SCENE QUEEN

The Court Series – Book Two

by Charlie Novak

Dual Cover & Excerpt Reveal

Release Date: February 22, 2024

Model & Discreet Cover Design:






Natasha Snow Designs



Photographer:



Wander Aguiar Photography

Model: Mitchell

Audiobook Narrator:



Dan Calley

Genre: M/M Romance Standalone

Trope: Opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine, found family, drag queen, personal trainer, annoying neighbor, let me take care of you vibe

Synopsis

Note to self: just because he’s hot and funny doesn’t change the fact he’s annoying AF.

Hooking up with my irritating as hell neighbour wasn’t on my agenda for the week, even if he is ridiculously gorgeous with a smile that lights up my life. His music is too loud, he’s too nosy… but I can’t stop myself from wanting more than a taste.

It was only supposed to be a one time thing, but now Rhys seems determined to charm his way into my world. And when he gets his nose broken at a rock concert, I’m the one who comes to his rescue.

But there’s no time in my life for a relationship. Juggling drag, a paramedic career, and helping with my sister’s kids has already pushed me close to burnout, and I’m walking a fine line between survival and exhaustion.

I’ve always been the one helping everyone else and I can’t remember the last time I put myself first.

Maybe it’s time to cause a scene and go after the thing I really want: a chance with the sparkling man next door who has terrible taste in music.

Excerpt

“Will you tell me your secrets?”

“No.”

“What about if I tell you mine?”

Evan’s piercing eyes roamed over me, and the expression that settled on his face was an unimpressed one. I’d have been hurt if I hadn’t been expecting it. “I can’t imagine you’d have any interesting ones. You look pretty easy to read.”

I put my hand on my heart dramatically. “That hurts, that does.” I grinned. “Go on then, read me.”

He sighed and folded his arms. “You clearly work out a lot, so you’re definitely vain. You’re good looking and you know it, especially because you keep adjusting your t-shirt in the hope I’ll get distracted by your tattoos, but you’re also looking for validation which explains why you desperately want me to notice. You keep annoying me, so you clearly want attention like some sort of needy puppy, and while I’m sure you’d be a good boy and back off if I told you no, you want me to actually say it because you need direction and order.”

He took a step closer and I swallowed, heat fluttering under my skin. Evan smirked and lowered his voice, “I think you pretend to be brash and irritating, showing off like a teenage boy trying to impress someone, but deep down, you’re not cocky or confident. You’re just a needy, desperate, spoilt brat who just wants someone to notice them.” He stepped even closer and I couldn’t stop my breath from catching in my chest. My tongue darted out to wet my lower lip and my mouth hung open, like I was suddenly trying to catch flies.

Evan reached out, his fingers cupping my chin as his thumb brushed my bottom lip, and fuck was I tempted to suck it. “Look at you,” he continued, his words making the hairs on my arms stand up. “Trying to make a scene, all because you want me.”

I made a very undignified noise and he chuckled darkly. I knew I’d provoked him but I hadn’t been expecting him to get such a good read on me so quickly. Was I really that obvious?

Although it wasn’t like I’d been trying to be subtle, so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.

“See, you can’t even deny it,” Evan continued, his bright eyes meeting mine. The intensity of his gaze threatened to swallow me whole and my knees threatened to buckle underneath me.

“I’m not going to,” I said, forcing the words out before they got lost in my throat. I was so close to getting what I wanted, but there was still a chance it would slip away. After all, he might decide the best way to deal with me was to leave me hanging, and I couldn’t have that. “What are you going to do about it?”

His thumb stroked my bottom lip between my snakebite piercings, and the tiny part of the back of my brain that was still functioning noticed how careful he was with them. Like he didn’t want to catch them and hurt me.

“I shouldn’t do anything.”

“You want to though,” I said and tried to smile.

“That would be just giving you what you want.” He leant closer, his breath ghosting across my skin. His mouth was so close I could’ve leant in and kissed him if his hand wasn’t holding my head in place. “And I shouldn’t reward bad behaviour.”

“What about what you want?”

“I…” he looked deep in thought for a second, like the concept of doing something that he wanted was alien to him. “That doesn’t matter.”

“Yeah, it does.” I stared straight back into those piercing eyes, searching for any fragment of hesitation. But all I saw was unbridled desire. One he seemed determined to pin down and chain in place. And I couldn’t have that. “You want me,” I said softly… teasingly… “I want you. What have you got to lose? Go on, you know you want to. Just one little taste. You never know, you might like it.”

“Fuck you’re annoying,” he said before slamming his mouth into mine.