Downloading Color of Sunshine

Jesse

My life is…fine. Quiet, predictable, and free of any danger of rebreaking my (mostly) mended heart. Or at least it is until an ultimatum from my best friend leaves me with just two weeks to invite a man on a date and successfully go on said date.

If I don’t fulfill his conditions? He’ll unleash his wife’s cringeworthy cousin on me.

It should all be laughably easy. Unless you’re me: an awkward, introverted perpetual grad student who can’t remember the last time he went out with anyone.

At least I know exactly who I want to ask. If only I can work up the courage…

The new barista at my favorite coffee shop is stunning. Flirty and charming, he has a dazzling smile that leaves me weak in the knees and lucky to be able to string together the words of my usual coffee order. He’s a million miles out of my league, and I might have accidentally dumped a cup of scalding coffee down his front the first time I met him.

And yet, every time he sees me, he calls me sunshine.

It can’t mean anything, can it?

Tristan

I don’t date. I don’t date and I don’t do messy. That word doesn’t even begin to describe the hell of a relationship I just escaped, and I am never going down that road again. Nope, not a chance.

Not even for Cute Latte Guy, the adorably shy, doesn’t-have-a-clue-how-sexy-he-is customer with the deliciously sunset-pink blushes that’ve got me feeling all kinds of feelings. The warm fuzzy type that he’s got no business stirring up in me.

Trouble is, when he invites me out for dinner, it turns out I just can’t bring myself to say no.

I can keep this casual, right? After all, that’s the one thing I’m good at. One night with him, a little fun, and he’ll be out from under my skin for good. Even if there is something about the way he looks at me, with those sweet, kinda sad eyes of his, that makes me wonder if, for once in my life, someone might just care enough to see the real me.

And oh yeah, did I mention that I’m his new neighbor? There’s nothing too messy about that, is there?

Color of Sunshine is a dual POV standalone MM romance between a jaded golden retriever barista with a heartbreaking past and the shy, sweet-as-can-be PhD student who makes him feel safe to love and be loved for the first time. Their story features anonymous piano duets, first date embarrassment, forced proximity, a seven-year age gap, lots of sweet and oh-so-spicy scenes, hurt/comfort dynamics, love after loss, meddling but devoted friends, and a guaranteed HEA.