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Author Name: Laura Harner
Series: Willow Springs Ranch #7
Release
Date: April 22, 2015
Pages or Words: 38,000 words
Pages or Words: 38,000 words
Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Mystery, Western/Cowboy, Military
Publisher: Hot Corner Press
Cover Artist: Laura Harner
Publisher: Hot Corner Press
Cover Artist: Laura Harner
Cover Picture: D.W. Skinner
Goodreads
Blurb: Navy SEALs Cliff “Snides” Snyder and Ryan “Rhino” Matthews have been moving comfortably in each other’s worlds for two decades. Best friends since attending BUDs twenty years earlier, and despite playing for different teams, they’re often accused of acting like an old married couple—much to their amusement.
Blurb: Navy SEALs Cliff “Snides” Snyder and Ryan “Rhino” Matthews have been moving comfortably in each other’s worlds for two decades. Best friends since attending BUDs twenty years earlier, and despite playing for different teams, they’re often accused of acting like an old married couple—much to their amusement.
Assigned to
shore duty for his final tour before retirement and without Ryan to anchor him,
Cliff’s restlessness leads him to a local club and hands-on research that
leaves him in a compromising position and a witness to murder—signaling the
abrupt end of his Navy career. Needing a place to lay low and lick his wounds,
Cliff visits his old friends at the Willow Springs Ranch while he considers
making cowboy his new job title.
After six long
months on deployment, Rhino returns to San Diego—only to discover Cliff’s gone
dark and the unlikely words ‘poor judgment’ are hanging in the air. Despite the
offer of a prestigious assignment, Ryan opts to track down his best friend
first and finds him at the WSR…along with more questions than he ever expected.
With the most coveted orders for a SEAL dangling, twenty years of service under
his belt, and Cliff determined to move on without him, decisions must be made.
Ryan is certain
he has the perfect solution going forward, but Cliff knows he must face the
fallout of his actions alone—and the one thing he’s determined to do is protect
Ryan from making the biggest mistake of his career—even if it costs Cliff
everything. You know what they say—the only easy day was yesterday.
Excerpt:
Cliff
stumbled a little in the dark of his bedroom, reluctant to turn on the lights
and ruin his night vision. It had been a long while since he’d had so much to
drink—or felt so relaxed. There was definitely something to be said about being
on the WSR, away from anyone who might know him or what he did for a living.
In
their careers, it was conceivable they could be targeted for one of their field
actions or just by virtue of being Navy SEALs. Just like the cops who’d enjoyed
harassing him once they’d discovered his profession. Some people needed to try
to knock down others to feel good about themselves. But here? He and Ryan were
just a couple more guys.
He
stripped to his boxers and tossed his jeans onto the chair before pulling back
the covers on the king-sized bed. A shudder raced up his spine, and for just a
moment, he remembered the frustration and helplessness of the situation when
he’d been trapped on the other bed…listening to those fucking punks. His
stomach clenched at the thought of Gentry and Draco. Their bodies had been
removed by the time the cops saw fit to release him from the alcove, but he’d
never forget listening to their last moments or the blood that soaked the floor
when he’d been led through the office to the stairs. Ryan would eventually ask
for details about how they died—especially Draco, since they’d been friends—but
they’d both learned to compartmentalize death a long time ago.
That
didn’t mean they weren’t affected by loss, but there was a time and a place to
mourn, to say good-bye, and it wasn’t while the battle raged. Despite several
warnings from the DA and lead investigator, Cliff would like nothing more than
to hunt down those gangbangers and make them pay…and Ryan would be more than
happy to help. He recognized the danger in those thoughts, as well.
Blowing
out a breath at the loss of his mellow mood of a few minutes ago, Cliff moved
silently on bare feet to open the bedroom door and listened. The quiet murmur
of television voices from behind Ryan’s door would mask any noise he might
make. Hell, Rhino was probably passed out on his bed already.
Cliff
padded to the refrigerator, considered then dismissed the idea of another beer.
He had a long drive ahead of him in the morning. Grabbing a bottle of water
instead, he drank half down in one long pull.
Turning,
he found Ryan standing near the counter, watching him. With the moonlight
streaming in through the window providing the only illumination, his friend’s
face was difficult to read, but his naked body was a little hard to miss.
“Want
some?” Cliff held the bottle of water in Ryan’s direction.
With
a nod, Ryan took the bottle and finished it off. With a perfect aim, even in
the near total darkness, he tossed the empty into the wastebasket. “And the
crowd goes wild.”
“Idiot,”
Cliff said, opening the fridge for two more bottles of water. Once again
passing a bottle to Ryan, he started to head back to the bedroom. Ryan’s hand
on his arm stopped him.
“I…uh…had
a good time tonight.” Ryan’s words weren’t slurred, but there was a lazy
cadence beneath the stilted delivery that spoke of too much tequila.
“Yeah,
me too. Ty and Cass are good folk. They’ve made this place a good home for a
lot of guys who needed a fresh start.”
“Is
that what you’re thinking of doing? A fresh start out here as some kind of
cowboy? ’Cause, man…I could see the attraction. You out here surrounded by all
those hot guys—I mean obviously not the couples, but there were at least half
of them in there single, right?”
Cliff
laughed softly at Ryan’s concern for his love life. “Yeah…sorry about that. I
didn’t even think about how you might have felt…surrounded by all those guys.”
He studied Ryan’s face. “You weren’t offended, right? I mean you’ve been to gay
clubs with me and it’s never bothered you…”
“Offended?
Nah…why would I be? You never were offended at the straight clubs, right?” His
hand tightened on Cliff’s forearm, and he seemed to weave a little on his feet.
“Hey,
Rhino, come on. You need to get some sleep—”
“Are
we having a bromance?” Ryan blurted.
“A
bromance?” Cliff laughed, and Ryan’s eyes narrowed. Oh boy, never laugh at a
drunk who thinks he’s making an important point.
“Yeah,
a bromance. Where two guys hang out all the time, like the same shit, would
probably fuck each other if they were both gay—or if one of them was female.”
Fighting
off more laughter, Cliff nodded. “Sure, you can call it that. Come on,
princess, let’s get you to bed.”
Ryan
didn’t yield when Cliff tried to pull his arm free in order to lead him toward
the bedrooms. “What do you think? Should I take the orders?”
“What,
are you nuts? You’ve been waiting for those orders your whole career.”
“Yeah,
that’s the problem…my whole career.”
“What
the hell does that mean?”
“You’re
not the only one eligible to retire. Just because you had two years prior
service in the Marines before you joined the Navy, you’ve got more time in
service than me, but yeah…it’s been twenty years this month. I don’t know if I
want one more tour. That’s another four or five years, in order to retire at
the new pay grade I’d no doubt pick up in the next year or two.
“True,
but it’s also more money when you do retire. And, Rhino…it’s Six.” He referred to the DEVGRU unit by
their unofficial name, hoping to jar a little sense into his friend.
Squeezing
his arm a little, Ryan leaned in, as if imparting a great secret. “You should
be there.”
Cliff
shook his head. “That’s done. We don’t even need to think about it. I just
gotta figure what I want to do next.”
“See,
Snides…that’s the thing. If I have to wait another four or five years before I
retire and you move on, you’re going to get too fucking far ahead. I don’t like
that. ’Sides, that’d mean no more football or watching NCIS. You’d get to see all the episodes of So You Think You Can Dance without me telling you how gay that is.”
“Ha,
now I know you’re drunk. We only watch that because you like the women’s skimpy
outfits. You probably need to quit hanging out with me and spend the next six
months of your training cycle finding the right little woman and getting laid
on a regular basis. Hell, get a wife! Then you’ll be all set for retirement
when you’re done with the next tour. She can cook your sorry ass dinner, wash
your clothes… Yep…you need a wife.”
“Fuck
that shit. I’d sooner fuck you than ever get married again. In fact—”
Time
seemed to stop, as if they both needed a moment to absorb the truth of those
words.
“Careful
what you wish for, Ryan,” Cliff said, his voice a ragged whisper. His cock went
rock hard, ignoring every warning he could throw out that this wasn’t going to happen.
Ryan was drunk, and they both were horny, but this was a line neither of them
needed to cross. Too much was at stake for a little temporary relief. Guilt and
regret could kill a friendship.
Even
as all the reasons they needed to walk away raced through his mind, the moment
stretched. For once Cliff had no idea what Ryan was thinking. Cliff started to
pull his arm away again. Rhino shifted his grip and guided their joined hands
to brush over Ryan’s hard cock.
“Not
going here with you, Ry. Not worth a friendship.”
“Won’t
cost anything. You weren’t wrong to try it, you know.”
“Try?
What are you—”
Ryan’s
hand closed around Cliff’s erection. “To try a little bondage. To let someone
else take control.”
Cliff
jerked his hips to free his cock. “Is that what you think? That I enjoyed lying
there while—”
“Don’t
be stupid, Cliff. Of course not—not that night—not there. But here? Oh
yeah…suck my cock, baby. Come on, we both want this tonight.”
Ryan
didn’t know what the fuck he was talking about. Sure Cliff had been at Draco’s
to find out more about the lifestyle. Ryan above everyone should know that even
though they played on different teams, they were both dominant men, both used
to being in absolute control. He had to make Ryan shut up, to stop this
foolishness before he said things they’d both regret come morning.
Twisting
roughly away, he body slammed Ryan against the wall. A small smile lingered
over the other man’s mouth, and Cliff bent in, not to taste it, and definitely
not to feel those familiar lips pressed against his…but to wipe away the
knowing, mocking smile.
Their
mouths crashed together, a fusion of teeth and tongues, of malty beer and tart
tequila, and an underlying touch of cinnamon. With his hands pressed to the
wall on either side of Ryan’s head, Cliff leaned down, taking advantage of
their height difference. Ryan’s face tilted up, his hands sliding over Cliff’s
bare chest to pinch his nipples.
Ahhh…he
wanted to shout. Fire raced through his nerves as the little buds burned and
the heat streaked straight to his cock and tightened his balls. Ryan took
advantage of Cliff’s momentary distraction and snaked an arm up, his fingers
twisting in Cliff’s hair and holding him tight while he plundered Cliff’s
mouth. With his pulse thundering erratically, he lost himself in Ryan's kiss.
Closing his eyes, he leaned into Ryan, their hips brushed together and a hard
cock pressed against his. Ryan’s tongue slid over Cliff’s, teased the roof of
his mouth, teeth scraping over lips. Cliff moaned as desire built.
Ryan
gave another hard tweak to his nip then scraped his nails through Cliff’s chest
hair and up to his shoulder to apply a not-so-subtle downward pressure. Using
his hair like a handle, he pulled Cliff’s head back from the kiss.
“Now,
Cliff, baby. I want you on your knees.” He released Cliff’s hair and started
pressing down. “You’ve always said no one can give a better blow job than
another man…show me.”
They
were almost the same height, just a couple of inches separating them, but right
now, the way Rhino looked at him, pushed at him to drop to his knees and bend
to his will, was fucking sexy. The two of them had been friends for twenty
years, yet this was a road they’d never even remotely discussed traveling
together.
A
distant part of his mind sensed the danger, worried their friendship wouldn’t
survive the morning light if he capitulated, but damn… Cliff had never seen
Ryan like this. Commanding bordering on arrogant? Sure—but never aimed in his
direction. It had always been the two of them together…going through training,
facing battle, taking out bad guys. Either of them could quell the arguments of
others with a look. When they walked into a room of civilians, people stared.
They’d both been told their confidence was sexy…
Why
was Cliff only seeing this side of Ryan now? Was it all drink? That made no
sense—they’d been drunk together plenty of times. Seen each other naked a
thousand times. Hell—they’d seen each other hard, too. He could recall quite
clearly the apartment they’d shared fresh out of BUDs and—and the night Rhino
had overlooked the lanyard hanging on Cliff’s door and stumbled in to catch
sight of Cliff’s dick shoved down some guy’s throat. Ryan had teased him for
weeks before Cliff finally told him guys really knew what another man wanted. The
sonofabitch was using his own words against him.
The
horny ass had just come off mission and probably needed to get off and didn’t
care who sucked him. Or was there something more?
For fuck’s sake.
I can’t just stand here all night thinking about it.
Ryan’s
eyelids were heavy, almost lazy as he blinked up at him, and his mouth curved
up on one side, as if he’d been following Cliff’s jumbled thoughts. He pressed
down once again, and this time, Cliff followed the silent direction and dropped
to his knees, ignoring the sexy as sin moan of satisfaction from Ryan when he
thought he’d won.
There
was nothing subtle about the way he drew the tip of Ryan’s cock into his mouth.
He wrapped his lips around the fat, leaking tip and got his first salty taste
as he sucked hard…almost too hard.
Ryan
dragged in a breath, then grabbed Cliff’s hair, holding him in place for a long
minute. Finally, he placed his palms on Cliff’s cheeks and tilted his face, a
silent command to look up. When he did, Cliff inhaled sharply at the hungry,
almost possessive look.
Ryan’s
eyes narrowed as he traced his thumbs over Cliff’s mouth, his lips stretched
around the heavy swollen cock. “That’s not the way this is going to go, Cliff.
This isn’t a race, and nobody’s being punished. Show me you want this, baby…”
Fuck. If Ryan called
him baby one more time with that little growl in his voice, Cliff might just
fucking shoot right here and now.
Closing
his eyes in order to break whatever spell Ryan wove over the two of them, Cliff
slowly started to move, savoring the taste and feel of Ryan’s shaft before
pulling off with a wet pop. He buried his face between Ryan’s legs, forcing him
to widen his stance. He pressed against the coarse hair at Ryan’s groin with
his fingers, thumbs behind his balls, creating a perfect frame with his hands.
Nuzzling in for a moment, he captured the unique smell of Ryan, breathing
deeply, memorizing. Drawing his sac forward, Cliff dragged his tongue over the
sensitive skin, following the wrinkles and ridges, using the pattern of Ryan’s
ragged breathing to guide his movements. He pulled one of the orbs gently into
his mouth and sucked, enjoying the way Ryan moaned for him. Cliff repeated the
process then took the whole sac into his mouth, his cheeks stretched to their limits,
tongue separating the fragile balls, massaging, teasing.
Ryan’s
knees wobbled a little when Cliff released his sac to move back up his cock,
laving, stroking.
“That’s
it…good. So good,” Ryan murmured, his voice like black velvet.
A
thrill of excitement swirled low in Cliff’s belly at Ryan’s tone. Nothing in
his life could have prepared him for this—the forbidden thrill of taking his
best friend in his mouth, making him weak with need. He moved his mouth faster,
licking up drops of pre-cum with his own moan of pleasure.
Ryan’s
big hand wrapped around the back of his neck, pulling him forward, encouraging
him to take more, pushing his hips forward in time to Cliff’s sucking. His
heart thundered uncontrollably as Ryan continued to encourage him with “Yeah,
baby” and “So good.”
The
dialogue would have sounded cheesy in a porn video, but the endearments seemed
to go right to Cliff’s dick. He worked a hand inside his boxers, stroking
himself as he continued to suck and lick Ryan. His gaze traveled up Ryan’s hard
body, caressing each curve and swell of the chiseled pecs and tight abs. He
knew the brutal workouts that put each of those muscles in place. For years
they’d worked side by side as they sweated and pushed each other, dragged each
other through sand and water. They’d held each other and cried when they’d lost
their first teammate. And the second…
They’d
stared into each other’s eyes, and with no need to speak their thoughts aloud,
had shared both agony and exhilaration. Now, he was here, on his knees, and
taking his best friend somewhere he’d never been before—and dear lord, don’t
let it be something that would cost them both.
“Stay
right here, Cliff—focus on me,” Ryan said. The hand in his hair tightened, then
he was held in place as Ryan pushed deeper, cutting off Cliff’s breath for half
a second—just long enough to let him know who was in control of this blow job.
“Just
like that, Cliff. Going to do it again—”
Cliff’s
throat spasmed around the thick cock as Ryan repeated the move, holding him in place
longer, his prick deeper than the last time.
“So
good, baby. Don’t stop,” Ryan ordered.
Wrapping
one hand around Ryan’s ass, Cliff took him again, pulling Ryan forward,
groaning as the fist in his hair tightened, holding him captive until his eyes
stung with the need to breathe.
“One
more time,” Ryan said, only giving Cliff a moment to suck in another breath. He
shoved his cock deep, his legs trembling with the effort it took to remain
upright, even propped against the wall.
When
he released Cliff this time, he could have sworn Ryan whispered, “Good boy,”
which given he was both older and bigger, made no sense. Bobbing his mouth more
quickly now, a raw noise ripped from his throat as Ryan pistoned into his
mouth. Cliff’s fist flew over his own cock as he dug his fingers into the
fleshy globe of Ryan’s ass, encouraging him to go faster, pound harder.
The
muscles beneath his fingers grew impossibly tight as Ryan lost his rhythm and
his breath rushed out in a harsh grunt. Hot cum coated his tongue and spurted
down his throat, the first shot all it took to trigger his own release. They
finished on gasping moans of mutual pleasure.
“Fuck,
yeah,” Ryan sighed. He looped his hands under Cliff’s pits and dragged him up
into a quick, hard kiss. He stroked Cliff’s dick through his wet boxers, as if
he’d actually intended to do anything about it. When he found evidence of
Cliff’s release, he gave a light squeeze.
“Hmm…we
might need to work on your control next time.” There was a hint of laughter in
his voice, and Cliff was painfully reminded of just how much Ryan had to drink
earlier.
There
wasn’t a chance in hell his best friend would forget what they’d just done, but
there was very little room for doubt how this would play out. This was the
beginning of the end of a friendship that meant more than any quick blow job.
No fuck was worth the price he’d just paid. Cliff twisted away, mumbled a quick
good night, then retreated to his room. The lock made a satisfying click as it
turned.
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About the author:
Laura lives on
waterfront property in Arizona because she's always wanted to be an oxymoron.
She once enjoyed hobbies such as gardening and travel—now the characters in her
head compel her to tell their stories, so she writes. (It doesn't actually help
quiet the voices—but it keeps the folks in the white jackets at bay.)
She shares her
home with an ever-revolving cast of characters—some of whom are actually
real—and is living her dream of building her own version of the Willow Springs
Ranch.
With nearly
sixty published novels and novellas, Laura is an international bestselling
author of erotic romances, romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and Highland
romances. Her books can be found at all major online retailers.
Q and A with Laura
Thanks for inviting me to visit today. I love these
questions—especially the recipe. I love to cook…uhm, and eat, lol.
1. Do you have a favorite recipe that you are
willing to share?
Crustless pizza! I eat lo-carb, but I love pizza,
so I’ve found a way to make it without the crust.
It’s pretty simple-and you only need to add the
ingredients you like.
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef- crumbled and browned
2-3 cooked hot or mild Italian sausages (I prefer
to remove the sausage from the casing, crumble it, then brown it.
Your favorite pizza toppings—for me that’s
mushrooms, onions, peppers, and olives, but you can add anything. (Pepperoni
slices, jalapeños, chicken, broccoli-think crazy!)
½ cup of tomato or spaghetti sauce
Mozzarella cheese-shredded
Layer the hamburger and sausage in the bottom of a pie plate.
Top with sauce
Layer on your toppings
Add cheese
Bake in a 375 degree oven until cheese is melted
and slightly gold. YUM!
2. Tell us something that people would be
surprised you know how to do.
Hmm…I once rode the train from Tokyo to Kyoto
Japan without getting lost, despite about 15 train changes, does that count?
I’m also a pretty fair grill master—ribs are my specialty.
3. Name three things on your bucket list
·
Visit the United Kingdom
·
Take a weeklong cruise
·
Build a house and ranch on my land.
4. If you could be a super hero what power would
you want?
Telekinesis-manipulate things in my environment
just by thinking about it. Wouldn’t that be awesome? Imagine turning away a
speeding bullet, snagging the last Oreo…
5. If you could time travel would you visit the
past or the future?
Oh, great question…I think the past. There are so
many places in history I’ve love to visit. I think I’ll start with the Scottish
Highlands circa 1575.
6. What are some of your hobbies?
Hmm…I wish I had more time for hobbies. I love to
read and go camping, and I do enjoy gardening, but it’s not really something I
have an opportunity to do right now.
7. Favorite beverage?
No doubt there…it’s coffee!
8. How do you celebrate a new book?
By starting the next one—
9. Do you listen to music while writing?
No, I rarely have any thing playing. I don’t really
notice background music or TV, so there’s no real point.
10. Do you plot and outline or do you write by the
seat of your pants?
When I started writing, it was by the seat of my
pants, but after so many books, I’ve developed a system of loose plotting and
planning that works for me. I use a presentation board, like kids use for
Science Fairs. I draw a grid with the number of chapters I want, then put one
or two sticky notes in each square for what needs to happen. By using the
stickies, it’s easy to shift things around as needed, but by identifying the
main event for each chapter it keeps me on track.
Thanks again for having me over and to all your
lovely readers for taking the time to visit!
Tour Dates and Stops:
18-May
19-May
20-May
21-May
22-May
25-May
26-May
27-May
Molly Lolly
28-May
29-May
Rafflecopter
Prize
First Prize (1): 1 autographed complete set of the
Willow Springs Ranch Series (PRINT Books 1-7) PLUS
Willow Springs Ranch Series (PRINT Books 1-7) PLUS
RT Goodie Bag
$20 ARE Gift card
Second Prize (3): Autographed print copy of
Ty Hard, Whit’s End, OR Park’s Lot (Random)
Ty Hard, Whit’s End, OR Park’s Lot (Random)
RT Goodie Bag
$10 ARE Gift Card
Thanks for hosting me!
ReplyDeleteLove Laura and this series!
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