Synopsis
Two
words stripped Austin Pritchard of the privileged life he’s used to. The moment
he uttered the words, “I’m gay,” he realized there is no such thing as
unconditional love. Now, he’s gone from traveling the world with his family to
living on the streets trying to figure out how he’s going to stay in school.
A chance opportunity changes everything. Austin impresses the foreman and lands a job, but even more, he catches the eye of David Becker, who is determined to teach him that true love doesn’t come with strings.
The only thing David had as a child was love. His family struggled to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. That has driven him to stay focused on his goals; become a tenured professor at a university and save enough money to build a home of his own. It’s not until he sees an insecure college student working on his new house that he realizes that he hasn’t planned on someone to share his life with. He’s about to learn that everything he’s already accomplished is nothing compared to the task of making Austin see that he is worthy of love.
A chance opportunity changes everything. Austin impresses the foreman and lands a job, but even more, he catches the eye of David Becker, who is determined to teach him that true love doesn’t come with strings.
The only thing David had as a child was love. His family struggled to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. That has driven him to stay focused on his goals; become a tenured professor at a university and save enough money to build a home of his own. It’s not until he sees an insecure college student working on his new house that he realizes that he hasn’t planned on someone to share his life with. He’s about to learn that everything he’s already accomplished is nothing compared to the task of making Austin see that he is worthy of love.
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Teasers
Excerpt
David
overturns two buckets and sits on one of them. I cautiously follow suit and sit
on the other. “Were you serious last night when you told Bill that you were
interested in working for him this summer?” David asks.
“Yes,
sir,” I respond, wondering why he’s asking me this. It’s not like it matters to
him, but the way he leans in as he talks to me, I start to feel like he truly
cares.
“Austin,
you don’t have to call me sir. I’m just David, okay?” I nod and find a spot on
the floor to hold my attention because I’m terrified to look into his eyes.
He’s too close, too friendly, and already he makes me want things I shouldn’t
with him. “Good. Now, I want you to come to dinner with me tonight.”
I
stand so quickly that I kick the bucket out from behind me. Everything I’ve
been thinking about David is obviously way the fuck off base because now he’s
trying to bribe me. Fuck that. I storm down the driveway, ready to give up the
only opportunity I’ve had to save myself because I’m not going to let anyone
play games with me. Before I make it halfway to the street, David’s hand is
wrapped around my arm, pulling me back.
The
urge to spin around and deliver a jab to his chiseled jaw is somewhere just
below the surface. I clench my eyes closed, taking a few breaths as I remind
myself there’s no one to bail me out of jail if I do hit him and he presses
charges.
“Get.
Your hands. Off of me.” Rather than listen to my demand, David’s grip tightens
when I try to jerk away from him. Now, I’m pissed. I turn on my heel and shove
David away. “I don’t know what fucked up game you’re playing, but I’m not about
to be your little bitch boy. If me working for Bill depends on me being at your
beck and call, tell Bill I’ll find something else. I’m not a whore.”
David
stuffs his hands in the pockets of his oh-so-sexy, perfectly distressed jeans.
And the arrogant fuck looks as if he’s about to laugh at me.
“Is
that what you truly believe I am trying to do?” David asks. I swallow hard,
regretting saying anything. No, I don’t really think David’s trying to buy me,
but no other scenario makes any sense. “Austin, look at me.”
The
tip of his finger crooks beneath my chin, forcing me to lift my gaze. What I
see terrifies me more than the thought of trading my body for a job. David
seems genuinely hurt by my accusation. Rather than apologize, I walk away. I’m
not running this time, but I have to get someplace where I can sit before my
knees buckle beneath me.
I
sit on a boulder beside the house and David pushes me over as he settles back
as well. “Austin, what is this about? Have I done something to offend you or
make you feel uncomfortable?”
Has
he? No. Yes. Fuck, I don’t know anymore. If I sit back and really think about
it, he’s been nothing but kind to me. “No. Don’t mind me, it’s been a rough
month and I’m a bit stressed.” I chew at the inside of my lip to stop myself
from saying anything else. David can’t know why I’m stressed. Yes, I’m ashamed
of my life as it is right now, but if no one else knows, I don’t have to see
the pity in their eyes.
Meet Sloan Johnson
Sloan
Johnson is a big city girl trapped in a country girl’s life. While she longs for
the hustle and bustle of New York City or Las Vegas, she hasn’t yet figured out
how to sit on the deck with her morning coffee, watching the deer and wild
turkeys in the fields while surrounded by concrete and glass.
When
she was three, her parents received their first call from the principal asking
them to pick her up from school. Apparently, if you aren’t enrolled, you can’t
attend classes, even in Kindergarten. The next week, she was in preschool and
started plotting her first story soon after.
Later
in life, her parents needed to do something to help their socially awkward,
uncoordinated child come out of her shell and figured there was no better place
than a bar on Wednesday nights. It’s a good thing they did because
this is where she found her love of reading and writing. Who needs
socialization when you can sit alone in your bedroom with a good book?
Now,
Sloan is a tattooed mom with a mohawk and two kids. She’s been kicked out of
the PTA in two school districts and is no longer asked to help with fundraisers
because she’s been known to lose herself with a good book and forget she has
somewhere to be.
Connect with Sloan
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