Title: Wrapped Together
Series: Portland Heat #5
Author: Annabeth Albert
Publisher: Kensington Books
Release Date: December 6
Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 35,000 words
Genre: Romance, contemporary, friends-to-lovers
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Synopsis
In the bustling restaurants, shops, and cafés of Portland, Oregon, things really heat up for the hard-working men behind the scenes when the holidays come into town . . .For a stationery store owner, the holidays are great for business. But for Hollis Alcott, Christmas reminds him of the tragic events of three years past, and the last thing he wants to do is take part in Portland’s over-abundance of festive cheer. But Sawyer Murphy, a hunky gift shop owner whose brother is married to Hollis’s sister, has made it his mission to pluck Hollis out of his holiday blues. And his plan is beginning to work. Wrapped in the warm glow of newfound passion, the former business rivals hit up Portland’s finest holiday traditions—and Hollis’s icy attitude begins to melt like snowflakes on his tongue. But he isn’t sure he can trust anyone with the only gift he has—his heart—without breaking it like an antique ornament. Unless he can find the courage to take a leap with the one lover he never expected . . .
Excerpt
This excerpt comes from chapter one
of WRAPPED TOGETHER, when Hollis and his long-time frenemy Sawyer engage in a
friendly bet sure to put their holiday cheer to the test!
****
I took a sip of my now tepid,
almost-gone tea. Ugh. The good barista was on duty, the one who went with Ev
from the knitting store and who always happily made my tea with the same care
he did the fancy coffee drinks. I left the group, happy to have the excuse of
needing a refill, but as I stood in line, Mary Anne joined me.
“Hollis Alcott, we almost never see
you at these things!” Her voice seemed to ring out above the din. “Will you be
participating in the contest this year?”
“I doubt it. My fall display is
already set.” I tried not to sound too dour—she always had the best houseplants
and had custom-ordered the rare fern I’d wanted.
“Ah, well, that’s too bad. You let
me know if you change your mind. I’d be happy to lend you some poinsettias or
other decor. I know you could do a splendid, tasteful window.”
It was my turn to order, so I gave
her a smile as a reply before handing Brady my stainless-steel tumbler for tea
and ordering a scone to go. I had to wait down at the other end of the bar for
my order, and as I was waiting, Sawyer came loping over, a smile on his boyish
face. His wide shoulders stretched the hoodie in distracting ways.
“Hollis! Did I hear you say you’re
not decorating?”
“You did.”
He frowned. “I know how much you
hate the holidays, but I bet you’d get an uptick in sales if you decorated. I
heard Mary Anne offer to help. I could, too. I’ve got gobs of lights.”
“Thank you but no.” Truth be told, I
could use the increase in sales, but it wasn’t enough of a motivator to get me
ready for the onslaught of red and green.
Sawyer’s head tilted, considering.
Oh no. I knew that look too well. A Sawyer who was scheming was downright
dangerous. “We should bet, you and I.”
“No,” I said firmly. I stepped away
from the coffee bar to let Mary Anne and others wait for their orders, but
Sawyer kept step with me, effectively pinning me in between two tables on my
path to the door. I sighed and repeated my objection. “No. The last time we
bet, I believe you cracked a wrist.”
Sawyer waved a hand, dismissing my
concern. “We were fifteen. We’ve had other bets since then.”
We had, but there was one in
particular I was determined not to remember right at that moment. This was the
peril of having known someone for almost two decades. “How precisely would one
even bet on this?”
I let my inner musings escape before
I could rein them in, and Sawyer smiled. He knew he had me. Whatever
nervousness and shyness captured my tongue around large groups did not,
unfortunately, extend to Sawyer. “Well, I was thinking whichever of us makes it
into the top three is the winner of our bet, and then the loser has to do
whatever the winner wants for an evening.”
Oh, I did not like this. “Anything?”
“That wasn’t a no.” Sawyer’s grin
showed the sort of charm that made him so darn popular. “And I wasn’t thinking
of something kinky. Trust me here, Hols.”
“Don’t call me that.” And I most
certainly did not trust him. I was pretty sure the always-affable Sawyer didn’t
have a kinky bone in his body, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t up to something.
“But I could get you to do any task of my choosing?”
See, the thing about me that Sawyer
knew was that I have a very hard time resisting a bet. Always have, hence the
aforementioned bet freshman year of high school about jumping over auditorium
seats during drama class. I’m also notoriously cheap. And as it turned out, I did
have a job for him.
He nodded. “Anything.”
“I have a bathroom I want painted at
my store. Including the trim.”
Sawyer, to his credit, didn’t look
remotely pained. “That’s fine. I’m good at painting.”
“And you? What would you want?” I
had no idea why I was asking. I certainly wasn’t planning on agreeing to this
ridiculous plan.
“A surprise.” He winked at me.
“I don’t like those.”
“I know. Which is why you
need one. But if it makes you feel better, I’ll specify no sex or nudity
involved.” Sawyer had mercifully dropped his deep, clear voice to softer tones.
I still bristled at the thought of anyone overhearing this.
“Or humiliation, public or
otherwise.”
“Oh, Hollis, you know me better than
that.” He held up his hands. They were big, capable hands, and I had to blink
to get my eyes to look away. “Now, come on. I dare you. Bet me.”
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Meet the Author
Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open— no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer. Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two children. Represented by Saritza Hernandez of the Corvisiero Literary AgencyWebsite | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook Group | Annabeth's Mailing List
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