There’s something in his bag. Something silver and glistening, sparkling with hopes and dreams of a bright and beautiful future. The only thing standing between him and his soon to be fiancée Emma is his arduous, mind-numbing drive home. But something isn’t right. His phone, his hearing, the music, the traffic; everything just seems off and out of sync, and Riley can’t quite put his finger on it.All he has to do is keep his eyes on the road…All he has to do is take it slow…In this brooding and deeply moving short story by Jack Harding, buckle up and settle down for a journey that will stir your senses and pull on your heart strings, keeping you guessing right until the end of the road.

    Raised in Alabama, Kent has hidden his past and now loves his life as a big time ad exec for a prestigious advertising company in New York. But when he makes a bet with his best friend, Blaine, Kent is thrown for a loop—for Kent has to make the next person to walk through the door fall in love with him.Terry Barron is hiding out in New York. Raised in England in a wealthy family, Terry escapes to New York to avoid arranged marriages and the lifestyle he’s grown to hate. When he delivers a package to an advertising firm, he meets the unbelievably sexy Kent Samson. Suddenly, secrets and lies complicate everything and both men find themselves in uncharted waters. How will Terry feel when Kent is revealed as a betting man?

     Chris Kimball is good at keeping things to himself, but when he breaks his leg during a hockey game, he quickly realizes his biggest secret might be impossible to keep. It was hard enough being in love with his best friend and teammate, Tim Robineau, but when Tim takes care of him as he recovers, Chris’s feelings only grow stronger. Tim is aware that some people think he’s dumb, but they’re wrong. He’s just an easy-going guy who enjoys spending time with his team and friends—especially Chris. Tim has dated a lot of women who couldn’t understand that, and figures he’s cursed when it comes to love—but he’s not. He just doesn’t know it. Yet. ***This story previously appeared in the Changing on the Fly Anthology***

    Paul was the six-year-old boy who kissed him after Patrick helped find his mom in a mall full of Christmas shoppers, the teenager who showed him kindness at Christmas when Patrick needed it most, and the lover who has shared his life after a chance meeting, three Christmases ago.When Paul holds out the faded scrap of paper, Patrick feels his carefully constructed world crumble around him. Will Paul still love him even knowing the secrets he has kept hidden? In the glow of the Christmas lights, Patrick has to face his innermost fears with the man who has always been his whole world.

     Intended for mature audiences only.

    But they are also times of stress and strife, family drama, pressure and heartache—a potent mix of high expectations and conflicted emotions. Add in power exchange relationships, kinky gift swaps, and unconventional love in a sometimes unforgiving world, and you have a formula for a sizzling anthology of stories that tug at your heart.From Ava March’s forbidden Regency love among men, to Katie Porter’s scorching hot contemporary tale of two women discovering holiday happiness, everyone will find a favorite here. Pervertible toys abound: Lambda Literary Award finalist L.A. Witt’s candy cane, Jane Davitt’s wrapping paper and tape, and Alexa Snow’s Christmas candles all please and delight. Newcomer Elyan Smith and fan favorite Kim Dare both celebrate New Year’s Eve with romantic flair and kinky fireworks, while bestselling author Joey W. Hill’s poignant story of love lost and regained will lead you home.Whatever your desires, we invite you to explore new fantasies and old with these eight kinky tales of holiday happy endings.Ava March, “’Twas the Night”Percival Owen yearns for the nights when he can kneel before his lover, even though no self-respecting gentleman willingly submits to another. Michael wants his first Christmas with Percy to be perfect, but is frustrated by Percy’s inability to ask for what he wants. The gift Michael offers Percy—and that Percy offers in return—is the best Percy could ever hope to receive: his will to submit.Jane Davitt, “Tree Topper”Martin’s new to the scene, and his sub Stan has recently stopped taking him seriously. Their tree has floggers, clamps, and cuffs underneath it, but will they ever be used? Frustrated and confused, Martin knows it will take more than a star to guide him on his way to becoming the Dom Stan needs—but their path to happiness might be shorter than he thinks.L.A. Witt, “Candy Caning”Nate is dreading the annual Christmas visit with his family, during which they will ignore or insult his partner and Dominant. Stephen tries hard to take Nate’s mind off the trip with the promise—and threat—of a three-foot-long candy cane. It’s a race to see if Nate’s resolve or the candy cane will shatter first.Alexa Snow, “Ring Out the Old and In the New”Recovering from a mugging on the London Underground, Evan has barely left the house in weeks. His partner and Dom, Russell, finally manages to drag him outside on Christmas Eve, but it’s the surprise that Russell has waiting for him back home that helps Evan get past his trauma and remember what’s important: being on his knees for the man he loves.Elyan Smith, “Open Return”Fifteen years ago, Zach left the small Midwestern town he grew up in, confused and scared and determined to figure out who he was. Now transformed, he’s drawn back by the memory and promise of the dominant couple he left behind. Laura and Scott are still together, and as the year draws to a close, they explore old feelings and new ones as they discover they’ve all been waiting for Zach to come home.Kim Dare, “His Very Last Chance”Drew screwed up. So when his master, Kingsley, summons him on New Year’s Eve, he knows he deserves the punishment in store for him. Everything changed for Kingsley when he overheard Drew running his mouth to his friends on Boxing Day. Now, there’s only one way he can possibly ring in the New Year: starting over fresh, either with an ending or a new beginning.Katie Porter, “Fireworks”Rachel’s job is taking her to Tokyo, which means leaving behind her lover and submissive, Emma. When she summons Emma for one last hurrah on New Year’s Eve, Emma answers, hoping desperately to be able to break through her ma’am’s emotional barriers and find the spark of love among the glittering fireworks.Joey W. Hill, “Submissive Angel”After Robert found Ange bleeding in an alley, he employed the man in his vintage toy store as an act of charity. However, this Christmas, the eccentric young dancer will offer his thanks—and himself—to teach a brokenhearted Master how to open his heart to love again.

    Ted has just won 15 million quid.Or at least, he would have won 15 million quid if he could find his bloody lotto ticket...Word Count: 4,350

    Mostly. Her B&B, the Thistle Do keeps her busy in the small Scottish-American tourist town of Aberdeen, Illinois. With a dating pool she can count on one hand, though, she's come to terms with the fact that she'll have to learn to love being alone. That is until a six-foot-five, bagpiping hottie shows up on her front step and dares to make her feel again.As leader of the pipe band Aon Dueg, Finn MacGowan is growing tired of his life of travel. Aberdeen is just the latest stop in a whirlwind life that keeps him moving constantly. In town to work with the high school pipe band for the Christmas parade, the last thing Finn expects is to find is a woman that turns him upside down and a new calling that could change everything. All he has left to do is convince Mia that he's worth taking a second chance at love.

    His third wife's son, Cole, is crashing with him, and though the boy has a heart of gold - he's a disaster. He has no skills, he's dropped out of college, and the only thing he's got going for him is an incredible ass. Landon decides that Cole would be much better off if he were in control of the boy's life. He has three wives behind him, but maybe he'll have better luck with a submissive little husband... Part TwoLandon loves life as a married man. Cole is obedient and eager to please, and when he's not... well, a little discipline and he's right back on track. Though Cole sometimes struggles with the demands Landon places on him, he's settled into a routine and is happy. The relief of not having to worry or think is amazing, and the fond way Landon looks at him more than makes up for whatever depraved fantasies the older man wants to act out. When Cole is kidnapped, Landon is forced to consider how much the younger man really means to him... Part ThreeIn the aftermath of Cole's kidnapping, Landon is gentle, caring and attentive, and it's driving Cole crazy. He misses his brute of a husband. The one who would lock him up in a leather sleepsack the whole day, just because it turns him on to think of Cole trapped and helpless while he's at work. That's the Landon Cole wants. But how is he supposed to tell his hunky husband that this new, kinder version of him is boring? Cole doesn't know... (Warning: This story contains dubious consent, BDSM, punishment enemas, watersports, CBT and fisting. Do not proceed if any of these bother you.)

    It doesn’t pick up after the end of Book 2, but is a story of what happened to Dom and Seth on Christmas Eve in Paris.--- Midnight Mass might have to wait ---All Seth wants is a Christmas Eve to remember, with the man he loves. When Dom invites him to Paris, his dreams are about to come true. But the man waiting in the apartment they are to stay at changes the course of the trip. To Seth’s surprise, religion is a bigger issue for Dom than he’d thought, and it’s on a collision course with Seth’s atheism.Their first Christmas together might end up memorable for all the wrong reasons.POSSIBLE SPOILERS:Themes: Religion, blasphemy, complicated relationships, Paris, ChristmasGenre: contemporary gay erotic romanceLength: ~ 12,000 words

    He may get to kiss gorgeous Cary Holloway on the set of their hit sci-fi TV show, but he knows it’ll never happen in real life. Charming Cary—the son of Hollywood royalty—has a starlet girlfriend, and despite their sizzling onscreen chemistry, he and Ryan are just friends. Right?But Christmas is a time for unexpected gifts, and Cary accepts Ryan’s last-minute invite to leave the palm trees behind and spend the holiday with the Drakes at their cabin in the Great White North.Amid the snow and mistletoe, Ryan struggles to keep his longing under wraps. Little does he know, Cary’s coming to terms with his bisexuality and deep attraction to his co-star. Will these actors have the courage to make their romance real—or will it be only in their dreams?This gay Christmas romance from Keira Andrews features pining, sexual discovery, snowball fights, fireside holiday cheer, and of course a happy ending.

     His mother's new husband is awful, he can't find a paying job, and he's run out of couches to surf on. Desperate, he ends up in the unlikely position of standing on his ex-stepfather's porch holding all his worldly belongings in two cardboard boxes. Craig is sure taking Logan in is a terrible idea. It's been six years since he's seen his ex-wife's kid, and Craig hasn't forgotten the trouble the boy caused him. But it's cold out and Logan is clearly at the end of his rope. Craig decides in a fit of charity to help Logan get back on his feet. All he has to do is obey the rules. Rules are meant to be broken. Take one desperate Millennial and one bored Gen Xer. Add in an old grudge, guilt, unwelcome feelings, an inconvenient interest in Daddy kink, a need for discipline and regular meals, and punishment for rule-breaking. Shake well. Expect explosive results. Rule Forty-Seven is a stand-alone 11k short with a May/December romance, sexy-fun times, snark, and a HEA.

    They repeatedly asked her to write Santa a letter, detailing what she wanted, but she said there was no need because he knew. Apparently, when you're magic like he is, letters are a waste of time. He reaches out to children in their dreams, according to Eve, and learns all they truly want. That might have been easy for the parents to do too; watch their child and see what she is paying attention to but Eve is closed off to pretty much everyone, including them. She spends most of her time in her bedroom, or just looking out of the window. She doesn't have a favourite cartoon, she shows no care for the latest toys. They don't feel like they really know her and - in the morning - the last thing they want to do is disappoint her by presenting the wrong gifts. As the clock struck midnight, they knew they only had a few more hours before she'd wake and their day would begin. Neither of them could sleep. Neither of them wanted to ruin the magic of Christmas by having Santa "guess wrong"... This is a short story, for your enjoyment on Christmas Eve

    For Sam, it means his back and knees are killing him, his patience is wearing thin...and his own holiday plans are probably getting canceled. Again.As Sam’s hopes dim for a relaxing Christmas with his family, he also misses Austin, the man he loves and who makes him kneel. He misses submitting, and he craves everything Austin gives him and makes him do. Shame he barely has the time or energy to faceplant in bed these days.But Austin always takes care of his submissive.And no matter what, he’s going to give Sam a Christmas he won’t forget.Season’s Beatings is a standalone holiday-themed short story.

    I've got a great kid, an amicable relationship with my ex, and a job working cattle on one of the largest ranches in Eden, Wyoming. Only problem is that "everyone" has no clue that I'm living a half-life.Because the other half is a closeted gay man who's got it bad for the young ranch hand he works with day in and day out.But the very straight Travis isn't an option. And even if he were, my sexy co-worker isn't exactly committed to commitment.So it's time for a change and since gay guys aren't exactly falling off trees in Eden, I'm going to need a little help...TravisIt was supposed to be a Friday night like any other. Me and my best friend heading into town to find some female company for a few hours. And even though Jackson usually goes home alone, he's still a great wingman.Unfortunately, between my impatience to get the night started and my bad habit of snooping, I've learned two things about Jackson in the space of five minutes that have left me all kinds of confused.Jackson's gay.And he's placed a classified ad to try and hook up with some guy he can't get his mind off after a brief run-in at a hardware store in the city.Now I can't get my mind off Jackson.Don't get me wrong, I like the ladies, but why can't I stop thinking about my good-looking best friend and the faceless stranger he's ready to start something new with? Jackson doesn't need some random guy right now. Not when he has me...Oh hell. Author's Note: Please note that this story was previously published as part of a charity anthology (Heart2Heart: A Charity Anthology, Volume 3) so it was intended to be a certain length. Although it is a complete story with an HEA, if you don’t care for short stories, Jackson and Travis’s tale may not be for you.