Title: Out in Winter
Series: Out in College, Book 8
Author: Lane Hayes
Publisher: Lane Hayes
Release Date: January 11, 2021
Length: 32k
Genre: Romance, Bisexual, Friends to Lovers, College romance, Humor, Jock, Age Gap
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Synopsis
The grad student, the jock, and some winter fun…
Drew
My new job at the bistro is fun. The owners are good guys, and the staff is made up primarily of boisterous water polo players. I know nothing about the sport except there’s a Speedo involved, and Liam likes to wear his everywhere. Yes…Liam—the chatty, handsome, utterly charming waiter I can’t seem to stop thinking about. Ugh. Note to self—do not fall for another younger man.
Liam
Getting Drew to notice me hasn’t been easy. He’s a little intense, and he knows how to keep his distance. Something tells me he’s not immune—he’s just stubborn. Maybe a weekend of bonding on the ski slopes will win him over. And if I can get him to come out in winter, I might be able to convince him that we have a chance at something special.
Out in Winter is a low-angst MM, bisexual romance starring an oh so serious grad student, a goofball water polo player, and a little winter magic. This story is part of the Out in College series, but each book can be read as a stand-alone.
“Hey, Drew!”
I turned on cue.
Liam?
I squinted in confusion, pushing my sunglasses on top of my head to give him a thorough once-over. Damn, he was hot. His twinkling eyes and lopsided grin warmed me from the inside out. He rocked the battered old Uggs and water-polo-parka ensemble again. His wavy dark hair curled at his collar, giving him a more boyish look than usual. His stubbled jaw should have canceled the illusion, but it added roguish appeal and—oh, boy. Pull it together, Drew.
“What are you doing here?”
Liam chuckled at my lukewarm greeting. “I was swimming laps. What are you doing here?”
“I had class,” I replied.
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “It’s winter break till next week. What are you really up to? Are you sneaking into classrooms and stealing Post-it Notes and pencil sharpeners?”
“How’d you guess? I’ve had my eye on that industrial-looking one bolted to the front desk in the library,” I snarked, gesturing at his ensemble. “Aren’t you cold?”
“Nah, but I should be. I’m buck-ass naked under this thing.”
Gulp.
Okay. See? Not fair.
Liam had my attention from the second he called my name. Now I was on hyper alert, every nerve ending in my body buzzing. It took less than two minutes for him to ruin a week’s worth of resolve not to lust after my coworker. Damn, I was a horny mess.
I cleared my throat and gave a careless half laugh. “And why is that?”
“Wet Speedos aren’t comfy.”
“I bet. Why don’t you shower, dry off, and get dressed in the locker room like normal people?”
“I am not normal people,” he said, modulating his voice to sound like an evil cartoon villain.
“You’re a dork.” I chuckled in spite of myself and inclined my head toward the lot. “Where’d you park?”
“I didn’t drive. My car’s in the shop. I’ve been Uber-ing, Lyft-ing, and mooching rides off friends all week. It’s thrown me off my game. I usually bring a water polo bag and a separate bag for my clothes. Two out of the past five days, I’ve forgotten my clothes. And funny enough, you’re the first person I’ve run into both times.”
“So you’re not a stripper or a flasher on the side?” I teased.
“Nope. I can’t dance, and I’m not a total creep,” he huffed. “Just forgetful.”
“Hmm. I’ve seen you dance around the café. You’re not so bad.”
“Well, sure…if I’m at a club or a party and my favorite song comes on, I can shake my ass and hold my own. But pole dancing is an art form onto itself.” He raised his hands in surrender. “I am not worthy.”
I smiled at his earnest expression. “How do I always end up having weird conversations with you?”
Liam shrugged good-naturedly. “Is it me?”
“Definitely. Do you need a ride?”
“I was gonna walk, but if you don’t mind, that would be great. I live near Bixby Village.”
“No problem.”
We headed across campus, making idle conversation about nothing in particular. It occurred to me as I opened my SUV that this was the longest I’d ever been alone with Liam. Any second now we’d probably run out of things to say, so it was a good thing he lived close by.
That definitely wasn’t the case. Liam was loquacious.
It should have been annoying, but he was a tricky one. Liam didn’t talk about the weather or work, or himself. Instead, he asked questions about me as if he were conducting an interview with the most interesting man in the world and he wanted to be sure not to miss a single detail.
“So, where are you from originally?” he inquired as he slid into the passenger seat of my Jeep Cherokee.
“San Diego. You?”
“Mammoth.”
“Really?”
“Yep. Born and raised on the slopes. I miss snow.”
“I bet. Why water polo?”
“I wanted to try something new, and there’s not much snow at the beach.”
I glanced across the console and rolled my eyes. “I noticed.”
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Lane Hayes loves a good romance! An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016, 2017, and 2018-2019 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a not quite empty nest.
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