Mr May at Pride-Publishing
Mr May at Amazon
Blurb:
Derrick Tovar thought posing for a calendar would be the most adventurous thing he’d ever do—boy, was he wrong!
Derrick Tovar has always played it safe. He had a secure job, a retirement plan, five- and ten-year goals… When he agreed to pose in skimpy clothing for a charity calendar, he figured that was one daring, out-of-character thing for him to do. It wasn’t that big a risk, really.
Except it almost got him killed.
He’s having a little trouble dealing with that, but he soon meets a man who makes him want to dream big and take chances.
Excerpt: (New, not the same as the one on the Pride-P site)
Copyright 2018
Bailey Bradford
“Are you sure he’s gonna show up?” Kieran asked as he set more hot dogs on the grill. “He sounds like a fuddy-duddy to me.”
Niall snickered at his brother. “You’ve been hanging out with Gran too much.”
“Not possible,” Kieran replied. “Gran’s the best.”
“That she is, and Derrick isn’t a fuddy-duddy.” Niall propped an elbow on the counter
and leaned against it. “He’s a stud.”
Kieran rolled his eyes. “Can you not sound like a guy in a bad porno?”
“And you think my Derrick’s a fuddy-duddy,” Niall said. Kieran had always been a tad
prudish whereas Niall was not. He appreciated the differences between them, though, and figured one kid like himself had been enough for his poor folks to deal with. He’d been mischievous when he’d been younger, and he still was as an adult, though he was wiser now and didn’t do anything too bad.
“I can’t believe you didn’t even get his number. Would you like relish on your hot dog, sir?”
Niall was going to have to explain to Kieran that personal conversations while waiting on customers were a no-no. Again. Niall waited until the man had paid and started walking away to reply. “Nah, Derrick needs some uncertainty in his life.” Well, that sounded kind of awful and not at all like what Niall had meant. “Not bad stuff, but he seems to be very regimented.”
“And you know this from talking to him for five minutes yesterday?” Kieran asked, frowning at him.
“You’re gonna wrinkle from doing that. Happy is easier on the face.” Niall wasn’t sure that was true but he knew Kieran leaned toward being a little vain.
Kieran’s frown cleared away and Niall tried not to feel too smug over knowing his brother so well.
“It was longer than five minutes, Kier, and sometimes, you just know. He smelled...” Niall repressed a shiver as he recalled Derrick’s scent. “Mm, he smelled like all my favorite
Niall snickered at his brother. “You’ve been hanging out with Gran too much.”
“Not possible,” Kieran replied. “Gran’s the best.”
“That she is, and Derrick isn’t a fuddy-duddy.” Niall propped an elbow on the counter
and leaned against it. “He’s a stud.”
Kieran rolled his eyes. “Can you not sound like a guy in a bad porno?”
“And you think my Derrick’s a fuddy-duddy,” Niall said. Kieran had always been a tad
prudish whereas Niall was not. He appreciated the differences between them, though, and figured one kid like himself had been enough for his poor folks to deal with. He’d been mischievous when he’d been younger, and he still was as an adult, though he was wiser now and didn’t do anything too bad.
“I can’t believe you didn’t even get his number. Would you like relish on your hot dog, sir?”
Niall was going to have to explain to Kieran that personal conversations while waiting on customers were a no-no. Again. Niall waited until the man had paid and started walking away to reply. “Nah, Derrick needs some uncertainty in his life.” Well, that sounded kind of awful and not at all like what Niall had meant. “Not bad stuff, but he seems to be very regimented.”
“And you know this from talking to him for five minutes yesterday?” Kieran asked, frowning at him.
“You’re gonna wrinkle from doing that. Happy is easier on the face.” Niall wasn’t sure that was true but he knew Kieran leaned toward being a little vain.
Kieran’s frown cleared away and Niall tried not to feel too smug over knowing his brother so well.
“It was longer than five minutes, Kier, and sometimes, you just know. He smelled...” Niall repressed a shiver as he recalled Derrick’s scent. “Mm, he smelled like all my favorite
things.” Things he hadn’t even known about. Niall couldn’t think of any other way to describe it.
“So is he a shifter?”
Niall tutted. “Now tell me what that matters?”
Kieran shrugged. “It doesn’t. I’m just curious if the guy walking this way, wearing those
ironed shorts and that button-up with leather loafers, happens to be your guy.”
Niall turned around and his heart fluttered as he grinned. “Yep, that’d be my Derrick.” “Your Derrick. Seems presumptuous,” Kieran muttered.
“Eh, says you.” Niall stood up straighter and waved at his date. “Hey, right on time.
Ready for some fun?” He ignored Kieran’s snicker.
Derrick stopped a few feet away from him. “Um, sure. What are we doing?” He blinked
and gestured at Niall. “Nice shirt.”
“Gong on a date.” Niall glanced down at his Foxy T-shirt. “Yeah? Suits me in more ways
than one.” He winked at Derrick. “Seeing as how I’m a fox shifter and all.”
“That’s what—” Derrick’s smile was breathtaking, erasing the studious and serious expression he seemed to always have in place and making him so handsome, Niall almost drooled. “I kept thinking you reminded me of someone or something. A fox, is it? Your red
hair and freckles lend to that, but so do your features.”
Niall wiggled his nose at Derrick. “You mean my pointy snout and my up-tilted eyes?
Haven’t seen my ears yet, have you?” He tucked his hair behind them and grinned when Derrick shook his head. “Yep, pointed and even a tad darker on the tips. My eyes are the wrong color, though. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a natural-born green-eyed fox.”
“Wow. Just, wow. And I thought you reminded me of a leprechaun at first, but I see the fox now,” Derrick murmured.
“A leprechaun? Ha!” Kieran exclaimed. “That’s awesome! Wait until I tell Ronan and Maisy.”
A leprechaun was not what Niall aspired to look like. “That ’cause I’m on the short side?” Derrick blushed then. “Er...”
“And the red hair, yeah.” Niall gave an exaggerated sigh. “Does that mean the pot of gold
would be my family jewels?”
“Niall!” Kieran popped his shoulder with a towel.
“So is he a shifter?”
Niall tutted. “Now tell me what that matters?”
Kieran shrugged. “It doesn’t. I’m just curious if the guy walking this way, wearing those
ironed shorts and that button-up with leather loafers, happens to be your guy.”
Niall turned around and his heart fluttered as he grinned. “Yep, that’d be my Derrick.” “Your Derrick. Seems presumptuous,” Kieran muttered.
“Eh, says you.” Niall stood up straighter and waved at his date. “Hey, right on time.
Ready for some fun?” He ignored Kieran’s snicker.
Derrick stopped a few feet away from him. “Um, sure. What are we doing?” He blinked
and gestured at Niall. “Nice shirt.”
“Gong on a date.” Niall glanced down at his Foxy T-shirt. “Yeah? Suits me in more ways
than one.” He winked at Derrick. “Seeing as how I’m a fox shifter and all.”
“That’s what—” Derrick’s smile was breathtaking, erasing the studious and serious expression he seemed to always have in place and making him so handsome, Niall almost drooled. “I kept thinking you reminded me of someone or something. A fox, is it? Your red
hair and freckles lend to that, but so do your features.”
Niall wiggled his nose at Derrick. “You mean my pointy snout and my up-tilted eyes?
Haven’t seen my ears yet, have you?” He tucked his hair behind them and grinned when Derrick shook his head. “Yep, pointed and even a tad darker on the tips. My eyes are the wrong color, though. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a natural-born green-eyed fox.”
“Wow. Just, wow. And I thought you reminded me of a leprechaun at first, but I see the fox now,” Derrick murmured.
“A leprechaun? Ha!” Kieran exclaimed. “That’s awesome! Wait until I tell Ronan and Maisy.”
A leprechaun was not what Niall aspired to look like. “That ’cause I’m on the short side?” Derrick blushed then. “Er...”
“And the red hair, yeah.” Niall gave an exaggerated sigh. “Does that mean the pot of gold
would be my family jewels?”
“Niall!” Kieran popped his shoulder with a towel.
1 comment:
Sound great. Love the humor. Can’t wait
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