Knight of Ocean Avenue (36 page)

Jim pried his eyes from the dance floor and looked up at Peggy. “Yeah, sure. Sorry.”

“You should drink some Jack. You’d feel better.”

He shook his head.

She peered in his glass and sniffed. “You’re seriously drinking ginger ale?”

“Settles the stomach.”

She laughed. “Okay, baby. Whatever you say.”

“I tossed out all my liquor.”

She crossed her arms. “You must have been drunk when you did it.”

“There is that.” He grinned.

“You want to dance?” She smiled and did a little twirl, her pert butt waggling.

Jim stared at the dancers again and swallowed. “Uh, not right now, okay? I’m not much on the dance floor.”

She crossed her arms, and her cleavage popped. “You said your mom made you go to dance classes.”

“She did, and I skipped out and went to a friend’s garage to work on cars. Never learned.” He shrugged. “Sorry.”

She stuck out her lip. “You’re not much fun tonight.”

“Later, okay?” When the damned band wasn’t playing something that ought to be served with syrup and most of the couples on the dance floor weren’t made up of two fucking dudes.

He turned away and sipped his ginger ale.

She sighed. “Okay. I’m going to the ladies room.”

He nodded. She walked away, her curvy figure held tight with pissed-offness. Jim’s eyes slid back to the dance floor. Two guys, both with full beards and tats on their necks above their black bow ties, pressed together like they’d been wrapped with chains. Jim could actually see their erections rubbing in the openings of their tux jackets. He swallowed hard
.

What the hell did you think was going to happen at a gay wedding reception, asshole? Did you think the guys were going to slosh back beers and talk about the Dodgers? Jesus.
He slammed his glass on the table harder than he intended.

Of course
,
he and Billy had sloshed a lot of beers and talked baseball plenty of times, but right now Billy looked right at home at the center of the mass of dancers. All six-feet-five-inches of the big guy radiated joy as he held the slim body of his brand-new husband against his chest and danced like Arthur Murray could take lessons from them.

What does it feel like, dancing with a guy?
A shiver ran up Jim’s back
.
He chugged another mouthful of gingery not-so-goodness.

Raoul flopped his short, compact body into the chair next to him. “Hey, man, you okay?”

“Yeah. Why does everybody keep asking me that?”

“I don’t know, man. You look weird or something.” Raoul grinned. “I mean, aside from seeing you in a monkey suit.”

“I’m fine.” Jim stared at his hands.

“It bothering you, all these guys, you know, dancing and shit?”

“No, hell. I think it’s great about Billy and Shaz.”

Raoul lowered his voice. “Yeah, but that’s different than all their pals. There’s a lot of gay in this room, my friend.”

Jim glanced around. A spectacular-looking group, which made sense since Shaz was this big stylist and the room reeked with movie stars and rich people.

He glanced at Raoul. “It’s okay with me. It’s only one night.”

The music changed to an up-tempo piece. A couple of people shouted and someone started clapping. A circle formed on the dance floor. Jim grinned. Billy and Shaz had to be in the center of the circle. He’d heard the two could clear a dance floor or try out for a reality show, they were so good. He jerked his head at Raoul. “Let’s go watch.”

He got up from the table and edged toward the ring of clapping, whistling spectators. Slipping sideways, he squeezed between people and maneuvered to the front of the pack, then turned toward the dance floor.
Holy blessed shit
.

Prince of the Playhouse

Love in Laguna: Book Three

By Tara Lain

Success for fashion designer Rupert “Ru” Maitland is in grasp. Since he got beat up as a kid for designing Barbie clothes, Ru’s known that living well is the best revenge, and he means to succeed at it. When the Laguna Theater hires him to do costumes for a special performance by movie star Gray Aston, Ru understands that Hollywood will be calling, but one look at the gorgeous film icon and Ru’s priorities start to change. Ru wants Gray and Gray wants Ru, but the actor can’t find the back of his closet, it’s so deep. He’s sacrificed a lot for his stardom, and no matter how PC the film industry might be, only comedians can be gay and keep their audience. Gray takes Ru to Hollywood and old visions of fashion glory start to manifest—while Ru watches the man he loves get engaged to a woman and start planning a wedding. Two lives. Two dreams. But only one can come true if they’re going to be together. Who’s going to be Prince of the Playhouse?

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

T
ARA
L
AIN
writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her bestselling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Erotic Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, and Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. Readers often call her books “sweet,” even with all that hawt sex, because Tara believes in love and her books deliver on happy-ever-after. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. Her love of creating book titles comes from years of manifesting ad headlines for everything from analytical instruments to semiconductors. She does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soulmate husband and her soulmate dog (who’s a little jealous of all those cat pictures Tara posts on FB) in Laguna Niguel, California, near the seaside towns where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says that on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: http://www.taralain.com

Blog: http://www.taralain.com/blog

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Outing the Quarterback

Long Pass Chronicles: Book One

By Tara Lain

Will Ashford lives in two closets. He meets his wealthy father’s goals as both the quarterback for the famous SCU football team and a business major, but secretly he attends art school and longs to live as a painter. And he’s gay. But if he can win the coveted Milton Scholarship for art, he’ll be able to break from his father at the end of his senior year.

In a painting master class, Will meets his divergent opposite, Noah Zajack. A scarred orphan who’s slept on park benches and eaten from trash cans, Noah carefully plans his life and multiple jobs so he has money and time to go to art school. Will’s problems seem like nothing compared to Noah’s. Noah wants the scholarship too and may have a way to get it since the teacher of his class has designs on him, a plan Will isn’t happy about.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Canning the Center

Long Pass Chronicles: Book Two

By Tara Lain

Six foot seven inch, 300 pound Jamal Jones loves football, so when he finds out the ultra-conservative owner of his new pro football team fired their current center because he’s gay, bisexual Jamal decides to stay in the closet and hang with the females. Then, at a small drag show, he comes face-to-face with his sexual fantasy in the form of Trixie LaRue, a drag queen so exquisitely convincing she scrambles Jamal’s hormones—and his resolve to nurse his straight side.

Trevor Landry, aka Trixie LaRue, hides more than his genitals. A mathematician so brilliant he can’t be measured, Trevor disguises his astronomical IQ and his quirk for women’s clothes behind his act as a gay activist undergrad at Southern California University.

To Trevor, Jamal is the answer to a dream—a man who can love and accept both his personas. When he discovers Jamal’s future is threatened if he’s seen with a guy, Trevor becomes Trixie to let Jamal pass as straight. But Trevor risks his position every time he puts on a dress. Is there a closet big enough to hold a football pro and a drag queen?

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

The Pack or the Panther

Tales of the Harker Pack:
Book One

By Tara Lain

Cole Harker, son of an alpha werewolf, is bigger and more powerful than most wolves, tongue-tied in groups, and gay. For twenty-four years, he’s lived to please his family and pack—even letting them promise him in marriage to female werewolf Analiese to secure a pack alliance and help save them from a powerful gangster who wants their land. Then Cole meets Analiese’s half-brother, panther shifter Paris Marketo, and for the first time, Cole wants something for himself.

When Analiese runs off to marry a human, Cole finally has a chance with Paris, but the solitary cat rejects him, the pack, and everything it represents. Then Cole discovers the gangster wants Paris too and won’t rest until he has him. What started as a land dispute turns into World War Wolf! But the bigger fight is the battle between cats and dogs.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Wolf in Gucci Loafers

Tales of the Harker Pack:
Book Two

By Tara Lain

Socialite Lindsey Vanessen wants someone to love who will love him back—an impossibility for a gay, half-human, half-werewolf. Too aggressive for humans, too gay for wolves, and needing to protect the pack from human discovery, Lindsey tries to content himself with life as a successful businessman. But when someone starts kidnapping members of wealthy families, Lindsey meets tough cop Seth Zakowsy—the hunky embodiment of everything Lindsey wants but can’t have.