Tara Lain’s Outing the Quarterback Spotlight
Feb 10-17
Description:
A Novel in the Long Pass Chronicles
Will Ashford lives in two closets. He meets his wealthy
father’s goals as both the quarterback for the famous SCU football team and a
business major, but secretly he attends art school and longs to live as a
painter. And he's gay. But if he can win the coveted Milton Scholarship for
art, he’ll be able to break from his father at the end of his senior year.
In a painting master class, Will meets his divergent
opposite, Noah Zajack. A scarred orphan who’s slept on park benches and eaten
from trash cans, Noah carefully plans his life and multiple jobs so he has
money and time to go to art school. Will's problems seem like nothing compared
to Noah's. Noah wants the scholarship too and may have a way to get it since
the teacher of his class has designs on him, a plan Will isn't happy about.
EXCERPTS PLEASE CHOOSE ONE:
“You’re not telling me that your own parents don’t know
you’re gay? No way.”
“Way. I’ve never come out to them.”
Noah opened his mouth, then closed it. Being alone looked
better and better. “How is that possible? Did you just decide you like guys
last week or something?”
“No. I think I pretty much knew when I was twelve.” He
smiled. “Our neighbors had a son who was about sixteen. His bedroom was across
from mine. I used to peek through the curtains and watch him dress. Watched him
jerk off too. Man, he did that a lot.” Will laughed. “I got hard every time,
and I ended up beating my meat as much as he did. One day I finally realized
that he had a sister who walked around the backyard wearing, like, nothing. I
never looked at her, just him. That’s when I got worried.”
Had Noah ever been worried about being gay? Maybe a little.
“But you date a girl. I saw you with her hanging all over your body.”
“Yeah. For the last couple years I’ve had sex with girls. I
hoped I was bi.” He leaned his elbows on his knees and shook his head. “It
doesn’t work very well. I even had to take Viagra once. I finally gave up and
broke up with her.”
“When?”
“Today.”
“Jesus.”
He smiled, kind of sad. “Yeah, it’s been a helluva day.”
“So are you going to come out now?”
His golden eyebrows drew tight above that straight nose. So
damned Aryan. “I wish I could. No, that’s a lie. I dread the whole thing. But
the truth is, if I come out, the whole team takes it in the ass. Other teams
will harass me, which means my guys will defend me. Some of them will. And
they’ll get suspended for fighting. Anyway, it’s a fucking mess trying to come
out in team sports. I’ve got to wait until after I graduate.”
Noah frowned. “If big-time athletes like you never come out,
it will never change.”
“I get that and I hate to say this, but I’ve got enough shit
in my life without carrying the damned rainbow flag.”
Noah sucked in his breath to call the guy a pussy. And
stopped. Coming out had been no big deal for him. Just one more weird thing
about weird Noah. No one expected anything different. Will’s life was another
whole pile of bullshit. Different but maybe not better. “So why did you come
here?”
The green eyes glanced up, then away. “To tell you I didn’t
lie to you about my name because I wanted to deceive you. I’m just so deep in
lies I can’t see over the top.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you want me to know? Why did you care?” He held his
breath.
Will frowned. “Did you just have sex with Masterson?”
What the—? He pushed himself back on the couch. “What the
fuck business is that of yours?”
He didn’t look up. “If you’re committed, spoken for, I want
to know, that’s all.”
“Nobody speaks for me. I’m committed to no one. And I’ll
have sex with whomever I please, got it?”
Will looked up from under his eyebrows, and this time he
grinned. “I just wanted to check to see if you were too tired.”
Noah suppressed a snort. “What makes you think I’d want to
have sex with you?” He tried to keep his lips from turning up.
“You kissed me, remember?”
The smile must show by now. “What if I didn’t like it?”
“Not an option.”
“You think you’re that good, huh?”
Will steepled his fingers in front of his own smile. “Yep.”
“I might catch girl cooties from you.”
“You’ll have to take that chance.”
Noah cocked his head at the big, handsome quarterback. Did
he dare suggest it? Hell, the guy ate painters for breakfast. “There’s just one
thing, jockoid.”
“What?”
“I like to top.”
“Oh. My. God.”
You can find Tara HERE:
Website:
http://www.taralain.com
Blog: http://www.taralain.com/blog
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4541791.Tara_Lain
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/taralain
FB Page: http://www.facebook.com/taralain
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT
erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel
was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her
best-selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary
Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been
named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an
advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author
promotion and writing craft. She lives
with her soul-mate husband and her soul-mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a
pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new
experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!
Excerpt 2
Noah stuck to his back as Will collapsed onto the narrow
bed. The weight felt so wonderful. His ass felt so wonderful. His heart felt
pretty damned good too. He’d made that cool, cynical artist with all the top
experience lose it. Better than a fifty-yard pass.
His heart hammered against the bed while Noah’s beat against
his back. It actually tickled. Will murmured, “We got a two-drum concert going
on.”
“Yeah.” Noah’s chest expanded as he drew a breath; then he
rolled and flopped on his back. His right shoulder hung off the bed.
Will turned on his side, tucked an arm over Noah, and pulled
him closer. “Don’t want you falling off.” Actually, he missed the guy’s warmth
and wanted him near.
Quiet. Breathing. What to say now?
Noah chuckled. “Who’d have guessed you’d be a bottom? And
such an enthusiastic one.” Well, shit. Will pushed up on his forearm. Noah
grabbed him. “That was no lie I love it.”
Will collapsed back to the bed and stared into Noah’s blue,
blue eyes.
Noah brushed hair off his forehead. The mane fell over his
shoulder. He looked like a painting. “So what now?”
“You do have a way of getting to the point, Tas.” Will
cocked an eyebrow.
“No time to play games. You’re the one with all the
closets.”
Shit, yeah. Will sighed and pushed up on his elbow, then to
sitting. “Don’t you think it’s a little too soon to kill the afterglow?”
Noah shrugged. He flopped on his back. “I’ve got an early
class tomorrow, so I can’t ask you to spend the night.”
“I have to go anyway.”
“Back into the closet.”
Will frowned. “You knew about me before you fucked me.”
“Yep. But your ass turned me on more than your made-up life
turned me off.”
“I don’t know whether to be insulted or flattered.”
Noah flashed that half smile. “Your choice.”
Will stared at the beautiful, scarred, cynical face. “Maybe
you’re just too tough for me, Tas.”
The blue eyes riveted him. “Also your choice.”
Will breathed in slowly through his nose. Every hour of his
lying life felt like a low ache in his heart. This was different. More like a
knife or a big needle. Weird. He didn’t know this guy. He’d gotten what he
wanted—a hot poke in the butt. But the desire to have Noah care about him beat
like a pulse.
He unfolded himself from the bed and scooted to the floor.
Noah didn’t move.
Pants with briefs inside went on first, then his sneakers,
then his sweater. Only the sound of rustling clothing interfered with the
silence.
He walked to the door. Should he look back? No way, he
couldn’t. He turned his head. Noah lay with one arm curved above him on the
bed. His lean body looked as relaxed as his cock. His eyes were watchful.
Will nodded. “Thanks. It was great.” He opened the door and
walked out.
Cool air hit him and made him shiver, but it wasn’t as cold
as his big exit.
You can find Tara HERE:
Website:
http://www.taralain.com
Blog: http://www.taralain.com/blog
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4541791.Tara_Lain
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/taralain
FB Page: http://www.facebook.com/taralain
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic
romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was
published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her
best-selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary
Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been
named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an
advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author
promotion and writing craft. She lives
with her soul-mate husband and her soul-mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a
pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new
experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!
Excerpt 3
Will followed Noah up to the low-rise structure that looked
more like a shed than a house. Clearly the thing had been built sometime early
in the twentieth century without a single permit. Noah unlocked the door,
although a burglar probably could have ripped down the walls and gotten in
easily.
Hell, Will couldn’t diss the place. He still lived at home.
Noah looked over his shoulder. “Home sweet home.” He walked
in and Will followed.
Wow. He was kind of aware that he was in one medium-sized
room, but pretty much all he saw was the huge, softly impressionistic painting
of a nude man on the wall opposite the front door. Gorgeous didn’t do it
justice. It or him. The model was more boy than man, with long brown hair
falling down a lean, curved back. Only his profile showed as he gazed off into
space with a look of pure longing. Though the face was perfect and Will had
never seen such an expression, it could only be one person. “It’s you, isn’t
it?”
“Holy shit, how did you know that?”
Will looked at Noah. The guy’s eyes were wide and a little
horrified.
“It’s you the way you are inside. Maybe the way you were
outside once. Full of hope and longing for joy.”
Silence.
Will glanced over and caught the fast blink wiping out the
unshed tears. “The painting is gorgeous. You’re an amazing artist. Really. I
should hate you.” He grinned at Noah.
Noah’s face never left dead serious. “Do you?”
“What?”
“Hate me?”
Oh shit, he couldn’t catch his breath. “Of course not.”
Change. The. Subject. He looked around. “So this is your place. Doesn’t look
like much outside, but you made it really cool.” That was true. Against one
wall a daybed, actually made, looked like it could hold one person spaciously
and two tightly. Okay, why the hell did he think of that? An old but very
serviceable sectional couch divided off the sleeping area and curved underneath
that gorgeous painting, with a chair opposite it. The rest of the room
contained a kitchenette with a microwave, an under-counter refrigerator, and a
few cabinets, plus a small table and two straight-back chairs. “You’re so
neat.”
Noah shrugged. “You have to be in a place this small. Sit.”
He pointed at one end of the sectional.
Will sat. “I wonder if I’m neat.” He grinned.
“You don’t know?”
“No. I’ve always had a maid.”
Noah flipped a hand at Will. “Jeez. How do you keep your
bathroom between maid visits?”
“Messy.”
“There you go.”
“I don’t know. If I thought I had to pick up that towel
myself, I might reform real fast.” He leaned back. “I guess I should start
practicing.”
“Never too early to grow up. Want a beer?”
Coach would kill him. Plus, alcohol looked pretty crappy
after last night. “No thanks.”
“I’ve got iced tea.”
“Yeah. That’d be great.” Noah walked over to the
kitchenette. Jesus, watching the guy move in a confined space with nobody else
around was too much for Will’s overtaxed, underserved cock. He put his hands in
his lap.
Noah walked back with two glasses. They didn’t match. He
handed one to Will and sat on the other part of the sectional. “So are you
moving out soon?”
“Probably not until I finish school.”
“That’s a long time. You gonna be able to carry off the
fiction?”
That was the question, but Noah didn’t even know how much.
“I made it this far.”
“I’ll bet it gets harder all the time.”
Man, he had no idea.
“What are your plans?”
Noah drank some tea. “Graduate school in art. I want to be
able to teach as well as paint.”
“Where do you want to go?”
“I’d love to go to Chicago, but I think UCLA will be good.”
“How will you do it?” He held his breath.
“Scholarships, I hope.”
“Milton?” He was turning blue.
“Sure. It’s the best. And I ought to be a contender. God
knows, I can prove hardship.” He laughed.
“But it doesn’t depend on hardship.” Will swallowed hard.
“Sure. But who wouldn’t take it into consideration?” He
frowned. “Besides, I hope I paint well enough.”
“Yeah. You’re a great painter. Like I said.” Will downed the
cold, bitter tea. Shit, he didn’t want to compete with this kid. His evil voice
asked the obvious question. Why, because you think he’ll win? “I should get
going.”
“Sure.”
He felt weird. “I really like your place.”
“Thanks.”
He got up and took a few steps toward the door.
“Will.”
He didn’t turn around. Felt too strange. “Yeah.”
“You never answered my question.”
“What question?”
“Are you gay?”
Blood. Ice. “No. Why would you ask me that again?” He heard
the couch cushion rustle, then footsteps behind him. Will turned around slowly,
frowning. “What’s with you? Why would you think I’m gay?”
Noah stopped directly in front of him and looked up. Not far
up. The guy was only a few inches shorter. Drowning in those eyes would be
possible. “Because you look at me like you want to eat me.”
No comments:
Post a Comment