Welcome to author Layla Reyne and the Imperial Stout blog tour. To celebrate the upcoming release of this first book in the Trouble Brewing series, Layla is sharing an exclusive excerpt from her FREE book Blended Whiskey, so be sure to check out the download details and enjoy!
About Imperial Stout
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date (Print & Ebook): Ebook/Audio – July 23, 2018 || Print – July 31, 2019
Length (Print & Ebook): 272 Pages
Subgenre: M/M Romantic Suspense
Preorder here: Amazon || Universal Link || Carina Press
Blurb: Layla Reyne spins off from her pulse-pounding Agents Irish and Whiskey books with Imperial Stout, the first installment in the Trouble Brewing series
It’s a good thing assistant US attorney Dominic Price co-owns a brewery. He could use a cold one. Nic’s star witness has just been kidnapped, his joint operation with the FBI is in jeopardy, his father’s shady past is catching up with him and the hot new special agent in San Francisco is the kind of distraction best handled with a stiff drink.
Kidnap and rescue expert Cameron Byrne has his own ideas about how to handle Nic, but his skills are currently needed elsewhere. The by-the-book FBI agent goes deep undercover as a member of an infamous heist crew in order to save Nic’s witness, break up the crew and close the case before anyone else gets hurt. Nic in particular.
Things heat up when Cam falls for Nic, and the witness falls for Cam. As the crew’s suspicions grow, Cam must decide how far he’s willing to go—and how far into his own dark past he’s willing to dive—to get everyone out alive.
The Excerpt
Who is Assistant US Attorney Dominic Price? Get a sneak peek of one of the heroes in Layla Reyne’s new male/male romantic suspense series, Trouble Brewing, which launches with IMPERIAL STOUT, this July from Carina Press.
Nic Excerpt
From BLENDED WHISKEY
Nic grabbed the three beer bottles by their necks and the margarita in his other hand. He followed the cobblestone path around to the front of the hotel where Danny and Cam had annexed one corner of the valet area, the former tying growlers, wrappers, and soda cans to the back of the Chevelle, while the latter shook a spray can of whipped cream. For her part, Mel sat perched on the fountain ledge, bouncing one knee over the other as she monitored the children. Nic handed the margarita to her first, then took the beers over to the guys.
“I have a question,” he said, standing next to Cam near the hood of the car. “Who’s the better quarterback, Montana or Brady?”
Cam whipped his head around so fast they almost bumped noses. “You really wanna have this argument with me?”
“I asked the question, didn’t I?”
“Brady. No question.”
“Oh, that’s my cue!” Danny straightened from tying on the last growler. “Definitely Montana.”
The argument, which roped in even Mel, who, as a Miami native, lobbied hard for Marino, kept the troublemakers out of the inside of the car and limited the whipped cream shenanigans to IRISH & WHISKEY on the hood and JUST MARRIED on the back windshield.
“Well played,” Mel whispered to Nic as they stood on the edge of the wedding crowd twenty minutes later.
Clover and rainbow confetti showered the grooms as they hustled out, and Jamie mouthed a Thank you over his shoulder at Nic. Cam tossed the beach house keys through the window, and Jamie revved the engine, peeling away to raucous applause.
Crowd dispersing, Danny held an arm out to Mel. “Another dance, wife?”
She looped her elbow through his. “Twist my arm, husband.” They joined the group of guests headed back to the lawn, Cam with them.
Nic, unfortunately—or maybe not, as he’d had enough socializing for one day—needed to check in on his case. He was waiting at the elevators when a shout of “Dominic!” rang out behind him.
Cam stalked across the lobby toward him, visibly perturbed that Nic had tried to duck out early. “I’m not done arguing with you.” Or maybe he just wanted to go another few rounds. “Let’s talk Super Bowls. Number of appearances?”
Nic played along for the chance to get the last word. And he was going to get it. He’d saved his ace in the hole, anticipating Cam wouldn’t let this drop. Arguing was what they did best, after all. “Four,” he answered.
“Eight for Brady. Super Bowl MVPs?”
“Three,” Nic answered as Cam stepped past him into the elevator.
“Four.” Cam hit the button for his floor, then Nic his. “Super Bowl wins?”
“Four.” Nic bit the inside of his cheek, holding back the question he wanted to ask so badly.
“Five,” Cam shot back. “Brady’s got him beat, hands down.”
“Okay, Boston, here’s one for you… How many times did Montana lose a Super Bowl?”
Oh, how those lovely dark eyes blazed.
“I’m sorry.” Nic held a hand up to his ear. “I didn’t hear your answer.”
“None,” Cam gritted out between clenched teeth.
“Right, none,” Nic said. “And Brady lost to who? Oh, that’s right, twice to Eli fucking Manning and once to a fucking back-up.” Nic planed his arms like a flying bird and grinned. “Fly Eagles fly.” Cam’s face reddened, the color in his cheeks even lovelier than his swirling black eyes. “Is that the Manning-Face you’re—”
The rest of Nic’s words died, silenced by a whiskey-and-stout-laced kiss. Cam had flown across the cab, grabbed his chin, and shut him up faster than a judge’s gavel. The taste of his beer on Cam’s lips, on his tongue, was enough to blank Nic’s mind, to make him groan his want down the agent’s throat. Taking advantage, Cam shoved him back against the elevator wall and dove deeper into the kiss.
But Nic didn’t let him hold the upper hand for long. He wanted a deeper taste too. Hands tunneling through Cam’s dark hair, he forced his tongue between Cam’s lips and claimed a better taste of the mouth he’d wanted for months. And fuck him if it wasn’t better than his wildest dreams. Just like the hard body pressed against him, and the other hard parts grinding against each other. If Nic kept going, there was only one place this would lead. Where his dreams always did these past months. But those dreams were just that, fantasies. Because reality, making itself known again with the ding of the elevator, stood between them.
Cam saved him the wasted willpower, pulling back first for breath, Nic’s jaw still held in his hand. “If you ever accuse me of having Manning-Face again, I swear I will turn a keg of your best beer green.”
“I believe this is your floor, Agent Byrne.” Using one of the moves he’d learned as a Navy SEAL, Nic easily dislodged Cam’s hold, got behind him, and shoved him out of the elevator. But not before copping a feel of Cam’s firm, round ass. “Later, Boston.”
Cam grinned over his shoulder, dark eyes heavy-lidded. “Sooner, Price.”
Against his better judgment, Nic sure the hell hoped so.
You can read more of Nic’s chapter and the rest of BLENDED WHISKEY for FREE, and pre-order IMPERIAL STOUT, the first book of Nic and Cam’s Trouble Brewing series, for release on July 23, 2018 in e-book and audio, and on July 31, 2018 in mass market paperback HERE.
About the Author
Author Layla Reyne was raised in North Carolina and now calls San Francisco home. She enjoys weaving her bi-coastal experiences into her stories, along with adrenaline-fueled suspense and heart pounding romance. When she’s not writing stories to excite her readers, she downloads too many books, watches too much television, and cooks too much food with her scientist husband, much to the delight of their smushed-face, leftover-loving dogs. Layla is a member of Romance Writers of America and its Kiss of Death and Rainbow Romance Writers chapters. She was a 2016 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist in Romantic Suspense.
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