Summary:
My name is Jamie Atwood, and I’m an addict. I never thought I’d say such a thing. Never had a problem being overly-attached to anything in my life. I came from a perfectly middle-class family, made good grades, and had a hot cheerleader girlfriend... but the truth is, nothing ever really moved me. So how did a guy like me become an addict?
I met Michael Kage.
Kage is an MMA fighter. A famous one. I like to think I helped him get that way.
He’s charming as hell, with looks to rival any movie star and talent to back it up. So why did he need to hire me as an intern Publicist? Simple. He has a darkness in him– like a black hole so deep it could swallow him, and me, and everyone we know– and that’s not good for business.
The first time I met him, I felt the pull. I think the addiction began at that very moment. And even if I’d known then what I know now, I would have fallen for him. How could I not?
For me, Kage is everything.
Summary:
My name is Jamie Atwood, and I am an idiot. Against all odds, I got the attention of Michael Kage, the hottest MMA fighter on the planet. To say he rocked my world would be an understatement. He transformed me completely, made me depend on him, and made me love him. And the sex? Let me put it this way: I'd never been with a guy before I met Kage, but I'd gladly spend the rest of my life on my knees for him. He is my obsession and my addiction. But I did something stupid, and now I'm paying for it. I don't know if I'll ever see Kage again.
Being Michael Kage was never easy. Too many demons, too much anger, and not enough to live for. And then I met Jamie Atwood. He's got this innocence about him that speaks to something deep down inside me- in a place that's never been touched by anyone. He's beautiful, smart, and courageous, and he hasn't been tainted by the darkness that's ruled my life. I wanted him from the first second I laid eyes on him. It's selfish, I know. Because you can't bring an innocent thing into the darkness and not expect something to rub off.
Summary:
Can their love survive the most shocking revelation?
Sexy college senior Jamie Atwood has fallen hard for MMA dark horse Michael "the Machine" Kage. With his hot muscled body, intoxicating green eyes, and proclivity for rough sex, Kage is a potent aphrodisiac to the innocent boy-next-door. The danger, the intrigue, the feel of his strong hand around his throat, the knowledge that his fighter would kill or die for him. From the moment Kage grabbed onto his hips and channeled all that masculine aggression into claiming his body, Jamie was ruined for anyone else.
Passions run high as the lovers try to assimilate into each other's lives: coming out to family and friends, blending into the high-profile MMA world, dealing with Kage's sketchy uncle. But behind Kage's mask of strength and indifference lies a crippling vulnerability, and a devastating secret. As the mask comes off, past traumas surface, dark desires spin out of control, and the damaged fighter is driven to hurt the man he loves more than life itself.
Kage #1
“What is it that you don’t want me to see?”
“I guess I just don’t want you to see me differently.” He didn’t look me in the eye as he spoke, just kept watching his finger tracing that figure eight, which seemed to have literally become an infinity sign. “You don’t know how brutal it can get in there, Jamie. How brutal I can get. I kinda like the way you look at me now.”
“Like I want to eat you alive? You like how I’ve got the cannibal thing going on, huh?”
He laughed quietly. “Yeah, I like that.”
“So what makes you think that will change?”
“Fighting is different when it’s someone you know.” He finally met my eyes, and there was a haunted look in his. “You want to see me get punched in the face so hard my knees buckle? Or kicked in the kidney so hard I can’t stand up straight?”
I stared at him, my eyes wide, imagining the things he was describing. He was right. I wasn’t sure if I could sit on the other side of a chain link fence and watch Kage get hurt.
“What, no comment?” he asked.
There was a change in his voice, and in his demeanor. That little light his eyes had when he looked at me— the one that made me believe he might see something special— was gone. Snuffed out and replaced by a cold darkness. Then the barest hint of a sneer tipped one corner of his lips, and I pulled away.
“Think you can handle watching me bend a gown man’s arm backward, hearing the bone snap before he has a chance to tap out? How about punching a man in the face until there’s blood spewing everywhere and he’s lying there limp like a rag doll, head flopping as I bash his fucking head into the mat? Have you ever seen a guy kicked in the face so hard you think his neck snapped? How about seeing me choke a man unconscious and wondering for the next sixty seconds if he’s ever going to wake up again?”
“Kage—”
“That’s what I do, Jamie. I hurt people. Do you know what they call me in there?” He gave me a smile that was one part sarcastic, two parts cruel. “They call me the Machine. Do you think you can have feelings for a machine?”
Feelings? Did he want me to have feelings for him? Because I was pretty sure I already did.
Kage Unleashed #2
Steve sent another picture. In it, Jamie was flanked by the first guy and another guy who was almost as big. They were both good-looking, both large. God, Jamie, what are you thinking? He was a lamb sandwiched between two salivating wolves, and I couldn’t get there fast enough. What if they took him out of the club and I couldn’t find him?
“Steve, I swear I’m holding you personally responsible if anything happens before I get there.” I grabbed my car keys and headed for the front door.
Jason came running up behind me. “Kage, what’s up? Where are you going?”
I didn’t slow down. “It’s none of your concern, Jason. Back off.”
“No, I won’t back off. I’m your friend, and you’re really upset. You look like you’re about to do something stupid. Tell me where you’re going.”
“Somebody’s messing with what’s mine, that’s all. I’m going to take care of it.”
“What is it, a girl? I heard what you were saying out there by the pool, about the cheating and you killing someone. Please don’t do anything crazy, Kage. If she’s cheating on you, cut her loose. You don’t need that shit. You’ve got a fight coming up, with a contract on the line. You’re about to score what every one of us would kill to have. Don’t blow it over some cheater. Get that contract, and then you can have anyone you want.”
“It’s not like that. Anyway, don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. I’ll be in and out of that club in ten minutes, and those guys will be sorry they ever woke up this morning.”
“Guys?” Jason asked, alarmed. “There’s more than one?”
“Only two. I said don’t worry about it.”
“I am worrying about it, and I’m coming with you.” I glanced back at Jason and discovered that while I was getting dressed, he had also gotten dressed.
“Jason, you can’t, man. You’re one of the closest friends I have, but I can’t let you come with me.”
“Why, too dangerous?” he asked.
“No, too complicated.”
I hurried to the circular drive and unlocked the doors of my Vette with the remote. Before I could stop him, Jason had climbed into the passenger seat and shot me a look that dared me to make him get out. “I’m going,” he said.
I sighed and slammed the door. “All right, man. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. There’s just some stuff about me that maybe you don’t want to know.”
Kage Unmasked #3
“You gonna eat all the eggs?” Trey asked.
“Sorry.” I glanced down at the heaping pile of eggs and started scraping them back into the bowl. Kage crossed the room and leaned against the counter. The borrowed t-shirt rode too high in that position, skimming just above his belly button and exposing a strip of tan flesh that had me distracted, salivating.
Trey started laughing. “Jeez, Jamie. Make up your mind. Do you want all of the eggs, or none?”
I looked down and discovered that I’d scraped every bit of egg back into the serving bowl. “Oh, forget it.” I slammed my empty plate down on the table and folded my arms across my chest. “Y’all just eat. I’m not hungry anymore.”
“You don’t need bacon anyway,” Kage pointed out. “And definitely not those biscuits. You still need to watch what you eat, even when I can’t be around to help.”
“Yes, daddy,” I said, bitterness making my voice tight. “Do you know how ridiculous you look trying to be all bossy while wearing my clothes that are too small for you? That shirt is practically a cutoff.”
“Yeah?” Suddenly the edge was gone from his demeanor, and his tone was playful. “You don’t think I look authoritative enough in your shirt? How about this?” He pulled it up over his head, balled it up, and threw it at me. I caught it without thinking, because all I was conscious of was his bare chest and abdomen, and the fact that we were standing in the kitchen with my friends looking on. I wanted to cover him with a dish towel or something.
He stalked toward me with a cocky swagger that had my knees melting, backing me into a corner formed by the edge of the refrigerator and the wall. “Can I be your daddy now?” he asked, resting his hand on the wall behind my head and leaning in.
I stared at him, swallowing around the dry piece of wood that was my tongue, feeling it catch in my throat. His dick was within inches of mine, and I could smell the soap on his skin and feel his breath against my cheek. I tried not to make eye contact with him, but I couldn’t ignore the proximity of his body. He knew it, too; the lecherous grin on his face was proof of that. He was purposely goading me, and I wasn’t sure what to do about it. My head was a swirl of confusion, and my cock was hard. I was within seconds of saying fuck it and wrapping my legs around his waist. I wanted to feel his steely length pressing against me through the fabric of those dangerously revealing sweat pants.
“What is it that you don’t want me to see?”
“I guess I just don’t want you to see me differently.” He didn’t look me in the eye as he spoke, just kept watching his finger tracing that figure eight, which seemed to have literally become an infinity sign. “You don’t know how brutal it can get in there, Jamie. How brutal I can get. I kinda like the way you look at me now.”
“Like I want to eat you alive? You like how I’ve got the cannibal thing going on, huh?”
He laughed quietly. “Yeah, I like that.”
“So what makes you think that will change?”
“Fighting is different when it’s someone you know.” He finally met my eyes, and there was a haunted look in his. “You want to see me get punched in the face so hard my knees buckle? Or kicked in the kidney so hard I can’t stand up straight?”
I stared at him, my eyes wide, imagining the things he was describing. He was right. I wasn’t sure if I could sit on the other side of a chain link fence and watch Kage get hurt.
“What, no comment?” he asked.
There was a change in his voice, and in his demeanor. That little light his eyes had when he looked at me— the one that made me believe he might see something special— was gone. Snuffed out and replaced by a cold darkness. Then the barest hint of a sneer tipped one corner of his lips, and I pulled away.
“Think you can handle watching me bend a gown man’s arm backward, hearing the bone snap before he has a chance to tap out? How about punching a man in the face until there’s blood spewing everywhere and he’s lying there limp like a rag doll, head flopping as I bash his fucking head into the mat? Have you ever seen a guy kicked in the face so hard you think his neck snapped? How about seeing me choke a man unconscious and wondering for the next sixty seconds if he’s ever going to wake up again?”
“Kage—”
“That’s what I do, Jamie. I hurt people. Do you know what they call me in there?” He gave me a smile that was one part sarcastic, two parts cruel. “They call me the Machine. Do you think you can have feelings for a machine?”
Feelings? Did he want me to have feelings for him? Because I was pretty sure I already did.
Kage Unleashed #2
Steve sent another picture. In it, Jamie was flanked by the first guy and another guy who was almost as big. They were both good-looking, both large. God, Jamie, what are you thinking? He was a lamb sandwiched between two salivating wolves, and I couldn’t get there fast enough. What if they took him out of the club and I couldn’t find him?
“Steve, I swear I’m holding you personally responsible if anything happens before I get there.” I grabbed my car keys and headed for the front door.
Jason came running up behind me. “Kage, what’s up? Where are you going?”
I didn’t slow down. “It’s none of your concern, Jason. Back off.”
“No, I won’t back off. I’m your friend, and you’re really upset. You look like you’re about to do something stupid. Tell me where you’re going.”
“Somebody’s messing with what’s mine, that’s all. I’m going to take care of it.”
“What is it, a girl? I heard what you were saying out there by the pool, about the cheating and you killing someone. Please don’t do anything crazy, Kage. If she’s cheating on you, cut her loose. You don’t need that shit. You’ve got a fight coming up, with a contract on the line. You’re about to score what every one of us would kill to have. Don’t blow it over some cheater. Get that contract, and then you can have anyone you want.”
“It’s not like that. Anyway, don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. I’ll be in and out of that club in ten minutes, and those guys will be sorry they ever woke up this morning.”
“Guys?” Jason asked, alarmed. “There’s more than one?”
“Only two. I said don’t worry about it.”
“I am worrying about it, and I’m coming with you.” I glanced back at Jason and discovered that while I was getting dressed, he had also gotten dressed.
“Jason, you can’t, man. You’re one of the closest friends I have, but I can’t let you come with me.”
“Why, too dangerous?” he asked.
“No, too complicated.”
I hurried to the circular drive and unlocked the doors of my Vette with the remote. Before I could stop him, Jason had climbed into the passenger seat and shot me a look that dared me to make him get out. “I’m going,” he said.
I sighed and slammed the door. “All right, man. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. There’s just some stuff about me that maybe you don’t want to know.”
Kage Unmasked #3
“You gonna eat all the eggs?” Trey asked.
“Sorry.” I glanced down at the heaping pile of eggs and started scraping them back into the bowl. Kage crossed the room and leaned against the counter. The borrowed t-shirt rode too high in that position, skimming just above his belly button and exposing a strip of tan flesh that had me distracted, salivating.
Trey started laughing. “Jeez, Jamie. Make up your mind. Do you want all of the eggs, or none?”
I looked down and discovered that I’d scraped every bit of egg back into the serving bowl. “Oh, forget it.” I slammed my empty plate down on the table and folded my arms across my chest. “Y’all just eat. I’m not hungry anymore.”
“You don’t need bacon anyway,” Kage pointed out. “And definitely not those biscuits. You still need to watch what you eat, even when I can’t be around to help.”
“Yes, daddy,” I said, bitterness making my voice tight. “Do you know how ridiculous you look trying to be all bossy while wearing my clothes that are too small for you? That shirt is practically a cutoff.”
“Yeah?” Suddenly the edge was gone from his demeanor, and his tone was playful. “You don’t think I look authoritative enough in your shirt? How about this?” He pulled it up over his head, balled it up, and threw it at me. I caught it without thinking, because all I was conscious of was his bare chest and abdomen, and the fact that we were standing in the kitchen with my friends looking on. I wanted to cover him with a dish towel or something.
He stalked toward me with a cocky swagger that had my knees melting, backing me into a corner formed by the edge of the refrigerator and the wall. “Can I be your daddy now?” he asked, resting his hand on the wall behind my head and leaning in.
I stared at him, swallowing around the dry piece of wood that was my tongue, feeling it catch in my throat. His dick was within inches of mine, and I could smell the soap on his skin and feel his breath against my cheek. I tried not to make eye contact with him, but I couldn’t ignore the proximity of his body. He knew it, too; the lecherous grin on his face was proof of that. He was purposely goading me, and I wasn’t sure what to do about it. My head was a swirl of confusion, and my cock was hard. I was within seconds of saying fuck it and wrapping my legs around his waist. I wanted to feel his steely length pressing against me through the fabric of those dangerously revealing sweat pants.
Maris Black lives in the Southern United States. In college, she majored in English and discovered the joys of creative writing and literary interpretation. After honing her skills discovering hidden meanings authors probably never intended, she collected her English degree and got a job at a newspaper. But she soon figured out that small town reporting wasn't going to pay the bills, so she went to work in the medical field. Logical progression, right? But no matter what she did, the self-proclaimed compulsive plotter couldn't stop writing fiction.
"The M/M genre feels sort of like coming home," she says. "I can't quite explain it. I've always had openly gay and bisexual friends and relatives, the rights and acceptance of whom are very important to me, so it feels great to celebrate that. But there's also something so pure and honest about the love between two men that appeals to me and inspires me to write."
KOBO / PINTEREST / SMASHWORDS
EMAIL: maris@marisblack.com
Kage #1
KOBO / AUDIBLE / iTUNES / iTUNES AUDIO
Kage Unleashed #2
KOBO / AUDIBLE / iTUNES / iTUNES AUDIO
Kage Unmasked #3
KOBO / AUDIBLE / iTUNES / iTUNES AUDIO
