Competition
Comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of Louis Hates Valentine’s Day. If you are a UK winner you can win a selection of chocolates made by my daughter’s chocolate company using Fairtrade chocolate.
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Excerpt
“I hate Valentine’s Day.” That was an understatement. Louis couldn’t explain the anger and resentment he felt to everyone who openly celebrated their love on that one day in the year.
“I can understand that.”
Louis was pretty sure Arnie didn’t but he wasn’t going to argue. “And I haven’t been out with anyone in three years. I go to clubs to hook up, but I’ve never found anyone I wanted to share my life with.”
“Why are you here, then?”
“Because I realized I really like you, and the thought of not seeing you every week makes me hurt for some reason.”
Arnie pursed his lips. “You mean you’ll miss my money.”
Louis held out the yellow stemmed rose, now drooping slightly. “You. I’ll miss you.”
Arnie put his coffee on the table before he accepted the rose. “It’s beautiful,” he said as he sniffed at the rose. “Yellow roses mean friendship, don’t they?”
“Sometimes. They also mean love.” As Arnie looked up, surprise and hope in his eyes, Louis said hastily, “I’m not saying I love you yet, but I really like you and I think I could grow to love you.”
“I thought I’d never see you again. I wasn’t going to come back to the shop.”
“I know. I was so bloody blind. Will you forgive me for being an idiot?”
“I should have been brave and told you the flowers were for you, I just thought you’d guess. But as the weeks went past and you didn’t, I had no idea what to say or do.”
Louis stepped closer until one more step would have brought him flush up against Arnie. He could see the nervousness in Arnie’s eyes, the way he blinked rapidly and clenched his fists.
“Have you been in a relationship recently?”
Arnie shook his head. “No. Not ever really. I’m not the sort of guy men go for. I’m a bit shy really.”
“Not one boyfriend?” Louis blinked. “But you’re gorgeous.” Had Arnie looked at himself in the mirror recently?
Arnie flushed bright red to the tips of his ears. “No, I’m not. Guys think I’m going to be exciting because I work in advertising, and then they meet me and find out I’m really boring.”
God. The man that had spent an entire year listening to Louis drone on about flowers and he thought he was boring?
“Have you…?” Louis squirmed as he tried to ask a very personal question.
If anything, Arnie blushed even harder. “I’m not a virgin. Not that experienced but not a virgin.”
“Thank God for that.” Louis had long gone past the stage when he wanted to pop a guy’s cherry.
“May I kiss you?” Louis wasn’t used to this. He’d never had to woo a guy gently before. In the clubs it was more a case of eye contact and finding a space to get, not give, a blowjob. He wasn’t averse to kissing, it was just there hadn’t been anyone he’d wanted to kiss since Rick.
Arnie’s lips were soft and slack beneath his, and Louis panicked that he done the wrong thing, gone too fast, but then the man seem to shudder against him, and his mouth opened up under Louis’, his tongue gently licking Louis’ lips. They kissed for what seemed an eternity, Louis gently coaxing responses from Arnie that he was sure the man hadn’t felt before. Louis was a great kisser and Arnie, a willing pupil in his arms.
When they finally parted, Arnie stared at him, his eyes glazed and his lips red and swollen. “God. You’re just… you’re…,” he managed. Louis waited to hear what he was. “You… all these months I’ve been dreaming of this, and I never imagined….”
Louis swept the pad of his thumb over Arnie’s puffy lips. “I wish I hadn’t been so damn blind for so long.” He ran his fingers through Arnie’s hair and pulled him close, deliberately pressing his arousal into Arnie’s thigh, hearing the gasp that Arnie couldn’t suppress.
He leaned up to kiss Arnie again, only to hear, “Oh bugger!” Well, yes, but they hadn’t got to that yet.
He looked down at Arnie, who was frowning. “Huh? What’s wrong?”
“The rose. We squashed it between us and now it’s ruined.” Arnie held up the tattered remains of what had once been a beautiful yellow rose, just coming out of bud.
Louis bit his lip. “Sorry,” he offered in the face of Arnie’s distress. He stroked Arnie’s cheek. “I’ll get you another one.” Arnie nodded. Louis bent down to kiss him again and chase the anguish away from his face. “I will give you a rose every day for the rest of your life.”
ShirleyAnn says
I love the title of the book and the excerpt was really good.
ShirleyAnn@speakman40.freeserve.co.uk
Kendra Patterson says
I got this in the On Valentine's Day book. I loved it! Great short story. Kendra
Ashley E says
Oh my gosh, that has to be the sweetest line, he ends on there. *snuggles*
ashley.vanburen[at]gmail[dot]com
MrSouthernBaby ss says
Read the excerpt, and I really wanna read it. The only thing that will be weird, is that one of the characters has my name. I'm sure I will be blushing a few times while I read it.
Elayne says
Lovely excerpt. Thank you.
stormymonday211 says
This is a cute excerpt! Now I have to find out what caused Louis adversion and how things with Arnie proceed 🙂 Thank you for the chance to win!
stormymonday @ gmx (dot) net
Lisa G says
I love this author – this sounds fun – thanks for the excerpt and a chance to win a copy.
lgrant1@san.rr.com
Susan says
Since I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day, this would be perfect for me (even though Louis overcomes his aversion).
skadlec1@yahoo.com
Suzi Webster says
Ha, I bought this book earlier today because it just tickled my fancy (so to speak!)
Anonymous says
Aw, how sweet! It sounds like a good read.
jillw@att.net
Debby says
That was wonderful. I loved the excerpt and the cover is perfect.
debby236 at gmail dot com
Tracy George says
This sounds like my type of book.
geetracy1170 at gmail dot com
Pippii says
This sounds really sweet, looking forward to reading it.
awbjoern@stofanet.dk
Alicia Groen says
This looks like a cute story.
aligroen@yahoo.com
Alishea Durham says
Sounds cute. Please enter me for the giveaway.
SusanR says
Love the title! And the excerpt was really good. Can't wait to read more!
laurie says
Lovely excerpt. Thank you.
Sherry says
I really enjoyed the excerpt.
sstrode at scrtc dot com