Out in the Deep End


Lane Hayes - 2015
    Literally half the team is queer and it’s ok, you can be jealous. One of the reasons I was hella excited to come here, ha! But I don’t care about the rest of the team right now, because all I can think about is this new freshman with the mad skills. Zev.He has this gorgeous lob shot and makes our intense practices seem effortless. I swear if I hadn’t just played an entire game, I would have gotten hard at the backhanded skip shot he scored last week. Seriously. It was amazing. And why does Zev have to be just as stunning out of the water? He’s all dark hair and heavy brows and these hazel eyes that make me stutter like a fool.I don’t know why he’s warmed up to everyone on the team but me. I’m the main driver, and he’s a leftie, so we should clearly work together… I mean, aside from the fact I want into his pants.Fuck it.This is California, and it’s college— it’s pretty much the definition of fun. So what happens when we’re assigned roommates for the three-day tournament in Long Beach?Photo Description: Two fierce competitors lunge up out of a pool of placid water, only their bare torsos showing. Their athletic bodies are bronzed and toned, and each of them wears a swim cap. They face each other, reaching up with arms extended aggressively. One player holds a ball in his left hand while the other, facing him, moves to block with his right hand. Their actions send sprays of water, foaming about them.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.

Complete Game


Declan Rhodes - 2017
    His life goal is a major league contract and he is laser focused on honing his game and his body as close to perfection as he can get. Then a moment of distraction, a wrong step, and a bone-shattering injury put an early end to his baseball career. Ian Chapman is happy with his life. He has his own house, a decent job, good friends, and he’s the de facto manager of a team in the city’s gay softball league. Unfortunately, he’s missing a key player to help his team rise from the basement and the man at his side to make his personal game complete. When Blake moves in next door, Ian sees in him a solution to the team’s woes, and soon it becomes obvious something more personal might grow, too. Then Blake’s first love, the game of baseball, comes calling again, and he is compelled to answer. Complete Game is a 55,000 word first time gay romance with no cliffhangers and a happily ever after ending.

Enforcing Emory


Mickie B. Ashling - 2015
    On the surface, Nik is a typical badass enforcer, intimidating and dangerous, on and off the ice. The only son of Ukrainian immigrants, Nik has been groomed from childhood to fulfill his father’s dream of seeing him in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Igor guides his son toward that goal with a controlling—and oftentimes abusive—hand, steering him clear of anyone who might ruin his chances. Although Emory is the US National Figure Skating champion, he’s in-your-face gay, and his audacious persona rubs Nik and his family the wrong way. Raised by supporting and loving parents, Emory is Nik’s polar opposite in every way but one—his desire to succeed. Underneath the feather boa, glitter, and makeup beats the heart of a fierce competitor, and this side of Emory’s personality begins to close the distance between the two athletes. While the attraction is one-sided in the beginning, Nik finds himself responding to Emory’s flirting. But before the incongruous pair have a chance at any sort of relationship, they must survive the pressure of career, separation, and most importantly, Igor’s ruthless homophobia.

Trained


N.M. Pratt - 2015
    Overweight and desperate for a change, he goes where everyone goes for advice these days, the Internet. That's where he finds Jared. Jared has an offer too good for Brendon to pass up; a free training program to help him build his clientele. What starts out as workout routines, and meal plans, slowly turns into friendship, all before they ever meet in person. Jared may be straight but will Brendon be able to resist his sexy trainer and friend when they finally meet and spend a night out under The Bay Lights in San Francisco? Or maybe a better question is, will a confused Jared be able to resist Brendon?

Never Too Late


Sloan Johnson - 2016
    No, really. I was dead on the side of the road following a gruesome motorcycle accident. From what I've been told, it's only because of one stubborn man that I have another chance to make something of my life. I no longer hate him for screwing up what I thought I wanted. I want to thank him. NEED to tell him what his actions mean to me. Now, I’m headed back to the town I’ve never set foot in even though it’s a huge part of my life. I’m not thrilled about that, but the job offers haven’t exactly been flowing in. They’ll probably think I’m crazy, because there’s no way I won’t be able to look at every guy I walk past, wondering if he’s the one who saved me. Michael: My entire life, I wanted to save lives. I’d earned a full-ride scholarship and had been accepted to med schools across the country. I was so close to making those dreams a reality until the night held a dying man in my arms. I’ve never been able to get the images of his lifeless body caked in mud out of my head. Even when the paramedics tried to take over trying to save him, I couldn’t let go. I never let go. Eventually, my guilt over not doing more cost me everything but my son. And now, I worry I’ll lose him if I don’t get it together. I’ve often thought that if I could find him, maybe I could get some closure and finally get my life back on track. Now he’s here and I’m more of a mess than ever. Once the truth comes out, will he keep trying to save me or will he realize that it’s too late?

Textual Relations


Cate Ashwood - 2017
    But when he receives a wrong-number text confirming the details of a date, he does what any considerate person would—he goes to meet them and explain why they've been stood up. Asher Wescott hadn't expected his blind date to go well, because when do they ever? Henry shows up instead, and things are suddenly looking up. Socially awkward and attached to his routines, Henry is nevertheless one of the most charming and kind men Asher has met in a long time. Too bad he's not Henry's type. An accidental date, an impulsive kiss, and a few conflicted feelings later, can Asher get Henry to see the world—and him—in a different light?

Safety Net


Keiko Kirin - 2013
    But three hotshot freshman football players are about to turn that around, and in the process discover what it means to be a team, the challenges of adulthood, and the true meaning of love.Erick West, the charismatic Texan quarterback, is the top recruit at Crocker when he meets Lowell Menacker, a handsome blond All-American tight end, and the two become fast friends. Completing the trio is receiver Dale Lennart, who feels Crocker is where he can finally be out and be himself--until he lands a spot on the football team.Against a backdrop of rocky relationships, unexpected rivalries, and setbacks on and off the field, Erick, Lowell, and Dale form lasting bonds. When Crocker starts winning football games, Erick and Lowell's on-field connection leads to romance. But can the bonds of love and friendship survive the unexpected pressures of success and going pro?Note: M/M and M/F

Let There Be Light


A.M. Johnson - 2018
    Hard work and drive kept Royal O'Connell one step ahead of his competition. His spot on the swim team, keeping his scholarship, was the only plan that mattered. His world was ebony and ivory. Natural talent and ambition set Camden Morgan apart from the other music majors. His dedication scoring him a full ride. Normally, their paths would have never crossed….But when Royal meets his best friend's new roommate, his big plan and Camden’s controlled environment faces a variable that could destroy it all. Attraction. The world they live in had no room for error. That undeniable pull between them was dangerous and neither one of them could've prepared for the choice they'd have to make. Love isn't always an easy road and, when everything they've worked for is on the line, they'll have to decide if being together is worth the risk. Let There Be Light is a full-length standalone.

Immoral


Nicole Dykes - 2021
    I’ve done everything I can to defy his rules. Reckless, destructive, immoral. But after all this, there’s only one thing I haven’t allowed myself to indulge in . . . Him.Ryan A welder's son. I’ve done everything I can to make him proud. Hard-working, loyal, strong. I’ve accomplished all his dreams while denying my own. But there was only one thing I’ve ever wanted . . . Him.

Always Joey


Adelhardt H. - 2002
    Too embarrassed to be seen with the school's biggest social outcast (who is also rumored to be gay), Joey agrees to go over to Jimmy's house to work on the project. Away from the scrutiny of their peers, Joey finds that he actually enjoys Jimmy's company. But Joey quickly realizes that Jimmy has developed a crush on him, and although Joey likes the attention, he doesn't want to lead Jimmy on. Will Jimmy's strong feelings ruin their newly formed friendship?

Sliding Into Home


Aubrey Cullens - 2015
    The fans call him “Oro” — both for his initials and for his golden touch with a bat — and say he’s destined for the Hall of Fame.Oscar knows that the men in his life are more interested in the baseball star than in the man, and he’s learned to enjoy the perks of his celebrity while protecting his heart. Danny won’t ask for more — Buried by his late mother’s medical expenses, Danny Sawyer foregoes college and takes every job he can get just to keep his head above water. When he opens his home to friends in need, the makeshift family they create gives him everything he could ask for: people to love.Danny is determined to give the people he cares about what they need. Taking care of others makes him happy. It’s never occurred to him to want something for himself. Some things are meant to be — From the moment they meet, Oscar and Danny are pulled toward each other. Oscar has been hurt, and his feelings scare him. Danny has never looked at a man, and his attraction surprises him.They each have their reasons for not believing, but in the aftermath of violence, if they can learn to trust — and are brave enough to risk their hearts — these two men who aren’t looking will find the very thing they need… love.

Saving Kane


Michele Micheal Rakes - 2014
    The one time Kane threw caution to the wind, he was left with a wired jaw and a tracheostomy. He can’t take much more hurt. But with his attacker’s promise to return, Kane lives in a constant state of fear, and with the ever-present paramedic, arousal.Garrett Young struggles with the question of his sexuality, unable to get Kane out of his mind even as he fights against the demise of his long-time engagement with his girlfriend Amanda. Every day is complicated by his ongoing battle with PTSD and alcoholism, compounded by his fear for Kane’s life.

Football Sundae


Daryl Banner - 2017
    But the more he tries to ignore the football player's charm, the less he can resist it.Billy's peaceful, hot-fudge-glazed little world is about to be flipped upside-down. Get ready for the "sweetest" romance you've ever tasted.In this "sweet & steamy" love story, you can expect some seriously hot man-on-man action, ice cream, and a whole lotta small town southern sass.Read all the books set in Spruce, Texas!Football SundaeBorn Again SinnerHeteroflexibleWrangledRebel At Spruce High(...and more coming soon!)

The River Leith


Leta Blake - 2014
    Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it’s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach’s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can’t explain.For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach's choices may come back to haunt him.Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.

Cricket


Anna Martin - 2013
    His boyfriend just dumped him, and his business has fallen victim to the economy. But is jumping on a plane after a surprise phone call taking things too far?The promise of a new opportunity drags Henry away from the city to a tiny village in the English countryside and an enormous manor house his great-grandmother wants to bequeath him. As an experienced wedding planner, he sees the potential in renovating the dilapidated building and using it for events. All he needs is to find some local businesses to provide the essentials.That’s how Henry meets Ryan Burgess, the shy but hardworking owner of an organic farm. The spark between them sizzles slowly while work on the house continues, but Ryan is deeply in the closet and unwilling to take the last step. They finally find something that clicks in cricket, something that Henry, a former amateur baseball player, is surprisingly good at. For him, cricket helps bridge the gap between England and New York—but unless Ryan can find something to span the divide between his sexuality and his fear, their relationship doesn’t stand a chance.