Title: Better Than Beginnings, A Better Than Good Short Story Collection
Series: Better Than Stories, 5
Author: Lane Hayes
Publisher: Lane Hayes
Release Date: January 30, 2020
Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 105000
Genre: Romance, Bisexual,
Established Couple, MM Romance, White Collar, Gay romance
Summary
Matt
Sullivan knows he met someone special the night he spots the sexy man on the
dance floor. However, he doesn’t know his life is about to change forever.
First of all, Matt is straight. Okay, maybe not, but he doesn’t think falling
in love and spending the rest of his life with a hotheaded, unapologetically
fabulous diva is an option.
Aaron
Mendez is confident, smart, and very comfortable in his skin. He knows what he
wants and isn’t afraid to go for it. And though he might have reservations
about falling for someone newly out of the closet, no one has ever looked at
Aaron the way Matt does.
Navigating
a relationship has its challenges, but both Matt and Aaron are willing to deal
with difficult parents, holiday blues, and learning curves. They know their
happy ever after is worth fighting for and that true love is better than good.
*This
collection of short stories follows the lives of Matt and Aaron from my first
novel, Better Than Good. The end of one chapter is the beginning of a whole new
story from ordinary everyday life to an engagement, a wedding, and more. This
collection is dedicated to Matt and Aaron fans and those who believe that the
real love story happens after the first “I love you”.
Excerpt
Better
Than Candy from Better Than Beginnings, A Better Than Good Short Story
Collection
Aaron
gave me the silent treatment for a while, and I have to admit I didn’t mind the
quiet. For an hour anyway. Then I did mind.
“Come
on. You can’t not talk to me all day.”
“Oh,
so now you want to talk?” he huffed.
“Yeah.
Let’s talk. Come closer so I can touch you too. I’ll be good.” I perched on one
of the stools at the island in our kitchen and swiveled to face the hockey game
on the flat-screen across the room.
“I
don’t trust you,” he grumbled, crossing his arms and glaring at me.
“Come
on. I’ll behave. Give me a kiss. Please?” I gave him my best “You can trust me”
look.
Aaron
sighed dramatically before shuffling over to stand between my thighs. Directly
in the way of the hockey game.
“Are
you going to make it up to me? Or are you going to watch the Steelers?”
“Okay,
funny guy, let’s start with a little re-education. The Steelers are a football
team.” I pulled him into my arms and squeezed him tightly, burrowing my chin
into his shoulder and blowing raspberries on his neck. “Sadly, their season is
over, but thankfully it’s basketball and hockey season now. You’re currently
blocking a hockey game, but not my Penguins, so I’ll let you off the hook.”
“Excuse
me?” he huffed irritably.
“You
heard me. If you’d like to take some time to make up for my hour in hell, I
will more than gladly join you…on the sofa, in the bedroom, or even in that
green guest bathroom with the cool new towels we just bought. What’s it gonna
be?” I held him even tighter and tickled his sides.
He
laughed, his eyes twinkling with restored humor as he stepped out of my reach
and peeled off his T-shirt.
“First
of all, the color is eucalyptus, not green. Hockey and basketball are only
marginally better than football and…” He furrowed his brow when I smacked his
ass for sheer blasphemy. “And, you are making up with me. Not the other way
around. You behaved like a five-year-old. I had no idea you were such a brat.”
“You
promised not to torture me, but you did anyway. Even that lady at the store agreed
you should have gone alone,” I singsonged.
He
stepped between my thighs and rested his arms over my shoulders.
“She
called you my husband. That was kind of funny.”
“Yeah.”
I kissed his nose and pulled him closer to squeeze his ass.
“It
didn’t freak you out?”
“Nope.
And you wanna know why?”
“Hmm?”
“
’Cause I’m gonna marry you someday.”
“How
do you know that?”
“I
just do. You’re my person. And even though I can think of about ten other
things I’d rather do with you, going shopping wasn’t the worst ’cause I still
got to be with you.”
Aaron
bit his bottom lip and nodded. “Oh, that was good, Matty. I almost can’t
remember why I’m mad at you.”
“You’re
not mad. You love me. You just don’t know it yet.” I scooped him over my
shoulder in a fireman’s hold before he could protest. “No more talking. You
have some making up to do.”
I
carried him into our bedroom and tossed him onto the bed before kicking off my
shoes and pulling my sweater over my head. Aaron undressed quickly, then folded
the duvet back and got on all fours in the middle of the bed. I gulped when he
shook his ass in invitation. Fuck, he was sexy. I stepped out of my jeans and
boxer briefs in a hurry and immediately reached for my cock. I was so hard it
hurt. I approached the bed and kneeled behind him, running my fingers along his
spine and over the curve of his hips.
Aaron
turned to give me a seductive look. “What are you waiting for?”
“Sometimes
I can’t believe I’m here with you.”
He
frowned before straightening and scooting toward me, wrapping his arms around
my neck. “But here we are. And I think this is the way it’s supposed to be,” he
whispered.
I
brushed my lips over his and closed my eyes for a moment. “Mine.”
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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, 2017, and 2018-2019 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine,
chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern
California with her amazing husband in a newly empty nest.
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