There's something about the photograph and the way Shane talks about him that ignites a spark deep inside Robbie, and he longs to know more. But will he like what he hears, and will he be able to control his instant attraction to his client?

    His design business has been quiet all year, but in December, it always picks up – and this year, he really needs the money. Trouble is, they cut off his internet in November, so now he needs to spend all day in a coffee shop if he wants to get any work done. Shame about having to buy coffee to keep himself in business. He can barely afford it. Cue Stef Tucker. Stef is a barista with an optimistic mind and an eye for troubled souls. Seeing Misha struggle, he’s kind enough to cover a few cups of coffee for him per day. At first, Misha feels inclined to point out that he’s not gay – that if this is flirting, then it’s not going to get anywhere. But the more time they spend together, the more Misha realizes that Stef just has a good heart… and that he might have spoken too soon when he said it’d never happen. Can Misha get himself together before Stef gives in and goes back to Jake, the pragmatic ex-boyfriend who canned him last Christmas? Can Stef’s generosity hold out until Misha’s standing back on his own two feet? Only one thing’s for sure – baby, it’s cold outside, and they’re going to need to give it everything they’ve got to stay warm this Christmas. This story is approximately 30,000 words.

    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.

    All he wants is to leave his past far behind him, especially the father who forced him to run drugs and sell his body. Romance doesn't even register on his radar. Then Braxton Irving, a self-employed security guard, shows up at the coffee shop, and Gavin finds he can't deny his interest. After some serious soul searching, he finally asks Braxton out, and the two embark on a whirlwind affair. But Braxton hasn't been completely honest with Gavin about his motivation for coming to the coffee shop that day. Braxton's feelings for Gavin are real, but so is his commitment to his work. Can their relationship survive once Gavin learns it was founded on a lie?

    Dave has made the most perfect plans for his first Valentine’s Day with Nicholas … but of course that’s when Sod’s Law kicks in, and everything that can go wrong does go wrong.NotesWith gratitude to the friend who edited, to Manifold Press who believed, and of course to the wonderful folk at Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews who kindly supported.With apologies to dear Keats, from whom I borrowed the title (adapting the idea behind it).And with thanks to trigga on iStockPhoto.com for the cover image.Happy Valentine’s Day!3500 words

    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.

    He thought getting away from New York for a few days would be good for him, but he didn’t expect to see the first person he’d ever fallen in love with.Jake Pierson gave his heart to Charlie when he was barely fifteen years old. As best friends, Jake believed he and Charlie would be together forever, but when Charlie took the easier path in life, Jake was left to deal with a future without the man he loved.Jake knew tricking Charlie into performing at a conference he’d helped organise was low-handed, but he had a promise to keep and a future to build.Reader Advisory: This story has been previously released as part of the Unconventional At Best anthology by Total-E-Bound

    A huge one. The US senator he works for has run away with his latest mistress on the eve of a make-or-break fund-raising event, and it’s up to him to cover his boss’s irresponsible tracks.Stone Jackson, the senator’s new bodyguard, looks enough like the senator that, with some extensive grooming, he might pass for Senator Lacey. Christian and Stone hatch a plan to fool everyone by substituting Stone for the senator, but Miami madness and the incendiary heat between them are throwing obstacles in their way. It’s a race to find the senator and pull off the con of the century before the attraction between them spins completely out of control.

    He’s given up and wants to be as far away as possible from the place that has been the source of his troubles all his life. But to his disappointment, he finds himself in the last place he expected. And a chance encounter with a redneck and a stubborn hound dog aren’t helping, either. That is… until they do.Invincibility can be found in the strangest places.This short story by JF Smith imagines that, perhaps, very big things can happen in very small moments.

    Scott, a modern arts curator at a museum in Chicago, relishes the finer things in life. Julian is a strange photographer whose hair color changes as frequently as his mood. As far as Scott can see, Julian is an erratic know-it-all who lives his life one day to the next. To Julian, Scott is an uptight, too-coiffed perfectionist.As the two men continue to run into each other, their dislike grows, but beneath that animosity, a fire is beginning to spark. Scott is baffled when he realizes he is falling for Julian, a man who burns hotter than a wildfire. Scott will have to decide, for the first time in his life, if he’ll let the flames take over.