StoryEli Henninger is stretched a little thin. He teaches riding classes, conducts therapy sessions, takes care of his son, and helps manage the family farm. He's tired and overworked, especially because lately, no one else seems to do anything right. He and his partner, Geoff, haven't have time together in so long, he's beginning to forget what his longtime love feels like.Geoff is just as busy with the farm, the business, and working through a complicated land purchase. He and Eli labor from sunup to sundown and then some. He knows taking care of their responsibilities is preventing them from taking care of each other, but he doesn't see anything he can do about it. To make matters worse, they're accused of behaving improperly toward some of the children in their riding programs.Then Eli becomes ill and the investigators suspect foul play, forcing Geoff to reevaluate his priorities and hope fate will give them another chance.

    They have their own business, a thriving gay and lesbian publishing company. They have a huge bed. And they have each other. It works for them perfectly well, at least until Nicholas starts...watching. Nicholas has been working at the press a while when Ryan notices that Nicholas is looking more, and looking with intent. But Nicholas is too shy to mention it, and the others haven't decided what to do about it. They had enough trouble accepting the dynamic of four. So it takes a lot of dancing to admit that might want to bring in someone else. The guys struggle through hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and lots of hot loving, all the while refining the relationships that make them what they are. Maybe they'll find that their bed, and their hearts, are big enough for five after all.

    Tanny's having a bad day but Billy knows just what Montana needs and he gives it to his lover in Better Than Running. Meanwhile, Jeremy's day hasn't been bad, just long and full. Working at the forge on his prosthetics leaves him exhausted. Good thing Simon doesn't mind giving a little TLC. Better Than Peanut Butter finds food taking a back seat to love. Finally, in Better Than Coffee, Jim and Marcus explore the heat that always rises so quickly between them. It's espresso day for Jim, but can Marcus offer him something even better than Jim's favorite shot of coffee?

    He loves it even more when heart doctor Brady MacDonald joins the team. Brady is cute, good at his job, and also gay. Soon the two are flirting like crazy and Drey's showing Brady the ropes, the local diner, his bedroom... Brady's got rules, though, about not dating his co-workers. Not to mention the hospital frowns on fraternization between employees who work the same floor. Where does that leave Drey and Brady when innocent flirting begins leading to much, much more? With a cast of secondary characters egging Drey and Brady on, Heart Doctor is a heartwarming and delightful tale of falling in love.

    He's worked hard to put himself through school and achieve the American dream. All he's ever wanted was a normal family life—house in the suburbs, two cars, two kids, a shaggy dog. A family to come home to—to care for, and to care for him.Mischa Blake is the green eyed, liberally-pierced, black-haired, Mohawk-wearing spoiled youngest son of a Hollywood producer and his actress wife. Mischa has made a terrible mistake. In a fit of childish pique, he's accepted a dare from his older brothers. The dare? Live on his own, supporting himself completely for a year without accessing his trust fund. No problem. Except Mischa has never worked a day in his life, hasn't finished college, and has absolutely no skills that he can bring to the table. So when he sees Donovan's ad for a housekeeper/gardener, he has nothing to lose by applying, because really...how hard can it be?

    Eight months later, his brother, James, was killed in action in Mosul.Three years on, Connor finds himself bound for Iraq to embed with an elite SAS team. He sets his boots on the ground looking for closure and solace—anything to ease the pain of his brother’s death. Instead he finds Sergeant Nathan Thompson.Nat Thompson is a veteran commander, hardened by years of combat and haunted by the loss of his best friend. Being lumbered with a civilian is a hassle Nat doesn’t need, and he vows to do nothing more than keep the hapless hack from harm’s way.But Connor proves far from hapless, and too compelling to ignore for long. He walks straight through the steel wall Nat’s built around his heart, and when their mission puts him in mortal danger, Nat must lay old ghosts to rest and fight to the death for the only man he’s ever truly loved.

    His grandfather, silver-screen heartthrob James Ringer, died tragically at twenty-one, and Brandon looks exactly like him. But that’s where the resemblance ends. Brandon is unknown, unemployed, and up to his ears in bills after inheriting his grandparents’ Hollywood mansion. He refuses to sell it—it’s his last connection to his grandmother—so to raise the cash he needs, he joins a celebrity look-alike escort agency.Percy Charles is chronically ill, isolated, and lonely. His only company is his meddlesome caregiver and his collection of James Ringer memorabilia. When he finds “Jim Ringer” on Hollywood Doubles’ website, he books an appointment, hoping to meet someone who shares his passion for his idol.Brandon? Not that person.But despite their differences, they connect, and Percy’s fanboy love for James shows Brandon a side of his grandfather he never knew. Soon they want time together off the clock, but Percy is losing his battle for independence, and Brandon feels trapped in James’s long shadow. Their struggle to love each other is the stuff of classic Hollywood. Too bad Brandon knows how those stories end.

    It wasn't New York, or California, but he figured it would be better than being home. College would be be a new start in a new place, maybe somewhere he could be himself.Sean was local, born and bred, on the opposite side of the town-and-gown divide, but attraction knows no boundaries. When personal tragedy brought them together, it was the beginning of something extraordinary.~~~~~This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Hot Summer Days" 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.Dear Author,I realize I'm late to the party, but it took me a bit to find just the perfect photo! This:The first time is so beautiful, if the one you're with cares enough to make it that way. These two are so young: barely out of high-school, but college is all about finding out who you really are.Photo Description: The place is secluded; leaves filter the sun. The men are so young, shirtless, smooth skin and sleek light muscle. The dark boy tentatively holds his lover, head tilted to bring their mouths together. There is nothing tentative about the blond. He leans in, driving the kiss. 1980's sweet summertime.Word Count: 15,288

    He certainly doesn't expect his Jock-God of a roommate, tall, hunky, muscular Gregg the champion wrestler. Nor falling head over heels for him. Workouts, friendship, a little hurt and comfort, and pretty soon Dar can't take being in love with his straight roommate.But maybe Gregg isn't so straight. He's been keeping secrets of his own, like a murdered first love and a family that's pretty much disowned him for being gay. Though he vowed never to fall again, he's not figuring on Dar and how the cute little nerd unfreezes his fearful heart.For once, the nerd gets the jock, but different interests are the least of their problems. They can't keep their hands off each other, but coming out is the hardest part.Publisher's Note: This book contains graphic male/male sexual practices.

    There, he unexpectedly encounters Rogan James, the former high school bully and now local deputy chief of police who had once made Lucas's life miserable.Reacquainted 12 years later, the two finally acknowledge a long held powerful physical attraction that quickly evolves into an even stronger emotional connectionBut all this becomes secondary when a local reporter's secret obsession for Rogan threatens not only the end of their newly found love, but their very lives.

    When he meets Paul, he thinks he might just have found someone fresh and new, someone who’ll play, maybe someone who will be more than a one night stand. Pretty quick, though, Gent finds out with Paul he gets more than he bargained for. He gets Jamie, too, Paul’s twin, who wants him just as much as Paul does. Gent thinks maybe he’s in over his head, in for a weird triangle that he can’t handle, but as the three come together in an explosion of passionate fireworks, beginning to explore a whole new world of heat, he learns that there can be a lot more fun in having two.

    He isn’t all that religious. He likes music his parents wouldn’t approve of. He’s gay. He’s determined to stay under the radar, but a chance meeting with a handsome biker who flirts Nate out of his modesty might throw those plans out of the window.Word Count: 9000Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

    He’s ashamed of hiding it all this time and he doesn’t want to hurt her, so every time he gets the chance to tell her, he freezes up. The guilt has been almost unbearable, but when his wife dies suddenly, Jay’s conscience threatens to eat him alive. Funeral director Scott Lawson deals with the bereaved every day of his life, and he’s also all too familiar with the inside of the closet. He offers Jay some much-needed compassion and understanding, and from that connection comes a friendship that quickly—perhaps too quickly—turns into something more. But are grief, guilt, and loneliness the only things tying them together? Or will Scott get tired of being used as an emotional crutch before Jay realizes what he has?

    This is a dark, disturbing collection that pulls no punches. Although Devon McCormack writes romance, these are not romances and do not contain HEAs. Look elsewhere for love because here there is only pain, darkness, and sadism. CHEATING BASTARD (Novelette) He can get away with anything... Anytime, anyplace. Blake never has problems finding tricks, and he's learned that half the fun is in doing it behind his boyfriend Todd's back. But when Todd suggests a threesome to reignite their relationship, the opportunity to bring in one of his regulars and dupe his boyfriend right under his nose is too tantalizing to resist. Todd loves Blake, but after Blake's cancer treatments, it seems nothing Todd does can excite him. For six months, he's waited patiently for his boyfriend's interest to return, but it's clear if he doesn't do something drastic, nothing will change. In a desperate attempt to save their relationship, he suggests a threesome. He expects it to be difficult. He expects to get jealous. What he doesn't expect is to have the hots for their new toy...and for both of them to want Blake out of the picture. LYING BASTARD (Novella) Take me, Brad. Hurt me. Break me. Freshman Ian craves something brutal. Something violent. Something dangerous. After an encounter with Brad, his student orientation leader, he believes he's discovered the guy who can give him exactly what he needs. But when Brad ignores Ian's attempts to reconnect, Ian knows it's because he fears what they shared. He's sure if he can just get close to him, Brad will cave to their powerful chemistry. And he has just the trick to make it impossible for Brad to shake him: pledge with Brad's fraternity, Alpha Theta Mu. It's the hottest fraternity on campus. The one every guy's trying to get into. Fortunately for Ian, the fraternity's Archon Aaron takes an interest in him. Playing along will help him pledge and keep him close to the object of his desire. Brad wants Ian, but he fears the darkness within him. He's hurt people in the past, and he can't let himself hurt Ian. Brad knows the only reason Ian's hooking up with Aaron is to get close to him, but messing with the Archon's boy-toy isn't an option. But why can't he keep away from Ian? Why does every moment they're alone together lead to passionate kisses and sadistic games? And why do his hands keep gravitating to Ian's throat?

    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