I vowed I’d never let anyone close again and spent my days fixing the place up and trying to forget.Then a feral cat dropped her litter in the shed out back and disappeared. I couldn’t leave newborn kittens to die, but a city boy like me had no clue how to care for them. Thank goodness for Google. Supply list in hand, hair tucked under a hat that shadowed my face, and eyes covered by glasses, I dared to venture into town.I met him (picture) at the local feed store. I guess he’s not into watching the news, since he didn’t seem to know who I am. He helped me save the kittens. He’s dyslexic, which he thinks makes him stupid. He’s far from that. He’s kind and gentle, and he’s starting to slip under my barriers. Starting to make me crave his touch. But how can I bare my body to him after what they did to me? What they made me?Photo Description: A young man in a beanie lies on a couch, a gray-and-white kitten asleep on his chest and a black-and-white kitten exploring. He smiles at them.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    Until I met them. We’d seen each other at different times but it wasn’t until the night I almost killed myself trying to lift more weight than I should that our worlds finally collided. What started out as lifting partners and movie marathons turned into weekend jaunts across the city and every free moment spent together, a tension building up between us that left me holding my breathe. I’ll never forget the night He took control and shattered our worlds, morphing our growing friendship into something more. I used to tell myself I would walk this earth lost and broken forever, but I know now my soul was waiting for Sir and Pup to save me.Photo Description: A naked man tightly holds a chain wrapped around the necks of two guys on their knees in front of him.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    But he was good at his job until he was bounced off the police force on made up charges.Toshi was caught between two worlds, the quarantined mutated I/S society of his mother's world and the high class world of wealthy human life from his father. Comfortable in neither his heritage or his life, Toshi hides behind duty and clings to what little privacy he has.When Mick accepts the job to keep the reclusive half breed alive, neither man's life will ever be the same again.

    The curse in his DNA means a long, bitterly lonely life for the Ghelyxian, and it’s a fate Marrex knows he can’t change.After a long sleep in stasis, Juniper Bo wakes to discover he’s an unwelcome guest aboard Captain Marrex’s ship. Though he tries to stay away from the surly Ghelyxian, he just doesn’t get why the curse is such a big deal—then again, Juniper knows his tastes are rather… unusual for a Human.When friendship blooms between Marrex and Juniper, they realize they face a future that neither could have predicted in their wildest dreams.

    Or, at least since the first day of kindergarten, when he stole my Lego's, then shared his cookies with me when he realized he'd made me cry.He was my best friend. The first person I came out to. My entire support system in high school when no one would come near me for feel of catching "gay cooties" or AIDS.He's the guy I gave my virginity to. The guy who taught me to fuck. The guy who taught me to be safe. He doesn't know it, but he's also the guy who taught me to make love.I'm the guy he goes home with when there's no better prospect at the club.It was never supposed to be serious. I knew that, I even wanted that. I'm the one who broke the rules.So, dear author, how do I watch him go home night after night with the pretty boy - or man - du jour, when all I want is for him to come home with ME, and to stay?Photo Description: Two young men lie in a tangle of white sheets. The nearer man is asleep facing us, arms wrapped around his pillow. Behind him, his lover watches him, lean naked body braced up on one elbow, his dark eyes fixed on his lover's still form, his mouth just slightly curved up in affection.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Hot Summer Days" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.Read the story here or find it in Don't Read in the Closet, Volume 4.__________Genre: Tags: gay m/m, Word Count:

    The one in the hat. Why did I think this weekend away would be such a good idea? Ten of us, all sleeping in one cabin in the middle of winter, freezing our balls off. I must have been crazy, especially as I had to go and wake up [guy on bed] after he drank enough to sink a battleship last night. He was like a man possessed. And now I can’t stop staring at his mouth. What’s wrong with me? I’m not gay, he’s not gay. It’s fucking ridiculous. What am I gonna do?”Photo Description: Two men in a cabin room. One is lying on the bed with the other leaning over him. The man lying on the bed is resting with a smile on his face. The other is looking down with a happy smile, seemingly staring at the first man’s lips.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    His only real contact with other people is with his (small?) family, and he uses his horse to fill in for the emotional contact that he misses. As a direct result, he is an extremely good dressage rider though most people at his barn think that his horse is wasted on him and he doesn’t ride at all. One day, someone (the love interest) else sees him riding and realizes that 1. He really is a good rider and 2. He should be competing. Conflict and romance ensue.Photo Description: A tall, thin man dressed in a navy blue and white hoodie, rides a black stallion in an outdoor arena lined with short hedges. The horse, accented with white polo wraps and black and white bridle, trots along the arena rail.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    LOVE TO THE BONE. — Jason is back in his home town and trying to make money the only way he knows – in an illegal MMA fight. Bare knuckles. Hardly any rules. All he needs to do is… lose. The Rabid Mongrels Motorcycle Club bet against him, and they are set to make a killing, but when Jason spots his high school crush in the audience, he can’t bear to lose. All he wants is to have Hyde notice him. He gets more than he bargained for when Hyde turns out to be the president of the MC, now out for his blood. To survive, Jason will have to make a deal with the blond devil. No matter how manipulative and vicious Hyde can be, he is a dark wet dream come to life, and Jason can’t keep his hands to himself. Soon enough, the self-destructive lust he has for Hyde becomes a dangerous obsession that takes Jason to the most forgotten corners of his soul. POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Themes: Outlaw motorcycle club, criminal activity, abuse, sexual orientation issues, second chances, enemies to lovers, first time, coming home, alternative family, blackmail Genre: M/M dark erotic romance, suspense, drama Length: ~34,000 words WARNING: Adult content. Explicit gay sex, strong language, violence, mentions of past animal abuse, mentions of past child abuse. Reader discretion advised.

    He outlived all of his friends after bombs decimated the hardscrabble neighborhood he grew up in, and he made it through the orphanages and crime-ridden slums that followed. With few prospects for the future, Gordon carved out a niche for himself in the expanding drug trade of Lexington, PA. It’s not pretty, but it's his, and it beats the skin trade he was involved with before. But a classic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time results in a brush with death, going by the name of Adam. Afterward, the life that once seemed good enough isn't quite the same. Adam Blake is an assassin on the brink of being terminated by the very organization that controls him. He completed his mission, but not without being seen. With his secrets in danger of being exposed by Gordon, Adam knows he should kill the smart-mouthed redhead, but finds himself intrigued by the troublesome civilian instead. When Gordon’s knack for finding trouble combines with the dangerous consequences of Adam’s indecision, their worlds intertwine in an explosive way.Trigger warnings: Graphic sex, violence, and drug use.word count: 85,000

    What lies Outside it?Raine O'Kelly has a gift. The very power of nature is his to command. When his gift lands him in trouble with the government, Raine find himself thrown into The Prison; one of the most feared punishments for those citizens who won't conform to The City's ideals.Abused, scared, and slowly dying of deprivation from the one thing his body truly needs, an accident lands him in the infirmary, which leads him to be given to The Prison’s most feared inmate… The Beast.When The Beast defends him from the guards, Raine finds himself inexplicably drawn to the misunderstood man. A man with unique abilities of his own, the Beast’s animalistic desires form a connection between them that cannot be denied. When he learns The Beast comes from Outside the City, is Raine willing to take the chance on escape with the mysterious man?Escape won't be easy, and there are dangers waiting for them on The Outside, ready to strike at the fragile relationship between the two men. When The Beast’s past comes to light, will Raine be able to put aside his own fears in order to fight for the life the two of them could have together? Or will he fold under the pressure?Will he get his happily ever after?Or will he become just another victim of the Nature of the Beast?

    I met him during the summer I worked at the cotton candy stand when the circus came through town.He was made of big dreams, sunshine, and raw sense of being that I’d never known existed before him. His eyes were black as mud, his lips were the same color as the cotton candy I sold, and his smile could put a solar eclipse to shame.He was everything I wasn’t. He was the first man I ever loved, and he left without me ever telling him that the way he looked at me broke my heart.I’m older now, and even if that circus never comes through town again, I’ll still call him Stardust.Photo Description: A man stares into the camera, a glint of magic in his dark eyes as he inhales his cigar making it sparkle like golden starlight.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    Where I come from no one welcomes you to the neighborhood, no one knocks on your door and brings you cookies, no one fixes your truck out of the goodness of his heart, no one even looks you in the eye for fuck’s sake.But I’ll admit, I like it here.I like the fresh air and the quiet and I really like my neighbor— the one in the tight jeans with the great ass under my truck.Sure, he’s too damned friendly, too damned helpful and too damned honest to be real.But fuck it, I like him, actually… I more than like him and that’s the problem…Photo Description: The photo shows a man lying on his stomach under a car, possibly a truck. We can only see him from his waist down, but he’s shirtless and he has dirty jeans and boots on. There’s a screwdriver on the ground next to him. The man is outside, in the background there are trees and the sun is shining.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    My father invited him over for Sunday dinner and I couldn’t even talk to him. He was too cute and I, too confused because I didn’t realize I was gay. Now, I’m a college graduate and have my first job. Heaven help me on my first day at work to catch sight of one of the vice presidents of the company. It was him, the man I’ve been dreaming about for nine years.I don’t think he knows I exist. I’m not even in his department. But every night I go to sleep with dreams of him and every morning, wake up harder than I ever had before to thoughts of being with him. I’m afraid he’ll rebuff me if I ask him out or even that I would be fired. I need this job, but after months of this, I’m beginning to think I need him more.Photo Description: A remarkably attractive man with blue eyes and dark hair is dressed in a stylish blue three-piece pinstriped suit. He stares ahead as if thinking of something, or someone, special. His hands are in his pockets, which suggests a casual attitude, but his face has an expression of fierce determination.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    Thing is, I’m looking for a nanny, my child is a colicky baby trying to wake the dead screaming, I haven’t slept in a while, and this handsome stranger who’s knocking on my door seems to be the answer to my desperate pleas… Only, he seems to know an awful lot of things about me and my baby that even I don’t know, can I trust him? Should I let him near my child?Photo Description: A man holds his sleeping newborn. The baby clutches a set of dog tags while resting his chin on the man’s shoulder. The word “family” is tattooed across the father’s back.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    But he’s got a surefire plan for severing that nuisance once and for all. If only he’d prepared himself for what the thread leads him to: a drunk man in a wedding dress hugging a toilet. Fate is a funny thing.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. Dear Author,These men are on their wedding night. They are wearing traditional attire according to their social/military/royal/world status. I want to know their story, and why is one of them hiding in a wash chamber. Is that a tattoo on his chest or did his husband brand him during the wedding ceremony? Why is the other so serious? Maybe he doesn’t like all the jewelry?I wonder about their world, time, professions, etc. Did they marry for love, or convenience? Maybe it was arranged, or were they drunk?I want their love to grow, as well as their need for each other. I just want them to be happy, but you can tell their first time together will be passionate. You can see it in their eyes.I’m giving them to you, dear author. Anything and everything will be good for them.Photo Description: In the first picture, a man leans back in an empty, white claw-foot bathtub. He’s wearing a white ruffled skirt with stockings and heavy black boots. His eye makeup is vivid, and he’s holding a cigarette. The second picture is of a man wearing an incredible amount of jewelry and a scowl on his face. He has dramatic cheekbones and a shock of white in his hair. He wears couture fashion.This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.