Diverse Reader: Cover Reveal: Saving Sebastian by Luna David #Excerpt #Giveaway

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Cover Reveal: Saving Sebastian by Luna David #Excerpt #Giveaway

Coming in July

Author: Luna David

Book: Saving Sebastian

Series: Custos Securities #3

Self-Published

Length: 180k word count

Cover Artist: Kellie Dennis at

Book Cover by Design

Synopsis

Gideon McCade—weighed down by memories of his previous life as a Navy SEAL and a CIA agent—has blood on his hands. He turns to his BDSM club, Catharsis, and Dominating submissives to get him through the daily grind of civilian life. Knowing his past is too much to inflict on a life partner, he keeps his connections brief and superficial. When his former life comes back to haunt him, his desire for revenge pulls him back into the shadows, darkening his hopes for a future in the light.

Temporarily sidelining his career as a tattoo artist, Sebastian Phillips works as a composite artist for the local police department. To alleviate the inescapable burden of a congenital medical condition, he immerses himself in his art and seeks the catharsis of submission. But with life weighing heavily on his shoulders and darkness encroaching, he yearns for a contract with a Dominant that sees past the protective barriers he’s erected to the vulnerable submissive within.

When happenstance brings Gideon and Sebastian together, their connection is undeniable. The knowledge that they are both too damaged to form permanent bonds of love causes them to rely on an impersonal contract to fulfil their physical needs. But staying emotionally detached becomes impossible, and breaking their contract seems the only option. Will Gideon’s need for vengeance and Sebastian’s declining health destroy what’s grown between them, or will they help each other find their way back into the light?

Excerpt

(Unedited)

When Monday rolled around he was back to work. His stress level was high as he had a couple appointments at the hospital to do composites of two different perps with two different victims. As he approached room 107 in the emergency department, he rubbed his sweaty hands on his pants. He was about to enter, but he heard escalated voices.

“—with us and that’s all there is to it!”

“Absolutely not, young man! You’re newlyweds! The last thing you need is your grandmother staying with you and cramping your style."

“Nana, you can’t just go home. You’ve got a cast and you can barely walk, how are you going to do anything for yourself?”

“It’s only one arm. I’ll be fine.”

“It’s your right arm and your knee is messed up! You won’t be able—”

He heard a deeper voice interject in a much more muted tone.

“But, she—”

More muted talking, the deeper tone calm but firm. He found himself stalling outside of the room, not wanting to interrupt, enjoying listening to the muted voice even though he couldn’t make out much of what was being said.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Whirling around he glanced way up into the questioning eyes of a doctor who looked ridiculously like one of his previous clients.

The man, arms folded across his chest, smiled politely at him. “May I help you?”

Sebastian gestured behind him to the room. “I’m the police sketch artist from San Francisco PD. I have an appointment, but didn’t want to interrupt.”

The doctor’s brows rose. “Interrupt?”

Just then the woman spoke up. “What are you going to do, wipe my ass for me?”

Sebastian’s eyes popped wide and he nearly sputtered when the laughing doctor clasped his elbow and turned him back towards the door. “That’s our cue.”

Sebastian let out a soft gasp and tried to pull his arm free as he frantically whispered, “What? No! That’s not our cue! That should never be anyone’s cue!”

His protests fell on deaf ears as he was unceremoniously but gently dragged into the hospital room. He barely had time to register the fact that not only was a McCade dragging him into the room, but another McCade was already there, as the curtain beyond the door that the doctor had pulled to the side swished back in place and partially covered him.

Zavier and his partner, Braden, sat beside the hospital bed. Though they both had their eyes on the doctor and hadn’t seen him before he stepped behind the curtain, a small smile flitted over Sebastian’s face. He’d really liked Braden when he’d done a composite sketch of the man’s stalker. At least a year had passed since then, but he still remembered meeting both men that afternoon, and the quick comradery he’d felt with Braden.

“Braden, you know she just wants to go home so she can be waited on hand and foot by her male harem. Isn’t that right, Nana?”

The woman Sebastian now knew to be Clara Cross, his 1:30 PM appointment, laughed. “Finnegan, darling! Come give me some sugar.”

As Dr. McCade hugged the petite woman, Sebastian did his best to backtrack and escape the little family reunion that was happening. He figured he’d just wait outside for a bit and give them some time. His messenger bag had other ideas and clunked loudly against the door. As his face grew hot with embarrassment, he pulled the door open just as he heard the hanging curtain being yanked back. Dr. McCade grinned at him, raised a brow in challenge, winked and walked back to Mrs. Cross.

Sebastian turned and smiled uncomfortably at everyone else in the room, hating the attention he’d just brought on himself, and waved self-consciously before he fumbled behind him for the door handle and pulled it open, again. “Uh, hi. I have an appointment with Mrs. Cross, but I’ll come back.”

He watched as Braden and Zavier stood, a surprised look on both of their faces. Sebastian continued to try to give them the privacy he was sure they’d prefer, and began to back out of the door. Braden reached out towards him beseechingly. Zavier, soothing Braden, ran his hand up his partner’s spine and clasped the back of his neck. Sebastian had seen the gesture the first time they’d met and his heart pinched watching it again. He wanted that.

When Zavier spoke, Sebastian stopped. “Sebastian Phillips, right?” When he nodded, Zavier placed a hand on his own chest. “Zavier McCade. I’m not sure if you remember, but you helped us with the composite sketch for Braden’s case. Please, stay.”

“I re—” Sebastian cleared his throat and tried again, his voice barely above a whisper. “I remember.”

He found it nearly impossible to make his escape at that point, held still by some invisible force. Looking down, he fiddled the cross strap of his bag and avoided eye contact with the enormous man. There was just something so arresting about him. A low-level hum ran through Sebastian—just like he remembered from the first time he’d met him—a sensation he only ever got at the club. It made him wonder about the relationship dynamic between Braden and Zavier. Knowing that was none of his business, he tucked his curiosity away.

Mrs. Cross tilted her head examining him and beckoned him closer. She was a tiny little thing and looked rather frail on the bed. She touched her face, indicating his. “Are you all right?”

He blushed and nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I’m just fine.”

She only nodded and then asked, “You gonna work some magic and help me remember more than I think I will?”

Sebastian smiled. “I’ll do my best, ma’am.”

She scoffed at that. “Call me Clara or Nana, young man. I’ve never met a sketch artist before. Come sit and chat with me.”

He approached the bed, not knowing quite where to sit. Zavier reached out his hand and they shook, putting him a bit more at ease. “It’s good to see you again, Sebastian. Why don’t you take my seat and I’ll head down to the café with Finn and see if we can’t scrounge up some mediocre coffee.”

Sebastian cleared his throat again and nodded. “Thank you.”

He set down his heavy messenger bag beside the chair Zavier had vacated and was about to speak to Mrs. Cross when she spoke to Zavier’s brother. “Finnegan, I wanna get outta here.”

Dr. McCade sat on the edge of the mattress and clasped her casted hand in his, kissing her fingers. “I’ll be back in a bit and I’ll look at your chart and see what’s what. Maybe we can blow this popsicle stand and ride off into the sunset. What do you say, beautiful?”

Sebastian couldn’t help but smile at the scarlet tint flushing the woman’s cheeks as she giggled. “Oh go on with you, then.”

Dr. McCade grinned and leaned forward to buss her cheek. He stood, winked at Braden and walked toward his brother. Both men exited and he found himself transfixed by the two tall, self-assured men. By the time he turned back towards Braden and Mrs. Cross they were both grinning at him knowingly.

Blushing crimson he reached out to shake her hand and the blush continued as he realized her right hand was half consumed by the cast. She reached up with her left hand and clasped his, making the embarrassing moment seem a bit less awkward. He reached over to Braden to shake his hand and answered the man’s wide grin, feeling a warmth in his chest when the other man clasped his hand in both of his and squeezed.

When Braden let go of his hand he scooted behind Sebastian and picked up his messenger bag with a grunt. “Good lord, Sebastian, what have you got in here? Rocks?”

Sebastian smirked. “Yes. Pet rocks, actually. It’s my thing. I bring them to all of my appointments.”

About the Author

Once upon a time… deep in the shadows of the infamous BDSM club Catharsis, Luna David, future Authoress Extraordinaire, dreamed of crafting epic gay romance novels to the chorus of whips, chains, and riding crops.

Working for the man by day, and playing caped crusader by night, she fell in love with a superhero whose alter-ego was a mild-mannered financial analyst. With the combined strength of their Evasion Superpowers, they’re able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and escape the horrifying drudgery of peopling and adulting as often as humanly possible.

Luna fiercely devotes herself to her amazing family and friends, drinks coffee like the life-giving ambrosia that it is, and reads gay romance novels voraciously. And while watching a movie and cuddling is still the perfect date night for her and her superhero hubby, her favorite moments are when he makes her laugh until she cries and can’t help but fall in love with him over and over again.

Life for the superhero duo seemed perfect until the birth of twins threw their world into delightful and exhausting chaos, proving perfection always has room for improvement. Leaving big business behind, The Adorables became her full-time job. But eventually Luna realized it was the perfect time to follow her dreams, so she hung up her cape, donned her rainbow slippers and Wonder Woman pajamas, and dove into her fictional world. When not saving her little monsters from themselves or overseeing the Dungeon, Luna slays fictitious evildoers between the pages of her manuscripts

Her books feature strong dominant males and the men they would die protecting. With love, her hero, and their monsters in her corner, Luna spends her free time writing sweet and kinky, sensual and erotic gay romance. Love has no gender and no boundaries—and Luna loves nothing more than giving her heroes the same HEA she’s been lucky enough to enjoy every day.

Contact

Amazon * Website * Facebook Author Page * Twitter