To celebrate the release of WHAT YOU DO TO ME, I thought I’d share some of my favorite moments from Breathe (on sale this week for $5.99 at Loose Id). It’s hard for me to pick just a few, but here goes…lots of kissing in my faves (big surprise there, right?)…

Their lips joined, mouths opened, and the wet heat of their tongues combined. The smooth slide of that simple touch had another surge of lust flooding Jay’s body. There was no denying the roughness of the kiss, the brush of facial hair on his chin, the pressure of strong lips covering his, the persistence of tongue that demanded a taste. Like no kiss he’d ever had, like no kiss with—

No. He had to live in the moment. Had to stay right where he was. Looking back would end it. No way could he enjoy the man kissing him if he let anything else in.

So he didn’t. He wrapped an arm around Dark Eyes and let the desire engulf him, let his tongue explore the other man’s mouth.

A man. He could not believe he was doing this. But he didn’t want it to end. He longed to grab hold of the other man and fuck him until the relief he craved overtook him and exhaustion settled in. And that scared the shit out of him. He shouldn’t be so out of control.

———————

Jay advanced. For the second time in his life, he didn’t give a shit what anyone else said about his choice in a lover. He seized Lincoln by the waist and crushed his mouth to the other man’s. Lincoln spread his lips and grabbed hold of Jay. No hesitation. No delay. Everything faded but the strength of that kiss, the power, the depth, the drive of man against man.

———————

Lincoln zipped his jeans closed, then spread out on his stomach beside Jay. “What are you talking about?”

“A lot of times, the father didn’t live with his children. Extended families on the mother’s side lived together. The uncle filled the role of father and was more important to the kids than their biological father. The term ‘uncle’ held great respect.”

“Is that true?”

“Uh-huh. I looked it up.”

“You—when?”

“The other day. I remembered a book of Native American customs and myths I’d read in high school that mentioned it. It reminded me of you and the kids.”

Lincoln tried to pretend moisture wasn’t building in his eyes.

Yeah. There was no way to avoid it. He was in love with Jay Miller.

———————

Lincoln charged forward and crowded Jay against the wall. Before Jay could stop him, Lincoln crushed their lips together.

It was the harshest kiss Jay had ever had. Lips, teeth, tongue, the scrape of male facial stubble against his chin. Damn, he wanted more. He clasped Lincoln’s neck and tugged the man closer. He opened his mouth wider, taking in more of Lincoln’s tongue.

It seemed Lincoln liked that. He pressed his groin against Jay’s hip. The man was hardening right there, touching him. Jay slunk a hand between them and squeezed Lincoln’s dick. That brought out a moan, and Jay’s own cock firmed inside his jeans. God, he wanted to know. Needed to know. He slid down the wall to his knees.

Lincoln dropped a hand to his head. “You shouldn’t… We shouldn’t…”

Jay ignored him, got the man’s jeans open, and lowered his underwear. Lincoln’s cock looked larger than it had felt in his hands at Sonny’s. He wrapped a hand around it and stroked as he pushed the briefs farther down. He leaned in and ran his tongue over Lincoln’s balls. The heated flesh, the salty taste. So damn good. He opened wider and sucked a ball into his mouth, letting it fill him.

Lincoln worked the fingers of one hand through Jay’s hair and stroked the back of his head. Not rough. A caress. A promise.

With that soft touch, all denials, all arguments, all hope of fending off what might be, were gone. Jay would not deny himself this. This—he had waited too long for.

———————

The slide of their shafts, the taste of Lincoln, the touch, the smell of him—more intense, better than any fuck they’d had so far.

Yet, right then, Jay wanted to give Lincoln more. “Wait.”

Maybe Lincoln didn’t hear him. He kept driving forward.

Jay arched his back and pushed his pelvis against Lincoln’s, a contrast to his next word. “Stop.”

Lincoln stilled. Their bodies still fused together, he dropped his forehead to Jay’s shoulder and exhaled, the warm breath hitting the sensitive skin of Jay’s neck. “We have to stop?” he asked in a low whisper.

“God, no. I want more. I want you naked. Want you to make love to me.”

———————

 “It’s good you see your mistake. Mistakes help you figure out what kind of man you want to be.”

Lincoln almost missed the next words as Adam turned away. “I want to be like you.”

Damn, if that didn’t hit him in the heart. He’d never been more thankful he’d agreed to live there. Maybe Nancy was right. Maybe the kids didn’t need a father. Maybe Jay had been right too. Maybe Lincoln could be what they needed.

———————

With his hand, Jay burned a path down Lincoln’s body, fingers sliding over skin, over the tattoo, petting the image of the running wolf. “The wolf symbolizes loyalty and fidelity.”

“How do you know all this?”

“I’ve read a lot. Native American history, symbolism. I was studying to be a history teacher before—” He removed his hand from Lincoln’s arm. “I had to drop out.”

Stupid. Jay was too smart not to do something more with his life. Lincoln traced Jay’s jaw with the palm of his hand. “I got the tat to remind me of what I had done. I told myself I’d never cheat again. That wasn’t the kind of man I wanted to be.” He forced Jay to look at him. “And I expect the same from someone I’m seeing.” The words could scare Jay off, but Lincoln needed to say them, needed Jay to know what was happening between them—whether they wanted to admit it or not. Make sure Jay understood where this was headed if they kept things going the way they’d been.

Jay dropped his head to Lincoln’s shoulder. “What are we doing?”

“I don’t know, but the idea of stopping this bothers the hell out of me.”

Neither man spoke for several breaths.

“I’m sorry about your mom,” Jay finally said.

“Thanks.” Lincoln ran a hand over Jay’s back. A slight shiver in response didn’t mean anything, did it? “It was just Nance and me after that. She was fifteen. I promised my mom I’d always take care of her.”

Jay lifted his head. “She’s lucky to have you.”

———————

“You give me a lot of credit.”

“You’ve earned it.” Jay wrapped his arms around Lincoln’s neck. The press of Jay’s mouth to his melted Lincoln’s resolve to think instead of feel. He pulled Jay closer. Their tongues met, like old lovers, tentative, slow at first, relearning each other, remembering what was so good about being together.

Lincoln fell into the sweet oblivion of kissing Jay. His world shrank to that parking lot, to the two of them.