Today I am so pleased to welcome Annabeth Albert to Joyfully Jay. Annabeth has come to share an exclusive excerpt from her latest release, Sailor Proof. Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

 

Excerpt

Longtime readers know how much I love an “only one bed” moment so I had to share this here! Enjoy!

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Why the fuck hadn’t I thought about the possibility of the cabin being far smaller than a traditional two-bed hotel room? I was known for my ability to think ahead. Being able to spot potential problems had kept me and my fellow sailors alive on more than one occasion. And yet, here I was, completely flummoxed by the sight in front of me.

I stood rooted to the doorstep, like that would help. But Arthur hadn’t been kidding about the cabin being tiny. The interior appeared to be one room. One room dominated by one bed that wasn’t even particularly large. The bed was on the far wall with two high-back chairs and a small table in front of the fireplace. Floor space was at a premium too. I slept months at a time on a submarine. Sleeping on the floor would be nothing, but there wasn’t a readily apparently spot where a person could bunk down without rolling into the fireplace or risking a foot to the face.

“I’m going to check out the bathroom,” Arthur announced, as decisive as I typically was. After dropping his bag on one of the chairs, he opened a door, which turned out to be a postage-stamp-sized closet.

“Not exactly promising,” I muttered. “Not enough space there either.”

“You’re not sleeping in the closet.” Arthur opened the only other door, which led to a surprisingly spacious bathroom with an old-fashioned slipper-shaped tub complete with claw feet taking up all of one wall. “Damn. That thing is huge. Maybe I can just sleep there.”

“You’re not sleeping in the tub.” I could be firm too.

“Why not? Just give me a pillow and a blanket. It wouldn’t be the worst thing. Hell, we could both fit in there.” Arthur grinned while I had had to grit my teeth over the parade of images of us sharing that tub, all squished together, soapy and slippery and—

Snap out of it, Fox.

“No one is sleeping in the tub.” I glared at him because I hated that he’d provided fuel for my next six months of fantasies. And underscored the fact that we couldn’t share space this small without something spontaneously combusting. “What if we told—”

“I’m gonna stop you right there.” Arthur held up a hand. “If we come clean, you’ll be fine. Mom loves you. You’ll bunk with Calder and his friends or keep this cabin. But me? I’ll be in the doghouse for lying and I’ll be stuck on nephew-wrangling duty for the next decade.”

“I see your dilemma.” I scrubbed at my hair, seeking an out. I didn’t want Arthur in hot water with his family, but that one small bed loomed large as we both turned back into the room. “We could fake a fight. You could blame me for the argument and kick me out to sleep with Calder’s crew.”

“And spend all week with everyone trying to get us to make up?” Groaning, Arthur paced away from me. Eight paces and he was across the cabin and needed to spin on his heel to avoid hitting the window. “Dude. You don’t understand the risk of a spontaneous flash-mob musical number with these people. You’ll have apology suggestions by the dozens.”

Fuck. More public humiliation. No thank you. No audiences. “Hmm. Meddling relatives or risking singeing my hair in the fireplace. Choices.”

“We’re adults.” Arthur came back to stand directly in front of me. “We can share a bed without having sex. Hell, half of that bed is probably still bigger than a sub bunk.”

“Yeah.” My voice was weak and soft as damp tissue paper. All he’d had to do was mention sex and that bed, and my brain was only too happy to gallop ahead, replacing lewd thoughts about that tub with images of us rolling around on the bed, messing up the pristine white bedding.

“Or we could just have sex.” He poked me in the chest, and the glancing pressure felt like a torch, spreading warmth and light all through my torso, making me more than a little light-headed.

“What?” I gulped. No way did he just say that.


Blurb

sailor proof coverSailor Proof by Annabeth Albert is available in trade paperback, eBook and audiobook on September 28th!

The sexy Navy chief and his best friend’s adorkable little brother…

It’s petty, but Naval Chief Derrick Fox wishes he could exact a little revenge on his ex by showing off a rebound fling. His submarine is due to return to its Bremerton, Washington, home base soon and Derrick knows all too well there won’t be anyone waiting with a big, showy welcome.

Enter one ill-advised plan…

Arthur Euler is the guy you go to in a pinch—he’s excellent at out-of-the-box solutions. It’s what the genius music-slash-computer nerd is known for. So when he finds out Derrick needs a favor, he’s happy to help. He can muster the sort of welcome a Naval Chief deserves, no problem at all.

Except it is a problem. A very big problem.

When Arthur’s homecoming welcome is a little too convincing, when a video of their gangplank smooch goes enormously viral, they’re caught between a dock and a hard place. Neither of them ever expected a temporary fake relationship to look—or feel—so real. And Arthur certainly never considered he’d be fighting for a very much not-fake forever with a military man.

Add Sailor Proof to your Goodreads!


Bio

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a Pacific Northwest romance writer of many critically acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ romance series.  To find out more, check out: www.annabethalbert.com. The fan group, Annabeth’s Angels, on Facebook is also a great place for bonus content.

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