Featuring seven brand new novellas, each answering the question—what happens when the one meant for you was right there all along?

    One got left behind. One went off to war. He came back a man. A broken, lonely, desperate man searching for the one thing to ease his pain. Can Dylan forgive George for leaving him? Can love snuff out the pain? The Proof Is the Way It Hurts. *This is a standalone M/M novella. A shorter version of this story was featured as a KU Korner's Bedtime Story*

    Greg's nights are silent and his bells don't jingle. This time last year his boyfriend broke up with him, and he's determined to get through these holidays with only minor bruising. So what if he lives with a cat and his best friend is his mother? Peace and quiet: that's life how he likes it. Nothing is going to blindside him this year, no sir. Especially not a rogue secret Santa.

    So Seb isn’t really surprised to hear the voice of his dead partner in his head…Do something, love…When Honey won’t leave Phillip’s side, Seb does the only thing he can think of – invites Phillip to come home with him for breakfast. Something in the quiet man touches him, and he wants to know more.And leaving Phillip standing on that cliff is not an option.Originally published in the Burning First Kiss Anthology.

    Garrett’s since gone out of his way to avoid the sexy ginger, instead throwing his energy behind his dance career while supporting his mother through her cancer diagnosis. Finn Sweeney used to think of Garrett as just his kid brother’s best friend, but after an intense exchange at a high school party, things got a little…weird. Despite that, when their two families decide to get together for the holidays for the first time in years, Finn can’t say no. But he’s fully prepared for this to be awkward as hell. When Finn and Garrett lay eyes on each other for the first time in their adult lives, all bets are off. Finn is completely captivated by Garrett and getting to know the man he’s become is now his top priority. Playing catch-up with Finn makes Garrett truly see him beyond the childhood fantasy he’s held onto all these years. Finn is real and vulnerable…and hot as hell. Garrett and Finn can’t seem to keep their hands off each other, so they decide to bury the hatchet between them for the remainder of the visit. After all, it’s only a holiday fling. Until it becomes something more.

    Unfortunately, Sam isn't the most forward person when it comes to telling men he likes them. Wearing a sexy costume allows him to be a much flirtier version of himself, but can a naughty elf tempt Theodore into bed?As their relationship intensifies, Sam finds something in Theodore he didn't realise he needed: a man he wants to call his Daddy.But Theodore isn't out of the closet, and whilst Sam is happy existing in a bubble in the run up to Christmas, he knows that can't last forever.Can Sam risk giving his heart to a Daddy who might not ever be able to hold his hand in public, let alone commit to him?What Works For Us is a Christmas-ish romance with an age-gap relationship, lacy underwear, role-play, Daddy kink, a smidge of hurt/comfort, and a guaranteed happy ending.

     Betrayed by first his body and then his girlfriend, Liam O’Reilly, assistant coach of the Seattle Thunder, is not having a very merry Christmas. So when a smoking hot hockey player in a Santa suit offers himself up like a present begging to be opened? Well, it’s a freaking Christmas miracle. If only the man in question wasn’t hockey’s own bad boy, Joey ‘the Looch’ Luciano, his best friend’s little brother and the same kid who used to trail behind Liam like a loud, mouthy shadow. Whatever. Wrong as it might seem, a one-time hookup with Joey is exactly what he needs to make the yuletide gay. By tomorrow, he’ll be back in Seattle, Joey will be in New York, and his troubles will be miles away. But as Christmas Eve becomes Christmas Day, Joey weaves his way past all Liam’s defenses, and Liam starts to see the sensitive, caring man behind the cocky smirk. When the last present is opened and the Christmas lights go dark, will Joey and Liam's night together be just another Christmas memory or can the holiday magic they made survive the pressures of the real world? Boy Toys is a heart-warming Christmas story featuring the inappropriate use of a Santa suit, sibling bribery, and ninety separate instances of the f-word.

    With an empty altar and over a hundred guests arriving soon, he turns to the resistant, gorgeous brother of the runaway groom for help.When Richard Patterson’s flamboyant brother storms out hours before he’s scheduled to marry his equally dramatic partner, Richard is left dealing with the fallout. The last thing he wants is more drama, yet he can’t deny his attraction to the effeminate event planner trying to salvage the wedding.Evan thinks his crush on Richard is a lost cause, but one steaming kiss later, he learns different. What starts as a night of hot sex turns into a connection neither expected. But Evan knows their relationship is hopeless unless the ultra-conservative Richard can embrace every part of him—both in private and in public.

    But this year will be his last. Since the death of his son, Sam, in Afghanistan, Greg no longer has the heart to run a business based on holiday cheer. When he picks up a hitchhiking soldier on a snowy night, he finds the help he needs to get his farm through the holidays—and maybe much more.Sergeant Robbie Sparks doesn’t have much to be thankful for this holiday season. Badly wounded in Afghanistan, he’s spent most of the past year in recovery and was discharged after ten years of service. When fate lands him at Cabot’s tree farm, he feels like he’s fallen into a snow globe reality. Friendly people, gorgeous trees, lots of Christmas kitsch… and Greg Cabot.Greg believes he’s too heartbroken for romance, but those we love never truly leave us. A little nudge from heaven may help build a bridge for these two men trying to heal. If only they are willing to take that first step.This stand-alone, long novella is a small town, Christmas cornucopia, May-December, hurt/comfort , military romance stuffed full of family and holiday feels.

    Kyle's life seems to be spiraling out of control. Greg doesn't mind picking up the pieces, but his normally smart, ambitious and good-looking friend seems more distracted than usual after his last break-up. And he's starting to get annoyed at Greg trying to lend him a hand. What Greg doesn't realize is that Kyle is keeping something from him... and it could change both of their lives forever.

    If word gets out that he has to make a handcrafted gift for flamboyant and openly gay Jamie, Ryan will be the laughing stock of the school. It's a good thing no self-respecting boy would be caught dead in a craft store, because otherwise he'd be at risk of being spotted when his mom drags him to her weekly craft workshops. He hopes Jamie will appreciate all the trouble he's going to for this assignment. Finding the perfect gift is gonna be tricky. Jamie deserves something good, though, after all the crap he has to put up with at school. At least, Ryan tells himself that's the reason he's putting so much thought into the gift. It couldn't be that he has feelings for Jamie, could it?

    Leland isn’t just his boss, though. He’s the son of the company’s CEO. And Brian has fallen in love. Hurt by too many stolen kisses and nooners at seedy hotels, Brian finally broke off their secret affair two weeks ago. Leland isn’t ready to let Brian go and he isn’t above seducing Brian — again — to give them both what they really want for Christmas: each other.This free short story was originally written for the Goodreads M/M Romance Group's 2010 holiday event and appears in the event's Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty anthology.

    Ravi and Tristan from BETA TEST decide to escape the holidays in this 7500 word ficlet that is best enjoyed as a continuation of BETA TEST rather than a stand-alone.

    This Christmas, it’s time for forgiveness and second chances.Hunter Cavendish fled his hometown six years ago and has avoided returning ever since. Now an up-and-coming designer, he succumbs to family pressure and agrees to come home for Christmas. But the fates must be conspiring against him, because the very first person he runs into is Aaron McBride—the man he’s never been able to resist. The man who broke his heart.Aaron McBride loves his small town, loves the gift store he owns, and absolutely adores Christmas—it’s his favorite time of the year. That is, until this year. This year he’s forced to work alongside the infuriating and entitled Hunter Cavendish on the Christmas Eve Dance decorating committee. There’s no way he’s going to fall under the spell of his charms again—absolutely not.But the Christmas spirit weaves its magic, bringing the two of them together and providing the perfect opportunity for apologies, fresh starts, and falling in love again. So long as they can put the past behind them…A Christmas Reunion is a cute, feel-good holiday romance featuring enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, second chances, lots of Christmas sweetness, and a well-deserved happy ending.

    Lucky for him, his phone is found by a disarmingly handsome man who might be perfect for the kind of casual Christmas fling David is after.Go-go dancer Craig never would have guessed that the guy with the cute cock shot would turn out to be a doctor. Or that he’d find himself lying about his night job and worrying David will find out the truth. To complicate matters, each of their hook-ups requires days of planning. Yet before he knows it, Craig has a new boyfriend, and possibly a whole new family.David’s ready to dive head-first into something new, but if Craig’s going to commit, he’ll need to come clean about his job, his past, and—most of all—the naughty picture that drew him to David in the first place.Warning: Contains a male exotic dancer and extremely intimate photography. May contain traces of Zumba, bad roommates, and sad childhoods. Call your doctor if after six hours you still can’t get the grin off your face.