About A Change of Pace
by JM Cartwright
194 pages / 53800 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-283-5
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html, lit, Adobe and Sony optimized pdf, prc, epub
Andrew Cunningham is ticked off. He's taken the fall for his old boss,
the mayor of Chicago, and is forced to head to Asheville, North Carolina to
avoid the press. He's not in the mood to be nice. Once he meets sexy
cabinetmaker Ridge Huntington, though, he unbends enough to get up close and
personal.
Drew manages to step on a few toes as he adjusts to life in the south, and
Ridge finds himself entertained in more ways than one. Nevertheless, Ridge
isn't sure that Mr. Right Now is worth the aggravation. They argue, Drew
curses a lot, and Ridge rolls his eyes.
Can an uppity Yankee and a laid-back Southerner meet in the middle?
Review
Alexa Snow, author of Sleeping Stone, writes: When Drew Cunningham
resigns from his job as top aide to the mayor of Chicago for political
reasons, he moves to the mountains of North Carolina. He's less than
thrilled with the situation even though he understands that it's the only
reasonable option for him, but his frustration melts away when he meets
Ridge Huntington and their friendship becomes something more.
This book is refreshingly straightforward in its plot, which is mainly about
the developing relationship between the main characters as they learn how to
be together and about which things in their past make intimacy more of a
challenge. The dialogue is excellent, very realistic, and the characters are
well-written enough that they are utterly believable. They aren't perfect,
but they're genuine in their imperfections. Readers looking for erotica
along with their romance won't be disappointed in the quality or quantity --
this story contains some scorchingly hot scenes, and they're written with
just as much confidence and talent as the rest of the book. This is a
paragon of contemporary romance and sure to please any fan of the genre.
Sample
Henry, who'd been lying out of the way on the comfy dog
bed, suddenly barked loudly, jerking Ridge to a halt. Looking over at the
door, he spotted Drew staring at him through the door glass, Elsa at his
side. He breathed in a shaky sigh, the sight of Drew making his heart pound.
His hit-and-run lover was dressed in black jeans that faithfully cupped a
sizable bulge and an olive-green T-shirt that showed off a heavily muscled
upper body.
Walking over to the speaker dock, Ridge swiftly muted the volume and went to
the door. Pulling it open, he had to dodge out of the way as Elsa dashed
inside. Regaining his balance, he leaned one arm against the open door.
"Hey." He'd be calm and cool. No matter what.
Drew walked into the apartment. "Hey." He pushed the door shut, then stood
there, not seeming to know what to say.
Ridge felt those laser-like eyes burn over his chest and crotch.
"Whoa. Who're you?"
Damn. He'd forgotten about Shelby while he'd been staring at all the
eye-candy right in front of him.
Shelby had an annoying habit of saying whatever was on his mind. That could
get dangerous in front of Drew.
"Um. Shelby. This is Drew Cunningham." Ridge gestured toward his silent,
erstwhile lover, then turned to look at his friend. "Uh. Drew, this is my
friend, Shelby Patterson." Biting his lip, he watched apprehensively as
Shelby stepped up and held out a hand.
"Heyah."
Slowly, Drew gripped Shelby's hand and shook. "Hi."
Ridge saw the knowing look on Shelby's face and knew it was going to
translate into speech.
"So. Come around here often?"
Groaning, Ridge covered his face. "Shelby!" What a wise-ass.
"What?" For such a big guy, his dipshit friend could sound pretty innocent.
Peeking through his fingers, Ridge saw Drew was frowning, lips turned
decidedly down. "What business is it of yours?" Uh-oh. That was
confrontational Yankee, no doubt about it.
"You mean, what business is it of mine that my best friend is letting some
asshole from Chicago dick him around?"
Christ. Why had he told Shelby what had happened at the barn? He butted in
before the chest bumping got started. "Boys! I'm right here."
Breathing deeply, Drew gave him a look. Shelby just grinned, obviously glad
he'd jumped into the fray.
"Look. Drew, come on in. Shelby, you go finish making breakfast." After
glaring at Shelby until his pain-in-the-ass pal headed back to the kitchen,
he turned back to face Drew, and found a different look on the rugged
features. Suspicion. "What now?"
"Breakfast?"
Sigh. "Yes. Breakfast. As in, my best friend came over this morning and
decided he wanted to make pancakes. Is that okay with you?" City boy wasn't
the only one who could do pissy.
Drew backpedaled. "Oh. Uh. Yeah." Biting his lip, he gazed around, his eyes
falling on the two shepherds, who were sharing breakfast at Henry's bowl.
"They really do get along well, don't they?"
"Is that why you came over?"
Drew grunted. "No." His exasperation showed for a second. "I came to talk to
you." Taking another step into the apartment, Drew fidgeted, shoving his
hands in his jeans pockets.
Ridge had to admit it was a bit of a tight fit, and once more his eyes
zeroed in on the package cradled behind the zippered fly.
"Right?"
Jerking his eyes up guiltily, Ridge frowned. "What?"
Drew sighed. "I said, I came to take you to breakfast. But, since your
friend is already making it for you, looks like you're busy, right?"
Still frowning, Ridge thought about that. The same guy who didn't want to be
seen with him at the barn now wanted to be seen with him at a restaurant?
Was this progress? Yes? "You're asking me out?"
"Forget it."
"Hold it." He reached out a hand to pull Drew back from the door that the
other man had started to open. "Just wait a minute, will you? Good God,
you're impatient." Pushing the door shut, he waved at the living room.
"Look, why don't you eat with us? Let me just finish putting this stuff
away." Ridge gathered up his cleaning supplies, crouching to pile them in
the basket. As he stood, he would have sworn that he heard a faint whistle
come out of Drew, but when he cranked his head around, Drew was looking
toward the kitchen, hands again shoved in those damned tight pockets.
Now self-conscious that all he had on was the tiny running shorts, Ridge
felt himself blushing as he clutched the basket and headed for the closet
near the bedroom door. Quickly shoving the supplies inside, he ducked into
his bedroom to grab another shirt.
Rifling through his dresser, he paused. Why should he feel self-conscious?
This was his home. Drew could stay or go. Smirking at himself in the mirror,
Ridge straightened his shoulders and walked back to the kitchen. He brushed
arms with Drew, passing him in the doorway to the kitchen. There. That was
definitely a deep breath he heard.