From the Blurb:
“Mr. Lewis alleged you picked him up today on Main Street while masquerading as a taxi driver, and drove him some distance before you let him out.”
When artist and professional beach bum Sam accidentally kidnaps hot blind guy Kieran, emotions start to complicate his simple no-strings life.
Sam’s just looking for a hook-up, not a soulmate, but he soon starts to care dangerously for Kieran and his injured dog.
“You’ll continue to see those stars on your bedroom ceiling, because I’m going to put them there. Every night for the rest of your life.”
Kieran’s a prickly customer. He’s fiercely independent and doesn’t need anyone to look after him, least of all somebody with a reputation like Sam’s. But fate has thrown them together and they can fight it, but sooner or later, they’ll have to accept the inevitable.
Short, sweet contemporary novella with spice, snark, hurt/comfort and HEA.
Excerpt:
Tony’s Pizzeria was heaving, but the man himself came bustling to the door when I showed Kieran in ahead of me. “Hey, Sam.” He shook my hand enthusiastically before turning an inquisitive eye on my date. I’d not often taken a guy I was fucking to Tony’s before. Not that I was fucking Blondie yet, but hey, it was a done deal, right?
“Tony, this is my friend Kieran,” I said.
Kieran stuck his hand out. Tony shook it and winked at me. I grinned. I felt like a million dollars and wanted the whole world to know I was with this beautiful creature.
“Hello, Tony,” Kieran said with a smile.
“Nice to see you again, Kieran. It’s been a while. Hope you still like pizza.”
“Oh yes.”
I glanced at Kieran. So he knew Tony too. Everyone in town knew Tony.
“Good. I’ve got a nice secluded table for you lovebirds.”
I scowled at Tony. And he pretended he didn’t see and touched Kieran’s arm. Kieran pulled free from mine. He put his hand through Tony’s arm instead and smirked over his shoulder at me as our host led him through the tables.
I think I felt my heart flutter at that moment. Yeah, I have one, all right?
The table was at the back, overlooking the immaculate yard, flowers in bloom and the bird house loaded with visitors. Never had I yet received such an impressive spot from Tony, and I was touched.
Tony pulled a chair out for Kieran and guided him into it. I sat opposite and Tony handed me a menu with a flourish before thinking better of offering one to my date.
“Can I get you some drinks?”
“A beer please,” Kieran said. I nodded that I wanted the same.
Silence descended as Tony left. I looked at my menu. Did he remember it from last time he was here or did I read it to him? That would take an awful long time. He solved my dilemma.
“I’ll have tuna, onion, mozzarella and mushrooms. Thin crust.”
I smiled. “Sounds good. I might have the same.”
Kieran folded his arms on the table. “So what do you do when you’re not kidnapping poor blind people, Sam? And don’t pull your face at me.”
I smiled. “I’m an artist.”
“Ah, of course. I did appreciate your painting. My mother saw it. She cried.”
I stared at him. “Shit, sorry.”
Kieran waved his hand. “She cries all the time. She’s had a difficult time since my illness.”
I regarded him. “You haven’t been blind since birth?”
“No. I had a retinal tumor a year ago.”
I swallowed. I don’t know what’s worse, never having known sight or having it all taken from you. “How old are you?”
“Thirty-five. I hope your silence doesn’t mean you feel sorry for me. I had plenty of time to live before it happened.”
A lump closed my throat, much to my consternation. “You’re brave.”
He shrugged. “Am I?” He fiddled with a fork, running his finger over the tines and changed the subject. “How do you know Tony?”
“I painted the mural by the front door a couple of years ago.”
Kieran’s jaw dropped open. “You painted that? With the gondolas and the moon and the stars?”
I regarded him in shock. “You saw it?”
“Yeah. I loved it. He told me a local artist had done it. Somebody very talented who was going to make it big.”
I snorted.
“I can still see it in my mind.” Kieran smiled. “The first few times I saw it, I lay in bed and imagined it on my bedroom ceiling. Then I lost my sight and still I could see it.”
That lump threatened to block my airway. My eyes were suddenly damp and dewed. Tony arrived with the beers and I guzzled half a bottle in one.
“Are you okay?” Kieran asked, taking a smaller drink himself.
“Yeah. You sure know how to throw compliments around, Blondie.” He had seen my work. He had actually seen it and he had thought about it while lying in bed. My belly was glowing with happiness and warmth.
Kieran’s smile was like that moon and those stars all combined into one beautiful vision.
I reached out to touch my fingers to his hand. Not only did I not go out on dates, but I never felt the urge to hold hands either. I thought he might pull his hand away, but no, he kept it still on the table and let me stroke his fingers.
“What do you do for a living?” I asked him.
I half-expected that he wouldn’t have a job. If I went blind, I’d never paint again. My reason for living would be gone.
“I teach blind children to read Braille.”
I smiled. “That’s great.”
“I like it.”
“What did you do before that?” It was a sensitive subject, I knew. Kieran might have had an outstanding career that was smashed to pieces by his illness. Brain surgeon, astronaut, lawyer, scientist.
For a moment he didn’t respond. He licked his lips and lowered his head. I wished I hadn’t asked and felt bad.
He said, “I was an art critic.”
My heart plummeted. I stared at him. Of all the jobs in all the world. He must have loved art, or he wouldn’t have done the job. Now he could never see it again. He could never see my work and suddenly I wished more than anything in the world that he could. He could have appreciated it more than anyone I’d ever met before.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be,” he replied. He smiled at me. “I never have to see some of the shit that made my eyes burn ever again.”
I laughed.
This was so weird. Me, whose idea of a date was a beer and a sixty-nine, out with a gorgeous, interesting blind man and loving it. I shook my head in disbelief. Clearly I’m going soft in my old age.
Tony came back with his note pad and Kieran ordered his pizza, with me adding mine.
I smiled at him even though he couldn’t see me. “I’m glad I kidnapped you,” I said.
He chuckled. “I’m glad I finally met the artist of my favorite painting,” he said.
I watched his face. “Do you mean that?”
“Sure. I already know you’re arrogant and conceited. I wouldn’t risk making you even worse by blowing smoke up your ass.”
I laughed. “You’re a funny guy, Blondie, you know that.”
“It’s been said once or twice.”
“You’re amusing, clever and sarcastic. Just the man for me.”
He gave a slow smile and his cheeks turned pink. I closed my fingers around his hand and squeezed, drinking in his beautiful face and thanking my lucky stars that he had come my way.
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