Or… When the code breaks down, fate just might take over. Eleven of your favorite gay romance authors have joined forces to light up your Valentine’s Day with a collection of sweet, sexy, silly, and hot short stories, featuring a wacky cast of characters chosen from your reader suggestions! Morticians and magicians, superheroes and spies, lawyers and lobstermen, will all learn that love has nothing to do with algorithms… and sometimes you find it in the least-likely places. And the best part? All proceeds from this collection will go to the authors’ favorite LGBTQ charities, to ensure that love in all its incarnations will be celebrated and protected every single day of the year! Titles included in the collection:The Magician and the Mortician by E.A. Wasp The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer by Alison Hendricks The Assassin and the Dog Walker by Charlie Cochet The Criminal and the Sommelier by Chris Owen The Superhero and the NSA Agent by Hailey Turner The Tattoo Artist and the Writer by Lily Morton The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex Operator by Lucy Lennox The Baker and the SEAL by May Archer The Event Planner and the Electrician by Poppy Dennison The Lawyer and the Lobsterman by Ruthie Luhnow The Florist and the Lawyer by Sloane Kennedy

    However, none of them really hits the spot and the latest one has proved a complete, if amusing, disaster. When he recounts what happened to his best friend, Jacob, he expects Jacob to laugh with him as usual, but this time he doesn’t. Instead, Jacob challenges Tommy to go out on a blind date with him, to see what, if anything, he might be doing wrong. If Tommy accepts, how will their friendship survive?

    But when he and his buddies get together to play their favorite role-playing game, he is transported to the world of Kazala, a world of elves, wizards, and monsters, a world in which Adrian is a mighty elf warrior fighting for the good of the land. To add to the fun, Adrian recently started dating the handsome Jesse, one of the guys in his gaming circle. In the past, every attempt they’d made to be alone had been thwarted by overly present parents. But one day, after wrapping up the game, Jesse invites Adrian to his house and explains his mother will be away all night. Excited by the possibility of finally having sex with Jesse, Adrian’s mind catapults back and forth between the real world of Jesse’s kisses and the imagined world of Kazala, where he and Jesse must battle a terrible enemy. Conjuring the Shroud is presented as part of Brent Hartinger’s Real Story Safe Sex Project, whose mission is to encourage safe sex among gay and bi teens and twenty-somethings while also providing some entertaining reads.

    I won't stare at my sister's fiance's super hot best friend, even when he takes his shirt off at a dinner party. 2. I won't look him up online and check out photos from his professional soccer career. 3. And I definitely won't fantasize about him late at night. Oops. Broke all three. But in my defense, his abs and that arrogant smile are my catnip. Plus it's been a while. But no matter how sexy Asher St James is, I will never let on that he's at the top of a long list of things I want to do. And I keep that last promise. Well, mostly…

    He has room in his home and his life for someone special, but no one has stood out among his hookups. And while he’s out at work, admitting he’s gay is very different from showing up at social functions with a man. He’s afraid that’ll be too much for his less-than-accepting “friends.”Broadway dancer Jez Bouchet hasn’t been mistaken for straight since he was gay-bashed at seventeen. After getting a lucrative job offer in Hollywood, he uproots his life in New York and drives to Los Angeles. His brother, who is Hayden’s best friend, arranges for him to crash at Hayden’s place.The attraction between Hayden and Jez is unexpected but fiery, and they succumb before they’re even sure they like each other. But Jez hates Hayden’s homophobic friends, and Hayden knows Jez is too flamboyant for him to fly under the radar. Then there’s the complication of Jez’s brother.Despite those hurdles, they fling themselves into a relationship. But Jez has secrets: a tiny spoiled dog and a determined stalker. If he doesn’t come clean, he might torch their burgeoning relationship before it has a chance to bloom.Cover Artist: Jennifer Vance

    Instead of the woman he’s expecting, he’s paired with Drew Larsen, a shy, somewhat nerdy PhD student who has also grown discouraged with romance.Drew and Fox have little in common—aside from the fact that they’re both straight. Or so they thought. But as the guys get to know each other, they realize Archer might have the right idea. Their path isn’t smooth, because both need to overcome every idea they have about themselves and what true love might look like. But with the help of Archer—and some friends who have stuck with Fox and Drew through the thick and thin of their relationship trials—they might find their way into each other’s hearts.

    He turns to Jason Garton, the owner of the coffee house that David visits every morning. Funny how it took David so long to notice all the food and beverages Jason gives away to the homeless. Because until then, Jason had been almost invisible.But the more David learns about him, the more intrigued he becomes. There’s something about the selfless, lonely older man that pulls David in, and what began as work becomes so much more.

    As a result, he mostly keeps to himself—makes it easier not to notice that no matter how he tries, people think he’s a know-it-all and a snob. Freewheeling urban gardener Milo Rios has worked hard to get where he is, and he’s passionate about his job at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. He can get along with almost anyone, but no one has ever made him care enough to stick around. When Stefan and Milo meet on Milo’s tour of the Botanic Garden, it’s hatred at first clash. But hatred quickly turns to lust as Milo shows Stefan how exquisite it can feel to lose the control he’s clung to for so long. As Stefan’s mask begins to slip, Milo sees a deep vulnerability in the prim academic. Once he’s experienced Milo’s world, Stefan can admit that he wants more from life than professional success. If they can work together, Stefan and Milo just might be able to cultivate the future they both yearn for.This novella was previously published in the Exposed collection.

    He’s still romantically inexperienced, can’t find a real job, and has no clue what to do with his life. Desperate, he returns to his humiliating old gig as an elf at the Santa's Village in his hometown's dying mall. Enter the sexiest Santa ever.Twice Hunter's size and age, lumberjack Nick makes Hunter tingle. Too bad he's super grumpy and intimidating. Years after the tragic death of his partner, Nick has his beagle and long, hard days on his Christmas tree farm. That’s plenty. But he can’t refuse a loyal friend’s plea for help and finds himself filling in as Santa. Despite Nick's attempt to stay aloof, the beautiful, anxious young man playing elf brings out his long-dormant daddy instincts.Then a surprise blizzard traps them alone in Nick’s isolated forest home. Will they surrender to the sizzling spark between them and find the release and comfort they crave?Santa Daddy is a sweet and spicy holiday gay romance from Keira Andrews featuring an age gap, m/m first times, role playing, Christmas romance feels, and of course a happy ending.

    He didn’t anticipate that cleaning a dance studio would reawaken his yearning to dance—even though he is no longer capable—or that meeting the studio’s director would rouse his dormant libido. Or his sleeping heart. Conrad thinks his life is finally complete with his successful dance studio and a steady stream of students. When Dusty arrives, he rediscovers his thirst for a man who will let him hand over control and give him the undivided attention he’s never had. The trouble is, Dusty isn’t sure he’s worthy of the studio director’s submission.To make their relationship work, Dusty will have to trust his ability to dominate the powerful and beautiful dancer, and Conrad will have to stop talking long enough to hear Dusty’s promises.

    Electricity is gone. Society is on its knees. The heart’s compass becomes the light in the darkness. Joshua has had enough of people. Especially those desperate, starving bastards who he’s certain ate his dog. When people decide to leave the university town of Lincoln, Nebraska and head south before winter sets in, Joshua heads north instead. When he lands face-first in a snowbank, he welcomes death. What he finds instead is the handsome smile of Chris, a lone goat farmer who’s trying to make the best of life without power. About the Heart's Compass series: Our heart has its own compass. It knows where we should be heading, even if the rest of us doesn't. Through loss and love, our heart’s compass guides us through life, often to somewhere completely unexpected. When the world ends, the heart’s compass of several people has them headed in directions they may have never traveled otherwise. Each book in the series is a stand-alone, novella-length story, but is written within the same fictional setting in which the Earth has just been struck with several massive solar flares. All modern technology has been rendered inoperable. Cars, computers, city infrastructure, phones – all gone in an instant and without warning. In the days directly following the end of the modern world, people must learn to depend on each other, and on their heart’s compass, if they hope to survive.

    He needed a fresh start to pursue his dream of running a dog training ranch without having to deny who he really is. Meeting Alex was one of the best things that could have happened to Shane. They were at the beginning of a wonderful relationship when the unthinkable happened and Shane had to leave. The consequences of his past mistakes could not be hidden any longer.When I'm WeakJamie presents a flamboyant and slutty attitude to the world because he's been hurt before. Even though it's mostly an act, he hides behind his persona to keep people at arm's length. With only a small group of trusted friends, he's vowed to never allow a man to have power over him again. Power to hurt him. Power to take away his freedom. Power to label him as a predator for the rest of his life. Reed and his sister run a home preschool for toddlers. His focus is on getting credentialed so he can take some of the burden from Lucy. He doesn't have time for friends, much less a lover, but when he meets Jamie, he recognizes something in the man that makes him want to get closer. Unfortunately, Jamie's past prevents him from truly integrating into Reed's future. It's not just a matter of the heart. It's a matter of the law.For Mature Readers

    Desperate for a fresh start, Luke accepts a job remodeling a tired old beach house for a professional soccer player and his model girlfriend. While his passion is literature, not sports, focusing on the renovations eases his anxiety. Until the job he signed up for turns out to be more complicated than advertised.Sidelined with a serious injury, soccer star Michael Martinez decides his beach house is the perfect place to recuperate. Remodeling might be the diversion he needs to keep his mind off his busted knee. Falling for the pretty designer with some quirky habits wasn’t on the drawing board. Unfortunately, Luke didn’t build a big enough closet for Michael to hide in. Having a star-powered sports career used to be all Michael lived for, but he’ll have to reevaluate his plans and find the right words if he wants to build more than a beach house with Luke.

    Until it wasn't.Two years after surviving a brutal attack from members of his own unit, former Special Forces soldier Cruz de la Vega has found new purpose working for an underground vigilante group that offers justice when the law can't. When he's assigned to figure out who attacked a local gay rights activist, Cruz expects it to be just another job.But when it comes to protecting Elliot Wittier, he soon learns that the last thing he wants is for the intriguing young man to be just another job.At twenty-five years old, Elliot Wittier is well on his way to having the perfect life. As the head of a hugely successful investment firm and the founder of a prominent foundation, he should be on top of the world.But looks can be deceiving and Elliot knows how to play the game. With the fear of failing the two most important people in his life always at the forefront of his mind, Elliot keeps an iron-grip on the control that has served him so well in the past. But when a violent attack leaves him vulnerable, Elliot's carefully constructed world starts to fracture. As he struggles to keep the threat under wraps, he's thrown off guard when a gorgeous stranger takes an interest in him at a Halloween themed benefit. Throwing caution to the wind, Elliot decides to allow himself the freedom that being with the enigmatic Cruz de la Vega brings for just one night.But what happens when one night isn't enough? Or when the past catches up with the present? Can what two men found in each other in just twenty-four hours really last a lifetime?***Although it features several characters from my other books and is part of the "Protectors" world, Protecting Elliot is a stand-alone novella that can serve as a great way to get a feel for the Protectors/Barretti/Finding universe I've created. In regards to the timeline of events, Protecting Elliot occurs after Book 9 in my Protectors series, but it is not necessary to read any other books to enjoy this novella. I've specifically written this book to give new readers a chance to meet my guys and for loyal fans to check in with old favorites while still meeting a new couple.***

    The beast is huge. Malicious. And it’s determined to claw through metal and glass just to get to him.Fortunately, there’s one man living on this country road who finds him in the morning. Broad, unkempt, and rough in manners, Eli doesn’t really ask; he carries Owen home with him.