From the Blurb:
A weekend away in the
mountains. A snowstorm and only one hotel room left. The beginning of an
epic love story, right? Well, Ben is no fool…
Ben Winter’s
skiing trip turns into something magical when he shares two nights with
Mac, but he’d be a fool to hope for more. Mac’s real name is Valentine
McMonroe. He has a posh accent and a trust fund, and he is way out of
Ben’s league. Ben knows hot-as-hell rich guys from New York City aren’t
for keeps and if you have any pride, you turn the cold shoulder. But Mac
is a ray of sunshine while Ben’s life is falling apart. So, they stay
in contact while Ben fights to keep his coffee shop / LGBTQ+ youth
center open for one more month.
A disastrous trip to surprise
Mac for his birthday reminds Ben once again that their worlds don’t mix,
and when they collide, Ben is the one getting hurt. Falling in love
would be a mistake, but Mac is stubborn and doesn’t give up easily. Mac
is all in. Can he change Ben’s mind? And is love enough for a happily
ever after?
Snow, Love, and Valentine is an opposites
attract, contemporary m/m romance with lots of heartwarming fluff. It’s
the third steamy short story in the “He is the One” series. There’s a
soulmate for everyone, but sometimes love must overcome prejudices.
Excerpt:
Fighting swirling snow and biting wind, I crossed the lot. The lobby ahead of me was brightly lit and looked welcoming. I almost made it to the door when suddenly my feet disappeared from under me and I fell on my ass, dropping everything.
“Oh shit, man, are you okay?” a voice called out from behind the wall of snowflakes. Two hands grabbed me and pulled me back up from the ground. Wet seeped through my jeans. “Wow, that was quite a fall. I think your feet were about hip high for a second there. Are you okay?”
I pulled my scarf back in place to look at the guy who helped me up while making fun of me at the same time. The accent alone got my hackles up. Posh New York. I’d recognize his kind anywhere. He was bundled up just as much as I was, so I couldn’t see much of him, but a large dark parka and a few strands of blond hair peeked out under a black beanie. He was a few inches shorter than my six feet, but he definitely had better balance, because dropping none of his own stuff, he started to pick up my bags from the ground.
“Thanks,” I managed. I brushed the snow off my jeans and reached out to take my picnic basket back from him. There was enough light from the entrance hall to see his eyes linger on the basket—granted, it was more suited for a summer outing, but no need to sneer at it.
The guy waved towards the lobby and said, “Let’s get inside before we turn into snowmen. Do you need a hand?”
I shook my head but couldn’t help an envious look at the two sleek bags he had slung over his shoulder versus my collection of ski boots, bag, and basket. I took one step and almost slipped again. Damn. A strong hand grabbed my arm and steadied me. The strength of his hold and a mumbled “I got you,” sent sparks of awareness through me. Double damn.
“I’m Mac, by the way,” he said as we shuffled our way through the snow to the front door.
“Ben,” I responded.
Warmth engulfed us as we walked into the hotel lobby. Mac held the door open for me, and I managed to step through without dropping anything. The receptionist looked up and gave us a welcoming smile. Mac waved me on and let me go first. Carefully, I put my stuff down with a deep sigh. I made it. This was the start of my vacation. My weekend away.
“Do you have a reservation, sir?”
“Yes. Ben Winter.” I looked up and peeked at the receptionist’s name tag. I liked knowing who I was dealing with. Maggie gave me another smile and then said, “I need your I.D. and a credit card.”
While she went through the check-out process, her eyes kept wandering back to Mac standing right behind me. She started biting her lips and flushed slightly. I looked around to check what had her bothered and dayyum, Mac had opened his coat and pulled off his beanie.
Okay, Maggie, I get it, he’s real pretty. A riot of bleached hair, sexily disheveled. Dark stubble one day away from being a beard and full, soft lips. Despite the scruff and the messy hair, everything about him looked well groomed. Together with his topnotch clothes, he oozed rich pretty boy. His tongue wet his lower lip and his eyes were an unusual shade of dark grey, kind of beautiful and… Fuck, I’d been caught staring. For a mere moment, our gazes locked. A spark snapped through my spine as he tilted his head, giving me a quizzical look.
Yeah, no, down boy. Golden boys from New York City are nice to look at, but that’s as far as I would ever go.
Maggie cleared her throat. “Here is your key, sir. The elevator is just across the hall. Room 319. Third floor. It’s all the way at the end of the hallway.”
I took my key, picked up my stuff and turned to Mac once more time. “Thanks again.”
“No sweat. Enjoy the slopes tomorrow,” he said with a smile.
And then I trudged off to the elevator, but not before I took one more look back and let my eyes linger over Mac’s face as he blinded Maggie with a hundred-watt smile and a twinkle in his grey eyes and I wished I was on the receiving end—
Abort.
Okay, so maybe Evie was right, and I needed to get laid. It had been a while, and that’s why a total stranger with—beautiful eyes—a wonderful smile—and a strong grip—
I took another look at his designer outfit and the expensive luggage at his feet, and I was catapulted back in my mom’s souvenir shop in Southampton watching a bunch of rich idiots making fun of the trinkets and artwork that paid people’s mortgages or leering at my sister. Growing up in The Hampton’s I could recognize Mac’s kind from a mile away. Damn, he even had the snooty way of talking.
Mac was out of my league, but he also wasn’t my type. It had taken only a few summers of watching my friends be convenient fucks for bored trophy wives and bi-curious college boys to know a sparkling white smile was veneer. And even if the twinkle in his eyes seemed to have a direct connection to my dick, I was going to simply walk away without another glance back.
I pressed the button a few more times. The elevator started rumbling, but I still heard Mac's slightly elevated voice. “What do you mean you have no more rooms? I have a reservation.”
“I know, sir, and I’m very sorry, but we had a broken pipe and had to move a few people around. There are, unfortunately, no other rooms available.”
“Okay.” I could hear the strain in his voice. “Is there anything close by?”
The elevator door opened, but I didn’t step in, instead I looked back. Maggie was wringing her hands now. “I’m so sorry. I called around earlier and with the snowboard competition, everything close by is booked up. It’s a busy weekend.”
“I’m a competitor. I have a crazy early start tomorrow.” Mac was definitely trying to keep his voice level, but more and more frustration crept in.
“I’m so sorry,” Maggie said again. “Maybe if you go back to the highway…”
“Have you been out there? I mean…” He reined himself in and added, “I’m sorry. I know it’s not your fault. It’s just—” Working in customer service, I appreciated his restraint. Most guys would yell for the manager by now.
“Do you want to share my room?”
Snow, Love, and Valentine is available for pre-order and will be available for purchase on December 12, 2022 on Amazon!
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