, I mean I want you. You. As in, not just to mess around with this afternoon, but….”

Spencer beamed, and the sexy expression on his face disappeared for a moment, replaced by… joy. Joy was the only way to describe what I saw there. “Good. I’m glad, Donovan. Because that’s exactly how I want you.”

Somewhere in my therapist brain I knew we should pause, stop, and talk it all out. Discuss all the things I’d been mulling over since he left the night before. But I didn’t want to be a therapist in that moment. I was just a man. So I shoved the therapist aside and let the man take over. “Come to the bedroom.”

His eyes widened, and something else joined the lust there. “Oh, you want to…. We’re gonna….”

Fear. I realized what I was seeing—he was afraid. I hadn’t expected that. I thought he wanted this. Shit, maybe I shouldn’t have shoved the therapist away so quickly. “We don’t have to. I’m sorry. We don’t have to go that far.”

He grabbed my elbow like he expected me to walk away. “No, it’s not that. I want to. Believe me. I want to more than just about anything in the world.” He glanced away, and a blush rose to his cheeks. “It’s just that… I’ve never… uhm….”

Stupidly, it took me several seconds to realize what he meant. And I couldn’t keep the surprise out of my voice. “Really? For some reason I thought since you got divorced that you’ve….” I couldn’t make myself say it.

His cheeks burned brighter. “I have. I’ve actually played around quite a bit.” He shrugged. “Or, played around many times, might be a better way to say it. I’ve never actually had sex-sex. Just blowjobs and that kind of middle school crap.”

“Oh!” Shit! I hadn’t meant to assume. His revelation crashed over me. Made it all the more terrifying. I would be his first…. This was exactly what my fears had entailed. Without meaning to, I took a step back, but he held on.

“I want to, Donovan.”

I shook my head. “No, that’s a big deal for your first time. We don’t have to do that.”

He laughed, but he sounded embarrassed. “I’m not a virgin. You might remember that I have two children.”

I pushed that thought from me as quickly as I could. The last thing I needed to think about right then was my sister and the children.

Maybe I gave a disgusted face, though I didn’t mean to. Spencer dropped his arm. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to disappoint you.”

“No, you didn’t. It’s not…. I just wasn’t expecting that.” I reached out and took his arm this time. I couldn’t have him walk away. “That doesn’t mean we can’t be together, do other things. We’ve already proven we’re pretty good at the other things.”

He raked his fingers through his hair, leaving it a little bit disheveled, and making him even sexier. The self-conscious look that crossed his face caused him to look younger than he was. When he spoke, his voice was a mix of embarrassment and hope. “I want to, Donovan. I’ve wanted to experience it for a long time, but I couldn’t make myself do that with just anyone. I only want to do it with you.”

That rocked me. Terrified me all over, if I was being honest. His first time with a man. If it went wrong, if I did something wrong, if he hated it, then we were dead before we even got started.

He stepped into me once more. He was still erect, and he pressed against me as he ran a hand up my back. His words were low and raspy. “Which do you want? I don’t even know what you like. You a top? The bottom? How do you want me?”

Despite the mounting worries, I almost came at those words. At the fantasy of having Spencer give himself to me. Of offering himself to me like he hadn’t done for any other man. Insinuating that I could have him however I wanted.

He moved his other hand to my dick and squeezed it through my pants, then stroked it slowly. “I want you, Donovan. I don’t care how you want to. It doesn’t matter if you are inside me or if I’m inside you. I just want you.”

It wasn’t a fantasy. Spencer was finally in front of me and offering himself up. But that was just it; Spencer wasn’t a fantasy. I couldn’t risk hurting him.

He squeezed my dick again. “You’re making me feel a little bit pathetic here, man. I’m pretty much begging for your dick. Don’t make me get on my knees.” His gaze flashed to mine. “Unless it’s how you want to start.”

“Fuck.” I hadn’t meant to say that. Or growl it, since that’s actually what I had done. But it revealed my desire.

“Yeah?” He squeezed again. “Is that how you want this to happen? You need me to beg?”

For a heartbeat, I almost said yes. I wanted him to beg. To get on his knees and worship my cock, and then I would turn him around and fuck him. And maybe I would’ve, if I hadn’t spent the afternoon thinking of how much I loved him. Of how long I’d loved him. Of how I couldn’t hurt him. I looked him in the eye and shook my head. “I do want that, someday.” I took my hand and ran it over his erection again. “But for right now, I want us to go slow.”

Disappointment flashed across his face.

I gave him a squeeze, and I chose the option that I thought would be easier for him. Truth be told, I wanted both equally, so it didn’t really matter. “And I want to have you inside me. I’ve wanted you inside me for years, and I don’t want to wait another day.”

 

 

Hint… he doesn’t have to wait another. And neither do you! Pick up the book on Amazon and visit the town of Lavender Shores.

Thank you so, so much!

~Rosalind

Publication date: August 29, 2017

Veranda Amazon

Veranda Goodreads

Cover Artist: AngstyG

Blurb for The Veranda:

Donovan Carlisle helps countless people in Lavender Shores with his skills as a therapist. It seems, however, that his ability to enable others to live their happiest life only works outside of himself. Donovan truly loves his life, but isn’t able to find a relationship that satisfies his heart’s craving. Maybe the problem is that the only man he wants is off-limits.  Spencer Epstein came to Lavender Shores to find himself. Instead, he married one of the local town beauties. He’d thought his prayers had finally been answered. Then, he met his pregnant fiancée’s brother. It turned out those answered prayers were just cruel twists of fate.  A decade later, after a divorce and crumbling of all Spencer thought was set in stone, he sees his brother-in-law at a masquerade sex party. He takes full advantage of the anonymity and acts on the desires he’s held at bay all those years. The problem is, those silent and frenzied moments didn’t satiate anything. The fire and heat between the two men only grows as secrets are uncovered and they must determine if the cost of their passion is too high.

 

September 1—The Novel Approach

September 2—Scattered Thoughts

September 4—Sinfully

September 7—Love Bytes

 

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.

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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(Rosalind Abel Author)

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