Chapter Five and the Axe-Wielding Maniac


Marie Sexton - 2012
    When an axe-wielding maniac knocks on his front door and asks to dig up his living room floor, he figures his Monday from hell is complete.But an axe-wielding maniac may be just what Josh needs.This story also available in print in the anthology Ever After: The Collected Short Works of Marie Sexton.

After Ben


Con Riley - 2012
    The last thing he’s looking for is a new lover, but as Theo discovers, sometimes life has its own plans.The strength of his attraction to fellow gym member Peter is surprising. So is how compelling he finds Morgan, a new friend he makes online. Morgan is witty and fierce on the internet forum they frequent, while Peter is physically present in a way that’s hard to ignore.Both men bring Theo closer to acceptance: he needs to lay Ben’s memory to rest if he’s to start afresh with a new lover.Getting honest about the reasons for his yearlong isolation means confronting why he lost Ben… only just when he’s ready to commit, Theo finds he isn't the only one haunted by the past.Whether with Peter or with Morgan, choosing to love again—after Ben—might not be Theo’s toughest challenge.

All Snug


B.G. Thomas - 2010
    But when they both arrive at the store at the same moment, the proprietor tells them to figure out between themselves who gets the bed. Elliot and Shawn decide to hold a contest: winner buys bed.And so the competitions begin, from selling charity tickets to cleaning out stables, and interpersonal tension and burgeoning attraction mount as the days until Christmas pass. But who deserves the gift more: Elliot, who can afford the expensive gift for his casual sex partner, or Shawn, who can barely cover rent, and the mysterious man he’s head-over-heels for?

Different Strokes


Nico Jaye - 2013
    Tomas has always been a serious, no-nonsense type of swimmer; after all, elite competition leaves no room for unprofessional conduct. However, he finds it extremely difficult to stay on the right side of the professional line with Darren tending to his needs.

Dare You To


Riley Hart - 2017
    A Wild Side Series prequel novella. Austin Thompson spends most of his spare time reading or logging in extra hours at the LGBTQ youth center where he works. His only standing “night out,” if you can call it that, is his weekly movie night with his best friend, Dare Nichols. Between work and Dare, it’s hard to find time for much else, so when he does try to date, it ends in disaster. Dare thrives on living life on the wild side—surfing, mountain biking, sky diving. If it’s extreme, he’s game. Between sports and spending his evenings at his West Hollywood bar, Dare never sees a dull moment. Still, with all that excitement, most of his favorite times are when he’s tucked away in Austin’s apartment. Probably because he’s the best friend Dare’s ever had. Then the kiss happens and the men realize they don’t want to stop there. As they explore this new adventure in their relationship, Austin realizes the excitement he’s been looking for has been right there all along, and Dare must decide if he can conquer his only fear by risking his heart.

The Nothingness of Ben


Brad Boney - 2012
    His life is perfect until he gets a phone call that brings it all crashing down: a car accident takes his parents, and now he must return to Austin to raise three teenage brothers he barely knows.During the funeral, Ben meets Travis Atwood, the redneck neighbor with a huge heart. Their relationship initially runs hot and cold, from contentious to flirtatious, but when the weight of responsibility starts wearing on Ben, he turns to Travis, and the pressure shapes their friendship into something that feels a lot like love. Ben thinks he’s found a way to have his old life, his new life, and Travis too, but love isn’t always easy. Will he learn to recognize that sometimes the worst thing imaginable can lead him to the place he was meant to be?

The Dickens with Love


Josh Lanyon - 2009
    But now the rich and unscrupulous Mr. Stephanopoulos has a proposition. A previously unpublished Christmas book by Charles Dickens has turned up in the hands of an English chemistry professor by the name of Sedgwick Crisparkle. Mr. S. wants that book at any price, and he needs James to get it for him. There’s just one catch. James can’t tell the nutty professor who the buyer is. Actually, two catches. The nutty Professor Crisparkle turns out to be totally gorgeous—and on the prowl. Faster than you can say, “Old Saint Nick,” James is mixing business with pleasure…and in real danger of forgetting that this is just a holiday romance. Just as they’re well on the way to having their peppermint sticks and eating them too, Sedgwick discovers the truth. James has been a very bad boy. And any chance Santa will bring him what he wants most is disappearing quicker than the Jolly Old Elf’s sleigh.

Geeking Out on 11C


L.L. Bucknor - 2014
    He lives in my building, but I didn’t think he would ever notice me. I’m shy, I’m a geek and I’m probably too old for him. The other day he passed me in the hall and winked at me. Of course I completely clammed up, blushed and rushed by him. I can’t even say hi to the man without being completely flustered. But I can’t get him out of my mind.Photo Description: A guy with golden skin, washboard abs and a scruffy, sexy grin is staring off into space. He looks like he’s thinking about something hot as he lifts up his sleeveless shirt.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.

Rebound (Heartwarming)


Chris Scully - 2013
    Not! More like cheating exes and absentee friends. For Emmett Byrd, spending the holiday season with his old college friend Terry in San Diego is supposed to be about mending his broken heart. But when Terry deserts him at the last minute, leaving Emmett alone in his condo for Christmas, it's just the icing on the cake of a crappy year full of betrayal and lost love. The only Christmas spirit this Scrooge is feeling is the alcoholic kind. Then a slightly kooky, unsophisticated farm boy named Sky knocks on the door looking for Terry, and a case of mistaken identity reawakens Emmett's hope in happily ever after.

Language Lessons


Jay Bell - 2011
    For Joey, he didn't care if it ever came at all. He was much too busy adding notches to his bedpost and preparing for life as an adult. But when a casual fling waxes nostalgic about the one that got away, Joey starts to wonder if he isn't missing something after all, if there really is something to be learned from the language of love.

Another Little Secret


Jade Archer - 2011
    It is a special Valentine's Day sequel to Sandpipers' Secrets and should be read after that story.Brody is loving his new life with Zak and Lark, but he's afraid that his lovers are keeping secrets from him again. Their first Valentine's Day together isn't starting out all that well. And to top it all off, Wolf unexpectantly encounters issues that Brody's not sure any of them are ready to tackle at the moment. Warning : This book is part of a series best read in sequence.

The One That Got Away


Rhianne Aile - 2009
    Their easy camaraderie continues with no problems until David discovers an undercurrent of heat and tension flowing between them. Despite knowing his best friend is straight, David is slowly falling in love. What he doesn't know is that Trace is struggling with a similar discovery.Trace has never desired another man before. He's a ladies' man with quite the reputation, considered a top prize around town. But his close, treasured friendship with David makes the emotion and arousal growing between them irresistible. Soothing David's doubts, Trace makes it clear that he wants to know if they can make it work. Because Trace is sure he wouldn't love another man -- that's not the issue. He just loves David.

Rocket Science


K.M. Neuhold - 2019
    If they were, I might stand a chance of figuring one out. Elijah Saying I've had a crush on my best friend's older brother, Pax, most of my life is like saying the big bang was just an explosion. It's true, but I'm not sure that quite captures the essence of its true enormity. I know he's only hanging out with me because I'm new in town and getting my PhD doesn't leave me with much time to make friends. And even if it did, my strength is mathematics, not friend-making. What I don't understand is why he kissed me... why he seems to want to keep kissing me. I don't think my advanced physics knowledge is going to help me figure this one out. But I think for once I'm okay with not knowing, as long as Pax and I don't know together. Pax He's still the awkward Nerdlet I remember...he's also probably the cutest, most tempting man I've laid eyes on. I know I should keep my hands off him, but this thing between us is like a force of nature. I want to be his first everything. He says we're nothing more than atoms crashing into each other. I'm no scientist but I don't think either of us are braced for the explosion.**** Rocket Science is a stand-alone MM romance featuring an inexperienced nerd, a cocky player, and a satisfying HEA

Pink Lace and Stolen Hearts


Jake C. Wallace - 2014
    He’s been depressed, and maybe even suicidal, ever since his boyfriend found out that he likes to wear feminine underwear, especially the sheer styles like the one in the picture above. He was so in love with that loser. He even told me that he was holding off from having sex until they got to know one another, because he wanted it to be perfect. He’s old-fashioned that way—a history major who’s enthralled with the history of dating and romantic relationships throughout the centuries. He believed he could find his own Prince Charming and have a Happily Ever After romance. Because he’s a bit embarrassed and unsure of himself about his underwear fetish, he’d always wear "tighty whities" when he was with Simon, or Simple Simon as I like to call him in my mind. Why Simon never questioned that a flamboyant gay man like Greg would wear simple white briefs, I’ll never know.When Greg started to feel comfortable in their relationship, and was ready to go all the way, he finally got up the nerve to wear his favorite pair of undies—a silky smooth, sheer lace, pink bikini with tiny embroidered roses. He was hoping to please Simon, but when he saw them, Simon became enraged, smacking Greg in the face, calling him sick, and storming out the door.Now, there’s Greg standing at the railing, looking at nothing in particular, lost, forlorn, sad, all the things that I don’t want him to be. I love him—as a friend, and maybe even more, though I’ve never told him. I’m straight, at least I think I am, but when I first saw him in a pair of pretty powder blue panties, I swear my heart skipped a beat, and I think I even drooled a little. My reaction made me question my own sexuality, but I haven’t explored anything further with him. I’m happy that he trusted me enough to reveal his secret to me, but now my heart is broken for him due to Simon’s rejection.Greg is so special, so wonderful, please dear author, give him a love story, even if it can’t be with me. He deserves to find happiness with someone who loves him unconditionally and appreciates all the facets of his personality.Photo Description: A man leans heavily on the railing of his balcony with his back to me. His hands grip the metal railing tight. He has a long, lean back and slim hips. He is wearing a pair of sheer boy shorts, which show off his nice round butt. He has black hair, longer on the top and shorter on the sides. His head is bowed, and his shoulders slumped, showing the tension in his body.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.

An Old-Fashioned Love Song


Michelle K. Grant - 2014
    He thinks I’m too young to commit to someone, but I’m not. He takes such good care of me, but he doesn’t realize I can take care of him, too. He needs to take control during sex, and I love it when he does. He knows exactly how to get me going, and I don’t want to lose that.Photo Description: In an austere white bedroom, two men are locked in a passionate embrace. The dark haired man, on the bottom, has one arm draped over the hips of the blond man, on top. His other hand tightly grasps his lover’s neck. At the same time, he places a tender kiss on his lover’s neck. His lover, instead of fighting to free himself, grips his shoulder, encouraging him to tighten his grip.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.