Sunday, July 12, 2026
🎅🎆🎄Sunday's Short Stack-Xmas in July🎄🎆🎅: Nice and Snow by Clare London
With a Kick #6
Nuri’s expecting a quiet Christmas, driving his cab, doing some studying, enjoying good food and drink – and devoting some serious loving to boyfriend Eduardo. Occasionally he misses his homeland of Turkey, but he’s content to share the London celebrations with Eddy.
But what with Eddy’s distress over his new role at the local comedy club, interference in their love life from Nuri’s irrepressible brothers, a disturbing number of costumed Santas on the street, the dangerous slush on the roads, and then the portly, bearded man dressed in red, in need of an urgent cab ride…
It doesn’t look like things will be that quiet after all!
Original Review January 2024:
I'll admit as I haven't read any of the With a Kick stories, I had a bit of a hard time getting into this story. I say "a bit" because it only took half a dozen pages or so but it wasn't instant from word one. I wasn't lost but it took a few pages to connect to the characters already established relationship, I look forward to going back and seeing their beginning in A Twist and Two Balls, hopefully in 2024.
Even with that few-page-to-connect start, I loved the chemistry between Nuri and Eddy, it's realistic and fun. When one has to don the Santa suit for work they find a passenger in Nuri's taxi that might give them a little different take on the red suit and the man inside.
Yep, another deliciously fun holiday novella from Clare London.
RATING:
Nuri’s boyfriend was causing him indigestion.
Well, it may have been partly due to the oversized portions of supper at his brothers’ Turkish restaurant, but there were emotional reasons too. Eduardo was a constant delight—Nuri wouldn’t want anyone to think he had any complaint, for goodness sake, he’d never been happier—but Eduardo was a man who needed Nuri’s attention and care.
Right now, Eddy—his real name—was staring at Nuri over the dining table with dark suspicion in his eyes. “There was a group of them in the club last night,” he said. Eddy was a compere at the local Soho comedy club, a job that Nuri thought he did extremely well. He loved to watch Eddy up on stage, with no sign of the nerves he’d suffered as a dramatic actor, but now playing to the crowd with his impressions and clever mimicry as he bridged the gap between the comedians’ sets.
“I think you may be overreacting.” Nuri smiled to himself, knowing what “them” Eddy was talking about. Not that he wouldn’t have stepped to Eddy’s defence if there were any real threat to him.
“But it was spooky, you know? There’ve been so many around recently. Remember the crowd we saw in the pub last night? And I’ve spotted some on the bus, and at lots of stations on the Tube. They don’t seem to care where or when they’re seen. Do you know, I bumped into one at the supermarket, too, when I went for more milk.”
“What was he buying?”
Eddy glanced swiftly at Nuri. “Are you teasing me?”
Nuri smiled openly. He was sure—wasn’t he?—that Eddy didn’t really mind, because he knew Nuri’s teasing was never cruel, only fond. Nuri just couldn’t resist sometimes. And humour was so often part of the bedroom foreplay between them, leading up to some pretty sweaty and impressive—
“Squid!” announced Nuri’s brother Adem, delivering a large plate onto their table with a flourish and a thud. “It go extra with the kofte I bring, you call… ballocks?”
“Balls. Meatballs,” Eddy said, his voice strained. “You also brought dolma, extra halloumi, and then skewers of souvlaki. There’s too much food here, Adem.”
“Never,” Nuri muttered, reaching eagerly for the new plate. He absently brushed a crumb of bread from his beard. Their early supper at the restaurant had become a familiar routine, especially on the days Eddy finished work after a matinee show. Of course, the trade-off was that they both had to suffer Nuri’s brothers’ attention, especially about their love life. Nuri’s family had welcomed Eddy very warmly and didn’t seem to have a problem with the two men all but living together. But just now and then…
Adem remained staring at Eddy, his brown eyes bright with mischief. “I like hear your words, Eduardo. Very amusing, the way you say my words.”
“For heaven’s sake.” Eddy rolled his eyes. “Your English seems to be getting worse, not better, ever since I offered to help you with your London pronunciation. I could almost believe you play up the hapless Turkish accent act when Nuri and I are here.”
Nuri caught Adem’s eye and frowned at him. Adem winked back, and ran his tongue along his lower lip in a bizarre leer. Then he swung on his heel, his waist apron fluttering against his smart black trousers, and darted over to another table that needed service. He may have been swishing his hips just a little too much to be natural.
“He’s teasing me too, right?” Eddy said glumly.
“Of course,” Nuri said. He covered Eddy’s hand with his own, their hands pale and darker-skinned together on the red tablecloth. “He likes to pretend he understands the gay way. But he likes winding you around as well.”
“Winding me up,” Eddy corrected automatically, then caught sight of Nuri’s grin. “Oh God, you’re doing it too! Why am I suddenly the sole source of entertainment around here?”
Nuri tightened his hand, a little alarmed by Eddy’s tone. “What’s really wrong?”
“Wrong?”
Nuri knew Eddy’s denial tactics of old. He didn’t press him, but poured a small measure of raki into Eddy’s glass, then topped it up with water from the nearby jug. Eddy watched with his usual fascination as the liquid clouded to milky white. He’d grown very accustomed to the taste over the last few months with Nuri. “Drink this,” Nuri said softly. “You need it.”
Eddy sighed, but took a sip. Nuri knew the exact moment the sharp aniseed flavour tickled Eddy’s taste buds, because his nose wrinkled with delight. Nuri resisted the urge to reach over and smooth out the wrinkles. To hell with it. He just liked to touch Eddy, wherever and whenever.
“I’m not angry at Adem,” Eddy said. “Or you. You’re my rock, you know that?”
“I know that. But you are disturbed, I think.”
“Okay. Yes. A bit.” Eddy examined the table cloth as closely as if it held a secret treasure map and only he could decipher the code.
“Tell me,” Nuri urged. “You’re not really frightened?”
Eddy flushed. “God, that’d be childish, wouldn’t it? But it does seem bizarre. I’m beginning to feel stalked by them.”
Nuri shook his head. “You must be sensible about this. They’re common enough here in London. Especially at this time of year. We all see them.”
With a startling thump, Adem dropped into the seat beside Eddy. “What is this stalking?” For the first time that night, he dropped his sardonic look and seemed genuinely concerned for Eddy.
“Stalkers?” Sadi, Nuri’s other brother and co-owner of the restaurant, paused behind Adem’s chair, his hands full of crockery cleared from another table. “Eddy, are you having trouble at the club?”
“This month of December is very full of danger,” Adem said sombrely. “The shoplifters and pocket pickers are everywhere. I will lend you my sister’s mace spray. If you blind some person, Nuri will defence you in court when he is qualified as lawyer.”
“Defend. And no, it’s all right, I’m not talking about thieves.”
“Sex slavers?” Adem looked even more appalled. “They like young boys as well as the girls. Though…” He gave Eddy the once-over with what looked alarmingly like professional appraisal. “I think you are not so young any more, and they will not want one who wriggles as you do when a man like Nuri clasps you close—”
“Enough,” Nuri said, rather sharply, though he doubted Adem would pay any heed. He never had before. “Eddy’s talking about the pretend Father Christmases. They seem to be very plentiful this year.”
Adem and Sadi stared at him as if he’d just beamed down off the Millenium Falcon.
Nuri sighed. “The people dressed as Father Christmas, you know? Big bellies, red jacket and trousers, thick white beard.”
“Sounds like our new chef,” Sadi muttered. He leaned over the table toward Eddy and put on a sympathetic expression. “I understand how you feel,” he said. “Some people are scared of clowns.”
“And beetles,” Adem added.
Sadi didn’t look away from Eddy, but managed to reach over and clip his brother around the ear with deadly accuracy. “Those are weevils,” he hissed. “From old flour. And it’s perfectly reasonable to hate them in a restaurant.”
“It’s not fear. I’m fine.” Eddy laughed at the banter. But the laugh was shaky.
Nuri was concerned. He had walked with Eddy from the club to the restaurant and had seen an example of this effect. When a young Santa crossed their path by the Chinese grocer’s, Eddy had shivered and shrunk back against Nuri’s side. As far as Nuri could see, it was just a skinny young man dressed up for fun, the tee shirts he’d used to pad himself peeking out from under his tunic, a soppy smile on his face, and a rather strong smell of beer on his breath. Nuri noticed the guy’s shopping bags clinking as he passed, but had nodded an easy good evening to him. Eddy hadn’t. Nuri suspected there was still more to this situation, but he couldn’t—wouldn’t—rush Eduardo.
A customer waved from the other side of the room, and Adem and Sadi moved away from the table.
“Tell me what is really worrying you,” Nuri said quietly to Eddy. He didn’t want his brothers zeroing back in on their problems, however amusing they found it. “I see it in your expression.”
“See what?”
“That it’s not just about the Father Christmases,” Nuri said patiently.
“Well, it is and it isn’t. Sometimes I think you’re psychic.” Eddy had on his 101-Dalmation-puppy look. “Patrick asked me to help host a Christmas Eve party at With A Kick. For the children, in the afternoon. It was such a great success last year, and they love the ice creams. All non-alcoholic for the kids, of course,” he hurried to add.
“Of course.”
“Apparently the guy who played Santa wants a break from it this year.”
Nuri nodded encouragingly. “You are an actor, Eduardo. I don’t see the problem.”
“Dressing up as Father Christmas? As Santa?”
Nuri’s eyes widened just a fraction. “As I say, I don’t see…”
Eddy groaned. “I don’t believe in Santa, Nuri. The whole thing is a bit creepy, men dressing in ill-fitting costumes with stupid cotton-wool beards. What sort of idiot am I going to look?”
Never to me, Nuri thought, and smiled encouragingly. “You’ll have a good time. You have a gift with entertaining children. And you love Christmas.” He and Eddy had never shared one before, but Eddy had been gazing at sparkly decorations in shop windows since October.
“I do. Yes, I do. It’s just the Santas I find weird. I don’t like them, and especially the fake ones.”
“How can there be fake ones without a real one to compare?”
“Smart arse,” Eddy muttered.
Nuri looked longingly at the plate of aromatic, steaming squid, but instead he concentrated on Eddy’s distress. “In Turkey, he is real.”
“He’s… sorry?”
“Baba Noel. Where all the Father Christmas stories began. He was a genuine Turkish man.” Eddy started to laugh, but Nuri frowned at him. “No, it’s true. The history is believed to begin with a bishop from Demre, in modern-day Turkey, who wanted to help poor people, but in secret. He helped girls without dowry, and also became the patron saint of children and sailors. Though I’m not sure of the connection between those groups. It’s said he climbed on roofs and dropped coins down the chimneys.”
Nuri loved the way Eddy’s face expressed everything he was thinking, even while Eddy himself thought he was being so discreet. At the moment, Eddy was obviously wondering how to challenge Nuri on such a ridiculously bizarre lie. And yet, Nuri knew it was the truth. Lucky he didn’t take offence that Eddy disbelieved the history of Nuri’s heritage. Poor Eddy was a victim of his British upbringing. Nuri loved him all the more for it.
Clare LondonClare London took her pen name from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with her other day job as an accountant.
She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with award-winning novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic, and sexy characters.
Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter-three stage and plenty of other projects in mind… she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.
Clare loves to hear from readers, and you can contact her on all her social media.
EMAIL: clarelondon11@yahoo.co.uk
Saturday, July 11, 2026
🎅🎆🎄Saturday's Series Spotlight - Xmas in July🎄🎆🎅: Boyfriend for Hire by RJ Scott & Meredith Russell
Gideon #3
Summary:A snowy cabin with one bed? That’s only the first step toward Gideon falling in love.
Gideon is too old to be fought over at Christmas by divorced parents who should know better. The prospect of a Christmas on his own is better than having to face either of them. When Rowan hires him for a wintery break in Maine, it seems like a safe choice until his PA’s meddling family shows him something entirely new: Love.
Rowan hiring his boss for a trip back to his moms’ place for Christmas sounded like a good idea at the time. Killing two birds with one stone, he can cheer up Gideon and possibly steal a kiss under the mistletoe. After all, he’s been hiding his attraction to the man for years, and maybe with some Christmas magic, he can help Gideon see what is right under his nose.
Summary:
Hiring a fake boyfriend for a school reunion seems to be the only solution, but love was never part of the equation.
Felix has enough on his plate looking out for his parents, let alone agreeing to being hired for a date with the friend of a friend. His instant attraction to the scatter-brained scientist has him making impulsive decisions he hopes he won’t regret. But, somehow, he’s agreeing to more dates, and more time with sexy Ethan and his non-stop talking. When stolen wintry kisses turn to love, and Christmas works its magic, Felix knows he’s losing his heart.
The science of chemistry makes more sense to Ethan than connecting with potential boyfriends, and he’s wary of romance. Unsettled by a string of failed hookups, he knows it’s on him when everything goes wrong and he can’t help but wonder what has made him this way. His friend Jared says that Ethan needs to close metaphorical doors on past hurts—whatever that means—and that the school reunion might just be step one. Determined to show himself as confident and happy, he hires Felix to be his date for the night, but a kiss to make up for the one he missed at prom, and abruptly, it’s not the past that is consuming his thoughts.
Now all Felix has to do is show Ethan that it’s okay to love and be loved in return, and that chemistry can lead to a happily ever after.
Gideon #3
RATING:
RJ Scott
Meredith Russell
Original Review December 2020:
Gideon is such a delight. You got employer/employee/friends connection between the two main characters, a bit of a May/December gap, and of course you have Christmas. You don't really expect the boss of a boyfriends/companion for hire business to actually be the one getting hired, especially by his own PA but that's where Gideon finds himself. I don't think I'm giving anything away when I say that Rowan has two reasons for hiring his boss, 1. he wants a bit of a "friend buffer" with this boisterous family at Christmas and 2. he doesn't want Gideon to spend the holiday alone. Super sweet but not in a sugary-rot-your-teeth kinda way.
Gideon has drama(mild and not very angsty), humor, friendship, heat, family, holiday fun, and of course heart, always plenty of heart from these authors. I've loved the first two entries in this Boyfriends for Hire series and though it starts at the wedding for the couple we first met in book 1, Darcy, you don't really have to read them before opening Gideon. As a series reader I always prefer to read them in order even a series of standalones, but it's certainly not necessary.
Plain and simple, Gideon is a tale of holiday friendship that can become more if the two men can finally open up and be honest with each other. Okay, so you know this is going to have a HEA ending, that's never really in doubt. Gideon and Rowan's journey is one I like to label a "meat and potatoes" story, the "dessert" in the ending is great but it's the deliciousness of the courses you enjoy before dessert that makes the meal memorable. Gideon is definitely a memorable holiday romance.
Felix #5
Original Review January 2023:
I love this series so much and I have no idea how I missed reading Jared, the 5th entry but I did and I'll have to go back and check it out. I mention this for those who are wondering about reading order. Boyfriend for Hire is a series of standalones where the connection is the fake boyfriend service the men in the titles work. As stated each entry is a standalone but there are a few cameos of previous characters however knowing their journeys is not a must to understand the entry you are reading. In Felix, there are a few mentions of Jared as Ethan, the man in need of a fake boyfriend is Jared's roommate but I wasn't lost having not read Jared's story first.
On to Felix.
I could empathize with Felix in his need not to have jobs that lasted more than 24 hours because he needs to stay close to care for his parents. Being my mom's 24/7 live-in caregiver I don't have the luxury of a time card but I have turned down many social functions because I was uncomfortable being away for extended hours so I completely understood where Felix was coming from and I loved how the authors really convey that pull on an adult caring for a parent. It may only be a small factor of the story and more of a set-up situation that makes Felix the perfect one to step in as Ethan's date but it really stood out for me and gave me that connection to the character and it's that connection between reader and character that can turn a good book into a great story.
Ethan. What can I say about Ethan? I just want to wrap him up in bubblewrap to keep him safe. His inner struggles and introverted-like social skills scream "love him, for the love of everything holy in the universe give this man the HEA he deserves!" He has issues, or doors that need closing as Jared points out and having Felix on his side be it professionally at first and then emotionally is one of the most heartwarming stories I've read in a long time. Why you ask? I don't really know. Maybe it's my own brand of introverted-ness, maybe it's knowing he's had something locked away behind that door Jared says needs closing, maybe it's just my need to find goodness in my readings, or maybe it's a combination of all the above. What I do know is I'm not going to spoil it for you. Scott & Russell are all about the HEA in their Boyfriend for Hire series so we all know where the ending will lead but it's the journey the men take getting there that makes this story a heartwarmingly fun holiday gem and that is something you need to experience.
For those who don't like insta-love then this may not be up your alley and that's okay, it's not a trope for everyone and if it's not done right it's not a trope for me either but Felix is done right. But I just want to say for those who don't believe insta-love is real, I can prove you wrong because I wouldn't be here if it wasn't real. My grandparents met in January 1946, engaged on Valentine's Day 1946, married in July that summer and were still married in 1994 when my grandpa passed away. So it's real and it can lead to life long love.
RATING:
Gideon #3
One
Gideon
“I, Darcy Jonathan Bridges…”
Gideon glanced at the select group of guests in the intimate venue in New Canaan. Darcy and Adrian exchanged their vows in the small room full of white flowers and with an arch decorated with greenery. The wedding was a simple indoor service with no more than twenty people, all of whom had been handpicked to attend by either bridegroom, consisting of their immediate family and their closest friends.
So why am I here?
Gideon was Darcy’s boss, but he still wasn’t sure how he’d ended up being invited to the wedding. He was convinced that his PA, the annoying but sexy Rowan Phillips, had simply decided they were both attending and barreled ahead with the plans. Rowan had organized hotel rooms for them both only a short taxi ride from here, and insisted that staying over was all for Darcy and making the day special. More likely Rowan wanted to drink copious amounts of alcohol, but there again maybe he had the right idea. Gideon glanced toward where Adrian and Darcy were standing hand in hand. A drink or three to get through the day was probably in order so a hotel was for the best.
Ceremony, dinner, celebrations, alcohol, staying overnight, then in the morning it was off to somewhere for the newlyweds and back to the office on Stuyvesant Street in Manhattan for Gideon and Rowan. Gideon had work to do, contracts to assign for next year’s events and last minute checks on Christmas events given it was only nine days away.
There would be the inevitable last minute panics for work parties or family events, and he recalled a request for a two week booking covering a huge family’s New Year gathering at a location in Vermont. While lucrative, the Vermont booking had been left way too late because backstories for the people he hired were complicated matters for long-term connections, and he never put his employees in situations they couldn’t handle.
He’d have to turn it down, but that wasn’t an issue. Bryant & Waites was solid, financially secure, and discreet, all the things he and Luke had planned the company would be.
And there it was. He’d thought about Luke and he knew he should stop focusing on the past. Just because he was at a wedding, and twenty years ago Luke and he were supposed to go to Canada and get married and be together forever…
Think about Rowan instead.
No, don’t think about Rowan. Not sexy, in my face, snarky, coffee making Rowan.
Christmas. Yeah, I’ll think about Christmas. The commercial stuff. I can do that.
Rowan shifted next to him, their hands brushing, and all kinds of forbidden thoughts rushed to his head. He and Rowan holding hands, he and Rowan kissing, he and Rowan…
Christmas decorations, music on repeat, parades, more gift cards to buy. He began to make a mental list of what he could handle in the run up to the usual meeting with family for the big day. He wanted the decks cleared so he wouldn’t be dragged under by family stress. His oddly matched and long-time divorced parents bickering about who’d get him and his sister for which part of Christmas. He was forty-three for fuck’s sake, his sister only a few years younger, and yet the two of them were still fought over as if they were small kids. Not to mention Gideon’s birthday fell on Christmas Eve, which made things even worse. Typically, he hid away on his birthday if he could manage it, but last year he’d spent it with his sister and her boyfriend, and that in itself had been a different kind of chaos.
“They look so happy,” Rowan said as he leaned into Gideon briefly.
“Uh-huh,” was about all Gideon could manage. He’d been lost in thought and anyway, no one should be talking at weddings.
“I might get married here,” Rowan added, and Gideon shot him a surprised glance.
“You’re getting married?” he asked louder than a whisper and got an irritated stare from another guest.
Rowan raised an eyebrow. “Of course.”
Shock flooded Gideon as they turned back to face the happy couple. He hadn’t even known that Rowan was with someone, let alone at the point where they were thinking of getting married. What if Rowan left Bryant & Waites? What if he left Gideon to run the company on his own? That didn’t bear thinking about.
What if Rowan leaves me?
Rowan moved again, this time a full body sigh as Darcy and Adrian exchanged a vow. He smelled wonderful, a fresh citrus scented cologne that reminded Gideon of the ocean.
“Who’s the lucky guy?” Gideon murmured as everyone began to clap and whistle at something.
“Huh?” Rowan said as the clapping died away.
“The man you’re marrying.”
Rowan tapped his nose then winked. “Now that would be telling.”
Great. Just when things were level and the company was steady, Rowan was running off with the first fly-by-night asshole who gave him a ring. Gideon could already picture some smooth city banker or a lawyer who had bought Rowan’s affections with gifts and empty promises—just to take him away from Bryant & Waites.
And me.
The thought of gifts reminded him that he still hadn’t bought Rowan a Christmas gift, which was a slap to the face. There was this rich city guy, probably showering Rowan with gifts, winning his heart, and Gideon hadn’t even considered the measly Christmas gift he usually bought his PA. It was the only one that he bought himself because the gifts to the other guys who worked for him were handled by Rowan himself. Not that Gideon would have to think about what to get him. Because Rowan would likely happen to leave an open magazine on his desk with some very specific comment on a Post-it.
At least Gideon knew that Rowan was getting something he wanted.
I bet Big-city guy doesn’t know Rowan as well as I do.
The countdown to Rowan leaving him had clearly begun, but he couldn’t stop the march of time. What was the point in dismissing the fiancé he’d never met when he himself had never actually made a move on his PA? Well, not a real move.
Focus. He needed to focus on the here and now, glancing briefly at Rowan, right by his side as usual. His suit was a deep blue color, standing out next to Gideon’s gray. His tie a bright orange, Gideon’s a silver-blue.
Rowan had once told him that blue ties made his eyes pop, whatever that really meant, but Gideon certainly hadn’t worn it so he popped his eyes at anyone today. Particularly not cheerful perky Rowan who smiled so wide his nose wrinkled and who was clearly getting married. Gideon had to ignore that Rowan looked good today, bright and smiling, and so different to how he was dressed in the office. His dark hair was newly cut, carefully layered, and his brown eyes were wide with an almost childlike wonder. He had a sprig of holly in his buttonhole, a nod to the season that was reflected in some of the decorations in the room, and he looked…attractive?
That was possibly the safest description that an employer should use about their newly engaged assistant because sexy, gorgeous, and fuckable, were not the words he should be using. Along with cute, always sunny, but sometimes disrespectful and irritating. Rowan was stuck in Gideon’s head, and the time had always been coming when they would need to part ways before Gideon’s idiot-attraction went from bad to worse. Maybe in the new year Gideon could ask Rowan to find a replacement for when he left with his husband…after paying Rowan handsomely for his time of course.
Since the first Wednesday in October at ten thirty-two in the morning, his and Rowan’s working relationship in the same office had started to become very different.
Rowan had hugged him. In Rowan’s defense, it had been the day after Gideon had taken his cat Kimi to the veterinarian. The hug happened out of sheer relief when the news came in that a lump the vet had found was just an infection. Although he wasn’t sure if it had been Rowan or himself who instigated it.
The feel of Rowan in his arms was a memory he would never lose.
Stupid libido and its ability to fuck with my head.
“Maybe I’ll get married on Christmas,” Rowan said softly as the vows or whatever drew to a close. He had his fist on his chest, right over his heart, and were those tears in his eyes? Rowan loved all things Christmas.
The only buffer between Gideon and warring divorced parents at Christmas was his sister, Grace, and what a flimsy buffer she was. They weren’t close at the best of times, but she was dating this guy who had the weirdest nasally tone to his voice and wouldn’t stop talking about how much of Gideon’s wealth he would love to invest. Maybe the problem was he reminded Gideon too much of their own father. No matter the situation with his family, everything came back to money in the end.
So while Gideon dreaded the season and its family obligations, Rowan counted down the days with an advent calendar filled with chocolates and chatted endlessly about this brother or that sister or what his moms had planned. This was the same PA who Gideon could guarantee would already have a Christmas playlist on his phone. He’d dance to the music as he filed or made coffee or even as he walked out for lunch. As of yet Rowan hadn’t put in his earbuds to play it when there were no clients in the office.
Not that Gideon checked.
Okay, so I checked.
There was an unspoken rule for respectful silence in the rarefied air of the offices of Bryant & Waites. At least, it had been an unspoken rule until what had become The Lady Gaga incident, and now it may as well be in huge letters in every contract. Returning unexpectedly to the office after a late meeting, Gideon had found Rowan with his earbuds in, singing along to the music he was listening to and dancing like an idiot in the kitchen. After he’d stood and watched for a good few minutes wondering what to say, Rowan had turned and spotted him. He’d explained there was no one in the building but him, adding something about the floor being polished, and that he wasn’t wearing shoes because he could slide better.
Gideon listened to it all and then, ashamed that he’d been caught watching, blew everything out of proportion and gave some lecture about solemnity and silence being the watchwords of Bryant & Waites. His face heated as he recalled that night because Rowan took the comments to heart and was as quiet as a mouse for at least two weeks until it became so quiet that Gideon was slowly driven mad. He’d left a Post-it note on Rowan’s desk apologizing for overreacting, and they’d never spoken of it again.
Although he still couldn’t get the image of Rowan dancing, or the hug, out of his mind.
Rowan was life and happiness and being in everyone’s business while totally efficient, and he fixed everything so Gideon had an easy life. He was the perfect PA and a thorn in Gideon’s side all at the same time.
He needed to stop thinking about Rowan getting married and leaving him, or recalling the way he moved, and his off-key singing, and how sexy he’d looked when—
Cats. Think about my cat. That’s safe.
I hope Kimi’s not too pissed that I’m away tonight.
Not that Gideon’s beautiful Ragdoll cat would be angry at his absence, she loved Hilda, his neighbor, and was probably being spoiled right now with fresh salmon and unending treats.
“Earth to Gideon,” Rowan whispered, and Gideon blinked down at him, seeing the twinkle in his brown eyes. “I can see the thought bubble from here,” Rowan added as the small group of people began to clap and Gideon joined in, although why he was clapping he didn’t know, then belatedly realizing that somehow he’d missed a vital part of the ceremony. Darcy and Adrian were kissing and then hugging, both grinning at each other as if they were the happiest people on earth.
Did I even hear Darcy and Adrian say their I Do’s?
“Don’t start with that bubble shit,” Gideon warned. Rowan had this thing where he would draw an oval shape in the air with extended fingers and then state what he thought Gideon was contemplating. Unfortunately, nine times out of ten he was right.
Rowan smiled. “You were thinking about something completely unrelated to the ceremony, and then you pondered about important clients, and finally you ended up thinking about your cat.”
Gideon ignored Rowan and stared back at the happy couple, after all the laughter in his PA’s eyes was way too alluring, far too beautiful of a thing, and he wasn’t going there.
“I was making a mental list of agencies who supply replacement personal assistants,” he said instead, trying for humor and realizing it worked when Rowan snorted with laughter, the noise lost in the clapping that continued on for a long time as Adrian and Darcy kissed and hugged their way around their friends and family.
“You’d have to find a magic agency.” Rowan leaned in and got far too close, and Gideon knew he should have kept his mouth shut, but no…he fell right into Rowan’s trap.
“What do you mean a magic agency?”
Darcy had nearly reached them, but there was enough time for Rowan to shrug and bite back a laugh.
“Only PAs capable of magic can handle the ogre in the main office.”
“You’re fired—”
“And rehired, obvs.” Instead of the word obviously, he’d started using “obvs” recently. It was obvs to everything as if correcting Gideon when he messed up by using the annoying shorthand made things better.
“Guys, thank you for coming.” Darcy was there, shaking hands, bro-hugs, a much longer hug for Rowan, but then again, the two men had been friends for thirty years. Adrian caught up with Darcy, dragging him into a kiss.
“Hey, husband,” he said.
“Hey back, husband,” Darcy said, and they kissed, right in front of Rowan and Gideon. So close that Gideon could see the tender way Adrian cupped Darcy’s face and the emotion that had them leaning on each other, with the absolute certainty that neither would let the other fall.
I want that. I really want it.
He was trapped in his quiet corner, hemmed in by the kissing, laughing newlyweds and Rowan, who was grinning so hard it had to hurt.
When the two separated, they all hugged again, and this time it was thank yous for the gifts. Gideon hadn’t known what to get them. Adrian wasn’t wanting for money, and what did you buy two guys who had their own place? He’d settled on a generous gift card to an upmarket bespoke furniture showroom, and they seemed pleased, explaining they were sure they would find something perfect there, and for a brief moment, Gideon felt as if he’d done something right in a social setting, and that he was a good guy.
But Adrian was gushing all over Rowan. “How in the hell did you know about the rare Ella Fitzgerald pressing?”
Rowan winked. “I have my sources,” he said and brushed at his shoulders indicating that he was a freaking genius.
“You mean Darcy told you,” Gideon said and laughed because he’d made a joke, but Rowan shook his head and looked serious.
“I never said a thing,” Darcy said.
“No, he didn’t. You remember that barbecue we had at yours? You said that she was one of your heroes, and you loved her music, and then we were talking about it after, and you mentioned you were looking for a particular version—”
“Oh God, I did, how the hell do you recall that?” Adrian hugged Rowan. Again. There was way too much hugging going on, and Gideon remained trapped in the corner.
“You know I’m a genius,” Rowan deadpanned, and Gideon bit back the need to make a barbed comment about how his PA had probably written it down in his journal, but that wasn’t really a joke and would have made everything awkward.
“And the dogs,” Darcy said. “Thank you.” He hugged Rowan, and Gideon was less worried about that hug. Them being friends and all.
“What dogs?” Gideon asked because firstly, he was trapped, and secondly, he’d promised himself to make a real effort at this wedding.
He never did get an answer because someone yelled from the other side of the room about toasts and food and a party, and it was as if the tide that had been washing toward Gideon suddenly reversed, and it was only him and Rowan left.
“What dogs?” he repeated.
“Darcy and dogs have been a thing for a while I guess. You probably don’t know but he used to volunteer at a dog sanctuary, donated to a Dogs for Veterans charity. I think he’s still in touch with some ex-army buddies who had worked with the K9 unit. So, yeah, I donated in his name.” He made it sound as if it was nothing, but his gifts were thoughtful, personal, whereas Gideon didn’t even know the two men well enough to come up with anything cleverer than a generic gift card.
“Come on.” Rowan tugged Gideon to the door through which everyone had left. “I don’t want to miss out on champagne!” The smaller room decorated with simple flowers opened up into a bigger room with a few round tables, a large cake, and horrifically, a dance floor. Gideon nearly turned and ran. He could face down multinational corporations, defend his staff and friends to the death, discuss terms with the richest families in the US, and sometimes in foreign countries. He could maneuver his way through the trickiest of negotiations and shield his company, but the thought of a dance floor, which meant dancing?
Nope. Not happening.
Gideon deliberately chose a table near the door—for a swift exit—then changed his mind when that was also too close to the dance area then went to the back but quickly realized he’d be hemmed in again, and then he simply just stopped walking.
“Here, boss.” Rowan encouraged him to sit, and in Rowan’s capable way, he’d found a seat equidistant between dancing, cake, and freedom. He didn’t ask Gideon why he was standing there like an idiot. He just dealt with it, but they weren’t at work. This was a social situation, and Gideon wasn’t a freaking idiot.
“I can find my own damn table,” Gideon snapped.
Rowan blinked at him and pointed at the table in front of which they were standing and a small card that had Gideon Bryant handwritten on it. He was sandwiched between Adrian’s sister, Abby, and Rowan. Sitting in his chair, he settled in for whatever happened next. Well shit, he hadn’t seen the card.
“Sorry,” he murmured.
Rowan smiled at him, in reassurance maybe?
“S’okay boss. Here, have some champagne.”
Maybe I shouldn’t drink? Maybe I should stick to water and then I could keep my head and not ask Rowan why the hell he’s marrying some guy I’ve never even met.
But the champagne sure tasted nice.
Felix #5
Chapter One
“I’m leaving the office now.” Felix stopped at the top of the steps to the building housing the Bryant Waites offices. “I should be with you within the hour.”
He looked up, shielding his eyes with his free hand as soft snowflakes fluttered about him. The winter sun was low, hazy through a thin layer of wispy white cloud in the pinkish, early evening sky. With a sigh, he balanced his cellphone between his ear and shoulder, and struggled with the zipper of his jacket. The office had been warm, and he had forgotten just how cold the weather waiting for him outside was. He let out a hum when he pulled up the zipper and buried his chin in the collar of his jacket.
“Did Gideon say anything about what happened last month?” Jared asked on the other end of the call.
Felix sighed. Last month had been hell—he’d been booked for a high-profile client, but his dad had fallen ill, and he’d had to back out at the last minute. Jared had stepped in, and Felix was grateful for that help and the fact he still had a job.
“Nothing awful; he was fine.” Felix gripped his phone and raised his head. “Or seemed to be. Gave me his I understand face. You know where he does that pout thing and nods a lot?”
Jared laughed. “Ah. I usually get a lot of sighing when I’m called into his office.”
“That’s because you mess up way too often. Or you did before Nate. You’ve been with Nate about a year now, right?”
“Nearly a year and a half.”
“Took long enough, but I guess he’s—finally—having a good influence on you.”
“Maybe he is.” Felix could hear the smile in Jared’s voice.
“Maybe.” Felix echoed. “Anyway, you did me a favor covering that contract at the last minute, so once again, I say thank you.”
“Don’t worry about it. How’s your dad?”
Felix huffed a breath and took the steps down to the sidewalk, taking care not to fall over.
A few days before the four-day contract, Felix’s dad had missed his footing and taken a tumble down some steps. The fall had left him bruised and with a broken arm, and Felix had been glad it hadn’t been worse. Needing to take care of both his dad and his mom, who’d had a stroke a few years back and was in a wheelchair, while his dad was laid up, Felix had been desperate to withdraw from the contract. When even Caleb-I’ll-take-any-job-Harris couldn’t help, Jared had stepped in.
“Fine. Well, he’s irritable and tells me several times a day how he wants the cast off. He’s driving both me and Mom crazy. It’ll be a few more weeks before he can be free of it.” He checked either way before taking the last step and fell in behind a couple with a stroller. “Gideon suggested that I just do single-day dates for the foreseeable future. I agreed.”
Felix preferred the short contracts anyway—dates to functions or parties lasting an afternoon, an evening, a few hours. He found the jobs where he had to act at being in love for long periods of time tiring, and, in some ways, he disliked the insincerity and the feelings of guilt that sometimes lingered after spending days in the company of a client’s family and friends, getting to know them. But it was a job, one that, nine times out of ten, he enjoyed. The money was good, and it gave him a chance to experience people and places he’d never have been able to otherwise.
“That’s great,” Jared said. “Anyway, we can talk more when you get here.”
“You’re seriously not going to tell me what’s this favor you want?”
“Nope. I’ll tell you when I see you.”
With a sigh, Felix pushed his free hand into his jacket. “Fine. I’m heading to you now.”
“Later.”
Felix hung up, then quickened his pace, spotting room to slip past the small family, and jogged a few steps along the wet sidewalk to get in front of them. He glanced over his shoulder, smiling as he laid eyes on the toddler. The young boy was grinning from beneath the hood of the stroller and held a large superhero doll in his gloved hands.
Cute kid.
He’d often wanted a younger sibling when he was growing up. He was an only child, his parents not having had him until they were in their forties. A lot of his parents’ friends had older children in their families, so he was usually the youngest. He figured Jared had come the closest to filling the role of a younger brother. The two of them had gotten close after being paired up for a joint hire nine months ago. A pair of siblings had wanted partners while attending a fashion show event and its afterparty. A broken six-inch heel and a spilled glass of red, and it had fallen to Felix to quash Jared’s good intentions and get the date back on track.
He made his way to the station and onto the platform and took the chance to text his dad and let him know his meeting was over, and he was on his way to Jared’s. When all he got was an okay in reply, he followed up with a reminder that dinner was already made and just needed reheating.
There was an announcement over the speakers as the train pulled into the station. Pocketing his phone, he boarded, standing near the doors for the few stops, until they reached the station nearest Jared’s neighborhood. At least, it was Jared’s for now. He was already as good as moved in with his boyfriend, Nate, and using the old apartment he shared with a guy called Ethan as a glorified storage unit.
After a brief, brisk walk in the snow, he was at the door.
“Hey,” Jared said. “Come in.” He stepped back, opening the door wide.
“Thanks.” Warmth and the rich, meaty smell of food hit him as he entered the apartment. He slipped off his jacket, shrugging it from his shoulders as he made his way through to the living room. He stopped, raising an eyebrow as he faced Jared’s roommate who stiffened on seeing him, sitting bolt upright on the sofa. He’d only been to the apartment a couple of times before and had, until then, never crossed paths with the roommate, but he’d heard plenty of stories about him as he and Jared had shared a drink at Nate’s bar.
“Hi,” Felix said, and raised a hand.
“Uh, yes. Hello.” Jared’s roommate’s voice was as stiff as his body.
“Ignore Ethan,” Jared said from behind Felix, and squeezed Felix’s shoulders. “His brain is so full of research; he forgets how to socialize with human beings sometimes.”
Felix quirked an eyebrow. “Right.” He folded his jacket over his arm.
The previously unreadable expression on Ethan’s face quickly turned to one of embarrassment as he grimaced and turned to face the wall.
“Have you eaten?” Jared asked, guiding him to the empty seat on the couch beside Ethan.
Felix sat, glancing at the back of Ethan’s head, his attention drawn to where his blond hair met the collar of his shirt, a mole behind his ear.
Well, this is awkward.
“Felix?”
“Oh, dinner?” He looked up at Jared. “Not yet. I’ll eat when I get home.”
“You sure? There’ll be plenty. It’s Ethan’s mom’s special casserole recipe.”
At the sound of his name, Ethan turned and met Felix’s eyes. He flashed a smile. “It’s good.”
Felix returned his smile, something tightening in his chest at the hope and happiness in Ethan’s stunning blue eyes. He didn’t recall Jared mentioning that Ethan was cute and had beautiful eyes. Hell, Felix would have remembered that. He cleared his throat and recalled he’d been asked a question about food.
“Maybe another time. I really can’t stay long.” He leaned forward, waiting for Jared to get comfy on a large beanbag before asking, “So what is it you wanted to talk about?” He clasped his hands together.
Jared shrugged. “It’s nothing much. It’s just a small, tiny favor.”
“What kind of favor?”
“As I said. Small.” He held up his hand, his index finger and thumb close to each other. “The thing is”—This is going to be something I don’t like, isn’t it?—“Ethan is going to his school reunion next week.”
Felix narrowed his eyes. “Uh huh?”
“I am,” Ethan stated. “With a plus-one.”
Am I supposed to care?He vaguely remembered Jared telling tales of his roommate’s numerous boyfriends and the ridiculous antics he got up to. Felix’s favorite story ended with a purple-dyed police officer. He didn’t know who Ethan was dating now, but good for him if it was going well.
“And you’re telling me this because?”
“Well…” Ethan bit his lower lip, rolling his eyes upward as he seemed to process his words before speaking. There was something more sexy than cute about the way he tugged on his soft pink lips with his teeth.
He should stop doing that—he’ll end up bruising them, and they’re too pretty to be bruised.
Unless it’s me kissing them and… the fuck?
“Well, Ethan’s plus-one kind of did him dirty.” Jared answered for him. “Ethan got dumped. Again,” he added straight-faced.
“I dumped him,” Ethan said in a strained voice.
Jared met Felix’s eyes and shook his head. “He didn’t,” he mouthed.
Felix snorted a laugh, but his smile faded as the favor Jared had in mind hit him front and center. “No,” he said.
“I’ve said nothing,” Jared said, blinking with all the innocence he could muster.
Felix ran his hand back through his bangs. “I know what you’re going to ask, and the answer is no.” He leaned back, side-eyeing Ethan. “Why don’t you ask Caleb? He’ll take anything you can throw at him.”
“Well, of course, I tried him first, but he’s already booked. But we all know you’re the best person for the job, and you owe me one.”
“Well, you don’t need me.” Felix directed this at Ethan. “There’s nothing wrong with going alone. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of people without partners.”
Jared and Ethan exchanged a glance Felix couldn’t decipher. Ethan opened his mouth, hesitated, then said, “But—”
“He already plus-one’d,” Jared interrupted.
Felix was puzzled. “Surely he can un-plus-one himself. Problem solved.” Being single wasn’t a bad thing. “Look, I really need to get back home. My dad…” He went to stand, but Ethan grabbed his wrist, pulling him back to the cushion.
“Please,” Ethan said.
Felix stared at Ethan’s hand, raising his eyes until he met Ethan’s gaze.
“Sorry,” Ethan said, and withdrew.
“Come on,” Jared tried. “You do owe me.”
I know I do.
Jared shuffled awkwardly to get on his knees on the beanbag. “I know you’ve a lot going on, but it’s only one night. I promise. The place is like an hour out from here, plus Ethan’s great at making excuses to leave social gatherings early. Aren’t you?” He nodded in Ethan’s direction.
Ethan nodded, with a little too much enthusiasm.
Is that really something to be proud of?
Felix sighed and stared at Jared. He tilted his head as he realized something. “Wait. Why can’t you do it?”
“Him?” Ethan said in horror.
“Yes, him.” Felix jabbed the air in Jared’s direction.
“No way,” Jared said. “I get chills just thinking about it.”
“Charming.” Ethan pouted and folded his arms across his chest.
Jared shook his head. “No, I mean we’re friends. It’d be way too weird to pretend to be in love with him.” He smiled. “And I already promised Luka I’d uhm… take him to see a movie.”
“That particular night.”
“The only showing,” Jared said—he was clearly lying. “Anyway, I thought Bryant and Waites’ number one boyfriend for hire would be perfect for the job.”
Number one? In my dreams.
“We both know that isn’t true.” Jared and Ethan stared at him expectantly. “I appreciate the flattery, but even if I say yes, I’m not sure I feel okay doing this outside of office hours. If something happened, I…”
He didn’t know what that something might be, but the last thing he wanted was to do anything that might reflect badly on the company, or Gideon himself, when Gideon had been so understanding of Felix’s situation with his parents.
“Nothing will happen.”
“I can’t,” Felix said.
Ethan jolted upright, and with confidence said, “I’ll pay you.” He raised a finger to his mouth, nibbled the tip of his fingernail before deflating and sinking back into his seat. “Though friends and family rates would be greatly appreciated.”
Though Felix wouldn’t say no to some extra cash, it wasn’t whether he’d get paid that he had a problem with.
“It’s not about the money. I don’t feel right doing a boyfriend job off the books. It feels… I don’t know. Disrespectful?” To both Gideon and the company, and the fact that Gideon had been so good about his time off. “It’s nothing against you, Ethan.” He met Ethan’s gaze. “It really isn’t.” Under different circumstances, he would’ve agreed to work with Ethan and figured it would be fun to get to know more about the roommate Jared had described. Maybe get to see what lay beyond the stories of a ridiculous science nerd who inhabited his own little universe and was unlucky in love.
“What you’re saying is, you’ll do it if I okay it through Rowan?” Jared grinned.
“Am I?” Felix glanced at Ethan whose expression had brightened. “I didn’t say—”
“Perfect,” Jared said. “It’s a deal.”
Felix opened and closed his mouth, trying to figure out how to argue against their sudden enthusiasm. He looked from Ethan to Jared, each giving the other a high five from a distance.
Jared rolled off the beanbag and jumped up to his feet. “Where’s my phone?”
“Dining table,” Ethan said.
“What are you doing?” Felix was confused as to how they had gotten to this point.
“Calling Rowan.”
Felix blinked. “Right now?”
“Yep.” Jared dipped out of the room to collect his phone.
“Seriously?” Felix uttered.
“Seriously.” Jared flashed him a smile on his return and thumbed the screen of his cell phone.
Felix felt exhausted. “You’re messing with me—”
“Hi, Rowan,” Jared said and sat on the arm of the couch next to Ethan. “Can I run something past you?”
Felix didn’t have the energy to protest. He sat back, hugged the jacket in his lap, and tuned out of the one-sided conversation.
What the hell just happened?
RJ ScottWriting love stories with a happy ever after – cowboys, heroes, family, hockey, single dads, bodyguards
USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott has written over one hundred romance books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads, hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their lives, always with a happy ever after.
She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. The last time she had a week’s break from writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of chocolates she couldn’t defeat.
Meredith Russell lives in the heart of England. An avid fan of many story genres, she enjoys nothing less than a happy ending. She believes in heroes and romance and strives to reflect this in her writing. Sharing her imagination and passion for stories and characters is a dream Meredith is excited to turn into reality.
RJ Scott
BOOKBUB / KOBO / SMASHWORDS
EMAIL: rj@rjscott.co.uk
Meredith Russell
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