“Below the Belt (MM), Cedar Falls #16”
By Shea Balik
MMRomance/Erotic/BDSM
Release Date: November 3, 2016
Bookstrand

Welcome to Cedar Falls, a small North Carolina town nestled among the Smokey Mountains, where the people are friendly and the men are hot.

Macon Roxley feared his scars would forever mark him as a risk not worth taking. Tyge Drost used to believe he had all the answers, until he lost someone under his care.

Misunderstandings and past wounds have driven this pair apart despite their undeniable attraction. Can either of them find a way to give love a chance, or will they give up on a future of promised happiness to protect their damaged hearts?

Warning: In typical Cedar Falls fashion, the citizens gather together to interfere through means of kidnapping, handcuffing, and general mischief in order to force Macon and Tyge to see what was right in front of them—love. Enjoy, but you have been warned.

STORY EXCERPT

“Are you all deaf?” Macon hated that his voice had risen at least two octaves, but panic had taken him in its icy grip. “I’m not opening a store. I’m not leasing this place. I’m not hiring employees. I’m sure as hell not dealing with customers as they stare at the freak who tried to kill himself.” By the time he was done, Macon was screaming as loud as his voice would carry, completely oblivious to the drop dead gorgeous man who just walked in with Kaden.

As his friends stood there staring at him with their mouths wide open in shock, Macon finally noticed Kaden and the dark haired man next to him. Heat flared within him as his gaze roved over the older man with bulging muscles and slightly crooked smile.

The man had an air of authority that he wore like a second skin. It dominated the room, making it impossible for Macon to breathe.

That this man had seen his hysterics only made things that much worse. For a moment, Macon was sure he was going to pass out and make a bigger fool of himself.

The urge to obey the silent command to get into position that he could see in the older man’s eyes was overwhelming in its intensity. His knees weakened, threatening to give way completely until he was where he belonged, on his knees waiting for this man’s orders.

Piercing eyes seemed to bore right into him, staring deep into Macon’s bleak soul that was as dark as the man’s skin. He was helpless to look away, drowning in the power the man emanated over him. He was everything Macon had dreamed of. Closely cut hair with the barest hint of stubble on the man’s face, eyes that appeared to see everything and a lush mouth with tiny lines around it indicating the man smiled often.
That had been the one thing Macon had hated about Peter. The man never smiled except when beating Macon black and blue.

All the air in the room was suddenly not enough for Macon as he realized what he’d been doing. Just yesterday he’d promised himself to not get involved with another Dom, and this man screamed Dom from the top of his head straight down to his toes.

That this guy was older than Macon, just as Peter had been, only made it worse. Hadn’t he learned his lesson?

Unable to continue to stand there, risking giving into his desire to beg this man to give him what he wanted, Macon raced past him and pushed out the door. If he had to, he’d walk home. No matter how he got there, he was going to barricade himself in the house, ensuring he never met the man with Kaden again.

Rushing down the sidewalk, Macon didn’t pause in his flight to get as far from temptation as possible. The similarities to Peter were too much for Macon to ignore. They were both large older men. Okay, sure, Peter’s size was mostly fat where the stranger was muscle. And maybe, if they stood side by side, Peter would be several inches shorter, but they were both older and a Dom. Or, at least, Peter tried to pretend that was what he was.
Truthfully, Peter had more similarities to a bully than an actual Dom. Then again, for all he knew, so was the man with Kaden. Except…everything about the guy screamed Dom. It was doubtful that man had to pretend when it came to BDSM.

Macon shook the thoughts that were trying to convince him the stranger was nothing like Peter. It didn’t matter. Even if he was willing to take a chance and trust Kaden’s friend, he doubted the man would want him.

Clasping his hands in front of him, Macon hid the scars beneath his fingers. It was time to face facts. No one wanted damaged goods. Not even the stranger who wore a look of hunger in his dark eyes that threatened to devour Macon.

A shiver raced down Macon’s spine at that thought. Disgusted with himself for practically drooling at the man’s feet after nothing more than a look, Macon mentally slapped himself.

He was pathetic. Not for the first time since waking up in the hospital with his wrists wrapped in gauze, Macon wished Vail hadn’t found him so quickly.

About the Author

Shea Balik has always had a vivid imagination with stories running around in her head. Often her stories are taken from observations of other people with her own spin.

Traveling is one of her favorite ways of fulfilling her passion of people watching. She’s still working on traveling to every state within the United States,  and has been to at least half.  Her favorite mode of transportation is the car, because she feels it is the best way to see the country.  Okay, okay.  It may have something to do with her being afraid to fly, no make that terrified.   Shea has always felt if we were meant to fly, we’d have wings. Not that Shea won’t get on a plane, because she will, and does.  After all, how else does one get to Hawaii quickly?

For out of the country traveling, Shea has been to every Caribbean country that cruise ships visit, several times.  Being a Floridian means easy access to ports and cheaper rates.  Although, now that she’s cruised so often, Shea gets discounts for being a frequent cruiser.  In a perfect world, Shea would cruise around the world, but she don’t see that happening anytime soon, unless she wins the lottery.

You never know, one day you may spark her imagination for her next book.

Whether at home or traveling she is usually in front of her computer writing or curled up with a good book.

Stalk Shea Online!

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