BOOK BLITZ with EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT: 'Stranger in Black' by Devon Rhodes
Title: Stranger in Black
Author: Devon Rhodes
Published: August 10, 2016 2nd Edition
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anna Sikorska
Genre: Contemporary Romance; Erotic Romance
Length: 69 Pages
Tags: Gay; M/M; Novelette; HFN
Devon Rhodes is a 2016 GayRomLit Featured Author
BLURB:
Before Christian can end his relationship with a closeted cheater, he needs to see the evidence firsthand. He disguises himself and attends a masquerade ball escorted by a friend, in search of the Stranger in Black. When he finds him, he gets something entirely different—and much more erotic—than he expected. Wearing a black-and-gold mask, Jarrod is on the hunt for Chris, the “other woman” his best friend’s fiancé is having an affair with. But a sexy vision in a white gown captures his attention and takes his breath away, which is strange, since he’s gay. One by one, the pieces fall away, exposing their dual deception. After the masks—and the pants—are off, Christian and Jarrod must work together to support a friend… and maybe become something more than strangers.
EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT: Car after car, limo after limo pulled up and disgorged the beautifully dressed cream of society onto the literal red carpet leading into the hotel hosting the masquerade event. The evening was a chilly one, spring having not yet given way to summer, so overcoats and capes covered much of the finery. It made trying to spot one particular long, dark robe almost impossible, and Christian gave up, knowing he’d have a much easier time of it once they were inside.
The car David had hired crept forward incrementally as they awaited their turn under the portico.
“Are you okay? Sure you want to go through with this?” David took Christian’s hand as if he were the lady he outwardly appeared to be, much to Christian’s bemusement.
Teasingly, he covered David’s hand with his own as he replied, “Yes, I’m sure, darling.”
David’s small mask, which just surrounded his eyes and left his face in view, did nothing to hide his astonished look and the upward movement of his right eyebrow. He pointedly removed Christian’s hand from atop his own, but then leaned in even closer.
“Say something else,” he demanded.
“Geez, no pressure or anything.”
“Holy crap, you sound just like a chick.”
“Really?” Christian was dubious. “I’m not even changing my voice. Wait a minute.” His jaw dropped. “Are you telling me I always sound like a chick?”
David shook his head. “Nope. See, you have to be looking at you to get it. You don’t sound any different than a woman with a sexy, low voice when you look like that.” He ran his gaze over Christian admiringly.
This time it was Christian’s eyebrow that shot up, though he knew David couldn’t see it under the full mask. “I’m getting a bit worried about your orientation, bud. Should I be welcoming you to the dark side? We have cookies,” he tempted, trying not to be miffed by David’s observation about his voice.
“Fucking amazing,” David complimented, then looked around. “Here we are. Ready or not….”
“…here I come,” Christian finished as he reached for the door handle.
“Stop!” David smacked his arm, and Christian glared at his date as he rubbed the glove-covered limb dramatically. “They’ll open the door for you, idiot. Meet you outside.” David was already getting out of his side of the vehicle to walk around as Christian’s door opened and a doorman held out his hand in invitation.
“Watch your step, miss,” the young man cautioned as Christian tentatively laid his hand onto the similarly white-gloved one extended to him, then tried to make a graceful exit from the seat of the car while managing his skirts, heels, and wig. The memory of Shenice regaling him with the possible ways of flashing the public popped into his head, and that gave him impetus as a touch of panic set in. Feeling like a total klutz, he finally managed to stand, but the first step he took caught the sloped curb and he canted sideways.
The grip on his hand tightened, and another large, masculine hand landed on the small of his back to steady him. “Easy, miss. Are you all right?”
He looked up into the oh-so-young face of the man assisting him and could see the faint admiration in his eyes at this range. He really thinks I’m a woman, Christian thought, astounded. The first realization that he might actually successfully pull this off hit him with a wash of relief, and he curved his lips into a demure smile, watching as a blush chased up over his helper’s cheeks.
“Thank you.” David’s amused voice came from his right, and his hand was taken from the doorman’s and tucked into the crook of his friend’s arm. Without a backward glance at his admirer, Christian confidently walked at David’s side into the hotel lobby.
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Devon Rhodes is a happily caffeinated former sleepwalker who, over a decade ago, left the business world for the cushy life of motherhood. Two kids later, at around 39 (and holding), she couldn’t take her ponytail and T-shirt life anymore. So she sat down at the laptop to try to do justice to the images burning in her head. A few months later, success! She fended off her identity crisis by morphing from stay-at-home mom into a published erotic romance writer.
She lives in beautiful Oregon with her family, who are (mostly) understanding of all the time she spends on her laptop, aka the black hole. You can find her wherever her two girls are, and you’ll never see her in a scrunchie again. Devon loves to hear from readers—you can email her at devonrhodes@hotmail.com.
