Sunday Snippet!

My Christmas novella, Being With Him, is part of the Horizons Universe but can be read as a standalone. This was published last year, and since I don't have a new offering, I thought I'd remind you this sweet holiday romance is currently on sale until Monday for $3.24. The entire Horizons Series is included in the big Thanksgiving Sale at the Dreamspinner Store.

Blurb-Being With Him

A Horizons Series Novella

Zeb Araneda leaves his privileged but closely supervised life in the Philippines to study architecture at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where his new roommate is openly gay Luca Dilorio.

Alex Boulet is a successful print model who appears to have it all, but on closer inspection, the ready smile never reaches his mesmerizing green eyes. Tired of living alone, Alex moves in with fellow model Chyna Davidson, Luca’s boyfriend.

Away from his father’s watchful eye, and with Luca’s help, Zeb learns to navigate his new environment, and experiences freedom of choice for the first time. This fresh perspective allows him to step out of his comfort zone and act on his attraction to Alex.

The holiday season has always been difficult for Alex. Sappy commercials tug at his heart, and storefront windows depict idealized scenes that remind him of what he’ll never have: a loving partner willing to accept his truth. Will this Christmas be another disappointment, or will Santa finally make his wish come true?

_________________________________________________________________________________

Sunday Snippet

Chyna and Luca were in Illinois for the entire week, which left Alex and Bacon to fend for themselves until Zeb showed up. It was Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, and he was due in around noon. Alex had intended to prepare a traditional turkey dinner, with some Southern dishes on the side, but Zeb wasn’t American, and their relationship was in its embryonic stage. It made more sense to wait until they were face-to-face to plan the meal.

Meanwhile, he was making dessert. Sweet potato pie and pecan tarts were impossible to resist, and if they couldn’t have black-eyed peas, collard greens, turkey, and cornbread stuffing, they’d at least have this.  Alex’s mother had taught him that food was the way to a man’s heart.  Later in life he realized that good sex trumped food any day, but by then he’d mastered his culinary skills. Long before he’d become Alex, young Alexis had spent many hours by her maman perfecting her own technique with a rolling pin.

It was in the kitchen that she’d gotten her first glimpse of male privilege. Most of the head chefs were men, and they were accorded a certain level of respect women in the same industry lacked. Sous-chefs were also male, at least the ones in their family restaurant, and their status was always a step higher than a female doing the same job. After Alexis became Alex, he moonlighted at the restaurant until his modeling career picked up. Immediately, he noticed the subtle differences in the way he was regarded. The regulars who’d known him as a young girl were long gone, and the new staff had no idea that the imposing man in their kitchen was anything but male. They looked to him for decisions he’d never made in the past. Ironically, instead of being pleased his transition was so successful, Alex bristled at the unfairness and vowed to give preference to any female applying for a job. Now, the successful family business was mostly run by women, and Alex felt he’d played a large part in this growth. 

The oven timer went off, and he pulled the last of the mini pecan tarts out of the oven. The smell of butter mingled with corn syrup and toasted pecans wafted through the air, making his mouth water. Bacon was pawing at his jeans, begging for a taste, and Alex took pity on his dog and handed him a pup treat to keep him from losing his mind.

“That’ll have to hold you for now, sweet thing. I’ve got to shower before I meet Zeb at the bus stop.”

Zeb…oh my God….

Alex’s heart began to race as thoughts of what was to come filled his senses. Would the physical attraction be the same or had it been fueled by a fantastic time at the dance club? Loud music, flashing lights, and a shared joint had sort of pushed them beyond their boundaries. He prayed things wouldn’t be awkward. Four days with someone who was having second thoughts could drag on forever.

Alex chose his clothes carefully, wanting to look his best, but not enough to draw attention. If Zeb was having any doubts about being with a transgender male, a shitty remark from a passerby was the last thing they needed. Nine times out of ten, Alex passed for cis. His height and studied look were intimidating to most, and even if there was the slightest doubt, they usually kept their distance.

Still, there was always that one asshole who zeroed in on something trivial that generated a nasty zinger. It would be nice to have their status firmly established before Zeb was forced into an unwanted exchange. Although certain Zeb would come to his aid if need be, there was no reason he should have to deal with the viciousness until he was certain he wanted Alex for a boyfriend.

Just thinking in terms of a boyfriend made Alex nervous. He’d never had anyone willing to face the challenge, and he refused to get his hopes up only to have them stomped upon. Zeb was different though. He wasn’t sure how much his upbringing factored into the man he’d become, but his staying power was surprisingly hard-core for someone so young and inexperienced. Was this capacity for understanding ingrained or had he learned how to deal with complex layers of humanity the hard way? Zeb had only shared a tiny piece of his privileged childhood, but that had been enough to convince Alex he was just seeing the tip of the iceberg. Where other guys his age had proven shallow over time, Zeb’s undeniable depth of feeling was immensely appealing, and the main reason Alex felt hopeful.