His sex life has been nonexistent for some time, though. After a particularly bad hookup, he keeps mostly to himself. That leaves chocolate. Luckily, he works surrounded by the most delicious, extravagant produce in Gothenburg. Beside his job at the chocolaterie, his main source of excitement is his online friend, Magnus, whom he stubbornly refuses to meet in person. A customer turns up at the chocolaterie one day—tall, shy, and charming. He could be just the right man. If Michał can step out of his overly safe shell, there might be not only chocolate, but sex, too. Maybe chocolate-flavored sex. And if he’s lucky, maybe even love. Warning: This book contains explicit scenes, adult language, and obscene amounts of chocolate.

    He and Elise have been in Boston for eight years, he loves her, and she loves him. They’ve got a great apartment that’s kept its value, they’re both up for promotion, and he can hook up with any guy he likes—all the sex he wants, so long as it’s of the “no strings” variety. And that’s all fine and dandy… until a chance meeting at the checkout. * * * “This isn’t a fluffy m/m filled with stupid misunderstandings…this is a book about the cost of being truly grown up; not in a YA coming of age, but in a turning over a whole new chapter way, complete with love and loss. Excellent read.” “…wonderful and refreshing and just laugh out loud funny at times.” “A powerfully written, life changing book. A beautiful read.” * * * WARNING: this story contains sex acts between consenting male adults. * * * Also in this series: Checking Him Out For the Holidays - a Hanukkah/Christmas novella. Hiding Out - a Hiding Behind The Couch / Checking Him Out crossover novella.* * * * * * First published as part of the Love's Landscapes Anthology (DRiTC 2014, MMRomanceGroup.com), based on the prompt: Dear Author, When I met the love of my new life (his words not mine…ass), I was simply waiting in the checkout line. I might have been caught up in a conversation with my best friend/wife of X amount of years about something, I can’t remember at the moment. So anyway, we were distracted and didn’t notice that the line had moved. So after maybe 30 seconds, or a minute at the most (I’m pretty sure it wasn’t that long), Mr. Impatient, with an accent like that character on The Originals (not that I watch that show at my age), got our attention in the rudest way in my opinion, or in my wife’s heart-of-a-ho opinion, the kindest way possible for our insensitive asses. I’m pretty sure his accent, mixed with his damn charm, got him out of more trouble than it should. We had a rough start, but we had quiet moments when we weren’t all over each other or fighting, in and out of bed. Anyway, I would love a story about our first year. P.S. I want a story with interesting secondary characters interacting with the main characters. I want it to be known that the marriage is a *lavender marriage—no one is being fooled here. I want humor mixed in with hot-damn, slightly overwhelming sex. Alpha males with a bad case of the giggles at inappropriate moments. No BDSM please. One other request is that I wish the main characters to be in the age range of late twenties to early thirties. *A lavender marriage is a “beard” marriage of convenience. Sincerely, T

    The man who normally has a clear path to victory surrounded by brothers in combat is suddenly lost and alone. After meeting Beckett Ridge, a bearded tattoo artist, Dax’s journey begins winding down an unexpected path. Still reeling from events that shook his foundation, Beck has never been part of anything meaningful. Now faced with responsibilities foreign and daunting, Dax’s broken spirit mends Beck in ways he never even knew he was destroyed. As both struggle to find balance, they are healed by the comfort they find in one other. On the other side of chaos, they hope to find themselves On Solid Ground.

    Either way, the two have enough chemistry—in and out of bed—that Levi isn’t sure one night with Sinjin will be enough.And a message left in candy suggests the feeling is mutual.

    Sure, he’s a widower raising a teenage daughter who just got her first boyfriend, his book series isn’t writing itself, and he has a crush on his new neighbor — the guy next door. But everything’s just fine.Simon Lynley is doing better. He moved to Bethlehem to fall out of love and rebuild his career. An affair with his neighbor isn’t part of the plan, but the attraction between them is too hard to ignore.But when Simon’s ex follows him to Pennsylvania seeking reconciliation, and Charlie’s life starts to feel like a video on repeat, everything comes apart. Charlie worries that he’s failing as a father, and Simon is a distraction he can’t afford. Meanwhile Simon doesn’t know if he could survive being left again, and he hasn’t come all this way to make the same mistakes. But despite their fears, it’s only together that they’ll find the strength to slay old foes and build the forever they’ve been waiting for.

    It’s not a general dislike and it’s not a case where they can avoid each other. Unfortunately, they share a circle of friends and family They met when they were in high school and there seemed to be a bit of attraction despite their vast differences, but something happened and they are at each other’s throats. Verbal throw-downs, the occasional thrown punch has happened at more than a few shared get togethers. Dear Author, how can two men who can’t stand each other come to realize that the other man is the one person they can’t and don’t want to live without?Photo Description: 1. At the beach, a man with close-cropped hair and the physique of a Greek god hefts a rugby ball. Dark hair dusts his arms, legs, and chest. Another smattering of hair dips from his navel into the waistband of a very small pair of shorts.2. Two men grapple as they brawl, anger and adrenaline spurring them on. Neither will be the first to give in.3. A young man with beautiful eyes and a two-day scruff of beard stands on a train platform. His jeans are worn, and his linen shirt is wrinkled but clean. He has a backpack slung over one shoulder, beaded bracelets on his left wrist and a fedora covering his dark hairThis 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.

     Tech billionaire Michael Jones has always been a stereotypical geek at heart. Shy, socially uninterested, and crazy for Star Wars, he’s spent years creating a mask that helped him become the rags-to-riches phenomenon of the century. There’s just one person who can crack the façade. One person who turns him into an incoherent, bumbling mess: James Jennings. The sophisticated older brother of Michael’s best friend, James has been the centre of Michael’s fantasies from the moment they met. But those dreams can never come true, because why would a suave, successful, wealthy businessman want someone who’s just faking his way through life?

    Or as the Internet has labeled him, Logan ‘Sex God’ Brady. For him, it's just a job to keep the man alive but he doesn't count on Adam deciding that this convention is where he comes out to everyone. Logan is the star attraction at yet another convention for his show ‘Night Cop’, in London Hotel, but threats have followed him from home, and abruptly they've become more than just words. Having a bodyguard is the last thing he wants but he has to face the fact that someone out there wants to kill him. All he wants is to be alone to think through the biggest decision he's ever going to make, but Adam is way too sexy, and far too close for comfort.

    He just never realized how much. As a single dad, he’s tried to balance paying the bills with making time for his son, Ryan. He’s been treading water for a long time and right now, his best friend, Jake, is the only thing keeping him afloat. But when his son needs major surgery, Russ isn’t sure anyone can save him from going under.“I’d do anything for you. You know that.”Jake Larson has been in love with Russ since college, but he knows they’ll never be more than friends. Even so, he can’t seem to stop himself from coming to Russ’ rescue. With Russ facing bankruptcy thanks to his terrible insurance, Jake concocts his most desperate plan yet: A sham marriage to get Ryan on his policy.“You’re the only thing that feels real to me right now.”It was supposed to be temporary, but when an insurance agent questions the validity of their marriage, Russ and Jake are forced to get a whole lot closer. Jake knows that once their time is up, they’ll go back to being friends regardless of what they’ve shared. But after having Jake as a partner both physically and emotionally, Russ isn’t ready to let go. Can they manage to turn their fake marriage into something real?Devoted is a steamy, standalone gay romance novel with a HEA and no cliffhangers.

    Although he’s nearly thirty, he’s never settled on a true career, and he has nothing to show for his years with Tom. Depressed and unable to find work, Nicky ends up couch-surfing with friends until he lands a house-sitting gig for a wealthy family.When Nicky’s clients discover that he loves to clean, demand for his services skyrockets. Word of mouth leads him to Spencer Cartwright, a busy computer consultant and a slob. Spencer and his wife divorced when he came out, but he’s never found the time or courage to settle down with a man. As Nicky sets Spencer’s house to rights, the two men find friendship. But Nicky’s past experiences make him wary of risking everything on love.

    Ray Tolliver has bad timing. Cold feet? It doesn’t get much worse than accepting you’re gay twenty minutes before your wedding to a woman, yet that’s just what happens. Join Ray as he recounts in his blog the hilarious and touching events that lead him on a journey toward true love. Although he originally starts looking for love in all the wrong places, will he eventually find another man who wants more than just quick sex? A man who appreciates romance, hearts, and flowers? Or will he find that self-acceptance and bliss do not always go hand-in-hand? And what of Alice, Ray’s lovely, jilted fiancée? Will she find it in her heart to forgive the man who left her at the altar? These questions and more are answered in this unique love story, told in the form of blog entries. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but you’ll come away with a renewed appreciation for the power and difficulties of loving not only others, but yourself...

    Along with the half dozen or so novels he's started, only to abandon mid-way through, his love life could be best described as a series of drive-bys. Boone has spent the past week staying at a ski lodge in the tiny mountain town of Summit City. He's been using his time alone to write while waiting for his boyfriend to join him for their anniversary. What happens to Boone when he winds up dumped on the eve of his one-year anniversary and ends up at a bar having one too many cocktails? Wade Walker.previously published in the anthology Melting the Slopes

    Tony knows that by approaching Adam in front of his teammates he’s jeopardizing his military career. And Adam, nursing a broken heart, has no interest in a relationship. Still, neither man can deny their instant attraction.Tony didn’t become a SEAL by accepting rejection, and his pursuit of Adam leads to one unforgettable night. But the next morning, Tony is ordered to ship out to Afghanistan, and he’s forced to leave Adam with too much left unsaid. As Tony enters a dangerous war zone, Adam, back in Los Angeles, struggles with the demons of his past, while dealing with the very real possibility that Tony could be killed in action. Half a world apart, both men must face their feelings for each other—and decide if what they’ve found is worth risking everything in the name of love.BONUS: This eBook includes an excerpt from Suzanne Brockmann's Hot Target.

    He’d take the honeymoon alone, but his non-refundable tickets are for a newlyweds-only cruise. Brad needs a spouse to get on that ship, so he asks his best man (and best friend) for a quickie Vegas wedding. Now they both can have the time of their lives in the Caribbean. Best man Cameron Hines has never been able to say no to Brad’s hare-brained schemes, but this one takes the cake! The truth is, Cameron would be happy to be Brad’s husband - for a lifetime. But pining after a straight man is the road to heartbreak. Better to go play in the sun with his best friend and resign himself to ending the charade once they return to their regularly scheduled lives. Brad knows he’s not gay, but he’s not entirely straight either. Playing the happy honeymooning couple with another man is the perfect opportunity for some sexual experimentation. It’s just a shipboard fling—it won’t wreck a friendship as strong as theirs. Or will it? Can the salt sea air and island cruise magic transform this sham marriage into the type of happily-ever-after that comes with knowing that “Today I married my best friend”? Honeymoon Hoax is a standalone gay romance with a HEA ending.

    But lately, Rafferty’s imagination has been creating fantasies about Nick—more specifically, about Nick and him together—that have shocked Rafferty. Detailed erotic scenarios a thirty-something, set-in-his-ways straight man shouldn’t be imagining. He’s been struggling to keep them secret, afraid that if Nick discovers the truth it will end their friendship. But with each passing day it’s getting harder and harder to pretend Nick is “just” a friend. And harder and harder for Rafferty to come to terms with the possibility he might not be as straight as he’s always believed.Nick’s always known he’s gay and he’s had deep feelings for Rafferty for years. But after a difficult experience at his former police precinct in Boston, he decided when he moved to Maine to keep his sexual orientation under wraps on the job. He wants to be acknowledged at work for what he can do, not who he’s doing. And with Rafferty being straight, there’s always been a clear-cut line that Nick’s known he can’t cross with his unsuspecting partner and best friend. And yet...for the past few months it’s become difficult to remember that line. He’s not sure why, he just knows that for the first time in four years his heart and his body are urging him to go for what he really wants...Rafferty.When a stormy weekend trip on Rafferty’s boat gives birth to an unexpected night of passion, will it be the spark they need to forge a new and deeper relationship? Or will Nick’s past and Rafferty’s fear drive a wedge between them that will destroy not only their barely-begun love affair, but their partnership and friendship as well?