His only sanctuary has been his relationship with his older foster brother Sam. Avery finally lets Sam convince him to start therapy to help overcome his crippling anxiety, but even that can't prepare him for the upheaval caused by meeting Noah Yates. Noah is everything Avery fears. He's large and physically powerful—and undeniably capable of destroying Avery's hard-earned progress. Although Noah seems to have a tender streak when it comes to him, Avery is terrified of being victimized again. But no matter how many times he tries to push him away, Noah never goes far. Noah wants to save Avery, but can he be the catalyst Avery needs to begin the journey out of the blackness?

    It puts Mike in a pinch, because he's always loved George-maybe more than a best friend should. George doesn't suspect Mike's feelings, being wrapped up in his job as the youngest lieutenant in the Jacksonville sheriff's office and investigating a series of murders. But it will all come to a head when George is stalked by a psycho and Mike steps in front of a bullet meant for George. George then realizes there's much more to their relationship than he thought.

    Every penny he makes as a welder goes to care for his dying father, an abusive, controlling man who’s the only family Jake has left. Because of a promise to his dead mother, Jake resists his desire for other men, but it leaves him consumed by darkness. It takes all of Dallas Yates’s imagination to see the possibilities in the fatigued Art Deco building on the WeHo’s outskirts, but what seals the deal is a shy smile from the handsome metal worker across the street. Their friendship deepens while Dallas peels back the hardened layers strangling Jake’s soul. It’s easy to love the artistic, sweet man hidden behind Jake’s shattered exterior, but Dallas knows Jake needs to first learn to love himself.When Jake’s world crumbles, he reaches for Dallas, the man he’s learned to lean on. It’s only a matter of time before he’s left to drift in a life he never wanted to lead and while he wants more, Jake’s past haunts him, making him doubt he’s worth the love Dallas is so desperate to give him.

    They all feature side characters from the series but do not contain fake boyfriend tropes. Rebound (Fake Boyfriend 2.5) Aron and Wyatt have been best friends since college and are both rebounding from bad break-ups. One night of drunken sex makes them question their whole friendship and what they’ve had right in front of them all along. Best read after Trick Play in the Fake Boyfriend universe. It’s Complicated (Fake Boyfriend 3.5) Max has been in love with his childhood best friend, Ash, for years. The reason he has kept it a secret is because Ash also happens to be Max’s brother’s ex-boyfriend. Complicated doesn’t begin to explain their relationship. Best read after Deke in the Fake Boyfriend universe. Winning You (Fake Boyfriend 4.5) (Previously published in Heart2Heart volume 2. This story has been extended from the original and re-edited.) Marty and Luce win a blind date through a charity raffle. Marty is young and vibrant. Luce is older and a little bit bitter. In one night, they manage to change the course of each other’s lives. This is a prequel of Hat Trick in the Fake Boyfriend universe.

    He didn't expect things between the two of them to escalate as fast as they do.One night of passion isn't enough, but there is danger in pursuing more, especially when fate throws them a curveball they never expected, and with Killian's ex ready for the attack, they could lose everything, still, with the chemistry between them, staying apart isn't an option.With an attraction like neither has experienced, they are willing to risk it all, fighting the world around them that wants to keep them apart. Challenged in ways the two couldn't imagine possible, they must figure out how to hold on to something they know they might never find again.

    Nate Schaper found his in high school. In the eight months since their cautious flirting became a real, honest, tell-the-parents relationship, Nate and Adam have been inseparable. Even when local kids take their homophobia to brutal levels, Nate is undaunted. He and Adam are rock solid. Two parts of a whole. Yin and yang.But when Adam graduates and takes an Off-Broadway job in New York—at Nate’s insistence—that certainty begins to flicker. Nate starts a blog to vent his frustrations and becomes the center of a school controversy, drawing ire and support in equal amounts. But it is the attention of a new boy who is looking for more than guidance that forces him to confront who and what he really wants.J.H. Trumble’s debut, DON’T LET ME GO, is a witty, beautifully written novel that is both a sweet story of love and long-distance relationships, and a timely discourse about bullying, bigotry, and hate in high schools.

    Until you actually need one… Miles: All I could think as I answered the door to my hotel room was jackpot. Gray turned out to be a fun hookup—and a professional bodyguard, which was hotter than I ever would have admitted. Then I suddenly needed one, and, well… who else was I going to hire? I didn’t think it was anything serious at first, but now my life is being turned upside down and I’m just as scared as I was when I was a kid. Gray’s more than just easy on the eyes—he’s safe. He makes me feel safe. I know I can’t keep him when all this is over, I know he’d never want a skinny rich kid for a boyfriend, but it’s hard not to dream… Gray: I’d given him my business card, hadn’t I? Miles had been cute and fun when I first hooked up with him, and I’d been hoping for a call. What I hadn’t expected was for the call to end in a job offer, instead of another round in a hotel room. But Miles really does need my help, and I need a new client to stop my fledgling security business going under. It’s a match made in heaven, right? Or it would be if I didn’t want to wrap him up in a blanket and kiss him to sleep. Guarded is a full-length, complete gay romance with a HEA ending, and the first book in the Guardian Angels Security series—wait until you meet the rest of the boys! It contains: a hotel room hookup, a self-defense dress shoe, a rainbow bookshelf, two jars of cookie butter, steamy sex scenes, a not-quite-mustache-twirling villain, and true love conquering all.

    The circumstances of his life had compelled him to create new worlds that he could get lost in rather than reflect the features of the people he ran from. He constructed buildings from their foundations, making them taller and stronger than he was. He adorned the edifices with countless windows, always left open or cracked so hope could pour in and fears could seep out. Tree lined streets reminded him how to breathe, pumping oxygen through the atmosphere, off the canvas, and into his lungs.He didn't paint people until the day he no longer desired the anonymity of his cities. The streets didn't feel like his escape anymore, not like him. Cerulean skies gave way to pale blue eyes and bus routes to pink pouts. Evan didn't paint people until he painted Jackson.

    As one of the most prestigious regiments in the British Forces, becoming a Royal Marine Commando is achieved only by the best.Platoon Sergeant Col Wilson, called Bulldog, knows all about achievements, and with the responsibility for the recruits at Lympstone, he is adamant that despite the highest drop-out rate in the Forces, his boys should pass basic training to the highest standards.Yet Sgt Wilson’s world of work, gym, training and discipline is heaved out of its angles when the new platoon arrives with Chris Thompson amongst them. A promising, picture-perfect recruit: twenty-one, handsome, tall, a university graduate and a triathlete, and … openly gay in an environment of institutional homophobia.Col finds himself thrown into turmoil that is nothing like any conflict he’d ever encountered, nor any operational theatre he’d ever fought in. When this particular battle becomes personal, he has to ask himself who is the enemy.

    Not an especially promising start when my plan is to finally let my best friend know I have a crush on him. No worries, though. I have a plan. I just need a complete makeover. Change everything about myself so that when Falcon returns from his summer vacation, he can finally see I’m the love of his life. I totally know what I’m doing here.Well, not really.If I knew what I was doing, I wouldn’t look like every nerd cliché wrapped into one awkward package.In short, I’m screwed.But then Law Anderson enters the picture…Law:It’s all very simple. I need somebody to tutor my hockey team, and Andy needs somebody to help him with his crush. Sounds like a match made in heaven.Only the more time I spend with Andy, the more I like this quirky guy who makes me laugh, and pretty soon I’m the one who’s tutoring Andy in way more than we initially agreed upon.It’s fine.I have it all under control.But as weeks pass and the chemistry between us turns explosive, I’m starting to think that I might be in way over my head with Andy.If only I could make Andy realize that he doesn’t need to change himself for love. If only I could make Andy see that he just needs to be with somebody who has considered him perfect all along…

    But things are not that easy, especially when people can’t see past the ex-convict, and getting a job is harder than ever. Meanwhile, Kyle has finally come to terms with his own sexuality and does the hardest thing he’s ever done in his life: getting a divorce from his wife, Jessica, with whom he has a toddler named Ryan. He leaves both behind in a bid to rebuild his life and to become the father he dreams of being to his son. It’s in this hurricane of life-changing events that Logan and Kyle end up meeting each other by chance in a small town far away from their previous lives. The spark between them is immediate and strong, but they both try to fight it, coming up with excuses not to pursue it. While their friendship evolves, they find themselves even more attracted to each other. But will Logan trust he can find love with another man while his past is still so present? And is Kyle ready to invest in his first gay relationship at the same time as he’s fighting for his son’s custody? Set in a small town with quirky characters and all the peculiarities that only a small town can offer, Logan and Kyle embark on a journey that could change their lives forever. But will they feel free to follow through? WARNING This book contains explicit sexual scenes as well as some graphic language. It is intended for a mature, adult audience.

    When Stefan returns for the funeral of his best friend, he is confronted by painful memories, Chet's recriminations, and a hunky Secret Service agent who seems determined to make Stefan's business his business.