Happy Hump Day, Gang!
Welcome to the Mid Week Tease hosted by the fabulous Sandra Bunino. Each week a group of authors offers a sampling of their work. Whether you like your romance served up straight or with a side of mystery, thriller or paranormal, with a hint of sweetness or wildly erotic, we’ve got something for you.
Last time I hosted a guest it was so much fun, I’ve decided to do it again. This week Andrea Dalling, a fellow member of my local and Women’s Romantic Fiction RWA chapters, is sharing a tease from her debut M/M romance, Seducing Jordan, which I’ve already read and highly recommend. First, check out the summary, then the excerpt.
Seducing Jordan Summary
Princeton-bound Jordan Callahan is done pining over his straight best friend Rick. He can’t wait for college so he can scope out a man to drive away his pointless crush. Alone on a camping trip just weeks before the semester starts, Rick confesses he’s been fantasizing about Jordan. With his secret wish within his grasp, Jordan is torn between lust and good judgment. Sex will change their relationship forever, and giving in could cost him his oldest friend.
Rick Ferguson can’t escape his obsession. To get Jordan out of his system, he plans a weekend away together without revealing that the mountain cabin has only one bed. Curiosity gives way to deeper feelings, forcing Rick to choose between his best friend and his own identity. Seducing Jordan could be the biggest mistake of his life.
Seducing Jordan, a gay erotic romance, is Book 1 of the Second Chances series.
Warning! This novella is intended for an adult audience. It contains scenes of groping, fumbling, wet kisses, angst, shirtless volleyball, sex toys, and two-man showers.
<===Seducing Jordan Excerpt===>
Rick took his hand. “I can’t stop thinking about you. I don’t know what it means, but I need to find out.”
The glide of a thumb across his palm left him weak with desire. Lips pressed to his shoulder. A shiver shot through him. Rick’s mouth traveled along his collarbone to his neck.
“You like it when I touch you.”
Jordan massaged his brow. “That doesn’t mean I’m ready—”
“We’ve been friends since we were six years old. We’re attracted to each other. Why shouldn’t we—”
“Because you like girls! Because we’ve never been on a date!”
Rick slid his hands into the pockets of his shorts. “You can set the pace. If you’re not ready for sex—”
“Is that why you brought me here? To a cabin with a king-sized bed?” The realization washed over him like a cold rain. “There’s no second bedroom, is there.”
“I can sleep on the couch, if that’s what you want.”
“How long have you been planning this?”
Rick shrugged. “About a month. I’ve been thinking about it a lot longer. I didn’t know how else to tell you.”
He stared. “We hang out every day. You couldn’t have just said something?”
Rick lowered his eyes and shuffled his feet. “I wanted to make it special.”
Fucking idiot. “You can’t use me like that, experiment to see if you’re gay.”
“I’m not saying I fantasize about men. I fantasize about you.” Rick cupped Jordan’s cheek in his hand. “The dimple in your chin when you smile. The way the sunlight turns your hair to gold. When you look at me, I feel this sudden dip in my stomach. I’ve got a huge crush on you. I need to know what that means.”
He paced. Rick followed after him. “If you don’t want to, I understand. It won’t change our friendship either way.”
“You think you can fuck me, and go back to being just friends.”
Rick looked away, then murmured, “I don’t know.”
“Well, I can’t.” He swallowed hard. “You’re thinking about the sex, not after. It will change things between us, and maybe not in a good way.”
“I’m willing to risk it.”
“I’m not.” He took Rick’s hands. “I love you too much to lose your friendship. What if one of us doesn’t like it? What if one of us wants more from the relationship than the other?”
“What if we decide this is what we want for the rest of our lives? Are you willing to miss out on that? Because I’m not. Getting closer will only make me love you more.”
<===End of Excerpt===>
Pick up your copy of Seducing Jordan on Amazon here. Next week, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for (patiently): Jamie and Miles finally make it to his bedroom. Now, it’s time for some more Mid Week Teases. Hold out your hand…there! Now you’ve got your official Mid Week Tease VIP stamp. Time to move the party to the next stop on the hop. Can’t wait to see you there!
Wow, great tease. Sounds like loving takes courage Jordan needs to find. 🙂
Excellent point. Thanks for your comment, Siobhan!
Love the tension and the conflict. I’d be worried too if my best friend suddenly wanted to change the dynamics of the relationship.
That’s one of the things that always appeals to me about friends-to-lovers stories. The stakes feel so much higher because if the relationship doesn’t work out, there’s a good chance the friendship won’t survive either.
Hello Reese and Andrea 🙂
That was a wonderful snippet. I appreciated the feelings coming from both guys. Love the potential and risk you showed us here. Thanks for teasing with us!
This is a really emotional read. Andrea really nails the angst and conflicted emotions of both characters, especially Jordan.
Fab tease. I love friends to lovers stories! 🙂
So do I, Doris! I love that the characters already have history and don’t need to begin from scratch.
Thanks for hosting me, Reese! Hope you all enjoyed the mid-week tease!
Conflict-filled tease!
It’s a great representation of the conflict sustained throughout the novella. I felt the pain of both characters.
Wow, great tease. Well done!
Thanks for your comment, Lucy!
Hi Reese,
great teaser and yes friends to lovers stories are always hot
They are! Got an idea for a holiday-themed one now. 😉
A huge dilemma for them – changing up a friendship is fraught with risks. Lovely, emotion-filled tease 🙂
It really is always fraught with risks. That really makes the stakes high and increases the tension in a story.