Drunk on love.
Like a well-aged whiskey, master distiller and old-money entrepreneur Malone Kensington is elegant and refined. Unfortunately he’s also a perfectionist who is more dedicated to the success of his generations-old company than his own love life.
That company needs a public spokesman.
What Colton Hale lacks in sophistication, he more than makes up for with the charisma that’s allowed him to survive on the street from a young age and charm his way into the lucrative—if overwhelming—public position at the Kensington Distillery. When Mal takes Colt under his wing, hoping to polish off his rough edges, opposites attract and a passionate romance blossoms despite the differences in age and background. But can it survive a Kensington Board of Directors who believe Colt is nothing but a gold digger and a kidnapper determined to profit from the love of Mal’s life—dead or alive?
Cover Artist: Alexandria Corza
House Line Dreamspun Desires | #74
Genre Contemporary
Buy links: Dreamspinner | Amazon
Excerpt...
ANY DAY Colt managed to avoid getting the crap kicked out of him was a good day. Today wasn’t that day.
Cat gives this one 4 Meows with a 2 Purr heat index...
This story is so sweet and fun. It has all the elements of a great romance, two interesting characters plus several others. Everyone in this book is interesting. I loved Audrey, Gwen, Phillippe, and Frank as much as I did Mal and Colt. Jeffrey even grew on me. I would read all of their stories. Back to this one. I loved Colt for his charm yet he was never dishonest. I loved Mal because not being a millionaire fan he never came across as one. He was a good man. I loved that though there was instant attraction, the actual romance was slow-burn and when the sex came it was sweet and just enough to make the story heat up but not overdone. There is a touch of action and drama tossed in to stir up the story making it the perfect book for a nice romantic escape.
If you like billionaires, age-gap,boss-employee, suspense, slow burn, mild sex, and a very romantic story this is for you.
Excerpt...
He curled into a ball, desperate to escape the blows striking his ribs. Wrapping his arms around his chest in an effort to protect himself, Colt rolled so he faced the pavement as much as possible. He coughed and gagged up pink saliva.
“You think you’re too good to suck my dick?” sneered a rough voice belonging to a man Colt only knew as Sully.
Colt pushed away from the ground and wiped one wrist over his mouth. “I got another job.”
“Yeah, day worker picking up trash is such an impressive career move.” Another kick accompanied the words.
“C’mon, this piece of shit ain’t worth our effort,” another voice said. Colt thought it was Theo, but he couldn’t be sure. “There’s much better ’cross town.”
A backpack landed on Colt’s head, and one final, brutal kick connected with his ribs. “Find a different town to live in,” the rougher voice said.
Colt shifted onto his side and watched two pairs of boots retreat down the alley. “Leaving isn’t a bad idea. Sick of this town, anyway.”
The truth was that ever since Colt, fifteen and kicked out on his—how did his father put it? “Sick little gay, fucked ass”—nearly ten years ago, he’d had nowhere to go except onto the streets. He’d moved around and eventually landed in Toledo, where he’d spent the last four years. He sort of liked it here.
However, he could learn to like it somewhere else. His health and longevity likely depended upon it. He sat up and moaned. Every bit of him ached, but he’d had worse beatings. He pulled his backpack onto his lap and rifled through it, yanked out shirts, a pair of jeans, and socks, and dumped them on the pavement beside him. His wallet was there, but the few dollars inside were gone.
“Assholes,” Colt muttered and reached through to the bottom of the pack. He pried the layers apart and stuck two fingers inside. The feeling of the cash, smooth and held with a large clip, sent a wave of relief through him. He stuffed his few possessions back into the pack and zipped it up. Colt climbed to his feet and slung the backpack strap over his shoulder, then staggered to the main street.
He kept his head down and didn’t make eye contact with anyone as he walked to the bus station. Walking through that part of Toledo at night could get a guy beat up. Good thing he’d already been beaten up. He looked bruised and battered enough that it was likely no one would come after him. Lightning didn’t strike the same place twice—he hoped. The sky was a murky black, no stars visible because of the shroud of clouds. Humidity covered the atmosphere in a thin film of haze.
Colt stepped aside when a young couple left the bus station, then slid through the open door in their wake. It was after midnight, and he was tired and aching through to his bones. He made his way to the bathroom. Leaning against the sink, he ran the water and washed sweat and dirt from his face. He dabbed at a cut on his lip a few times with a paper towel before turning the water off and looking at his reflection in the mirror.
He went into a stall, made sure it was securely locked, and hung his backpack on the hook on the door. After moving his clothes to the side, he pulled up the hidden compartment and took out his money, peeled off about half of it, and replaced the other half. Then he tucked his clothes back in place and stuffed the bills into his jeans pocket. After taking a piss, he left the stall and returned to the sink to wash up again before leaving the bathroom.
There was no one waiting in line at the counter, which considering the hour wasn’t surprising.
“I need a ticket,” Colt croaked. His throat was dry and sore, his head was throbbing, and his ribs ached.
The man behind the glass looked him up and down. “Where?”
Shoving his money into the little space under the glass, Colt said, “Wherever that will get me on the first bus I can get on.”
“One way?” The man took the money with gnarled, pale fingers and then tapped on a keyboard. Colt nodded, and a minute or so later, a ticket came through the slot and into his waiting fingers. “Charlotte. It’s in North Carolina. Been there. It’s nice.”
“Thanks.”
Mystery, action, chills and thrills spiced with romance and desire. Elizabeth Noble started telling stories before she actually knew how to write, and her family was very happy when she learned to put words on a page. Those words turned into books and fanfiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M romance fiction. Being able to share her works with Dreamspinner is really a dream come true. She has a real love for a good mystery complete with murder and twisty plots as well as all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural and a bit of an unnatural interest in a super-volcano in Wyoming.
Elizabeth has three grown children and is now happily owned by an adorable mixed breed canine princess, a spunky Welsh Corgi and their sidekick, tabby cat. She lives in her native northeast Ohio, the perfect place for gardening and winter and summer sports (go Tribe and Cavs!) and stargazing all year long. When she’s not writing she’s working as a veterinary nurse, so don’t be surprised to see her men with a pet or three who are a very big part of their lives.
Elizabeth received several amateur writing awards. Since being published several of her novels have received Honorable Mentions in the Rainbow Awards. Jewel Cave was a runner up in the Gay Mystery/Thriller category in the 2015 Rainbow Awards. Ringed Love was a winner in the Gay Fantasy Romance category of the 2016 Rainbow Awards.
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