Excerpt & Giveaway: Leaning Into Always, Lane Hayes

Title: Leaning Into Always

Series: Leaning Into Stories, #1, Part 2

Author: Lane Hayes

Publisher: Self Pub

Release Date: September 5

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 30k

Genre: Romance, Bisexual, Established Couple, San Fran, Beach, Surfer, Geek, Opposites Attract, Friends to lovers

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Synopsis

Life is good for Eric Schuster. He owns a highly successful tech company, has a great group of buddies, and he’s about to marry the man of his dreams. Eric is pleasantly surprised to find the transition from friends to lovers has been easier than he thought. However, after running into an overly friendly ex-boyfriend on an impromptu trip to their shared hometown, Eric realizes things are about to get complicated.

Zane Richards is a quintessential California surfer dude turned professional sailor. His laid-back approach has helped him navigate difficult times in his life. Eric may not share his easy-going mindset but Zane knows without a doubt Eric is the one. However, carving a future together may require confronting a piece of the past Zane thought he’d left far behind. Both men will have to decide if they’re willing to risk what they know for a chance to lean into always.

Excerpt

“Hmm. I want to drop this, but…I have
one last question. What did you mean about ‘being from here?’ I know San
Francisco is home now but this is a nice place too. I always thought it would
be kind of cool to move back someday so I could—”

“No. No way. Never,” I replied
emphatically.

I tried and failed again to make a
getaway. Zane pounced on me and held me down, snaking his arm across my chest
to keep me next to him.

“O-kay…where’s this coming from?”

“I can’t explain it. You wouldn’t
understand.”

“Try me.”

“It sounds stupid.” I met his patient
gaze, hoping he’d cut me some slack, but he didn’t budge and I had a feeling he
wouldn’t until I spit it out. “Fine. I was teased pretty mercilessly for being a
geek from kindergarten through high school. I never fit in. I wasn’t blond,
athletic, or particularly charming. I was smart. Smarter than I appear to be
now,” I huffed.

“Who bullied you? I’m gonna kick some
ass. No one messes with my man,” he said, nuzzling my neck.

I chuckled, running my fingers along his
spine. “Thanks. I told you it sounded lame. I’m a perfectly well-adjusted adult
when I’m not here. And I’m actually pretty good when I come for quick family
visits, but this feels different. It feels like I’m being thrown back in time
and forced to hang out with the cool kids. Today was a great example. I made a
fool of myself out there and I made you mad. Yeah, I was jealous but that was
only part of it. I also wanted to prove I’d grown up a little and that I wasn’t
the same sunscreen-caked dork who’d sit under an umbrella and read when he went
to the beach anymore. I guess I still am.”

“You seem to be forgetting one major
detail, Er.”

I traced the laugh-lines at the corner
of his eyes and pushed his hair from his forehead. “What is it?”

“I like you just the way you are. I
don’t expect you to change and develop a sudden passion for things I enjoy
doing. Just be you. And if that means you’d rather finish a chapter lounging in
the sand than jump in the water, that’s okay by me.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. It comes with the
territory. I wouldn’t want to spend the rest of my life with you if I didn’t
love all your weird habits,” he teased, pulling us both to sit up.

“Weird? Me? I bet you can’t name three
weird things about me,” I declared as I sauntered toward the bathroom.

“I bet I can name ten. I’ll give you my
list at breakfast. Jump in the shower while I call housekeeping and ask them to
change our sheets.”

I stopped in the doorway and frowned.
“Just tell them I spilled water on them or something.”

“Why lie? I’m going to tell them my
boyfriend got jizz on my side of the bed and…”

I shook my head mournfully and turned on
the shower to drown out his silly speech about being stuck with a messy lover
and crusty sheets. I chuckled at his ‘put upon’ tone and called for him to join
me before stepping under the spray. I stopped abruptly and backed up to look at
my reflection. My cheeks were flushed, my eyes were bright, and my smile
spanned my entire face. I was incredibly happy and if I said so myself, it
looked good on me.

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Meet the Author

Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be
doing what she loves best. Writing full-time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good
romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to
well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she
prefers the leading roles to both be men. Lane discovered the M/M genre a few
years ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award
finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were
winners in the 2016 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel
(in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing
husband in an almost empty nest.

Books by Lane Hayes:

Better Than Good, Better Than Chance,
Better Than Friends, Better Than Safe, The Right Words, The Wrong Man & The
Right Time, Leaning Into Love and Leaning Into the Fall, A Kind Of Truth, A
Kind of Romance, A Kind of Honesty, A Kind of Home AND A Way with Words