Today I am so pleased to welcome Erin McLellan to Joyfully Jay. Erin has brought an exclusive excerpt from her latest release, Candy Hearts (which I reviewed here and loved). Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

Excerpt

William prowled toward him, stopping at the edge of the bed. Prowling was such a predatory word. It made Benji think of being hunted. Being bitten.

Being devoured.

It perfectly described William. The way he moved. The harsh lines of his face. The blade of his strong nose. The hungry glint in his eyes.

Prey. Benji wanted to be his prey, all trussed up in something pretty.

“God, I’d love to take a picture of you. Exactly. Like. That.”

Benji must have looked candle-kissed and hot and bothered. “You can.”

“What? For real?”>

Benji keyed open his phone, checked the battery—ten percent—and handed it over. An odd suffusion of power tripped through his veins. He didn’t normally like to be in control, but he felt in control now. He held William in his thrall. He loved it.

William’s body was shaking as he kneeled on the edge of the bed. His eyes were bright behind his glasses, candlelight reflecting in them, but his hands were steady on the phone. Benji crossed his knee over his body to cover his dick, but also to show off his ass and the garters on his legs. William tapped on the phone.

“It’s dark, but not too dark. Artsy,” William said gruffly, examining the screen.

Benji’s breath quickened, and the blood in his temples and fingertips began to throb. These photos would be amazing on his secret Instagram, if he ever had the guts to start his secret Instagram account. Or, he could keep these pictures private. Pore over them long after this weekend was done and William had moved on.

William tugged the silky T-shirt higher up Benji’s body, finally (fucking finally) revealing the high-waist lacy garter belt. The bottom of the belt hit Benji directly below the belly button, and the black lace popped against his skin. He’d bought this piece when he was twenty-one. It was his first, and he’d rarely worn it. It was special to him, and he didn’t want to look too closely at why he’d decided to share it with William.

“Oh. Honey, you’re …” William shook his head. “I can’t think of words. Amazing. Gorgeous. Perfect. Fucking perfect. None of them are big enough.”

“Syllables are hard,” Benji said, trying to pull humor over himself like a shield.

“You’re indescribably beautiful, Benji. I am so happy that you accidentally showed up early for the party. No matter what happens after this weekend, thank you. Thank you for being here. For letting me be here with you.”

Blurb

Mechanic Benji Holiday is so over Valentine’s Day and men who don’t get him. A weekend getaway with friends to escape the holiday hubbub is exactly what he needs. But William O’Dare—a stern and silent nightclub owner with “Be My Valentine” practically stamped on his forehead—throws a wrench into Benji’s plans.

William has spent years focused on his career, and it has cost him friendships and love. Inexperienced in the business of romance, he’s on the hunt for the perfect partner, and he’s armed with specific criteria to guide him. But William didn’t expect a hunky mechanic wrapped in satin and lace to show up on his doorstep.

Unable to resist their attraction, Benji and William agree to be secret fake valentines for the weekend, but secrets have a way of getting out. William gets struck by Cupid’s arrow, and as the weekend winds down, he doesn’t want fake or secret. He wants Benji to be his valentine for real and for keeps.

Candy Hearts is a male/male Valentine’s Day novella featuring a house party power outage, meddling friends and siblings, naughty lingerie and naughtier toys, homemade Valentine’s Day cards, and a happily ever after.

Bio

Erin McLellan is the author of several contemporary romances, all of which have characters who are complex, goodhearted, and a little quirky. She likes her stories to have a sexy spark and a happily ever after. Originally from Oklahoma, she currently lives in Alaska and spends her time dreaming up love stories set in the Great Plains. She is a lover of chocolate, college sports, antiquing, Dr Pepper, and binge-worthy TV shows.

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• Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/erin-mclellan
• Website: https://smarturl.it/erinmclellan