Love Bytes is delighted to host the cover reveal for Rebecca James her new upcoming release!

The Ballerino and The Biker by Rebecca James

M/M Romance

Release Date: 03.10.18

Cover Design: Reese Dante

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Blurb

Most of his young life, Morgan Wentworth has dreamed of becoming a principal dancer in a prestigious corps de ballet. After years studying the art in Milan, Morgan comes home to New York City to apprentice with the Manhattan Ballet Company only to be hit by the unexpected death of his older brother, Jake. The grieving dancer learns his life is threatened by a dangerous rival motorcycle gang and that pierced, tattooed, HOT biker Zeke Ivers has been assigned by Jake’s MC to guard him. Saddled with the constant presence of the infuriating man, Morgan juggles the demands of an exhausting dance schedule as well as his new responsibilities as CEO of his family’s multi-million-dollar company. He never expects to develop an attraction for the straight, obnoxious biker, but that’s exactly what happens.

Estranged from an abusive family, Zeke Ivers has lived at the Sentinel’s club house and worked on cars since he was a teen. When fellow club member Jake Wentworth and a rival club president’s girl are killed on Jake’s bike, the Sentinel’s president delegates the protection of Jake’s little brother, Morgan, to Zeke. Zeke would do anything for the club that pulled him off the streets, but Morgan’s a ballet dancer, for Christ’s sake, as well as annoying as hell. Still, Zeke finds himself inexplicably drawn to the young man. The more attracted Zeke becomes to Morgan, the more the biker is forced to examine his sexuality and decide whether two people from opposite sides of the tracks could possibly have a future together, or if Zeke should do what is fast becoming too painful to consider: let Morgan go.

By the time I exited the building, it was well past midnight and every muscle in my body burned. I waved to Erik, and we went our separate ways. He’d asked me if I needed a ride, but the night was clear, and it was a relatively short walk to my apartment building. Besides, I knew he lived in the opposite direction. I’d pulled a pair of sweatpants over my leotard and tights and stuffed my feet into a pair of boots. The puffy jacket that I wore when walking kept me relatively warm in the January cold.

Every piece of me was tired, and my mind continued to go over the dance steps as though unaware that practice was over. My bag on my shoulder, I cut across the parking lot of the Arts Center toward the relatively empty road, breath smoky above the coil of plaid scarf wrapped around my neck.

When a car slowed on the street, I tensed. Occasionally, someone would catcall or yell something at me, especially if I was in tights, but I wasn’t in this case and couldn’t figure out why anyone would be pulling up beside me. That and the lack of lights on this particular street had me nervous. As the car crawled along, I looked straight ahead and waited for the driver to roll down his window and ask directions, but it didn’t happen.

I glanced over. The car had tinted windows. What the hell? I began walking faster, and the driver accelerated to keep up with me. As soon as I could, I cut sideways behind a building, slipping through an alley between a restaurant and a dry cleaners and popping out on the other side, heart hammering in my chest. I made my way behind the row of stores in the general direction of my apartment building, although I was going to miss the mark by about a block when I came out on the other side.

When I found another opening, I circled back to the main street only to glimpse the car idling outside my building.

Who the hell was it, and how did they know where I lived?

Icy fear raced up my back as I leaned against the cold brick in the alley. What should I do? Walk boldly toward my building? Whoever was in the car could easily snatch me off the sidewalk, and as deserted as it was at that hour, any yelling I did wouldn’t do me any good. If they wanted to take me, they could easily have done it while I was walking; that is, if there was more than one person in the car. Could it be someone who wanted to talk to me? Who? The Steel Pistons were the first to pop into my head, but Blaze had assured me they’d leave me alone. Could something have happened to negate the threat the Hedonists held over them?

I peeked again. The ominous car still sat in front of my building, exhaust rising in the cold air behind the rear bumper. I dug my cell phone out of my bag and scrolled through my contacts. Should I call the police? As scared as I was, I was still a little embarrassed to call and say I was hiding in an alley afraid to go into my building because of a car parked outside it.

Nikki would be asleep, and I wasn’t sure having a tiny woman by my side would be much of a deterrent if this person wanted to hurt me anyway. Besides, I didn’t want to put Nikki in danger.

I could call Jon or one of the other dancers, but knowing they were as exhausted as I was and had probably just dropped off to sleep made me hesitate. Erik had a wife and newborn baby at home. This wasn’t necessarily an emergency. I would feel a fool if this was all a misunderstanding somehow and the driver of the car was waiting for someone in my building.

At 1 a.m.? I asked myself. Still, this was the city that never slept.

Zeke. Call Zeke. Being a general night owl, he would probably still be awake, and even if he wasn’t, he didn’t have a 6 a.m. job to get to. I’d feel safe walking into my building with Zeke, and it would give me an excuse to talk to him again.

Before I could argue myself out of it, I hit the call button while looking around the corner again to make sure the car was still there.

“’Lo?” Zeke’s sleepy voice answered.

Seconds went by while I tried to think of what to say.

Shuffling at the other end of the phone. “Morgan?”

I let out a breath. “Yeah, it’s me.”

More rustling, as though Zeke was rolling over or sitting up.

“Is something the matter? It’s late.”

“Uh, well, sort of. I’m sorry. I didn’t know who else to call.”

“What is it?”

“I—well, it’s probably nothing. It’s just I was walking home, and this car started following me really slowly, and I veered off behind some buildings for a while, and when I came out…it’s parked outside the front of my place. I’m afraid to go in.”

“You got no idea who it is?”

“No. Do you think something happened and the Pistons are after me again?”

“I think if the Pistons wanted you, they would’ve already grabbed you off the street. What’s the car look like?”

“Dark color. Um, I don’t know, it looks similar to the club’s SUV. Different model. It’s just sitting there with the engine on. Fuck, maybe I should just walk in while talking to you.”

On Zeke’s end, I heard a door shut and a moment later an engine roar to life.

“Stay where you are; I’ll be right there. I’m on my bike, or else I wouldn’t hang up.”

I stood shivering in the alley, hands pushed deep in the pockets of my puffy jacket, peering around the corner at the car, afraid if I took my eyes off it, I’d suddenly find myself face-to-face with some creep.

The car remained where it was. No one got out of it. With the tinted windows, it took an identity of its own, like it drove itself or something, which was creepy as hell to think about. I remembered some sci-fi story I’d read long ago that had something like that in it.

This late at night, Zeke could probably make the fifteen- minute drive in ten, but time seemed to stretch out to infinity. I was freezing. The buildings on each side of me afforded some respite from the bitter wind, but between where my coat ended and my boots began, my knees felt like ice cubes, the soft cotton of the sweatpants not enough to keep them warm when standing still.

It seemed obvious now the car wasn’t waiting for someone. Who was driving, and what did they want from me? Where was Zeke?

I’ve always loved to write and have written since I was a child, usually to entertain my family. I enjoy writing m/m romance because there’s nothing hotter than two men in a loving relationship. I write contemporary romance but am not limited to that. I enjoy writing alpha/omega and vampire stories, and I wouldn’t rule other things out. I’m very prolific, so look for a lot of things to come!

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