Austin
never realized he was painting his life with shades of gray, until Keaton came
along and injected a rainbow of color.
Keaton is a tornado of chaos and paint, which turns out to be more exciting
than I ever would’ve imagined. I love my organized, predictable life...or at
least I thought I did. But what started as a casual hookup is slowly becoming
so much more, and I find myself loving the beautiful mess more than I expected.
Can two people so different really make it work once feelings get involved?
Author’s Note: This is a stand-alone story and was originally published
as Kiss and Run in the Valentine’s Inc series. It has since undergone
significant changes and doubled in length.
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As I take the place in, my eyes land on the canvas in the center of the living room. It must be what he was working on before I showed up. I take a step closer, enthralled by the painting instantly.
“You’re an artist?” I ask stupidly.
“I am.” He follows me into the living room.
Taking a closer look at the painting, two bodies come into view, writhing together in a colorful blur.
“That’s not art, it’s sex,” I accuse with amusement.
“Art is sex and sex is art,” he corrects.
“Is it?” I tear my eyes from the canvas to look at Keaton. He nods, taking a step closer, pressing his small, slender body against me.
“The shapes our bodies make, all the lines and shadows, it’s beautiful. And that moment, that single moment when you’re at your most alive, when it’s instantly clear that this is the meaning of life. There’s nothing left but to feel.” He lets the sentence and the image hang in the air for a moment. “That moment is where art comes from.”
I swallow, suddenly aware that I may be in slightly over my head with Keaton and unwilling to do a damn thing to put the brakes on at this point.
“I’m not sure I understand; I may need you to show me,” I tease, my voice going deep and gravelly.
Keaton throws his head back and laughs, his body vibrating against me in an addicting way.
“Let’s go then.” He gestures to the hallway a few feet away, and I lead the way.
His bedroom is much like the rest of his apartment, in need of some work but with a personality of its own. His bed sits on the floor rather than up on a bed frame, but the sheets look clean enough. There’s a milk crate next to the bed with a lamp perched on it, along with a joint and a lighter.
“You want?” he asks, picking up the joint and placing it between his lips. The pucker of those bowed lips fills my mind with filthy thoughts.
I haven’t smoked weed since college. I only did it once back then because I didn’t want to be the square who turned it down. But I remember the pleasant, floaty feeling it gave me. After taking a long inhale, he holds it out to me, his eyebrows raised, and I gingerly take it from him. Feeling like a complete nerd, I place it between my lips and clumsily light it, coughing almost as soon as the smoke fills my lungs, my throat burning like hell.
Keaton laughs at me, a fond expression on his face, taking the joint back for another toke of his own. This time, instead of handing it back to me, he presses close again, tilting his head up like he’s asking permission for a kiss. I bend close, putting my hands on the small of his back to draw him near, our hard cocks pressing together and our noses bumping. I part my lips, and his brush mine, as he lets smoke billow into my mouth, sweet and a little musky. I’m not sure if it’s the pot or the man himself that has my head swimming.
When the smoke dissipates, he flicks his tongue out and grazes it along my bottom lip, his eyes shining playfully. Feeling bold and horny with his cute little body in my arms and the bed less than a foot away, I grab Keaton by the back of his neck and smash our lips together. I’m not sure who this man is, controlling my mouth and my body, but he’s certainly a vast improvement from the usually timid, anxious version.
Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
Having read this talented author's Four Bears' Construction series, I was
delighted to get this book to review – and I really enjoyed it too. It
effectively takes a one-time hook-up and gives it the strength of feeling
between the protagonists to want to repeat it, repeatedly... until we are
utterly invested in wanting them to acknowledge the love between them.
Austin is faced with attending his ex-boyfriend's wedding, with the memory of
being accused of being 'boring' by the man still ringing in his ears. Much as
he is okay with his ordered, work- centred life, he knows he is missing out. So
prompted by his best friend, he takes a chance on an app. Little could he have
expected to meet Keaton, a man full of colour and vivaciousness. I loved the
chaos that follows this encounter – and most especially that Austin embraces it
wholly and with great aplomb.
This is a very sexy, thoughtful, passionate, and full of love story, which I
enjoyed no end. Thank you, K.M. Neuhold, very much!
Shannan – ☆☆☆☆
K.M. Neuhold is a newer-to-me author. I was introduced to her in the Four Bears
Construction series and fell in love with the writing style. I was sucked into
those books and Painted Lace was no exception. I connected with the
characters and was rooting for them from the beginning.
Austin lived a lonely existence. After he was dumped by Harry, who he thought
was the love of his life, he just sort of exists. He goes to work, sometimes
has drinks with his best friend, but that's it. His best friend tells him to
sign up for a dating app, M4M. Austin isn't sure it's for him but he's tired of
just existing.
Keaton is an artist. That's his passion but he takes odd jobs here and there to
make ends meet but art is where is heart is. When he gets a message on M4M, he
answers but never expects to want anything more than a casual hook-up.
Can Austin find the excitement he's craving in his life? Will Keaton look
beyond something casual and fall in love?
I was completely invested in Austin and Keaton and loved watching their story
unfold. Can't wait to check out more from this author!
Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is a sweet and sexy story about a businessman who falls for an artist.
It’s the story of two men with very opposite approaches to life who end up
bringing out the very best in each other.
Austin is driven, successful, and straightlaced. He probably reads at least a
decade older than his age of 24 and at the start of the book, his ex is right
to call him boring. Keaton is his opposite. He has distanced himself from most
adult responsibilities, working a series of odd jobs that allow him to spend
most of his time painting. If Austin is a little bit too responsible, Keaton’s
life is a little too chaotic.
This is an entertaining story, but it does feel familiar and a little
formulaic. I’m getting tired of the fake boyfriend trope and there really isn’t
much about either of these two men that make them memorable or special. I like
the way the two men ultimately provide balance for each other and I enjoyed the
growth in both men. I enjoyed the book but it is one of K.M. Neuhold’s less
memorable stories.
Angie – ☆☆☆☆
I just loved this! I found myself smiling the entire time I was reading it. I
wish it were longer because I loved Austin and Keaton. It was a fun, fast, low
angst read. I highly recommend it for a cold rainy afternoon if you want a
sweet, sexy story between total opposites.
Author K.M. NEUHOLD is a complete romance
junkie, a total sap in every way. She started her journey as an author in new
adult, MF romance, but after a chance reading of an MM book she was completely
hooked on everything about lovely – and sometimes damaged – men finding their
Happily Ever After together. She has a strong passion for writing characters
with a lot of heart and soul, and a bit of humor as well. And she fully admits
that her OCD tendencies of making sure every side character has a full
backstory will likely always lead to every book having a spin-off or series.
When she's not writing she's a lion tamer, an astronaut, and a superhero... just
kidding, she's likely watching Netflix and snuggling with her husky while her
amazing husband brings her coffee.
Connect with K.M.
Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Website
~ Goodreads
Neuhold's Nerds Facebook Group
Hosted by
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided
a free copy of Painted Lace by K.M. Neuhold to read and review for this tour.
