Title: Leaning Into Touch
Series: Leaning Into Stories, #4
Author: Lane Hayes
Publisher: Lane Hayes
Release Date: October 5
Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 80k words
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Synopsis
Josh Sheehan is unlucky in love and now…
newly unemployed. He’s not sure what to do next, but he’s sure he should give
up on romance. Especially after last time. His friends warned him that falling
for the hunky Irishman was a bad idea. Josh can’t help feeling torn even though
he knows it’s best to move on. But when an unexpected dose of family drama
blindsides him, Josh finds himself leaning on the one man he’s supposed to
forget.
Finn Gallagher is driven by success. He
makes no secret that building a name for his tech company is his number one
goal. Finn left home a decade ago with a ton of regret, a heavy heart, and a
vow to never repeat the same mistake twice. However, there is something
undeniably appealing about the self-deprecating man with the silly sense of
humor that makes it difficult for Finn to remember why falling for Josh is a
bad idea. It soon becomes clear they’re both in deeper than they intended.
There is no way to remain untouched. And there is so much to gain, if they’re
brave enough to lean in.
Excerpt
Finn smiled and fell into step beside
me. It seemed quieter on the street than it was earlier; there wasn’t as much
foot traffic. Typical for midweek, I supposed. I breathed in the refreshing
night air, loving the faint smell of the ocean. I shivered and crossed my arms.
So much for enjoying a leisurely stroll. It was cold as fuck out here. I picked
up my pace, but Finn pulled at my elbow to stop me.
“Are you daft? Where’s your coat?”
“I f-forgot it at the last bar. It’s
okay. I’m cl-close.” I visibly shook when the wind whipped up the sidewalk,
sending a scrap of newspaper flying by us like a paper airplane.
“Let’s go back and get it.”
“No, my friend will give it to me later.
Or her friend will. I’m almost h-home so—what are you doing?”
“Put this on, then.”
Finn shrugged his suit coat off and set
it over my shoulders like a cape or a cloak. He was two inches taller than me
and far more muscular. It was like being wrapped in his warm, cologne-scented
embrace. The gesture was so chivalrous, it left me speechless for a moment. I
knew he was just being kind, but I couldn’t contain my smile.
“Thank you,” I said. “Are you sure you
won’t be too cold?”
“Where I’m from, this is a summer
breeze. You need it more than I do. Now tell me about your mates. I’m relieved
to know you weren’t out drowning your sorrows on your own tonight.”
I snickered at his paternal tone. “I’m
not above it, that’s for sure, but no…I was with my work crew for one last
happy hour. Marley insisted. She was the redhead with the awesome curls I was
with this morning at the museum.”
“I remember. She’s the one holding your
jacket for ransom, eh?”
“Yeah. She’s on a mission to find the
perfect man for me,” I huffed, making sure he saw my eye roll before we turned
the corner to my street.
“Has she ruled out women? You’re bi,
aren’t you?”
“Honestly, I don’t know what I am
anymore. I had girlfriends in high school and even in college but after the
first time I was with a man, I haven’t been interested in anything but dick.”
Finn laughed. “Good to know.”
“What about you?” I asked, leading him
down a brick path and up a short flight of stairs.
I leaned against the bright red door as
I fumbled for the house key in my front pocket. In my head, I was planning a
cinematic-worthy good-bye. Something lighthearted but sincere before we parted
for the last time. It would have been a helluva lot easier to concentrate if he
wasn’t standing so close and looking at me like I was the last brownie on the
buffet table. I cocked my head and waited for him to break the spell.
“I like it too,” he said in a husky
voice I hadn’t heard in far too long.
I gulped and licked my bottom lip as he
moved in, bending slightly to brush his nose against mine. He surrounded me in
every possible way. The heat of his body and the warmth of his coat draped me
in a seductive cocoon. I felt woozy with a rush of desire so intense, I
would’ve swayed on my feet if he hadn’t been standing so close. I set my right
hand on his hip to steady myself and leaned in…just as he pushed away.
Finn let out a ragged breath and swiped
his hand over his stubbled chin. “Fuck. I forgot how bloody difficult it is to
walk away from you.”
“Then don’t.”
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