A warm welcome to author Annabeth Albert joining us today to talk about new release “Squared Away”, book 5 in her succesfull Out of Uniform series.
Annabeth shares her favorite kissing scene with us!
Welcome Annabeth 🙂
Hi! I’m so excited to be celebrating the release of SQUARED AWAY, which is book 5 in my Out of Uniform series. Today I’ve brought one of my favorite kissing scenes from the book! I adore how these two love kissing!
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“Well in that case, have at it.” Isaiah flopped down on his stomach next to Mark on the full-size bed. It was a tight squeeze, but he liked being this close to Mark, able to feel his body heat. “I’m at your mercy.”
Mark shifted around so he was kneeling next to Isaiah. “Tell me if it hurts.”
“Yup.” Isaiah was pretty sure the only thing aching would be his dick, which he was working way hard to ignore.
Mark started way more confidently than he had the day before, broad strokes up and down Isaiah’s neck and shoulders, digging in with his thumbs. Isaiah couldn’t help the groan that escaped.
“Sorry.” He didn’t want to make Mark uncomfortable by getting too into this. If this was mainly just medical science for Mark, he should probably hold still and stay quiet.
“No, I want you to tell me how it feels. I like how responsive you are.”
“Feels amazing. Go harder if you want.”
Mark used his strong fingers to really work at the knots in Isaiah’s upper back.
“Yes. That.” Isaiah wasn’t turned on so much as in heaven. He’d seldom had this kind of attention lavished on him, and it was addictive. His reaction seemed to embolden Mark, who threw a leg over Isaiah, straddling his ass.
“Think this will be easier,” Mark said before working Isaiah’s whole back with long strokes. Mark was hard against him, but he sure as fuck wasn’t going to mention that, risk breaking this spell or presume that Mark wanted to act on it. Instead, he let himself fully enjoy the massage, drifting until Mark whispered, “Are you asleep?”
“No,” Isaiah groaned. “But close.”
“Better let you get to your own bed.” Mark sounded reluctant as he moved off Isaiah.
“I wouldn’t mind sleeping next to you,” Isaiah admitted, sitting up. “Not as a sex thing. Just because you feel so good.”
“Maybe sometime.” Mark’s tone was thoughtful. “This bed is maybe a little small.”
“Mine’s a queen. And we’ve got time to try it.” Isaiah reached out and touched Mark’s face. “I’m in no rush.”
That got a little smile from Mark, one that warmed Isaiah’s insides like a warm brownie.
“Can I…I want to kiss you goodnight,” Mark said in a rush.
“Of course.” Isaiah leaned closer but let Mark be the one to initiate. It was achingly sweet, the way Mark took his time. They kissed without tongue for a good long while before Mark deepened the kiss, exploring Isaiah’s mouth with increasingly confident motions. Isaiah moaned as Mark went back to nibbling his lower lip.
Pulling back slightly, eyes glassy and dark, Mark asked, “Did you mean what you said the other night? That you can come just from kissing?” Mark sounded more curious than eager.
“That and some grinding, like what we were doing on the couch.” Isaiah reluctantly pulled away. “But not tonight. Let’s take this slow. We’ll get there.”
When a SEAL medic inherits three young children, he must battle to keep the family together and keep his long-held feelings for the man challenging him for custody at bay.
Squared Away
Series: Out of Uniform #5
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date (Print & Ebook): April 16. Print, ebook, and audio all available.
Length (Print & Ebook): 80,000 words
Subgenre: m/m military romance
Includes: military romance, insta-family, hurt/comfort, angst, interracial, heroes-with-kids, gay romance, demisexual/gray ace hero, first time, loss, reunion, forced proximity
Synopsis:
In the wake of tragedy, SEAL Mark Whitley rushed stateside to act as guardian to his sister’s three young children. But a conflicting will could give custody to someone else—someone Mark remembers as a too young, too hot, wild party boy. Even after six years, Mark can’t shake the memory of his close encounter with Isaiah James, or face up to what it says about his own sexuality.
Isaiah’s totally over the crush that made him proposition Mark all those years ago. In fact, he’s done with crushing on the wrong men altogether. For now, he’s throwing himself into proving he’s the best person to care for his cousin’s kids. But there’s no denying there’s something sexy about a big, tough military man with a baby in his arms.
As the legal details get sorted out, their long-buried attraction resurfaces, leading to intimate evenings after the kids are tucked in. A forever future is within reach for all of them, if only Mark can find the courage he needs to trust Isaiah with his secrets—and his heart.
Links:
What Annabeth Albert has to say about this book in her Out of Uniform series:
“I wanted to write a book about the nature of family and how loss and tragedy can shape family, mold it into something stronger, force growth and change. I’m enormously proud of SQUARED AWAY as a result because how I fell in love with this little family.”
“When Wizard first appeared in ON POINT as a secondary character, I was intrigued by him, but it wasn’t until I let myself get into his head that I really saw how complicated he was. I feel honored and privileged to have been able to tell his story.”
“No book gets written in a vacuum and this one is no different. I owe a huge debt on this book to my sensitivity readers who really encouraged me to dig deep.”
“I take it that’s a yes?”
“It’s always going to be a yes for more kissing.” Isaiah scooted closer. They’d done the massage and goodnight kiss routine a few more times, but he was careful to not press for it, to let it be Mark’s idea.
Mark gave him a fast but still electric kiss. “I was thinking about this when I was helping you outside earlier. It’s crazy how much I like touching and kissing you.”
“I love touching you too.” Isaiah trailed his fingers down Mark’s cheek. “You haven’t had that before?”
“Not really. I’ve had a lot of kisses that felt like getting my earlobe chewed by a cat or trying to kiss a salmon. Not awful but not ‘can’t wait to do it again’ either. Had some kisses I liked, but right as I was getting comfortable, the other person would try to take it to the next level. And that was always a disaster.”
“Even with your friend? The other medic?”
Mark shrugged and looked away. “He got huffy when I didn’t want to get naked after a few kisses. Called me a closet case.”
“I’m sorry.” Isaiah patted his leg, not sure what else to say. “You’re a great guy. You deserve all the good kisses—no fish or earlobe chewing allowed. And you deserve to go at your own pace. Always.”
“I feel guilty. Like I should be doing something more for you…”
“Hey now. I’m getting amazing kisses from a hot-as-fuck guy who also likes to massage me until I’m a pile of limp lettuce. Trust me. I’m not getting a shabby deal here. At all.” If anything, Isaiah felt guilty for how very much he was enjoying all this. “And add in yard work help and cleaning? Man, you’d be a lot of people’s idea of a dream date.”
“Good.” Mark leaned in for another, softer kiss. “Because I really like doing this.”
“Me too.” Isaiah tried to calm the thumping of his heart. Careful, he warned himself even as his long-comatose hope monster hefted itself up and did a dance. He couldn’t afford to go falling for Mark again, yet with each kiss, each tentative touch, he could feel his grip on his resolve weakening.
About Annabeth Albert:
Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer. The #OutOfUniform series joins her critically acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ romance #Gaymers, #PortlandHeat and #PerfectHarmony series. To find out what she’s working on next and other fun extras, check out her website: www.annabethalbert.com or connect with Annabeth on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify! Also, be sure to sign up for her newsletter for free ficlets, bonus reads, and contests. The fan group, Annabeth’s Angels, on Facebook is also a great place for bonus content and exclusive contests.
Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two active children.
Connect with Annabeth:
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