Saturday's Series Spotlight: The Sleepless City by Anne Barwell & Elizabeth Noble

Shades of Sepia by Anne Barwell #1

Summary:
To be soulmates they first have to survive.

A serial killer stalks the streets of Boggslake, Ohio. The victims are always found in pairs, one human and one vampire.

Simon Hawthorne has been a vampire for nearly a hundred years, and he has never seen anything like it. Neither have the other supernaturals he works with to keep the streets safe for both their kind and the humans.

One meeting with Simon finds Ben Leyton falling for a man he knows is keeping secrets, but he can't ignore the growing attraction between them. A recent arrival in Boggslake, Ben finds it very different from his native New Zealand, but something about Simon makes Ben feel as though he's found a new home.

After a close friend falls victim to the killer, Simon is torn between revealing his true nature to Ben, and walking away to avoid the reaction he fears. But with the body count rising and the murders becoming more frequent, either, or both of them, could be the killer's next target.

Author’s note: This story was originally released in 2014 by another publisher. This edition has been revised and re-edited with the end result being a better, stronger story.

Electric Candle by Elizabeth Noble #2
Summary:

When a vampire finds his soulmate, the bond is forever. It’s love at first sight.

Or is it?

Homicide Detective Jonas Forge has been a vampire for centuries. He’s fought wars, seen life go from the simple colonial days to the modern high-tech world. He’s evolved with the times, adapted to each new era, blended into each new life. The one constant is his best friend, mentor, and lover, Declan. Even though not fated to bond as soulmates, Forge and Declan are happy and settled in their life together.

Until Forge’s real soulmate falls, literally, into his life.

Forge isn’t thrilled with the guy, despite the pheromones attracting them to each other, and the feeling seems mutual. While trying to adjust to his clumsy soulmate and equally awkward feelings, Forge is also on the hunt for a serial-killer witnesses can’t identify who’s leaving a trail of bodies in its wake.

Will the bond Forge is finally forming with his soulmate be destroyed when the hunter becomes the victim?

If you like fated mates who aren’t perfect for each other, a paranormal killer who might not be caught and found families then you’ll love Elizabeth Noble’s Electric Candle.

Family and Reflection by Anne Barwell #3

Summary:

When a rebel werewolf and a vampire thief fall in love, only one thing is certain—trouble.

For as long as Lucas Coate can remember, werewolves have been taught to mistrust vampires. Lucas is an exception—he has close friends who are vampires. The werewolf pack in Boggslake—and their leader, Jacob Coate—have made it clear that Lucas’s association with vampires is barely tolerated, and another transgression will be his last. When Lucas finds out about the plague of werewolf deaths in the area, he wants to help even though his own life may already be in danger.

Declan has been away from Boggslake for ten years, but he isn’t surprised to learn that the internal politics of the Supernatural Council haven’t changed for the better. When a series of burglaries hit close to home soon after he arrives, Declan—a vampire and professional thief—is their prime suspect, although for once, he isn’t responsible. With the council keeping secrets, no one is safe. Time is running out, and for Lucas and Declan, everything is about to change.

Authors Note: This story was originally released in 2015 by another publisher. This edition has been re-edited.

Shifting Chaos by Elizabeth Noble #4

Summary:

We aren’t a we without all of us.

Chaos reigns in The Sleepless City and it’s really beginning to piss Detective Jonas Forge off.

He’s separated from his soulmate, Blair Turner. A separation he fears might be permanent. Nothing is going right. It’s as if the universe is conspiring against him. A long closed off door buried deep within his psyche cracks open when a turn of events flips his world upside down. There’s a monster behind that door and he’s not sure where the monster leaves off and he begins.

Hallucinations grip the town and demons lurk around every corner, causing havoc and threatening to tear the family in Boggs’s Castle to shreds. The only way forward is to bare all to each other. While Forge and Declan confront horrors from their shared past, they all learn a terrible truth about vampires—one not even imagined in their worst nightmare.

Can they control a monster in order to defeat a demon?

If you like imperfect heroes with tarnished pasts who don’t know how to quit, then you’ll love Shifting Chaos by Elizabeth Noble, the action-packed, emotional conclusion to The Sleepless City.

Author's note: This book was originally published in 2015. It has been rewritten with new chapters and scenes and re-edited.

Shades of Sepia by Anne Barwell #1

“Cool. I knew you guys were like the Justice League or something.”

Lucas laughed. “I was going more for the Legion of Super Heroes, actually.”

“Yeah, but the League has Batman in it,” Blair began, “and the Legion is—” Luckily, whatever he was going to say was interrupted by the sound of a telephone ringing. Once he and Lucas started on one of their comics conversations, they’d go for what seemed forever.

“Aren’t you going to answer that?” Forge asked Simon.

“What?” Simon glanced around for the source of the noise. He didn’t get telephone calls and presumed it was coming from wherever Blair was.

“You’re the only one around here who insists on that horrible ringtone,” Forge pointed out, “so it’s obviously your phone.” He’d complained about it ever since Simon had explained—quite logically he’d thought—that if he was to carry a telephone, it made sense for it to at least sound like one.

“Try your pockets?” said Lucas helpfully.

“Oh, right.” Simon fished his telephone out of his pocket. Its screen was flashing with the name of the caller. Simon stared at it.

“You’re supposed to answer it, not stare at it,” Forge said. “Or have you forgotten how to again?”

“I know how to answer it.” Simon poked at the appropriate button, then held the telephone up to his ear. “Simon speaking. How can I help you?”

Forge snickered. Simon glared at him, thought for a moment about retreating to somewhere more private, then realized it would be a waste of time. Damn vampire hearing. Not that werewolves and ghosts were much better.

“Hey, Simon. It’s Ben.”

Perhaps he was calling to say he’d thought twice about meeting for coffee. But why would he take the time to do that? Surely if that were the case, he’d just not contact Simon again at all?

“Hello, Ben.” Simon took a couple of steps toward the door, half turning his back on the other occupants of the room.

“I rang to apologize,” Ben said, his words tumbling out over each other.

“Apologize?” Simon frowned. “Why?” If anyone should be apologizing for the way in which their conversation had ended, it should be him.

“I obviously upset you, and I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t,” Simon reassured him. “I overreacted. I do that sometimes.” He reached for his glass of milk and took a long drink. Feeling a little calmer, he collected his thoughts before breaking the silence. “Would you still like to meet for coffee?”

Lucas and Forge high-fiving was something best ignored, as was the smug expression on both their faces.

“Yeah, sure, that would be great,” Ben answered very quickly. “When and where? I’m working a long shift tomorrow, so that won’t work, but I don’t start until eleven on Thursday.”

After mentally consulting his calendar, Simon nodded. “That would be fine. I don’t have lectures on Thursday mornings. Do you know Hunter’s on West Thirteenth Street? We could meet there at nine.”

“I haven’t been there, but I’ll find it,” Ben said. “See you at nine then on Thursday?”

“Yes. Goodbye, Ben.”

“Bye, Ben,” called out Lucas.

“Bye.” Ben paused. “Hey, who is that?” His voice took on a rather suspicious tone. “Simon, is there someone listening in on us?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Simon said. “I share my… building… with some friends who don’t understand the concept of privacy. That was Lucas. I’ll explain on Thursday.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Goodbye,” Simon said again, this time to a darkened telephone. He shoved it back into his pocket.

“He sounds cute,” said Lucas. “I like the accent.” He grinned. “Can I come too? I want to hear how you explain me.”

Electric Candle by Elizabeth Noble #2

No one was there, yet Forge couldn’t shake the feeling he wasn’t alone. He wandered down the beach a few yards. Water splashing against the shore and spraying made him go closer for a better look. The lake’s edge here wasn’t gently sloping sand but a sharp lip of concrete. Hunkering on the ledge, Forge leaned over for a look.

The wall ran a good half mile in either direction. He could see large spots that were darker than the surrounding area. Forge had read about the secret rooms constructed all along Lake Erie during Prohibition. Illegal booze and guns were stashed in them. One could only access the rooms by going under water. At high tide, many of the outer parts of the rooms were completely submerged. He’d never been in one.

More than likely he’d have to get wet to justify the expense of divers. Forge was still contemplated getting a dive team in when he heard shouting.

“Stop. Wait!”

The voice sounded familiar, but Forge couldn’t place it. That always made him nuts. Turning, he looked up at the top of the stairs. Then he squinted and shook his head. Who belonged to the voice made him stare in a type of horrified wonder, like one looked at a train wreck.

The fact his cock picked then to persistently remind him of its presence and give a few twitches and throbs didn’t help.

It was a man, though the horror Forge was feeling might have been less if it’d been a woman. He wore what appeared to be homemade steampunk goggles with dark lenses, a long sleeved black shirt, and black jeans.

“Sweet mother of God, is that a cape?” Forge muttered and took a few steps forward. “No, stop, don’t—”

It was too late. The oddly dressed man began to run down the steps—the slippery, wet steps, waving his arms. He’d gone about three steps when his feet slid out from under him and his rear hit the stone stairs. The man yelped, and Forge’s cock gave another twitch. He had the fleeting thought of how disturbing on several levels that was.

“What the hell?” Forge ran to the bottom of the stairs.

Bouncing head over heels down the steps, the guy finally flopped to one side and rolled the remainder of the way down, finishing his descent with a hearty splash in the chilly lake water.

Floundering and shouting, the man slapped the lake’s surface, went under, bobbed up, and spit water out of his mouth, and garbled, “Can’t… swim.”

Throwing his arms wide, Forge grumbled, “It’s not as if vampires drown.”

The guy went under, the water churned, but he didn’t come to the surface. Jerking his jacket off and dropping it to the ground, Forge made sure his phone was with the garment.

“This has got to be a joke. A really bad joke.” Forge ran to the edge and dove in. The only thing that prevented him from ejaculating the second his fingers touched the man was the cold water. He shuddered when he pulled the guy against his chest and wrapped one arm around him, using the other to help propel them to the surface.

When he got to the concrete edge, he hefted the guy over and onto the ground. Forge hoisted himself out of the water and hit the guy, who looked to be in his twenties, between the shoulder blades to expel lake water.

A shiver and spark of electricity ran from Forge’s palm and coursed down his spine to settle in his groin.

This couldn’t be his soul mate. Yet even as he finished that thought, he knew, and there was no denying what his body was telling him. The fool dressed as some superhero wannabe in a really bad outfit was Jonas Forge’s mate for eternity.

Forge wondered if other vampires would penalize him for killing his soul mate.

Family and Reflection by Anne Barwell #3

Declan turned the page of his book, read the first paragraph, then shook his head. He wasn’t sure why he’d bothered, as he couldn’t for the life of him remember what had happened on the previous page, let alone the last few chapters. He closed the book with a thump, got up from the table, went over to the fridge, and opened it.

He wasn’t hungry, but if he had been, the mold-covered plate on one of the shelves would have put him off whatever else had taken his fancy. Someone really needed to have a word with Lucas about leaving his science experiments to breed. Declan lifted the plate somewhat cautiously and sniffed it, then wished he hadn’t. City medical examiner or not, this wasn’t… normal. Normal people cleaned out their leftovers before they got the chance to become strange new life-forms.

Even if, in this case, his definition of normal was a werewolf.

Despite his reaction, Declan couldn’t bring himself to throw the—whatever it was—away. To him it was disgusting, but to Lucas it might be some new discovery crucial to whatever he was currently working on. And Declan didn’t want to upset Lucas. In the short time they’d known each other, he’d become quite fond of Lucas and enjoyed the time they spent together.

Declan sighed. He returned the offending thing to its previous resting place, ignoring the visions of reanimated zombie leftovers creeping up the stairs to attack him in the middle of the night, and instead got a wineglass out of the cupboard. He poured himself a decent-sized portion of his favorite red beverage and settled back down on the chair he’d recently vacated. As much as he enjoyed a good vintage wine, there were times when one had to quench one’s other thirsts. He sniffed the glass and savored the aroma before swallowing.

Hmm, not bad. The standard of blood available to purchase through the right sources made it so much easier to feed than it used to be, and less messy too.

He heard the light step on the stairs and human heartbeat long before Ben reached the kitchen and stood awkwardly in the doorway.

“Hello, Ben,” Declan said. “Don’t worry, you’re not disturbing me.”

“If you’re sure?” Ben Leyton ran one hand through his thick dark hair. He looked tired. “I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d make a Milo and see if that helps.”

“I heard Simon having a nightmare earlier. He’s never slept well on anniversaries.” He’d known Simon Hawthorne a long time. Jonas Forge had introduced them shortly after Simon had been turned. Declan had also helped Simon through a dark part of his life, triggered by the events he suspected had prompted this particular nightmare, given the time of year. “I also don’t mind if you turn on the light.”

Although Declan didn’t need much light to see, especially with the full moon casting its glow into the room, Ben would appreciate more illumination.

“Yeah, well, they’re the worst times for most people, I guess.” Ben flicked on the light before walking across the kitchen. He filled the kettle and put it on to boil then reached into the cupboard for a green can. “Do you want some? It’s a chocolate drink.”

“Thank you, but no.” Declan indicated the glass in front of him.

The loud howl almost made him jump despite years of practiced self-control. Even so, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and the howl sent a shiver through him.

Lucas howled again. Frustration, anger, and loss all rolled into a sound that was pure wolf.

Declan knocked his glass over, spilling its contents. Without thinking, he moved at vampire speed, catching what was left of the blood in his palm and drinking deeply.

The glass fell to the floor, smashing into tiny pieces. He ignored it and finished the blood, then wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. A low growl escaped his lips. He knew his eyes were completely green. They tended to do that when his fangs extended.

When he looked up, Ben was staring at him, his eyes wide. “I’ll clean up the mess, shall I?” he said hurriedly, already heading for the broom.

“Don’t worry,” Declan said. “I’ll do it. Make your chocolate drink, mon ami. It’s my mess, so my responsibility, yes?”

Shifting Chaos by Elizabeth Noble #4

Forge chuckled and Blair gifted him with another eye roll as they took up their place in the cafeteria line. He put his most charming smile on his face when a girl picked up a tray and joined the line right behind them. “Hello.”

Minor irritation skimmed the surface of Blair’s emotions, and Forge felt it plainly. The girl cocked her head to one side and flipped her hair. “Are you new here?” She asked and brushed her hand over Forge’s.

“I’m visiting.” They moved along the line and he picked up a few dishes.

“She’s a student,” Blair whispered.

Forge leaned closer to Blair, dropped his voice an octave and said, “I don’t work here.” He used what Lucas liked to refer to as ‘Forge’s fuck me’ voice.

“Oh,” the girl said. “Even better.”

Forge basked in the tidal wave of heat, desire and jealousy that swirled away from Blair to surround him.

Blair grabbed one of the dishes from Forge’s tray and put it back. “Don’t eat the mystery green stuff, it’s not broccoli.” He leaned around Forge, forcing him back a step and spoke to the girl. “You’re really barking up the wrong tree. He’s gay. He’s mine. And it’s spectacular.”

Forge shrugged and picked up his tray. “Good luck with school.”

“Table. Over there,” Blair growled.

Trailing behind him, Forge feigned innocence. “I distinctly remember you telling me to be nice to the students.”

Blair dropped his tray onto a table. “Yeah, be nice. Not use that tone and your—badge—in the way that makes them want to undress.”

“You love me for it.” Forge sat down and surveyed his food. “We could go to the new pizza place.”

Blair’s chin dropped to his chest for a second. When he looked up his eyes twinkled and he smiled. “You are a very lucky man. I don’t have time to go for pizza. It may be orgasm inducing but they’re slow. Dinner there? Just you and me?”

“Oh, now you want a date.” Forge returned the mischievous and warm smile Blair wore. “And some of this spectacular stuff.” He waved one hand down his chest and laughed when Blair kicked him under the table.

The school food was possibly some of the worst Forge had ever had, but he decided this had to be a regular thing. He liked meeting Blair for lunch. Being Blair’s soul mate ensured their love, it was liking each other they had to work at.

Their meal finished Forge walked Blair back to his office. Blair unlocked the door and at the same time Forge was doused in another wave of lust and something he could only describe as partnership. Most vampires experienced this sort of bond and empathy for one another during their initial mating. He’d understood with the majority the ability to feel each other so strongly diminished after one of them was marked. For them it only seemed to increase. Forge knew he was indeed a very lucky man.

Blair used his hand on Forge’s chest to shove him through the door and shut it softly. One of Blair’s hands cupped the back of Forge’s neck. Blair pulled them together, kissing Forge slowly, his tongue slipping into Forge’s mouth and his fangs nipping his lip. Blair wasn’t usually the aggressor, and Forge liked when he was.

He put one hand on Blair’s ass and held them close, kneading the firm flesh of Blair’s buttock slowly. All too soon Blair broke their kiss. They leaned against one another, panting. Blair trembled against Forge. “I have a late class,” Blair whispered. “Will seven be okay?”

Forge pulled in a deep breath, kissed Blair’s forehead and nodded. “I will be there.” One more sweet kiss to Blair’s lips and Forge added, “I’ll call you later.” He dipped his head at the door and at the same time cupped Blair’s face, running his thumb lightly over his cheek. “Keep them in line. I’d better get back to work.”

“Bye,” Blair said quietly and Forge thought he sounded a bit wistful.

Anne Barwell

Anne Barwell lives in Wellington, New Zealand. She shares her home with Kaylee: a cat with “tortitude” who is convinced that the house is run to suit her; this is an ongoing “discussion,” and to date, it appears as though Kaylee may be winning.

In 2008, Anne completed her conjoint BA in English Literature and Music/Bachelor of Teaching. She has worked as a music teacher, a primary school teacher, and now works in a library. She is a member of the Upper Hutt Science Fiction Club and plays violin for Hutt Valley Orchestra.

She is an avid reader across a wide range of genres and a watcher of far too many TV series and movies, although it can be argued that there is no such thing as “too many.” These, of course, are best enjoyed with a decent cup of tea and further the continuing argument that the concept of “spare time” is really just a myth. She also hosts and reviews for other authors, and writes monthly blog posts for Love Bytes. She is the co-founder of the New Zealand Rainbow Romance writers, and a member of RWNZ.

Anne’s books have received honourable mentions five times, reached the finals four times—one of which was for best gay book—and been a runner up in the Rainbow Awards. She has also been nominated twice in the Goodreads M/M Romance Reader’s Choice Awards—once for Best Fantasy and once for Best Historical.

Elizabeth Noble

Mystery, action, chills, and thrills spiced with romance and desire. Elizabeth Noble lives by the adage “I can’t not write.” She doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t make up stories and eventually she learned how to put words on a page. Those words turned into books and fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M fiction. A part of every day is spent living in worlds she created that are filled with intrigue and espionage. She has a real love for a good mystery complete with murder and twisty plots as well as all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural.

When she’s not chronicling the adventures of her many characters, Elizabeth is a veterinary nurse living in her native Cleveland, Ohio. She has three grown children and now happily shares her little, brick house with an spunky Cardigan Welsh Corgi and his sidekick, tabby cat. Elizabeth is a fan of baseball, basketball (go Cavs and Indians) and gardening. She can often be found working in her ‘outside office’ listening to classic rock and plotter her next novel waiting for it to be dark enough to gaze at the stars.

Elizabeth has received a number of amateur writing awards. Since being published, several of her novels have received Honorable Mentions in the Rainbow Awards. Jewel Cave was a runner-up in the Gay Mystery/Thriller category in the 2015 Rainbow Awards. Ringed Love was a winner in the Gay Fantasy Romance category of the 2016 Rainbow Awards.

Anne Barwell

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EMAIL: darthanne@gmail.com

Elizabeth Noble

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EMAIL: elizabeth.noble19@gmail.com 

Shades of Sepia by Anne Barwell

AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK

AUDIBLE  /  WEBSITE  /  GOODREADS TBR

Electric Candle by Elizabeth Noble

AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK

WEBSITE  /  GOODREADS TBR

Family and Reflection by Anne Barwell

AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK

WEBSITE  /  GOODREADS TBR

Shifting Chaos by Elizabeth Noble

AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK

WEBSITE  /  GOODREADS TBR

Series

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AUDIBLE  /  WEBSITE  /  GOODREADS TBR

Sunday's Safe Word Shelf: For the Long Run by Elizabeth Noble

Summary:
After being bullied into the closet by his conservative senator father, Jay Molloy reconciles himself to a life of one-night stands instead of the loving D/s relationship he craves. When he meets the man of his dreams, trained Dom Eric Keger, all Jay dares to hope for is a quick fling. Eric has other ideas. He’s been hired by Jay’s father to run security at the family’s hunting resort, but now he has his heart set on Jay.

When murder victims begin to turn up at the resort, Eric and Jay start an investigation, but chasing down the killer proves less frustrating than dealing with Jay’s abusive, homophobic father. Exploring their new relationship would be hard enough on their own, but Eric and Jay also have to deal with politics, Jay’s fake fiancée, and a murderer who may be something more than human.

Chapter One
THE only sound Jay Molloy heard was the echoes of his footfalls off the hard-packed dirt trail he jogged down nearly every morning. The air was sweet and clean, the woods he ran through quiet. This was his favorite part of the day: no one wanted him to pretend he was something he wasn’t, no one wanted something from him, and no one depended upon him.

The path wound around the Great Bear Hunting Lodge and Resort. His parents owned it, but Jay lived on it and was manager. It was his pride and joy, and someday, he hoped, he would be its owner. Not bad for a guy two years out of college. His parents mostly left him alone to run the place, only requiring he join them for certain political events.

Jay knew his parents loved him, even if they didn’t understand him. Rather, his father didn’t understand Jay’s life, and some days while Jay wanted to believe his father loved him, he doubted his father liked him very much. His mother honestly didn’t care what his sexual orientation was as long as he was happy. Jay’s mother was accepting, but in general the social strata his parents circled weren’t so much the same. Senators such as his father didn’t have openly gay sons. Something his father reminded him of often and loudly.

Except when they did.

The change from the Montana woods’ dirt path to concrete road jarred Jay for a few paces until he adjusted his steps. Slowing to a cooling-down walk, Jay went up the long, winding drive to his log-cabin home and took the front steps three at a time. He groaned when the door pushed open as he touched the key to the handle; he’d locked it, and there was only one reason it would be unlocked.

Mom and Dad had come to visit.

Jay sighed and dropped his keys on the table by the door, calling out, “Hey, I’m going to hit the shower.”

His mother, Jeanette, coiffed, stylish even in a dark-gray running suit that had never actually run anywhere, appeared in the kitchen doorway. “I made coffee. Don’t you have real cream? Breakfast will be ready soon. I hope you didn’t eat before your run.”

“In the fridge,” Jay said, kicking off his shoes and stretching.

“Not that flavored stuff. Where’s the real cream?”

Jay sighed, put his hands on his hips and twisted side to side. “I like the flavored stuff.” He slipped through the bathroom door and into the shower. “And you know all I have before I run is a protein drink. I’m starved,” he stuck his head out from behind the curtain and shouted.

Ten minutes later, cleaner and more relaxed, he wandered into his kitchen, kissed his mother’s cheek, and nodded to his father, Stephan.

“I wish you guys would call first. What if I’d had company?” Jay leaned over his mother’s shoulder, inhaling deeply the aromas of her cooking.

“Then they should dress before coming out of the bedroom.” Jeanette turned and did that thing where she kissed his cheek without actually touching him. Jay thought it was sort of funny and endearing in a mom sort of way. It was in direct contrast to the mother who’d taught him to fish and hunt as a child. Some days he was amazed this woman and that one were really the same person. Multilayered, that’s what she liked to be called.

Jay snorted and sat at the table, flipping open the crisp linen napkins his mother insisted he have. “Well, you cooked so I can overlook it. These things are girly.” He flicked with one finger at the napkin.

“They are tea-dyed and classy.”

“And probably way overpriced. You shouldn’t waste your money getting me stuff like this, Mom.” He dug into the omelet.

“You’re my only son, and I want you to have a nice house. I thought gay men were supposed to be super decorators?” Jeanette poured a glass of orange juice and sat between Jay and his father, forever the buffer.

Jay grinned; it was a game he and his mother played. “And I thought society ladies were supposed to fritter away their hours in book clubs and charity luncheons.”

Pointing at him with her fork, Jeanette smiled. “Touché.”

He loved his mother. She was kind, smart, and the most nonjudgmental person he knew. On her own, she would have welcomed any man into Jay’s life he loved, bought him overpriced tea-dyed linen napkins too, and called him her second son.

“We have a press conference and photo ops day after tomorrow, three in the afternoon. Be an hour early and be prompt,” Stephan said.

Jay’s father was a different story altogether from his mother. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his father; he did. It was much harder getting close to him, however. Jay would likely never have the easygoing, banter-slinging relationship with his father he so enjoyed with his mother. There were days Jay even wondered if his father cared for him or felt nothing but contempt for him.

“I’ve never been late and I’ve never let you down.”

“You might have Kellie stay here, at least for appearances. There is enough room,” Stephan continued.

“What, and risk the scandal of premarital sex?” Jay sighed and put down his fork. “Look, I agreed to this fake marriage for your public image, and I’ve gone through with everything you’ve asked. I’ve kept the proper appearance, never been arrested. Hell, half the press doesn’t even know my name. In comparison to some other politicians’ siblings and children, I’m pretty damn good. You literally throw this girl at me I don’t even know. I get no explanation how you found her, and I’m supposed to pretend she’s the love of my life. Which I have done, and damn well.”

“She’s a nice girl, Jason. You should try to get to know her more,” Jeanette said.

“You like her so much, Mom, you sleep with her. I’ll hold her hand and put up a good public front, that’s as far as it goes. This is my home. I don’t want to have her here, and I don’t need to explain why. And Dad, next time? Call first.”

Stephan snapped out a harsh, “Jason!” He accompanied it with a hard slap to the tabletop, making Jay jump. His father hadn’t hit him in a good four years, not since he was in college and still an inch or two shorter than his old man. The threat, however, always simmered just below the surface. His father had boxed in school and was still in decent shape. Even now, Jay wasn’t sure he’d be much of a match in a physical confrontation. He never wanted to find out, either.

Jay pulled in a few deep breaths and forced his body to relax. “I do my job, I run this resort, and I keep my nose clean. You’ve got no reason to be angry or constantly ride my ass.”

“Don’t use that fag lingo on me, boy.”

“Dad, I wasn’t.” He pressed his finger and thumb to his forehead and rubbed, turning his head sideways and mouthing “help me” to his mother.

“You boys stop arguing and finish breakfast. I ordered a supply of the same napkins for the resort dining room, and I want to check the shipment myself. The other thing I want to do is stop at that farmer’s market on the way back home. Jay, I’ll make sure Kellie has the details.”

Jay could do nothing more than smile gratefully. His smile faded when his father’s mouth opened and more words came out.

“I also hired a new head of security. He’s from Cleveland, was a homicide detective with the police department.”

“Ohio or Tennessee? And you hired someone without my input? I’m in charge of staffing. All of it.”

“Ohio, not that it matters. I only took the action you wouldn’t. Three of our clients have—”

“My clients. I run this place. You don’t know the dining hall from the shooting range,” Jay retorted. He bunched his hand under the table and forced himself not to wince when his father’s hand hit the table again. “I know what’s going on. The police have investigated all the deaths. They can’t find a suspect. What else would you like me to do?”

“You? Nothing. That’s why I hired a professional, to look into these deaths. We’ll lose business if this keeps up.” Somehow Stephan managed to make a simple conversation sound as if Jay was the biggest disappointment on the planet.

Jay’s insides wilted.

“Boys!” Jeanette patted Jay’s arm. “I think what your father is saying is he’s very concerned about more people dying.” She leaned around Jay and aimed a sharp look at Stephan. “All those poor young men were found on our resort, even if it was obvious they didn’t die there.”

“Fine,” Jay sighed. “But I get the final say on this guy, and if I don’t like him, he goes.”

Jeanette smiled and pushed Jay’s coffee mug closer to him. “There, all settled. Jay will give the new employee a chance to wow him, and if not, then he’ll exercise his right as manager to fire the schmuck.”

“It’s not my fault there is some wacko killing people and dumping them here. It’s probably because we have a lot of remote woods.”

“Which reminds me, dear, can’t you do your running on an inside track and not through the woods?” Jeanette asked.

Jay wanted to cut off the tears he knew his mother was working herself up to before they started. “Mom, seriously? I’ve been jogging in those woods since I was what, twelve? All the bodies were taken to the same spot. That the police have established for sure. They’re all killed elsewhere. If I thought it was dangerous, I’d close the resort in a heartbeat and stop running in the woods.”

A few hours later, their meal finished and his mother’s self-imposed little chores around the resort completed, his parents were ready to be on their way. He pulled his mother into a hug, whispering in her ear, “I love you. A lot. Thank you.”

Jeanette patted his cheek, then reached down and took his hand, squeezing. “I’ll e-mail you the details. We’ll see you in a few days. I love you too.” She pecked his other cheek and headed down the front steps and into their car.

Jay went back inside, shut the front door, and leaned against it, letting his head thump on it a few times. He sighed and pushed off the door. There was some freak killing and maiming young men in the area and then dumping them on his resort. So far all the victims were tourists—that and the fact that they were all men in their twenties were the only similarities. None had been from the same geographic area, none knew one another or were in the same professions. One was married, one a single gay man, and one didn’t appear to have any attachments or preferences. From the reports Jay read, they didn’t even seem to like the same food. The only connection was they’d all been on the resort a day or two before dying. Everyone who worked on the resort had been questioned, re-questioned and, in some cases, watched for a time. As far as Jay knew, no one was a firm suspect.

Rubbing his temples, Jay decided he needed to forget forced marriages and murders for one night. He had a day and a half until the press conference, and he had his favorite watering hole he could go to. That’s exactly what he intended to do after work. If he was really lucky, he could find some other distraction. It was all he could ever hope for. The relationship Jay wanted was out of the question and out of his reach. He’d come to accept that fact.

At least he could relax, have a beer, watch a game, and eat some food.

It was an average bar he drove to spend the evening in, one that was far enough away no one would likely know or recognize him. Inside it was homey, with a friendly staff and wide-screen televisions playing every game within reception. There was always a good mix in the crowd—gays, straights, men, women, some alone, some with others. Mostly, all of them were there for the food and, tonight, pro basketball. It was a nice place to get lost in and become one of the crowd.

Across the street was a clean, decent, small motel in case he found a friend or simply didn’t want to drive back that same night. If he had more than a few beers, it was his habit to wait until the morning to head for home.

Settling at the bar, Jay ordered a beer, preferring local brews to the bigger name brands. While he waited for his drink to show up, he scanned the menu, not sure what he wanted yet. When his beer arrived, he swiveled the bar stool around and leaned back against the bar to watch the start of the game. People filtered in and out, and the barmaid brought him a second beer along with some nachos and cheese.

The door swung open and a gust of cool air hit him. Jay glanced at the man coming through. He was tall, maybe an inch or two taller than Jay, older, with light brown hair and dark brown eyes. His trim waist blossomed to a powerful chest, round, muscled shoulders, and beefy arms. Thick thighs were encased in his well-fitting jeans, giving just enough of a hint of their bulging muscles. Jay liked a man with muscle, and he definitely had a thing for powerful legs. The guy was easily half again as wide as Jay, and he judged him to be early to midthirties, making him roughly ten years Jay’s senior.

He was gorgeous and the type of man Jay fantasized about but never really felt he could win. Jay was nice to look at but nothing like this. He considered himself more average. He was in shape, but leaner. He’d never have the sheer bulk and powerful physique gracing this man.

The man settled in a corner, out-of-the-way booth and ordered a beer, gaze skimming the bar before coming to rest on the television and the game. Jay hoped he’d looked away fast enough and wasn’t caught staring at the newcomer.

Too bad Jay was being forced into a marriage he didn’t want, to a woman he barely knew or liked. He knew exactly what he wanted but doubted he’d ever get it: a man who understood him. One who knew what he wanted and went after it, knew how to take without violence. A man who took the time to learn what Jay wanted—needed—and had the smarts to provide it.

A man like that one.

Jay’s quick glances in his direction morphed into longer looks until he realized he was staring again.

The man in the corner nodded to him and tipped his beer bottle at Jay when one team scored a basket. Jay hadn’t turned away fast enough and had been caught staring. Cheeks burning, Jay smiled back and ducked his head, breaking eye contact. A few minutes later, he took a deep breath and turned his head, looking to the side. The man’s gaze at once flicked from the game to Jay, a slow, easy smile spreading over his face.

Jay’s radar tingled. He knew that look, and it made his stomach go giddy and his cock get warm and thick. He offered a shy smile back. This man was definitely the right type of man for Jay, on a few levels.

The man tipped his beer at Jay before wrapping his lips around the bottle neck, taking a swig and watching Jay with dark, smoldering, lusty eyes. Jay gulped and looked down again, picking at the material of his jeans where they covered his knee.

Jay waited, wondering what would happen next. Was this man a man who knew what he wanted and how to get it? When the man shifted around, planted both feet on the floor, and leaned forward, gaze moving from the television to Jay and back a few times before he settled on watching him, Jay decided maybe he was indeed a man who saw what he wanted and then took it. The thought of this big man pinning him to a bed or wall, taking him and giving to him, made Jay’s heart race.

Jay was never that lucky.

“Eric.” The man was standing beside Jay a few seconds later, hand extended, warm expression in his eyes and on his face.

Jay shook his hand, returning the smile with a shy one of his own. “Jay.”

Eric eased onto the stool beside him and tipped his chin at the television. “Who you rooting for?”

“Not the Heat.”

Laughing outright, Eric waved at the barmaid and ordered them each another beer. “Me either.” He punched the air next to his head and grinned. “Go Cavs, then.”

Jay was immediately impressed. The man had done his homework in the short time they’d been in the same bar. Instead of ordering what he had been drinking, Eric was sure to ask for the local stuff Jay was drinking. He went so far as to use the specific name of the beer.

Picking up both new bottles, Eric used them to point at his booth. “Let’s sit there—more comfortable.”

“I’d like that, thanks.” Trailing after Eric, Jay was doubly impressed when Eric stepped aside as they reached the table, letting Jay slide into the booth.

Eric slipped in across from him. “Hungry?”

“I had some nachos earlier but I could always eat.”

Eric chuckled and nodded. It was sexy, endearing, and thrilling all at once.

Scanning the menu, Eric stretched long, rock-hard legs out and brushed Jay’s leg lightly, igniting sparks that ripped along his inner thigh. “I’ve never been here before—just passing through. I’m on my way to a new job and stopped here for the night. How about you?”

“I live an hour or so away, come here a couple times a month just to get away, less a chance of being recognized. The pizza is good, so is the steak sandwich, though you can practically hear your arteries harden with every swallow.”

Eric chuckled again, and Jay loved how his voice rumbled. It was deep and pleasant. He watched as Eric turned the menu over a few times and imagined what those large hands and long fingers would feel like against his skin. The flesh between his legs firmed and stiffened, making his jeans tighten.

When Eric waved the waitress over and ordered dinner, Jay was again impressed. He’d taken the hint, ordered Jay a pizza, with Jay filling in the toppings he wanted. Eric didn’t go for either the pizza or the sandwich but opted for a burger.

This man, Eric, was cut from a rare cloth. Jay was a natural submissive, and picking out the right Dom, even for one night, was a job and a half. This guy obviously wasn’t new to the Dominant-submissive scene. He knew what he was doing, cared about his partner’s needs, and was willing to see his sub was provided for properly.

They ate, watched the game, cheered and booed, and it was the most fun Jay had had in longer than he cared to remember. He could fall for this man and fall hard if he wasn’t careful and didn’t keep his wits about him.

Jay excused himself to use the bathroom. When he returned, Eric was leaning against the end of the table. “Needed to stretch.” He grinned, and when Jay slid into the booth, Eric didn’t sit across from him but this time eased in beside him. “It’s getting pretty late to drive any distance home. Shouldn’t drink and drive anyway.”

“No, that’s never good and I don’t do that,” Jay said softly.

Eric’s hand rested on Jay’s thigh making his stomach clench, his breath quicken, and his jeans snug in even more closely. When Eric’s fingers inched down to his inseam and dug in slightly, Jay let out a long, slow, very low moan. It had been a while since anyone had bothered seducing him instead of simply picking him up for a fast lay or blow job.

While watching the game, Eric leaned back and relaxed against the booth, casually sipping his beer, and continued to work his fingers up and down Jay’s inner thigh until his heart rate had to have at least doubled. Leaning back, Jay slid down a bit in his seat and opened his legs wider, inviting Eric to touch more.

Moving his fingers farther up, Eric pressed in against the crease of Jay’s groin, causing him to rock his hips forward ever so slightly. Eric continued working Jay through his jeans, applying pressure to his balls, moving back to his thigh, then up to his balls again. It was enough force to make Jay rub against Eric’s fingers and moan softly each time the heaviness of Eric’s touch eased away.

“Keep your hands and beer on the table; we wouldn’t want to attract the wrong kind of attention.” Eric’s voice was low and soft, but the command still came across loud and clear. Jay was only too willing to comply. “Better stay quiet too. I’m not up for a bar fight tonight.”

By the time Eric eased Jay’s zipper down, he was already wet and sticky with precum, his heart pounding, teeth digging into his lower lip to keep from groaning loud enough to be noticed or defy the quiet order Eric had given him.

Using just one finger, Eric rubbed up and down Jay’s cock, following the thick vein from base to crown. The edge of his fingernail scraped very gently around the soft, tender flesh. Jay slid farther down in the booth and let his head rest against the wall, spreading his legs even wider as he pulled in a few quick shuddering breaths. Eric repeated his touches a few more times before pulling his hand away and resting it on the table.

“Sit up straight and zip yourself up. My car is outside. Where are you parked?”

“Parking lot outside.” Jay followed Eric’s instructions, leaning heavily against the tabletop, trying to organize his thoughts. “Green Jeep Cherokee.”

Nodding, Eric stroked Jay’s thigh again. “You sit tight, I’ll go pay up our tab, and we can go over to my room.”

Jay couldn’t do much more than nod before Eric was out of the booth and heading to the bar. When he returned, Jay looked up at him and smiled. “Ready?”

“You betcha.”

The air was crisp and chilly but did little to cool Jay as he watched out of the corner of one eye how Eric moved, fluid and muscular. He was a powerhouse. Jay was a runner with a completely different body build. He admired how Eric’s muscles slid under his skin, bulging and stretching as he moved. Eric’s shirtsleeves were rolled almost to his elbows and the soft glow of the outdoor lighting accentuated the ripples of muscle, enhanced by veins along his forearms.

They walked to Jay’s Jeep, which was near the edge of the lot. It was parked so the driver’s side wasn’t easily seen by either street or bar. He hadn’t done that on purpose; it was just a very lucky turn of events.

After walking with him to the driver’s side, Eric extended one arm and leaned his hand against the vehicle. He glanced up at the sky. “Looks like we might get a storm tonight. You should stay the night with me.”

“Yes, sir,” Jay murmured, shivering when Eric’s other hand ran along his shoulder and down his arm.

A soft rumble from deep inside Eric’s chest eased free. He stepped closer to Jay and took hold of him, pulling him in close and winding one of those powerful arms around Jay’s middle. “I’d like very much to give you what you need.” He licked Jay’s lower lip, sucking it between his teeth. Stepping even closer, he pressed one hard, muscled thigh between Jay’s legs, pressing up while at the same time applying steady pressure with his hands to push Jay down.

“Thank you,” Jay whispered, sliding his arms around Eric’s waist and moving his hands over his back, appreciating the smooth, firm muscles stretched over Eric’s frame.

When Jay rocked his hips forward against him, Eric pushed his tongue inside Jay’s mouth, skimming everywhere, thrusting in time with the rocking of Jay’s hips. Breath coming faster and shallower, Jay returned the kiss, reveling in how Eric’s body felt against his.

Eric lifted his leg higher, applying more pressure, and broke their kiss. Nipping along Jay’s jaw line, he whispered in Jay’s ear, “You’re not even close to me letting you come yet.”

Jay gulped down a deep breath, nearly shooting his load in his jeans. He moaned and tipped his head back, giving Eric complete access to his throat, shuddering when the man’s teeth caught and nipped his flesh, tongue licking a path afterward. Eric gripped him harder and pushed him down even more against his leg.

Groaning, Jay didn’t try to stop when his knees sort of gave way and he did a slow, delightfully excruciating slide down Eric’s leg, loving how it pressed against his swollen cock. As soon as he was kneeling in front of Eric, Jay brought both hands up, palms flat, and rubbed on either side of Eric’s cock. He was incredibly hard; Jay could feel it even through his jeans, and another shudder raced through him at the thought of that huge cock buried deep inside him while those big hands held him wherever Eric wished Jay to be.

He mouthed Eric through his clothes, moving his hands in a steady rhythm.

“Hmm.” Eric worked his fingers through Jay’s hair, then fisted a large chunk and kept his head in place. “You’ll do very nicely.” After a few seconds, he tugged on Jay’s hair and Jay stood, swaying slightly, struggling to catch his breath. Nodding at a small, dark car a few rows away, Eric leaned in and spoke in Jay’s ear, blowing hot breath against his already overheated skin. “That’s my car. I’m in room seventeen, near the end. Drive over there and wait at the door for me. Surprise me.”

Jay nodded and fumbled in his pocket for his keys. He had no idea how he managed to get them out, unlock his Jeep’s door, and get in to start the vehicle and put it into gear. Eric smiled, turned, and headed for his own car. After Jay was parked in the lot across the street, he went to room seventeen. Facing the wall next to the door, he loosened the button of his jeans and worked the zipper partially down. Then he put his hands flat on the cool surface and planted his feet wide apart, dropping his head.

He waited.

There weren’t a lot of people around, and it was too early for most of the bar patrons to be leaving, so it was unlikely anyone would see him other than Eric. The thought of someone other than Eric seeing him like this sent another spark of thrill slithering up from Jay’s stomach.

A few minutes later, Jay heard a car engine cut, a door open and close, and footfalls crunch over the parking lot, coming to a stop behind him. He started when warm hands, fingers spread wide, moved up and down his sides. One hand skimmed over his belly and dipped inside his jeans, gripping his cock.

Eric leaned his weight against Jay’s back and spoke in his ear. “Very nice.”

“P-please… I need….”

“Don’t worry, Jay, I’ll get you exactly what you need.” Eric stepped away and at once Jay missed his warmth and strength.

Jay heard the motel room door being unlocked and how it squeaked when it swung open. The thing needed oil or something but not nearly as badly as Jay needed oiling up, a few good, solid smacks to his ass, and a firm hand opening him.

Light flooded the sidewalk from inside the room.

“Inside. There’s a dresser. Strip and put your clothes on top of it. Present yourself so I can get a good look at you.”

Silently, Jay walked into the room and did as he was told, taking off his clothes and folding them neatly on the dresser. Shoes and socks were stuffed underneath. He moved to the middle of the room so Eric had clear access to him from all sides. Standing, feet shoulder-width apart, he folded his arms behind his back, hands gripping his elbows. He lowered his gaze to the floor and waited.

Eric paced around him, at first not touching him, which made Jay’s cock twitch and leak even more. When he moved in close enough, Jay felt the denim of Eric’s jeans against his skin, and his belt buckle caught and scraped along Jay’s abs a few times. Eric used one finger to trace a vein running up from Jay’s groin, then circled his belly button.

“You may answer any question I put to you. Otherwise make all the noise you want, but no words. Understood?” Eric used two fingertips to brush down Jay’s flank.

“Yes, sir.” He couldn’t help following up with a long, shuddering sigh. Eric smiled and ran his fingertips up Jay’s ribs and across his back. Jay had the impression Eric liked hearing sounds of pleasure.

“You’re in good shape. Work out?”

“Run, sir.”

“Nice.” The fingers swirled over Jay’s thigh before skimming back along his abs, never coming close to his cock. Eric took Jay’s left nipple between thumb and forefinger, turning and pulling gently on it until Jay gasped and moaned. He used the heel of his other hand against Jay’s other nipple, rubbing until it puckered and stood.

Tingles of electricity shot through Jay from every point on his body Eric touched. There didn’t seem to be enough air, and every exhale was a soft, needy moan. Jay thought he’d died and gone to heaven when Eric finally reached between his legs and gripped his balls, tugging, twisting, and rolling them in one hand. Eric’s other hand mimicked those movements against Jay’s nipple until his breath faltered.

“God, you’re amazing.” Eric moaned, swiping his tongue up Jay’s neck, then back down, dipping his head and biting Jay’s collarbone. He spun Jay around and moved him a few feet to an armchair. “Hands on the back of this chair, and hold it.”

The instant Jay’s fingers gripped the back of the chair, Eric pushed him forward so he was forced to balance mostly on his hands. Pulling back one hand, he landed a hard smack on Jay’s rear. Leaning in close again, tongue skimming the shell of Jay’s ear, Eric said, “If you want me to stop….”

“The word is Sahara, sir.”

“Excellent choice.” Eric delivered another smack and used the side of his foot to kick Jay’s feet farther apart, giving him enough access to Jay’s inner thighs. Those received a few well-placed hits, making Jay squirm and wiggle his hips back into the oncoming hand. “Slut,” Eric chuckled when Jay’s moans came faster and louder with every crack to his ass. “My stuff—bedroom stuff—is packed and in a moving van, so I hope you don’t mind if we improvise?”

“No, sir,” Jay panted and shoved his hips back, meeting Eric’s hand when it landed firmly against the flesh of his ass again, making his skin tingle and heat rise between his thighs. He wouldn’t have let anyone, even someone like Eric, restrain him for real until he knew them well enough to feel safe.

Though Jay already had the sense that with Eric he was very safe. Shoving away the thought he’d not be able to see this man more than very casually, Jay moaned and gasped when slick, cool lube oozed from a point just above his crack and dripped between his cheeks.

Eric’s fingers, slippery with the lube, rubbed the spot right behind Jay’s balls while the pad of his thumb pressed against his entrance, making small circles. With every twitch of his thumb, Eric’s fingers pushed more insistently against the sensitive skin of his perineum.

Jay leaned more of his weight against the chair back, panting and moaning, his entire world narrowed to the movements of Eric’s fingers. When he tried pushing back to get Eric’s thumb inside him, Eric’s other hand fisted in his hair and tugged with enough force to stop Jay’s backward thrusting. Heart hammering in his chest, Jay gasped for breath, fingers scrabbling over the material of the chair arms.

Without warning Eric’s fingers were gone from the heated flesh of Jay’s ass. He felt Eric shift around and loosen his belt one handed. “Stay.” Eric’s voice was husky and sent more shivers through Jay. He heard the sounds of Eric’s shirt, shoes, and jeans coming off. Jay cleared his throat and shuddered when Eric caressed his back with one hand, asking, “Yes?”

“May I… your condom?”

Eric wound one arm around Jay’s waist and pulled him upright, rubbing his cock between Jay’s cheeks and licking at his ear. “Hmm, I’d like that.” Eric’s free hand skimmed down Jay’s side and between his legs again, fondling his balls. “When I’m ready you may.” He pushed one oiled finger inside Jay up to the first knuckle, moving in slow, easy circles. Easing in farther, he crooked his finger and pressed for a split second against the sweet spot inside Jay, making his knees buckle.

A second finger was slowly pushed in, and Eric twisted and spread Jay until he was open, loose, and nearly whimpering. Eric pulled his fingers out and slowly turned Jay, drawing him close. Slanting his mouth over Jay’s, he moved one hand to Jay’s hair and held him still, swiping his tongue over Jay’s lips.

Jay sighed and parted his lips, the tip of his own tongue slipping out and brushing over Eric’s. In the next second, Eric’s tongue was inside his mouth, exploring everywhere. Eric tightened his arms around Jay’s back and parted his lips. Jay took the invitation, enjoying the warmth of Eric’s mouth.

Eric leaned away, ending their kiss. He dug in his pocket, extracting a small packet. “Put this on me, now.”

As he’d done in the parking lot, Jay did a slow slide to his knees, dragging over Eric’s thick, muscular thigh. He took the condom packet Eric held out and opened it, peeled the condom over the head of Eric’s penis with two fingers, then used his mouth to finish the job. Eric’s hips canted forward, and he moaned, deep and long.

A small voice far back in Jay’s mind wondered would they ever know each other well enough to dispense with the use of condoms. Jay reminded himself to worry about here and now, not a future he couldn’t have. The way Eric’s eyes tracked Jay’s every move, as if he were the only other person on earth, made warmth spread through Jay’s chest.

Jay swirled his tongue over Eric’s cock, delighted with the words and noises of pleasure coming from the man’s mouth. He picked the lube up off the floor, spread a generous amount on his hands and used them both to smear it over Eric’s cock. Hands gripped him under his arms and lifted, making him let go of Eric’s cock and urging him to his feet. “Bed,” Eric breathed out. “Now. Face down, legs spread for me.”

Jay stumbled and would have gone face-first into the carpeting had Eric not caught and guided him. Crawling onto the bed, Jay did as he was told and lay sprawled on his stomach, legs open and body wanting.

Eric’s weight pressed over Jay; his cock rubbed over his entrance, making Jay’s breath catch and his heart stutter. Jay’s wrists were gripped in one of Eric’s hands and held over his head. Eric’s other hand pressed the back of Jay’s head, holding him firmly in place. Pushing slowly, Eric buried himself inside Jay, pulled out even more slowly, and then snapped his hips forward, thrusting in deep.

Jay lifted his hips, impaling himself on the thick cock within him, groaning and gasping, desperate for more. Eric set a fast pace, each thrust more powerful than the last, until he bent his head and bit down on Jay’s shoulder. A series of short pants and husky moans and Eric came, throbbing and pumping inside Jay.

Gripping Jay’s wrists even harder, Eric let his entire weight drop onto his back. Jay’s own cock felt like it was on fire from the inside, and his ass stung from the sweat between them. Every inch of his skin felt ignited. He tingled inside and out, desperate for more.

Eric’s pace slowed. He nipped at Jay’s ear, then whispered, “You are incredible.” His warm breath filled Jay’s ear. As he softened inside, he moved his hips in slow circles, brushing Jay’s sweet spot again and again. Forbidden to speak, Jay could only moan and sigh.

Chuckling softly, Eric eased out and knelt beside Jay. One hand pressed to his back, he leaned down and murmured, “Stay still, very still.”

His fingers replaced his cock, twisting, turning, brushing over Jay’s prostate until Jay thought he’d explode. Hand moving slowly over heated skin, Eric slipped his hand between Jay and the bed. He finally, finally, took Jay’s penis in hand, pumping in time with the movements of his fingers inside Jay.

“Are you ready?” Eric asked in a low voice.

“Pl-please, please.” Jay barely managed to get the words out of his mouth.

Eric pulled his fingers from Jay’s ass and wound that arm under Jay’s hips, lifting him a few inches off the bed. His other hand stroked Jay faster, twisting on each upstroke and skimming his thumbnail along the underside of the crown of Jay’s cock.

“You’ve been very good. You may come now.”

Jay yelped, hips moving side to side frantically, hands clasping in the sheets as his balls tightened and liquid fire coursed through him, making every muscle jerk and spasm along with his pulsating cock. The world spun away for a few seconds, and the only thing Jay’s mind registered was the intense pleasure thrumming through him, centered on his cock.

Dragging in a few deep breaths, Jay came back to himself when he was moved, eased across Eric’s thighs, and rolled gently onto his back. Eric bent over him, pushed Jay’s hair away from his face, and smiled. Leaning in, he brushed his lips lightly over Jay’s forehead. “You needed that.”

“Yeah,” Jay agreed. “More than you know.”

“Good.” Eric sighed and ran both hands up Jay’s torso. “I need a shower, been driving all damn day.” He nodded toward the bathroom.

Pushing up on his elbows, Jay inched away and off the bed, lips curling to a shy smile. “May I warm the water, sir?”

Eric nodded and gave Jay a quick slap on his ass once he was off the bed.

As Jay headed to the bathroom, he glanced over his shoulder, pleased to see Eric watching him.

By the time Jay finished washing Eric’s long, muscular body, they were both hard again. Holding Jay to the shower wall, Eric sucked his cock, taking him to the brink and leaving him there, making him back away and then taking him there again. For the second time that night, Jay’s wrists were gripped in Eric’s strong hand, and Eric’s cock pounded into him, while Jay was helpless to do anything except stand there and take it.

It was the best night Jay ever had, and Eric was true to his word, making sure Jay got all he needed, making him wait and beg until he thought he couldn’t stand it anymore. Then Eric made him wait even more, but it was well worth it.

Author Bio:
Elizabeth Noble started telling stories before she actually knew how to write, and her family was very happy when she learned to put words on a page. Those words turned into fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M romance fiction. Being able to share her works with Dreamspinner is really a dream come true. She has a real love for all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural and a bit of an unnatural interest in a super-volcano in Wyoming.

Elizabeth has three grown children and is now happily owned by three mutts, a foster mutt, and two cats. She lives in her native northeast Ohio. When she's not writing she's working as a veterinary nurse, so don't be surprised to see her men with a pet or three. When at work she meets all sorts of interesting characters who often find their way into some story or another.

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Sunday's Safe Word Shelf: Sentries by Elizabeth Noble

Marked Yours #1
Summary:
Three hundred years ago, natural disaster reformed the face of North America, and the people who lived in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains would never be the same. Now, the master/slave bond in New Colorado has become a sacred rite of service, protection, and, sometimes, for the lucky, love. Nick and his intended Master, Todd Ruger, a sentry of the territories, have grown up knowing that they were pledged to this bond. They're looking forward to the ritual with both excitement and trepidation-it's something they've prepared for their entire lives. But New Colorado's institution of slavery has made dangerous enemies on a frontier fraught with trouble, and they are unprepared for the trials their new relationship will face. Their bond needs to grow very strong, very fast if it's going to survive the collision of old superstition, new beliefs, and the ever-present danger of the natural and supernatural frontier.

Together Bound #2
Summary:
Todd and Nick Ruger have settled into their life and work, the master/slave bond in New Colorado tying them together in a sacred rite of service, protection, and—in their case—love. But out of the blue, Todd receives a letter from the vice-chancellor of New Colorado threatening their bond, demanding ownership of Nick under eminent domain.

It turns out Vice-Chancellor Clarke desperately needs the help of the sentries, especially Nick, to investigate a problem involving the Chancellor. With New Colorado on the verge of war with West Caldera, a rift in the government would be disastrous. Todd and Nick agree to help, and Nick enters the orphan slave compound while Todd joins the Estate security force.

They don’t expect the danger they discover. Now the target of an unimaginable threat, Nick and Todd will face terrors that lead to murder, imprisonment, and the threat of separation forever as the hopeless battle escalates into full-scale war.

Chained Hearts #3
Summary:
Sentries Series Book Three Sequel to Together Bound Todd and Nick Ruger are alive and on the run in the Yellowknife Protectorate, but maybe not for long. After narrowly escaping New Colorado, where they were implicated in the assassination of Chancellor Shaffer, they're running out of steam: Todd is gravely ill and Nick's injured. Just when it seems like the harsh winter will get the best of them, they find refuge with a doctor in the isolated town of Elk's Ridge. On the surface, Elk's Ridge seems the ideal place to rebuild their lives. Nick begins training as the doctor's apprentice, and Todd works in a lumberyard until they're recovered enough to return to their duties as Sentries. They make friends, forge a new life, and most importantly, there's no sign of anyone from New Colorado. They should have known it was too good to be true. Victor Raleigh, the new Vice Chancellor of New Colorado, knows all about Nick's psychic abilities, and he wants them in his corner. When Nick is betrayed and captured, Todd sees no alternative but to head back to the war zone to rescue him. But will Nick be the same man Todd loves after Raleigh's pet psychic vampire is through with him?

Collared Souls #4
Summary:
Freedom is within reach for Todd and Nick Ruger, but their dreams of Elk’s Ridge are dashed by Vice-Chancellor Raleigh’s troops. With his mate imprisoned, Nick searches for help and finds an unlikely and unexpected ally. But Todd’s release leaves them once again in debt to Chancellor Clarke.

Their mission sends them to the small village of Eldrid in search of a historic record of owners and slaves with unique abilities. Eldrid holds even more secrets from the past—including the origins of sentries—as well as conspiracies of the present that are set to launch a new battle that will turn lover helplessly against lover. Though Todd and Nick know the realities of war are hard lessons, it will be a fight to draw on the strengths of their bond, survive, and learn to forgive.

Tethered Pair #5
Summary:
War rages across New Colorado Protectorate, and both sides employ normal and supernatural soldiers and arsenals. Sentries like Todd and Nick Ruger have the talents and training to combat such paranormal threats.

When Todd and Nick are sent by New Colorado’s Chancellor Clarke to investigate a group of weapons smugglers, they wind up posing undercover on the riverboat Annabelle. To their horror, they discover the arms dealers are demons—creatures they have no experience facing. Staying alive will take all their skills and abilities, especially trust in the powerful bond they’ve forged.

In the process of trying to stop the flow of illegal weapons, Todd and Nick learn of an assassination plot—targeting Chancellor Clarke. The events it sets into motion will alter the Rugers’ lives forever.

Marked Yours #1
It was close to midnight when they finally stopped to make camp. There were four wagons in all, the other three carrying two or three occupants each, and two men riding on horseback. Nick’s mind drifted back to childhood, watching Todd ride through his village a few times a year, watching him grow from a skinny boy of twelve to the powerful man he was now.A fire was built in the center of the wagon circle, and a meal was prepared. The night air was chilled and damp and Nick’s clothes, more suited for the southern climate, weren’t keeping him very warm. Nick wouldn’t have minded sitting near the fire to eat, even if he had to listen to John Ruger and his friends tell whatever stories they told one another. Todd, however, took his food and headed back to their wagon, so Nick followed.

He tried hard not to shiver through dinner. Everyone else had thicker coats and heavier clothes, much more prepared for the climate they were heading into than Nick. Glancing wistfully at the fire and its warmth, Nick huddled over his plate. He’d never dare ask for another coat. He was a slave. Who cared if he was cold? Slaves didn’t count in this world.

“You have any heavier clothes?”

Shaking his head, Nick murmured, “No, Todd.”

Todd set his plate down hard on the ground and stood abruptly. Nick flinched and looked up. Reaching into the wagon, Todd pulled out a heavy dark green pullover shirt. In his other hand he carried a few bottles and two glasses.

“Here, put this on. It’ll keep you warm enough for now. When we get home you’re getting the right clothes. I’m not spending the rest of my life watching you shiver.” He set the bottles and glasses down and resettled onto the ground beside Nick. Dark, amber liquid was poured from one of the bottles. “You ever had whisky before?” He started to hold the small glass out to Nick, but when Nick shook his head no, Todd chuckled. “Okay then. Not having this right now.” Grinning, Todd downed the liquid himself. Crossing his eyes, he shook his head as he swallowed. “Here, try this instead. We’ll start you off slow and work you up to the really rotgut stuff later.”

Nick laughed and took the small bottle Todd offered. He took a whiff; it didn’t smell bad. Nick took a short sip of the bottle’s contents. He pulled the bottle away and looked at it. “What is this?”

Todd had been watching him the entire time, looking almost boyish and hopeful. “Eh, you didn’t spit it back at me, so that’s good. Beer. You never had beer before?”

“No. Just water.”

“You like it?”

“Yeah, I do. It’s different. Sorta bitter at first.” He’d pulled the heavier shirt over his head; it was thick and made of a woven material that was warm and soft. Breathing in deeply, he was at once surrounded by the combined smells of gun oil, leather, and something he recognized from sitting beside Todd all day that was uniquely Todd. The beer made his throat warm, but it was the scent of Todd all around him that made warmth spread in delicate tendrils from his belly to his chest.

“Good, ’cause I don’t do bread and water. We do what we do and keep the good folks in the towns and villages safe at night, but they’re damn well feeding us good.”

Nick had no idea what it was Todd referred to. He’d thought since Todd and his father, and now Nick, were hunters, they’d simply track down and catch their own food if they needed to. Nodding, Nick drank his beer and finished his food. It was stew—tasty, hot, and filled with chunks of meat and vegetables in a heavy broth.

After mopping the remains of the stew from his plate with bread, Todd leaned back and grinned. “I want more. You want more?”

Looking up, surprised and knowing his face showed it, Nick blurted out, “I am allowed more?”

Todd snorted. “Yes, Nick, you are.” He held out a hand for Nick to pull up on. Once righted, Todd’s hand released his, moved to his neck, and patted gently a few times before he turned and went back to the fire.

The men there snidely asked why Nick was still wearing clothes and why they were wasting time eating. Todd ignored them. As he turned around, heading back to their wagon, Todd’s eyes caught Nick’s. He smirked and shook his head.

They resettled behind the wagon, out of sight of the others, and finished eating in silence. Then, leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees, Todd rubbed at the back of his neck for a few minutes.

“So, uh, you ever been with a woman?”

Nick stared at a point between his feet and shook his head no.

Todd shifted a bit. Nick thought he sounded nervous[A1] . “A man?”

“No.” His voice came out barely above a whisper.

“Got any preference?”

Nick drew in a deep breath and looked up at Todd, who wore that boyish, hopeful expression again. “I like watching girls sometimes, but they’re sort of skinny, no muscle. I think I look at men more.”

Todd nodded and seemed satisfied with those answers. It wasn’t as if Nick had a choice. He’d been bound to another male since he was five years old. Whether he preferred men or women as sexual partners was never a consideration. Maybe he’d always been that way, or maybe he’d just trained himself to like men more. He didn’t know. It didn’t really matter.

When Todd reached out and curled warm, strong fingers around his neck, Nick leaned into the touch. He decided it was something Todd liked to do, touch him that way, and it appeared to Nick the gesture pleased Todd and made him relax. Nick had decided back in the village, the first time Todd had touched him that way, that he liked it. Not even twenty-four hours later and Nick was craving those tiny touches and counting the minutes between them, hoping for another one.

This time Todd leaned closer and pulled Nick toward him. As Todd’s lips brushed the side of Nick’s hair, he moaned soft and low. Pushing his nose through Nick’s hair for a few seconds, Todd pulled him in even tighter, nuzzling his cheek against Nick’s, breathing in deep. “You smell good.” Todd’s hand moved from his neck up into Nick’s hair, turning his head toward Todd.

Todd pressed his lips to Nick’s, gently licking his tongue along Nick’s lower lip. It startled him at first when Todd’s tongue slipped between his lips and into his mouth. Todd’s other arm wound around Nick’s waist and gently, slowly pulled Nick completely against him. Todd’s tongue glided around his own and coaxed Nick’s tongue into his mouth. Todd sucked lightly on Nick’s tongue for a few seconds before pulling away. He looked at Nick, seemed to be memorizing every bit of Nick’s face before pulling him back in for another kiss. This time Nick mimicked Todd’s actions and sucked Todd’s tongue.

When Todd pulled away for the second time, they were both panting, and Nick was whimpering softly. Fingers raked tenderly through his hair and Todd kissed his nose and then his cheek, murmuring in his ear, “You taste so good. I’ve been waiting forever to do that.”

Nick felt a flush creep over him. When Todd’s arm tightened even more around his middle, Nick leaned his head down so his face was pressed to the crook of Todd’s neck. “I don’t… I’ve never….” This was so embarrassing.

“It’s okay, Nicky. You’ll learn. You’ll be just fine. Just us now.” Todd rested his chin on the top of Nick’s head and held him tightly. Nick had never in his life been held—not like this. He’d been held down and beaten a few times, but never had anyone simply held him. When he pressed closer and relaxed more against Todd, the other man drew in a deep breath and let it out slow. Nick liked this and he sensed Todd did too.

Laughter from the direction of the fire made them both start and pull back from each other. Laughing nervously, Todd ruffled Nick’s hair. “We’ll save the rest for when we can be alone.” He stood and stretched, throwing the cover back on the wagon’s opening. “Just us now,” he repeated. Nick nodded because he had the feeling he was supposed to respond somehow. “C’mon, Nicky. Get some sleep.”

Together Bound #2
Geoffrey Clarke wasn’t expecting his guests to particularly like him. He stood and stepped around his desk to greet them, motioning to the chairs, making a point to indicate both chairs. “Please, gentlemen, have a seat.”

When the older of the two simply stopped halfway through the room and politely informed him they were just fine where they were, Clarke knew this was going to be rougher than he’d thought. Taking the coward’s way out he retreated to the far side of his desk.

He knew the slave was young, barely more than a boy, his age being listed in the public sale records. The kid’s master was another story. It seemed there’d been two parties involved in the boy’s purchase. The fact that this man was the obvious owner and not much older than his slave confirmed Clarke’s suspicions they’d been bound as children. Ever since he’d arrived at his office earlier this morning and read the message from Todd Ruger, Clarke had been having second thoughts. Seeing the two of them now fueled his doubts.

The boy dropped to one knee behind and to the left of his master. Clarke saw how the kid curled the fingers of one hand into the hem of Ruger’s pants.

“I’m Geoffrey Clarke.” He purposely left off his title.

“I know who you are and I don’t care, you can’t do this.” Ruger’s left hand dropped onto his slave’s head. Clarke doubted the man even realized he’d done that.

“I understand this is—”

“Hard for me?” Ruger snapped. “He’s…my…mate.”

“I was going to say—”

“He’s my mate.” Todd repeated the words, voice softening. “Do you have a family Mr. Clarke?”

Nodding, Clarke said, “Yes. I have a wife and two daughters.”

“How about you just hand over your wife to me for whatever I want to do with her?”

Clarke winced. The guy had a very valid point. “Look, I’m sorry, but I needed…I asked around and your name came up over and over again as the best sentry…I don’t know much about…shit.”

“So, you wanted to hire a sentry and figured the way to win me over was threaten my mate?” Ruger was spitting words at him again. The man looked positively frightening. His slave scooted farther to the right so he was more behind his master than not.

“It’s a complicated matter, I needed someone who could get the job done, but who I could trust would follow the instructions to never talk about it. Your slave is the only one I could find who had any sentry skills and he does have a special talent.” Leaning his hands on his desk he let his weight shift forward. “I guess I didn’t think this through very well. I’m sorry. I never should have sent that letter. You’re both free to leave.”

Todd’s face softened and his shoulders relaxed by a small fraction. He glanced down for a beat, his slave glancing up, their eyes locking before the slave ducked his head down again. “What do you need a sentry for?” Clarke watched a slow smile spread over the slave’s face, an expression of pride replaced what had been apprehension.

Dropping his gaze to the boy kneeling behind Todd, Clarke waved one hand up and down, “Son, stand up, get off the floor.”

The kid looked up at Todd who tilted his head and nodded. He let his hand slide from the boy’s head to rest against his hip as his slave rose and stood behind him.

“What’s your name, boy?” For the life of him he couldn’t pull the name on the kid’s records out of his head.

“Nick.”

Clarke straightened. “Nick, I’m sorry. I had no way of knowing what sort of relationship you have with your master, I’d heard stories that sentries only took slaves to use as weapons.”

“Nick hunts, he doesn’t kill.” Todd said. Clarke couldn’t help the feeling that every sentence the man uttered was some sort of challenge. “I kill.”

Why didn’t Ruger’s last statement surprise him? “As I said, I didn’t think things through very well.”

“No, you didn’t.” Todd was snarling again, not that Clarke could blame him for being angry.

“Please, sit down.”

Todd crossed his arms over his chest and glared.

Shifting so he could look Nick in the eye, Clarke asked, “Is your master always like this?”

The boy, Nick, smiled. It was soft, affectionate and incredibly kind. “Only when it comes to me.”

Chained Hearts #3
Nick’s movements drew Todd’s attention. His mate rolled to his butt, sitting there leaning on one hand, legs half-stretched in front of him and crossed just below his knees. Shaggy, dark hair was brushed away from his face, and sleep-blurry eyes blinked at Todd, making his young mate look even younger… more like a sleep-tousled little boy.

There was no way Todd could, or would even try, to stop the smile from spreading over his face. Scooting closer to Nick, he combed his fingers through Nick’s hair, appreciating how soft it was. He pressed a gentle kiss to Nick’s forehead. “Morning.”

One side of Nick’s mouth twitched up for a second before he yawned.

“Christ, Nick, some days you make me feel like a pedophile.”

Nick yawned again, scratched at his chest, and mumbled out, “Huh?” He inched along the ground until he wedged himself between Todd’s legs and laid his head on Todd’s shoulder, face pressed against the side of his neck. Nick yawned again. His entire body relaxed as he nestled against Todd, ribcage expanding with yet another yawn.

“Lemme see this.” Todd lifted Nick’s shirt and inspected the bandaged wound as he had during the night. “According to the map, there’s a town not too far from here. How about we check it out, see if there is somewhere we can get some supplies? We need more bandaging material and more medicine to put on your wound. I’m going to heat some water and get it cleaned out again.”

“I don’t think it’s ever going to heal,” Nick grumbled. “It’s been almost a month.”

“I wouldn’t mind finding a doctor to take a look at it either.” Todd smoothed Nick’s shirt back into place and took a deep breath. “Nick, you keep having those nightmares.”

“How are we going to explain this kind of wound?”

Tapping Nick’s nose with one finger, Todd warned, “No changing the subject.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t stop them. They keep coming.”

“Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault. We need to work on stopping them.” Massaging the back of his neck and shoulder, Todd gave some more thought to what Nick had told him last night. “Is there a part of the nightmares, or a certain scenario that bothers you more than the others?” Nick snorted.

“The whole thing bothers me.”

“Nick, work with me, here.”

“Well, it really scares me that there might be a second kelbit, a mate, and that she wants revenge and is tracking us. The nightmares always end with me cutting off your--its—head.”

Nodding, Todd said quietly, “I’ve proved to you there is no mate near here. We’ve searched and checked and not seen a single sign of another one. They can change form to look like someone else but not turn invisible. And it has no psychic power to get into your head. All it can do is take the memories and emotions of the person whose form it takes.”

“I know, and I do try telling myself that every day.”

Easing away from Nick, Todd stood up, at a loss for what else to say that might be helpful. Moving farther from the wagon, he got a fire started and set a pot of water on to heat. Nick wandered off toward the nearby river. Todd grabbed his clothes and headed after his mate.

He’d considered the possibility that Nick was right and the kelbit did have a mate who was somehow able to infiltrate Nick’s dreams. More likely, it was trauma. Nick’s ability to sense evil entities also made him incredibly sensitive emotionally. That trait didn’t always work for them, which strengthened Todd’s resolve to find them somewhere bigger than their wagon to stay. A place more easily defended and sturdier than a wagon would naturally offer a higher sense of security.

Once they were done washing in the cool water, Nick quietly sat by the fire, naked from the waist up, while Todd scrubbed out the round bite wound, smeared some more of the antiseptic cream over it, and applied a fresh bandage. The only sign of discomfort Nick let show was the occasional hissed in breath and a shifting of his shoulders forward. After the cream was smoothed over him, he turned and looked over his shoulder, rubbing at it with one hand. “That makes it feel better.” He offered Todd a sweet, easy smile. “Thanks.”

“How about we get a real meal in town? It should be over that rise. It’s called Elk’s Ridge, and from the looks of it on the map, it’s a decent-sized town. Then we can hit a store if they have one. We’ll need somewhere a little more permanent and stable for the winter. This area is as good as any I suppose. If we want, we can head out again in the spring, but for now, we have enough money to get us through.”

“We can always get work, Todd. There will be lots of our sort of problems kicked up by the war. You know, ghosts to dispatch, monsters to slay, curses to break.” Nick shrugged and grinned. “I sort of miss doing our good deeds.”

“Well, me too, but not until that wound is healed, we can’t. Besides, time to give it a break for a bit, I think, and stay as far away from that war as possible. I hope if they have a store, there’s a post office, too, so we can send our letter to Jimmy and maybe get a newspaper, see what we’re missing.”

Todd saw how Nick’s face softened when he mentioned Jimmy. He knew the tone of his own voice clued Nick in to how much he worried about Jimmy Cantor. He wasn’t only the coordinator of sentries in New Colorado, but he had partially raised Todd and was their friend.

Nick nodded and pulled his shirt over his head, then added the sweatshirt Todd had given him on their first day together and he still insisted on wearing. They dowsed the fire and packed their camp into the wagon before securing the team, choosing instead to ride the saddle horses into town.

“We can’t ride the same horse?” Nick stood beside Obi, looking up at Todd who was already sitting on the other horse. It’d taken Nick a while longer, but he’d come up with a name for the young, buckskin gelding. Todd’s horse had been named Arenite. “What if it’s a problem, me riding on a horse?”

Motioning to Nick to mount up, Todd smiled softly. “It’ll be okay. No law says you can’t ride one as long as you’re with me. I know you like when we ride together better, but we’re going to need both horses and the packs to haul back supplies.”

“No law in New Colorado,” Nick grumbled and swung onto the horse.

“I doubt the laws in Yellowknife are much different, but if they are, we’ll worry about it then. I’m willing to bet the laws here might be looser since they don’t have their own slavery industry, just don’t take the offense to it that West Caldera does.”

Nick didn’t say anything else, simply nodded and nudged Obi into motion, keeping close enough to Todd their legs brushed as the horses moved. It was sunny, with large, puffy, white clouds dotting the sky. The air had a crisp, clean scent to it that always put Todd in a good, mellow mood.

The town, Todd discovered, was a pleasant one. There was maybe around a thousand inhabitants, smaller than the tens of thousands who lived in bigger cities like New Colorado City or Yellowknife City, but not so small that they were totally unaccustomed to people passing through.

On the way into town, they had passed apple orchards and an abundance of maple trees. Farms dotted the area; Todd had seen that on the map. Even as far north as it was, it was a hub for travelers, which was immediately evident by the several inns and variety of shops and businesses. There were also a few cafés and restaurants, a larger sized livery, libraries, and a fair amount of homes scattered around the outskirts and farther out in the countryside. Leaving their horses in the care of the livery, they decided to hike around and check the place out.

The buildings were mostly stone and wood with slate and shingle roofs. The streets were cobblestone or brick-paved with wide, wooden sidewalks on either side. Flowerboxes hung under the windows of the businesses. Many of the houses and the inns had gardens with both flowers and vegetables. It was easy to see treelined, residential streets off the main roads. The houses looked like larger homes perfect for families, and Todd counted two schools.

This was a little oasis of civilization in the rugged, mostly uninhabited, far northern part of the Rocky Mountains.

Their first stop was the Rambling Moose café a few blocks over from the livery. It was the type of place that attracted both people wanting a quick bite to eat as well as those enjoying a relaxing meal out. Inside was a bar surrounded by a dozen or so tables with big, comfortable-looking chairs. A deck ran around three of the building’s sides, affording patrons the opportunity to eat and drink outside in the nicer weather.

Just like they did at the café near what had been their home in New Colorado City, Todd and Nick took an outdoor table. They settled into the heavy wooden chairs and looked over the menu. A waiter came along, greeting them and welcoming them to Elk’s Ridge. He made some small talk while providing them with water and coffee. Todd kept his answers neutral, and the man never acted as if anything were amiss or that he’d recognized them, immediately putting Todd at ease. As soon as he relaxed, he saw how Nick did the same.

The fact that Todd was a stranger, wandering the streets and now sitting at an outside table at the café with a slave, drew little attention other than a few people who’d greeted them on the street. As he’d always done, Nick’s tether was hooked to his collar and then tucked into his back pocket making it easy to grab if needed.

The letter to Jimmy started a few days ago was finished while they sipped very good coffee and waited for their meal. Todd was pleased that people here had slaves. He’d seen several on their trip through, and no one seemed much fussed over how he treated Nick. In fact, this town reminded him of the New Colorado City neighborhood he’d chosen to live in, where most of the owners and slaves were a part of a family.

Todd got a good feeling from the town; people minded their own business and were open to newcomers, not that he was ready to find a real estate office just yet, but this was definitely a place to check out more closely. They would probably be fine if they could find a small cabin or even a cave for the winter, keep an eye on the town, and decide if this was where they wanted to live.

“The coffee here is good.” Nick had finally stopped shoveling food in and was leaning back in his chair, looking up and down the street. He looked content and was smiling; another good sign as far as Todd was concerned.

When they left the Rambling Moose Café, there was a five-pound bag of coffee beans to add to their packs. The doctor, they discovered, lived just west of the town and outside of it on a small piece of property. If he didn’t find something for Nick’s shoulder in town, then Todd decided a visit to the doctor was in order.

They wandered down the street to the next main intersecting street and took a right, walking along. There was a large store not far from the intersection; they’d gotten directions from a waiter at the café. It took up nearly half the block. It was several stories high with a store on the main floor, lodging on the second floor, and whatever was on the third wasn’t open to the public, but Todd suspected it was storage. He could see houses behind the store that were attached to it. Probably whatever family owned it lived in those houses. To one side was a barn that was home to a half dozen horses if the small windows running in a line across the middle of the building were any indication.

In unison, they stopped and looked at the large, wood sign with the words Foxtail General Store carved into the wood. A fox lounged across the top of the letters, while its tail was wrapped underneath. Nick nudged Todd’s side and pointed at the sign, grinning. “People around here like the wildlife. They can’t be so bad,” Nick said.

“Let’s hope you’re right. This is a nice town.” Todd pushed the door open and went inside, Nick a step behind him.

As they walked through, Nick was all eyes, checking out everything, making Todd smile. It’d been a while since he’d truly seen Nick’s insatiable curiosity come bouncing to the forefront, and it gave him hope his young mate would be on the mend if they stuck around this area for a while. Heading toward the back where there was a counter, and looking beyond it, Todd did indeed see that there was someone’s home.

Two small children, a boy and girl, maybe about four years old came running from behind the counter. They were small, blonde, cute, looked like twins, and nearly ran Todd over.

“Whoa, whoa, easy there,” he laughed and scooped one kid—the girl—up, swung her around, and set her on the counter all while deftly sidestepping the little boy plowing into his shins. Nick covered his mouth and snickered.

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry. Karen, Kieron, you’re both supposed to be in the house helping Nana not annoying our customers. Now go.”

A woman about Todd’s age rushed after them. She was small, equally as blonde as her children, with crystal-blue eyes, and had long, wavy hair that fell to below her shoulders. She offered Todd a dazzling smile. “I am very sorry. What can I do for you?” She skimmed her fingers over his forearm lightly before coming to rest on the counter.

A quick glance back at Nick who was brushing his hair back from his face and looking a little grumpy, and Todd stepped up to the counter after the little girl, Karen, vacated it for the house and her Nana. The woman’s gaze flashed to Nick for a brief instant before landing back on Todd. He hoped he really didn’t look like some kind of pedophile after all. His mate looked too damn young sometimes. Todd resisted the urge to blurt out Nick was twenty-three.

“Do you have any postal service here?” Todd fished the letter out of his coat pocket.

Nick stepped up behind him, dropped to one knee, crossed his arms over the bent one, and looked around the store casually. Todd recognized that for what it was; Nick’s little bouts of jealousy and insecurity hadn’t bothered him since the night not too long after leaving the Chancellor’s Estate that he’d chased after his mate. Nick behaved this way the most when he wanted reassurance from Todd; he understood that and found giving Nick his needed security and letting it ride was his best course of action. He let one hand drop casually to his side and moved it back far enough to skim across Nick’s hair for a few seconds before bringing it back up to rest on the counter. Todd didn’t often demand Nick take a kneeling position behind him, but he wanted Nick to know when he chose to do so on his own, Todd completely understood the reasoning behind Nick’s actions and that Nick would never be reprimanded.

“We do.” She held out her hand, and Todd set the envelope with their letter to Jimmy in her palm. It took her a minute to weigh it and figure the postage, and she chatted away at him while she worked. “I’m Amelia Wilbourne, and you’ve met my children. Are you new in town or passing through?”

He also found out in those few minutes that she was a widow; her husband had been killed in an accident earlier the year before. She lived with her grandparents and children. Her brother and his family ran the local lumberyard about a mile down the road. It was way too much information, definitely way too much hair flipping and touching of Todd’s forearm while she was giving it out.

“Not sure yet.” Todd smiled at her and handed over payment for the postage then gave her a quick handshake when she offered her other hand. “We’re definitely here to pick up some supplies.”

Reaching behind him, he slipped one finger under Nick’s collar and tugged lightly. Nick stood, stepped closer, and waited placidly beside him. “I’m Todd Ruger. This is Nick, my mate.”

Amelia’s gaze barely flicked to Nick who smiled politely and nodded. “Hello.” His voice was soft, and Todd was likely the only person who’d ever hear the note of insecurity in it.

“Well, Mr. Ruger, if you need anything at all, let me know.” She had a sort of predatory sweet smile that made Todd want to shake his head. Nick more glared at her than anything. “I hope we see more of you in here. If there is anything you can’t find, let me know, I’ll have it ordered.”

“I bet you will,” Nick grumbled. If she heard him, she ignored him. In fact, other than the first glance she’d spared Nick, she hadn’t acknowledged his presence at all.

Todd gave Nick a slight bump on his arm, and they grabbed a basket, and walked up and down the aisles. Thankfully, Todd found some medicated cream as well as the rest of the supplies they were getting low on to replenish their stock. Nick finding a book that interested him made Todd happy, and he made it a point to hand it back to Nick after paying for it. Amelia’s looks were making him nervous, and he decided he really wanted her to understand Nick was his mate, and Todd was not looking for any other sort of company.

It was early evening when they left the town and headed back to their wagon. Todd wasn’t comfortable enough to get a room at one of the inns for a few nights. He wanted to watch the town and the area for a while first. That night, a cold wind blew in heavy rains, forcing them to sleep in the wagon. Todd spent the night shifting from one side to the other, trying to ease aches and cramps, never seeming to find a position that allowed him to relax and sleep, all while trying to stifle a cough he figured came from the damp air and not wake up Nick. That turned out to be a nonissue since Nick didn’t really sleep much. If he wasn’t flinching awake from nightmares, he was rousted by Todd’s tossing and coughing.

By early morning, the two of them finally got to sleep. It rained most of that day, making Todd even antsier. He’d decided he wanted to check the area, watch the town, and bad weather was thwarting his plans.

Collared Souls #4
They were taken through the main entrance. The prison wasn’t one single building, but half a dozen set in a horseshoe. Each building was connected by a short wooden breezeway with small windows but no door to the outside. Those were the only places Nick could see that weren’t constructed of stone and iron. From where he was, it looked like no more than two or three people could be in one of the breezeways at the same time.

Their cuffs were left in place, but the ropes lashing them to the horse were removed, as were their packs hanging on the saddle. The mounted soldiers climbed off their horses and began leading them to one of the buildings near the right end of the cluster. It became clear to Nick that these people had been here often. Possibly this was also their barracks.

Larry Witze stood near the doorway of one of the center buildings. Nick’s heart sank a little when he saw the expression on the man’s face. Witze was angry and making no effort to hide that fact from Captain Howard, judging by the glares they exchanged.

Captain Howard wiped her hands on her pants and strode forward, glancing sideways at the soldiers standing on either side of Todd and Nick. “Bring them,” she ordered.

Todd drew in a deep breath and took a long stride forward so he was in front of Nick. Taking his cue, Nick purposely checked his steps for a few feet and moved to the side, dropping behind Todd.

They were led into one of the buildings. Captain Howard going first, she unlocked the door using a key from a ring hooked to her belt, went through, and stopped a few feet inside. She turned and watched as the soldiers, one in front of Todd and one behind Nick, then Larry Witze filed through and into the building.

They walked down a narrow corridor, forced to stay in a line, and were taken into a room, which looked to Nick like some kind of intake area.

“Inform the vice chancellor we’re here,” Captain Howard said to one of the men already inside. It was difficult to tell if they were soldiers, guards, or both since they all wore the same type of uniform.

The man nodded, turned on his heels, and vanished down yet another corridor.

“Take their cuffs off,” Witze demanded.

“Mr. Witze, they’re prisoners. That’s hardly appropriate. Or wise,” Captain Howard said, rubbing the bridge of her nose with thumb and forefinger.

“It’s a prison,” Witze said flatly. “They have nowhere to go and are too smart to try an escape. Isn’t that correct, Mr. Ruger?” He looked pointedly at Todd. Had they not been in cuffs and in it pretty deep, Nick would have laughed at the looks Todd and Witze gave one another.

Todd shrugged and cocked his head to one side. “No reason to be stupid.”

“Ruger.” Witze growled the word, crossing both arms over his chest.

Todd heaved a sigh and turned to meet Nick’s gaze. “No, we will not try to escape. You have my word.”

A nod from Captain Howard, and their cuffs were removed, allowing Nick to rub his sore wrists. Todd dropped his hands to his sides and put on a very neutral expression, making Nick almost feel sorry for these people. When Todd wore that look, usually someone’s ass was going to get kicked--hard.

Vice Chancellor Raleigh picked that moment to arrive. “Well, Todd Ruger, I’ve been looking for you.” Raleigh rubbed his ribs and offered Todd a smug smile. Moving around Todd to Nick, he raised one hand, knuckles almost brushing Nick’s cheek. “And you.”

Nick jerked his head to the side and took a step back.

Todd’s hand came up in a move so fast he was a blur and caught Raleigh by the wrist while he snarled, “Don’t touch him.”

One of the guards took Nick by the arm and pulled him away a few steps. Two others positioned themselves between Nick and Todd.

A quick, almost nonexistent shake of Todd’s head, and Nick stood motionless and tense in the guard’s grip.

Chuckling, Raleigh pulled his hand free and let it drop to his side. He nodded to several of the guards. Standing close, Nick saw how their shoulders and the tense lines of their jaws relaxed only slightly. He stepped away and leaned against a desk with his hands together, wrists resting on his thighs.

“You know this won’t hold up. Chancellor Clarke reverted Nick’s ownership back to Todd Ruger. You don’t have a leg to stand on,” Witze said.

“The papers are in my pack. It’s the black one,” Todd said quietly. He was speaking to Raleigh but kept his gaze focused on Nick.

Raleigh snorted a short laugh. “Those papers were drawn up after Mr. Ruger here left the Chancellor’s Estate with a slave who was government property. Your paperwork doesn’t change that fact, nor the fact that the same slave, while owned by Todd Ruger, may have been responsible for the death of Chancellor Shaffer, as well as another individual, while on the estate falsely impersonating an orphan slave. Legally, your responsibility.”

“You can’t—” Nick jerked his arm away from the guard and took a step forward.

Nick’s words were cut off by Todd snapping a harsh “Nick!”

At once Nick stopped, sucked in a harsh breath, and stood with his fists clenched at his sides.

Raleigh gave him a pained, bored look. “Yes, in fact, I can.”

“So, we’re under arrest?” Todd ground out, glaring at Raleigh.

“No, not at all.” Raleigh smiled at Todd, shaking his head. “I’m arresting you. Nick is being remanded over to the government and taken back to the estate.”

“What? No!” Nick knew he’d already been given an order by Todd to stay put. He was shaking with the effort not to lunge forward at the closest guard. Adam had died in part because of Nick losing control and trying to attack him. He wasn’t giving Raleigh the satisfaction of seeing Nick repeat his mistake.

Raleigh turned a cool gaze on Nick. “Did you really think I’d let you slip through my fingers?”

Witze stepped up, stood beside Nick, and gave a gentle nudge to the back of Nick’s arm. “I’m still in charge of the slave sanctuary. Any slave with ownership reverting to the government, orphan or not, comes under my jurisdiction.”

Nick turned away from Raleigh, looking to Witze. “Can he do this?”

“He’s not technically an orphan slave, though that can be arranged.” Raleigh looked from Nick to Todd and then Witze, evil smirk back on his face. He turned to the guards, motioning with one hand to Todd. “Put him in a holding cell.”

Tethered Pair #5
“Let’s try other music.” This tune wasn’t quite as slow and had a more pronounced beat. Positioning Nick’s hands, then his own, Todd leaned forward far enough to brush a light kiss over Nick’s cheek. He whispered into Nick’s ear, “Listen to the music and try to follow it… and me… and relax… and—”

“Have fun, damn it!” Nick grinned, pressing his head close to Todd’s, his tongue swiping a wet path over Todd’s ear.

“Damn straight!”

“Anyway, launch is in a few hours, and there’s a party in the formal ballroom after that,” Todd said. He snickered when he got his foot out of the way of Nick’s just in time. “Don’t look down.”

Todd hustled Nick out of their suite, and they headed toward the main deck. They could have watched the launch from the small balcony off their room, but Todd wanted to see everything. He’d never understood why launches were always at night, but once they reached the main deck and the companionway that ringed it, he understood immediately.

Slave porters were moving along the deck, lighting small oil lamps and cranking Faraday lights that were hung in strings along the rail. The engines hummed. Todd could feel the vibration under his feet. He glanced sideways at Nick, took his hand, and pulled him closer to the rail so they could lean over and look.

Nick’s face split into a brilliant smile when he looked out. The river was dark, lights from the boat reflecting off the water. He turned and leaned back against the rail, facing Todd and looking up.

“That is worth this whole trip,” Nick said, motioning to the upper part of the boat.

Todd twisted around and followed Nick’s gaze with his own. The steam stacks were ringed with polished metal—it looked like brass, from the coloring. Red and black streamers flowed in the gentle breeze. The horn blared, and Todd could feel how the engines rumbled, their power ramping up.

Nick looked down, then back up at him, and grinned. “Wow.”

“Yeah,” Todd agreed.

“Okay, now I get why you are so fascinated with these boats and wanted to see this for yourself,” Nick said.

Other passengers cheered and waved to people seeing them off on the pier as the paddle wheels came to life and the boat began its journey. As it pulled away from the shore and docks, it picked up speed until, once in the center of the river, Todd could actually feel a slight breeze from its movement on his face.

He twined his fingers through Nick’s and tugged him in for a light kiss. “This is how I always imagined it would be,” he said. He’d dropped his voice so it was low and husky. It had the desired effect on his young mate. Nick sucked in a breath.

Nick pressed close, shivering, his lips curled into a smile against Todd’s mouth. “This is pretty amazing,” Nick said softly.

Author Bio:
Elizabeth Noble started telling stories before she actually knew how to write, and her family was very happy when she learned to put words on a page. Those words turned into fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M romance fiction. Being able to share her works with Dreamspinner is really a dream come true. She has a real love for all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural and a bit of an unnatural interest in a super-volcano in Wyoming.

Elizabeth has three grown children and is now happily owned by three mutts, a foster mutt, and two cats. She lives in her native northeast Ohio. When she's not writing she's working as a veterinary nurse, so don't be surprised to see her men with a pet or three. When at work she meets all sorts of interesting characters who often find their way into some story or another.

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