Today I am so pleased to welcome Gianni Holmes to Joyfully Jay. Gianni has come to talk to us about her latest release, Class Act. She has also brought along a great giveaway. Please join me in giving Gianni a big welcome!
Exclusive Excerpt
His hand slipped from my chin to my cheekbone where I’d applied the most makeup to hide the bruise. His thumb pressed gently against the wound. Pain flared up, and I gasped.
“Does it hurt?”
“Not too much.” My heart was racing in my chest. “Only when you touch it.”
He jerked his hand away, but I caught it and returned it to my face. “I didn’t say you should stop. It feels… nice.”
“Emery, I—this is—”
“I know.” My throat was dry as I scooted closer to him. I shouldn’t be doing this, but I couldn’t stop myself. “But you don’t know what it’s like. For your own father to treat you like shit, and then to meet a stranger who shows you the most kindness you’ve had in a fucking long time. I just don’t care anymore. I badly need a hug, Coach. Is it so wrong to want one?”
Tears sprang into my eyes, and a sob choked out of me. What the hell? I didn’t give a damn anymore. I tilted forward, not caring that I was falling over. His arms came around me, and he held me to him, supporting my weight and preventing us from tumbling over to the floor.
And I was so fucking grateful he’d caught me instead of letting me fall.
I tucked my face into his shirt and clamped my eyes shut against the tears as warmth flowed through me. He folded me into his chest, holding me to him.
He was so solid and dependable.
“Emery,” he whispered my name. “I have to let you go.”
“Just a bit longer, please.” I tightened my hold on him. “You said if I needed anything, I should call you. Well, I need this hug more than you could ever know.”
“I could get in trouble for this.” But he didn’t let me go.
“For a hug?”
“For having a student sitting on my lap with my arms around him. It’s inappropriate.”
“I understand. I don’t want you to, but if it’s for the best, you can let me go.”
I waited for his arms to slacken, but they tightened around me. The relief that coursed through me was unmatched. I threw my arms around his shoulders and buried my face in his neck. His heart thumped heavily inside his chest, and I felt for him, for the awkward position I’d put him in. But I was a little selfish too because I hadn’t felt so good in someone’s embrace for a long time.
Sex never felt like this.
Several minutes passed, silence stretching between us. I didn’t want to move, but my arms were cramping. With a sigh, I dropped them. He released me, and I shuffled back off his lap and sat on the floor. He looked conflicted and confused, unable to meet my gaze.
“You did nothing wrong,” I said.
“Didn’t I?” His voice was hoarse. He climbed to his feet and offered me a hand. I took it and got to mine.
“You didn’t. It’s not like we had sex. It was just a hug.”
Blurb
From USA Today Bestselling Author Gianni Holmes comes a new heartfelt, steamy, forbidden, teacher-student romance.
Abe Cooper is a triple threat.
He’s my best friend’s father.
He’s the football coach at my high school.
And he’s a married man
His marriage is on the rocks and he could lose his job for the way he looks at me.
I could lose my only friend in the world.
I know I should stay away instead of flirting with him.
But all the cons don’t outweigh how I feel when I’m with him.
When my home situation gets worse, Abe is there for me. But what we do under his roof when everyone’s asleep makes me feel guilty.
Now his daughter, my closest friend, knows he’s stepping outside his marriage and she’s hellbent to find out who I am.
How long can we keep us a secret and how dare we be happy together when it might hurt the ones we love?
Bio
Gianni Holmes is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary MM romance. She’s a former teacher of Spanish Language and Latin American literature who resides in the Caribbean. Gianni has a love for superheroes, a fear of horror movies, and an obsession with old TV sitcoms.
Connect with Gianni:
- Website: https://www.gianniholmesauthor.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gianniholmesbooks
- Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/giannigems
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gianniholmes
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17910852.Gianni_Holmes
Giveaway
To celebrate the release of Class Act, Gianni is giving away exclusive swag items for the book AND a paperback copy of the release! Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!
- By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
- By entering you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions set out by Rafflecopter for entries.
- Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
- Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize. In order to facilitate prize distribution, the winner name’s and email may be provided to a third party awarding the prize.
- By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
- Void where prohibited by law.
