Title: Better Than People
Author: Roan Parrish
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Imprint: Carina Press (Carina Adores)
On-Sale: August 25, 2020
Format: Trade Paperback (ebook & audio also
available!)
Price: $14.99 U.S.
ISBN: 9781335542823
Book
Description: It’s not long
before their pet-centric arrangement sparks a person-centric desire…
Simon Burke has
always preferred animals to people. When the countdown to adopting his own dog
is unexpectedly put on hold, Simon turns to the PetShare app to find the fluffy
TLC he’s been missing. Meeting a grumpy children’s book illustrator who needs a
dog walker isn’t easy for the man whose persistent anxiety has colored his
whole life, but Jack Matheson’s menagerie is just what Simon needs.
Four dogs,
three cats and counting. Jack’s pack of rescue pets is the only company he
needs. But when a bad fall leaves him with a broken leg, Jack is forced to
admit he needs help. That the help comes in the form of the most beautiful man
he’s ever seen is a complicated, glorious surprise.
Being with
Jack—talking, walking, making out—is a game changer for Simon. And Simon’s
company certainly…eases the pain of recovery for Jack. But making a real
relationship work once Jack’s cast comes off will mean compromise,
understanding and lots of love.
Carina Adores is home to highly romantic
contemporary love stories featuring beloved romance tropes, where LGBTQ+
characters find their happily-ever-afters.
A new Carina
Adores title is available each month in trade paperback, ebook and audiobook
formats.
·
The Hideaway Inn by Philip William Stover (available now!)
·
The Girl Next Door by Chelsea M. Cameron (available now!)
·
Just Like That by Cole McCade (available now!)
·
Hairpin Curves by Elia Winters (available now!)
·
The Love Study by Kris Ripper (available September 29)
·
The Secret Ingredient by KD Fisher (available October 27)
·
Just Like This by Cole McCade (available November 24)
·
Teddy Spenser Isn’t Looking
for Love by Kim Fielding (December 29)
Buy Better Than People by Roan Parrish
Excerpt
A few days later, a storm blew in while Simon was out
walking the pack. It started as a shower that sent Mayonnaise and Pickles
scampering inside, but within twenty minutes was a gusting squall that darkened
the sky and drove rain sideways against the windows.
Jack paced. Well. Jack swung himself
back and forth in front of the living room window on his crutches until he had
to stop because it was too tiring. It hadn’t had the same effect, anyway.
After another ten minutes, he lowered
himself to the floor gingerly and built up a fire, wanting the animals to be
able to warm up when they got home.
Yeah,
the animals. It’s definitely them that you want to warm up.
After another ten, he brought armloads of towels from the
bathroom to the couch so he could dry the pack off when they got home.
After another ten, he was able to admit
he was worried. Puddles hated the rain. Rat was so small, and…and… He huffed
out a breath.
Simon. He was worried about Simon.
Simon felt like part of the pack.
As if conjured by the thought, Simon
burst through the door, a sodden, dripping mess. Pirate, seeming unperturbed,
made a beeline for the fire and began to clean herself, and Rat followed,
shaking off her skinny legs as she went; Dandelion ran right to the kitchen in
hopes of a snack.
If Jack had been in fighting form, he
would’ve had the towels on Bernard faster, but as it was, just as he turned to
grab them, the huge dog shook himself, and Jack watched as if in slow motion as
Simon got sprayed with another round of rain.
“Oh Jesus,” Jack said, as Simon slumped
resignedly, but he couldn’t help but chuckle at the picture it made. Bernard,
satisfied he’d wrung himself out, flopped in front of the fire to toast, which
left only Puddles and Simon, leaning against each other, soaked and miserable.
“Aw, buddy,” Jack said. He was talking
to Puddles, whom he approached with the towels he hadn’t been quick enough with
for Bernard, but he included Simon in his sentiment, if only to himself.
He rubbed Puddles as dry as he could and then the dog
slunk off to the bedroom, no doubt to soak a dog-shaped damp spot into his
blanket and sheets. Making a mental note to change them later—fine, to ask
Charlie to change them—Jack turned to Simon.
“Simon,” he said, and the man’s eyes met
his. “Come inside, man, let me get you some dry clothes.”
Simon eyed his soaked boots, jeans, and
sweater currently dripping onto the doormat. Jack wanted to tell him he’d
already have to clean everything to get rid of the wet dog smell so a little
more rain wasn’t a big deal. But for some reason, instead, he picked up the
remaining towel from the couch and swung over to stand in front of Simon.
“Here,” he said, and he wrapped the
towel around Simon’s shoulders and drew him close enough to rub his arms
through it.
He heard Simon’s intake of breath and
had the brief wild wonder if Simon’s mouth would taste of rain if he kissed
him.
Then Simon let the breath out and leaned
ever so slightly into Jack.
“Get your boots off and you can take a
hot shower, okay? I’ll get you some clothes.”
Simon blinked up at him.
“Okay?”
Simon nodded and gave a ghost of a
smile.
Since the first time they’d really talked the week
before, they’d lingered over pickups and drop-offs, sometimes talking;
sometimes Jack talking and Simon texting. Jack still couldn’t tell what made
the difference in the times when Simon could speak and when he couldn’t. He
appreciated the gift of Simon’s words when he managed them. But Simon via text
was smart and honest and a little bit snarky, and he liked that too.
Now, standing so close, he felt like he
should be able to tell whether words were forthcoming or not, as if the fanfare
that announced their appearance would stir the very air between them.
But, no. He still couldn’t tell. What he
could tell was that Simon was shaking with cold and his wool sweater was so
sodden that it might as well have been dumping water down his back.
“C’mere, let me take this,” Jack said,
tugging at the sweater. Simon’s eyelashes, spiked with rain, fluttered and he
lifted his arms to help take the sweater off. It was plastered to his shirt
beneath, so when the sweater came off so did it.
Jack couldn’t help but notice that Simon
was lovely beneath his clothes. Angular and smoothly put together, though he
was shivering. Jack dropped the sweater to the floor with a thlump
and slung the towel back around Simon’s shoulders.
“Come
on,” he said softly, and led the way to the bathroom.
He left
Simon to his shower and fetched sweats for him to wear from his bedroom, where
he did, indeed, find a sheepish Puddles on the bed.
He
stroked Puddles’ damp nose and Puddles licked his hand. Worried Puddles might
be chilly, Jack slung the blanket over him and gave him a rub.
“You like Simon?” he whispered. Puddles yipped. “Yeah.
Yeah, me too.”
About Roan Parrish
Roan Parrish
lives in Philadelphia, where she is gradually attempting to write love stories
in every genre.
When not
writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through
whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal,
or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor
chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a
six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.
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