A Villain for Christmas #1
Summary:“I want you to help me rob a bank.”
The moment I heard those words, I should have slammed the door in my brother’s face and cracked open a book. Though if I had, I wouldn’t have run into August, the city’s main superhero… and the man of my dreams. He’s sexy, kind, and sweet—everything I’m supposed to dislike.
You see, I’m a villain… well, kind of. Honestly, I’d rather curl up and read than commit crimes, but life doesn’t always go the way I want it to, especially after being raised by some cut-rate villains who can’t even steal toilet paper without getting caught.
Suddenly, I find myself spending time with August and realize that maybe there is more to life than petting my hairless cat, but the issue is… what happens when he figures out that I’m Leviathan, an extremely powerful villain? Can he still love me regardless of who I am?
When actual supervillains start targeting August, I might be forced to show everyone who I truly am, but villains and heroes aren’t supposed to save each other, let alone fall in love.
Although, I’ve never been one to do what I’ve been told.
A Hero in Hiding #2
Summary:My days are filled with perusing August’s sexy body, reading, and petting my villain cat.
Or they should be.
Of course I can’t just kick back and let the world burn around me because August “cares” about people and while I really… don’t, the idea of my one true love waltzing off into danger has me chasing after him, flinging bad guys as far as I can with my telekinesis.
This sounds easy enough—I can fling people in my sleep—until someone uses an illusion to make me believe the worst. I might be one of the most powerful supers alive, but when it’s impossible to tell what’s real and what’s not, lines begin to blur.
Along with my band of… misfits (I’m trying to be nice here), including a firestarter who seems to excel at burning the clothes off others (I’m never going to complain about a naked August), an excitable assassin who really needs to start asking before he shoots, and an illusionist who is disgustingly normal, we’re going to save the world.
I’m joking; I don’t care about saving the world. I just want to make sure no one touches my man.
A Villain for Christmas #1
Original Audiobook Review October 2020:
I'll admit that with everything going on in 2020 that I forgot it had only been about 10 months since I read this delightful gem. Now I didn't forget just how delightfully genius and fun A Villain for Christmas was just that it had been only 10 months since reading it.
I'll admit that with everything going on in 2020 that I forgot it had only been about 10 months since I read this delightful gem. Now I didn't forget just how delightfully genius and fun A Villain for Christmas was just that it had been only 10 months since reading it.
Having re-read my original review, I don't think I can add much more without giving anything away because even though this was from last year's Christmas releases I have a feeling there is still plenty that have yet to experience it's greatness. There still isn't enough superhero stories in the LGBT genres for my liking so I know this won't be the last re-read/listen I enjoy of this Alice Winters gem.
I'll just add that this is the first audiobook with Michael Lesley as narrator for me, personally new-to-me narrators can be almost as "scary" as new-to-me authors. I needn't have worried because he does a wonderful job bringing this holiday fantasy to life, making Landon and August even more real than the author's words already did. I could almost feel the jarring sensation in my arm when I wanted to smack a couple of characters with a frying pan, that's how into the story the author and narrator make the reader/listener, which is a mark of true talent.
Original Review January 2020:
There is just not enough superhero/supervillain(or in the case of Landon's family not-so-super-supervillians) stories in the LGBT genres. A Villain for Christmas was the first book of 2020 for me and what a way to kick off the year!
This is another one of those stories that I'm not going to say too much about because you really do need to experience Landon and August's journey to fully appreciate the magnificence that is Alice Walker's storytelling. There is so much goodness in this story and the genuine-ness of the characters, whether they fall on the good or bad side of the scale, is what makes them stand out. You'll have moments of shaking your head and saying "WTF is wrong with that person?" and you'll have equal moments of "OMG how can one person be so understanding?" It's these emotions that make this story so hard to put down.
This is only the second Alice Winters book I've read and it definitely cemented my desire to read more of her backlist this year. She has a way with what I like to call "snark and cuddle" that make her characters not only fun(even if you want to shake them or smack them upside the head with a kitchen appliance) but that much more real, which isn't easy to do in the fantasy world of superheros and villains. Being a holiday setting only makes the magic of the story that much sweeter. Definitely a win win for both my holiday and superhero shelf.
This is another one of those stories that I'm not going to say too much about because you really do need to experience Landon and August's journey to fully appreciate the magnificence that is Alice Walker's storytelling. There is so much goodness in this story and the genuine-ness of the characters, whether they fall on the good or bad side of the scale, is what makes them stand out. You'll have moments of shaking your head and saying "WTF is wrong with that person?" and you'll have equal moments of "OMG how can one person be so understanding?" It's these emotions that make this story so hard to put down.
This is only the second Alice Winters book I've read and it definitely cemented my desire to read more of her backlist this year. She has a way with what I like to call "snark and cuddle" that make her characters not only fun(even if you want to shake them or smack them upside the head with a kitchen appliance) but that much more real, which isn't easy to do in the fantasy world of superheros and villains. Being a holiday setting only makes the magic of the story that much sweeter. Definitely a win win for both my holiday and superhero shelf.
A Hero in Hiding #2
A Villain for Christmas was one of my favorite reads of 2019 and audios of 2020 so when I learned there was a follow-up I was beyond excited(how it missed my book lover buying radar for almost 4 months I'll never know😉). So often when one has such a heavy wave of anticipation you tend to be disappointed as it never quite lives up to the expectation.
That was not the case with A Hero in Hiding. The anticipation and expectations I had brewing in me were blown out of the water.
August and Landon are just as intriguing and delightful as there were in 2019. Their chemistry is palpable and anyone who meets them could never be dissuaded about their devotion to each other. I love the blurred lines between good and evil, especially the way Landon sees things. Together their love has left impressions on each other when it comes to those lines but in the end you know the decisions they make will be the right path to take.
I won't go into the plot so as not to spoil it for anyone but know that you will never be not entertained and you may just find yourself with your abdomen muscles aching from all the deep in your belly laughing out loud that happens. And in this day and age, we need all the LOL moments we can get.
As for the supporting cast? We have returning family members and friends as well as a few new ones who I would never turn down reading about in their own Vexing Villains entry *fingers crossed*.
There is just not enough superhero stories in the LGBTQ genres and certainly not superhero/villain tropes. Add in the blending of humor, heart, action, and dramedy that only Alice Winters could pull off and maintain throughout from cover to cover, A Hero in Hiding is not only a brilliant read it is a full on, hands down, no doubt about it winning gem not to be missed.
RATING:
A Villain for Christmas #1
“Landon, I want you to help me rob a bank.”
I try to ignore my brother, since I clearly didn’t hear him right.
“Won’t you do me a favor?” he asks after letting himself into my house without bothering to knock. Not that knocking would have done him any good since I wasn’t planning on letting him into my house at all anyway.
“No,” I say without bothering to look up from the book I’m reading.
“Just hear me out!” he exclaims.
I lower the book and look up at my older brother Brandon. Thankfully, I don’t take much after him. Not that he’s ugly or anything like that, he’s not, but just because he’s an idiot. And the one thing I don’t want to be is an idiot. “What, Brandon?”
“I want you to help me rob a bank.”
“No! You asked me last week, and I already told you I have better things to do. Like…” I look around as I try to think of something. It’s hard when my life consists of trying to avoid my family and reading every book I can get my hands on. Oh, and did I mention avoiding my family? Honestly, that’s a full-time career when they all have powers that allow them to better annoy the shit out of me. “Work.”
“Mom told me you got fired,” Brandon says as he sits down on the couch next to me.
“I got fired because Mom came in and told the boss that she needed me. When he said I was working and couldn’t just leave, she told him he looks like an overripe nut sac.”
Brandon starts laughing. “That’s so cool.”
“I hate all of you,” I decide as I lift my book back up.
“About the bank. Come on, you borrowed money from me last week.”
I stare at my brother in disbelief. “Five dollars. You honestly think the equivalent of you lending me five dollars is me helping you rob a bank? I’m not going to help you rob a bank again!”
I try to ignore my brother, since I clearly didn’t hear him right.
“Won’t you do me a favor?” he asks after letting himself into my house without bothering to knock. Not that knocking would have done him any good since I wasn’t planning on letting him into my house at all anyway.
“No,” I say without bothering to look up from the book I’m reading.
“Just hear me out!” he exclaims.
I lower the book and look up at my older brother Brandon. Thankfully, I don’t take much after him. Not that he’s ugly or anything like that, he’s not, but just because he’s an idiot. And the one thing I don’t want to be is an idiot. “What, Brandon?”
“I want you to help me rob a bank.”
“No! You asked me last week, and I already told you I have better things to do. Like…” I look around as I try to think of something. It’s hard when my life consists of trying to avoid my family and reading every book I can get my hands on. Oh, and did I mention avoiding my family? Honestly, that’s a full-time career when they all have powers that allow them to better annoy the shit out of me. “Work.”
“Mom told me you got fired,” Brandon says as he sits down on the couch next to me.
“I got fired because Mom came in and told the boss that she needed me. When he said I was working and couldn’t just leave, she told him he looks like an overripe nut sac.”
Brandon starts laughing. “That’s so cool.”
“I hate all of you,” I decide as I lift my book back up.
“About the bank. Come on, you borrowed money from me last week.”
I stare at my brother in disbelief. “Five dollars. You honestly think the equivalent of you lending me five dollars is me helping you rob a bank? I’m not going to help you rob a bank again!”
A Hero in Hiding #2
CHAPTER ONE
LANDON
“Hey, August… would you still love me if I accidentally, hypothetically threw a reporter into the river?” I ask as I hold the phone against my ear so I can talk to the world’s… no, the universe’s best human alive while the world’s best cat stands at my feet watching the splashing man.
“Uh… I guess it depends. If it was truly an accident, did you help him out of the river?”
I look over at the man splashing around in the river yelling something like “Help me! I’m so goddamn annoying that even Hell doesn’t want me!”
“No… I haven’t… I mean, hypothetical me has not assisted the man at all, much like when I told him to get the camera out of my face and he refused to… I mean hypothetically,” I say.
“So… let me get this straight… when a reporter annoyed you, you used your telekinesis to chuck him into the river?” August asks.
“Hypothetically, that is correct.”
“Uh-huh… um… I guess just as long as others don’t see and he doesn’t drown, I’m sure it’s fine.”
I look over at the other reporters snapping pictures of me as well as the man in the river. They’re getting a good angle of both of us as I stand watching my victim. “So… throw the other reporters in too? Got it.”
I aim my hand at the reporters and watch just how quickly they put their cameras away. One even whistles a cheery tune as he hurries over to his vehicle.
“Maybe… we don’t throw them in,” August says as I use my telekinesis to lift the only reporter who thought that it was worth it to stay.
“You sure?” I ask. “I mean, he’s already in the air.”
“Positive. Put him down.”
I shrug. “I mean… I guess dropping him would be a good warning as well.”
“Wait, before you drop him, how high in the air is he?” August asks.
I glance up at the man. “How high do you want him to be?”
“Not high,” the reporter cries.
“He said he wants to be super high,” I say.
“I think three inches is a good threat.”
I grumble because I’m positive three inches is not a good threat atall,but I dump him anyway before I head off. “Well, that was no fun.” Zacia (officially known as Balzac), my sphynx who is currently decked out in a T-shirt with one of those green alien heads on it that says “I wanna probe you,” meows at me. I’m pretty sure when I ordered the shirt the listing said “I wanna love you,” but this is better in my opinion.
“Did you get the guy out of the river?” August asks.
I stop walking and look over my shoulder. “I totally forgot about him.”
“Landon!”
I hurry over to the edge of the bridge and see that he’s doing a perfectly fine job of removing himself from the river, and I debate tossing him back in. Eh, it’s already taken up plenty of my time, so I resume walking.
“I thought you had class today,” August says.
“Oh, that stupid thing Valerie wanted me to attend about how to properly act in public? Yeah, I skipped that. I am not interested in being a hero. I amnota hero. You can do your little hero stuff and I will guard your ass and—”
“Oh shit, I just got an alert that there’s a robbery in progress,” August says. “Can you help?”
“Angrily,” I say with a grumble as I turn back to the wet reporter who is glowering at me. “Hey, pencil dick, I need you to drive me to a robbery.”
“I’m not…” He must see the fury in my eyes because he nods and hurries over to his car. He even opens the passenger door for me like a kind gentleman.
I get into the passenger seat as I rattle off the information August is giving me before grimacing. “God, you smell like a dead fish.” Even Zacia thinks he smells nasty judging by the way she’s sniffing the air in his direction.
He shifts his narrowed eyes onto me. “And whose fault do you think that is?”
I grab his water bottle out of the cupholder and shove it into his face. “Hey! Hey! Can you tell me what Chronobender is doing? Hey! Hey! Hey!” I continue to obnoxiously ram it into his face, pretending it’s the microphone he assaulted me with, until he turns to look at me.
“I see.”
I grin, proud of myself. “Yeah? You see how annoying it is?”
He’s quiet for a moment. “Maybe.”
I feel like that was a job well done. “You know what I wanted to do today?”
“No.”
“Take a nap. Read a book. Peruse my Augustine with my eyeballs, and instead, someone decided to rob a bank.”
“Didn’t you use to rob banks?” he asks.
“Did I ask you… Mr. Reporter?”
“It’s Dave.”
“Yeah? Dave? Huh? Did I ask you?”
He grumbles something that he should probably be happy I don’t hear. I stretch and yawn. “I’m going to take a nap. Wake me when you get there.”
“It’s like two minutes away.”
“Fuck… I didn’t sign up for this shit. You know that? Not at all,” I grumble as I sink against the car door and question everything. Most of all, I question why I can’t just take a nap and read a book.
The reporter, who is more than thrilled at the opportunity to get right up in the action, pulls up near a police car as the officer starts to yell and wave at him until he sees me.
I get out and head over to where August has just arrived on scene. Everyone is thrilled about his arrival but not as thrilled as me.
“You look handsome today,” I say with a smile. “You just look delightfully sexy.”
“Um… thanks. I… you know… the robbery?”
“Oh. I forgot the moment I saw you. Is it just one guy?” I ask as Valerie, August’s manager, hurries after him. She’s a woman… an… irritating woman that I kind of like. She slowly, ever so slowly broke me down and forced me to feel feelings about her. It’s like if a demon fucked a lemon and had little lemon babies, you’d have Valerie.
Needless to say, we’re tight.
Kind of.
Only when she lets me get my way.
Of course, off to the side are some wannabe heroes who will likely accomplish nothing more than getting in August’s way. They seem to run rampant in the city like they think if they have some kind of superpower and a mask, it’s their right to run into danger for a chance of being dubbed a hero or a vigilante or something.
Valerie ignores them and turns back to us. “To my understanding there are two villains inside. A man and a woman, both with powers. The man is a sharpshooter, so—”
“Is that them right there?” I ask as I point to the man holding a woman hostage. He’s come over to the window like he thinks he’s going to make negotiations while the female robber hangs out in the background looking stupid.
“Yes, so August is going to stop time and—”
With a wave of my hand, I whip both robbers up into the air while snapping the hostage away, drive the robbers through the glass door and drop them on the ground in front of Valerie who gawks at them.
“August, that new book I want came out today. Can we go get it?” I have to talk kind of loudly over the groaning noises the robbers are making. Something about their bodies going through extremely tough glass must have been the issue.
August also seems to be gazing at the robbers in mild fascination. “Um… yeah… sure. Just… um… Valerie, are we done here?”
Valerie stares down at the robbers. “It… it took you longer to put your suit on.”
“I know,” August says as he tries to pick it out of his ass crack slyly. I would like to volunteer to help with that.
“You… ugly little bitch…” the male robber says.
“Ooh. August, this robber likes me and wants me to crush his heart,” I say as I hold my hand out, but August claps both hands over it before I can.
“Nope. No… let’s… I don’t want blood on my shoes, you know? We can’t go to the bookstore with blood on our shoes, now can we?”
I debate that then shrug because what if Zacia got blood on her shirt? Her little innocent eyes shouldn’t be subjected to such horrors. “True. Fish Reporter, drive us,” I demand as I search for him, but he’s long gone. Huh. Weird. “Valerie, we need your car.”
“You’re not leaving yet! August has to go in and make sure everyone is safe and pose for pictures,” Valerie says as she taps her foot like she’s impatient about this.
I stare at her as she glowers back, and suddenly, we’re in a death staring match with each other. Which is hilarious because I’m positive I would win yet she’s scary good at it. God, why’s she so evil?
And then she caves. How weak of her. “I suppose you both have worked very hard this week, so the police can handle it just this once,” she says.
I smile and step on the robber on the way to the car. He grunts but says little else during my travels. I even pause right when I’m on the middle of his back for a picture—see? I’m getting the hang of this hero stuff. When I reach Valerie’s car, August gets in the driver’s seat and the crowd parts for us.
“Good job,” August says.
“Thank you!”
“It was… impressive. Like… really impressive.”
“Did it make you horny?”
“Umm… I don’t know about that, but I sure was impressed,” August says while giving me the sweetest smile. How the hell I ever ended up lucky enough to be with the literal nicest man in the world is beyond me. “Okay… it made me a little horny. I just… thought it’d sound weird.”
“God, you’re hot,” I whisper.
“Thank you. You are very hot as well.”
I grin at him as we drive off, leaving the scene of the crime as we find our way over to the largest bookstore in the area. When I met August, he only read a little, so I’ve been trying to show him the wonders of books by buying him every book he even feigns interest in. At the speed he’s reading them, he’ll be done with the stack by the time he’s a hundred and fifteen.
The moment we enter, there is immediate chaos and far too much “It’s Chronobender!” and even a “He can Chronobendme over a table.”
“I’ll fuck you up, whoever said that,” I growl, mostly because I’m irritated I didn’t come up with it myself. I mean come on, I am the man with the jokes; how dare they try to one-up me?
I usher August up the escalator to the top where the fantasy books reside. “What do you think about the series you started?”
“I like it!” he declares.
My eyes snap over to his. “You do? I’m so excited I finally have someone to talk to about it. What’s your favorite part so far? Is it the sexy side character? I love how sassy he is.”
“I… like the cat,” he says.
I stare at him. “I don’t… I don’t remember there being a cat.” How could I forget a detail like this? I have a near perfect memory when it comes to every book I’ve ever read… so how could my brain deceive me like this?
“Yeah, when the main character like… walks into town and the… cat, you know… scampers off.”
“Are you on page one?” I ask in disbelief.
“I mean… maybe… page two, but you know?”
I gape at this man who I have given my heart and soul to. I have ripped my shriveled-up heart out of my chest and passed it over to him, and then he does this to me? “I donotknow. A-Augustine.”
And then he gives me a huge smile, and I forget everything heinous he’s ever said to me, and while he knows that I am putty in his hands he goes, “So there’s an interview tomorrow at the broadcasting station.”
“I thought that shit blew up,” I grumble.
“Well… yeah but they rebuilt it like four months ago.”
“Yeah, but then… I thought it blew upa secondtime,” I say.
“No, it didn’t. Please don’t blow it up.”
“What if—”
August unjustly shakes his head. “No what-ifs.”
“Accidentally—”
“Like you accidentally tossed the reporter in the river?”
I smirk. “Come on, August. You can’t expect me to change in one day.”
“It’s been six months.”
“Yeah, in hero time. Like one day in villain time.”
He grins at me as he sits down in a chair that faces me. “I have a feeling this is going to take a while, so I’ll take a seat right here.”
“You’re smart too. The whole package.”
“That’s me.” Zacia seems to think that sitting on his lap is a better idea than staring at me while I look at books, so she jumps onto him. He cocks his head when he reads her shirt, but he secretly loves it.
I head over to the shelf to begin my adventure before glancing over my shoulder to see August still watching me. He gives me a smile that just delights me because I’m an absolute sucker for his love. “Whatchu watching?”
“Just the sexiest man alive.”
“Oh? Who’s that?” I ask as I feign looking around.
“It’s a secret.”
Seeing as August is the head hero in the city—and by extension I have some weird “kind of a hero but kinda awful at it” title—people aren’t allowed within several feet of us, even out in public. After his adoring fans nearly caused some people to die, there was a strict policy put in place. It means that every time we go out, there are all these crazy fans in heat staring at us but keeping a respectable ten feet from us. I suggested we hire a man with a tape measure to verify that everywhere we go because I thought it’d be amusing, but Valerie shot it down pretty quickly.
August is shockingly used to it, and them constantly crowding around us doesn’t even faze him, while I still,occasionally,toss someone across the roomaccidentallyif I feel like they get too close or if their face irritates me, or if they say something annoying, or if they do something irritating… I really don’t need much of an excuse.
“So if I go to this broadcasting hell, what do I get in return? I need something to look forward to or I won’t be able to handle it,” I say.
“What do you want?”
“You naked.”
His small crowd of onlookers gasp. They’re little perverts like me, clearly.
“Hmm… but you already get that whenever you want,” he says, and there’s another gasp. Dear god, these are some thirsty bitches.
“True… I want to ride in one of those swan boat thingies together. You know like people do in the movies on dates? Where you like pedal it around and stuff.”
August looks surprised as he nods. “Yeah, that sounds fun.”
“Naked.”
More gasping.
“Oh! August, I had an idea the other day. You know how they make a calendar every year of you in different poses? I was thinking we should do one with you naked. We wouldn’t even have to work another day in our lives. We’d be rich.”
“I love you enough that I am more than willing to give you just about everything you want, Landon, but not that.”
There are a coupletskswith that one. Clearly, this crowd has taste.
I choose a couple of books then see one that my brother Nolan loves and grab the newest in the series before making my way over to August who proceeds to hold my books for me. Zacia doesn’t think it’s enough weight, so she jumps to the top of the pile and begins to groom her paw adorably.
I pick up my phone and snap a picture of them because I absolutely love it when my two favorite beings look cute together.
“So… Valerie wanted me to talk to you,” August starts.
“No.”
“She thought that you’d possibly listen to me even though I informed her that you are a very… independent man who will choose to do what he wants.”
This man clearly gets me.
“I will listen just because I enjoy the sound of your voice, but that’s it.”
“She’s hoping that you’ll wear the suit she made for you.”
“It’s orange. Do I look like a man who’d wear orange? She’s trying to make me look like a pumpkin. Do you want to fuck a pumpkin, August?”
“I mean… those mouth holes do look inviting,” he teases.
I grin at him. “You know someone’s recorded that and it’ll be all over the internet by tomorrow.”
He shrugs. “Don’t worry, Valerie catches all of that and goes to their homes and threatens their lives.”
“I hate it when she does things that make me like her more. Anyway. Is the suit the only thing? Tell her I will wear something if I’m all in black. I want it like a condom where it covers all of me. Wait! No, I want it so there’s a hole on the tip so my hair is spilling out and two eye holes; the rest will be all black latex.”
“Okay… if that’s what my babe wants, I guess that’s what he gets.”
I grin as I find another book before wandering over to the graphic novels. Since it’s across the store and I don’t feel like picking up my books, I just levitate August’s chair, books and all. He yelps and starts grabbing things in surprise as I take him with me to the other side of the store. Zacia is as cool as a cucumber as she digs her nails into August’s shoulder to keep from tumbling off.
“I can walk.”
“That sounds stupid,” I say as I reach the section I want and put him down. He shrugs and sinks back into the chair, telling me he’s enjoying it. “What about graphic novels? You think you’d like them?”
“Yeah, I’ve enjoyed some in the past.”
“Perfect,” I say as I gather up some more that he wears beautifully. “I love bookstores, did you know that?”
“I never would have guessed,” he says with a smile.
Thankfully, August has super strength to carry my pile of books to the counter where I check out.
“Do you want me to carry those?” the cashier asks. I’m pretty sure the books weigh more than her, so the idea of her hefting them out to the car amuses me more than it should, but August declines the offer before I can.
* * *
August moved in with me full time about two months ago. Before that we’d spent almost every night together, so it really didn’t seem to matter that we were technically living separately. The hardest part was convincing Valerie to let me move him into my home since she claimed I got it through nefarious means. I didn’t bother denying that but did explain to her that August should live in luxury, which he now does in my mini mansion. I think she also hated the idea of having to hire enough movers to move all my books so much that she just caved.
He loves it. That’s all that matters.
“So… these books go on your unread bookshelf, right? The bookshelf overflowing with books?” he asks.
“I feel like you’re being sassy but yes. These ones are shinier, obviously, so I needed more.”
“Right,” he says with a grin. “Oh man, there are so many unread books there’s actually no room for more.”
“There’s always room for more. You might just… have to double stack them. If you flip them on their side, you can fit more in,” I assure him.
“Right,” he says as he sets to work trying to find adequate room for my new hoard before watching me pick up a different book to read. “Hold on. You had to have all of these new books to read, yet… you’re going to read one you already read?”
“August… I feel like you don’t understand.”
His eyebrow arches as he watches me. “You’re probably right. I’m not quite sure I do.”
“You will learn. You are merely in a cocoon at this point, August. Soon you will bust out as a motherfucking beautiful butterfly who will fuck up anyone who disrupts our reading time.”
“Ah, I see. Makes total sense,” he says. “What if I put some of these books that don’t fit in a box?”
“Don’t you fucking dare. I have toseethem, August. I have tofeelthem. I have to stroke them.”
August slowly sets one in a cardboard box that had brought more books to me just this morning.
I gasp. “Don’t you dare.”
“They could fit right under our bed.”
I gasp again. “August… I thought youlovedme. Zacia… I know you’re used to two daddies but… but I have to murder your other father.”
“You’re not even going to break up, you’re going straight to murder?” August asks, sounding weirdly disbelieving.
“I don’t want anyone else to ever have you,obviously.”
He shakes his head as he retrieves the books and Tetrises them onto the shelf. “Do you forgive me?”
“Maybe.”
“Good.”
While I do love my family, they’ve always had a very hands-off approach. It seemed like we only ever did something together when they needed me for something ridiculous. Much of my life was spent alone in the house with my books while occasionally being dragged off to some half-price supervillain bullshit. Lost in my fictional worlds, I thought I had everything I wanted, but I realize now how incredibly lonely I was. How I did so much bullshit just for some kind of approval or attention. And with August, I don’t have to do any of that. I don’t have to feel like that.
Having him here has made me happier than I ever thought I could possibly be.
I glance over as he tries to slyly fit the remaining book that he can’t seem to find a place for on the read bookshelf.
“Don’t you dare, you sexy beast,” I shout as I grab the book before he can do such a disgusting deed.
August laughs as he hooks me with his arm and pulls me in to kiss me. “Oh no. What are you going to do now?”
“Clearly, someone needs a time out. And I will enforce that by making you clean Zacia’s litter box.”
“Such a threat!” he teases as I reach up and kiss him again as I sink into him.
How did I ever snag someone like him?
And I didn’t even have to use my telekinesis to make him stay!
Alice Winters started writing stories as soon as she was old enough to turn her ideas into written words. She loves writing a variety of things from romance and comedy to action. She also enjoys reading, horseback riding, and spending time with her pets.
A Villain for Christmas #1
A Hero in Hiding #2
Series
