Prince of the Playhouse
(Love in Laguna #3)
By Tara LainHi everyone. I’m so excited about the next book in my Love in Laguna Series!! Prince of the Playhouse is Ru’s story and that handsome devil has some real surprises in store. Keep reading.
IMPORTANT!
You Can buy Prince of the Playhouse right now at the Dreamspinner 25% OFF SALE for only $5.24, so you might want to pre-order!
Thank you for coming by!! : )
Blurb:
Driven by his desire to become a successful fashion designer and concerned with hiding his questionable past, Ru Maitland lets his obsession with action movie star Gray Anson on the big screen replace his social life. Then obsession and reality collide when Ru is asked to design fashion costumes for a special performance of Hamlet at the Playhouse in Laguna starring none other than Gray Anson. Gray turns out to be a compelling mix of shy and brash and, despite a high profile engagement to a female socialite, the signals Gray sends Ru have his libido doing the salsa.
Gray Anson has what most people only dream of—great wealth, huge fame, a job he loves. For that, he’s given up any semblance of privacy and the right to say no to the thousands of people who depend on him and the millions who love him. He sees everything he’s ever wanted just outside the bubble of his life, but how can he make the compromises needed to embrace it? When Ru’s shady past crashes into Gray’s paparazzi-haunted present, both men have to learn that sometimes the only acceptable compromise is the truth.
Available for pre-order at
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Release Date:April 4, 2016
Excerpts
Ru cleared his throat. “Just stand relaxed.” Take
that advice yourself. He stepped behind him. Gray towered over Ru’s five
eleven. The man must be a full six three or four as reported. Stretching his
tape, Ru measured the width of those shoulders. Have to do it. He rested a hand
against Gray’s arm and let the warmth seep into his bones—and his boner. “Do
you usually wear a forty-four long?”
that advice yourself. He stepped behind him. Gray towered over Ru’s five
eleven. The man must be a full six three or four as reported. Stretching his
tape, Ru measured the width of those shoulders. Have to do it. He rested a hand
against Gray’s arm and let the warmth seep into his bones—and his boner. “Do
you usually wear a forty-four long?”
“Uh, yes, I think so. They tailor it for my, uh,
waist.”
waist.”
“Um-hm.” Ru wrapped the tape around Anson’s
waist, trying not to pass out. “Thirty-three.”
waist, trying not to pass out. “Thirty-three.”
“Yeah.”
Though he didn’t really have to, he measured
Gray’s chest and hips. “How do you see Hamlet?”
Gray’s chest and hips. “How do you see Hamlet?”
“Sorry? What do you mean?”
“What’s your understanding of the character?”
“Oh.” He shrugged. “I guess he’s confused. Pissed
that everybody including ghosts wants something from him.” Whoa. That last
boiled with heat. “Sorry.”
that everybody including ghosts wants something from him.” Whoa. That last
boiled with heat. “Sorry.”
“No, I like your take on him.”
The edges of his lips turned up. “You do?”
“Yeah.” Ru knelt to measure the inseam. “Just
hold still for a second.” He swallowed hard and snuggled one hand in the
general vicinity of Gray’s balls. Some balls they were too, nicely framed by
the crotch of a pair of old, worn jeans. Movies often unveiled Gray’s awesome
ass, but the balls Ru had never seen. He pulled the tape to the floor.
“Thirty-six sound right?”
hold still for a second.” He swallowed hard and snuggled one hand in the
general vicinity of Gray’s balls. Some balls they were too, nicely framed by
the crotch of a pair of old, worn jeans. Movies often unveiled Gray’s awesome
ass, but the balls Ru had never seen. He pulled the tape to the floor.
“Thirty-six sound right?”
“Yes. I guess.”
If he burrowed his nose in Gray’s crotch and
sniffed, could he blame it on the need to gather impressions for his design?
His giggle tried to escape again. He stood before he went through with it. “Let
me show you what I’m thinking.”
sniffed, could he blame it on the need to gather impressions for his design?
His giggle tried to escape again. He stood before he went through with it. “Let
me show you what I’m thinking.”
He didn’t usually share his designs until they
were further along, but man, he didn’t want Gray to leave. He leaned over the
table he’d been sketching at. Gray rested his perfect forearm on the table and
looked over Ru’s shoulder. Warmth from his body slammed into Ru like a day in
Jamaica, and Mr. Downtown turned into a heat-seeking missile.
were further along, but man, he didn’t want Gray to leave. He leaned over the
table he’d been sketching at. Gray rested his perfect forearm on the table and
looked over Ru’s shoulder. Warmth from his body slammed into Ru like a day in
Jamaica, and Mr. Downtown turned into a heat-seeking missile.
Ru sucked in a breath. “Uh, what if we dress
Hamlet like a sort of ultrafashionable gangbanger? Baggy pants and a
combination of wifebeaters and baggy T-shirts. But we’ll do them in fantasy
colors and cover your arms and chest in tattoos.” Ru’s fingers flew across the
pages as the ideas took shape, bold lines slashing the white paper. “We’ll even
tie your head in a bandana.” He looked up and almost choked. Gray’s face was
poised only inches from his, and he was smiling, the huge, flashing-teeth,
dimples-as-deep-as-craters smile that had made this man a billionaire. All I’d
have to do is stand on tiptoe and I could kiss him. Of course, I wouldn’t get
to do costumes for Hamlet anymore, but it might be worth it. He smiled slowly
at the incongruity of the perfect face surrounded by the ratty gray wig.
Hamlet like a sort of ultrafashionable gangbanger? Baggy pants and a
combination of wifebeaters and baggy T-shirts. But we’ll do them in fantasy
colors and cover your arms and chest in tattoos.” Ru’s fingers flew across the
pages as the ideas took shape, bold lines slashing the white paper. “We’ll even
tie your head in a bandana.” He looked up and almost choked. Gray’s face was
poised only inches from his, and he was smiling, the huge, flashing-teeth,
dimples-as-deep-as-craters smile that had made this man a billionaire. All I’d
have to do is stand on tiptoe and I could kiss him. Of course, I wouldn’t get
to do costumes for Hamlet anymore, but it might be worth it. He smiled slowly
at the incongruity of the perfect face surrounded by the ratty gray wig.
Gray spoke softly. “You really get into this,
don’t you?”
don’t you?”
Ru swallowed. “Uh, yes, sorry.”
“No need to be sorry. I love the idea, and I love
your passion.”
your passion.”
“You—you do?”
“Yes.” He just kept staring at Ru. “Do you know
your eyes are almost the color of a cat’s?”
your eyes are almost the color of a cat’s?”
“And yours are like the sky before a storm.”
Ru
nodded and words blurted out. “I’d say you just bought and paid for the right
to do most anything you want.”
nodded and words blurted out. “I’d say you just bought and paid for the right
to do most anything you want.”
Gray’s
forehead creased for an instant, then smoothed again. “Okay, come with me.”
Gray led the way through the crowd and stopped beside Chris. “I need to talk
with Ru. We’ll be back in a few.”
forehead creased for an instant, then smoothed again. “Okay, come with me.”
Gray led the way through the crowd and stopped beside Chris. “I need to talk
with Ru. We’ll be back in a few.”
“Sure
thing, boss.” He turned to face the crowd as Gray pulled Ru through the doors
that led to what could now officially be called Ru Maitland Designs. People
crowded the halls. Gray muttered, “Well, hell.” He nodded and smiled as he kept
exploring all the way back to Ru’s office. A couple of cameramen snapped
pictures inside.
thing, boss.” He turned to face the crowd as Gray pulled Ru through the doors
that led to what could now officially be called Ru Maitland Designs. People
crowded the halls. Gray muttered, “Well, hell.” He nodded and smiled as he kept
exploring all the way back to Ru’s office. A couple of cameramen snapped
pictures inside.
Ru
snorted. “Had I known I was about to be preserved for posterity, I might have
been neater.”
snorted. “Had I known I was about to be preserved for posterity, I might have
been neater.”
The
last door led out to the parking lot behind Shazam. Gray glanced back at Ru.
“Will an alarm go off if I open it?”
last door led out to the parking lot behind Shazam. Gray glanced back at Ru.
“Will an alarm go off if I open it?”
“Nope.
It’s our secret exit.”
It’s our secret exit.”
“Good.”
He pushed down on the bar and opened the door, pulled Ru into the parking lot,
and closed the doors behind them. He fished in his pocket and pulled out a key
ring, then pushed a button. A chirp came from the black limo parked under the
trees. He opened the back door, grabbed Ru’s arm, and pulled him inside with
him. “Close the door.”
He pushed down on the bar and opened the door, pulled Ru into the parking lot,
and closed the doors behind them. He fished in his pocket and pulled out a key
ring, then pushed a button. A chirp came from the black limo parked under the
trees. He opened the back door, grabbed Ru’s arm, and pulled him inside with
him. “Close the door.”
“Gray,
I—”
I—”
“Close
the damned door.”
the damned door.”
Well,
okay. He slammed the car door, closing them into a secret hiding place, barely
illuminated through the heavy tinting on the windows. Ru turned toward Gray,
who now full-on frowned. “Open your fly and lie back.”
okay. He slammed the car door, closing them into a secret hiding place, barely
illuminated through the heavy tinting on the windows. Ru turned toward Gray,
who now full-on frowned. “Open your fly and lie back.”
“What?
What the fuck are you talking about?”
What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I’m
going to give you a blowjob. You said I bought the right to do anything I want,
and that’s what I want.”
going to give you a blowjob. You said I bought the right to do anything I want,
and that’s what I want.”
“Fuuuuuck
me.” The words came out on a long, slow breath.
me.” The words came out on a long, slow breath.
“We
can do that too, but we’re a little short on time, so a blowjob is more
practical.”
can do that too, but we’re a little short on time, so a blowjob is more
practical.”
“Are
you always practical?”
you always practical?”
He
gazed directly at Ru. “When you’re a gay man in the biggest, deepest closet in
the world, you pretty much have to be. So unzip.”
gazed directly at Ru. “When you’re a gay man in the biggest, deepest closet in
the world, you pretty much have to be. So unzip.”
“Hang
on. You can’t just—”
on. You can’t just—”
“I
can’t? I thought you said I could.”
can’t? I thought you said I could.”
Ru
frowned back at him.
frowned back at him.
“Oh,
you mean we might have something to talk about? Maybe I didn’t just spend a ton
of money to buy sex from you? Is there a chance of that?”
you mean we might have something to talk about? Maybe I didn’t just spend a ton
of money to buy sex from you? Is there a chance of that?”
Love in Laguna Series
Available for purchase at
Paperback from Dreamspinner
Available for purchase at
Paperback from Dreamspinner
About the Author
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her bestselling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soulmate husband and her soulmate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!You can find Tara at
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Love the excerpt and the cover! So very excited for Ru to get his HEA!!!