Day 4: Mia Monroe | 25 Days of Christmas

On the fourth day of 25 Days of Christmas, Mia Monroe gave us not only a sneak peek into an upcoming project but one lucky winner will receive an ebook of Damage and Deviate each and a $10 Amazon Gift Card!

© Mia Monroe. 2019

Cruz and Leo Excerpt- as yet untitled.

 “You can trust me, Cruz. You can, I swear.”

“Why? Why wouldn’t you tell her anything I say? You’re her brother.”

“I can see how it would be hard to trust me.”

“We need a secret together. One that would ruin us both. Then I would trust you.”

“Like?”

A slow smile pulls at his lips. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?”

I nod, mesmerized by his tone, his eyes, that mouth. “Yeah. Definitely.”

“What could you do that would ruin you if anyone found out?”

“You.”

Cruz’s smiles fades, and I’m afraid I went too far. “Me?”

“If I seduced you, if I could, Katy would hate me.”

He nods. “Yeah, she would. Do you think you could?”

“Seduce you?”

“Yeah.”

“No.”

“You doubt yourself?”

“You’re straight, Cruz.”

“I am, so I guess this only works if I seduce you.”

We continue locking eyes, and for a few seconds it’s like no one else is here but us. When the shots are dropped off, Cruz dips his finger in one and drags it over my lips. Fuck. Me.

“What should we do now?”

I exhale, trying to calm myself down. I have to be the voice of reason. “We’re both pretty drunk. Maybe we should go back to the hotel. Before we…”

“Do something?” I nod as he lifts the shot and slams it back. I do the same and as soon as the glass is on the table, Cruz cups my face. I search his eyes, feeling like I might explode.

“What are you do—” Before I can finish my sentence, Cruz’s lips are on mine. He’s kissing me! Oh my god. We fall back against the booth, our tongues and arms tangled together. I’m going to kiss this man like it’s the last kiss I’ll ever have. His mouth is warm and sweet, and I smile on his lips from the feeling of his stubble crashing into mine. This is what straight men don’t know about. That kissing another man is next level shit. It’s the best thing that ever existed.

Cruz is getting into it, pressing his body against mine, and shocking me when I feel the hard edge of his dick pressed on my thigh. Mine is about to explode through my jeans. When his hands rub my chest, my torso and my thigh, I moan into his mouth.

He pulls back abruptly, gazing into my eyes. His expression is a mixture of awe and confusion. He freaks out in 3…2…1…

It was the perfect plan. I would marry one of my closest friends and reap the financial rewards. He needed a savior right when I showed up on my white horse. We'd been friends for years, so now we'd be glorified roommates. No one had to know two straight guys decided to tie the knot. We agreed nothing would change. We'd just go on with our normal lives.

That was the plan until I started to notice more about him than just his laid back vibe. I started to look forward to coming home. I lived to talk books, art, and love. Suddenly, we were both feeling things that didn't make any sense. We didn't date men. We had to make a decision - act on the attraction or try to pretend it wasn't there.

One thing about perfect plans - sometimes you have to deviate.

Everyone deserves a second chance. Even someone like me.

I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life.

I would travel the world, share what I knew, and write my stories. Everything I did was designed to bring me closer to that goal. So when a dream opportunity landed in my lap, I had to take it, no matter who I had to leave behind in the process.

Three years have passed since I made that decision, and I quickly learned reality doesn't always match up with vision. Home is exactly where I need to be, but when I see the man I pushed aside to follow my chosen path, the true cost of my decision hits me like a ton of bricks. I don't deserve it, but I'll do anything to get him back.

All I want is a second chance at the future we should have had, but first I have to fix what I left behind... damage.