Spunky N Sassy: Shades of Lust

Title: Shades of Lust

Series: Carnal Tower #1

Author: E.M. Lindsey

Genre: LGBT (MM) Romance

Release Date: February 2, 2022

BLURB

“The path to paradise begins in hell.”

― Dante Alighieri

On a small path leading to nowhere sits a looming cathedral, once-abandoned, now hosting the most dangerous of pleasures.

And Stone Brice is the most dangerous of all: Lust. A former acrobat, Stone’s life was changed dramatically after an accident, and now he runs The Carnal Tower, a place where people can go to have their deepest and sometimes darkest fantasies realized.

Stone is a man who is rarely taken by surprise, so when he meets the artist, August Ashley, he doesn’t expect to trip and fall at his feet—literally. But there’s something about the quiet stranger in the park that Stone wants to take apart, and that feeling only gets worse the more Stone gets to know him.

Stone is well aware he can’t mix business and pleasure, but when August comes to him with a proposal for a trade—seven paintings for seven nights with Lust—he can’t say no. Not when it means he’ll be able to have August exactly the way he wants him—even if it’s just for a week.

Stone has every plan to strip August down to his very soul, but the longer the week goes on, the more Stone comes to realize that August might very well be his undoing.

Shades of Lust is the first book in a new series. It features a bi-awakening, high heat, low angst, and the human embodiment of a seven deadly sin whose sole purpose is to make sure his client never forgets their week at The Carnal Tower. Each book in the series can stand on their own, and all contain no cheating, and a happily ever after.

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EXCERPT

The only thing that ever got to him—and it was rare he let himself think about it—was how lonely it could all be. He could hardly expect a partner to accept his life, especially because he had no plans to give it up, and he was a bit too notorious to trust anyone’s motivations when they tried to get to know him.

It put him in an impossible spot. It was one that had him resigned to knowing he’d probably die surrounded by his chosen family but no one closer than that. It was a bitter pill to swallow some days and some longer nights when he couldn’t quiet his brain.

It was pessimistic. It was…

Stone’s thoughts cut off when something slammed into his legs, and then they were no longer underneath him. He sucked in a quick breath as the ground rushed toward his face. Fast.

He didn’t fall very often anymore. His prosthetics weren’t just walking aids—they were his limbs. They’d been part of him almost longer than his natural legs had been, and as a grown-ass adult, it was rare he ate shit on the pavement like some hyper two-year-old.

The ground met his elbow first as he lifted his arm to break his fall. The pain radiated through his entire body, and his breath was forced out of his lungs. Stone tried to cry out as he rolled onto his side, but he couldn’t seem to make a sound louder than a quiet rasp as he tried to pull in air. It took him several long seconds as he stared up at the blue sky peeking through the tree canopy to regain his composure.

Flexing his hands, then his arms, then his thighs, he was satisfied when he realized he could move. The pain was a dull roar in his already sore ribs, but he’d live. Turning onto his side, he propped up on his elbow and glanced around with wide, pained eyes for some clue as to what the fuck had knocked him on his ass. Then his gaze settled on a dog sitting with its tongue lolling out about three feet away.

It was some black, shaggy mess of a thing—definitely a mutt and definitely intelligent if the glint in its eyes was anything to go by. Stone forced himself to cough just so he could get his lungs working again, and he groaned loudly as he rolled up to sit.

His vision was obscured a second later, then a wet, slobbery tongue dragged over his cheek.

“Thanks, asshole,” he grumbled. Pressing his hand against his side, he was pretty sure nothing was broken. His breathing began to come easier, and he pushed onto his knees, glancing around the empty park to see who the damned mutt belonged to. “You got parents?” he asked.

The dog’s mouth opened wider in a big puppy smile, and he wanted to be annoyed, but it was damn near impossible in the face of something so cute. It took him a second to climb to his feet, and then another to regain his balance after being thrown, but the dog stayed in close like it knew he might need support.

That was…interesting.

Stone pulled his earbuds out, shoving them into his pocket as he shielded his eyes from the sun and turned in a half circle. It wasn’t until he squinted hard that he realized there was a man in the park, pressed against the trunk of a cypress tree, staring at him.

Stone felt a little pissed then. Was he seriously so intimidating that the guy couldn’t even come over and check to see if he was alright after his dog straight up tried to murder him?