Sunday Snippet

 

Today's snippet is from the second book in the Cutting Cords series. VESSEL is available on Amazon and a free read on Kindle Unlimited. 

When the book first released I was shocked by the amount of hate mail I received. Cheating is a huge trigger for romance readers, but it's a sad fact of life, especially when one MC is questioning. On the other hand, I was extremely gratified to find that a lot of readers appreciated the realism and my decision not to take the easy way out. You'll either love or hate this book but it'll get a reaction for sure. This series is listed in the romance category so I can guarantee a happy ending by the time you read the last book. 

Blurb

Five years have passed since Sloan and Cole went from roommates to lovers, but now their blissful life is threatened. Cole never planned to have a child because he feared he’d pass on the RP gene. With the advent of a new form of genetic testing, that risk has been greatly reduced. Now his father is demanding a grandson to preserve his baseball legacy. The surrogate’s been selected and Cole’s expected to do his duty.

Sloan is open to the idea of fatherhood, but not if Cole has to marry the surrogate, even in name only. And not at the expense of his own needs. Cole's been distant and distracted, but Trent Hamilton, fellow model and established Dominant, has been attentive, making it clear that he'd like Sloan to be his. 

The clock is ticking and Cole has to decide where his loyalties lie: with a domineering father who might finally be satisfied or with the man who's always loved him just as he is.  

Here's the snippet...

It didn’t take but a minute, and Cole was in my face spluttering in outrage. “Did you have to be so goddamn rude?”

“Would you have preferred a fucking scene? Honestly, Cole. What were you thinking? Oh, don’t even bother,” I said tersely. “This entire plot was orchestrated by your dad, and you played the dutiful son, hoping I wouldn’t lose my shit in front of an audience. Well, guess what? I’ve said it on more than one occasion, and in case you need to hear it again, I’m not in favor of this insane plan.”

“Sloan, calm down and let me explain.”

“There isn’t much to explain, is there? You and your parents have arrived at a decision without consulting me.”

“Please,” Cole said, reaching out for me. I stepped back, hardening my heart even as he groped for me. I moved left to walk out the door, but I underestimated his internal GPS, and he pounced in my direction and held me in place. “Don’t pull away again,” he begged this time, and I had no choice but to listen.

“I never told you about Noriko because I didn’t know she existed. Mom and Dad showed up with her tonight and presented her to me like a fait accompli. I had no say in the matter.”

“What a crock of shit, Cole.”

“It’s the truth, however stupid it may sound.”

“Who is she, anyway? Does she live around here? Does she surrogate for a living?”

“She’s from Japan… Kyoto, to be exact. And, no, she’s not a professional surrogate. My father talked her into coming to America and doing this for us.”

“Where did he find her?”

“I don’t know.”

“How can you not, Captain McKnowitall? It’s a basic question.”

“Sloan, she’s here to help us start our family.”

“Us? You mean she’s here to help your father, don’t you?”

“Sloan, please….”

“Last time I checked, I’m your partner and have equal rights in this decision.”

Cole frowned, directing his unseeing blue eyes in my direction. Outwardly, he hadn’t changed in the five years we’d been together. There were a few more silver strands weaving through the dark mane he kept long at my request, but his face was unlined and his body youthful and fit, thanks to the biweekly visits we shared at the gym. He was still attractive as hell, and I never got tired of looking at him.

“Maybe I would be more open to the idea of a child if our relationship wasn’t so fucked up.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Cole asked, looking completely surprised.

“We haven’t boned in weeks. Every time I make a move, you push me away. Not my idea of a healthy relationship. Jesus, Cole. We’ve had problems in the past, but our sex life has always been consistent and above average.”

“There’s more to life than sex,” he maintained.

“I’m twenty-eight, not sixty. Sex is an integral part of our relationship. If I had wanted a roommate, I would have married Emily.”

Cole turned his back, which convinced me there was something else he didn’t want to share. I always knew when he was omitting a detail or two.

“It’s not that I haven’t wanted to have sex,” Cole mumbled, still facing the opposite way.

“Then what the fuck’s your problem?”

“They said I would increase my sperm count if I gave up sex for a few weeks before harvesting the donor eggs.”