Sultry SoCal Book 3 Excite Me by Taylor Brooks

Phillip Archer spent the past ten years playing as a starting defensive end in the NFL. After a career-ending injury he was forced to rethink his life, and his future. Stepping down from the hustle and bustle of the limelight and taking a job as the offensive coordinator of a small Pac-12 school seemed like the perfect remedy to get things back on track and kick-start this new chapter in his life.

Richard Olson was single, independent, and loving life in Southern California. He had his career that he loved as a veteran lifestyle reporter for the local news, and that was all he needed to keep him happy and warm at night. Or so he thought. The day he ran into his old college crush Phillip, all bets were off.

The only question that remains is who will win, or if perhaps they both end up playing for keeps in a game of winner-take-all.

Available at Bookstrand and Amazon

 

 

Excerpt

 

 

They had talked for a while, going between casual chatting, to seeing who could out smart-ass the other and just plain catching up on where their lives had taken them. Even knowing that he was just reconnecting with Richard after so many years, in some ways he felt like they hadn’t skipped a beat.

He retrieved two glasses and a carton of orange juice from the kitchen and placed them in front of the plates. Then he surveyed the breakfast he made with a curious eye. A chef, he certainly was not, but he usually couldn’t screw up eggs and bacon. Usually being the key word of course. He hoped this wasn’t going to be one of those days where he got a little too liberal with the salt and pepper.

At least the bacon was cooked perfectly, not a lot of grease and just the right about of crisp. He would have made hash browns, too, if he had thought to buy any. Eggs were a part of his protein shakes, and bacon was always a staple in his house. Potatoes on the other hand, those were a different story. He saved that carbohydrate filled luxury for when he went out to eat.

Phillip eyed the hallway curiously, wondering what could be keeping Phillip. Tons of insecurities flooded his mind with possibilities of Richard having regrets about their night together last night. What if he was in the bathroom right now trying to concoct a plausible story to escape as quickly as possible, he wondered.

What would he say to his guest who was so eager to leave? Would he politely allow him to leave? Or would he stand in front of him, kiss him, and seduce him until he agreed to spend the day with him? What would he do if Richard rejected him? Sure Richard had told him he liked him, but he had also just gotten his cock sucked off until he came. There was always the possibility he was still lost in the moment when he’d said it.

Ugh. He hated this. Being insecure and unsure of himself wasn’t a personality trait that Phillip was used to. He was confident and hardly ever cared what anyone thought. Hell, if Richard didn’t throw a wrench in that way of thinking though.

His mother had called him picky before. That was nothing compared to how picky he was now. Instead of nit-picking over other men’s pros and cons, he would now be able to take one quick glance at every man in the world and know they were not good enough, because they were not Richard Olson. Only one man could satisfy him now, and that man was currently driving him crazy while he waited out here at the table.

The lack of silverware and napkins sitting beside the plates grabbed his attention. It was enough to distract him for a few moments while he grabbed them from the kitchen and set them perfectly parallel to the dishes.

It worked for only a moment. His ability to ignore his absent houseguest went right out the window. His nerves were now on full alert, just as his insecurities were, and he was more than a little worried as to what was keeping him. He had to know what was preventing Richard from coming out here and facing him.

Even if it was bad, he had to find out if Richard had doubts.

Cautiously he walked toward the hallway, his footsteps purposely quiet, although he wasn’t sure why. His intention wasn’t to sneak up on Richard. Despite this he was all but tiptoeing through his own condo as if he was a mouse trying not to wake the humans who lived here.

He stopped when he reached the archway which led to his back bedrooms and bathroom. He could see the bathroom was dark and the door was open. Directly across the hall he could also see a hand outstretched and leaning on the doorway.

His heart fluttered for a moment when he realized that Richard was in his bedroom. It was where he’d wanted to take him last night, but his irrational fear that he may run for the door if he dared to wake him up prevented him from moving his peacefully sleeping lover.

He closed the distance between himself and Richard quickly. When he reached the opening to the doorway he closed his right hand over Richard’s and wrapped his left arm around his waist.

Kissing the side of his neck, he whispered, “There you are.”

“Mmm…” Richard leaned into him.

“I was worried you got lost.”

Richard moaned. “I did in a way. This place is beautiful.” He turned around and faced Phillip before continuing, “I’m sorry. I know it probably seems like I was snooping, but…Well, okay I was a little, but not in the way that you might think. I love old buildings like this. I was curious to see if it was just as luxurious as the rest of the place was.”

“It’s okay, babe. I don’t mind. I would’ve had us sleep in here last night anyway, had we not fallen asleep on the couch.”

“Yeah, about that. Phillip, last night was…”

“Yeah?” Phillip asked, full of hope and literally hanging on every word.

Richard smiled. “It was incredible.”

Relief washed over him. He’d needed to hear that. “Yeah, it was pretty amazing.”

Richard wrapped his arms around Phillip and laced his fingers together behind his neck. “For me it was. But, not so much for you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. Being with you last night, doing what I did to you. It was…unbelievable.”

“How can that be though? I mean, don’t you want to…you know…feel good, too?”

Phillip cupped Richard’s cheeks with his palms, carefully cradling the man who was chipping away at the shell that protected his heart with every passing second.