Info
- one jaded businessman and his shy, tenderhearted dog walker
- a boisterous golden retriever turned emotional support dog
- hurt comfort, age gap
- slow burn becomes high heat
- Burke and Emerson cameo (the couple from Ugly, Winter Sun Book 1)
- omegaverse, non-shifter, mpreg
- standalone, HEA, 68k
And because not everyone is into everything, I’m attaching the following list so there are no unpleasant surprises:
- heat sex, knotting, breeding, dirty talk
- monogamous couple, no cheating or sharing, all sexual interactions are consensual
- on-page breakup with the evil ex
- male pregnancy (no birth on page)
Blurb
Richard has everything he ever wanted—immense wealth, sky-high status, beautiful men… But only the dog he did not want brings him some semblance of happiness. After a messy breakup, he moves to a tiny coastal town, intent on rebuilding his life and reinventing himself. He shouldn’t even be noticing cute omegas half his age. Except then he finds his shy little dog walker crying on his living room floor, and protecting Carter becomes his utmost priority.
Carter has always had a thing for older men, but they never seem to have a thing for him. His crush on the smoldering Richard Porter is inappropriate and downright silly, and every meeting with the alpha leaves him a blushing mess. Hopefully, he can spend quality time with Mr. Porter’s lovable golden retriever and avoid the man himself.
When Carter’s friend bails on him before his second heat, Carter faces an impossible decision—to pay a heat professional he can’t afford, find a random stranger on a dating app, or risk his heart in the arms of the unattainable Mr. Porter.
Unexpected is an omegaverse romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, and slow simmering heat that suddenly explodes. HEA, standalone, non-shifter, mpreg.
Links:
Excerpt
At the sight of my house, my smile widened. I was looking forward to Noodle running to welcome me home like he always did. But when I opened the door, I was met with utter silence. Immediately, my heartbeat spiked. No one bounced to say hi to me, no swooshing tail in sight. Where was Noodle?
I toed off my shoes and hurried to the living room. Were they still out on a walk?
“Noodle?”
And then I spotted them.
Carter sat on my living room floor by the open patio door, and Noodle lay between his spread legs, his head on Carter’s thigh. He lifted it and eyed me as I came in, his tail thumping against the floor. He looked fine, not hurt or anything. His eyes seemed to plead with me. Sorry for not saying hi, but I’m a little busy here.
Then my gaze slid to Carter’s face, and I cringed.
The boy’s eyes were red and swollen. Catching sight of me, he wiped them frantically under his glasses, smearing tears and snot over his cheeks.
“Sorry. I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
With his other hand, he kept petting Noodle. It seemed my retriever had turned into an emotional support dog. Well, he was damn good at it, so I wouldn’t stop him from pursuing that career.
“Hey. What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry,” Carter repeated and sniffled.
I crouched down by them and gave Noodle a pet. The dog snuggled closer to Carter.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Carter shrugged. His crestfallen expression had my chest aching.
I sat down on the floor next to my weeping dog walker and leaned my head against the wall. Carter didn’t say anything for several minutes, sniffling in regular intervals. His silence was driving me nuts. Had someone hurt him?
“Leonard came to my office today to sign some papers because of the apartment,” I began, meaning to distract the boy and maybe get him to trust me enough so he’d tell me what the hell had happened to him. The idea of someone hurting him had my alpha raging. Whoever had my boy in tears, I’d hunt them down. But Carter had to tell me first, so I kept talking. “He was positively venomous. He went from trying to get us back together to treating me like the devil incarnate. Apparently, he hates my guts. I was hoping he’d forgive me eventually, but no dice.”
“What did you do to him?” Carter asked quietly and hiccuped.
“What?”
“What did you do that he hates you so much? Did you, like, cheat on him?”
“No. We had an open relationship, and he was the one who fucked around the most. He wasn’t even in love with me. He didn’t want to break up, though, and when I ended it, he got angry.”
“Why did he care if he didn’t love you?”
“You’ve met Leonard. Do you think he likes being rejected even by someone he doesn’t want?”
Carter gave a faint chuckle. “I guess not.”
“He liked living with me. Being with me gave him the connections and status he thought he deserved. He doesn’t really believe in love, and I’m not sure I do either. Anyway, we were making each other unhappy, he wanted to work on it, and I called it quits.”
Another sniffle. “You’d rather be alone than with someone who makes you unhappy. That’s smart.”
“Maybe. I wish he’d see it the same way. I’m sorry he’s hurting.”
“When things go wrong, it’s easy to blame it on the other person, but it’s usually both partners’ fault, isn’t it?”
“Usually, I guess. It was definitely my fault the relationship lasted this long. I’d been wasting Leo’s time, and that wasn’t fair to him.”
“Sounds depressing.”
“It was. I feel much better now, though, even alone. I like it here.” I looked around my newish home, and my lips curved. “What about you? What made Noodle think he had to stay with you when he was about to run and say hi to me?”
“Sorry.”
“No need to apologize. I’m glad he’s been here for you. He’s a good dog. Intuitive.”
“He’s amazing.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Carter was quiet for a long while, and I let him mull it over.
“I’m just a couple of weeks away from my second heat.”
Oh.
He’d told me he wouldn’t be available, but I’d assumed it was because of exams or something. Heat. Of course. He was almost twenty-three after all. I briefly thought of who he’d be with, and the idea of some stranger touching Carter while he was vulnerable made my skin prickle.
“My friend Dave and I had a deal,” Carter continued. “He was supposed to be with me and help me out. Except he got together with a guy, and now he can’t. And I’m fucked because I can’t afford a heat teacher.” Voice quivering, he continued, his words coming faster. “I was alone for my first heat, only with toys, and it was hell. I hated it. I really fucking hated it.” His voice broke, squeezing my heart.
The next part tumbled out of his mouth, weepy and interrupted by broken exhalations. “I don’t want to like find someone random on a dating app. It’s not like I’m pretty enough to pick and choose, and some people are real creeps, I can never tell, and there’s no time to get to know anyone.”
Not pretty enough? Sure, Carter didn’t have the refined, styled look according to the latest trends, but he had soft features and clear, glowing skin, giving him this air of fragility and gentleness. I found myself drawn to his facial expressions, the play of his eyebrows, and the changing curve of his full lips. Add his small, lithe posture and boyish smiles… he was beautiful. Noodle bumped his hand, and Carter petted him, taking deep breaths.
“I didn’t know you’d be early so I was just sitting here feeling sorry for myself. I didn’t want to go home and let Uncle Ray see me like this.” He waved a hand in front of his reddened face, grimacing.
I had no idea what to say. None. Aside from underestimating his own appeal, he was right. It was either toys or a virtual stranger, with the added risk of getting pregnant. I couldn’t imagine how he felt.
“Dave and I had everything figured out,” he said in a calmer voice. “He wouldn’t breed me, but I paid for a contraceptive just in case. One of those little thingies that go all the way inside…you know. It was expensive as hell, but it’s done now. I’m not in love with Dave or anything, but he’s a friend, and we’ve hooked up a few times in the past. It felt safe.”
He bent and rubbed his face into Noodle’s fur. His next words came out muffled.
“I don’t know what to do. I’m so fucking scared.”
I looked at him for a long while as he nuzzled Noodle. The curve of his neck, the messy hair that hid his forehead and tangled in his glasses. I could smell him, too. An innocent scent, flowery and warm… No. Nuh-uh. No way. I stopped the thought before it could bloom.
“Carter, do you want a drink?”
He looked up and bit his lip. Then he gave me a jerky nod.
We sat on the living room sofa, and Noodle curled up by Carter’s feet. I poured us both a whiskey, and Carter sipped it carefully, obviously unused to hard liquor.
“No other friend you could ask?”
He shook his head. It was an inane question. Whatever I could come up with, he’d already thought through for sure.
How much did a heat teacher cost these days? Could I pay for it? I could afford it, but how would he take it if I offered? Or better yet, how to say it so he’d accept? I mulled it over, suppressing the vague discomfort I felt over Carter in the arms of a heat teacher. They were professionals, weren’t they? Certified and under constant scrutiny. He’d be safe. It would surely be the best option.
“Richard,” he began before I could open my mouth.
He called me Richard for the first time, and my dick chose that very moment to stir. As if my name on Carter’s lips pushed some button on my libido, I was suddenly hyperaware of his warmth next to me and his lovely scent. I swallowed. Not now, for fuck’s sake! “Yes?”
“Would you…?”
Oh no. Hell no. This is exactly what I’m trying to avoid. But I couldn’t speak.
Carter gulped the whiskey and winced. “Would you do it?”
Fuck.
He looked at me with reddened eyes, and he must have noticed the horror on my face because his expression crumbled.
“I’m sorry.” He shot up so fast Noodle yelped. “I apologize. That was inappropriate. I apologize.”
And he ran.
Seeing the pain on his face, the fear, the way he scrambled to move away from me, it all had me on my feet and sprinting after him in two seconds flat. Luckily, he had no shoes on, so I caught up with him in the hall.
“Carter, don’t leave.”
It hurt to see him scared and humiliated. I thought of all the times I’d seen him smiling at Noodle or even at me, and it felt like it was my responsibility to make him smile again.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. Please, can you forget about it?” He was frantically tying his sneakers, hands shaking. “I really like this job, and I like Noodle. Please, can we not mention it again? I’m leaving now. I’m really sorry.”
I knelt by him and covered his hands with mine.
“Shh, Carter, it’s okay.”
He froze and lifted his fearful gaze to mine. He looked so small and so very young. He was twenty years younger than me. Who was I twenty years ago? Where was I?
Slowly, carefully, I cupped his cheek. He gaped, still as a statue. His tear-stained jaw warmed my palm, the heat radiating into my arm, spreading through my veins. Hold him, keep him safe, don’t let him leave.
“Are you even attracted to me?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “A little,” he whispered.
Damn, what was I going to do with this boy?
I skimmed my thumb along his cheekbone, and he held my gaze.
Then he licked his lips. Just a tiny peek of his tongue, and my conscience went belly up. Fuck it.
“Carter, I’m going to kiss you. Then you’ll go home, think about how it felt, and sleep on it. Tomorrow, if you still want me to be with you for your heat, we’ll talk it through and make plans.”
He blinked and swallowed. “Okay.”
I brushed his lips with mine, and he responded immediately. The tip of his tongue met mine. Oh heavens! So sweet. Carter’s artlessness and honesty were absolutely bewitching. His fingers dove into my beard, and he opened his mouth against mine, letting me stroke and suck on his tongue. I loved how he tasted. No, it wouldn’t be a chore guiding Carter through his heat. My dick was half-hard from only one kiss. When Carter whimpered softly and his hand dug into my shoulder, I was fully erect and throbbing in my pants. I broke the kiss before I could scare him.
Breathing harshly through his parted wet lips, Carter remained unmoving, his eyes closed behind his partially fogged-up glasses. I roamed his face as he slowly regained his faculties, his eyes fluttering open.
“Was that okay?” I asked, gently stroking his chin.
“Yeah.” More dazed blinking. “You want me?” The question sounded confused, like he was waking up into a different reality.
“Yes, I do.”
“Oh.” His teeth scraped the corner of his lower lip, and I rubbed the spot with my fingertip.
“You don’t have to say anything now. Go home and think about it. Tomorrow, come by at seven, and we’ll talk. If you’d rather not see me, just message me, and I’ll never mention it again, I swear.”
He nodded just once, then bent his head and finished tying his shoes. In three seconds flat, he was out of the door.
~ * ~ Jo‘s Review ~ * ~
5 Stars
Excuse the pun, but there is nothing unexpected about this book…in the best of ways. The author, as usual, hits it out of the park with this wonderful story. They are among the few authors that I know that can balance the sweet and romantic with off-the-charts heat. It shouldn’t work, but oh my, it does.
Richard is an Alpha who has left a toxic relationship and moved away for a fresh start. He’s bought the dog he didn’t want but now adores with him. With his long hours, he needs a dog walker. This brings quiet, unassuming Carter into his life. The opposite in every way to his last partner, Carter stirs something in him but younger and innocent, he lets the thoughts stay in his head. When Carter is let down by his friend for his second heat and approaches Richard, he can’t say no.
Bayou Book Junkie 