Summary:
Bennett Cole had lived next door to Mitchell “Mac” Campbell, III for eighteen years of his life, in the small town of White Acre. They’d never gotten along, never seen eye to eye, and never understood one another…not that they’d ever cared to try.
But when Bennett’s so-called buddies ditched him at a party in the woods where he was assaulted and left for dead, Bennett pulled through. The emotional scars rendered him too terrified to go back to school and face his “friends” or his attackers. With little choice, his family packed up and left town.
Ten years later—at the request of his mother—Bennett returned to the place he’d grown up and the home he’d once felt safe, to oversee the repairs before his childhood house was sold. The contractor? None other than Mac, the once annoying boy next door, who still lives there in the home his parents gifted him.
Being in such close proximity—working together every day, to repair the Coles’ family home—Bennett and Mac’s contentious relationship goes from bad to worse as their personalities continue to clash. But their heated exchanges may not be as antagonistic as they seem. And when new information is revealed, can the men begin to see each other in a different light?
Summary:
Jaden King was raised in Boston to a wealthy family that taught him what love and hard work is. He has a challenging and rewarding career until everything was turned upside down. What was once a promising future has quickly become a frightening and unknown reality. After months of dealing with the fall out on his own, he decided getting away--or more realistically, running away--to White Acre and his best friend sounded like the perfect plan.
Danny Keegan is a laid-back man with simple tastes and an even simpler life. He adores the little town of White Acre where he grew up, he loves his parents, and he enjoys his uncomplicated life. He’s always told himself the fact that he’s a closeted gay man in a conservative, parochial town wasn’t an issue and coming out of the closet wasn’t necessary. But with the addition of Jaden in his life he realizes as happy as he is, he could be happier and the future of a love of his own doesn't seem so out of grasp as it always had.
When Jaden and Danny meet, their chemistry is undeniable but playful flirting doesn't mean anything. They start spending all their free time together, and what started as a simple friendship quickly turns into something much more than either saw coming. But, Jaden carries a secret that could end it all before it even begins. And though Jaden is scared to tell the truth and risk everything that has come to mean so much to him, he knows that he can’t go on without laying himself bare, leaving Danny with an important, life changing choice to make. His content little life or what could be the love of his life.
Will Jaden’s truth be too much for Danny, or will Danny decide a life out in the open, full of love, laughter, and passion is worth risking it all?
Original Review January 2018:
Bennett Cole thought his friends were true and would have his back despite what the boy next door, Mac Campbell said. He was wrong and Mac was right. After a horrendous and bigotted attack, Bennet and his family leave their home in White Acre but ten years later he returns to fix up the family home so it can be sold. He wasn't counting on the boy next door still living there and being the contractor his parents arranged to do the work he can't. Will they still have the same contentious comradre they had as kids or will adulthood mature them into a new relationship?
I always love giving new authors a read, whether they're new to me or to the publishing world as Morningstar Ashley is, the adrenaline rush I get from wondering "will they be worth my time?" always spurs me on. Well, I can safely say that Morningstar Ashley is definitely worth my time. Authors are always learning and growing, frankly an author that doesn't think they have anything to learn is not an author I want to read, so when my first experience with one is as wonderful as Morningstar's A Different Light is I am on a natural high just waiting to see what future stories lurk in her imagination. This is the author's second book and I have not read her first, Letting Go, but I will most certainly be going back and giving it a read in the weeks to come as I wait for her next one.
A Different Light is an emotional ride that will leave you breathless. I really loved how Bennett is a Sheldon Cooper-like character that is slightly better at the social aspect of relationships/connections. Having compared him to Sheldon, don't think that this is a straight up romantic comedy. There is definitely some humorous moments, the camping trip from hell comes to mind. A Different Light is a story about romance obviously but its also about friendship, overcoming past trauma and misunderstandings, going home, and second chances. Mostly though it is about life. I certainly wanted to whack the two men upside the heads at times but I also wanted to bundle them up in bubblewrap that I had left over from Christmas deliveries. Morningstar Ashley writes her characters in a way that will confound you and leave you screaming "UGH!!!!" at their stubbornness but also leaving you sighing "AWWWWW" with all the heart she's put into their journey.
A brilliant must read that I know will be on my re-read list for years to come.
Risking it All #2
Original Review May 2019:
I'm going to just jump right in and say though Danny and Jaden didn't quite burrow into my heart as deeply as Mac & Bennet from A Different Light, they definitely gave the first couple a run for their money. I just wanted to wrap both men up in a bubblewrap until I could make them see that as difficult as life can be they are safe to be who they are. As I am not a gay man I can't say I understand their fears, especially Danny but I can sympathize with him about being himself in a community that is less diverse than the big city and his fears of rejection from his family. Sometimes as it is with so many things in life it all comes down to a matter of timing. When he meets Jaden the time might be right to be true to himself, but whether he does and/or what the "fallout" may be is something you'll have to find out for yourself. Trust me, you will definitely want to find out.
That's not to say Risking it All is all about Danny's fears, Jaden has healing and discovery to do too, after all its part of why he ran to White Acre. But I won't touch on his part of the story either because its just something I really feel that you have to experience for yourself to truly appreciate the character's journey.
A Different Light was my first read by Morningstar Ashley and as much as I loved it and had made an internal pact to read more of her work, I'm afraid time just was not on my side so Risking it All is just my second foray into her list but I can definitely say it won't be my last. Character driven dramatic romances are not for everyone, some need more spice in their gravy to go with their meat and potatoes and hey, I love a well seasoned gravy but I don't have to have the added ingredients of murder, espionage, failing businesses, etc to make the story pop. Risking is a prime example of an incredibly well written story of friendship, romance, becoming who you're meant to be, and finding your place that hooked me in from the first page.
If you are wondering whether you need to read A Different Light first, I'd say yes. Is it necessary? Probably not. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to bang heads together, and I wanted to wrap them in huge bear hugs all at the same time but it was the friendships between Danny and Jaden and Bennett and Mac that held it all together. I know personally I felt it all just meshed together better and more naturally having known Mac and Bennett's journey from the first book. Not sure where or if the author is going next with Begin Again series but I loved it and will be right here eager to read more. Definitely a win-win from beginning to end.
RATING:
A Different Light #1
Mac was so close he lost his train of thought. So close that Bennett could reach out and grab what he wanted all week, but he was so weak with want, he couldn’t get his mind to cooperate to move his limbs.
“You don’t want a reward for your hard work?”
Mac’s hand came up as if in slow motion. At first, it was just his fingertips, gliding against Bennett’s waist. A shiver rushed through him. Then Mac’s palm touched, warming, moving around his side until it settled at the small of Bennett’s back. Mac slowly pulled him to his chest. He could feel Mac’s heat seep through his own shirt. “There’s nothing you can think of that you’d want?”
Bennett’s breathing picked up. His mind raced. His balls tingled and tightened. He knew Mac had to see the pleading and want through his eyes. Bennett couldn’t hide it, not then, not so close to Mac, feeling his body against his and his breath wisp across his lips as they stared into each other's eyes. It felt big, like Mac wasn’t just staring into his eyes but into him, searching for something.
Then Mac was closer, so close he could feel the words against his lips. “Because I think you deserve a kiss for being such a good boy. You want that kiss, Princess?”
All Bennett could do is close his eyes and nod. Speaking was beyond his abilities at that point. When did Mac become so sensual, so full of sex, and radiate desire so easily? Bennett loved sex, the tease, the lead up to the physical explosion of pleasure. But Mac brought it to a whole other level. Using words and small innocent touches, turning it dirty and provocative.
“B, open your eyes.”
Bennett listened. As hard as it was to not just stay floating in the place of just feeling, he opened his eyes. What he saw made him moan. The want, the need in Mac’s eyes matched what Bennett felt coursing through his own body. He couldn’t think of anything else, because as lost as he was in the sensations Mac had him feeling with his eyes closed, he was just as lost in the heat that poured off the man now.
“What did you think would happen, B? Coming out here all flustered and angry with just a t-shirt and those cute boxers on?”
At first, Bennett had no idea what he was talking about, but then he remembered. He slept in his ‘Particle Physics Gives me a Hadron’ boxers and had been so lost in his anger that he’d never put on pants.
He swallowed, trying to loosen his tight throat so he could speak, but Mac leaned in, lips touching Bennett’s ear, and the only thing that came out was a whimper. He never whimpered. Fuck.
“Nothing turns me on more than you in full on Princess mode with your geek on full display.” And to prove that, Mac pulled them tighter together with the hand that still sat in the small of his back. Bennett could feel Mac’s hard length pressed against his. The barrier of the worn jeans that Mac had on and Bennett’s boxers was like paper between them.
“I’ve been good this week too. Not kissing your sweet lips, not touching your body, not taking you against any and all surfaces when you were so goddamn sexy with the paint splattered all over you and your shirt sticking to your body, soaked from your sweat. So, maybe I deserve a reward too.”
“Oh, god, yes.”
Mac pulled his face back just enough so that Bennett could look into his eyes again. He had that cocky grin playing at his lips but this time it didn’t annoy Bennett, it lit him on fire.
Mac’s eyes dropped and stared at his lips, making his nerves come alive. He licked his lips and Mac moaned. That sound. God, that sound went straight to the center of all that swirled around them.
Bennett remembered his moans from that blowjob, the sound doing just as much that night as seeing Mac on his knees soft lips wrapped around Bennett’s cock. And hearing it again brought those memories flashing through his mind taking an already heated moment and making it hotter and more.
“Please.” He didn’t know what else to say. It’d felt like they’d stood there frozen forever. Simple touches doing more than any amount of foreplay Bennett had ever experienced.
“I like when you beg me, B.”
Risking it All #2
Chapter One
Danny
Each swing of the axe was like a drumbeat setting the rhythm of each breath, each beat of his heart, grounding him at the same time as giving him the freedom to let the world fall away. Him, his axe, and the sounds of the birds and leaves as the wind blew in the early morning. Danny loved this time of day. It was quiet and calm, and there was no one to crowd him, to ask for things, or to expect anything.
Being up at four in the morning wasn’t anything new to him. He’d been doing it for years, as long as he could remember. Always up and doing something, no matter what day it was. As it was the end of August, the mornings were still warm and slightly humid even though the sun wouldn’t come up for another two hours.
Chopping wood was one of his favorite things to do. Mac thought he was crazy but to each their own. Sometimes, he used the wood chopper, but in the morning, it was more about centering his mind, thinking through problems, or just getting lost in thought.
The hours of chores passed quickly, and before he knew it, he was showered and at work, directing his crew on the day’s tasks.
That Friday happened to be a slow one, so Mac had stayed home to catch up on some other things while Danny handled the crews and the few jobs they had on the calendar. Danny loved slow days. It was like having a day off from the hectic go, go, go they’d been having since spring hit.
By lunchtime, most of the crew had been sent home after finishing up their jobs for the day. Danny stuck around in case a call came in for an emergency even though Mac had told him to go home. It’s not like he had much to do at his house, so deciding to stay around town was no big deal.
He went to the office after stopping off at Mr. Mills’s house yet again for some small project he needed one of them to get done. And again, without an appointment, but Danny wasn’t going to tell boss man. He’d harp on him again about nice guys and appointments. As he walked into the office, the song Whole Lotta Woman by Kelley Clarkson that he saved for Allie’s ringtone was blaring out of his phone.
“Hello.”
“Hey. I’m calling in that favor you owe me.”
“Nice to talk to you, Allie Bug.” Danny knew Allie hated the nickname he gave her, but it had to be better than calling her Kitten like her dad did. Plus, that’s what best friends did to each other.
“Why do you insist on pissing me off?” Allie replied, clearly exasperated with his teasing.
“Because you’re too far away to hit me?”
Allie grumbled under her breath, but when she spoke again, he could hear the smile in her voice. “Like I said, I need you to do something for me.”
“What do you need?”
“Go pick up Jaden from Mac’s house for me? I’m hanging out with him tonight, but I got a last-minute repair in, so I can’t— Hold on.” Danny heard a loud bang and Allie swear before she quickly added, “Technically, it’s a favor for Bennett. He needs Jaden out of the house.”
“Why does Bennett need Jaden out of the house?”
“I didn’t ask, and I don’t want to know. Knowing those nerdy types, it’s probably something kinky.”
“Okay, I guess I can do that. What time do I need to get him?” Danny asked as another loud noise rang through Allie’s end of the call.
“Now. Basically, anytime in the next fifteen minutes.” Allie let out a string of curse words before he heard her muffled voice yell to the young kid she employed part-time, “Nate, come over here and hold this.” Danny was debating on hanging up when her voice, clearer than it had been, came through the line again. “Shit, I can’t stay on the phone. Nate’s holding the motor up on the bike I’m working on, and he breaks more things than a toddler on a rampage. Can you call Bennett for me? Just let him know you’re the one picking up Jaden. Bring him to the diner, and don’t just drop him off, Danny,” she said, the warning clear in her voice. Danny was slightly offended; even if he wasn’t completely comfortable around Jaden, he would never leave him alone at the diner. “You should try to get to know him better, I have a feeling he’s going to be around a while.”
She hung up in typical Allie fashion with no goodbye or thank you, leaving Danny shaking his head.
His phone dinged with a text, and he saw Bennett’s number come through from Allie. He clicked the numbers on the screen as he locked up the office doors behind him.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Bennett.”
“Danny? Is there something you need? Mac’s at home.”
“Allie called and explained what’s going on. I owe her a favor she’s calling in. I’m going to go get Jaden and bring him to the diner to wait for her.” Danny’s tone wasn’t very reassuring he was sure, but it was more to do with how easily the sight of Jaden hit all his buttons. He’d only met the guy the one time. Clearly city and clearly not someone Danny had anything in common with. Or a chance in hell with. But he had to admit, he was intrigued by the guy. Intrigued and turned on.
“You? Are you…I mean…you’re just going to drop him off at the diner?”
He wondered how these two could think that of him when he was literally known as the town nice guy, he grunted before replying, “No. I agreed to, uh, wait…you know, with him.” Danny paused, thinking about the beautiful man sitting alone at the strange diner where he didn’t know anyone, then rushed out, “I wouldn’t want anyone to have to sit alone for all that time anyway.”
“If you’re sure, Danny...”
Danny was trying not to sound too eager since his libido had taken over his brain, so he paused before replying, “Yeah, no problem.”
As Danny drove from the office in town to Mac’s house, he wondered about the man he was going to pick up. Bennett’s best friend, a rich, flirty city boy. Made him wonder what more lay beneath the surface. He learned a long time ago not to judge a book by its cover.
Danny was the friendly sort. Obviously, with the whole “town nice guy” thing. He made friends easily. His mom always said it was because he was such a sweet boy. He internally rolled his eyes, but the thought of his mom still made him smile. Danny knew it was because he was raised with manners and a sense of community, not because he was nicer than anyone else.
Jaden, on the other hand, was a city boy. Cultured and rich. He wasn’t one to pass judgement, but Danny figured a socially active, smart, sassy, money guy like Jaden wouldn’t have the same ideas about home and community. Maybe he was wrong. It’d been known to happen.
He’d seen Jaden just the other day at Mac’s when they all hung out for the first time. Jaden was funny, making jokes and flirting with everyone. Danny often found himself smiling along with everyone else. But from what he had seen of city people, they always had two faces. One for public and one for private. Who’s to say that wasn’t Jaden’s public face? He didn’t think Jaden was going to be an asshole or anything, but it damn well was probably going to be awkward as fuck with how much they didn’t have in common. Danny had no idea what to talk about with someone like Jaden. He was quiet, and Jaden was…not.
Wasn’t that an understatement?
Plus, if he was honest with himself, the man was gorgeous. And it’d been a real long time since he’d had any sexual partners other than his right hand. The opportunities had always been few and far between. Some of the people of White Acre—as much as he loved them—were judgmental bigots. None of them knew that part of Danny. Not his parents, not his friends, and not his co-workers. They all assumed he was straight, and he’d never corrected the assumption.
He had his reasons, and so far, his life was good as it was. Sometimes, the what ifs would creep up on him when he was home alone or when he had watched Mac fall in love with Bennett. There were too many things stopping him from having what Mac had. Why risk change when, in the end, he would still be alone?
Danny turned on one of his new audiobooks about the history of ancient Rome as he continued his journey, stopping any thoughts of Jaden and coming out.
Fifteen minutes later, he parked in Mac’s driveway and made his way up the walk to ring the doorbell.
Chapter Two
Jaden
Jaden had never sat on outdoor furniture so ridiculously comfortable in his life. Plush pillows and cushions his ass just sank into. Who could ask for more? It was so damn luxurious he could see himself lying all day on the thing, and he wasn’t a laze-all-day kind of guy. He was the kind of guy to go out on the town with his friends, go to new gallery openings, or go on weekend shopping trips. Jaden was not the kind of guy to lay around on a truly magnificent lounge, on his best friend’s boyfriend’s back porch, in small-town White Acre. But…life had thrown him for a loop, and now…now, maybe he was that kind of guy?
Who knew?
He still couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact he was there. In White Acre of all places. What had he been thinking? Small towns were not for him. Small towns often came with small-minded people, and he was used to culture and a more liberal mind set. Why had he felt this place was the answer to his problems?
The doorbell chiming through the house interrupted his thoughts. Good, he was tired of thinking about it. Hence why he hated lying around doing nothing. Too much thinking happened. Sigh. Maybe he should just go back to Boston.
The chill that ran down his spine halted all thoughts of that. Not yet. He wasn’t ready.
He got up off the lounge. His body immediately protested the move, wanting nothing more than to crawl back onto it, but finding out who arrived at Mac’s humble abode was too intriguing to pass up. Plus, he was bored and nosy.
“Jaden!” Mac’s voice yelled out deep and loud as he stepped into the foyer behind Mac. Jaden swore the man had no manners.
“Mac, you do not need to bellow. Didn’t your parents teach you how to use your indoor voice?” Jaden asked as haughty as he could.
Mac startled, probably not expecting him to be so close, then his near-constant smirk appeared as he replied, “Forgive my rudeness, my King.” Then the man bowed. Snarky bastard was making fun of his last name.
Jaden was really enjoying getting to know Mac. “Clearly, the art of sarcasm runs strong in you. But I love the title. Do continue to use it,” Jaden replied with a wave and a wink. It was then he turned his focus on Danny—yummy, bearded, gorgeous Danny—standing at the front door. Danny was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome but with a boyish next-door charm. Dark brown hair, tanned skin from his work outside, and hazel eyes—more gold than brown with little flecks of green around the iris—made Danny one yum yummy package Jaden wouldn’t mind unwrapping.
"Oh, wishes do come true. It looks like my handsome knight in shining armor has shown up to rescue me," Jaden purred.
"I don’t know about the knight in shining armor bit, but I'm here to take you to Allie. She said you have plans to hang out tonight." Danny's voice was deep and smooth, sounding like silk would feel as it slid over Jaden’s skin.
Jaden didn’t know what he was talking about because he was sure he had no such plans. Something in Danny’s eyes told him to just go along with it. Maybe this had to do with the broken voicemail Bennett left him earlier. It had been so bad, he had no way of understanding what was said.
“Oh yes, my knight, how could I forget plans with my dear Allie? Let me just grab my things from my room then we can go.” Jaden walked upstairs to his room, torn between wanting to hang out with Allie and wanting to spend time with Danny flirting.
Five minutes later, Jaden was climbing into Danny’s truck—climbing being the keyword since the truck was so tall he felt like a child, small and clumsy, trying to get into it. It was the least graceful he’d ever been in his life.
The beast of a machine was over six feet tall and dark blue with silver running boards which did nothing to help him get into the vehicle without using all his muscle. His muscles weren’t much since he hated working out and figured all his walking in the city was the equivalent to going to the gym.
As soon as he settled into his seat—buckling up, of course—Jaden turned to face Danny. “Where is it we’re going exactly? Because I don’t remember making plans with Allie. Or are you kidnapping me? I could absolutely get on board with that,” Jaden said playfully. “I bet you’re the type with a secret sex dungeon in your basement where you torture poor innocent boys like me.” Jaden fluttered his eye lashes, holding his hands to his chest in mock innocence. “Not that I’m opposed to a little torture of the sexual kind.”
“You’re trouble, aren’t you, Jaden?” Danny glanced over at him, smirking before looking back at the road.
“With a capital T,” Jaden replied, biting his lip.
“All I know is Bennett needed you out of the house for something to do with Mac, and I owed Allie a favor, so I came to get you to take you to her.”
“Now I wonder what Bennett has planned.”
“No idea. Allie said she didn’t ask in case it was something kinky,” Danny said, the smile on his face clear in his voice.
“I love that woman more and more.” Jaden chuckled.
They rode in companionable silence. Danny hadn’t spoken much when he’d first met him at Mac’s the other day. But he was that guy. The one who always had a smile plastered on his face but rarely said anything. Jaden had known people like him, but typically, in his world, they were fake, forced smiles. There was nothing fake about Danny. He was a genuinely nice guy.
The way Bennett described Danny, it sounded like he was constantly going out of his way for people. Picking him up was a perfect example. Favor or not, Jaden knew he could’ve said no. From what Jaden gathered, Mac had been trying to get Danny to stop helping people the way he did because some people were taking advantage of the man’s good will.
Life was not fair to drop a man—most likely gay from the way he pinged Jaden’s gaydar—in his lap who was not just sexy as fuck but nice too. Nice guys were hard to find. That was recently proven to him.
Jaden didn’t think he could go there. Not with any guy. Not yet. Maybe.
Jesus. Jaden was starting to feel all blah about his love life.
Danny pulled into what looked like a strip mall and parked.
After nearly breaking his neck climbing out of the beast of a truck as Danny stood by smirking at him, they walked into the diner, sitting at a booth along the windowless back wall and grabbing menus from the holder. A few minutes after they sat, a waitress walked over to take their order.
“Hello, beautiful girl. I would like an iced tea with lemon please. Also, the largest plate of fries you’ve got. My friend here needs the calories to fuel that big body of his.”
Danny just shook his head at him before saying, “Like I said…trouble,” making Jaden laugh.
Jaden checked his phone in case he had a text or voicemail, but seeing no notifications, he put his phone down in the center of the table between them.
He found looking at Danny too easy. Jaden decided to go with small talk 101 because the staring was going to get awkward fast, and it made him want to fidget. And Jaden didn’t fidget.
“So, handsome Danny, have you always lived in White Acre?”
“Yeah, born and raised. Although, I did go off to college for a few years,” Danny replied.
“It must’ve been liberating to get out of small-town life and spread your…wings a bit?”
Danny’s eyes narrowed slightly at Jaden’s pause, and he knew he’d caught the unspoken innuendo. Before Danny answered, what Jaden liked to call a dirty-boy smirk was gracing those sinful lips. “Wasn’t much of a partier and spreading my…wings really wasn’t my thing.”
He was playing with Jaden.
The realization hit him low in his belly, causing heat and excitement to spread. He couldn’t say he wasn’t a little bit surprised by it. Also, a lot turned on. Most guys weren’t in his league when it came to coyly flirting, and he often won when it came to the game. Clearly, there was more to Danny than met the eye.
Jaden was going to enjoy this.
Jaden didn’t out people when they didn’t want to be outed, so he lowered his voice to a level where only Danny could hear him. “I bet you showed a boy or two how good it felt to spread theirs though.” Jaden winked.
And there was that smirk again. Danny was much more dangerous than Jaden had thought. Danny didn’t exactly confirm he was gay. Jaden would be surprised if he did, if he was honest. They weren’t friends. Yet.
But he was a mystery, like a puzzle Jaden was going to solve, piece by piece. He loved a good puzzle.
The playful banter died when the food was delivered. They were quiet for a bit as they stuffed their faces, or at least Jaden was because goddamn those fries were delicious.
Jaden’s phone dinged with a notification. A smile spread over his face when he glanced at the message displayed across his lock screen. It was from the game he played, Shards of Resistance, about a new expansion pack coming out soon. Not being able to hold it in, he let out an excited and maybe overly loud, “Yes,” before he could stop himself.
Danny’s attention went to the message visible on his phone screen.
“Sorry, just got a bit excited.”
“Was that about SoR?” Danny asked.
“Umm, yeah? You know about SoR?”
“Oh yeah, was it about the expansion pack?” Danny asked. “Wait… You play video games?” Danny’s doubt was clear.
“No, not video games, one video game. One no others can stand up against in both graphics and storyline.” Jaden was geeking out over a video game. Even he couldn’t help thinking it was ridiculous. But…he did love SoR.
“I know, and each expansion you think the storyline couldn’t get better, but then it does. The graphics are some of the best out there. I’ve tried other games, and none hold up against SoR.”
“Wait. You play Shards of Resistance?” Jaden’s voice held a note of disbelief.
Danny shrugged. “I’ve been playing it since it came out. How about you?”
“Same. You are the first person I know more than just online who plays. Not to sound like too much of a gamer geek, but this makes me so freaking excited.”
Danny chuckled. “Me too. No one in my life, other than my parents, even knows I play to be honest. It’s not a secret or anything, but they wouldn’t understand.”
“Ugh, same. I mean, I get it, I don’t act or look like what people think gamers are supposed to look like,” Jaden rolled his eyes, “but I am for SoR.”
“Who did you choose for your character in the game?” Danny asked, leaning forward to rest his arms on the table. Jaden was pretty sure Danny’s forearms were the size of his thighs. Muscles like that caused shivers down his spine. The idea of wall sex with Danny spread through him, and he quickly shut it down. Nope, not going there.
But, mmm, wall sex…
Jaden had the most in-depth conversation about the game with a real live person sitting in front of him since he’d started playing it. Typically, his only conversation was with others online who played. He could tell he was being just as animated about it as Danny.
Danny laughing and smiling was a sight to see. Add in his logic and insight into the nuances of the game, and Jaden was hooked. Dangerously hooked. He couldn’t get hooked to anyone. Not now and not in White Acre. He didn’t live there. His life was back in Boston. Maybe.
But he could make a friend, right? Danny could be a friend. While he was here, he could play the game with him and hang out. Then maybe Jaden would stop being so bored and melancholy over…all the stuff he was running from.
Jaden didn’t notice the moment Allie walked in until she stood by their table wearing faded, worn jeans, work boots, and a tank top with a confused expression on her face.
“Oh, my dear Allie. How wonderful to see you,” Jaden said as he stood to give her a proper greeting.
“Allie, since when do you let people hug you?” Danny questioned.
“Not people, Danny Boy, just Jaden,” she replied pleasantly before continuing what Jaden would call a cheerful threat. “So, don’t go trying to give me hug, or I’ll have to punch you in painful places.”
Jaden sat back down with Allie sliding into the seat next to him. “How was work today?” he asked.
“Fantastically miserable,” she replied with a big grin.
With a smile on his face, Danny shook his head, saying, “You are a masochist, Allie Bug.”
“Nah, I love my work. I just don’t always like the clients who walk through my door expecting some biker dude with a long beard and tattoos to be running the show.”
“At least they would be right on the tattoos,” Danny teased.
“Ha, ha, Danny.” Allie reached across the table, poking Danny in the chest. “Anyway, Jaden, you ready to get out of here?”
“Of course. I just need to flag down the waitress to pay my bill then we can go.”
“No need. It’s on me. This way you guys don’t have to wait around,” Danny replied.
“Are you sure? I’m sure Allie doesn’t mind waiting.” Jaden glanced at her to confirm his words, and with a shrug of her tattooed shoulders, she agreed.
“I’m sure. Go you two, I’ve got this.”
“All right, you heard the man. Let’s get the hell out of here. I’ll order us some pizza on the way.” Allie stood with a bounce in her step.
“Thank you, Danny.”
With a smile and a wave, they walked out of the diner.
Jaden wanted to give Danny his number. He wanted to be able to continue talking the way they were before Allie showed up. It had felt good, and Jaden needed it at the moment. They couldn’t play because he didn’t have his system with him, but they could talk and be friends. The newness of it was exciting.
Plus, the man was easy on the eyes, though not so much on his dick.
But with Allie there, he didn’t want to make it look like he was hitting on Danny since she and everyone else thought he was straight. Jaden didn’t want to be the one to come along and put even the smallest of dents in his closet door unless Danny said so.
They had gotten almost all the way out to Allie’s little sportster car when he decided to say fuck it and go back and give Danny his number. Wavering on this type of thing wasn’t like him. He was forward to a fault.
“Allie, dear, I’ll be right back. I think I forgot my sunglasses on the table.” Jaden turned, not waiting for her response, and went back inside. Danny was still sitting there, waiting for the check.
He noticed him as soon as Jaden got five feet from the table. “Everything all right?”
“Yeah, I wanted to give you my number. I had fun today, so maybe you can call if you wanted to talk some more about the game.” Jaden stopped, suddenly unsure. He hated not being confident in himself.
Danny was looking up at him from his seat, a gentle smile graced his lips before he softly replied, “I did too, Jaden, and I’d love to do it again. Here,” Danny pulled out a receipt from his wallet, “I left my cell in my truck.”
Jaden wrote his number on it with the pencil he handed him from his shirt pocket. As he walked away, he felt good. Light-footed like he was walking on a cloud. Better than he had in a while.
Mac was so close he lost his train of thought. So close that Bennett could reach out and grab what he wanted all week, but he was so weak with want, he couldn’t get his mind to cooperate to move his limbs.
“You don’t want a reward for your hard work?”
Bennett’s breathing picked up. His mind raced. His balls tingled and tightened. He knew Mac had to see the pleading and want through his eyes. Bennett couldn’t hide it, not then, not so close to Mac, feeling his body against his and his breath wisp across his lips as they stared into each other's eyes. It felt big, like Mac wasn’t just staring into his eyes but into him, searching for something.
Then Mac was closer, so close he could feel the words against his lips. “Because I think you deserve a kiss for being such a good boy. You want that kiss, Princess?”
“B, open your eyes.”
Bennett listened. As hard as it was to not just stay floating in the place of just feeling, he opened his eyes. What he saw made him moan. The want, the need in Mac’s eyes matched what Bennett felt coursing through his own body. He couldn’t think of anything else, because as lost as he was in the sensations Mac had him feeling with his eyes closed, he was just as lost in the heat that poured off the man now.
“What did you think would happen, B? Coming out here all flustered and angry with just a t-shirt and those cute boxers on?”
At first, Bennett had no idea what he was talking about, but then he remembered. He slept in his ‘Particle Physics Gives me a Hadron’ boxers and had been so lost in his anger that he’d never put on pants.
He swallowed, trying to loosen his tight throat so he could speak, but Mac leaned in, lips touching Bennett’s ear, and the only thing that came out was a whimper. He never whimpered. Fuck.
“Nothing turns me on more than you in full on Princess mode with your geek on full display.” And to prove that, Mac pulled them tighter together with the hand that still sat in the small of his back. Bennett could feel Mac’s hard length pressed against his. The barrier of the worn jeans that Mac had on and Bennett’s boxers was like paper between them.
“I’ve been good this week too. Not kissing your sweet lips, not touching your body, not taking you against any and all surfaces when you were so goddamn sexy with the paint splattered all over you and your shirt sticking to your body, soaked from your sweat. So, maybe I deserve a reward too.”
“Oh, god, yes.”
Mac pulled his face back just enough so that Bennett could look into his eyes again. He had that cocky grin playing at his lips but this time it didn’t annoy Bennett, it lit him on fire.
Mac’s eyes dropped and stared at his lips, making his nerves come alive. He licked his lips and Mac moaned. That sound. God, that sound went straight to the center of all that swirled around them.
Bennett remembered his moans from that blowjob, the sound doing just as much that night as seeing Mac on his knees soft lips wrapped around Bennett’s cock. And hearing it again brought those memories flashing through his mind taking an already heated moment and making it hotter and more.
“Please.” He didn’t know what else to say. It’d felt like they’d stood there frozen forever. Simple touches doing more than any amount of foreplay Bennett had ever experienced.
“I like when you beg me, B.”
Risking it All #2
Chapter One
Danny
Each swing of the axe was like a drumbeat setting the rhythm of each breath, each beat of his heart, grounding him at the same time as giving him the freedom to let the world fall away. Him, his axe, and the sounds of the birds and leaves as the wind blew in the early morning. Danny loved this time of day. It was quiet and calm, and there was no one to crowd him, to ask for things, or to expect anything.
Being up at four in the morning wasn’t anything new to him. He’d been doing it for years, as long as he could remember. Always up and doing something, no matter what day it was. As it was the end of August, the mornings were still warm and slightly humid even though the sun wouldn’t come up for another two hours.
Chopping wood was one of his favorite things to do. Mac thought he was crazy but to each their own. Sometimes, he used the wood chopper, but in the morning, it was more about centering his mind, thinking through problems, or just getting lost in thought.
The hours of chores passed quickly, and before he knew it, he was showered and at work, directing his crew on the day’s tasks.
That Friday happened to be a slow one, so Mac had stayed home to catch up on some other things while Danny handled the crews and the few jobs they had on the calendar. Danny loved slow days. It was like having a day off from the hectic go, go, go they’d been having since spring hit.
By lunchtime, most of the crew had been sent home after finishing up their jobs for the day. Danny stuck around in case a call came in for an emergency even though Mac had told him to go home. It’s not like he had much to do at his house, so deciding to stay around town was no big deal.
He went to the office after stopping off at Mr. Mills’s house yet again for some small project he needed one of them to get done. And again, without an appointment, but Danny wasn’t going to tell boss man. He’d harp on him again about nice guys and appointments. As he walked into the office, the song Whole Lotta Woman by Kelley Clarkson that he saved for Allie’s ringtone was blaring out of his phone.
“Hello.”
“Hey. I’m calling in that favor you owe me.”
“Nice to talk to you, Allie Bug.” Danny knew Allie hated the nickname he gave her, but it had to be better than calling her Kitten like her dad did. Plus, that’s what best friends did to each other.
“Why do you insist on pissing me off?” Allie replied, clearly exasperated with his teasing.
“Because you’re too far away to hit me?”
Allie grumbled under her breath, but when she spoke again, he could hear the smile in her voice. “Like I said, I need you to do something for me.”
“What do you need?”
“Go pick up Jaden from Mac’s house for me? I’m hanging out with him tonight, but I got a last-minute repair in, so I can’t— Hold on.” Danny heard a loud bang and Allie swear before she quickly added, “Technically, it’s a favor for Bennett. He needs Jaden out of the house.”
“Why does Bennett need Jaden out of the house?”
“I didn’t ask, and I don’t want to know. Knowing those nerdy types, it’s probably something kinky.”
“Okay, I guess I can do that. What time do I need to get him?” Danny asked as another loud noise rang through Allie’s end of the call.
“Now. Basically, anytime in the next fifteen minutes.” Allie let out a string of curse words before he heard her muffled voice yell to the young kid she employed part-time, “Nate, come over here and hold this.” Danny was debating on hanging up when her voice, clearer than it had been, came through the line again. “Shit, I can’t stay on the phone. Nate’s holding the motor up on the bike I’m working on, and he breaks more things than a toddler on a rampage. Can you call Bennett for me? Just let him know you’re the one picking up Jaden. Bring him to the diner, and don’t just drop him off, Danny,” she said, the warning clear in her voice. Danny was slightly offended; even if he wasn’t completely comfortable around Jaden, he would never leave him alone at the diner. “You should try to get to know him better, I have a feeling he’s going to be around a while.”
She hung up in typical Allie fashion with no goodbye or thank you, leaving Danny shaking his head.
His phone dinged with a text, and he saw Bennett’s number come through from Allie. He clicked the numbers on the screen as he locked up the office doors behind him.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Bennett.”
“Danny? Is there something you need? Mac’s at home.”
“Allie called and explained what’s going on. I owe her a favor she’s calling in. I’m going to go get Jaden and bring him to the diner to wait for her.” Danny’s tone wasn’t very reassuring he was sure, but it was more to do with how easily the sight of Jaden hit all his buttons. He’d only met the guy the one time. Clearly city and clearly not someone Danny had anything in common with. Or a chance in hell with. But he had to admit, he was intrigued by the guy. Intrigued and turned on.
“You? Are you…I mean…you’re just going to drop him off at the diner?”
He wondered how these two could think that of him when he was literally known as the town nice guy, he grunted before replying, “No. I agreed to, uh, wait…you know, with him.” Danny paused, thinking about the beautiful man sitting alone at the strange diner where he didn’t know anyone, then rushed out, “I wouldn’t want anyone to have to sit alone for all that time anyway.”
“If you’re sure, Danny...”
Danny was trying not to sound too eager since his libido had taken over his brain, so he paused before replying, “Yeah, no problem.”
As Danny drove from the office in town to Mac’s house, he wondered about the man he was going to pick up. Bennett’s best friend, a rich, flirty city boy. Made him wonder what more lay beneath the surface. He learned a long time ago not to judge a book by its cover.
Danny was the friendly sort. Obviously, with the whole “town nice guy” thing. He made friends easily. His mom always said it was because he was such a sweet boy. He internally rolled his eyes, but the thought of his mom still made him smile. Danny knew it was because he was raised with manners and a sense of community, not because he was nicer than anyone else.
Jaden, on the other hand, was a city boy. Cultured and rich. He wasn’t one to pass judgement, but Danny figured a socially active, smart, sassy, money guy like Jaden wouldn’t have the same ideas about home and community. Maybe he was wrong. It’d been known to happen.
He’d seen Jaden just the other day at Mac’s when they all hung out for the first time. Jaden was funny, making jokes and flirting with everyone. Danny often found himself smiling along with everyone else. But from what he had seen of city people, they always had two faces. One for public and one for private. Who’s to say that wasn’t Jaden’s public face? He didn’t think Jaden was going to be an asshole or anything, but it damn well was probably going to be awkward as fuck with how much they didn’t have in common. Danny had no idea what to talk about with someone like Jaden. He was quiet, and Jaden was…not.
Wasn’t that an understatement?
Plus, if he was honest with himself, the man was gorgeous. And it’d been a real long time since he’d had any sexual partners other than his right hand. The opportunities had always been few and far between. Some of the people of White Acre—as much as he loved them—were judgmental bigots. None of them knew that part of Danny. Not his parents, not his friends, and not his co-workers. They all assumed he was straight, and he’d never corrected the assumption.
He had his reasons, and so far, his life was good as it was. Sometimes, the what ifs would creep up on him when he was home alone or when he had watched Mac fall in love with Bennett. There were too many things stopping him from having what Mac had. Why risk change when, in the end, he would still be alone?
Danny turned on one of his new audiobooks about the history of ancient Rome as he continued his journey, stopping any thoughts of Jaden and coming out.
Fifteen minutes later, he parked in Mac’s driveway and made his way up the walk to ring the doorbell.
Chapter Two
Jaden
Jaden had never sat on outdoor furniture so ridiculously comfortable in his life. Plush pillows and cushions his ass just sank into. Who could ask for more? It was so damn luxurious he could see himself lying all day on the thing, and he wasn’t a laze-all-day kind of guy. He was the kind of guy to go out on the town with his friends, go to new gallery openings, or go on weekend shopping trips. Jaden was not the kind of guy to lay around on a truly magnificent lounge, on his best friend’s boyfriend’s back porch, in small-town White Acre. But…life had thrown him for a loop, and now…now, maybe he was that kind of guy?
Who knew?
He still couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact he was there. In White Acre of all places. What had he been thinking? Small towns were not for him. Small towns often came with small-minded people, and he was used to culture and a more liberal mind set. Why had he felt this place was the answer to his problems?
The doorbell chiming through the house interrupted his thoughts. Good, he was tired of thinking about it. Hence why he hated lying around doing nothing. Too much thinking happened. Sigh. Maybe he should just go back to Boston.
The chill that ran down his spine halted all thoughts of that. Not yet. He wasn’t ready.
He got up off the lounge. His body immediately protested the move, wanting nothing more than to crawl back onto it, but finding out who arrived at Mac’s humble abode was too intriguing to pass up. Plus, he was bored and nosy.
“Jaden!” Mac’s voice yelled out deep and loud as he stepped into the foyer behind Mac. Jaden swore the man had no manners.
“Mac, you do not need to bellow. Didn’t your parents teach you how to use your indoor voice?” Jaden asked as haughty as he could.
Mac startled, probably not expecting him to be so close, then his near-constant smirk appeared as he replied, “Forgive my rudeness, my King.” Then the man bowed. Snarky bastard was making fun of his last name.
Jaden was really enjoying getting to know Mac. “Clearly, the art of sarcasm runs strong in you. But I love the title. Do continue to use it,” Jaden replied with a wave and a wink. It was then he turned his focus on Danny—yummy, bearded, gorgeous Danny—standing at the front door. Danny was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome but with a boyish next-door charm. Dark brown hair, tanned skin from his work outside, and hazel eyes—more gold than brown with little flecks of green around the iris—made Danny one yum yummy package Jaden wouldn’t mind unwrapping.
"Oh, wishes do come true. It looks like my handsome knight in shining armor has shown up to rescue me," Jaden purred.
"I don’t know about the knight in shining armor bit, but I'm here to take you to Allie. She said you have plans to hang out tonight." Danny's voice was deep and smooth, sounding like silk would feel as it slid over Jaden’s skin.
Jaden didn’t know what he was talking about because he was sure he had no such plans. Something in Danny’s eyes told him to just go along with it. Maybe this had to do with the broken voicemail Bennett left him earlier. It had been so bad, he had no way of understanding what was said.
“Oh yes, my knight, how could I forget plans with my dear Allie? Let me just grab my things from my room then we can go.” Jaden walked upstairs to his room, torn between wanting to hang out with Allie and wanting to spend time with Danny flirting.
Five minutes later, Jaden was climbing into Danny’s truck—climbing being the keyword since the truck was so tall he felt like a child, small and clumsy, trying to get into it. It was the least graceful he’d ever been in his life.
The beast of a machine was over six feet tall and dark blue with silver running boards which did nothing to help him get into the vehicle without using all his muscle. His muscles weren’t much since he hated working out and figured all his walking in the city was the equivalent to going to the gym.
As soon as he settled into his seat—buckling up, of course—Jaden turned to face Danny. “Where is it we’re going exactly? Because I don’t remember making plans with Allie. Or are you kidnapping me? I could absolutely get on board with that,” Jaden said playfully. “I bet you’re the type with a secret sex dungeon in your basement where you torture poor innocent boys like me.” Jaden fluttered his eye lashes, holding his hands to his chest in mock innocence. “Not that I’m opposed to a little torture of the sexual kind.”
“You’re trouble, aren’t you, Jaden?” Danny glanced over at him, smirking before looking back at the road.
“With a capital T,” Jaden replied, biting his lip.
“All I know is Bennett needed you out of the house for something to do with Mac, and I owed Allie a favor, so I came to get you to take you to her.”
“Now I wonder what Bennett has planned.”
“No idea. Allie said she didn’t ask in case it was something kinky,” Danny said, the smile on his face clear in his voice.
“I love that woman more and more.” Jaden chuckled.
They rode in companionable silence. Danny hadn’t spoken much when he’d first met him at Mac’s the other day. But he was that guy. The one who always had a smile plastered on his face but rarely said anything. Jaden had known people like him, but typically, in his world, they were fake, forced smiles. There was nothing fake about Danny. He was a genuinely nice guy.
The way Bennett described Danny, it sounded like he was constantly going out of his way for people. Picking him up was a perfect example. Favor or not, Jaden knew he could’ve said no. From what Jaden gathered, Mac had been trying to get Danny to stop helping people the way he did because some people were taking advantage of the man’s good will.
Life was not fair to drop a man—most likely gay from the way he pinged Jaden’s gaydar—in his lap who was not just sexy as fuck but nice too. Nice guys were hard to find. That was recently proven to him.
Jaden didn’t think he could go there. Not with any guy. Not yet. Maybe.
Jesus. Jaden was starting to feel all blah about his love life.
Danny pulled into what looked like a strip mall and parked.
After nearly breaking his neck climbing out of the beast of a truck as Danny stood by smirking at him, they walked into the diner, sitting at a booth along the windowless back wall and grabbing menus from the holder. A few minutes after they sat, a waitress walked over to take their order.
“Hello, beautiful girl. I would like an iced tea with lemon please. Also, the largest plate of fries you’ve got. My friend here needs the calories to fuel that big body of his.”
Danny just shook his head at him before saying, “Like I said…trouble,” making Jaden laugh.
Jaden checked his phone in case he had a text or voicemail, but seeing no notifications, he put his phone down in the center of the table between them.
He found looking at Danny too easy. Jaden decided to go with small talk 101 because the staring was going to get awkward fast, and it made him want to fidget. And Jaden didn’t fidget.
“So, handsome Danny, have you always lived in White Acre?”
“Yeah, born and raised. Although, I did go off to college for a few years,” Danny replied.
“It must’ve been liberating to get out of small-town life and spread your…wings a bit?”
Danny’s eyes narrowed slightly at Jaden’s pause, and he knew he’d caught the unspoken innuendo. Before Danny answered, what Jaden liked to call a dirty-boy smirk was gracing those sinful lips. “Wasn’t much of a partier and spreading my…wings really wasn’t my thing.”
He was playing with Jaden.
The realization hit him low in his belly, causing heat and excitement to spread. He couldn’t say he wasn’t a little bit surprised by it. Also, a lot turned on. Most guys weren’t in his league when it came to coyly flirting, and he often won when it came to the game. Clearly, there was more to Danny than met the eye.
Jaden was going to enjoy this.
Jaden didn’t out people when they didn’t want to be outed, so he lowered his voice to a level where only Danny could hear him. “I bet you showed a boy or two how good it felt to spread theirs though.” Jaden winked.
And there was that smirk again. Danny was much more dangerous than Jaden had thought. Danny didn’t exactly confirm he was gay. Jaden would be surprised if he did, if he was honest. They weren’t friends. Yet.
But he was a mystery, like a puzzle Jaden was going to solve, piece by piece. He loved a good puzzle.
The playful banter died when the food was delivered. They were quiet for a bit as they stuffed their faces, or at least Jaden was because goddamn those fries were delicious.
Jaden’s phone dinged with a notification. A smile spread over his face when he glanced at the message displayed across his lock screen. It was from the game he played, Shards of Resistance, about a new expansion pack coming out soon. Not being able to hold it in, he let out an excited and maybe overly loud, “Yes,” before he could stop himself.
Danny’s attention went to the message visible on his phone screen.
“Sorry, just got a bit excited.”
“Was that about SoR?” Danny asked.
“Umm, yeah? You know about SoR?”
“Oh yeah, was it about the expansion pack?” Danny asked. “Wait… You play video games?” Danny’s doubt was clear.
“No, not video games, one video game. One no others can stand up against in both graphics and storyline.” Jaden was geeking out over a video game. Even he couldn’t help thinking it was ridiculous. But…he did love SoR.
“I know, and each expansion you think the storyline couldn’t get better, but then it does. The graphics are some of the best out there. I’ve tried other games, and none hold up against SoR.”
“Wait. You play Shards of Resistance?” Jaden’s voice held a note of disbelief.
Danny shrugged. “I’ve been playing it since it came out. How about you?”
“Same. You are the first person I know more than just online who plays. Not to sound like too much of a gamer geek, but this makes me so freaking excited.”
Danny chuckled. “Me too. No one in my life, other than my parents, even knows I play to be honest. It’s not a secret or anything, but they wouldn’t understand.”
“Ugh, same. I mean, I get it, I don’t act or look like what people think gamers are supposed to look like,” Jaden rolled his eyes, “but I am for SoR.”
“Who did you choose for your character in the game?” Danny asked, leaning forward to rest his arms on the table. Jaden was pretty sure Danny’s forearms were the size of his thighs. Muscles like that caused shivers down his spine. The idea of wall sex with Danny spread through him, and he quickly shut it down. Nope, not going there.
But, mmm, wall sex…
Jaden had the most in-depth conversation about the game with a real live person sitting in front of him since he’d started playing it. Typically, his only conversation was with others online who played. He could tell he was being just as animated about it as Danny.
Danny laughing and smiling was a sight to see. Add in his logic and insight into the nuances of the game, and Jaden was hooked. Dangerously hooked. He couldn’t get hooked to anyone. Not now and not in White Acre. He didn’t live there. His life was back in Boston. Maybe.
But he could make a friend, right? Danny could be a friend. While he was here, he could play the game with him and hang out. Then maybe Jaden would stop being so bored and melancholy over…all the stuff he was running from.
Jaden didn’t notice the moment Allie walked in until she stood by their table wearing faded, worn jeans, work boots, and a tank top with a confused expression on her face.
“Oh, my dear Allie. How wonderful to see you,” Jaden said as he stood to give her a proper greeting.
“Allie, since when do you let people hug you?” Danny questioned.
“Not people, Danny Boy, just Jaden,” she replied pleasantly before continuing what Jaden would call a cheerful threat. “So, don’t go trying to give me hug, or I’ll have to punch you in painful places.”
Jaden sat back down with Allie sliding into the seat next to him. “How was work today?” he asked.
“Fantastically miserable,” she replied with a big grin.
With a smile on his face, Danny shook his head, saying, “You are a masochist, Allie Bug.”
“Nah, I love my work. I just don’t always like the clients who walk through my door expecting some biker dude with a long beard and tattoos to be running the show.”
“At least they would be right on the tattoos,” Danny teased.
“Ha, ha, Danny.” Allie reached across the table, poking Danny in the chest. “Anyway, Jaden, you ready to get out of here?”
“Of course. I just need to flag down the waitress to pay my bill then we can go.”
“No need. It’s on me. This way you guys don’t have to wait around,” Danny replied.
“Are you sure? I’m sure Allie doesn’t mind waiting.” Jaden glanced at her to confirm his words, and with a shrug of her tattooed shoulders, she agreed.
“I’m sure. Go you two, I’ve got this.”
“All right, you heard the man. Let’s get the hell out of here. I’ll order us some pizza on the way.” Allie stood with a bounce in her step.
“Thank you, Danny.”
With a smile and a wave, they walked out of the diner.
Jaden wanted to give Danny his number. He wanted to be able to continue talking the way they were before Allie showed up. It had felt good, and Jaden needed it at the moment. They couldn’t play because he didn’t have his system with him, but they could talk and be friends. The newness of it was exciting.
Plus, the man was easy on the eyes, though not so much on his dick.
But with Allie there, he didn’t want to make it look like he was hitting on Danny since she and everyone else thought he was straight. Jaden didn’t want to be the one to come along and put even the smallest of dents in his closet door unless Danny said so.
They had gotten almost all the way out to Allie’s little sportster car when he decided to say fuck it and go back and give Danny his number. Wavering on this type of thing wasn’t like him. He was forward to a fault.
“Allie, dear, I’ll be right back. I think I forgot my sunglasses on the table.” Jaden turned, not waiting for her response, and went back inside. Danny was still sitting there, waiting for the check.
He noticed him as soon as Jaden got five feet from the table. “Everything all right?”
“Yeah, I wanted to give you my number. I had fun today, so maybe you can call if you wanted to talk some more about the game.” Jaden stopped, suddenly unsure. He hated not being confident in himself.
Danny was looking up at him from his seat, a gentle smile graced his lips before he softly replied, “I did too, Jaden, and I’d love to do it again. Here,” Danny pulled out a receipt from his wallet, “I left my cell in my truck.”
Jaden wrote his number on it with the pencil he handed him from his shirt pocket. As he walked away, he felt good. Light-footed like he was walking on a cloud. Better than he had in a while.
Author Bio:
Morningstar Ashley is a transplant from the Yankee-controlled territory of New York, and now finds herself in the heartland of cowboys and longhorns—Texas. Armed with her imagination, wit, and trusty sidekicks in the form of her two crazy kids, devoted dorky husband, big lap dog, and rambunctious cats, Morningstar spends her time reading the books she loves, crafting her own characters, and arguing the merits of hot chocolate over the bitter brew known as coffee. (Hot chocolate wins, FYI.)
After a lifetime of trying to get people to realize her first name wasn’t Ashley, Morningstar decided the best way to settle the debate was to put her name on a book cover. Now she finds the accomplishment of publishing so satisfying her mind won’t stop creating stories of love across the spectrum of LGBTQA+.
After a lifetime of trying to get people to realize her first name wasn’t Ashley, Morningstar decided the best way to settle the debate was to put her name on a book cover. Now she finds the accomplishment of publishing so satisfying her mind won’t stop creating stories of love across the spectrum of LGBTQA+.
EMAIL: morningstar.ashley.author@gmail.com
A Different Light #1
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