Danced Close: Portland Heart #6
by Annabeth
Albert
GENRE: LGBT Romance
BLURB:
Portland, Oregon, is
one of the hottest cities in America. Just ask all the hard-working men
sweating it up behind the counters of the restaurants, boutiques, and cafés all
over town . . .
Newly clean and
sober, Todd’s taken a shine to his job at Portland’s most talked about bakery.
It’s not just the delicious desserts they sell, but the tasty treats who keep
walking through the door. That certainly includes Kendall Rose, a wedding
planner with eyes the color of brown sugar and skin to match. Todd doesn’t try
to hide his attraction to Kendall’s elegant confidence and unique style, even
as he worries about exposing the secrets of his past.
For Kendall, the
attention is just part of the anything-goes Portland he’s grown to love. But
he’s still looking for that special someone who will embrace all of
him—including his gender fluidity. So he takes a chance and asks Todd to be his
partner in a dance class leading to a fundraiser. When the music starts and he
takes Todd in his arms, Kendall is shocked at how good it feels. Turns out
taking the lead for once isn’t a mistake. In fact, it might be time to take the
next step and follow his heart . .
Excerpt:
I could have kissed him right then
for that reaction. He didn’t go all dude bro about the prospect of being led by
someone wearing high heels or get embarrassed that I owned said shoes.
“Can I ask something?” he asked
after a few more turns. He had that serious look again, but he’d been so cool
so far, I was more than willing to risk some discomfort.
“Sure.”
“Your lips . . . they’re so shiny .
. . You do a gloss, right? Ever do color?”
His eyes were indeed locked right on
my mouth. I got a little thrill knowing that he thought about my mouth.
“I’ve been known to.” At this point,
it had been enough years that I wasn’t going to apologize for the contents of
my makeup case. But unlike when a lot of people asked me about it, I didn’t get
all defen- sive with Todd, who seemed more . . . thoughtful in his curiosity
than some. “Why? Would you like that next week?”
He was silent a long moment, gnawing
on his own lip. I was seri- ously going to have to get the guy some balm the
way he abused the poor things. “Yeah, I think I might.” He sounded a bit
surprised at himself, giving me a shy smile.
AUTHOR BIO:
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. 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 toddlers.
Author
Links:
Buy the
book:
Intoxicating: An Oregon Wine Country Romance #2
By
Heather Heyford
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
In the second book of
Heather Heyford’s series, set in Oregon’s wine country, having a crush takes on
a whole new meaning when a lady sommelier teams up with the hottie from her
high school days . . .
The Girl Most Likely
. . . to be a
waitress at her hometown café. That’s what Clarkston’s high school yearbook
said about Poppy Springer ten years ago and that’s where the beauty queen is
today. But that’s about to change now that Poppy has been offered a position as
a lady sommelier at a cutting-edge new restaurant. Only Poppy has an
embarrassing secret that could keep her from landing her dream job. A secret
her high school crush seems determined to help her with . . .
The Man Most Wanted
In high school, Heath
Sinclair may have been voted most likely to blow something up, but these days
the sexy science prodigy is a self-made success story with his popular
microbrewery and chiseled good looks. So why is Clarkston’s most-eligible man
so hell-bent on helping Poppy prove that she is more than her reputation? Could
it be the enigmatic bachelor has a hankering for the girl who got away?
Excerpt:
He caught a glimpse of skin, a flash
of navel inside his jacket.
And that’s when his earlier
objective to methodically analyze her flew out the window. This wasn’t the
little girl he once knew. This Poppy was every inch a woman. When had that
happened? How had he been so blind, and for how long?
And then her weight landed on her
heel and her knee buckled. In the blink of an eye her jubilant expression
turned tortured, and she inhaled sharply.
Before he knew what he was doing he
was there, his arm snaking around her waist, propping her up. “Over here.” He
guided her to- ward the nearest couch, letting her use his body as a crutch.
“If I hadn’t second-guessed myself,
I would have gotten all six of those wines right!” said Poppy. Not even her
pain could erase her elation for long. For Poppy, every victory, even a small
one, was cause for celebration.
But for Heath, that test was rapidly
becoming a memory.
The main thing is her foot and
easing her discomfort, insisted his ever-practical nature.
He tried to maintain decorum as he
deposited her rump onto a couch covered in a crimson plush and, mission
accomplished, began to straighten his spine.
But Poppy apparently had a different
idea. Still caught up in her enthusiasm, she seemed to be in no hurry to
unclamp her grip from around his neck.
With a growing uncertainty, Heath
searched her face and saw that now her expression had softened. Her eyes
sparkled with a new ardor that both disturbed and exhilarated him. A waterfall
of gold cascaded behind her as her head fell back, exposing her vulnerable
neck, her eyes narrowed, and her lips parted in invitation.
Author Links:
Heather Heyford is the author of
contemporary romances set in the wine country. See what inspires her writing on
her many Pinterest boards, read more about her on HeatherHeyford.com, and
connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.
Author Links:
Buy the
book:
Amazon ~ Apple ~ Google
Play ~ Kobo
~ Barnes & Noble
Giveaway:
Digital copy of both of the books
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