A national gathering of federal agents leads to a surprising, and sexy, turn of events when two women who helped each other survive training share a room and discover their feelings go way beyond the boundaries of friendship.

    There’s sugar, balloons, games—all the makings for fun; that is unless it’s the first toddler birthday party you’ve ever planned in your life.It can’t be that hard, Anna Foster decides; and when she’s decided something, that’s it. The ones she attended as a guest were a blast, and surely there’s nothing that over organisation, a checklist or three, and a Type A personality can’t fix, right?Though the smirk her mother keeps throwing her way is a little off-putting.Maybe four checklists would be better. Or maybe a glass of wine.

    Far from the elderly cat lady Annie had envisioned, Emily is sexy, blonde and completely irresistible.Emily has never been with a woman, but Annie attracts her in a way that no one else has. Despite Emily’s initial misgivings, it doesn’t take long for their relationship to move from teacher and student to something much more than either of them expected—something that might lead to the love of a lifetime.

    Run your eye over the accounts—and the sexy, butch trainer—at a horse ranch in Germany while the goose gets stuffed with macaroons. Skid into a cute doctor’s vehicle in the slush-filled lanes of Wales—and stay for charades and mulled wine.Follow a hapless South African assassin on her hilarious first day on the job when she falls for her target. Scale the cliffs in England’s Lake District for a daring rescue. Join two young Indian women reconnecting over mouthwatering food, song, and family after years apart.Whisk a feisty Irish gran off to a community Orphans’ Christmas in Melbourne and catch up with her nurse over Frisbeeand bubbly. Wake up in Jamaica in the most sensuous way, before hitting the music-filled Grand Market. Break a tooth on Christmas pudding, and find out what happens when that beautiful German dentist likes more than just your molars.Tumble back in love with the California girl who kissed you at your Bat Mitzvah before her life turned upside down. Taste jugs of hibiscus-scented bissap before counting down to Hogmannay in Scotland with your sexy new friend."Language of Love" is a diverse, festive feast that shows our laughs, loves, and lives are universal.

    Suzanne isn’t exactly looking, but the request for a very specific type of submissive from the attractive mistress, Mami-P, is hard to resist. Though the two hit it off during their first online conversation, Suzanne never imagines how strong their real life attraction and compatibility will be. After a few missteps in training, trust, and communication, Suzanne finds a deep love with her mistress, Pilar.Overworked and overstressed in her daily life, Suzanne comes to crave their relationship for the visceral escape it provides, but before they can make the ultimate commitment, someone from Suzanne’s professional life threatens to disrupt their perfectly balanced bliss.**This title includes BDSM and sexual situations some readers may find objectionable.**

    For example, borrowing Santa’s secret beach villa for a solo getaway, even if it’s just for one night. And after the year she’s had, Farnaz Castillo is planning to enjoy every second she has in this gorgeous mansion. With a suitcase full of *ahem* all her favorite toys, she’s sure to have a very merry time before she has to join the rest of her family for their annual ski trip.Being the first woman to command Santa’s sleigh is exhausting work. By the time Christmas Day comes along, Kristina Kringle is usually more than ready for some solitary R&R at her Caribbean beach villa— where peace and quiet are the only thing on her agenda. But when Kristina walks into her bedroom and finds an unexpected and sexy guest making extremely good use of Santa’s California King bed, it occurs to Kristina that a night of fun with the fiery brunette is exactly what she needs.Kristina and Farnaz vow to make excellent use of their night together, but when morning comes and it’s time to say goodbye, will Santa be ready to let go of the best gift she’s ever gotten?This festive novelette is guaranteed to make your holiday reading extra naughty.

    Written for the M/M Romance Group's "Hot Summer Days" anthology.Jonah Beckett has been in love with his older brother's best friend, Laurie, since he was thirteen-years-old. When his boyfriend, Dirk, breaks up with him for refusing to put out, Jonah uses his heartbreak over the situation as an excuse to ask Laurie to teach him all about sex before he starts college in the fall. Problem is, he made Dirk up, and Jonah has no idea what will happen when Laurie finally finds out the truth.~*~Cover design by L.C. Chase.Download the story, read it here or find it in Don't Read in the Closet, Volume 1 or Don't Read in the Closet: GayRomLit Retreat 2011 Special Edition.

    I’m visiting my friend Tessa who lives in New Orleans and we’ve just been busted for gate-crashing a masked party after Tessa pretends to know Countess Montgomery, the mysterious hostess. A charming and devilishly attractive stranger saves us from humiliation and ushers us inside, and it soon becomes clear that this is not the kind of party I was expecting. Things are getting heated and the atmosphere is unconventional to say the least, but so is my hostess, the Phantom, who drives me to my limits in a private room upstairs.When identities are hidden, nothing is what it seems, and only time will reveal what lies beneath when the mask finally drops…

    Upon the distant shore prowls an ancient sea god kept captive by a generations-old spell, a spell that Meriel alone must protect.Meriel's life has been lonely and unchanging--until the arrival of Nor. Nor's shape is that of a woman, but her heart belongs to the sea. Even though Nor is also held captive by Meriel's spell, she shows kindness to the isolated witch. Nor sparks a passion within Meriel, defying every law that binds them both.This award-winning short story ("The Witch Sea" won first place in the "Kissed by Venus" Fresh Voices short story competition) is a dark fantasy tale of love, loss and the price of freedom.

    It was a world I had no experience with, outside my purview, and something that, admittedly, excited me greatly. I wanted to know more about her.A stressful job in finance and investing has made it impossible for Netty to have any semblance of a functional love life. The long hours are taking their toll and as a huge new project falls in her lap, Netty is just about at her wit’s end. Late one Friday night at work, however, life brightens when a knock on her office door unveils adorably geeky Henrietta, her company’s computer consultant.Henry — computer geek, gamer, sweetheart — takes Netty on a ride that makes her question her notions of life and love, work and play, and acceptance of herself and others. Always the pretty popular girl, Netty finds herself irrevocably changing as she gets intimate with nerdy Henry, prompting her to wonder whether the path she’s been on has actually been the right one for her.Will Netty be able to shrug off the negativity around her relationship at work, navigate the conflict of interest in getting involved with her company’s consultant, and finally start living true to herself? Or will this lesbian love affair end like all the rest?

    This time...it's worse.Ice begins when a boy is kidnapped from a London park and Detective Inspectors Alex Blake and Maggie Campbell are brought together to work on the case. While their goal is the same, their work ethics are not. Intelligent, perceptive and at times disobedient, Alex Blake does what she believes it takes to do her job. Maggie Campbell has a slightly different approach. She believes that rule books were written for a reason. Unexpectedly, their dynamics mesh, but when her feelings for Alex become stronger than she wants to admit, Maggie provokes the worst in Alex to ensure that they will never be partners again. Three years later, fate brings them together again. Their assignment is simple, but a plane crash gets in their way. Now, in the middle of a blizzard, they have to try to survive...and fight the feelings that refuse to die.

    She jumps at the chance to guide a group of foster children through a community haunted house—never suspecting that her partner Kim will provide her with a trick and treat of her own.This short story, “A Treat for Halloween Tricksters,” takes place after the events in the novel "L.A. Metro."Join Jess McKenna and Kim Donovan as they celebrate their first Halloween as a couple.

    What she doesn’t expect is for her new roommate to become temptation in the form of novelty panties and flirty innuendos. But Charley is off limits…for several reasons.Charley Graham wants to be seen as more than her brother’s little sister. And she wants Kiki to do the seeing. Her new internship provides the perfect opportunity. Plan in motion, she’s not going to let their close living quarters go to waste.The arrangement is supposed to be temporary, but as they grow closer a permanent change of address might be in order.

    His mother runs cuddle workshops, which could help Alastair overcome his fears--if he's brave enough to try. Alastair is nervous not only about the workshop, but also because he will be sharing a room with Martin, who's starred in his fantasies more often than an assistant should.Alastair reluctantly decides to give it a try, so they head to a commune in Wales where Martin grew up. The weekend at the commune with Martin proves to be transformative in more ways than one. NB: All royalties from sales of this story will be split equally between two LGBT charities: The Human Rights Campaign in the USA and Stonewall in the UK.

    Leland isn’t just his boss, though. He’s the son of the company’s CEO. And Brian has fallen in love. Hurt by too many stolen kisses and nooners at seedy hotels, Brian finally broke off their secret affair two weeks ago. Leland isn’t ready to let Brian go and he isn’t above seducing Brian — again — to give them both what they really want for Christmas: each other.This free short story was originally written for the Goodreads M/M Romance Group's 2010 holiday event and appears in the event's Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty anthology.