Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Wednesday Briefers Holiday Short: Cool Countdown


Another holiday short with Juan and Sydney this week, as requested! I was inspired by the prompts: Glass, Glitter and Alcohol. Big thanks to everyone who commented last week.

Cool Countdown


I was eager to get out of my brother’s house. Thirteen days of family time was enough. I had a New Year’s Eve party to go to, thankfully. Sydney was meeting me here, since his family had gotten back late that afternoon from the trip.  Good thing the girls were already in bed. Their sticky little hands often destroyed on my clothes.

Jaime frowned. “You’re going out… in that?”

“Did you just channel Mom?” My mom had been nice, but conservative. Jaime had only been a few years old when our dad remarried, so she was the only mom he remembered. My outfit—skinny jeans and a tight, white t-shirt baring part of my lower belly—was not something Mom would’ve approved of. But hey, it was New Year’s Eve… the last few hours to do all the bad things we’d swear off doing in the 2015.

I hoped to tempt Sydney into some bad things that felt oh so good when the countdown began, though....

There was a knock on the door.

“I’ll get it,” Gloria said.

I rushed to the door. “We don’t need to do the greet the date thing—you guys already know Sydney. I’ve got my keys,” I called over my shoulder as I bolted outside.

“Whoa.” Sydney stepped back as I slammed the door, cutting off any objections from the meddling twosome. “In a hurry?”

I grinned at him. “Just trying to avoid a Christmas Eve repeat.” Sydney filled out his black jeans perfectly, and his shirt was open a few buttons, exposing the top of his smooth, tanned chest. “You look great.”

“You do too, and don’t take this as a request to cover up—ever—but don’t you think the night calls for something a bit warmer?” Sydney had on a wool coat.  

“Damn.” I’d forgotten to grab my jacket. Now that he’d mentioned it, my nipples were hard enough to cut glass. “I have a windbreaker in the car.” The thought of shoving my arms into its chilly sleeves induced a shudder, but it was still better than going back inside. I hurried over to the car to grab my coat.

Putting it on wasn’t much better than freezing without it, at least until the car warmed up. “Thanks for coming to this party with me, especially since you just got home from a trip. We don’t have to stay all night if you’re tired.”

“Now where’s the fun in going to a New Year’s Eve party without staying for the magic moment?” he said. “I’ve been looking forward to getting out for the last two days. Long rides are so boring.”

“If you’re sure.” I wanted to give him a preview of the magic moment, but though he’d kissed me under the mistletoe on Christmas Eve, I didn’t quite have the guts to plant one on him. “So my buddy Tim is throwing this party. He has his own place, though it’s nothing special, and he has a good hook-up to get alcohol. I might have a glass for toasting, but since I’m driving, that’s it. You can have a couple of drinks, if you want.”

“I forget about the whole American twenty-one and over thing. Bunch of rubbish, really. I’m not a big drinker, though, so one is fine.” Sydney buckled his seat belt when I backed out of the driveway. “So tell me about your friends.”

“Well, there’s Tim. I met him on the first day of school. He’s out there, but mostly harmless. Joey and Brendan are together. Brendan’s sister Candace is hilarious, and I think she’s dating a guy on the lacrosse team. Others will be in and out. Tim’s got an open door policy, but his neighbors don’t freak as long as the party stays inside.” I hit the brakes too hard, and Sydney grunted.

“Sorry.” I had to settle down. “Anyway, I’ll introduce you to everyone, but don’t worry about remembering names. Most people crash at Tim’s instead of heading home, and the party started two hours ago, so they’ll have a good head start on the drunkenness.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

But it wasn’t. Tim said hi when we walked in, his eyes shining, and then left us to mingle. It was the usual craziness, but Sydney charmed everyone. Candace loved his accent; if he hadn’t been gay, she probably would’ve ditched her more-brawn-than-brains jock in a heartbeat.

It was when I left to get us drinks for toasting, right before midnight, that it became glaringly obvious Tim had not stopped at tipsy. I turned around, cups in hand, to see him step into Sydney’s personal space and fondle his crotch.

And Sydney didn’t push him away.

A bolt of hurt hit me. Sure, we’d just met, but it was my first New Year’s with a date. I’d imagined the perfect moment tonight, complete with imaginary glitter and spotlights. Damn Tim for being such a slut—and a shitty friend.

I set down the cups and walked out on the back porch to lean against the rail. A few minutes later someone draped a coat over me.

“What’s with you leaving your coats inside?” Sydney asked.  

I watched the lights begin to flash on the TV through the window. “Needed to cool off.”

“I thought we were going to watch the ball drop together.”

“Really?” I raised one eyebrow, barely keeping a snide remark inside. We’d just met. Sydney didn’t owe me any explanations.

“You saw.”

I shrugged.

“Tim was a bit handsy. I left him on a couch and came to find you.” Sydney turned me as the countdown began and pulled me close.

Five.

“The guy I daydreamed about while stuck in that car.”

Three.

“The guy whose taste I can’t forget.”

One.

“The only one I want tonight.”

It was freezing cold, but his lips were blazing hot as we both leaned forward at the same time. I moaned and wrapped my arms around him until our fronts were pressed together. It looked like those New Year’s resolutions were going to have to wait an extra day, because I wasn’t letting him go anytime soon.

I hope you guys liked this prompt update! Don't forget to check out the rest of the Briefers now.

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Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Wednesday Briefers: Dear Santa, a Holiday Short!


I thought I'd take a short break from Fortitude and bring you a little one shot story for the holiday. I hope everyone has had a lovely holiday season so far. Please enjoy my special holiday flash, inspired by the following picture, "Shake that booty" and "Dear Santa". Quite the mix, yeah? LOL



Dear Santa


“Run, run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!” I made the cookie do a little salsa, much to the delight of my nieces.

“Again!” they cried.

I started the rhyme over, making my little gingerbread man dance.

“Oh yeah. Shake that booty!”

Startled, I dropped the cookie and straightened up, throwing a look over my shoulder. The lights from the Christmas tree probably weren’t hiding the fact my face was flushed. “Uh….”

“Sorry. I couldn’t resist.” The stranger winked.

“Sydney!” the twins shrieked as they raced around the table and jumped on him. He caught them both in his arms and helped them climb up his legs like little monkeys.

Damn, he was fine. He definitely had the California surfer look—tan skin and streaked blond hair. But that accent. I wanted to smack myself for gawking at him like an idiot. Though, with the way he’d been looking at my ass earlier, he wouldn’t get all pissy and offended a gay guy was checking him out back.

“Hey ankle-biters. You excited for Santa Claus?”

“We put out cookies,” Connie said. “See, gingermens!” She pointed out the small plate of cookies sitting next to the mug of milk we’d poured for Santa. They were in a place of honor by the tree, where Santa would be sure to see them.

“I made mine pink!” Julia was very proud of her cookie. We’d spent an hour decorating them. I was entertaining the girls during my brother’s holiday party before they had to go to bed. They were riled up, since there’d been a lot of candy sampling during decorating.

Ah well. I didn’t get to see them all that often lately, which would be why I hadn’t known Jaime had a such a hot new neighbor. I was going to have to come home more often.

“Very pretty. Uh-oh, I think your mum is signaling it’s two little girls’ bedtime.”

There were the usual complaints, but Gloria wasn’t giving in, not even on Christmas Eve. “C’mon girls, Santa can’t come if you’re awake. Say goodnight to Tio Juan and Sydney.”

“Night!” they chorused.

Julia tugged me down, and both girls kissed my cheeks. “Don’t stay up late, Tio, so Santa will come.”

“Okay, sweetie.” I looked up, hoping my blush had faded. “Hi. I’m Juan.”

“You’re Jaime’s brother?” He looked surprised. “I’m Sydney, the new neighbor. Nice to meet you. Sorry if I embarrassed you before.”

I shrugged. It wasn’t the first time I’d been caught acting silly—at least this time I had playing with the girls as an excuse. I was known a goofball in the dorms. I was too tired to keep it going, though. We’d been all over, last minute shopping, and of course the girls had wanted to sit on Santa’s lap at the mall. The line had snaked around the Winter Wonderland set-up like a damn anaconda, with harried parents and suckered-in siblings suffering to keep the magic alive for the little kids.

Gloria had promised me an excellent treat after the girls went to bed in return for minding them all day, especially after they insisted I sit on Santa’s lap to tell the bearded guy what I wanted.

Santa’s cheeks were more than rosy when I was done whispering my wish list in his ear.

“So you must be from Australia with an accent like that and the name Sydney,” I said.

“Too right. I think Mum was paying me back for putting her through hell having me.” He laughed, and I couldn’t help but laugh with him.

Jaime came up and nudged my arm. Jaime and I had different moms. My brother was a short and dark—the typical Hispanic male. I took more after my mom’s family, and I got her height and pale skin. We both had the same dark hair and eyes, though. “I see you met the new neighbor. Did you tell Sydney you’re enrolled at the college? He’s starting there next quarter.”

“It hadn’t come up.” I was starting to get suspicious.

“Maybe you can show him around campus.” Jaime winked at me.

Okay. Suspicion confirmed. This was a set up. “Sure.” I shot Jaime a look, then my gaze landed on Gloria who was grinning and not-so-subtly pointing at a bunch of mistletoe hanging by the fireplace.

Now we were both embarrassed.

But damn was he cute. And interested, considering he was still standing beside me even though my Jaime and Gloria were being total idiots.

“Why don’t you go get Gloria some eggnog?”

“Sure, sure. I’ll let you two talk. Merry Christmas, Sydney.”

“Merry Christmas. Thanks for inviting me,” he said.

Awkward. Jaime spent a lot of time embarrassing me as a teenager, though, and I should’ve been used to it.

“So. You live next to my brother’s house where I stay on break, you’re enrolled in my college, and we’re both gay, and I’m assuming single.” I waited, one eyebrow raised.

“Yeah. I was dating a bloke back home, but nothing serious. We called it quits when my family moved.”

“My brother and sister-in-law created a ridiculously obvious scheme to introduce us, and they seem to think we’re gonna take advantage of that mistletoe. Since I’ll probably be hounded to death if I don’t ask… would you like to go out sometime?”

Sydney stepped into my personal space. “Sounds really good. The oldies are taking me on a trip for the next week, but we’ll be back New Year’s Eve.”

“I’ve a party that night. You could come.” First date didn’t always end with a kiss… but on New Year’s it was pretty much a lock.

Sydney licked his lips. He was only inches away. “By the way,” he said, “I don’t need mistletoe or a countdown as an excuse to kiss you.” Sydney’s ability to kiss was just as hot as he was. I was breathless when we finally parted.

“Thank you, Santa.”

TBC? Do you wanna see their first date?

Okay, now go check out the other Briefer's stories. Some are holiday shorts, but authors' stories were just too good to not continue.

Wednesday Briefers website

Monday, December 22, 2014

Chris T. Kat's New Release: Swordplay, a Jeff Woods Mystery!!


Today I'm welcoming Chris T. Kat with her new release in the Jeff Woods mysteries series! Check it out!!
Buy links:
Dreamspinner Press



Blurb:
After leaving his dream job as an Atlantic City detective, Jeff Woods has moved to Washington DC with his life partner Alex Fisher and Alex's disabled little brother Sean. Parker Trenkins, Jeff’s ex-partner on the force, has made the move as well, along with his significant other David. Jeff and Parker partner up once again, but in a new way, as owners of their own detective agency.

Life is difficult at the best of times. Sean loses sight in one of his eyes, a direct result of being pushed into the Atlantic by a homicidal maniac a year ago. In his struggle to deal with everything, a restless Alex enrolls in Tai Chi classes at a nearby school.

As it happens, a murder case Jeff and Parker take involves the head of that very Tai Chi School, Charles Cooper. Cooper is a suspect in the murder of a financial corporation official. He appears to have motive. Jeff and Parker's investigation arouses the real killer’s interest, and if they don't uncover his identity soon, it may be too late for them.


Excerpt from Chapter One:

“Earth to Jeff. Someone in there?” Parker was standing next to me, waving his hand in front of my face.

“Fuck off, Parker.”

“Wow. Remind me not to talk to you before you’ve had decent caffeine input. Now, come on, why are you so tired? I’m your new shrink, remember?” Parker blinked his blue eyes at me in mock-offense, flipping a lock of black hair back.

I snorted. Coffee aroma filled the air, and the water bubbled enticingly. After rubbing my hands over my eyes, I leaned back in the chair and looked up at him. The man drove me crazy on a daily basis, but he was my best friend—right after Alex, my lover, of course.

“Oh boy, this is going to be a long story, isn’t it? Hang on, I need to sit down.” With a theatrical flourish, he heeled a chair closer and fell onto it with gleeful expectation written all over his face.

“Sean’s going to lose sight in his left eye.”

Parker’s mouth dropped open, and for a long time neither of us said anything. I stared at him, wondering whether I should’ve cushioned my words a bit. His jaw muscles tightened, and he worked hard to get words out of his mouth. I’d probably worn a similar expression yesterday when Alex broke the news to me after the visit with the eye specialist. Sean was only seven years old—only seven. Didn’t he’d already suffer enough with his cerebral palsy?

“You can’t just drop a bomb like that without giving me fair warning,” Parker protested.

I shrugged. “Sorry.”

“Are you sure?”

I gave a curt nod. My eyes stung stupidly. Alex had tried so hard to keep it together, but in the end he’d wept for hours, cuddled up against me. He’d cried endlessly for his little brother and what he had to go through. I’d feared he’d make himself sick—which he had, but only once—and when he’d finally fallen asleep, I’d lain awake in our bed, helpless and hurting.

“What about another opinion? Maybe—”

“Parker, that was the third opinion. We noticed he was getting clumsier and he was losing focus on his left side. His sight in that eye has gone down to ten percent, and it won’t take long for the rest to vanish too. We’ll cope.”

Whether I wanted to reassure myself or Parker didn’t really matter, did it? At least I’d had enough presence of mind not to throw that platitude around when I talked to Alex. He never bought into any of them. Parker, however, did from time to time.

“Does Sean know?”

Pain closed like a vise around my throat, and I coughed in a deliberate attempt to get rid of it. “Yes. We explained it to him.”

“How did he react?”

I grimaced. “He was worried about his other eye, but the doc said it was okay. Sean’s main concerns were if he was still allowed to go to school and if we’d still love him.”

I bolted from the chair, choking on my last words, and stalked over to the coffeemaker. I poured milk into Parker’s mug, added two spoonfuls of sugar, then attempted to grab the glass carafe. My hands shook.

Parker materialized next to me, nudged me aside, and filled our mugs. I was still blinking against the wetness in my eyes. Maybe it was a good thing I’d had no time for breakfast earlier. I wasn’t sure if it would’ve stayed down anyway. Alex hadn’t even tried to eat this morning. He’d been white as a sheet when I left. I hadn’t wanted to come to work, but the money had to come in from somewhere and—

 

Chris T. Kat

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there's any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

Links:




Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Wednesday Briefs: Fortitude Part Eleven


This week I was inspired by a picture! It's been a while, but this one just screamed out at me. I hope you like the update to my Wednesday Briefer's flash story.

 
Fortitude Part Eleven

Not prisoners didn’t mean Anna was just going to let us go. Oh no, that would be too damn simple. There were vague comments about returning our pistols and swords, after a tour of the city. And lunch. And a visit to the nursery to see they had young thriving.

We found Wildman there.

He was not thriving.

They’d cleaned him up and given him fresh clothes. He looked sullen. A guard stood next to the small stool in the corner where he was sulking away from the other kids and teens. A boy was sitting on the floor in front of Wildman, staring up at him, but Wildman stared straight ahead.

I frowned. “Why is he under guard if everyone is free to come and go, without any of the smothering restrictions of the cities?”

Our guide hemmed and hawed, fidgeting with a handkerchief he pulled from his pocket. He waved it, the fabric fluttering. “Oh, just a precaution,” he said in an offhand tone. I didn’t buy it for a second. “Timmel, come over here and say hello.”

The youth in front of Wildman got up reluctantly and came over to us.

“Hello,” Teddy said.

“Hi. What’s your name?” he asked.

“I’m Teddy, and this is Will.”

Timmel looked over his shoulder. “You were with Charlie, when they brought him in.” He looked up at Teddy. “Are you his friend?”

“Well, I think of him as a friend.” Teddy crouched down. “I like making lots of new friends.”

He needed to work his magic, away from the too watchful gaze of our guide. I distracted him by asking questions about the small classroom I could see set up in an adjacent room. He went on and on about the superiority of the knowledge they shared—none of it hidden or secret from the citizens like in the city.

After a while, I’d had all I could stand, and I figured Teddy had gotten what information he could from young Timmel. I pretended to yawn indelicately, letting my mouth gape open.

“Ahem. Perhaps you’d like to return to your room for a bit of a rest? I’m sure you’re still quite exhausted from your travels.”

I nodded. “Yes. This tour was very exciting, and we’re still tired from everything we went through.” I’d done as much as I could to dim my powers, acting nearly as biddable as Teddy really was. Anna had said the cities did away with their betas, to protect their own interests. But if that were so, they didn’t seem to have flocked to the so-called free territory.

 

Back in our room, Teddy and I curled up on the bed so we could whisper to each other. I hadn’t detected any listening devices, but it paid to be cautious.

“Timmel wants us to take him with us. He knew we’d be leaving,” Teddy said.

“What?” I said it too loud, and Teddy frowned at me. I lowered my voice. “He’s just a child. We cannot be responsible for Timmel. Besides, where would we say he came from when we get home? We cannot afford to stand out, at all, if we’re going to investigate the nobles on the Council.”

“Not Timmel. Charlie. I mean, Wildman,” Teddy said, probably in response to my look of confusion. “That’s his real name. Timmel said Charlie was part of a group of boys, some of the older ones, who lived in the jungle. They roamed free, totally wild, but one by one they’d been civilized by Anna’s free territory dwellers. They were absorbed into families.

“But not Charlie. He refuses to stay, no matter how often they bring him in to clean him up and force him to take medicines. This time, they have a guard on him constantly. Timmel said Charlie won’t do it—he’d rather die than live inside four walls again.”

Anyone who’d prefer to live outside with all the threats—the acid water, the giant birds, not to mention the distinct lack of food—must have a pretty good reason.  It was no beautiful landscape with rainbows and sunshine driving away the rain clouds out there. And if he’d escaped that many times, he’d have to know the best way to get out… and maybe even where they’d keep our weapons and packs. I couldn’t see him passing up the chance to get supplies on his way out.

“All right. Here’s what we’re going to do. We take naps now. Tonight, we eat dinner, but stash some food if you can. We’ll sneak out before dawn, when it’s the quietest. Do you know where they’re keeping Wildman?” He wasn’t Charlie to me. Wildman was far more suited to his personality.

 

Sneaking out of the city was child’s play compared to getting away from the reclaimed building Anna lived in. These people didn’t follow any sort of regimen or schedule. There were guards, but they didn’t follow ascribed paths I could decipher. Fortunately Anna had given us new clothes, even shoes, that were far easier to move about in than our previous wardrobe.

Finally we got to where Timmel had said they had Wildman under lock and key. There was a guard outside the door. Just beyond the door was a light running off a wire tacked to the wall. If I could reach the wire, I could knock out the light.

Then knock out the guard.

I gestured to Teddy, indicating my plan.

He shook his head.

“We have to. I won’t hurt him,” I whispered.

Teddy licked his lips, and then let out a slow, silent breath. He nodded.

A surge of energy, from a simple thought, burst the bulb. “What the hell?” The guard jumped, turning to look up at it. I took advantage of his back being to me, and darted forward, quickly hitting him hard enough his head bounced off the wall.

He slumped to the floor, a wicked red bump on his forehead, but he was breathing normally when I checked.

Hoping there wasn’t another guard inside, I opened Wildman’s door.

Wildman was curled on the floor beside the bed. He looked up at me.

“Want to get out of here?” I asked him.

TBC

I hope you enjoyed this week--next week will see the boys back in the thick of things! Now go on and enjoy more flash--cause there are some great updates.

Wednesday Briefers

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Sue Brown Blog Tour: Chance to be King Review

 

Today I'm featuring Sue Brown's re-release, Chance to be King, on her Creative Minds Promotions blog tour. I received an advanced copy of her novella in exchange for a fair review for the purpose of this blog tour.

 

Book Link: Dreamspinner Press

Chance to be King is a contemporary romance featuring two men in the entertainment industry--though neither of them know who or what the other does for a living. They meet on a dark night when Eric nearly runs Thomas over. Eric's exhausted and in need of a break from his stressful life, and he misses the turn off to the small cottage he's rented--a cozy little place for him and his two dogs to enjoy some peace and quiet in the country.

But peace and quiet is far from what Eric finds as he gets to know Thomas. They have pretty instant chemistry, though there are a few hiccups, to say the least. Someone's causing trouble--and Eric nearly dies. Thomas takes him in because, surprise! he's the owner of the cottage Eric was renting before it was burned down.

The police become involved, quickly zeroing in on a suspicious stranger Thomas ran off his property. But who's his target? Eric or Thomas? Why would anyone want to hurt either of them? Can they be truthful with each other and move beyond their secrets?

I really liked Eric's character. His bond with his dogs was adorable. I could relate to his migraine issues, unfortunately, but that helped make his character very real to me. I had a harder time with Thomas' character. He ran hot and cold, which wasn't explained for quite some time even as they professed their love to each other after just a few days. That type of insta-love in a contemporary story is hard for me to see as believable, but the dramatic events and the way Thomas and Eric have to rely and depend on each other helps explain some of the connection.

Beyond the insta-love element, I found the story to be smoothly written and easy to read. It keep me reading until late in the night, from start to end without stopping. I like that the romance is a major factor in the story, yet there are other elements woven in the plot to ensure the reader doesn't get bored along the way--because face it, we all know we're going to find a happy ending. And I think readers will really like this one!


Sue Brown is owned by her dog and two children. When she isn't following their orders, she can be found plotting at her laptop. In fact she hides so she can plot and has gotten expert at ignoring the orders.

Sue discovered M/M erotica at the time she woke up to find two men kissing on her favorite television series. The series was boring; the kissing was not. She may be late to the party, but she's made up for it since, writing fan fiction until she was brave enough to venture out into the world of original fiction.

Sue can be found at her -
Website: http://www.suebrownstories.com/    Blog: http://suebrownsstories.blogspot.co.uk/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/suebrownstories  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/suebrownstories.


Make sure you enter follow each stop on Sue's Blog Tour and enter her contest!!
 
BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:
 
 
 
Dec. 15
Dec. 20
Dec. 26
Charlie Cochet – Promo Spotlight
Prism Book Alliance – Guest Post
Foxylutely Books – Guest Post + Book Review
Dec. 16
Dec. 22
Dec. 27
Alicia Nordwell – Book Review
Bike Book Reviews – Book Review
Elisa: My Reviews & Ramblings – Promo Spotlight
Andrew Q. Gordon – Promo Spotlight
Dec. 17
Dec. 23
Dec. 29
Elin Gregory – Promo Spotlight
RJ Scott – Guest Post
GGR-Review – Guest Post
Molly Lolly – Promo Spotlight
MM Good Book Review – Review + Promo Spotlight
Inked Rainbow Reads – Book Review
Dec. 18
Dec. 24
Dec. 30
LM Brown – Guest Post
The Novel Approach – Guest Post
Amanda C. Stone – Author Interview
Two Men Are Better Than One – Promo Spotlight
Dec. 19
Dec. 25
Dec. 31
Love Bytes Reviews – Author Interview + Spotlight
Diverse Reader – Book Review
3 Chicks After Dark – Author Spotlight
BFD Book Blog – Book Review + Author Interview
Excerpt
Eric paused for a minute to take in his surroundings. The lake was huge, surrounded by reeds and banked in places by sandy beaches. A short note in the paperwork said it was suitable to swim in, and Eric had brought his trunks hopefully. There seemed to be a narrow path following the shoreline. Eric called to the dogs and set off to follow it. He didn’t necessarily want to explore all of it today, but he did think the dogs would benefit from a long walk after being cooped up in the truck for most of the previous day.
 In places the overhanging branches meant Eric needed to duck, one of the disadvantages of being well over six feet tall. The dogs, however, had no such issues, and they plowed ahead eagerly. Their enthusiasm meant he lost sight of them until he reached a clearer spot in the trees. Eric could hear them splashing up ahead and smiled to himself. Millie was a terror for getting in the water, be it puddle or pond. Toby was more of a wimp and would dance around the edges before finally getting up the courage to venture in.
Eric finally reached the shoreline, to see Millie in the water as he expected. However, the man playing with her as she swam around was a surprise. He’d obviously been swimming, because he was bare from the waist up and—oh fuck—he was a vision: lean muscles, firm abs, and dark nipples against tanned skin. Yummy. Not that Eric was looking closely. At all. Okay, maybe it didn’t take much for Eric to react to a gorgeous man dancing half-naked in cold water.
Eric squinted as he looked a bit closer. Wasn’t this his rescuer from last night? Tim… Tony… Thomas… that was it, Thomas.
“Morning,” Eric drawled as he watched them play. “Hope she’s not bothering you too much.”
 As Eric spoke, Thomas looked up and stopped horsing around. Millie gave a disappointed bark as she paddled and nudged Thomas’s hand hopefully. Thomas ran his hands though his hair to get the drips out of his face, his muscles rippling in a most distracting way. Eric’s cock was quite appreciative and twitched in his sweats.
“I don’t get too many dogs rushing to join me in my morning swim.” “Sorry, she never can resist getting in the water.”
Eric was trying hard to concentrate on the conversation, but really, most of his attention was taken by the view in front of him. He spent his days surrounded by handsome men and beautiful women, but this man took his breath away. His dark blond hair curled damply around his ears, and his bright blue eyes sparkled in amusement. Damn, could I get more girly?
“Eric?” Eric blinked. “Uh… yes?” He’d been so busy staring at the water droplets running down Thomas’s chest… and—oh, are they freckles? Eric couldn’t tell from this distance.
 “Earth to Eric?”
 He dragged his gaze away reluctantly from Thomas’s body to his face. Not that it was any less distracting with those eyes…. Fuck, those eyes. “Yes?” Thomas was smirking at him unashamedly.
“Would you mind calling your dog back? I’m getting cold now, and I’d like to get out.”
 
Eric stared at him stupidly for a minute, and then his brain finally got on board with the conversation. “Yes… I mean, sorry. Millie, come here girl.”
 
Book Details
 Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
 Cover Artist: DWS Photography
 Release Date: 17th December, 2014
 Book Link: Dreamspinner Press
 
 
 
           
 
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