Coming
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updates)
Release
Date: June 18th, 2018
Blurb
Ethan
Sutton had come to the stunning revelation that he’d fallen in love
with his best friend, Sebastian Young. Although friends
since childhood, Ethan vowed to keep his feelings for Sebastian under
wraps and live the rest of his life with this one secret between them
rather than risk a lifelong connection and never see him again. But
when they move into their own apartment at the start of their third
year of college, can Ethan keep his feelings from showing when they
live so close together?
Sebastian
Young had an epiphany about Ethan at the end of last year and
arranged for the shared apartment he’d found over the summer to be
closer to Ethan and see if a relationship could develop between
them. But as they settle into their lives in a new place
with such close quarters, ex-girlfriends, nosy downstairs neighbors,
and Sebastian’s own doubts, their relationship could be in jeopardy
before it even begins.
Can
two best friends admit their feelings and fall in love?
Excerpt
Ethan
kept his eyes on his phone during the entire trip. It wasn’t as
though he didn’t want to speak to Sebastian, who sang under his
breath at the song coming through the speakers of his older SUV. But
lately, whenever he’d been an enclosed space with Sebastian and
caught his scent of pine and cedar mixed with a hint of mint each
time he moved, it drove Ethan crazy. Even from a few feet away,
Ethan could feel Sebastian’s body heat and he wriggled in his seat
to adjust himself before his desire for his best friend became
evident.
For
years, the closeness he shared with Sebastian had been enough. It
was the two of them against the world throughout high school, and
Ethan mistakenly thought it would be the same in college. But when
they started their freshman year, Sebastian decided he would make up
for lost time by dating his way through the female student body at
the University of Oregon. Sebastian still made time for him, but it
was rare during their first two years of college for Sebastian not to
have at least one date on the weekend.
At
the time, Ethan hadn’t realized what the churning emotions were
each time Sebastian started talking about a new woman. He only
realized later he’d been jealous.
There
had been a time during his sophomore year, driven by those feelings
of jealousy and his newfound realization he was gay, he’d gone out
with a frequency that matched Sebastian’s frenzied dating life.
Heading to a well-known bar off-campus, Ethan was determined to find
someone and forget about the fact the man he most wanted, who
happened to be his best friend and straight, he couldn’t have.
Although he’d gone home with a couple of guys, he’d never let
anything progress past blowjobs. It solidified the fact he was
indeed gay. Ethan had no clue what held him back from going further
with the willing men he’d met, but something stopped him.
After
Sebastian’s break-up with his long-time girlfriend, Sebastian
became a constant in Ethan’s life again. Their friendship had
never been strained, and during this time, they grew closer.
At
the end of the year, they decided they wanted to rent an off-campus
apartment and live together. Ethan thought they would request a room
together in the dorms, but Sebastian wanted to ditch the dorms and
find their own place. For some reason, their parents had agreed to
it, although it would be substantially more expensive.
More
than once, Ethan had wanted to look for a place before they were all
rented, but Sebastian said that he would handle everything.
“Don’t
worry. I’ve got it covered.” And he did.
But
now they were moving in together, Ethan found himself nervous about
having his feelings show at the most inopportune moments.
They
had been placed not only in separate rooms but different buildings
when they started their freshman year. And being so far apart from
each other quickly became a pain in the ass. More often than not,
Ethan would stay at Sebastian’s place, or Sebastian’s at Ethan’s.
Unless Sebastian had a date.
It
had been easy to hide his feelings then. He wasn’t so sure he
could hide his desire in such close quarters. But when Sebastian
brought up living together, Ethan couldn’t think of a reason why
they couldn’t and agreed. Now, he could think of hundreds he
couldn’t voice aloud.
But
his eyes kept being drawn back to Sebastian, his heart kicking in his
chest as he took in Sebastian’s tanned arm casually draped over the
steering wheel. Each time Sebastian caught Ethan looking at him, he
would give him that easy smile that made every man want to be his
friend and every woman fall in love with him. Although their
friendship was an easy one, Ethan sometimes wondered how they could
grow so close when they were so different.
About
the Author
Valerie
writes paranormal and contemporary romances with strong alpha males
and brilliant, beautiful heroines. She lives in Denver, Colorado with
her wonderfully supportive husband and their funny and wise black
lab. She's addicted to coffee, crime shows, and reading and writing
character driven romances.
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