Padme's Library: 🎅🎆🎄Christmas in July 2023 Part 4🎄🎆🎅

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

🎅🎆🎄Christmas in July 2023 Part 4🎄🎆🎅

🎅💕🎅🎆🎄🎇🎄🎆🎅💕🎅

I've wanted to do a Christmas in July series for a few years now but time just didn't seem to agree. I wanted to feature stories that I have recently re-read but once again, time had other plans so for my Christmas in July 2023 series, I'm featuring another 20 of my favorite Christmas set LGBT reads. I say "Christmas set" because some are not really holiday-centric but set, at least in part, during the holiday season and for me that is all it takes to be a Christmas read(and yes, I'm in the "Die Hard is a Christmas Movie" camp😉). Some I've had opportunity in the past to re-read or re-listen and I've included the most recent review. As always, the purchase links are current as of posting but if they no longer work for a dozen different reasons, be sure to check out the author's website/social media sites for the latest links. There are genres of all kinds here, whether you are a holiday lover or perhaps you just want to read something set in cooler weather on a long hot summer night, either way there is something for everyone here.

🎅💕🎅🎆🎄🎇🎄🎆🎅💕🎅

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4

A Cowboy's Christmas Luck by KC Burn
Summary:
Christmas Luck #1
Jonah Beecham is a down on his luck cowboy, stuck in Vegas with no money, no job, no friends, and Christmas rapidly approaching. Although he’d been promised a job as a bullfighter, the job falls through, and he’ll be sleeping in his truck for Christmas. In a fit of desperation, he drops a coin in an old-fashioned slot machine and wins enough to put gas in his truck… plus a little something extra. Rather than press his luck, he decides to leave the casino, but the universe isn’t done with him yet.

Zach Evans is a television writer from Los Angeles who loves all things cowboy. He’s in Las Vegas to do some research at an end of year rodeo event. Too wary to approach any of the sexy cowboys he sees, he finally takes a chance when he bumps into Jonah.

Spending the next week in Zach’s bed might seem like Jonah’s luck has changed, but when Jonah realizes he’s falling for a man who lives in a city where none of his skills are employable, he’s got a choice to make. Fear of the unknown will cost him Zach, but accepting that the universe has more luck in store for him might be more than he can handle.

Original Review December 2018:
Jonah Beecham is facing last resources to survive as Christmas nears and he finds himself in Vegas with no money, no friends, and no job since a promised one as a bullfighter falls through. Zach Evans is in town to do some research for the television show he writes for and despite his appreciation for everything cowboy he doesn't quite have the nerve to approach any. When a chance meeting buts Jonah and Zach together will a Vegas fling stay in Vegas or has luck turned the corner for both men and turn to more?

I have never been let down by KC Burn's writing and A Cowboy's Christmas Luck was no different. The title says it all: cowboys and Christmas, what's not to love? Jonah definitely is need of a little luck and after putting one of his final coins in a slot machine that he happened to sit in front of give his feet a rest he may have found some extra luck. No, I can safely say he doesn't hit the jackpot but then a bump and stumble puts him in Zach's path. Talk about a great Christmas meeting!

A Cowboy's Christmas Luck may seem cliche to some, but lets face it most Christmas stories tend to be a bit on the cliche side. HOWEVER, that doesn't make it not great. This short holiday novella will put a smile on your face and keep it there long after you hit the final page. You have cutesy-awkward-Hallmark-ish first meetings, heat, romance, cowboys, and plenty of heart. Somehow this little gem almost completely missed my reading radar so whether it was coincidence or a little Christmas luck😉 I came across Jonah and Zach's tale last weekend and immediately 1-clicked, opened it, and I was completely filled with holiday cheer and pure fun. Definitely goes on my win-win shelf.

RATING:

The Christmas Curse by Ruby Moone

Summary:

It’s almost Christmas 1806, and government agent Jared Templeton finds himself adopted by a beautiful stray dog as he walks his customary route each night to his Mayfair home. Having never owned a dog before, Jared is surprised to find himself talking to the beast. It’s wonderfully easy and lifts some of the heavy burdens he carries.

Eventually Jared confides in the dog, not only secrets about his work as an agent, but also the biggest secret about himself. About his innermost desires and needs, safe in the knowledge his companion will never betray him.

But at the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve, Jared discovers things are not quite what they seem ...

Original Review January 2018:
I am going to jump right out of the gate and say this needs more. Now I'm not saying the story is lacking or that it would be better if it was longer(okay maybe it would be but that's not what I'm referring to), no what I am saying is that you just know that Jared and Wesley have further adventures ahead of them and I for one would love to read them. As for The Christmas Curse, well shifter curse tales are more common for October and Halloween reading but this one is perfect for the Christmas holiday. Throw in the historical aspect and Ruby Moone gives us a wonderful tale of hope and love. Once Jared recovers from his total gobsmacked feeling will he let himself open up to love? I'm not giving anything away when I say yes because this short isn't about what awaits the reader at the end but how the pair arrive. Just a lovely read that makes you smile.

RATING:

Operation Toy Rescue by Sarah Hadley Brook
Summary:
When Jules Evergreen lands in trouble at the North Pole and gets shipped off to Snow Hope Island for ninety days, he never expects to take up the cause of the forgotten toys waiting for new homes. Falling for his new boss is not on the agenda either, but his heart has other ideas.

Felix Winterson has grown up on Snow Hope Island and now runs the place. He isn’t thrilled when party boy Jules arrives, and Felix tries hard to ignore the man’s charms. He has other problems, anyway. For years he’s tried to get Santa to look at the growing inventory of damaged toys in the warehouse, to no avail.

When Jules comes up with a plan to save the toys, the men find themselves working closely together. As Christmas Eve looms, there’s a lot at stake. Can they save Snow Hope, convince Santa to rescue the toys, and fall in love all at the same time?

Original Review December 2018:
When Santa sends Jules Evergreen to Snow Hope Island for 90 days, his hope is Jules will settle down, return to the North Pole, and find his place. What Jules finds is an attractive boss, Felix Winterson and a never-ending inventory of broken toys. When Jules comes up with a plan to present to the big guy, will he realize what has been missing in his life and find a place with love at Snow Hope Island?

I must admit that the premise had me intrigued when Operation Toy Rescue crossed my path and when I read it, the story far surpassed what I expected. Let's face it, who doesn't love the Island of Misfit Toys part of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? Don't get me wrong, Operation is not a re-telling of Rudolph but one can't help but have flashes of nostalgia when Felix shows Jules the warehouse of damaged toys. Now I won't go into Jules' plan for the toys or what happens when the plan is put before Santa but I loved watching him finally finding his place in the world. Not every elf is made for the 9 to 5 of toy making that is required at the North Pole😉😉.

Sarah Hadley Brook has created a lovely holiday tale that is an entertaining blend of Hallmark-ish rom-com and Spirit-of-Christmas fantasy that will make you smile, laugh, and warm your heart. Operation Toy Rescue first and foremost entertains but it also reminds you that Christmas isn't about being perfect and sometimes the imperfections in life(and toys) can make everything fall into place. You'll notice I didn't make much mention of the connection between Jules and Felix but the blend of heat and sweet is pretty spot on. Definitely a gem you don't want to miss.

RATING:

Breakfast Included by LC Chase

Summary:

Snowed Inn

What’s worse than being stranded at a mountain resort by an avalanche three days before Christmas? Being trapped with your teenage crush—who kissed you and ran away.

Reno Pierce spends all his time creating music in his studio, quite happily alone, but at the insistence of his rom-com-loving dad, he finds himself at a Colorado mountain resort speed dating event. His dad wants Reno to bring his ‘Mr. Right’ home for Christmas, but what he finds instead is his teenage crush. Twelve years ago, he’d been head-over-heels in love with his older brother’s best friend, Tate. His straight best friend. But everything changed one magical night, when Tate kissed him like his life depended on it—and then ran away.

Six months after a bad breakup, Tate Boylan is still feeling the damage done to his confidence. Thanks to his hopeless romantic sister, who booked him a quaint cabin at a mountain resort and insisted he ‘boost his morale’ with a night of speed dating at The Retreat, he’s feeling much better. Until he sits at a table across from his best friend’s younger brother. The one he’d fallen for as a teen, kissed at a party, and never saw again.

Now that an avalanche has cut the hotel off from the rest of the world, Tate might have a chance to prove to Reno that this time he won’t kiss and run.

All the books in the Snowed Inn collection are standalone stories and can be read in any order.

Original Review December 2022:

Forced proximity and at Christmas to boot, what can I say? When done right it can bring a sense of realistic warmth to make your cold winter nights cozy. When done wrong it can be riddled with cliches that are a checklist of what not to do. LC Chase has gotten it right, and not just right, but brilliantly heart-stirringly right.

Brother's best friend, best friend's brother . . . however way you see it Reno and Tate shared a kiss that ended in one fleeing and leaving the other heartbroken and probably a bit jaded. I think one thing I loved was the brother knew but off page with Reno only learning of it now rather than then so we know there wasn't the big bro shakedown even though Tate said Riley(the brother) never thought he was good enough for Reno. Some don't like "off page" scenes but I enjoy them because it shows us that there is so much more to characters than what they decide to fill the author in on. And of course that also leaves room for more in the future if the characters decide to tell more😉. Breakfast Included is all about Reno and Tate.

Through some internal monologue we discover the past but the main story is the here and now. The chemistry that lead to that heartbreaking kiss is obviously still there but is it enough? I think we all know this will end in a HEA but to find the journey the men take you will have to read Breakfast Included yourself but trust me, you won't be sorry. There is humor, drama, romance, friendship, and of course heat, 5 elements that make Breakfast Included memorable and a joy to experience.

One One last series note: Snowed Inn is a multi-author series of standalones with the only real follow thru being the avalanche that traps the main characters at The Retreat. The entries can be read in any order although if I'm completely honest I'm glad I read RJ Scott's Stop the Wedding first simply because there are the occasional wedding(or non-wedding) comments, none of which really effect or play a role in any of the other entries but I was glad I knew what they meant having read Wedding first. But that's more a personal preference of mine than an actually need to know scenario. I still have a couple of entries to read but so far they are all topnotch.

RATING:

Felix Navidad by Hollis Shiloh

Summary:

Justin isn't a fan of Christmas (or holidays in general) at the best of times. But now his long-term boyfriend has broken up with him, and he's even more gloomy than usual. The hot and unfortunately straight Felix, his partner on the force, keeps trying to help. It's really not working until Christmas Day arrives, and brings with it an unexpected gift...

Original Review December 2018:
Hollis Shiloh has produced some pretty lovely Christmas tales in the past and this one is no different. I'm not sure how I missed this one last year but as the saying goes "better late than never" and I truly would have hated to miss out on this little holiday gem. Felix Navidad is a definite friends-to-lovers story that will leave you warmhearted by the time you reach the last page.

As the cliche says "you can't see the forest for the trees" well that is kind of what is going on with Justin. He can't see what is really in front of him because he's only let himself see part of Felix, course Felix has been pretty quiet on certain points so it isn't entirely Justin's doing.

Watching these two discover the next leg of their journey is pretty entertaining and fun, just exactly what a good holiday story should be. I may have arrived to the party late but as I said above, "better late than never" so if you are like me and missed this one in 2017 than I highly recommend reading this gem now.

RATING:

A Cowboy's Christmas Luck by KC Burn

Chapter 1

Jonah Beecham stared up at the imposing facade of the Venetian Resort. It had been only a day since the National Finals rodeo ended. Cowboys, cowgirls, and wannabes still swarmed the strip, most of them wearing clothes that looked exactly like his. But he was sure his worn and faded clothes told everyone he didn’t belong here, more obvious than all the neon lights on the Vegas strip.

He wasn’t a fucking coward. His job required him to face off with 1,500-pound bulls to distract them from goring thrown bull riders. But walking through the casino’s elegant entrance? A million times scarier. Jonah squared his shoulders, muscles creaking like an old rocking chair. Two weeks of sleeping in his truck had been almost as hard on his body as the actual bull fighting.

Now that the rodeo was done and dusted, there wasn’t one single fucking job to be had. Any more time in his truck and he might lose his fucking mind. But inside the Venetian, Kenny Cooper wanted to meet with him, finally. The job he'd been pursuing for the past year was at last in his grasp. Kenny had said if he learned how to be a bullfighter, the two of them could work the rodeo circuit together. Jonah hadn’t wanted to leave his job at the Cooper Ranch, but Kenny had convinced him it was the best way for him to advance his career.

Fuck it. Jonah strode in, shoulders squared. There were a few subtle Christmas decorations, a nod to the swift approaching holiday, but not as overwhelming as he would have expected. Some sort of perfumy artificial scent bit at his nostrils, tickling at his throat. Probably was supposed to smell like wealth, but he barely suppressed a sneeze. Allergic to money, Jonah was, or so it seemed.

The Venetian employees looked him over like they could sense his wallet was empty, like the knife edge between his bank balance and overdraft was plastered on his forehead.

Heat flooded his cheeks but Jonah ignored his embarrassment as best he could. Once he was well away from the check-in desk, and the throng of well-dressed people waiting in line, Jonah slowed his pace to get his bearings. Each of the Vegas resorts probably employed more people than lived in the tiny Wyoming town both he and Kenny called home. On top of that, all the tourists. If he weren't so fucking broke, he'd be fascinated by the sea of humanity.

It didn't take long to find directions to the bar where he was supposed to meet Kenny, but it took a helluva lot longer to walk there.

The fancy round bar sat smack in the middle of a bunch of slot machines, and didn’t look like the sort of place that served Budweiser. He circled the bar, and peered around the neighboring slot machines, but there was no sign of Kenny. That fucker was always late.

There wasn’t any reason he shouldn’t splurge on a drink – he’d have a job soon. And drinking was far better than lurking around the bar.

Jonah climbed into a seat and waited. And waited. The bar was busy, and the bartender flirtatious, but Jonah didn't mind. The seat was comfortable, and the white noise of the slot machines was surprisingly soothing.

Just as hope started to bloom that he'd be able to avoid ordering an expensive drink before Kenny showed up, the bartender finally made her way over.

"What can I get you?" Karen, according to her name tag, winked and leaned toward him.

Jonah kept his eyes carefully averted from her impressive cleavage. He could admire a spectacular rack with the best of them, but he didn't want to give her any false impressions.

"What's good, ma'am?"

She giggled. "You cowboys. Always with the ma'am. Our specialty is a Bloody Mary, but we've got some great tequila based cocktails, if you'd prefer."

Some of Jonah's tension released, and his shoulders dropped. A Bloody Mary he could deal with. "I'll have a Bloody Mary, please."

"Coming right up."

His drink arrived swiftly, along with the bill. The whopping fat bill. He could have gotten six or seven burgers, double-double even, from In-And-Out, for that price. But tomato juice and a celery stick almost made a meal, didn’t it?

Jonah pulled out a five and a twenty and laid it on the bar. Less than two hundred left in his account, not even enough to fill his truck twice. Cutting it close. But Kenny has promised him a job.

He took a tiny sip of his drink. A job and a kick ass cocktail. Before Jonah had left the Cooper Ranch almost a year ago, he and Kenny had found just about every deserted or hidden corner of the property and hooked up. They hadn’t been a couple. Not when they were both in the closet, and with no romantic feelings involved. But they'd been compatible in the sex department, for sure.

Sex had been in short supply over the past year on the rodeo circuit and Jonah missed it. There had been offers, but he’d either been too damn tired or too nervous about getting his ass kicked to accept many of them. He expected he and Kenny would pick up where they left off. He’d recognized a long time ago that having a boyfriend, being out and open, wasn’t something that could happen for a broke cowboy in Wyoming. Getting his wick licked on the regular was about all he could reasonably expect.

New job, good booze, and getting laid. Like Christmas had come early. Taking another sip, he relaxed even further, letting his worries dissolve in the controlled chaos of the casino.

A hearty slap on his back mid-swallow had him coughing and sputtering. He spun around to find Kenny snickering.

Jonah bit the inside of his cheek to keep from cussing, and dredged up a half-smile.

"Didn't mean to scare you, Jo-Jo."

Jo-Jo? Where’d that nickname come from? Damned if he’d let that stick, but he’d take the issue up after the job was settled. No sense pissing Kenny off now.

"Hey, Kenny."

Kenny looked good. Rested, polished, and he’d obviously only been an observer at the recent rodeo events. Even the smoothest roping, barrel race, or bull ride left tended to leave bruises and scrapes. But Kenny's father had groomed him to be a land baron, not a working cowboy like Jonah.

Jonah slugged back half of his drink. The sooner they got business out of the way, the sooner Jonah could broach the subject of celebrating in Kenny's hotel room. He might have a couple of celebrations in him, even, before he crashed. Kenny was nothing if not greedy.

With a flick of his fingers, Kenny got immediate service. He reordered Jonah's drink and got a bourbon for himself - and paid for both, thank fuck. Jonah drained the nearly empty glass in front of him, the tomato juice and vodka burning ever so slightly as it went down. The fresh drinks arrived and Kenny lifted his glass, inviting Jonah to clink his glass, the simple toast washing away Jonah’s worries.

Kenny sipped idly at the amber liquid, and Jonah followed suit. Jonah wanted to broach the topic of the job as full-time bullfighter for the ranch, but the vibe wasn't right.

“The ranch have anyone in the finals?” Jonah already knew – he’d checked the schedule. But he didn’t know what else to say.

"A few. Did okay." Kenny shrugged, but didn't go into any detail. They’d always been better at finding dark corners for a quick fuck rather than talking. “Were you working?”

Fire licked into his cheeks, which were tanned enough to hide most of his flush. “Some of the minor preliminaries.” And he’d been lucky to get that much, even if Kenny’s question sounded… dismissive. He’d had to chase the rodeo around the country, begging and pleading for enough work to get some experience under his belt. The wrenched knee and broken arm were part of the price.

“Been a while.” Kenny’s gaze flickered down Jonah’s chest.

That was more like it. That was how it started between them. No love between them or anything, but Jonah was ready to go back home, back to the Cooper Ranch, and fall back into their regular – and furtive – fucking.

“Been about a year. You’re looking well.” Looking good was one of Kenny’s best assets, and the compliment earned him one of Kenny’s knowing smirks.

“You too.” Kenny lied. Jonah knew he did but he didn’t care. Jonah covertly adjusted his thickening cock. The awkwardness of a year apart would disappear in the heat of a good orgasm or two, whether it was back on the ranch or in Kenny’s hotel room, if Jonah had anything to say about it.

Kenny’s smirk widened to a full smile. But he seemed to be looking over Jonah’s shoulder. Then Kenny waved at someone behind Jonah.

He stood and turned, taking in the attractive couple. They looked like they stepped out of one of those magazines for uber-rich ranchers. They were wearing jeans and plaid shirts just like him and Kenny, but that was where the similarity ended. The woman's sleek blonde hair sparkled under the lights, artfully cut and styled in a manner that had to have cost a mint. That didn’t even include her designer handbag and strappy heels that could have put gas in his truck for a few months or more. How on earth had Kenny met a woman who looked more like a movie star than anyone Jonah had seen in person?

But she smiled and waved back. The companion was every bit as wealthy looking as the woman, similar coloring, but infinitely more to Jonah's taste, given the hard planes of his body and hawkish features. But like his companion, it didn't look like he'd ever spent a single minute in hands-on ranch work.

Kenny rose from his chair and met them halfway, inserting himself between them, and wrapping an arm around the woman's shoulders. With an odd smile, Kenny looked in Jonah's direction without meeting his eyes.

"Jonah, this lovely lady is Heather Wentworth, my fiancée. Heather, this is Jonah Beecham."

The sudden paralysis of Jonah's lungs was the only thing that kept him from making a fool of himself after that announcement. Marty Wentworth, one of the wealthiest men in Wyoming and owner of Wentworth Enterprises, lived in the county next to their small town of Garnet. Heather must be his daughter.

Then Kenny made things worse. "Jonah's a former employee of the ranch. Haven't seen him in almost a year. We were just catching up."

Former employee. Those words chased the paralysis with icy dread, because that wasn’t a job offer. But he couldn’t confront Kenny in front of these strangers – strangers to Jonah. Kenny had never dealt well with being called out in public, and there was still hope, however slight, that there was still a job to be had.

"Lovely to meet you, Jonah." Heather’s Mona Lisa smile was clearly reserved for menials.

Mutely, Jonah nodded but he couldn’t force out any congratulations. He shifted his gaze to the second stranger.

"I'm Heather's brother, Grant."

Huh. At least it wasn't Marty Wentworth Junior or some such absurdity. Jonah scraped up half a smile, but there was no air in his lungs for pleasantries.

Kenny gave Grant a hearty pat on the back that lingered a trifle too long. "And he's become a good friend."

Grant responded with a wink in Kenny's direction and Jonah barely repressed a savage eye roll. The subtext wasn't hard to read, and Heather didn't know or didn't care that Kenny was getting a little something on the side from her brother.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your reunion, but I have to steal Kenny away. We're meeting with a few celebrity chefs that Daddy wants to cater the wedding." Another insincere smile graced Heather's lips.

"Perhaps I should stay and keep your friend company, Kenny. Just for an hour or two." Grant's tongue darted out to lick his lip, and under almost any other circumstances, Jonah would have been flattered and willing.

Kenny's face reddened as he scowled. "No need for that. Jonah was just heading out."

He was? Since fucking when? Because he had about enough gas in his truck to make it out of the suburbs. Maybe. Not like Kenny had a fucking clue – or cared - about Jonah's plans.

"Well, then, let's go. Daddy doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"I know, darlin'."

Heather and Grant turned and walked away, both of their hips twitching but Jonah knew damn well which tush had Kenny's full attention. Jonah couldn't let him go, though. Not yet. He grabbed Kenny's bicep and held on tight.

"Hold up a minute."

Kenny brought his attention back to Jonah. "What?"

Shock almost muted him again. "What? How can you ask that? You're marrying a woman?"

Kenny shrugged. "Sorry this is a shock to you, Jonah, but..." Kenny peered around like a criminal under surveillance, and Jonah didn't bother to reign in this eye roll. "What we had was... a convenience. One I've outgrown now that I'm ready to settle down and start a family."

Right. Sure. Plowing Grant wasn't going to sow a viable seed to start a family, and unless Kenny had been a lying shit the entire time they'd known each other - possible - Kenny had a hard time getting it up for women. Money had to be the erectile cure Kenny needed.

Jonah had never been emotionally invested in Kenny as a lover. A convenience on his side, too, and there were more important things than letting Kenny think he was jealous.

"What about the job? I've spent a year getting some bullfighting experience under my belt. I'm ready to come back to the ranch, like we discussed." Like Kenny had suggested.

Kenny's fucking face said it all, eviscerating Jonah’s modest dreams.

"Yeah, sorry. Grant's something of an efficiency expert and he convinced me that hiring a full-time bullfighter when we don't hit the rodeo circuit that hard would be a waste."

"I wasn't supposed to be a full-time bullfighter. That was just a good reason for us to go to events together." And stay in Kenny’s room to fuck their brains out. Or so Jonah had assumed. Now Grant would likely find it “efficient” to accompany Kenny on the circuit, on behalf of Cooper Ranch.

"Sorry, Jonah. Not in the cards now."

"But the job. I spent all this time and money, because you promised." The tips of Jonah's ears heated up. Kenny must have done this deliberately, getting Jonah off the ranch and out of Garnet so he could concentrate fully on a courtship to sister and brother both.

Kenny darted a look at the retreating siblings before replying. "I didn't promise anything."

Jonah sucked in a breath, but wasn't sure his lungs registered the oxygen. Goddamn lying fucking asshole.

"What about my job? The one I left. Can I come back to that?" The words burned like bile, but it would be better than starving. At least until he got another job.

"Your job? It's been a year, and we replaced you months ago."

Yeah, that was fucking clear.

"Is there anything? A different job?"

Kenny preened just a bit, clearly thinking Jonah was desperate for cock, not a steady paycheck.

"Even if there was, probably not a good idea."

"Jeez, Kenny. I need a job. I'm flat broke." Chasing goddamn bullfighting experience all over the southwest for the past year didn’t pay nearly enough. Especially not with medical bills from two significant injuries.

A heavy sigh gusted out of Kenny. "Maybe after the wedding. We're getting married Valentine's Day, then spending a month in Hawaii for our honeymoon. Call after that. Maybe I can find something.

Part time at the least." Part time at the least. In three months, there might be maybe something part time. Didn't address Jonah's more immediate needs, like not starving to death.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks, Kenny, I'll do that." Jonah could lie too.

Without even acknowledging Jonah's hefty dose of sarcasm, Kenny patted his shoulder and sauntered away, homing in on Grant's ass like a giant gay pigeon. Fucker.

He stared down at his half-full glass which he'd been holding on to this whole time. He downed the last of the pricey drink. Might be the last sustenance he got for a bit.

After slamming the glass back down on the bar, Jonah wandered through the maze of the casino, away from Kenny and the Wentworths.

With two Bloody Marys churning up acid in his empty gut, he wanted to spew up everything he’d eaten in the past month. But puking up his toes – a distinct possibility – wouldn’t have changed anything. Now, the lights and noise were no longer amusing, but stabbed into his brain like knives. He had to get out of here. Like a battered old drunk, he stumbled out the nearest exit into the chilly, neon-lit evening.

What the fuck was he going to do?

The Christmas Curse by Ruby Moone

"This is not how I expected to spend Christmas, you know. I thought I was going to spend it in bed being thoroughly pleasured by a handsome man." He smoothed the dog's ear. "Does that shock you?" He looked down at the dog who was leaning heavily. It nosed his hand, so Jared continued petting him. He stared into the fire again. "I thought he loved me. I'll wager that shocks you even more."

The dog shifted until he could lay his head on Jared's chest and look up at him. His eyes were a deep, mossy green and seemed to be filled with adoration. It was welcome. "I don't know why you picked me to follow, but I am terribly glad that you did," he admitted, stroking the dog's head again. "Do you know, I hadn't realised how lonely I've been?" He scratched the dog's ears thinking how true that was. He naturally kept himself to himself. Large groups exhausted him, but sometimes he yearned for someone to share his life with. Hence his attempt with Matthew.

"Thank you for coming to me." Jared found he felt curiously emotional. The gratitude that he felt in the companionship the dog had offered him was deep and profound.

"I've never got on with people," he told him. "I've come to the conclusion that I don't like them very much." He rubbed his cheek against the top of the dog's head and ran his fingers through his deep coat. "Nanny always said I was a difficult boy. She certainly slapped me often enough, and my father…well. The less said about him the better. He caught me kissing one of the stable boys. Didn't like that at all."

The dog shuffled closer and licked Jared's face.

"I think that's why I get on well with working in the Alien Office. No-one to spill secrets to. Would you like to stay?" he said, looking at the dog and scratching his ears. "For good?"

The dog shuffled even closer and closed his eyes.

"I'll take that as a yes. I'll get you a leash tomorrow and we can go for long walks."

The dog leaned heavily, and Jared shifted until his arms were around him, stroking and petting. They sat like that for a while, until the church bells chimed midnight.

"Midnight," Jared whispered as the bells pealed. As the last bell faded, he bent and kissed to dog on the head, then rubbed his face against the spot. "Happy Christmas," he said.

Operation Toy Rescue by Sarah Hadley Brook

He was surprised that no one else was in the building yet. Unless they were upstairs in the loft, or locked away in an office. He thought he’d seen Eve’s coat hanging from a peg up front.

Jules opened the laptop and logged in, ready to get started. He really wanted to take that trip to the warehouse with Felix and the quicker he finished logging things in, the quicker that could happen. As he carefully opened a rather large box, he heard a door open and turned to see Felix, Eve, and Zuzu hurry out of Felix’s office. All wore a look of panic and his heart jumped.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as Eve grew closer.

“The Big Guy is coming for a visit three days before Christmas! We just found out. He never does this. Never, Jules.” Her voice rose as she spilled the news.

Jules glanced at Felix and caught his eye, holding it for a moment. “Isn’t Santa coming a good thing?” he asked, confused.

“We don’t know. He never does this. Never,” Eve reiterated.

“She’s right. He doesn’t. What if he wants to make major changes? Or move us to the North Pole?” Felix asked.

Jules crinkled his brow. In his mind, moving to the North Pole would be great. Felix would be closer to Jules. “You don’t want to live at the North Pole?”

All three of them looked at him in shock, their mouths gaping open.

“What?” he asked.

“The North Pole is headquarters. It’s chaos,” Zuzu explained.

Okay, I’ll give them that. But there were good things, too.

“But you’d be closer to ...” he flicked his gaze to Felix and felt his cheeks heat up. “The main operation,” he finished lamely.

“But we like it here. Our island is beautiful and we’re like a family. What if we’re torn apart?”

“I don’t think Santa --”

“You don’t know, Jules,” Eve broke in. “Maybe he thinks we don’t do enough to help these toys.”

Felix was vigorously nodding his agreement, so Jules shut his mouth and sat down in front of his laptop, considering the possibilities. He finally glanced back up, his lips curving up into a small smile as he eyed all three. “Then I guess there’s only one thing to do, guys. We need to show Santa how important the island is to children all over the globe.”

“How do we do that?” Eve asked quietly, her brow furrowed.

“By developing a kick ass plan to get these ‘inadequate toys’ into the hands of kids,” he explained, using air quotes. It was really just expanding what he and Felix had talked about last night. But calling it a plan made it feel more real. More promising.

Again, they gaped at him. Well, all but Felix. He was grinning. Happiness filled Jules’s chest and his heart raced as he grinned back, warmth spreading through him. Their gazes held and Jules felt like Felix was peering inside of him. Like he was seeing the real Jules. Not the guy that always screwed up. Not the guy that only thought of himself. But the one that finally -- finally -- wanted to do something worthy. Something that would bring others joy.

“Jules is right. We need to work together to show Santa we can handle the responsibility of taking care of the toys on this island. To prepare them for new homes. To convince him to take them with him on Christmas Eve.” Felix straightened his shoulders as determination flitted across his face and hope flashed in his eyes.

Jules couldn’t look away. The man was beautiful in every way.

Breakfast Included by LC Chase

Chapter One

Thursday, December 22

“Ugh, kill me now.”

Reno dropped his head into his hands when his tenth date of the night got up and moved to the next table. He drew in a deep breath, held it, and exhaled slowly on the off chance he could “Zen away” his frustration. Who knew four-minute speed dates could be so painfully long? Only halfway through the event, and he didn’t know if he could make it to the end.

“Go to The Rainbow Inn,” his dad had said. “Get out of your music studio and meet some men,” he’d said. “It’ll be good for you.”

Reno snorted. Right.

He really hadn’t had the time to spend driving all the way up to The Rainbow Inn—as it was known to the locals but was officially named The Retreat—for their gay speed-dating event, but his dad was set on him finding someone to share his life with. Before Christmas, which was all of three days away. He thought Reno spent too much time alone with his music and was constantly trying to set him up on blind dates.

Reno loved his dad. He couldn’t have asked for a better role model growing up, and his dad hadn’t batted an eyelash when Reno had come out. He’d just ruffled his hair, kissed the top of his head, and said, “I love you. Now, go set the table for dinner.”

So, for his dad’s sake, Reno said yes to a night of festive speed-dating. At least this way he didn’t have to spend half the night trying to come up with the politest way to cut a date short. A couple dozen four-minute dates with built-in endings he could handle much better.

And thank his gay stars for that.

His first date’s opening line was “I just want someone to have sex with while I look for my soul mate”. Insulting much? Reno had never used it before, but he was pretty sure that was what Grindr was for.

Things hadn’t improved a great deal from there.

Next up was a gorgeous young man—emphasis on young. He must have had some incredible fake ID because there was no way the kid was even old enough to drive, let alone attend a speed-dating event where the minimum age was midtwenties. He’d only been interested in finding a Sugar Daddy, it seemed. The moment Reno had said that wasn’t his scene, his “date” spent the remaining few minutes scanning the crowd for better prospects. Interesting thing Reno noticed: when the young man wasn’t all bright eyes and big smiles, he did look old enough to be there.

Following him was a very attractive man in a stylish suit that probably cost as much as Reno’s baby grand piano but whose personality was drier than the first Christmas turkey his dad had cooked after his parents divorced. All Reno could glean from the guy was that he worked at some legal firm in downtown Denver and was, of course, rich. Maybe this man was whom Reno’s last date was looking for.

There had been one interesting man. He was shorter than Reno by a good half foot, with curly dark hair, a closely trimmed beard, and kind brown eyes, who worked as an oceanographic cartographer. He’d been wearing an ugly green Christmas sweater depicting a naked muscular man with a Santa hat. A gift box hid his junk, and the saying read, “I have a big package for you.” Reno had laughed out loud. The ice breaker had been perfect, and he’d enjoyed their short conversation. Unfortunately, there had been zero spark. A romantic relationship wasn’t on the horizon for them, but Reno could see them becoming good friends.

Then there was the guy who looked down his nose at Reno with disdain after learning Reno was a musician. Funny how so many people assumed the “sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll” stereotype when he told them what his career was. Of course, his age and appearance leaned a little more toward rock ’n’ roll than classical composer. He didn’t have long hair or wear dark eyeliner; he didn’t have a ton of piercings and wasn’t covered in tattoos, though his fashion sense did tend toward denim, leather, and Doc Martens.

But the date that took the cake was the one that had just ended. The man hadn’t fully sat down before he started talking a mile a minute. His hair was dyed as black as night, and his complexion was so pale he could have passed for a vampire. His eyes were an unnatural shade of gold that could only be attained with colored contacts, and his veneers were so blindingly perfect Reno found he couldn’t look at them directly for more than a couple of seconds. Reno hadn’t said a single word as his vampire date barely took a breath—maybe he was a vampire!—as he regaled Reno with stories of his lavish jet-set lifestyle and all the countries he’d visited. The man had been trying way too hard to impress. Under all that costume and big talk and name-dropping, he was probably a great guy, if terribly insecure in himself to be putting on such a show.

Reno sighed and took a long draft of his microbrew. One thing about The Rainbow Inn, they always had the best local beer in Colorado. He rolled his shoulders back and mentally sang along with a jazzy Christmas song playing in the background while he psyched himself up to sit through another painful four minutes.

His next date, a tall, lean-muscled redhead, sat down, and the world tipped on its side. Or maybe it was just the ground shaking. Like when a semitruck and trailer rumbled past his house and the whole place shook.

Tate . . .

Reno’s breath caught in his throat.

It was Tate-fucking-Boylan. His eyes—a gold-specked green hazel that Reno had never forgotten—widened in surprise, and his mouth formed a soundless O. It had been over a decade since Reno had last seen Tate. Twelve years to be exact. Tate was his older brother Ricky’s best friend—the “straight” best friend who’d kissed Reno and then run away—but Reno would have recognized him anywhere. His heart raced and lurched to punch at his ribs as though it knew the heart beating just a few feet away was its other half.

“What are you even doing here?” Reno blurted.

Shit. Even he heard how breathy his voice sounded. Heat burned his cheeks, and he took a desperate gulp of his not-nearly-cold-enough-to-cool-him-down beer. How could he still react like he did as a teenager after all these years?

This was so not how Reno had pictured seeing Tate again. Not once in the thousands of reunions he’d imagined in his mind, year after year. He should be angry. Thought he would be. Wanted to be. He was due some righteous indignation for the way Tate had bolted on him. But at that moment, he felt like he’d finally reached an oasis after walking too many miles across a sweltering desert.

“Reno Pierce,” Tate replied with a note of awe in his voice, a voice that was deeper and huskier than Reno remembered. A shiver of excitement cascaded over his skin. “As I live and breathe.”

Dumbstruck and lovestruck. That’s what he was, and it was just as frustrating as it had been when he was a kid. When he’d followed Ricky and Tate around like a lost duckling that had imprinted on the wrong species and was never more than a foot off Tate’s heel. When he’d worshipped the ground Tate walked on, hung on his every word, and doodled their initials inside hearts in his schoolbooks. When he’d dreamed that Tate loved him as much as he loved Tate, and Tate would sweep him off his feet, and they’d live happily ever after. Just like in the movies.

But then Tate had broken his heart after one blissfully exquisite moment in time when their lips had touched and every single nerve in Reno’s body had lit on fire. Reno closed his eyes for a second, needing to push away old memories and regroup. He’d outgrown his Godzilla-sized Tate crush years ago. Or so he’d thought.

A round of gasps spread throughout the room like a wave.

“Well, this is different,” Tate said in a hushed amusement-infused voice. He sounded the same, but there was a lower resonance to his voice that came with age and experience.

Reno briefly wondered what Tate’s life had been like during their years apart before he opened his eyes to . . . total darkness? He blinked a few times, attempting to adjust to the lack of light, but there wasn’t anything to adjust to. Not even a sliver of light filtered below the doors to the main hallway.

Light from a cell phone flashlight punched a hole in the black, waved back and forth, and a few seconds later, Clark, their event host, shouted to be heard above the confused crowd. “Can everyone look this way, please?”

He clapped his hands, and once he had everyone’s attention, he set his phone down so the flashlight created a spotlight on him.

“Okay, I know that was a bit of a surprise, but I need you all to keep calm.”

Nothing in Clark’s voice gave Reno any cause for concern. Power outages in the mountains were a thing. Heck, he lived on a mountain, and it happened more often than he could count. “Honestly, this isn’t anything strange for an old hotel all the way out here in the mountains.”

“It isn’t?” someone a couple of tables over from Reno’s asked. Reno could just make out the speaker’s features—it was dry-personality guy in the expensive suit.

“Last year, we had the same thing one night. Turned out it was a blown fuse. And I believe up here, power lines go down all the time. Before you know it, the generator will kick in and—”

Reno shielded his eyes and blinked a few times. It took a few seconds to readjust to the sudden brightness. The overhead lights had been low to begin with, so the Christmas lights that ringed the room could take center stage and set the mood for the daters, but after the few minutes of complete darkness they may as well have been high-powered floodlights.

“See, just like that,” Clark said with a note of pride in his voice.

Reno’s vision cleared, and Tate was right there. In full living, breathing, technicolor-vision focus before him. He was even more gorgeous than Reno remembered, and Reno’s heart did that excited little fluttering thing it had done every time his teenage self had seen Tate. As though his heart didn’t understand the passage of time and he was still that clumsy kid tripping over feet he hadn’t yet grown into.

“This is wild, seeing you here,” Tate said once everyone settled back down.

His grin was conspiratorial, like he had a secret to share. Tantalizing lines bracketed his mouth. They didn’t quite form a dimple, but close enough that Reno wanted to slide his tongue along them. The kiss they’d shared once upon a time replayed in his mind again.

The best and worst moment of his life.

His greatest desire and biggest embarrassment.

He’d crushed so hard on Tate back then, but Ricky had taken his big brother role seriously and was protective of him—overly so. He’d noticed how Reno looked at Tate with hearts bulging out of his eyes like a cartoon character. He’d sat Reno down and explained that Tate was straight and to let it go. But Reno hadn’t believed him. He’d seen the way Tate looked at him when he didn’t think anyone was looking.

It had all come to a head the summer Ricky had thrown an “adios, high school” party before he left to play for an American Hockey League team out of state, and Tate left for university in California. Every time Reno scanned the crowd for Tate, he found Tate looking at him. Tate would only hold his gaze for a second and then turn away as though suddenly realizing he’d been caught staring. At some point during the party, Reno wandered off to the bathroom. When he’d opened the door to leave, Tate had been standing there, looking nervous but determined. He’d looked over both shoulders and then walked Reno back inside, closed the door, and after a long stare, leaned down and kissed him. Though it was Reno’s very first kiss, he’d thrown everything he had into it. He hadn’t done too bad either, he remembered proudly, if the hardness of Tate’s erection pressed against his thigh had been anything to go by. That single kiss had been the most amazing of his life. Even after all these years, no kiss had ever truly compared. There was always something missing.

The day after that life-altering kiss, Tate had ignored Reno. At first, Reno had chalked it up to Tate being majorly hungover. But then he’d taken off early for university, without saying goodbye, and Reno hadn’t heard a single word from him since. Ricky had told him to stop mooning and not to lose his heart to straight guys, but Ricky had never known about that kiss. He didn’t know his best friend wasn’t quite as straight as he’d thought.

“You left,” Reno said flatly. He winced internally at the pout in his voice. He wasn’t a heartbroken kid anymore, dammit. Apparently, all it took was five seconds in Tate’s presence to regress twelve years.

The spark in Tate’s gaze dimmed, but Reno refused to feel any guilt. He wasn’t responsible for Tate’s actions. Tate was the one who kissed and ran, after all.

Tate opened his mouth, but his reply was cut off by Clark, who’d called for a ten-minute break. Their four-minute date was over.

“I’ll be right back,” Tate said as he rose from the table. He raised the empty bottle in his hand to indicate he was going for a refill. “Can I get you anything?”

Reno shook his head and narrowed his eyes. Sure, he would be right back. Tate was running again.

Reno cursed himself for noticing how nicely Tate’s ass looked in his well-fit pants as he walked away, and retrieved his phone from his back jeans pocket to check the time. There was a text on the lock screen from his dad. He opened it with a smile that slipped as he sighed.

Dad: Hope you found your Mr. Right.

Dad: Call me in the morning with all the details.

All the details. Reno snorted. His dad was a hopeless romantic—especially around the holidays. Even after a messy divorce, he still believed in true love. Reno did too, but he wasn’t going to find it tonight.

Tate’s grin flashed in his mind.

Reno shook his head and tapped out a quick reply to his dad. He hit Send, but a “message failed” error popped up. Huh, no bars. He shrugged and pocketed his phone.

He should just head home now and be done with all of this. Except he didn’t want to leave just yet, not now that he’d reconnected with Tate. Even though he still harbored resentment at having been left behind, remnants of how he’d once felt for Tate—always felt for him—refused to fade.

Before Reno decided to stay or go, Tate reappeared. He stood by the table and fidgeted with the label on his beer bottle. Reno’s gaze dropped to his long, slender fingers, and the first note of desire played low in his belly.

“I went to university,” Tate said as if that answered why he’d taken off on Reno.

He stared at the table for a second as though he was gearing up for a spiel. But once again, Clark interrupted to announce the official end of the break and start of the second half of the evening’s dates.

“Wait for me after?”

The vulnerable note in Tate’s voice shifted something inside Reno’s chest, and he nodded. He didn’t want to give in so easy, but of course he would wait for Tate. Who was he fooling? If he really thought about it, he’d been waiting for Tate ever since he’d run off to university without so much as a “see ya”.

After Reno’s “date” with Tate, he couldn’t stop thinking about him and couldn’t for the life of him remember a single guy who’d sat across from him for the rest of the night. If he’d thought the four-minute dates before Tate had dragged on, after the break, they were excruciating. Every minute until he could talk to Tate again felt like an eternity.

When the last date finally ended, Clark called for everyone’s attention again. He quickly reminded them about filling out their match cards and how he would be contacting everyone who’d made mutual matches so they could connect on their own later. Then, oddly, he asked everyone to remain in the event room until further notice. A frisson of confusion ran through the crowd. Reno glanced at his watch. Whatever it was, he hoped it didn’t take too long. He’d have to get back on the road for home soon. It was already a late night, as it was.

He flipped his match card over on the table and checked only one box—the one beside Tate’s name. He handed his card off to the bartender since Clark had left the room again and sat on a barstool. He ordered a virgin tequila sunrise since he didn’t want to be buzzed while driving the winding mountain roads home from the hotel. There was always the option of booking a room for the night—which was another reason The Retreat’s speed-dating events were such a big draw—but he’d rather sleep in his own bed.

A waft of spice and bergamot teased Reno’s senses and announced Tate’s arrival as he sat on the stool next to him. From this point on, he knew he’d always associate those scents with Tate. His childhood crush ordered another beer before turning to face Reno.

“I thought you stayed in California.” Reno picked up their conversation as if there hadn’t been an hour break in between. “After university.”

Tate shook his head. “Only for the summer after graduation. I live in Boulder now. I, uh, work at NCAR.”

“You what?” Reno rocked back on his stool. He’d known Tate was into climate science, but figured he’d end up working at a research center in California. “For how long?”

“Six years.”

Reno snapped his mouth shut while his mind tripped over itself in search of words that made sense. Reno lived in Boulder. Well . . . he lived up the mountain in Nederland, but he was down in Boulder often. Tate had been living so close all these years, and Reno had had no idea.

Not once had Ricky mentioned that to him, and they talked on the phone as often as Ricky’s hockey schedule allowed after he’d been drafted to play for Vancouver’s NHL team. Had Ricky kept that from him deliberately? Reno was a grown-ass adult and didn’t need his big brother to look out for him anymore. He could make his own mistakes quite nicely, thank you very much. Not to mention, Tate was obviously not straight.

No, Ricky wouldn’t do that. More than likely, Ricky had just forgotten about Reno’s crush and Tate just never came up in conversation anymore. That and Reno never asked either, so he couldn’t lay it all on his brother.

“Does Ricky know?” Reno asked. He avoided eye contact by swirling the straw in his glass, blending the grenadine into the orange juice until the whole concoction was a deep orange-maroon color.

“That I moved back home? Yes.”

“No, I mean, that you’re gay.”

“What makes you think I’m gay?” Tate challenged, but there was a teasing note in his voice.

Reno turned a glare on him. His tone was sarcastic when he said, “Oh, I don’t know. Kissing other men? Attending gay speed-dating events?” He shrugged. “Just a guess.”

Tate’s grin morphed into a brilliant smile that sent another flurry of flutters in Reno’s chest. “I’m bisexual if you need a label. And yes, Ricky knows.”

Ricky knew? Reno looked away again, fighting down a flare of unexpected hurt. “He never told me.”

“Ricky and I don’t travel the same circles anymore, and with him in the NHL and always on the road, we don’t get to catch up very often,” Tate said with a touch of regret in his voice. “And even though I was his best friend, he didn’t think I was good enough for you.”

Reno swung his head around. “Are you kidding me?”

Tate’s shoulders lifted and dropped. “I’m out now, but I was in the closet for a long time. It wouldn’t have been fair to you, and we both knew it.”

“Neither of you had the right to decide what was or wasn’t right for me.”

Tate studied him for a long minute and then said softly, “No, you’re right.”

Reno fell silent. As revelations went Tate’s weren’t all that earth-shattering, but to know he’d been living so close all these years and their paths had never crossed . . . What did he say to that? Were they not ever meant to be? He sighed and looked away, but Tate kicked at the leg of his chair to get his attention. When he met Tate’s gaze, his big easy smile lit up his eyes.

“We’re here now,” Tate said. “Tell me about you. I haven’t seen you gracing the cover of the Rolling Stone yet.”

Reno laughed and fidgeted with his straw again. “I was never going to be a rock star. Fame wasn’t what I was after.”

“No? What was it, then?”

“A compulsion to create emotion through sound.” Reno snapped his mouth shut. He had not meant to say that out loud. Now Tate would know that he hadn’t been just a geeky band kid; he was an adult band geek. Sure, his whole life revolved around music, but he was highly successful at it, and he did it without being on the paparazzi’s radar. Which was exactly how he wanted it. “I mean, I compose.”

“Compose? Like for orchestras?” Tate sounded genuinely interested.

Reno nodded as he warmed up to his favorite subject. “I’ve composed some symphonies for the Denver Symphony Orchestra and a few others, but these days I mostly compose film scores.”

“No way!” Tate leaned forward on his stool, obliviously sending another wave of his distracting spicy scent Reno’s way. “Which movies?”

Reno took a sip of his drink. “You know the new action flick with Chris Hemsworth?”

“No!”

“Yes.” Reno couldn’t help grinning back at Tate, who looked like a kid that had just been set loose in a candy store.

“He’s hot,” Tate said with a dreamy note to his voice as a smile tugged his mouth sideways.

Reno laughed and clinked his glass to Tate’s bottle. “Cheers to that.”

Surprisingly, the conversation flowed easier than Reno would have thought after all their time apart, and he was glad his dad had talked him into coming up here tonight. Even the anger he’d harbored for so long after Tate ditched him faded into the ether. Perhaps this was the closure he’d needed to finally move on.

He sucked up the last drops of his mocktail and glanced at the clock behind the bar. It was getting late. He pushed his empty glass away.

“Another?” Tate asked as he flagged the bartender down.

“No, thanks.” Reno shook his head and, with a reluctance that surprised him, said, “I need to get on the road before it gets much later.”

“I’m afraid you might be out of luck there,” the bartender said. His name tag read Grady, and he wore a revealing black tank top that showed off the amazing tattoos on his forearms and biceps. “Rumor has it there was an avalanche earlier, and the road is blocked.”

“What?” Reno burst out at the same time as Tate, and for a split second, his thoughts wandered to how well their voices harmonized. They could make music together.

Reno snorted at his stupid thoughts. He and Tate would not be making music together. Of any kind.

Grady paused a second and then nodded as he grabbed Reno’s empty glass. He dropped it in a soap-water-filled bucket behind the bar. “That’s why we have to wait here for Bryan, the manager, to let us know what’s going on.”

Reno slumped back in his seat, dismayed. “But I can’t stay here tonight.”

“Uhm . . .” Tate shifted around to face Reno head-on. His expression was hopeful. “I have a cabin. You’re welcome to stay with me if you can’t get out.”

Reno’s brain screeched to a halt.

Spend the night with Tate? All alone in a snowed-in cabin up on a mountain? Sounded like the stuff of romance novels, and as much as the teenage Reno would have jumped for joy at the idea, the adult Reno knew that would be the worst of all the worst ideas. But also . . .

“You have a cabin?” Reno said instead. “That’s . . . a bit presumptuous, no?”

Chuckling, Tate held his hands up in surrender. “It’s a rental. Kaylie booked it for me.”

Reno opened his mouth and closed it. Twice. Reno had never spent much time with Tate’s older sister. She’d always seemed like a cool girl who had it all together and didn’t take any crap from anyone, and Reno had admired her for that from afar.

“I’m not sure what to say to that,” he finally replied.

He flagged Grady with the tattooed arms over and ordered another tequila sunrise. This time with the tequila since it didn’t seem like he’d be driving anywhere soon.

A point proven when Clark called for everyone’s attention a little after midnight. He introduced Bryan, The Retreat’s manager, and turned the floor over to the slim, dark-haired man in a rumpled suit who looked just as frazzled. In his white-knuckled grip was a clipboard.

“Thank you for waiting here,” Bryan began.

After a few murmurs from the crowd, he continued. “So, here’s the long and short of it. An avalanche has blocked the road about half a mile from the hotel—”

The crowd erupted into a frenzy of questions and complaints and ridiculous solutions like skiing or snowshoeing out—five miles, in the dark—or using sled dogs, of which there weren’t any. Even melting the snow to what . . . swim out? Reno shook his head. The only thing they could do was be patient and wait for the road to be cleared. Surely by morning, the road crews would have traffic moving again.

Bryan clapped his hands and brought the crowd’s attention back around.

“We think the best idea is for everyone to get at least some sleep, and we’ll regroup in the morning. We can double up in rooms with some careful organization, use rollaways, and luckily, we do have some empty rooms and some of the cabins.” He gestured to a tall, lean man with dark hair standing beside him. “Chet has some room assignments, so if you could come up one at a time.”

“So,” Tate said beside Reno. “Looks like you’re going to need somewhere to spend the night after all.”

Reno regarded him for a few seconds while his heart warred with his mind. He so badly wanted to say yes, but also, he had a feeling it would be a very bad idea.

“Or I could get my own room,” he countered.

“You heard the man.” Tate grinned that sexy grin of his again. “They’re pairing people up. Why not pair up with someone you know?”

Because I won’t be desperately fighting to keep my hands off anyone else.

But with his luck, he’d probably end up paired in a room with his overcompensating vampire date and be stuck listening to endless tales of his incredible life all night.

“Breakfast is included,” Tate sweetened his offer in a sing-song voice when Reno hadn’t replied.

Reno studied him. He didn’t look like a scientist, but then, Reno didn’t look like a classical composer either. Not that either of them had to adhere to any specific appearance for their chosen fields. The warm-toned white Christmas lights hanging over the bar spun gold threads through Tate’s full head of fiery-red hair. It was riding that fine line of needing to be cut or left alone to grow out, and the perfect length to twine his fingers through. Would Tate’s hair feel as soft against his skin as it looked? His gaze dropped to Tate’s full lips and smirking mouth, bracketed by those damn enticing grooves in his cheeks.

This was trouble, and he knew it. He didn’t do one-nighters. Not even with Tate Boylan, who had planned to hook up tonight, or he wouldn’t have booked a cabin. Reno had no intention of having his world rocked by Tate, which he knew it would, only to be left behind once again. But it would only be one night, right? Surely, he could be an adult and keep his wits about him. He could sleep on a couch or even the floor, and in the morning, the roads would be cleared, and he could hightail it home before he made a fool of himself.

Reno huffed. “Fine, you win.”

If Reno had thought Tate’s smile was blinding before, the one he graced Reno with this time might as well have been the sun.

Tate stood and gestured for Reno to follow him.

Such a bad idea . . .

Felix Navidad by Hollis Shiloh

I thought I was about as excited as I'd ever been for the most wonderful time of the year.

When else would my partner and I get to chase down a robber dressed as Santa?

It was awesome, one for the scrapbook. Vaughn and Santiago taking down a Santa. Felix flying after the guy on foot, me jerking ahead with the car, sirens on, to cut him off. The guy veered, but we knew this town. This was our beat, our patch.

Felix followed without missing a step, and I navigated alleys with quick precision to cut him off at the pass. I could drive when I needed to. The Santa bandit couldn't get by us, not when we were working together. We were in the zone. I cut the sirens so I wouldn't give him any warnings. We'd already called it in.

I jerked to a stop at the end of the alleyway just as Santa-thief zoomed out at top speed and slammed up against the passenger side window, where I normally sat. I swear he squeaked against it as he slid down a few inches, and where was Felix? He should be cuffing the guy right now. I waited a second, then flung myself out of the car, grabbing for my cuffs.

"Freeze!" I told him.

I didn't see Felix.

KC Burn

KC Burn is a Canadian transplanted to California who writes happy-ever-afters about men loving men, whether they’re psychics, space travelers, aliens, professors, construction workers, cops, amateur sleuths… you name it, she’ll probably write it. She’s got a pair of black cats, aka muses/nuisances, and a supportive, understanding hubby.

Ruby Moone
My name is Ruby Moone and I love books. All kinds of books. My weakness is for romance, and that can be any kind, but I am particularly fond of historical and paranormal. I decided to write gay romance after reading some fantastic books and falling in love with the genre, so am really thrilled to have my work published here. The day job takes up a lot of my time, but every other spare moment finds me writing or reading. I live in the north west of England with my husband who thinks that I live in two worlds. The real world and in the world in my head...he probably has a point!

Sarah Hadley Brook

Sarah Hadley Brook lives smack-dab in the middle of the Heartland and is the mother of two wonderful young men, as well as two cats. During the day, she works in the nonprofit world, but reserves evenings for her hobby-turned-passion of writing, letting the characters she conjures in her mind take the lead and show her where the story will go. When not working or writing, she can be found reading, working on dollhouses, trying her hand at new recipes, or watching old movies and musicals. In her ideal world, Christmas would come at least twice a year, Rock Hudson and Doris Day would have costarred in more than three movies, and chocolate would be a daily necessity. She dreams of traveling to Scotland some day and visiting the places her ancestors lived. Sarah believes in “Happily Ever After” and strives to ensure her characters find their own happiness in love and life.

LC Chase

Cover artist by day, author by night, L.C. Chase is a hopeless romantic, free spirit, and adventure seeker who loves hitting the open road just to see where it takes her. When not writing sensual tales of men falling in love, she can be found designing romance novel covers, taking photos, drawing, horseback riding, or hiking the trails with her goofy four-legged roommate.

L.C. is a two-time Lambda Literary Award finalist for Pickup Men and Pulling Leather; an EPIC eBook Awards winner for Pickup Men; runner-up for Best Gay Contemporary Romance and Best Gay Book in the 2016 Rainbow Awards for A Fortunate Blizzard; honorable mention for Best Gay Contemporary Romance in the 2015 Rainbow Awards for Pulling Leather; and Best Gay Mystery/Thriller in the 2012 Rainbow Awards for Riding with Heaven. She is also a nine-time Ariana eBook Cover Art Awards winner.

You can find L.C. on her website, lcchase.com, and subscribe to her totally sporadic, no spam newsletter works in progress, new releases, newsletter exclusives, and more.

Hollis Shiloh

Hollis Shiloh writes love stories about men, also called gay romance or m/m romance, with the preferred genres of contemporary, historical, and fantasy. Hollis's stories tend towards the sweet rather than the spicy. When not writing, the author enjoys reading, retro music, and being around animals.