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Release Blitz + Giveaway: A Foreign Country (Mr. & Mr. Detective Story #2) by Alex Jane


A Foreign Country (Mr. & Mr. Detective Story #2) is out! Celebrate with author Alex Jane and Signal Boost Promotions! Learn more about the second in the series and enter in the back list eBook giveaway!





Length: 68,000 words approx.

A Mr & Mr Detective Story Series

Book #1 - Gazes Into You - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Blurb

Private Detective John Right’s life is pretty good.


He loathes paperwork and could do without wasting his weekends catching out cheating spouses, but business is booming and he’s sharing his life with Jason, a man he’s still crazy about after three years.


The only downside is his lover’s baffling choice of friends and the fact that John is convinced Jason is keeping secrets from his dark past.


When a late-night phone call leads them to a kidnap victim with amnesia, and a dangerous man from Jason’s previous life suddenly resurfaces, they have much more than just secrets to deal with.


And after their mysterious house guest starts to show more than a passing interest in the detective couple, John is left struggling when his relationship, as well as his detecting skills, are put to the test.


Are they strong enough to resist the temptation of an enigmatic stranger?


Maybe. If they don’t get killed in the meantime.



After spending far too long creating stories in her head, Alex finally plucked up the courage to write them down and realized it was quite fun seeing them on the page after all.


Free from aspirations of literary greatness, Alex simply hopes to entertain by spinning a good yarn of love and life, wrapped up with a happy ending. Although, if her characters have to go through Hell to get there, she’s a-okay with that.


With only a dysfunctional taste in music and a one-eyed dog to otherwise fill her days, Alex writes and walks on the South Coast of England—even when her heart and spellcheck are in New York.


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Blog Tour: The Demon of Hagermarsh (Sir Yaden #1) by Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus


Authors Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus and Other Worlds Ink visit today with The Demon of Hagermarsh blog tour stop! Learn more about the first in the new fantasy series today!

The Demon of Hagermarsh

Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus have a new MM fantasy book out: The Demon of Hagermarsh.

“The Emperor cares for each and every one of his subjects.”

Many consider the catchphrase of the imperial Lotus Knights to be nothing more but well-polished propaganda, but for Yaden, it is a way of life.

A young Lotus Knight himself, his first mission in service of the Emperor sends him to the remote village of Hagermarsh, a suspiciously friendly place on a planet known for its inhospitable people. But how to uncover a demonist coven when nothing bad ever happens?

Getting to know the villagers only complicates things - the motherly fishmonger surely isn’t a demonist. Nor the gruff leader of the local militia. And definitely not the cute baker from across the street.

Or are they?

Come discover a dazzling, hopeful universe of knights and monsters, of psions, aliens and ancient deities! The Demon of Hagermarsh is the first book of ‘Sir Yaden’, an epic SF saga of grand adventure, romance, bromance and family, set in the multi-faceted Virasana Empire. It is a romantic adventure and can be read as a standalone.


Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CAN | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | QueeRomance Ink | Smashwords | Goodreads




Excerpt

Banner of Hagermarsh Meme

Instantly, Yaden was on his feet and in the sales room, only to realise that he had absolutely no reason to do so except for his curiosity, but now it was too late for a credible retreat.

“Good day, Sir,” he greeted Colin, hoping he'd come across as a diligent shop servant and not some weirdo.

Colin looked a little startled at his sudden appearance, but he gave him that sunny smile of his. “Good day, Yaden. I thought I'd break with tradition and come in first, so the rest of them can follow. Me being the other most recent newcomer to the village and all.”

“Oh?” So that was why Colin seemed so out of place in Hagermarsh. “You're not from here either?”

“Actually I sort of am. My family has owned that bakery for generations. But my mother and her sister ran away to Schimmelbach. They hated this place, so, I wasn't born here.”

“Really? But what's to hate here? Hagermarsh seems pretty nice so far.”

“I don't actually know,” Colin replied with another smile, this time bittersweet. “Mother died when I was little, so Aunt Mildred raised me. And she rarely talked about their time in Hagermarsh.”

“So there's a terrible, dark secret to this village?” Yaden tried to keep his tone down and not too hopeful.

Colin laughed out loud. “In Hagermarsh? If there is one, I haven't been initiated yet. I only moved here a few years ago, when my Grandpa died and I took over the bakery. And so far, it's been the nicest place I've ever lived in.”

Not a useful lead. Yaden feverishly tried to figure out a way to ask more questions without making their conversation sound too much like an interrogation, until he noticed that Colin was looking at him with that beaming smile of his. It made him terribly nervous.

“So ... What are you looking to buy?” Inelegant, but at least it was a way out.

“A few odds and ends. We do need the General Store to open again. Which reminds me, can I have my basket back, yet?”

“Actually, I dropped it off with your apprentice yesterday. Didn't he tell you?” Yaden had specifically told the youth to let his master know, but had only received the usual grunt in return.

Colin groaned dramatically. “Rory! That lazy foghead is going to be the death of me one day! Eithne insisted that regular work would be good for him and he would improve, but I swear he is getting worse. That's what you get for listening to a kind old lady trying to barter off one of her grandsons.”

“I'm … sorry?”

“No, no, not your fault at all.” Colin's smile was back again in a blink. How could a man smile that much? “I'll deal with him. After all, he is my apprentice and I'm responsible for him. I'll get him into shape eventually.” He pulled a small note from his pocket, scanned it and for the first time properly looked around the sales room, his eyes going wide. “Wow! This is so orderly. And so much. It looks like you have at least one of everything.”

Before moving from Erys to Lagoona, Yaden would have agreed. He vividly remembered the first time he and Darios had visited one of the big shopping malls in Ridge, the highrise quarter of Agami, and gaped at the sheer amount of stuff on sale they hadn't even known existed. They sure had felt like clueless country bumpkins. But after a year in the Empire's capital, he had gotten used to it to a point where the General Store's range of goods felt rudimentary to him.

“Mostly I need a new pen and a whole bunch of different spices.” Colin smiled at Yaden hopefully. “Could you show me where everything is?”

“Sure, though we may not have exotic spices in stock. But we can order them for you.”

“That would be great. Okay, let me see. Most urgently, I need some garnak, ideally whole pods, and some dried lurka leaves. Do you have any terran caraway, by chance?”

There wasn't much assistance Yaden could offer, apart from showing him where they kept the spices. Deciphering the labels on the tins would have taken him much longer than Colin. But he recognized them at a glance, and Yaden stayed with him to portion out the amounts he needed and bring them over to the counter.

When Colin followed him to the counter, he noticed Darios properly for the first time and did a double take at his size.

“Master Darios, who actually owns the store,” Yaden introduced.

Darios greeted Colin with an amicable grunt and put his book down to ring up Colin's purchases.

“I promised Master Colin a discount in exchange for his welcoming bread,” Yaden reminded him.

“Oh, no, that is absolutely not necessary.”

Colin looked embarrassed, but Darios glanced at Yaden with a decidedly amused twinkle in his eye. Instead of figuring in a discount, he pulled two extra pencils from the box he kept under the counter and pushed them over to Colin.

“Thank you.” He smiled first at Darios and then at Yaden again. For a Leichnami he smiled suspiciously much, but his smile was warm and pretty and Yaden couldn't bring himself to mind. “Well, I should be on my way before the rest of Hagermarsh starts wondering whether you have eaten me.”

Walking him to the door was ridiculous, of course, but Yaden trailed behind him.

“Will I see you at the scribba training tonight?” Colin asked when he stepped out onto the porch.

“I thought that is only for the fighting citizens?”

Colin shook his head. “No, it's a bit of a social gathering, too. Lots of people standing around, drinking beer and giving useless advice to us poor fork-wielding folk.” He smiled yet again. “I could introduce you to some of the younger villagers.”

Yaden gave an exaggerated shudder. “I'm not sure I want to meet them if they are anything like Bridget from next door,” he grabbed the opportunity to gather more information.

“Oh, so you met Bridget?” Colin's smile gained a decidedly snarky edge. “Did she give you the 'in this village we don't tolerate any bullying and you better not step out of line' speech?”

“Actually, she asked me lots of questions. And she gave me the 'if anyone bullies you, I'll protect you' speech.”

“She did?” Colin looked amused and indignant at the same time. “Now, why do you look worthy of protection to her and I get treated like a ticking time bomb?”

“I don't know. Maybe I look harmless?” Which was more than a little ridiculous considering what Yaden was capable of.

“Mmh,” Colin huffed and shrugged. “Granted, Bridget is a bit odd. But there are some nice folks in Hagermarsh. They only act gruff when there is a chance of strangers observing them. Hagermarsh is a real community where people look out for each other. I think you'll like it here.”

Colin gave him that movie-star smile again, but Yaden had to struggle keeping up his own.

Those last sentences had triggered all alarms in Yaden's head. All of that sounded way too much like propaganda, crafted to keep the population calm, happy and ignorant of any ugly things happening behind the scenes. It sounded very much like the slogans the Lotus Pavilion PR team had drummed into his head. Colin had even the right kind of wholesome handsomeness that made believing such stories so easy. If Yaden managed to pinpoint where this propaganda was coming from, he'd be on the right track.

“See you at the training, tonight?” Colin asked.

Yaden only managed an affirmative grunt.

“Looking forward to it. Oh, and you may wanna bring some beer. That'll go a long way in making you less of a stranger.”

Yaden grunted again. Maybe not beer, but he had unpacked a whole crate of different kinds of schnapps and brandy earlier. Those would surely work just as well. He managed a parting smile before Colin turned around and left across the road.




Author Bio

We are Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus, a couple currently living our happily ever after in the very heart of Germany, under the stern but loving surveillance of our cat.

Both of us are voracious but picky readers, we love telling stories and drinking tea, good food and the occasional violent movie. Together, we write novels of adventure and romance, hoping to share a little of our happiness with our readers.

Beryll: An artist by heart, Beryll was writing stories even before she knew what letters were. As easily inspired as she is frustrated, her own work is never good enough (in her eyes). A perfectionist in the best and worst sense of the word at the same time and the driving creative force of our duo.

Osiris: An entertainer and craftsman in his approach to writing, Osiris is the down-to-earth, practical part of our duo. Broadly interested in almost every subject and skill, with a sunny mood and caring personality, he strives to bring the human nature into focus of each of his stories.

Author Website: http://www.brackhaus.com/
Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011014541510
Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brackhaus
Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brackhaus/
Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6427435.Osiris_Brackhaus
Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Osiris-Brackhaus/e/B00IVTRO2E


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Guest Review: Rewind (A Pinx Video Mystery #4) by Marshall Thornton

Valentine’s Day, 1993. After years of being single, Noah is finally ready to date again. Unfortunately, things don’t end too well. After spending their first night together, he wakes up covered in blood—next to his very dead date. Already convinced Noah has an abnormal attraction to murder, Detective Wellesley believes it has tipped over to actually killing someone. That leaves Noah and his friends having to prove his innocence. Meanwhile, Marc and Louis have gone on The Drinking Man’s Diet…let the hangovers ensue.













Reviewer: Annika

I think I might be a little obsessed with these books by now. Every time I see or hear of a new release I'm smiling for hours, and the wait to reading it fries my nerves. Self-control is not one of my strong suits.
This series keeps getting better and better. Noah has made such progress throughout this series, finally opening up and starting to live again after all he’s been through. He’s for once being honest with his friends about his diagnosis. He even started to date again since we left him in Late Fees. Remember C.B. from Best Lives? When the last book ended there was the promise for something more between them. And now it seems like they did follow through on that. And at Valentine’s Day they sealed the deal, only the morning after didn’t go exactly as Noah planned…

Because he most definitely did not plan on waking up in his bed, covered in blood, lying next to a dread body – and with a bloody knife in his hands… Then there are the two detectives sent to investigate the case; one is trying to do her absolute best to make sure Noah goes down for it, possibly even going as far as setting him up for it. Then there is Javier, the man he’s been attracted to since they first met in book one and is dancing around Noah as much as he is dancing around Javier.

That still holds true for this book. The attraction between them is so clear, they both know it, everyone around them knows it – writing it in the sky would probably be less obvious. Still it works, I love it. They have their reasons for it, or well it’s mostly been Noah that’s been holding off, but we all know and understand why. Now Javier also understands the why of it and the tension grows even bigger, the push and pull more obvious. But then there was the ending, and I was seriously thinking about hitting Noah over the head…

I love the sense of place Thornton creates in these books. While reading it truly feels like you are back in the 90´s with no cell phones and where you drive through town with IKEA mattresses held on the roof with your hands. It’s nostalgic and awesome and so much fun!
Pinx Video Mysteries is the series that made me realise there's a difference between mm romance and gay romance, and I for one will definitely look for many more books in the latter category. As for Rewind, it both started and ended with a bang and I can't wait for the next book.

A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.




Giveaway + Release Blitz: Their Obsession (Four Mercenaries #2) by K.A. Merikan


Celebrate the release of Their Obsession (Four Mercenaries #2) with authors K.A. Merikan & Signal Boost Promotions. Find out more about this harem romance & enter in the backlist ebook giveaway too!





Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link - Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited

Cover Design: Natasha Snow

Length: 70,000 words approx.

Four Mercenaries Series 

Book #1 - Their Bounty - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Blurb


--- Loved. Protected. Shattered. ---

Clover has found love with not one man, but four. He never imagined such a relationship could work, let alone that he’d be at the center of it, but a year later, his bond with the four mercenaries is stronger than ever.


Each man in Clover’s life completes him in a whole different way. Where Drake teaches him shibari, Boar always showers him with cuddles. Where Tank is strict and protective, Pyro takes Clover on wild adventures.


To truly become a part of the mercenary crew, Clover chose to train under the guidance of his men. He’s itching for action to prove to himself and to others that he can handle the toughest jobs.


But through violence and mayhem, Clover will be tried in ways he never wished for. Old enemies resurface, bonds are tested, and one wrong move can mean death.


*


THEIR OBSESSION is a dark gay harem contemporary romance, book 2 in the “Four Mercenaries” trilogy. The story contains scenes of explicit violence, offensive language, morally ambiguous characters and lots of scorching hot, emotional, explicit scenes.


POSSIBLE SPOILERS:

Themes: polyamory, mercenaries, bounty hunters, albinism, commitment issues, dark past, male bonding, human trafficking, size difference, danger, alpha male, found family, size difference, distrust, shared, victim and protector, revenge, organized crime.



K.A. Merikan are a team of writers who try not to suck at adulting, with some success. Always eager to explore the murky waters of the weird and wonderful, K.A. Merikan don’t follow fixed formulas and want each of their books to be a surprise for those who choose to hop on for the ride.


K.A. Merikan have a few sweeter M/M romances as well, but they specialize in the dark, dirty, and dangerous side of M/M, full of bikers, bad boys, mafiosi, and scorching hot romance.


FACEBOOK PROFILE

K.A. MERIKAN’S TWITTER (RUN BY KAT)

AGNES MERIKAN’S TWITTER

K.A. MERIKAN ON GOODREADS

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M/F ROMANCE BY MISS MERIKAN



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Re-Release Blitz: Nothing Special by Jay Northcote


Celebrate the re-release of Nothing Special with Jay Northcote and Signal Boost Promotions! Check out today's blitz for more information!






Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design

Blurb

When Noah’s insecurity threatens their fledgling relationship, can Sol convince Noah that he’s enough?


Noah thinks he’s nothing special. Average height, a bit on the skinny side, and cute but rather geeky, he’s relentlessly ordinary. He certainly doesn’t expect to be noticed by Sol, the gorgeous dark-haired stranger Noah usually sees on his commute home.


When a friend persuades Noah to take a big risk in a bid to get Sol’s attention, things turn out better than Noah dared to hope. But Noah doesn’t believe he’s interesting or sexy enough to hold Sol’s attention.


As Sol tries to get closer, Noah tries to protect his heart by pulling away. If their relationship is going to survive, Noah needs to accept that Sol sees him very differently to how Noah sees himself. Because to Sol, Noah is something very special indeed.



Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content.

One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story—just to see if he could—and found it rather addictive. He hasn’t stopped writing since.

Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. He has five books published by Dreamspinner Press, and also self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press. Many of his books are now available as audiobooks.

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Giveaway + Release Blitz: Beyond the Curtain (Social Sinners #4) by TL Travis


Join author TL Travis & Signal Boost Promotions in celebrating the release of the newest Social Sinners novel, Beyond the Curtain! Find out more about the series & enter in the giveaway for a backlist ebook!





Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link - Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited.

Length: 60,000 words approx.

Social Sinner Series


Book 1 is the only book in the series that can be read as a stand-alone.

Book 1 – Behind the lights (MM) - Amazon US | Amazon UK -

Book 2 – In The Shadows (MM) - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book 3 – A Heart Divided (MMM) - Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book 4 – Beyond The Curtain (MM)

Book 5 – After The Final Curtain (MM/MMM)


Blurb


For Social Sinners’ drummer, Ethan “Diamond” Taylor, everything that went wrong seemed to roll off him and life was about having fun and getting off. What others never saw was what simmered beneath the surface.


Holding on by a string, things have reached their breaking point, taking a turn for the worse, and he’s forced to make some tough decisions. Is living in the limelight all that it’s cracked up to be? Or is it time to cut the cord and move on?


Is it in the cards for him to have the whole marriage, white picket fence, a desk job and…kids?


Diamond’s story is one of strength, love, loss and hope.


Author Bio


TL Travis is the author of The Sebastian Chronicles along with numerous other erotic novelettes (and many more in the works), The Elders Trilogy - an erotic paranormal (Vampire) romance novel series and many non-fiction articles.


In her spare time she likes to fish, enjoy all the Pacific Northwest has to offer, spin spicy erotic webs for readers to enjoy, and rescue any 4 legged lost souls she comes across. Since her children are grown and have flown the coop, she’s taken to spoiling her two deaf white boxers even more so than they were before.


To view TL Travis literary and photography works please visit her website atwww.tltravis.com

TL Travis can also be followed on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/tltravisauthor

Or via twitter at http://www.twitter.com/tltravis1


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Review: Waited So Long by J.M. Dabney

What happens when your best friend’s son comes home and he’s all grown up?

Devon Hoffman has a secret. He’s wanted a Daddy all his own, but when you’re pushing fifty, you’re completely over the hill. Newly divorced and trying to be single again after an almost thirty-year relationship, he’s lost and needs someone to ground him. Except he’s anxious and his depression intensifies until Bern returns after leaving the service and the younger man suddenly takes interest. Can he let his guard down and risk losing his best friend or should he do whatever is needed to keep his secret safe?









It's established that SRAL enjoys reading Daddy kink!

After reading Waited So Long's blurb, I nearly screamed out Skittles into the air because the buzz words from the blurb are all of my kinda buzz words...

  • Daddy kink
  • Younger Daddy
  • Older MC who has baggage and is submissive
  • Father's Best Friend
  • Unrequited Crush/Love


Plus, the cover features a ginger BEAR main character:


It was like it was written just for me. (Pardon me as I coo.)


Told in dual 1st POV, Waited So Long jumps right into heat of matters, Bern is in his late twenties, a Marine, dominant and lusting after/in love with his father's best friend, architect Devon since he was fifteen years old.Devon's horrible marriage was the only thing keep Bern from admitting his feelings. As the blurb states, the marriage is no longer and the story starts as the divorce papers are signed.

It's my first time reading Dabney and I like that what was pretty much presented in the blurb is offered in the story. For readers who prefer to a quick and fairly easy read, Waited So Long shouldn't disappoint.

And though this is definitely a contemporary fantasy romance, there were some quibbles for me. Nothing major, because I demolished the book in like 2 hours.

For me, I wouldn't have minded if there was a little more delay into the Daddy-ing. I get the unrequited love angle demands payment in the form of the ginger Daddy bear Bern finally getting his man after over a decade of lusting/pining/loving his man. But Devon has only been with the one man prior to Bern. He's newly divorced and the book skips over any sort of healing/rebuilding himself on Devon's part.

Yes, Devon's marriage was shitty--it's told to the reader. But I wouldn't have minded some personal growth from Devon's chapters.Bern takes charge pretty much from the get of the book and I wouldn't have minded more internal struggle from Devon.

Another thing was the parallel to Bern and his mom... eh, it was little iffy on Bern being a 2.0 Dom version of his mother who he really never met. It was too perfect that it took me out of the story. Everything just fell too easily into place for Bern and Devon and was wrapped up in a neat bow.

I'm uncertain if it's just an ARC issue or maybe the way Dabney tells a story but I found myself having to reread certain parts to figure out what was going (like ages). It didn't happen a lot and overall all the main points were answered.

There's decent smut: light age play and domestic discipline, nothing too extreme. So if you're looking for those kinky tags, you won't be disappointed in that scope.

I'll check out Dabney's back list. I liked my first taste of their work-- quick, smutty romance with younger Daddy/older sub...just as promised.





Release Blitz + Giveaway: There’s Always Something Collection by Schuyler L’Roux


Author Schuyler L’Roux and IndiGo Promotions visit to promote the There’s Always Something Collection! Learn more about the erotic collection and enter in the $10 NineStar Press credit giveaway today!


Title: There's Always Something Collection
Author: Schuyler L'Roux
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: June 17, 2019
Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 38200
Genre: Contemporary, LGBT, contemporary, gay, mild BDSM, romance, second chance

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Synopsis





There’s Something about a Kilt



It’s a hellaciously hot day in Minneapolis and all Thom wants to do is enjoy his ice cream and forget about the stacks of essays waiting for him back in his stifling apartment. Until he meets Gerry, a kilted, tattooed Welshman. The conversation is smooth and the attraction immediate, but Gerry is only in town for the night and isn’t down for anything quick and forgettable. When they meet again, hours later, Gerry knows there’s something in the air and all bets are off. Including his kilt.



There’s Something about Pain

Still devastated that Gerry never called him back after an epic night of passionate connection, Thom has been taken to Los Angeles by his best friends for a weekend of debauchery and forgetting. Yet when a drunken decision leads them to Gerry, Thom has a choice to make. Does he take Gerry’s invitation to reenter the world of BDSM, with a proper guide this time, and reclaim power he lost years ago? Or does Thom take his revenge?



There’s Something about Flying

After walking away from Gerry, Thom is back home in Minnesota living his best life. He’s flying through the air, embracing the sexual power he reclaimed in a lonely dungeon with Gerry. Yet when Gerry arrives unannounced and full of inexplicable hope, Thom has another choice to make. Does he let Gerry go and finally close the book on their tryst? Or does Thom open up his heart to the reality of their past and the potential of their future? The third and final chapter of the There’s Always Something trilogy stays true to form: there’s always an ending.

Excerpt

There’s Always Something
Schuyler L’Roux © 2019
All rights reserved

The redhead sat down with a fluid grace, sweeping the kilt under his ass and keeping his knees demurely together. The knees dropped apart when he scooted back in the chair, dropping the kilt between his legs. He licked his cone with a tongue even pinker than his lips, though his thick, flexing forearm distracted Thom. The left arm was covered from wrist to elbow in a splash of water, colored wings on fire, and streams of blue.

“I’m Gerry, by the way.”

Thom wrenched his eyes away to look at Gerry’s expectant expression. “Thom.”

“Short for Thomas?”

“Nope, just Thom.”

“Damn, I always had a thing for Thomases.”

Shit, Thom thought.

Gerry looked him up and down, a question sparking in his eyes. “Strange name for an Italian boy.”

Thom shook off the rust and pushed himself along for the ride. No expectations, he reminded himself. “It’s spelled even stranger.”

Gerry blinked in surprise. “With an ‘h’?”

“My mom loved the Scots.” Thom pointed down to Gerry’s kilt. “Must be genetic. You popped up like a fantasy from when I was thirteen.”

Gerry laughed, waggling his cone like a warning. “Oh, careful there boyo. I’m Welsh. We don’t take kindly to mistaken identity.”

“At least I didn’t call you English.”

Gerry grinned. “Fair enough.” He pointed at Thom’s forgotten ice cream as he took another lick. “Aren’t you worried about that melting?”

Thom shrugged and shot Gerry a sly smile. “I’m easily distracted.” He bit into a large chunk of ice cream and cone, shivering at the burst of cold. “What brings you here?”

“Just a little treat before I get to business.”

“Oh, what do you do?”

“Architecture.”

Jesus, Thom thought. This guy is a walking hard-on with my name written all over it. Thankfully, he managed to say something else. “Which firm?”

Gerry shook his head. “I’m from L.A. Just in for the day.”

Thom nodded, hiding his disappointment in another bite. “I don’t want to keep you,” he said before catching himself with a smile. “Sorry, that’s a lie. I do. What are you up to after work?”

“More work,” Gerry said after a lick. “I’ve got an overrun project and frayed nerves to placate. They’ve tied me up in meetings from now until midnight.”

Thom looked skeptical. “Now? You’ve got a strange definition of ‘now.’”

Gerry laughed. “Like I said, frayed nerves. I’m hoping that by the time I roll in, tragically indisposed by inexplicable summer traffic, everyone will be desperate for a solution.” He smiled again, and Thom’s stomach flipped. “Anyway, I never come into Minneapolis without stopping by Sebastian’s.

“Look who’s talking,” Gerry continued. “What’s your excuse for skipping work on a Friday afternoon?”

Thom arched a dark, plucked eyebrow. “Priority number one for a small business owner is the sanity of his employees.”

“Oh?”

“My air conditioning’s broke,” Thom said with a shrug. “My place is like a sauna. I had to get out of there.”

“So, ice cream instead of the library?”

“Like you said, who can come downtown without stopping by?”

Gerry swirled his ice cream. “What do you do?”

“I teach and write.”

Gerry considered Thom with a light smile. “So, I’m trying to think of a more interesting question than the obvious.”

“What’s the obvious?”

“Hmm…I’m guessing the popular choice is ‘have I read anything of yours?’”

“Basically. Want to guess the second?”

Gerry narrowed his eyes, rolling them up to think. He shook his head.

“I’ll give you a clue,” said Thom, leaning over his ice cream. “It was one of the first questions my mama asked me when I told her I landed a writing gig out here.”

Gerry barked a laugh. “‘Do you write for a gay magazine?’”

Thom cocked his finger like a gun and ‘shot’ Gerry. “Hers was more heavily inflected with disappointed sighs, but pretty much.”

They smiled at each other as their laughter faded. Gerry broke the spell, looking at his wristwatch. He looked up with apology evident in his suddenly knit eyebrows.

“Gotta go?” asked Thom.

“Sad to say,” said Gerry, standing up. “It was fun chatting.”

Thom’s heart stammered. He licked his suddenly dry lips. “I know you said you’re busy with work. But if you get out early, I’m going dancing with some friends.” Keeping his eyes on Gerry was near impossible with his heart hammering so hard, but he kept it up. “Can I give you my number?”

“I leave tomorrow, Thom.”

“Okay.”

“And I’m not looking for a fuck and run.”

“Who says I am?” Thom asked, more out of reflex than honesty.

Gerry placed a hand on his surprisingly slim waist. “You’re saying if I wasn’t down, you wouldn’t mind coming with me and then never again?”

Thom couldn’t help the smile that danced over his lips. He leaned back in his chair to look up at Gerry. “I wouldn’t mind coming, sure. But I may very well regret the never coming again part.”

Gerry grinned. “Clever boy.”

“I try.”

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Meet the Author

A Southern boy deeply proud of his Welsh heritage, Schuyler L’Roux is a writer who passionately believes in the power of sex—funny, world-changing, scratch-the-hell-out-of-my-back sex. He’s a new author and cannot wait to join the world of erotica with his own brand of thoughtful characters engaged in meaningful interactions and entertaining situations. With lots and lots of sex, of course. When he’s not traveling, Schuyler currently calls Germany home.


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