Release Tour & Excerpt:
The Flower Shop Arrangement
By R. Cayden
An opposites-attract M/M romance, full of heart and heat, and set in a little flower shop with enough charm to overcome any scowl.
When I inherit a building from a grandpa I've never met, there's only one plan: take the money and run.
Enter Nicholas, the florist with the little shop downstairs. I'm an awkward loner of a carpenter, a straight guy who is totally out of place in this unfamiliar city's gay district. I don't know what to do with Nicholas's easy smile or his hopelessly romantic worldview, so I just ignore how it makes me feel when he says my name.
But as I start on some quick and needed renovations, friendly and talkative Nicholas keeps catching my attention, and my eye wanders where I've trained it not to go. The future of his business lies in my hands and what I do with this old, falling-down building. I can't afford to think about him this way, but we make each other smile, and desires I've buried for years rise back to the surface with every loaded silence and moment caught alone together.
Nicholas doesn't let me grunt and trudge away. He surprises me one night with a proposal. Turns out, Nicholas with the sweet little flower shop has some desires of his own, and we might be the perfect match. With love and romance off the table, we can focus all our attention on the bedroom until I sell the building and leave town, and no one needs to know about it.
No commitment is perfect for me. I've spent my entire life building walls.
But the second I get my hands on Nicholas, they all start tumbling down.
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Excerpt:
What the hell is wrong with me?
Why did I just tell Nicholas that I’m bi?
We walk into a darkly lit gym, high-octane club music blasting over the speakers. I catch a glimpse of the machines, filled with sweaty people, and follow Nicholas to the front desk as I simmer in frustration at myself.
Awkward as fuck.
I’ve never told anyone I’m bi. It’s not even true. Or, at least, I don’t know if it’s true. But I’m trying not to react to everything in this gay neighborhood, and he keeps smiling and looking at me with his big eyes like he thinks I’m adorably clueless.
And I am clueless.
Clueless and holding a basket of flowers and pretending I know the first thing about being bi while Nicholas hands off a bouquet to a burly man in a tank that shows his pierced, hairy nipples.
I am in so, so far over my head.
“You’re Randy’s grandson?” the man asks me. “You mess with Nicholas’s heart, a whole gym full of fitness gays will kick the crap out of you.”
Nicholas laughs warmly, easing over the moment tactfully. “It’s not like that. He’s just here on business, and kind enough to help me with deliveries.” He turns and takes the last bouquet out of my basket. “This is Gunther,” he says, nodding to the man behind the counter.
Gunther curls up a smile. “In that case,” he says and jots his number on the back of a business card, sliding it across the desk. “Call me while you’re in town.”
My mouth slightly opens. Nicholas gives me a pleasant smile, and I panic internally. It takes a full three seconds of mental fumbling before I’m able to respond. “I’m going to be busy,” I mumble, but thinking it might be rude to leave the card there, I take it anyway.
Gunther shrugs. “You know where to find me,” he says casually.
I stand there, not trusting myself to say a word after my blurted coming-out confession on the street.
Nicholas seems to take sympathy and leads us out of the gym, thank god.
“You’ve probably seen enough of Allentown for one morning,” he offers and shuffles his empty basket to me. “If you don’t mind dropping these off at the shop, Kavya can point you toward the back. I remember that your grandpa kept a list of everything he needed to repair. He wrote it in big black marker on the wall in the basement. You probably want to start there. Sound good?”
Grateful for any excuse to end this, I nod slowly. “Sure. Thanks.”
“Thanks for helping with deliveries,” he says as he takes my full basket, now carrying one on each arm. “I’ll be in the shop all day if you need me.”
Before I can reply, he’s off down the street again, whistling to himself.
Slowly, I manage to get my head on straight.
I’m making a mess out of this.
I walk back to the shop, rehearsing what a fool I’ve been. I’ve gone from being theoretically bi-curious to outing myself and having hairy men flirt with me in gay gyms. Now the entire time I’m in Allentown, I’m going to have to contend with people assuming I’m something that I’m not.
Including Nicholas. I care what Nicholas thinks about me, and it sucks.
About the Author:
R. Cayden writes steamy M/M romance and easy reads.
My novels feature characters learning about love, life, and sex through unconventional relationships. I’m usually reading and writing, but when not, I’m happily catching time with my husband at the lake, and maybe enjoying a game or two of pool.
If you want to be notified of new releases, sign up for my newsletter! You’ll receive updates when a new novel comes out, as well as free stories written for dedicated readers.
My books are available on Kindle.
Connect with R.:
https://rcayden.com/contact-me/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18960729.R_Cayden
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