LEANING INTO FOREVER
Leaning Into Series Book 7
LANE HAYES
M/M ROMANCE
RELEASE DATE: 06.26.18
COVER ARTIST: REESE DANTE
BLURB
Geordie De La Rosa is a legend among wine lovers in Napa Valley. His ultra-fabulous style paired with a penchant for leading impromptu sing-a-longs has made him a star attraction at Conrad Winery. Co-owning a well-respected winery was never Geordie’s aspiration but he likes the niche he’s made for himself. He won’t deny that his job and his friends have helped ease his heartache and grief after the death of his longtime partner.
Levi Yeager excels at the art of reinventing himself. He’s been a minor league baseball player, a college coach and now a restaurant owner. The problem is he doesn’t know anything about the food business. And when his chef quits unexpectedly, he’s afraid his new venture is doomed. But Levi isn’t a quitter. It may be the only thing he has in common with the beautiful, sassy man from the neighboring winery who agrees to help get his new business up and running. Neither man counts on their fast friendship or the wild attraction they feel for each other. However, they know they won’t stand a chance until they let go of the past and lean into forever.
“You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to find these in size thirteen.”
“Size thirteen, eh?” someone repeated in an amused tone.
I yelped in surprise. Adrenaline shot through my system, sending my pulse into overdrive. I acted on instinct and did the first thing that came to mind. I chucked my shoe at the intruder and then hopped off the bench on one foot with my fists raised, ready for combat.
“Ouch! What the hell?” Levi glowered, rubbing his forehead. He bent to pick up my shoe from the front step then shot a dirty look at me before crossing the path to join me at the bench.
“ ‘What the hell?’ is right! You scared the bejesus out of me. What are you doing sneaking around here?” I hopped forward a couple of feet but stopped when I teetered precariously. The last thing I needed was to land on my ass. Especially in front of this guy.
“I opened the door. That’s hardly sneaking.”
I held my palm open and lifted my chin regally. “My shoe, please.”
The gravel crunched noisily under Levi’s sneakers as he made his way toward me. He held out my shoe but didn’t release it. “Not so fast. Who were you talking to?”
“Myself,” I replied, wiggling my fingers in a not-so-subtle request for him to hand it over already.
Levi narrowed his eyes. “It sounded like you were telling an imaginary friend about your big feet and fancy slippers.”
I snickered at his tone. Teasing banter was my specialty. Lighthearted edginess without malice gave an impression one had entered the friend zone. Or more accurately, the “something more than acquaintance but less than the real thing” zone. In my experience, most peripheral working relationships thrived there. Caterers, temporary interns, delivery people and yes…the hunky man dressed in a plaid shirt, ripped jeans, and a pair of beat-up, checkered Vans, giving me a head-to-toe once-over.
I ignored everything I disliked about his statement and homed in on the one thing I could possibly turn into a joke. “Well, you know what they say about larger than average feet, darling.”
“You mean that’s not just a rumor?” Levi asked in a faux-serious voice.
I widened my eyes slightly then shook my head slowly for dramatic effect. “In my case…no.”
“Hop back to that bench,” he commanded, gesturing for me to get moving.
I huffed impatiently but obeyed, tripping before I made a quick dive toward the bench and flopped gracelessly on my ass. I grumbled in Spanish and gave him a sideways glance when he sat beside me, chuckling at my misadventures.
“May I please have my shoe now? I’m cold.”
“These shoes are your problem, you know,” he said conversationally. “They’re too flimsy. No arch support, no tread to speak of and—”
“They weren’t designed for comfort.”
“Then what’s the point?”
“Fashion. I call them luxe leisurewear. They’re pretty and I like them. Even though they hurt,” I admitted.
“Hmm. What would you call mine?” he asked, gesturing to the black-and-white checkered slip-on sneakers.
“Skater-boy chic.”
Levi snorted. “Sounds about right.”
“Why aren’t you giving me my shoe?”
Levi’s innocent expression was almost funny. Almost. “Relax. I’m just checking out your luxe leisurewear and yeah…I may be a little curious about your size-thirteen brag.”
I laughed in spite of myself. “Are you flirting with me? You might want to hold up. I’m one of those clingy types. AKA, a straight, confused, or closeted bi man’s nightmare.”
He widened his eyes theatrically. “Why do I think you’re flirting with me now?”
“I’m not,” I deadpanned. “But since you seem so interested in how evenly the inches are distributed on my person, I assure you, I’m very well-proportioned.”
Levi scratched his stubbled chin and cracked a smile. It started out as a lopsided, lazy gesture but it quickly morphed into a full-fledged, roguish grin. And dammit, that dimple was sexy.
Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full-time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles to both be men. Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in an almost empty nest.
I’m loving the sound of this book already – thank you for sharing excerpt from the book!! And for the record, don’t ask meto choose a favorite. It’s a huge weakness of mine, I’m horrible at choosing. 😀
Congrats and thanks for the excerpt. I’ve liked a number of your books, so it’s hard to pick who’s my fav couple, maybe Luke & Michael.
I cannot pick a favorite! But I do love Zeke and Benny a lot! 😉
I am new to Lane Hayes and do not have a favorite as yet.
Loved this book!
Hard to choose one.. I haven’t read enough yet
This book is so good! Geordie and Levi are giving Matty and Aaron a run for their money!
I haven’t read Lane’s books as yet
I need to read more to find out!
I haven’t read this series yet but am looking forward to giving it a try