Today I am so pleased to welcome Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood to Joyfully Jay. Ryan and Joshua have come to share an exclusive excerpt from their latest release, Nice Catching You: A Holiday Love Story. They have also brought along a great tour wide giveaway. Please join me in giving Ryan and Joshua a big welcome!

 

Excerpt

I took his hand and—oh God—the combination of heat, soft skin, and calluses made me giddy. I pulled away, realizing I had to do something to distract myself. Having Nick feel like I was starting to crush on him—which I absolutely was not!—was the last thing that needed to happen. “Want to see what’s on TV?”

He shook his head. “I’m thinking maybe I stink. Would you mind if I took a shower while we wait for the food?”

Thoughts of seeing his body filled my head. He’d had on so many bulky clothes all weekend that I couldn’t get a clear vision of what he looked like under them. “Sure, why not? It’s your shower too.”

“Okay. Won’t be long.”

I took careful note when he turned and sauntered into the bathroom. From what I could tell, Nick had one of the finest asses I’d seen in a long time. I turned on the TV, muted it, and started channel surfing. A few minutes later, my phone buzzed—Kayla was texting. She was my best friend in Syracuse.

KAYLA: Is everything all right? Haven’t heard anything from you and the bus is late. JACOB: We got stranded along the road. Got to a motel in Pottersville a little while ago and OMG!
KAYLA: OMG what? You sure you’re ok?
JACOB: Long story but I’m rooming with this big stud who plays hockey. He’s way hot! KAYLA: Intramural?
JACOB: Don’t know. He may be pretty nice though. Deciding.
KAYLA: What’s his name? I know who all the players are.

I’d forgotten Kayla was into UNY hockey, big-time.

JACOB: Nick.
KAYLA: Nick what? I can think of two Nicks.
JACOB: Johnson I think.
KAYLA: Jacob!!!!!!! Is he a big blond guy so handsome he makes your eyes hurt?
JACOB: LOL sorta. Yes in fact.
KAYLA: OMG he’s the captain of the regular men’s team! The national one! OMG OMG OMG get his autograph please. Or a selfie with him. You better get a selfie. Nobody will believe you if you don’t.
JACOB: The captain’s special?

For the record, I’m not quite that dumb. I didn’t know anything about hockey, but a captain sounds special. Plus, it was fun to mess with Kayla sometimes.

KAYLA: Shut up. He’s the most important guy, the leader. GET A SELFIE WITH HIM!

The shower turned off, and unless he was going to put all those dirty clothes back on, I didn’t want to miss what was about to come out of the bathroom.

JACOB: Gotta go. TTYL.

I tossed the phone to one side of the bed. Ignoring more incoming texts, I turned off the TV, grabbed a casebook, and opened it at random. Turning around on the bed so I was facing the bathroom door, I had barely gotten into place when the door opened and steam billowed out, followed by—

The most gorgeous specimen of man I’d ever seen. That is indeed saying something.

Nick threw his dirty clothes onto the floor by his suitcase and stood there, wearing only a skimpy white towel. “No pizza yet?” he asked.

“N-uh, n-no, no pizza yet.”

He cocked his head and grinned. I figured I might as well make use of the eyes God gave me since Nick made no move to get dressed or cover himself, so I looked him over carefully. Straight blond hair, wet and mussed. Check. Face so handsome it made my eyes hurt, like Kayla said. Check. Long, thick neck; arms bulging with more muscles than I could count; huge pecs reigning above something like an eighteen-pack. Check, check, and check. Neatly trimmed hair covering his chest and belly.

Check—oh my God, check!

I closed my eyes while I swallowed and shook my head, and when I reopened them, Nick still hadn’t moved. He stared at me and licked his lips, and then something seemed to catch his attention—my book? He started across the room, but as much as I willed the towel to fall, it didn’t. I checked out his legs and moaned softly. His quads were massive, and I couldn’t remember ever seeing such impressive calves. Even his feet were beautiful.

“Jacob?”

He stood right in front of me, and I raked my eyes back up his body until they reached his gorgeous face. Pointing at my book, he furrowed his brow. “What’s that you’re reading?”

Nice Catching You: A Holiday Love Story. Nice Catching You is available at Amazon for Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and in paperback.



Blurb

What happens when the No. 1 college hockey star in the country falls in love—with a man?

Nick Johnson, a top prospect for a pro hockey team, has a secret: he’s gay. Tired of living in the closet for the sport he loves, he sees no way out.

Jacob Meyer’s string of bad boyfriends left him cynical about love. Instead, he focuses on his studies as a third-year law student. With a new job waiting for him, he’s eager to graduate and move on.

On a school-sponsored trip, Nick and Jacob meet in a most unexpected way. When Nick tells Jacob his secret, they decide to hang out, just as friends. But their attraction is too strong to ignore, and they soon begin dating.

Since Nick is a big man on campus, it doesn’t take long for people to notice his attachment to Jacob. All hell breaks loose when the relationship gets out. As the national media descends, university officials try to figure out how to solve their “problem.” Their efforts divide Nick’s team, inflame fans, and put Nick and Jacob’s futures in jeopardy. Will the men be able to survive a plot to destroy them without derailing both their careers?

Nice Catching You is an out-for-you romance featuring a lot of love, exciting hockey, and a beautiful holiday. There’s also plenty of steam and a very happy ending.


Bio

Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood met in law school and were married in 2017. They live in a suburb of Washington, DC, and share their home with a big, cuddly German shepherd. Ryan and Josh enjoy travel, friends, and advocating for causes dear to their hearts. Ryan also loves to swim, and Josh likes to putter in the garden whenever he can. The romance they were so lucky to find with each other inspires their stories about love between out and proud men.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | eMail Instagram | Bookbub | Linktree


Giveaway

Ryan and Joshua have brought a $25 Amazon gift card to give away to one lucky reader on their tour. Follow the Rafflecopter below to enter. 

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