Tuesday Teaser!

Happy Tuesday everyone! Today's teaser is from Colin's POV.  He's getting ready for his first date with Alain and he's nervous as hell.

After the call ended, I panicked. All my life I’ve been shielded from danger, real and imagined, and I’d just agreed to meet up with a guy I barely knew. By myself. David and Sam wouldn’t be at the club two nights in a row, and I sure as hell couldn’t show up with bodyguards. Alain would take one look at them and realize I was not only too young, I was a fucking liability. His age and barely disguised contempt for my closeted status gave me reasons to believe I’d made a terrible mistake. Or not.

Alain’s reticence was actually a good sign. If he were a true predator, he’d have agreed to meet me no matter the obstacles. My logic might be colored by pride and desire, but I wasn’t going to back out after twisting his arm. The endgame remained a mystery. Wanting to avoid a male pregnancy at all cost had cast a shadow over my sexual experiences. Attracted to other men, I’d messed around with guys at boarding school, but I always ended up going back to Charlotte, determined she would carry my heir. We’d agreed to date others, in part because we were too young to be tied down, but also because we were naturally curious. Ultimately, the experiment had broken us apart. She knew I was torn between my duty and my natural inclination.

Our breakup had gutted me, and I had vowed to do better the next time I got engaged. So why was I jumping headfirst into a possible disaster? Once the summer was over, I’d have to return to my old routine and sit down with my parents to work out a plan to find a bride. The rules of our principality hadn’t changed since I was born. Like my forefathers, I was expected to sire a legitimate heir before I passed or Sendorra would revert to Spain.

Throwing caution aside, I decided to trust my gut instinct—hook up with Alain regardless. What harm could one night do in the grand scheme of things? Deciding what to wear presented another challenge. Should I try to look older or parlay my youth? I settled on a tight black button-down and white jeans. The black would highlight my blond hair, and the white would draw Alain’s attention to the right place. I was well-endowed and wouldn’t hesitate to use all the weapons in my arsenal—a thirteen-year age gap was difficult to ignore. I couldn’t possibly compete, experience-wise, but unspoiled looks could work to my advantage. If I’d managed to hold his interest the first time, I could do it again. My recently shampooed hair gleamed, falling in shiny waves around my face. The image staring back at me was as good as it could get. I picked up my car keys and snuck out of the villa.

As I drove into town, I wondered again if I had the nerve to go through with this. I was clutching the steering wheel in a death grip. I forced myself to relax. What was the worst that could happen? Alain would say thanks but no thanks.

Are you certain this is wise?

That pesky voice again. “Stay out of my business.”

Someone’s got to keep you in check.

“It’s not going to be you.”

I’ll stick around just in case.

“Like hell you will.”

At the club, I parked in the corner spot, which was vacant again, and paid the entrance fee. It was packed, and I scanned the crowd but couldn’t spot Alain. My initial anxiety reared its ugly head, and I wondered if he’d had a change of heart. At the bar, I asked for a club soda with a twist, deliberately keeping alcohol out of the equation. No one could possibly accuse me of being too drunk tonight.

The bartender stared at me. Unless he was a celebrity stalker, there was no way he’d recognize me. There had been a lot of media coverage on my twentieth birthday party, but that had been almost a year ago. Unlike many celebrities, I was camera shy and preferred to keep the photo ops to a minimum. Nevertheless, I wasn’t going to give the bartender the opportunity to figure out if he’d ever seen my mug.

I found a spot on a raised walkway, where I could keep an eye on the entrance. This strategic position would allow me to get a second look to make sure I’d made the right decision. Memories of our encounter had plagued me for the last twenty-four hours, and in my dreams, he got better and better looking.

My pulse quickened when he finally stood at the front door. As I soaked up the vision of Alain in a tight T-shirt and ripped jeans—unexpected given his age—anticipation thrummed in my veins, obliterating the fear and indecision. My feet moved of their own accord. Finally, we were standing eye to eye, and I felt this crazy energy swirling between us.

“You’re here,” I said lamely.

His tiger eyes crinkled with amusement. “I’m true to my word.”

Pick up your copy of A Tangled Legacy at Amazon, KOBO, NineStar Press, and other major retailers. A reminder that print copies include Once Upon A Mattress, the prequel to A Tangled Legacy.