Sunday, September 22, 2019
Sunday's Short Stack: Three Little Words by Charlie Cochet
After months of unfounded rumors, world-renowned archaeologist Dr. Nicolaus Scofield finally has a solid lead on the location of the Artemis bracelet. There’s only one problem. The Temple of Artemis site is closed for a charity event.
If that’s not bad enough, rumor has it notorious thief and fencer of antiquities, Agon, is on his way to find the bracelet.
Thanks to Nico’s meddling assistant, Nico finds himself one step closer to the bracelet, but will his quest be derailed by the appearance of the beautiful and mysterious Aedan Armstrong?
One outcome is certain: it’ll be a night neither men will soon forget.
Please note that this short story was previously titled Athens and was published as part of the Heart2Heart Vol 2.0 charity anthology. No new content has been added.
I hadn't read the Heart2Heart Vol 2.0 Charity Anthology so this little short was completely new to me and I loved every bit of it. Yes, Three Little Words is short and I would certainly love to read more of Nico and Aedan if they ever decide to fill the author in on more of their adventures, but this particular look into their lives is a brilliantly written tale. The setting, the chemistry, the romance, the heat, and the humor all blend together making this short a heartwarming gem that is entertaining and just plain fun from beginning to end.
RATING:
Chapter One
“Why are we here again?”
To say this wasn’t Nico’s scene would have been the understatement of the year. Any occasion that required him to shout to be heard by someone who sat right next to him was not a place he wanted to be. He enjoyed drinking and dancing as much as the next guy, but a huge, packed to the brim nightclub in the center of Athens was not his idea of a good time.
Club Merlot’s boudoir theme came complete with scantily clad women in nighties and bare-chested, slicked up men in skimpy boxer-briefs. Colored smoke shot out from smoke machines at regular intervals and silver confetti rained down from the ceiling. The strobe lighting was enough to give Nico a headache, and as tempting as the men and women who hit on him were, he wasn’t interested.
Despite what some of his coworkers thought, being bisexual did not mean he had twice the number of partners to choose from. He was still him. Any allure a potential partner saw in him tended to evaporate the moment they asked him about his job. Personally, he found the destructive science of archaeological excavation to be a perfectly suitable topic of dinner conversation. Was it his fault his dinner dates didn’t agree? What the hell else was he supposed to talk about? Social media? Good God, he couldn’t think of anything more mind-numbing.
“We’re here because of this,” Wade replied, poking the side of Nico’s head and bringing him back to a different mind-numbing experience. “You’re so tense you’re about to hurt something. It’s one day, Nico.”
“One day is all that bastard needs,” Nico growled, ignoring his assistant rolling his eyes at him. Just the thought of that no-good thieving son of a jackal getting to his find before him had Nico ready to break out in hives.
Wade shrugged. “Maybe he’s taking the day off?”
“Maybe you should cut back on those,” Nico suggested, pointing to the luminescent cocktail in Wade’s hand. “It’s making you spout nonsense.”
Wade shook his head in amusement as he danced on his barstool to the electronic music thumping so hard Nico could feel it reverberating in his chest. He was surprised his ears weren’t bleeding.
“I know you want to dance, so just go. I’ll be fine.” Nico motioned to the dance floor and the two pixie-faced young women inviting him to play.
“Come with me.”
“No thanks. I’m getting that whole praying-mantis-eating-her-mate vibe from them, and I like my eyeballs just fine.”
Wade jumped off the barstool and glared at him. “I hate you so much right now. I will never be able to unsee that. I’m still having nightmares about it. Harmless nature video my ass.”
Nico cackled as Wade turned, but not before he flipped Nico off. With a smile, Nico ordered another top shelf glass of whiskey then went back to his people watching. He should have stayed at the hotel.
No matter how many times he ended up leaving early and alone, he continued to follow Wade to these places like a stray puppy. He couldn’t believe he’d let Wade convince him to come. It’ll be fun, Wade said. Yeah, Nico would bet that’s what the male praying mantis thought during sexy times until chomp. He became nothing more than a post-coital snack. Not so fun then, huh? Okay, so maybe his job wasn’t the only reason he lacked in second dates.
After months of listening to chatter on the dark web amounting to nothing more than unfounded rumors, he finally had a lead, a real lead. Nico was onto something spectacular, and he was big enough to admit he’d pulled out the big guns for this trip, including throwing his name out there to get him in front of the right people. As a world-renowned archaeologist, the name Dr. Nicolaus Scofield opened doors for him that didn’t even exist for lesser known archaeologists. He had a certain reputation, one centering around his ruthlessness in acquiring his query.
Two days ago, Nico received word of a once in a lifetime opportunity. The gold owl Artemis bracelet was said to be buried in the base of a column at the Temple of Artemis, and he’d used every connection he possessed to make a deal that would allow him to excavate the piece, bring it back to the United States, and unveil it in a new exhibition at The Met before the piece was packed up and sent on a world tour. There was one slight hiccup. The Temple of Artemis site was closed for a whole day. And why? What could possibly be so important as to jeopardize this momentous occasion? A date.
A date.
It was ridiculous! Here he was on the verge of a phenomenal archaeological find and he didn’t have access to the temple because Club Merlot decided the site would make a great location for a date! If that wasn’t bad enough, rumor had it Agon was on his way to find the Artemis bracelet. Did the man have no shame? Fencing antiquities and selling them to the highest bidder. It was despicable. The thief should be rotting in prison somewhere. How had no one caught him yet? The guy left freaking popcorn kernels at his crime scenes!
Movement caught Nico’s eye, and for the first time in his life, he did a double take. A shit-you-not double take. It was like something out of a cheesy ‘80s movie where the leading man’s dream girl enters the scene laughing, eyes sparkling— in slow motion of course— while Foreigner plays in the background.
Very little had the capability of holding Nico’s attention this long, and when something did capture his interest it was usually several thousands of years old. He couldn’t stop his gaze from following the gorgeous young man slinking through the crowd, his long legs eating up the distance. Good God, he was beautiful, high cheekbones, eyes so dark they were almost black, thick eyebrows matching the black hair that fell in a disheveled mess around his face, and pouting lips that shone with pink lip gloss.
“Stunning,” Nico murmured to no one in particular. Not that anyone would be able to hear him. He sat frozen as the tall, slender, Adonis headed in his direction. Had he stopped breathing? It felt like maybe he’d stopped breathing. The whole inhaling-and-exhaling-of-oxygen thing wasn’t happening, especially when the man stepped in between Nico’s spread knees, the corner of his lips tugged in a sinful smile as he held a delicate hand out.
“Dr. Nicolaus Scofield?”
“Um….” Nico shakily took hold of the man’s hand, pleasantly surprised by the strong grip. “Yes?”
“Aedan Armstrong.” He leaned in, his lips brushing Nico’s ear. “I’m all yours.”
“Why are we here again?”
To say this wasn’t Nico’s scene would have been the understatement of the year. Any occasion that required him to shout to be heard by someone who sat right next to him was not a place he wanted to be. He enjoyed drinking and dancing as much as the next guy, but a huge, packed to the brim nightclub in the center of Athens was not his idea of a good time.
Club Merlot’s boudoir theme came complete with scantily clad women in nighties and bare-chested, slicked up men in skimpy boxer-briefs. Colored smoke shot out from smoke machines at regular intervals and silver confetti rained down from the ceiling. The strobe lighting was enough to give Nico a headache, and as tempting as the men and women who hit on him were, he wasn’t interested.
Despite what some of his coworkers thought, being bisexual did not mean he had twice the number of partners to choose from. He was still him. Any allure a potential partner saw in him tended to evaporate the moment they asked him about his job. Personally, he found the destructive science of archaeological excavation to be a perfectly suitable topic of dinner conversation. Was it his fault his dinner dates didn’t agree? What the hell else was he supposed to talk about? Social media? Good God, he couldn’t think of anything more mind-numbing.
“We’re here because of this,” Wade replied, poking the side of Nico’s head and bringing him back to a different mind-numbing experience. “You’re so tense you’re about to hurt something. It’s one day, Nico.”
“One day is all that bastard needs,” Nico growled, ignoring his assistant rolling his eyes at him. Just the thought of that no-good thieving son of a jackal getting to his find before him had Nico ready to break out in hives.
Wade shrugged. “Maybe he’s taking the day off?”
“Maybe you should cut back on those,” Nico suggested, pointing to the luminescent cocktail in Wade’s hand. “It’s making you spout nonsense.”
Wade shook his head in amusement as he danced on his barstool to the electronic music thumping so hard Nico could feel it reverberating in his chest. He was surprised his ears weren’t bleeding.
“I know you want to dance, so just go. I’ll be fine.” Nico motioned to the dance floor and the two pixie-faced young women inviting him to play.
“Come with me.”
“No thanks. I’m getting that whole praying-mantis-eating-her-mate vibe from them, and I like my eyeballs just fine.”
Wade jumped off the barstool and glared at him. “I hate you so much right now. I will never be able to unsee that. I’m still having nightmares about it. Harmless nature video my ass.”
Nico cackled as Wade turned, but not before he flipped Nico off. With a smile, Nico ordered another top shelf glass of whiskey then went back to his people watching. He should have stayed at the hotel.
No matter how many times he ended up leaving early and alone, he continued to follow Wade to these places like a stray puppy. He couldn’t believe he’d let Wade convince him to come. It’ll be fun, Wade said. Yeah, Nico would bet that’s what the male praying mantis thought during sexy times until chomp. He became nothing more than a post-coital snack. Not so fun then, huh? Okay, so maybe his job wasn’t the only reason he lacked in second dates.
After months of listening to chatter on the dark web amounting to nothing more than unfounded rumors, he finally had a lead, a real lead. Nico was onto something spectacular, and he was big enough to admit he’d pulled out the big guns for this trip, including throwing his name out there to get him in front of the right people. As a world-renowned archaeologist, the name Dr. Nicolaus Scofield opened doors for him that didn’t even exist for lesser known archaeologists. He had a certain reputation, one centering around his ruthlessness in acquiring his query.
Two days ago, Nico received word of a once in a lifetime opportunity. The gold owl Artemis bracelet was said to be buried in the base of a column at the Temple of Artemis, and he’d used every connection he possessed to make a deal that would allow him to excavate the piece, bring it back to the United States, and unveil it in a new exhibition at The Met before the piece was packed up and sent on a world tour. There was one slight hiccup. The Temple of Artemis site was closed for a whole day. And why? What could possibly be so important as to jeopardize this momentous occasion? A date.
A date.
It was ridiculous! Here he was on the verge of a phenomenal archaeological find and he didn’t have access to the temple because Club Merlot decided the site would make a great location for a date! If that wasn’t bad enough, rumor had it Agon was on his way to find the Artemis bracelet. Did the man have no shame? Fencing antiquities and selling them to the highest bidder. It was despicable. The thief should be rotting in prison somewhere. How had no one caught him yet? The guy left freaking popcorn kernels at his crime scenes!
Movement caught Nico’s eye, and for the first time in his life, he did a double take. A shit-you-not double take. It was like something out of a cheesy ‘80s movie where the leading man’s dream girl enters the scene laughing, eyes sparkling— in slow motion of course— while Foreigner plays in the background.
Very little had the capability of holding Nico’s attention this long, and when something did capture his interest it was usually several thousands of years old. He couldn’t stop his gaze from following the gorgeous young man slinking through the crowd, his long legs eating up the distance. Good God, he was beautiful, high cheekbones, eyes so dark they were almost black, thick eyebrows matching the black hair that fell in a disheveled mess around his face, and pouting lips that shone with pink lip gloss.
“Stunning,” Nico murmured to no one in particular. Not that anyone would be able to hear him. He sat frozen as the tall, slender, Adonis headed in his direction. Had he stopped breathing? It felt like maybe he’d stopped breathing. The whole inhaling-and-exhaling-of-oxygen thing wasn’t happening, especially when the man stepped in between Nico’s spread knees, the corner of his lips tugged in a sinful smile as he held a delicate hand out.
“Dr. Nicolaus Scofield?”
“Um….” Nico shakily took hold of the man’s hand, pleasantly surprised by the strong grip. “Yes?”
“Aedan Armstrong.” He leaned in, his lips brushing Nico’s ear. “I’m all yours.”
Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From adventurous agents and sexy shifters, to society gentlemen and hardboiled detectives, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!
Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.
NEWSLETTER / PINTEREST / KOBO
EMAIL: charlie@charliecochet.com
Release Blitz: Of Autumn Leaves and New Beginnings by Nell Iris
Title: Of Autumn Leaves and New Beginnings
Author: Nell Iris
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: September 21, 2019
Publisher: JMS Books
Sometimes love finds you even when you’re not looking for it.
At 47, Oren Walker isn’t looking for love. When he knocks on Pete Higgins’ door, all he wants is to thank him for helping his mom after she broke her femur. He never expected that one look at the man would make his knees weak and heart flutter.
Pete is happy—albeit a bit lonely—after divorcing his wife of 20 years and isn’t looking to replace her. But when Oren shows up, all grateful and handsome and in that fancy suit, the longing for the deep connection of a relationship flares up inside him.
As the leaves turn yellow, Oren and Pete spend a lot of time in honest conversations. Their attraction grows. Will the two men recognize the promise of new beginnings, and take the chance to find the happiness they both deserve?
It's been nearly three weeks since Mom's accident -- and the leaves are more yellow than green but the heat still refuses to let go -- when my phone rings just as I'm on my way back to my office after a long, infuriating meeting. I don't recognize the number but accept the call. "Oren Walker."
"Oren. Hi. It's Pete. Pete Higgins. Your mom's next-door neighbor."
"Oh, hey!" I would be lying if I said I haven't thought about him these last few weeks. In the shower, before bed, while having my morning coffee. He's hot enough to set fire to my pants, but that's only part of the appeal. Mom hasn't stopped talking about him since her accident; about how gentle he was when he helped her. How considerate and thoughtful and nice he was when she was hurt and scared, and in the days that have followed.
Of course, I noticed all his good sides myself, those few minutes we spent together, and he hasn't been far from my thoughts whenever I've had a free moment.
"I'm sorry to disturb you at work," Pete says.
"No problem. I just got out of a meeting with some very upset people and could use a friendly voice right now." I close my office door behind me and throw myself onto my chair. "What can I do for you, Pete?"
"Nothing urgent. I just needed to tell you something."
"Shoot." I lean back and close my eyes, rubbing my temples with my thumb and index finger, trying to fend off the threatening headache.
"I just wanted to let you know that I interfered with your mom earlier. She was on her way to the grocery store. On foot, with her crutches, and I managed to catch her when she hobbled past my house."
I groan. "Oh my God, her stubbornness is unprecedented."
"Yeah, I hear you, man. I had to sweet talk her forever before I managed to convince her to go back home. The thing that persuaded her was when I lied and told her I was on my way to the store myself so I could pick up whatever it was she needed."
"I don't understand. I bought everything on her list the day before yesterday."
"Nuh-uh. You forgot the chocolate chips. She couldn't bake cookies for the church bake sale on Sunday. It was a class one disaster and I'm surprised she didn't call 911."
I groan again. "I can't believe her," I grumble. "I've told her, again and again, to call me whenever she needs anything. I bring my phone everywhere. To bed. To meetings. To the fucking bathroom when I take a shit, so I won't miss her call."
My rant is interrupted by a boisterous laughter.
"Gaah, I'm sorry. That was way more information than you needed." My face heats and I slap myself on the forehead. Good job, Oren. Way to seem like a crazed lunatic in front of the nice man!
"Nah, it's fine."
"No, I'm sorry. That was highly inappropriate. Mom would be so ashamed of me. It's no excuse, but I've had a long day."
"I figured."
I rub my temples harder. "I just don't understand why she won't call me."
"Listen. She's fiercely proud of you and all the hard work you've done to get where you are. She told me she doesn't want to be a bother."
"She's not."
"I know that. I told her. But she insists that you are busy and stressed and don't need more on your plate right now," he says.
"But she's my mom."
"Yeah. But take it from me, as a parent. When you've spent the biggest part of your life loving and protecting your kids, you can't just turn it off. It's instinct. We want to be the strong, invincible protector we've always been and it's hard to accept that the situation might be reversed."
"Oh." That makes a lot of sense; I've never thought about it like that. "Thanks. That was a lot more helpful than you probably realize."
He laughs. "Yay! Who woulda thought? Me doling out parenting advice!"
"You're better than you give yourself credit for."
"Oren. Hi. It's Pete. Pete Higgins. Your mom's next-door neighbor."
"Oh, hey!" I would be lying if I said I haven't thought about him these last few weeks. In the shower, before bed, while having my morning coffee. He's hot enough to set fire to my pants, but that's only part of the appeal. Mom hasn't stopped talking about him since her accident; about how gentle he was when he helped her. How considerate and thoughtful and nice he was when she was hurt and scared, and in the days that have followed.
Of course, I noticed all his good sides myself, those few minutes we spent together, and he hasn't been far from my thoughts whenever I've had a free moment.
"I'm sorry to disturb you at work," Pete says.
"No problem. I just got out of a meeting with some very upset people and could use a friendly voice right now." I close my office door behind me and throw myself onto my chair. "What can I do for you, Pete?"
"Nothing urgent. I just needed to tell you something."
"Shoot." I lean back and close my eyes, rubbing my temples with my thumb and index finger, trying to fend off the threatening headache.
"I just wanted to let you know that I interfered with your mom earlier. She was on her way to the grocery store. On foot, with her crutches, and I managed to catch her when she hobbled past my house."
I groan. "Oh my God, her stubbornness is unprecedented."
"I don't understand. I bought everything on her list the day before yesterday."
"Nuh-uh. You forgot the chocolate chips. She couldn't bake cookies for the church bake sale on Sunday. It was a class one disaster and I'm surprised she didn't call 911."
I groan again. "I can't believe her," I grumble. "I've told her, again and again, to call me whenever she needs anything. I bring my phone everywhere. To bed. To meetings. To the fucking bathroom when I take a shit, so I won't miss her call."
My rant is interrupted by a boisterous laughter.
"Gaah, I'm sorry. That was way more information than you needed." My face heats and I slap myself on the forehead. Good job, Oren. Way to seem like a crazed lunatic in front of the nice man!
"Nah, it's fine."
"No, I'm sorry. That was highly inappropriate. Mom would be so ashamed of me. It's no excuse, but I've had a long day."
"I figured."
I rub my temples harder. "I just don't understand why she won't call me."
"Listen. She's fiercely proud of you and all the hard work you've done to get where you are. She told me she doesn't want to be a bother."
"She's not."
"I know that. I told her. But she insists that you are busy and stressed and don't need more on your plate right now," he says.
"But she's my mom."
"Yeah. But take it from me, as a parent. When you've spent the biggest part of your life loving and protecting your kids, you can't just turn it off. It's instinct. We want to be the strong, invincible protector we've always been and it's hard to accept that the situation might be reversed."
"Oh." That makes a lot of sense; I've never thought about it like that. "Thanks. That was a lot more helpful than you probably realize."
He laughs. "Yay! Who woulda thought? Me doling out parenting advice!"
"You're better than you give yourself credit for."
Nell Iris is a romantic at heart who believes everyone deserves a happy ending. She’s a bona fide bookworm (learned to read long before she started school), wouldn’t dream of going anywhere without something to read (not even the ladies’ room), loves music (and singing along but, let’s face it, she’s no Celine Dion), and is a real Star Trek nerd (“Make it so”). She loves words, poetry, wine, and Sudoku, and absolutely adores elephants!
Nell believes passionately in equality for all regardless of race, gender, or sexuality, and wants to make the world a better, less hateful, place.
Nell is a forty-something bisexual Swedish woman, married to the love of her life, and a proud mama of a grown daughter. She left the Scandinavian cold and darkness for warmer and sunnier Malaysia a few years ago, and now spends her days writing, surfing the Internet, enjoying the heat, and eating good food. One day she decided to chase her lifelong dream of being a writer, sat down in front of her laptop, and wrote a story about two men falling in love.
Nell Iris writes gay romance, prefers sweet over angst, and wants to write diverse and different characters.
EMAIL: contact@nelliris.com
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