When he started looking for someone to help heal his broken heart, Wilson Curtis never dreamed he’d find two someones.
After Wilson Curtis was publicly outed, his restaurant business left in tatters, and dumped by his closeted boyfriend, he goes to Key West alone. There he meets Simon Stanford and Adam Preston. Fascinated by this couple, he is soon invited into their bed for some holiday fun.
But once isn’t enough, and the offer is extended for the remainder of his stay. As they get to know each other, in and out of the bedroom, sparks fly, and ten days is all it takes to change their lives.
When it comes time for Wil to leave, with tensions closing in and time running out, tempers flare and emotions fray. Beneath the physical attraction and the foolish misunderstandings is the realization these three men aren’t ready to say goodbye.
Wil soon learns that love isn’t always conventional, and the only thing better than giving your heart to one man, is giving it to two.
** Re-released edition. While this book has been re-edited and has a new cover, no new content has been added since the 2015 edition.**
Holy Cow!!! Awesome read, tons of hot sexy time, lots of love, loads of wit, and heartfelt revelations. This book has it all. When I first started reading it, I could see how it would end and I expected just flirty fun summer fling to get us there. It gives us so much more. I don't do spoilers, as most of you know, but let me just say this: if you're looking for some light but naughty summer reading or a real heart tugging romance, you'll want to check this out because it fits both qualifications. It is a M/M/M story which isn't for everyone but I think that part is pretty self-explanatory from the summary. I don't usually do a heat level here but let's just say if you're reading it on an e-reader or your laptop, you'll want to make sure your insurance is up to date because it will fry your device and if you are reading a paperback copy then you better have a bucket of water handy to squelch the flames. This was recommended to me by friends whose opinions I truly respect and once again they delivered. Now I am recommending it to you.
RATING:
Author Bio:
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn't have it any other way.
The foyer of the hotel was beautiful. The furniture matched the dark hardwood floors and beams, white walls and the cathedral ceiling. It reminded me of pictures I’d seen in brochures for Tahiti, not really what I’d expected from a hotel in Key West.
Not that I’d really known what to expect. I’d never left Alabama before. My first vacation out of state was supposed to have been for two—a romantic two weeks, secluded, private and intimate. With a resigned sigh, I dropped my bags at the reception desk.
The man who looked up at me was tall with short, black, spiky hair, sky-blue eyes and a beautiful, full-lipped but professional smile. His name tag declared him to be Simon.
“Hello, I’m Wilson Curtis,” I told him. “I have a reservation.”
“Ah, yes,” he said, typing on his keyboard. “Curtis and Mackey. We’ve been expecting you.”
I swallowed down the lump in my throat. “Actually, it’s just Curtis. The Mackey half isn’t coming.”
I tried to look like it didn’t bother me, like it was my choice to be here solo, but my faltering smile must have given me away. Simon stared at me for a long, uncomfortable second before seeming to remember his professional position. He handed me a key and said, “I’ll show you to your room.”
I’d chosen the smaller, more personal hotel for the privacy. There were only twelve rooms in all—that would have ensured we’d be left alone and not be under the prying eyes of too many others. Not that it mattered…not anymore. It was a gay-friendly hotel too, where we could have just been ourselves, without judgment, without fear.
Not that that mattered anymore either.
After walking out from behind the desk, Simon collected the bag from the floor near my feet. There was a smile in his eyes as he led me out through the foyer into a courtyard by the pool. “You’re in room seven,” he said, leading the way. There were small bungalow-style rooms off the pool, but the entire area opened out onto the sand and the Gulf of Mexico.
Simon smiled at my distraction at the view. “Restaurant is open noon ‘til two for lunch, from six ‘til ten for dinner. The bar is open from lunch ‘til late.” He waved his hand toward the poolside bar with a thatched roof.
He unlocked the door to my room, walked in and put my bag on the bed. The room was decked out in white, with dark floors, and the only color was the lime-green painting above the bed—the huge, king-sized bed.
It was beautiful.
Simon cleared his throat to get my attention. His dark hair, pale skin and blue eyes made for an interesting combination. There was absolutely no doubt he was a good-looking guy. “Not all our guests come here with a partner,” he said, somewhat diplomatically. “So please feel free to take a look around, and this afternoon, if you find yourself at the bar, you might find others who are…looking for company.”
I blinked at his blatant assumption. “Uh…”
“Enjoy your stay,” Simon added professionally. “And if you need anything, be sure to let me know. If I’m not here, any of the staff will help.” And with another smile, he turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.
I sat on the bed and took a deep breath. This wasn’t what it was supposed to be like. It wasn’t the vacation I’d planned, but when Rod had told me he wouldn’t be coming with me, I’d had two choices. I could either stay in Dalton, Alabama, and face an entire town full of people who had their homophobic pitchforks at the ready, or I could come to Key West and take the vacation by myself.
So that was just what I’d done.
Leaving my business in the trusted hands of my best friend Callie, I’d packed my bag, boarded a plane in Birmingham and sat next to an empty seat the entire way to Key West, Florida, for a two-week vacation.
By myself.
I had no intention of spending the two weeks wallowing in self-pity. What was the point? Rod had made himself clear. We were through. And the more I thought about it, the more I wondered whether there had ever been an us at all.
So I unpacked my things and set off to have a look around.
The hotel opened directly onto the beach, so it seemed the logical place to start. I kicked off my shoes, hit the sand in bare feet and walked.
It was cathartic. The ocean, even without waves, still had an ebb and flow, a rhythm to it—it was cleansing. The blue sky looked better over the blue of the Gulf. I don’t know why, but life looked better when viewed over the blue of the ocean.
It looked…simpler.
After I’d walked for long enough, feeling the hot sand and cool water on my feet, I found myself, just as Simon had suggested, sitting at the bar.
I waited until the bartender had finished serving the two guys before me. Nothing here seemed urgent. The bartender had a mop of unruly blond hair, a square jaw, sun-kissed skin, blue-green eyes and a contagious smile.
“Adam,” he introduced himself.
I smiled back at him and returned the courtesy. “Wilson Curtis.”
“What can I get you, Wil?”
Wil. There was only one other person who called me that. “Just a soda, thanks.”
He raised an eyebrow—I think my non-alcoholic drink choice threw him—but he served me with a smile. He joked that he didn’t think boys with a Southern accent like mine drank just soda. I rolled my eyes at him and he laughed. I soon learned Adam always smiled. He had an honest face. His smile made me smile.
He was quick to greet other guys, serving them cocktails and easy conversation, but always came back to me. Whether he was taking pity on me because I was there alone, or he was just excellent at his job, I didn’t know.
Over the next two days, I took in the sights of Key West during the day, went for walks along the beach in the afternoon and sat at the bar and talked to Adam at night. Simon joined us when he finished his shift each night and slid straight into the conversation. We discussed all sorts of things, from current affairs to movies, music and sports, but the conversations between us were fun and flirty.
The first time Simon walked behind the bar and kissed Adam, I almost died of heart failure. They were boyfriends, apparently. Adam chuckled at my reaction. I’d never seen guys kiss in front of me before and I’d almost choked on my drink.
Simon was more standoffish than Adam, but he wasn’t snobby. He was just quieter than the always-smiling, make-me-laugh Adam. They were an interesting couple, not that I was any kind of expert on gay couples, but it was easy to tell they adored each other. There was always a quick kiss, a touch on the arm, a smile. It was something I’d never experienced, and I envied them that. It really was beautiful to watch.
Not that I’d really known what to expect. I’d never left Alabama before. My first vacation out of state was supposed to have been for two—a romantic two weeks, secluded, private and intimate. With a resigned sigh, I dropped my bags at the reception desk.
The man who looked up at me was tall with short, black, spiky hair, sky-blue eyes and a beautiful, full-lipped but professional smile. His name tag declared him to be Simon.
“Hello, I’m Wilson Curtis,” I told him. “I have a reservation.”
“Ah, yes,” he said, typing on his keyboard. “Curtis and Mackey. We’ve been expecting you.”
I swallowed down the lump in my throat. “Actually, it’s just Curtis. The Mackey half isn’t coming.”
I tried to look like it didn’t bother me, like it was my choice to be here solo, but my faltering smile must have given me away. Simon stared at me for a long, uncomfortable second before seeming to remember his professional position. He handed me a key and said, “I’ll show you to your room.”
I’d chosen the smaller, more personal hotel for the privacy. There were only twelve rooms in all—that would have ensured we’d be left alone and not be under the prying eyes of too many others. Not that it mattered…not anymore. It was a gay-friendly hotel too, where we could have just been ourselves, without judgment, without fear.
Not that that mattered anymore either.
After walking out from behind the desk, Simon collected the bag from the floor near my feet. There was a smile in his eyes as he led me out through the foyer into a courtyard by the pool. “You’re in room seven,” he said, leading the way. There were small bungalow-style rooms off the pool, but the entire area opened out onto the sand and the Gulf of Mexico.
Simon smiled at my distraction at the view. “Restaurant is open noon ‘til two for lunch, from six ‘til ten for dinner. The bar is open from lunch ‘til late.” He waved his hand toward the poolside bar with a thatched roof.
He unlocked the door to my room, walked in and put my bag on the bed. The room was decked out in white, with dark floors, and the only color was the lime-green painting above the bed—the huge, king-sized bed.
It was beautiful.
Simon cleared his throat to get my attention. His dark hair, pale skin and blue eyes made for an interesting combination. There was absolutely no doubt he was a good-looking guy. “Not all our guests come here with a partner,” he said, somewhat diplomatically. “So please feel free to take a look around, and this afternoon, if you find yourself at the bar, you might find others who are…looking for company.”
I blinked at his blatant assumption. “Uh…”
“Enjoy your stay,” Simon added professionally. “And if you need anything, be sure to let me know. If I’m not here, any of the staff will help.” And with another smile, he turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.
I sat on the bed and took a deep breath. This wasn’t what it was supposed to be like. It wasn’t the vacation I’d planned, but when Rod had told me he wouldn’t be coming with me, I’d had two choices. I could either stay in Dalton, Alabama, and face an entire town full of people who had their homophobic pitchforks at the ready, or I could come to Key West and take the vacation by myself.
So that was just what I’d done.
Leaving my business in the trusted hands of my best friend Callie, I’d packed my bag, boarded a plane in Birmingham and sat next to an empty seat the entire way to Key West, Florida, for a two-week vacation.
By myself.
I had no intention of spending the two weeks wallowing in self-pity. What was the point? Rod had made himself clear. We were through. And the more I thought about it, the more I wondered whether there had ever been an us at all.
So I unpacked my things and set off to have a look around.
The hotel opened directly onto the beach, so it seemed the logical place to start. I kicked off my shoes, hit the sand in bare feet and walked.
It was cathartic. The ocean, even without waves, still had an ebb and flow, a rhythm to it—it was cleansing. The blue sky looked better over the blue of the Gulf. I don’t know why, but life looked better when viewed over the blue of the ocean.
It looked…simpler.
After I’d walked for long enough, feeling the hot sand and cool water on my feet, I found myself, just as Simon had suggested, sitting at the bar.
I waited until the bartender had finished serving the two guys before me. Nothing here seemed urgent. The bartender had a mop of unruly blond hair, a square jaw, sun-kissed skin, blue-green eyes and a contagious smile.
“Adam,” he introduced himself.
I smiled back at him and returned the courtesy. “Wilson Curtis.”
“What can I get you, Wil?”
Wil. There was only one other person who called me that. “Just a soda, thanks.”
He raised an eyebrow—I think my non-alcoholic drink choice threw him—but he served me with a smile. He joked that he didn’t think boys with a Southern accent like mine drank just soda. I rolled my eyes at him and he laughed. I soon learned Adam always smiled. He had an honest face. His smile made me smile.
He was quick to greet other guys, serving them cocktails and easy conversation, but always came back to me. Whether he was taking pity on me because I was there alone, or he was just excellent at his job, I didn’t know.
Over the next two days, I took in the sights of Key West during the day, went for walks along the beach in the afternoon and sat at the bar and talked to Adam at night. Simon joined us when he finished his shift each night and slid straight into the conversation. We discussed all sorts of things, from current affairs to movies, music and sports, but the conversations between us were fun and flirty.
The first time Simon walked behind the bar and kissed Adam, I almost died of heart failure. They were boyfriends, apparently. Adam chuckled at my reaction. I’d never seen guys kiss in front of me before and I’d almost choked on my drink.
Simon was more standoffish than Adam, but he wasn’t snobby. He was just quieter than the always-smiling, make-me-laugh Adam. They were an interesting couple, not that I was any kind of expert on gay couples, but it was easy to tell they adored each other. There was always a quick kiss, a touch on the arm, a smile. It was something I’d never experienced, and I envied them that. It really was beautiful to watch.
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn't have it any other way.
She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who she gives them life with words.
She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things...but likes it even more when they fall in love. She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.
She’s been writing ever since...
AUTHORGRAPH / KOBO / PINTEREST
EMAIL: nrwalker2103@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment