In fact, he doesn't believe in love at all despite his latent desire for his best friend of fourteen years, builder Marc Pierce. Dan Hutchinson is a young homeless man living in a derelict house Marc's halfway to renovating. When Marc announces Dan's moving in for a while, Terry is understandably miffed. After all, it hasn't been that long since Marc spilt with his boyfriend of a year, so why is he intent on bringing a total stranger into their home? It seems to Terry there's more to this arrangement than meets the eye. Marc must be providing Dan with food and lodgings in exchange for sex. And with the lusty vibes Dan sends his way, it's not long before Terry succumbs to the boy's talents between the sheets. But carrying on with Dan behind his best friend's back is not easy. Or desirable. And when Terry's plans to oust Dan fail, he's the one who finds himself out in the cold. Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Male/male sexual practices.

    Through a computer screen, a high-school boy falls in love with his oldest friend; in a dorm room, a college boy opens up to his newest. At a hospital, a young man looks into his future; on snowy Cape Cod, he connects with his past. In the passenger seat of his car, a grown man seizes the day with a soldier; under summer fireworks, he shares his story.Ollie shows us how even the most ordinary days can move us in profound ways. In "The Youth & Young Loves of Oliver Wade," we see that our lives may be just a series of moments, but it's these moments that become our momentum.A stand-alone companion to "The Painting of Porcupine City."

    Even if it means pretending Josh Daly doesn’t make his heart pound every time their eyes meet. The tension eases once Josh heads off to a Christian University on a baseball scholarship. Brennan stays put in Elm Grove to work at his family’s drive-in movie theater and take classes at the local community college. But when Josh comes home for summer break, the feeling not only returns, it transforms into a loud and commanding drumbeat he struggles to tune out. Finally admitting who he is feels overwhelming. There’s a reason Brennan remains a virgin and when he realizes Josh might be one too, the chemistry between them becomes impossible to ignore. Except acting on his attraction throws everything Josh has been raised to believe out the window. Plagued by fear and self-doubt, they finally surrender, placing their trust in each other and their undeniable connection. But facing the world together takes the sort of faith that will either strengthen their bond…or shatter its very foundation.TW: homophobia

    Gorgeous silver fox, Evan Paige, is way out of Stevie's league, however, not to mention the chief has always been a ladies' man, but when Stevie turns twenty-one, he decides he's tired of only daydreaming about Evan. He wants a real taste of that sugar daddy, even if it means turning the flirt factor up a notch or ten to make it happen. This 36k word novella has pee-in-your-pants humor, peel-the-paint-off-the-walls steam, and a smidgie-poo of hand-on-chest swooning.

    The stresses of daily life have gotten in the way and put a strain on our relationship. We don’t seem to spend the time or energy on our relationship like we should. Help us to find the spark we once had.Photo Description:The black and white photo shows two men, but only the man closest to the camera is in focus. He sits in bed, propped up on pillows, staring pensively at the camera. In the background, his partner reclines on the far edge of the same bed. His hand reaches for his lover’s nipple as he watches the other man intently.Story Info:Genre: contemporaryTags: established couple, light bdsm, teacher, medical personnel, hurt/comfortWord count: 6,307This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" 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.

    His boss is on his back, his car is breaking down, and the oppressive heat is broiling him alive. There s no end in sight to his misery.Tall, slender, green-eyed Keith runs the lunch shift at the local diner, an air-conditioned oasis away from what John s life has become. Keith s cheerful personality, constant smile and unbearably sexy body help to remind John that summer is what he makes of it. And with Keith s cooperation, John plans on making this his best summer yet.Warning:Warning: This story contains two hot guys having hot sex one hot summer. Lots of hotness. Please be advised that a fire extinguisher may come in handy; so would ice cubes, used at your discretion."

    It doesn't go well.When they reach junior high they have a truce in place and Tal, a new guy in their class, acts as a catalyst, bringing them together as best friends. Together all through high school, they survive school plays, Tal's girlfriends, Silas' boyfriend and Warren's endless studying. College is more of the same, until Silas and Tal coax Warren out of the closet.For Warren nothing changes, but for Silas the world has unexpectedly changed forever. He had no idea he was in love with his best friend at all, and when he finally tells Warren the reaction is another surprise.Prove it.Warren knows all about Silas, knows the tricks, the games, the very best and the very worst about him, and Warren loves him back. But Warren also knows that if they're going to be together it's got to be forever, and he can't just risk everything for what might be another one of Silas' whims.Silas has to prove he loves Warren, and he wants to do just that. But how do you win the heart of someone who knows you better than anyone else?

    An experimental fling in high school has led him down the path of single fatherhood. Now, he holds down a job, takes his college classes online, and pays his own bills as best he can—all while juggling daycare and chores and play-dates for his four-month-old, Mae. It's a rough, 24/7 life, but to Zach, Mae is worth every penny spent and every minute of his day.With no free time to speak of, it feels like a miracle when Zach meets Wil in the check-out line at his work. Handsome, grounded, from the proverbial "right side of the tracks", and—even better—good with kids, Wil is everything he could want in a boyfriend. But as interested as Wil is in Zach, he has his own life, his own family, his own job and college career to think about. All the various draws on their time means that it's hard just to find chances to be together. But Zach's no stranger to hard tasks, and believes he owes it to himself to try.

    Tom is there to adopt another service dog into the Canine Comrade Corps, but it’s Jamie his heart goes out to. But each man turns away, walks away, from the potential pain, the rejection, the knowledge that it’ll all end in tears…Jamie knows damn well that the HIV he contracted from an unfaithful lover has put him out of the dating game forever in the small town of Santa Vera. Tom lost his legs in Afghanistan, and got new ones, yeah, but with a side order of PTSD to go, he thought grimly. The real problem is that only now does he realize he’s gay, now that the revelation would be just one too many things to put his family through, after everything else they’ve had to deal with. So both men grin and bear the loneliness, put their feelings on a shelf, even as Jamie’s volunteer stint at CCC turns into friendship and, despite their resolve, something more…

    Suddenly Angelo finds himself alone with a newborn daughter to raise, and no explanation as to why Todd left him, or the daughter he had so desperately wanted.Between his daughter, and his career as a kindergarten teacher, Angel doesn’t have time for anything else, let alone a relationship. When the handsome, auburn-haired Marcus walks into his kindergarten classroom toting his daughter, Angel isn’t looking for a boyfriend. He has enough on his plate raising a thirteen month old daughter, and keeping his class in line.Only Marcus doesn’t seem to know the meaning of the word no, and soon worms his way into all facets of Angel's life, turning everything sideways. In a twist of fate, the reason for Todd’s betrayal becomes clear, and Angel finds himself with a new outlook on his own life. But can he really expect Marcus to stay?This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" 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.

    They might make a connection if they can get past their differences—and their fears.At age fourteen, James Maron decided to prove he wasn’t gay despite vast evidence to the contrary. Now at thirty-two, he’s getting ready to send his son to college and wondering what he’s supposed to do next. Outside his son, his life consists of an IT job he hates and watching telenovelas with the women in his apartment building. Gabriel Juarez is the CFO of a technology giant. He has looks, charm, fantastic wealth, a workaholic personality, and a string of boyfriends who only stick around because he’s too busy to tell them to leave. A bad laptop/projector interface causes James and Gabe’s paths to cross. Friends, family, and coworkers jump to match Gabe with a nice guy, and James with anyone. But are they too different? Everyone will have to tread very carefully to keep things from ending before they start.

    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.

    The two connect through letters and phone calls for a year, falling in love and making plans to meet when Ryder finishes his tour. However, in an effort to save one of his men who steps on a mine, Ryder loses his leg. Broken and depressed, he doesn't think Dean will want him. But once Dean learns what happens, he immediately goes to Ryder, determined to help him heal and show him that he loves him no matter what. Ryder has a long road of recovery ahead of him, but with Dean's support, he realizes his life isn't over, it's just beginning if he’ll only give them a chance.

    Now in his forties, Scott lives a quiet life as a music producer and session guitarist. But in a box hidden in his wardrobe lie the relics of the past he left behind—a past filled with drugs, booze, and broken hearts. For sixteen years, Scott has had no contact with his former bandmates, so when he’s asked to play at a benefit gig for King Phoenix’s old sound man, his world turns upside down. A King Phoenix reunion means a run-in with Scott’s ex, Ash Walker—and sixteen years ago, believing Ash wanted to leave the band, Scott OD’d and almost died. Since then, Scott has ruthlessly suppressed his feelings. As a result, he's completely unprepared for the impact of seeing Ash again, or for dealing with his emotions about the band’s demise. He definitely didn’t expect Ash to want to start up where they left off. Now Scott has to decide between his safe existence and the twenty-year-old love song that could cost him his sobriety—and his heart.

    Now raising his young nephew, he seeks a quieter place away from the paparazzi and all the vices of his old life. Lust and love in the form of an eccentric man weren’t even on his horizon.Yet.Francis Keen talks to his dog and his car. In his experience, people are less predictable and safe. His crippling anxiety keeps him anchored to his grandmother’s home. He wonders if he’ll ever find the courage to live—and to love. Two men, so different, on track for a romantic collision... can they survive the impact? “Let me start by saying that I loved this story - and all of its quirky, thoughtfully written characters. It's sweet, sexy, poignant - and, overall, one of the most unique M/M romance novels I've read.” ~Passionate ReadsRead the novel that inspired the bestselling series The Sin Bin.