ZEST
by Clare London
Publisher: Jocular Press (self-published)
Genres: gay, erotic romance, romantic comedy, small town community, opposites attract, age gap.
Series: The Accidental Baker #2
Length: 35k
Release Date: 19 August 2019
BLURB
When Donnie met Will, it looked like the recipe for a true romance. But Happy Ever After took just a bit more work.
Donnie’s new romance with silver fox veterinarian Will looks like a real recipe for love. But first he has to deal with the problems of his job, his friends’ demands, and worries about Will’s privileged background. To say nothing of Donnie’s thwarted dreams of a catering career—and baking something that doesn’t come out a disaster.
Will is fascinated and entranced by Donnie. A mature, professional businessman, he’s far less confident in romance—and in the bedroom. Yet his eagerness to look after Donnie and show him a better life are misguided, and have a disastrous effect of their own.
Donnie is everyone’s friend. He’ll help anyone out. But who’s there to help him when he needs it?
BUY LINKS
EXCERPT
Will turned to him, with a determined set to his mouth, and asked to kiss him again. “Properly,” he said, huskily. “I’m struggling to keep my hands off you.”
Wow. No one had ever asked Donnie’s permission. Not about kissing, and not about very much at all. Donnie couldn’t stop grinning as he slipped an eager hand around the back of Will’s neck and tugged him in for a proper snog. The windows steamed up pretty quickly. If they hadn’t been stuck in their seat belts, and Will’s car had been anything larger than a new model Mini, who knows what might have happened? Could have been arrested for indecent exposure, if Donnie had his way.
“Do you want to come in for coffee?” he asked when they broke for air.
Will looked despairing. “I want to. Believe me, I do. It’s just… I have an early call I promised to a client, and I need to do some reading up on this particular cat’s problem before we meet.”
Donnie nodded slowly, watching the expression in Will’s eyes. It certainly looked like genuine regret. There was no mistaking how aroused he was under those expensive trousers. He ran his palm across Will’s chest, shamelessly feeling Will’s nipples harden under the cool fabric. He slid a finger cheekily in between two of the buttons. Then, sighing, pulled his hand away again.
Will gave a heartfelt groan. “Donnie?”
“Hm?”
“Tomorrow? Can I see you tomorrow? Is it too soon?” He laughed, a tremble in the sound. “Am I coming across too needy?”
“That’s okay by me,” Donnie said. Oh, but how!
“We can have an early supper again. Don’t let them bully you into working late.”
Will had been listening, possibly too closely, to Donnie’s work woes. Or Donnie had been complaining too much. “No,” he said. “I’ll try.”
Still he was reluctant to let go. His fingertips kept tracing Will’s cheek, his ear, the edges of his neatly trimmed beard, the line of sinew to his throat. And when Will leaned his forehead against Donnie’s and kissed him again—sexy, even though it was with a closed mouth, and despite the fact the gear stick must have been jabbing him in the belly—it looked like Will was just as reluctant.
Donnie stood at the doorway into his building watching Will drive off until his car vanished around the bend.
Will.
Looked like he had it bad.
Get started with The Accidental Baker!
The Accidental Baker #1
Publisher: Jocular Press (self-published)
Genre/sub genre: gay romance, romantic comedy, small town community, meet-cute (4 couples).
Series: The Accidental Baker
Length: 17k
BLURB: Donnie Watson's baking disasters are legendary, but this Easter, his mismatched chocolate eggs bring accidental but astonishing results to four downhearted gay men. The chocolate sweets spill onto the pavement of a small parade of local shops—and go on a matchmaking tour like no other! From a bankrupt and betrayed baker, to a homeless but hopeful man, to a conceited bar owner in need of a reality check, and finally to the hapless but caring Donnie himself.
After all, Love means you can have chocolate too!
About the Author
Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with the weekly wash, waiting for the far distant day when she can afford to give up her day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.
Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.
All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!
After spending far too long creating stories in her head, Alex finally plucked up the courage to write them down and realized it was quite fun seeing them on the page after all.
