Ari McKay are here today to talk about their new Dreamspun Desires release, Seeking Solace and they've brought an exclusive excerpt too!
Read our 5 ❤ review of it here.
Hello, everyone! I’m the McKay half of Ari McKay, and I’d like to thank Boy Meets Boy for letting me stop by as part of our launch tour for Seeking Solace.
Seeking Solace is the third book in our Walker Boys series, which focuses on some of the men of the expansive Walker family from Buffalo Lick, Texas. Each Walker Boys book features a self-contained romance with a different couple, but characters from the previous books often make appearances.
Although the Walker boys are from Texas, only the first book is set entirely in Buffalo Lick. The main action of Seeking Solace occurs on board a cruise ship. For this post, I’d like to present an exclusive excerpt from the book. Enjoy!
Paul followed Devin out of the dining room, and then they rode the elevator up to the sports deck, which was at the top of the ship. Since it was well after midnight, there was no one around, but Devin didn’t stop there. He took a key ring out of his pocket to unlock a door next to the stand where people could borrow basketballs or putters and balls for the minigolf course. There was a spiral stairway inside, and Devin led him upward to a small deck, no more than twenty feet square, that was completely deserted. But the view of the sky and the moonlit sea was beautiful, and the band in the dining room was clearly audible.
“When they built the ship, they’d planned to have skeet shooting up here,” Devin explained. He took off his backpack and placed it near the door. “But there was something about insurance and liability problems, so the idea was abandoned. One of the ventilation shafts for the dining room comes out on the sports deck, which is why you can hear the music.” He walked over to the railing where the deck overlooked the water at the aft of the ship. “I love to come up here at night.”
Paul approached the railing and gazed out at the ocean. The water looked forbidding—black and infinite—but the reflection of the moon on the surface gave it an unearthly allure. Overhead, countless stars glittered, bright pinpoints of light in the inky velvet of the night sky, and Paul was entranced by the view.
“I can see why,” he said, leaning on his forearms against the sturdy metal rail.
“They sometimes have small, private cocktail parties up here, which is why I have a key,” Devin said. He turned his back to the water, leaned against the rail, and looked at Paul. “So, Mr. Bailey… we’re all alone, no one can see… would you care to dance?”
Paul shot a startled look at Devin, too surprised to respond right away. That was the last thing he expected Devin to suggest, and he knew he ought to say no. He was already having inappropriate thoughts about Devin; dancing would only make it worse.
But he wanted to. He hadn’t danced in over two years, and he missed it. He missed the pleasure of having a man who was attractive and who he was attracted to in his arms, and Devin was safe. Trustworthy in ways Jack and the other men he’d dated after the accident hadn’t been.
Paul drew in a deep breath, roused his courage, and said, “Yes.”
He could see Devin’s smile in the moonlight as Devin straightened. “Would you prefer to lead? That way we can go at your pace.”
“Sure, that would be fine.” Paul moved closer and held out his arms, scarcely able to believe he was about to do this.
Devin moved closer, sliding into Paul’s arms as naturally as if he’d been doing it for years. They were well matched, and Devin smiled as the band began “Moonlight Serenade.”
“Well, this is about as perfect as it gets,” he murmured.
“So it is.” Paul kept a polite distance between them as he secured his arm around Devin’s waist and began to move. It was awkward at first, and he worried he was going to drag his prosthetic foot—or worse, trip them both—but the music was slow and easy to follow, which helped.
Devin moved with him, easily and naturally. He gave Paul’s hand a squeeze. “You’re doing great. See? You can still dance beautifully.”
“I haven’t fallen on my face,” Paul said, smiling wryly. “I consider that a win.”
“You’re doing much better than that,” Devin said. “You’re naturally graceful, and it shows. Just move as you always have, and you’ll be fine. Your body hasn’t forgotten.”
Devin’s reassurance was comforting, and Paul released a long, slow breath to help himself relax. He remembered how it felt to lose himself in the music and forget the outside world while he savored the pleasure of dancing, of being in sync with his partner, of letting the rhythm take over. He wanted to feel that way again, so he focused on the music and Devin, unconsciously drawing Devin a little closer as they moved around the small deck.
They danced on, as the songs flowed together, slow and romantic tunes made for dancing. Then the music stopped, and Devin sighed. “That was wonderful, Paul. I haven’t danced like that in a long time. Thank you.”
“I should be thanking you.” Paul met Devin’s gaze, and gratitude was the easiest but not the only emotion threatening to overwhelm him as he lost himself in Devin’s eyes. “I feel like you’ve been more help to me in just a few days than therapy has been in over a year.”
Devin hadn’t moved away. “I’m glad,” he said softly. “You’re a wonderful person, and you deserve to be happy.”
“I want to be.” Paul found himself smoothing his palm up and down the length of Devin’s back, savoring the warmth seeping through Devin’s shirt. “I think I was in a rut, but being here—being with you—has shaken me out of it.”
The smile on Devin’s face was easy to see even in the darkness. “Good. I can’t take all the credit, though. I think you’d probably worked through a lot of things yourself, and you just needed a little push to get you started down the path.” He touched Paul’s cheek lightly with his fingertips. “When the cruise is over, you need to keep going in the right direction. And if you don’t, I’ll find you and kick your butt for you.”
Paul laughed quietly, not wanting to disturb the strange, private cocoon that had spun around them. “Noted.”
Devin’s gaze fell to Paul’s mouth, and when he spoke, his voice was husky. “I feel so totally selfish right now.”
Paul frowned slightly, puzzled by that apparent non sequitur. “Why?”
“Because if you were still attached, I’d never dream of doing this,” Devin replied, then leaned forward, his eyes sliding closed as he pressed his lips to Paul’s in a gentle kiss.
Startled, Paul froze at first, but the warmth of Devin’s lips was too tempting to resist. It had been so long, and he had been lonelier than he cared to admit. He closed his eyes and parted his lips, a soft moan escaping him.
Devin slid his fingers into Paul’s hair as he accepted the invitation to deepen the kiss. He explored Paul’s mouth, going slowly, twining his tongue with Paul’s, stepping closer until Paul felt the warmth of Devin’s body against the length of his. Paul wound his arms around Devin and clenched his fingers on Devin’s back. This wasn’t smart, and he would likely regret it, but in the moment, all he wanted to do was enjoy the press of Devin’s body against his and the pleasure of a man’s body in his arms. He yielded to Devin’s exploration, offering to give whatever Devin wanted to take.
Devin made a soft sound of pleasure as Paul responded, and kiss flowed into kiss, slow and deep. Devin stroked through Paul’s hair, while he caressed Paul’s back with his other hand, running it slowly from shoulder to hip and back again. The touches were a soothing balm to Paul’s battered heart, and he wanted nothing more than to arch into them like a needy cat, but this couldn’t continue. He couldn’t have this for more reasons than one, and so he drew back with reluctance.
“We should stop,” he whispered.
Drawing in a deep breath, Devin nodded. “You’re right. You were just… irresistible, standing there in the moonlight.”
All hands on deck for a shipboard romance—with a secret.
Like his cousins, Devin Walker aspires to be a chef, but he wants to indulge his wanderlust while feeding his customers, and working a cruise ship seems like the solution. Since he can’t find an opening in the kitchen, he’s happy to start out in a position behind the bar.
While onboard Poseidon’s Pearl, Devin is assigned to shepherd a visiting executive. Paul Bailey is quiet and unassuming, and a car accident that cost him his leg also shattered his confidence. He doesn’t think he’s attractive to other men anymore, and Devin is eager to show him just how wrong he is. Paul has a surprising secret that might sink their passionate affair before it even leaves port.
BUY LINKS:
Dreamspinner Press
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
BIO:
Ari McKay is the professional pseudonym for Arionrhod and McKay, who have been writing together for over a decade. Their collaborations encompass a wide variety of romance genres, including contemporary, fantasy, science fiction, gothic, and action/adventure. Their work includes the Blood Bathory series of paranormal novels, the Herc’s Mercs series, as well as two historical Westerns: Heart of Stone and Finding Forgiveness. When not writing, they can often be found scheming over costume designs or binge watching TV shows together.
Arionrhod is a systems engineer by day who is eagerly looking forward to (hopefully) becoming a full time writer in the not-too-distant future. Now that she is an empty-nester, she has turned her attentions to finding the perfect piece of land to build a fortress in preparation for the zombie apocalypse, and baking (and eating) far too many cakes.
McKay is an English teacher who has been writing for one reason or another most of her life. She also enjoys knitting, reading, cooking, and playing video games. She has been known to knit in public. Given she has the survival skills of a gnat, she’s relying on Arionrhod to help her survive the zombie apocalypse.
CONTACTS:
Website
Facebook author page
Goodreads
Amazon
Congrats on the new release!
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