reviews_and_ramblings | Excerpt Day: Coming Home by Anah Crow and Dianne Fox

Renovations 6: Coming Home by Anah Crow and Dianne Fox
Release Date: July 29, 2009
Publisher: Torquere Books
ISBN 978-1-60370-771-8
1-60370-771-9
Publisher Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2099

Blurb: Ven has strong beliefs about commitment; being gay hasn't shaken his desire to get married. But to make his plan to pop the question to his lover work, he needs the support of his family, Toby's family, and Toby's ex-wife, Brenda. And he has to do it while renovating his future in-laws' house. Toby is blissfully ignorant of Ven's plans, happily showing Ven his old haunts and playing 'what's a nice boy like you doing in a bar like this?' Toby seems happy with the way things are, and Ven knows even if the pieces fall into place, he risks losing everything if Toby doesn't want to marry again.

Excerpt:

"How do you feel about New Jersey?"

"I..." Ven lifted his head to peer at Toby. "Jersey? I don't... I think we drove through there a few times..."

Toby rose up on his elbows so he could see Ven's face. Ven was adorably baffled and still slightly sweaty from fucking. Toby couldn't help but grin. "You think you might want to take a vacation there sometime? Sometime soon maybe?"

"Vacation in Jersey?" Ven looked suspicious now. "Are you going to be there?" He groped Toby's ass, big hands grabbing as much as they could hold and getting a good feel. "Because I could go anywhere as long as you're there."

Toby laughed. "Oh, definitely. I wouldn't miss it." The idea of introducing Ven to his parents was pleasing in all kinds of ways. Toby knew his parents would love Ven. Ven and his dad had a lot in common, and Toby knew his mom would see right away how good they were together.

And he wanted Ven to have that same sense of connection to his life and family that he had with Ven's.

"Okay. As long as you're not shipping me off so you can hire dancing boys while I'm gone." Ven laughed and kissed him. "You know I'll dance for you if it really turns you on."

"I'd rather you dance with me." Toby kissed Ven sweetly, hoping to keep him in a good mood while he explained. "My parents are thinking of starting renovations on their house. They want to convert two of the bedrooms into a master suite. I was hoping we could go out there and give them a hand."

Ven paused in his kisses. "You want me to go renovate your folks' house for a vacation?" Ven laughed and rolled Toby over onto his back, pinning him down and kissing him all over his face and down his neck, still laughing. Finally, he pulled back. "You are lucky I love you, man." He kissed Toby on the nose. "Yeah, I'll go. But you owe me a vacation some other time."

"If you come with me to meet my parents, I promise I will take you anywhere you want to go." Toby hadn't realized how much he wanted to share his happiness with his parents, how much he wanted to share his parents' love with Ven, until he'd talked to his dad today. Now, the idea was itching under his skin.

"You know I wouldn't let you down." Ven kissed him again, softly, making it last like he could feel how important this was to Toby.

"I know." Toby took a deep breath, letting the assurance relax him, and then kissed Ven back. "They're going to love you, you know."