When Attraction Isn't Instant – A Guest Post And Giveaway By Skylar M. Cates

We all know that attraction is an odd thing. In real life, I can remember being “just friends” with somebody for many years, not finding them particularly attractive at all, and then KAPOW—sudden chemistry. Why? He was making me laugh really hard, and the attraction took me over.

Chemistry. It’s not all about looks. It can be about personality. It can be about connection to another. Have you ever fallen for somebody NOT at first sight? Has a gorgeous person opened his/her mouth and become ugly? A quiet person shared something intimate and become beautiful? I know that it has happened to me.

In my upcoming release, The Only Guy, I thought it would be fun to play with a character who is pretty confused about who he is and who he wants. Aaron is not instantly attracted to the other MC, which creates tension, because the MC is desperately in love with him. The poor angst for Jesse! We all know what it is like to really fall for somebody who may be oblivious to us. Sigh. For Aaron, though, the attraction is a slowly developing. He’s barely aware of the chemistry building until it explodes on him. And then, boy, does it explode!

It’s a bit of an ugly duckling story. Aaron falls for the “ugly duckling,” and he is truly beautiful all along, not only physically, but also emotionally. I root for Aaron to want that “ugly duckling.” I hope you will root for them too.

Excerpt:

The road broke open a little and sunlight filled his window. All along the road now were gently rolling hills of the softest green. A handful of sheep and a few cows looked at him with big, soulful brown eyes as they wandered closer to the road. Aaron stopped driving a moment to simply watch them. Something deep inside him loosened a little as he looked at the animals and heard nothing but the rustle of the wind and the occasional birdcall.

Aaron turned onto another road that had a simple mailbox sitting there in the middle of nowhere that read J. Ross. It was a completely secluded spot, no neighbors anywhere in sight, and all along the unpaved driveway, the trees were lush with leaves, bursting full of vivid reds and oranges and yellows. The sky was inviting, clear and cloudless. Aaron had to admit—

It was so beautiful it almost hurt.

He saw a pretty log cabin nestled at the foothill of a small mountain. Two freshly painted barns stood nearby. He hoped his father had remembered to call Jesse. He’d offered to take care of it, and Aaron hadn’t much cared.

“Oh, well, Jesse. Hope you like surprises.”

Aaron checked himself in the mirror. He thought he looked pretty good. He got out of his dad’s Audi and went to the sturdy wooden door and knocked. Dogs barked wildly, both high yippee-sounding barks and deep low growls, and then the door swung open and a man loomed in front of him.

The words of greeting died on Aaron’s lips.

The man looked completely, late-night, B grade, stalker-movie crazy. Aaron took an instinctive step back.

Wild tangles of blond hair hung down to his shoulders, and his clothes were splattered with what looked like blood. He had an ugly scar that hooked downward from the top of his cheek to where it met the bushiest beard Aaron had ever seen. Only his eyes were familiar, intelligent and fierce, a stormy combination of dark blue with a steely gray ring, staring back at him.

“Jesse?”

“Hi, Aaron,” he said quietly. He opened the door wider for Aaron to enter.

THANKS FOR HOSTING ME!

BIO: Skylar M. Cates loves a good romance. She is quite happy to drink some coffee, curl up with a good book, and not move all day. Most days, however, Skylar is chasing after her husband, her kids, and her giant dog, Wasabi. Skylar dreams about spending her days writing her novels, walking along the beach, and making more time for her good friends. On a shoestring budget, Skylar has traveled all over in her early years. Although, lately, the laundry room is the farthest place she has visited, Skylar still loves to chat with people from all around the globe.

Blurb: Aaron Weiss knows how to escape. Years ago, he ran from a romantic disappointment and impulsively joined the Army. Now, he’s forced to take a medical discharge and readjusting to life at home proves a challenge.

Jesse Ross knows how to hide. He realizes he’s an oddball, and that he’s an outsider within his own family. He also knows his secret love since childhood, Aaron, only wants his good-looking, favored older brother. Yet Jesse could never completely abandon his intense feelings for Aaron. Over the years, Jesse was a faithful pen pal to him. Still, he’s shocked to his core to find Aaron on his doorstep.

As long-buried secrets and past hurts take center stage, the two are overwhelmingly drawn to each other. But it’s their future that may force them to risk everything.

Buy links: Dreamspinner Press

THE GIVEAWAY: THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED