Title: Too Close to the Flame
Author: Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood
Publisher: Wainscott Press
Release Date: July 31, 2020
Length: 86,000 words
Genre: Romance, Hurt/Comfort Gay Romance, Sweet Gay Romance
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Synopsis
Can he ever learn to trust again?
Brandon Weber’s old boyfriend almost beat him to death. Brandon survived, but still bears the emotional scars. Eighteen months later, he has withdrawn into himself, convinced he’ll never be able to trust another man.
Devin Macadam, fresh out of law school, has an exciting new job. He is also on the lookout for just the right guy, someone to take care of and love.
When Devin shows up for the first day of work at his new office, he meets Brandon, a legal assistant there. Sparks fly, but Brandon is paralyzed by fear and isn’t about to give another man the power to hurt him again. Devin, never one to give up easily, doesn’t want to take no for an answer. Both men feel the magic, but can their relationship ever get past the friend zone?
Too Close to the Flame is a dark-to-light, sweet romance featuring out and proud gay men, lots of feels, steamy love scenes, and a wonderful happy ending. The book is approximately 86,000 words and has X-Ray enabled for your reading pleasure.
Trigger Warning: Too Close to the Flame contains specific memories of physical abuse.
Special Excerpt from
Too Close to the Flame, by Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood
Copyright © 2020 Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood. All rights reserved.
Devin
“Stop! No fair!” I could hardly understand Brandon, he was laughing so hard.
“What? You don’t like a little water in your face?”
Catching on, he splashed me back. “See how you like it, big boy.”
Brandon and I played in the water like little kids, and I had the best time. He hadn’t mentioned his scars, so I didn’t either. They weren’t as bad as I’d thought they might be, and they caused an emotional battle in my mind. I was furious at what he had to go through even while I admired how well he’d come through it so far. Brandon was a very strong man.
I couldn’t keep my eyes off him, which meant I was still fighting the boner that had started up in the apartment. He was smaller than me but had good muscle definition. His ivory skin was completely smooth; there wasn’t hair anywhere but on his legs. That Speedo drove me mad. I barely kept from grabbing his butt about a million times, and there was definitely something interesting in front. Brandon was everything I’d ever found hot in a guy, all rolled into one.
We had a couple of races, and I let him win one. He was a good swimmer, but I had a big advantage because of my size. After the races, we hung out in the middle of the pool, treading water. Brandon seemed to be having fun, but there was always a nervous energy about him.
After a while, my stomach started rumbling. “What do you say we head back upstairs and order pizza?” I asked. “I’m getting hungry.”
“That’s fine. I’m a little hungry, too.”
We made our way to the shallow end of the pool where our towels were, and Brandon turned to face me. His hands shook as he skimmed them across his belly. “Can I ask you something?” he said. “It’s okay to say no.”
“Ask whatever you want.”
The way he raked his eyes over my torso took my breath away. “I shouldn’t do this, Dev. It isn’t fair, but can I touch you? I haven’t touched a man in so long.”
I nodded, wondering if I was dreaming. When he took a step forward and hesitantly put his hands on my chest, it felt so good I almost passed out. He closed his eyes and gave a little whimper while he squeezed my pecs. “I’m very afraid,” he said. He swallowed hard and opened his eyes. “I promise I’ll tell you why I’m so weird, but for now….” He pushed up on his tiptoes. “Would you please kiss me?” A nervous sound escaped him. “I need you to kiss me.”
His eyes shone with hope, and he smiled when I cradled his face in my hands. I moved slowly, brushing his lips with mine while he squeezed my chest again. I wrapped my arms around him while I licked his lips. Just when I thought he was going to deny me, he opened. He tasted like peppermint, and my mind spun as his tongue met mine.
I slid a hand down his back while our tongues danced, and he groaned when I squeezed his butt. God, how I love Speedos.
He was wearing a shy smile when he pulled away. “I knew you’d be a great kisser.”
“You’re a pretty awesome kisser yourself.” I panted at him, desperately needing more. “Want to do it again?”
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Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood met in law school and were married in 2017. They live in a suburb of Washington, DC, and share their home with a big, cuddly German shepherd. Ryan and Josh enjoy travel, friends, and advocating for causes dear to their hearts. In addition, Ryan loves to swim, and Josh likes to pretend he has a green thumb every chance he gets. Both men love writing, and the romance they were so lucky to find with each other inspires their stories about love between out and proud men. You can contact them through their website at www.ryanandjoshth.com.
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