He never meant to fall for the hottest guy in school...or any guy at all for that matter. But he did.Alex Stewart is in love. He took one look at the adorable skater boy with the big lost eyes and was gone.They're both happier than they've ever been, but can their fragile new love survive?

    In my first month away from home, enjoying newfound independence on my college campus, I was brutally raped by a stranger. I had barely begun my homosexual exploration, kissing and some hand jobs, with a few men who were also experimenting, when it happened 7 years ago. I have not been able to enjoy sexual relations with another man ever since. It has affected every one of my romantic relationships and I am sick and tired of being alone and afraid. I have decided to ask my best friend, a man I first met in junior high and trust with every part of my being, to help me overcome my fear of intimacy and sex. Yes, he is straight, but his love for me is strong and he suffers along with me when my fears arise. My hope is that he can help me, taking baby steps, enjoy the wonders of sex by touching me and loving me. I know that it will hurt when our intimate time together is over, but I’m not going to think about that right now. I need the overwhelming dread and fear of other men stricken from my mind before I can worry about anything else.Photo Description: Two men, short dark hair, no tattoos, shown from the waist up only. They appear to be naked and are clasped in a tight embrace. No faces are shown.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.

    He also never expected to fall in love with a man, but that's exactly what happened after he got introduced to rookie, Tripp Littrell. As Jayme's ex-wife put him through the wringer, Tripp was there to keep him sane. Tripp was pleasantly surprised when he got partnered with someone as sexy as Jayme. Jayme had never been with a man before, that is, until Tripp showed him what it was like. Tripp was fine with their casual messing around, until Jayme got shot; then he could no longer deny that he had fallen in love with the other man. Would Jayme admit that he loved him too? Or would they have to end what seemed like the perfect relationship?

    Since then, his obsessive-compulsive behavior and sarcastic nature have driven away most of the population, and everyone else hates him because he's gay. As he sees it, he's bound to repulse any prospective friends, let alone boyfriends, so why bother?By the time Cole enters college, he's become an anal-retentive loner—but it's not a problem until his roommate graduates and the housing department assigns Ellis Montgomery to move in with Cole. Ellis is messy, gorgeous, straight, and worst of all, a "jock"!During a school year filled with frat buddies, camping expeditions, and meddling parents, Cole and Ellis develop a friendship that turns Cole's glass-half-empty outlook on its head. There must be more to Ellis than a fun-loving jock—and maybe Cole's reawakening libido has rekindled his hope for more than camaraderie.

    They also happen to be twins. Estranged from their father since their mother died when they were small children, they've learned to rely only on each other and not depend on anyone else.When their father hires a pair of bodyguards, Rick and Simon, to watch their every move, they think it's just a bid on his part to keep them under his thumb, and Ken and Bay do their best to get rid of their babysitters. Rick and Simon aren't thrilled with the assignment, either. Their break-up went badly, and they have one last job to do before they can get rid of the company they run together.Then an all too real explosion rocks the mansion, and their bodyguards split the twins up, running in a different direction to keep them safe. Will Ken and Bay survive the threat that hangs over them? Will they survive being apart for the first time in their lives? And will Simon and Rick learn to deal with the twins, and with each other, before the threat is over?