Synchronicity


Keira Andrews - 2013
    The last thing he expects is to fall head over heels for his gorgeous partner. Friendly but distant, Aiden keeps him at arm's length, and Tyler knows his feelings are hopelessly one-sided. But as the Games begin, Tyler learns nothing is certain until the final dive.Dear Author,I could look at him all day. But sometimes, when he thinks I’m not looking, he seems so sad…This 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.

Something Different


S.A. Reid - 2011
    His wife is cold, his children are distant, and he’s desperate for one night of self-indulgence. One night of real pleasure. So he heads to notorious Brixton Park seeking a prostitute, so divorced from his own needs, he isn’t even sure of his type. A Rent BoyJames Campbell is one trick away from life on the street. Trapped in the world’s oldest profession, he long ago gave up on breaking free. When he sees Michael on a bench in Brixton Park, he doesn’t take no for an answer. James knows he can provide all the pleasure an unhappy, repressed man needs.Something DifferentThat first night leads to an affair so deep, so honest and challenging, neither Michael nor James can predict its end. Each tryst brings them a little closer, sampling every kind of pleasure until nothing is off the table. Not even love… Trigger warning: child sexual abuse.Warning: this is an erotic m/m romance. The book contains frank language, adult situations and graphic sex.Note: the author would like to thank the talented and incredibly kind Rebecca Emin for her assistance with the second edition. All correct references to modern life in London belong to her. All errors, alas,belong to me.

Blue Notes


Shira Anthony - 2011
    Jason Greene thought he had everything: a dream job as a partner in a large Philadelphia law firm, a beautiful fiancee, and more money than he could ever hope to spend. Then he finds his future wife in bed with another man, and he's forced to rethink his life and his choices. On a moment's notice, he runs away to Paris, hoping to make peace with his life.But Jason's leave of absence becomes a true journey of the heart when he meets Jules, a struggling jazz violinist with his own cross to bear. In the City of Love, it doesn't take them long to fall into bed, but as they're both about to learn, they can't run from the past. Sooner or later, they'll have to face the music.

Initiation


Maris Black - 2014
    He’s perfection in motion with his lean, muscled body and rich boy good looks. But there’s no way in hell Emilio is going to do anything about it. He’ll just have to be content with fantasizing about the guy of his dreams and watching him from afar, because hitting on another player is out of the question.That is, until Andrew turns the tables and makes the first move. Then all bets are off as the two of them drift into uncharted territory.

Fitting In


Silvia Violet - 2013
    Mason, the bartender, waits for the punch line, because no way in hell are these ridiculously hot men real cops. They’re straight out of a cop-fetish fantasy. But he quickly learns that Jack and Gray are the real deal, and they want him in the worst way.What starts as a night of hot, three-way sex becomes a lot more. The two cops fulfill Mason’s submissive fantasies, but they also meet a more basic need, comfort. They want to take care of Mason, to offer him unconditional friendship, but their concern for him unnerves Mason more than even the kinkiest sex.To find happiness with his new partners, Mason must change his belief that love is as much a fantasy as a pair of gorgeous, handcuff-wielding cops landing in his bed.

Country Mouse


Amy Lane - 2012
    After a long day playing tourist, he's on the hunt for some cheap beer and a good burger. Instead he finds a man hunting him, an arrogant prick with only one thing on the brain: the kind of meat that doesn't come on a bun.Eighty-hour weeks at a trading desk don't leave Malcolm Kavanagh much time for meaningful relationships. Besides, in his world, everything's a competition-even sex. When his newest one-night-sub fails to show, Malcolm sets his sights on the pretty young Yank on the bar stool beside him.Owen's all for an adventure with a native, but he's not the pushover Malcolm thinks he is, and Malcolm's not as shallow as he tries to be. They both soon learn that nothing's too intimate to share with a stranger, and the strangest things happen when two people share the most important pieces of their hearts.

It's Like This


Anne O'Gleadra - 2006
    Niles and Rylan have been together a long time. They have great sex, they are deeply intimate, and Rylan never holds back on displaying his affection. As far as their family and friends are concerned, they’re an established couple, and yet, after three years of being “together”, Niles is still unsure if they’re actually in a relationship.As their sexual intensity reaches a dangerous tipping point, Niles must find the courage to articulate how he feels in order to try and keep the only thing he has ever wanted. Emotional and compelling, It’s Like This is a must-read for true romantics.

The 51st Thursday


Mercy Celeste - 2012
    Lost, alone, battered, and broken Shelby finds comfort in the local bar called Deacon’s Place. Week after week, he finds himself drawn to Deacon’s for the beer, for the atmosphere, for the solace and for Deacon himself. Deacon can no longer deny the desire he feels for the man he calls Thursday. When Deacon wants something Deacon is a hard man to resist. The problem is, Deacon never planned to lose his heart. Especially to a man who could be destroyed by an unexpected night of forbidden passion.

Any Closer


Mary Calmes - 2011
    After three years working for Leo Foster’s construction company, Charlie’s worst fears are realized, and Leo finds out what Charlie has worked so hard to hide. When Leo meets the revelation with absolute love and acceptance, Leo has to trust that Charlie’s love isn’t just gratitude, and Charlie has to learn to trust again, period. It’s going to take a lot of work for these two men to get any closer.

Measure of Devotion


C. Faron - 2012
    Leaving behind his father's cattle ranch in favor of the posh, gaslit streets of Perdana, Jason is determined to climb the social ladder and forget his country roots. If only his father had gifted him with a more upscale slave.Kale's been a country slave his whole life. All he wants is to keep his head down and live as comfortable an existence as possible. Unfortunately, his dramatic master despises him and makes life difficult at every turn.Humbled by his first breakup, Jason grows to appreciate his ever-faithful slave and soon discovers that Kale is everything he's ever wanted. Now he needs to prove to Kale that his love is genuine.Kale, meanwhile, tries to convince himself that he simply feels the devotion of a slave to his master, but his actions prove what his mind is unwilling to accept: he's falling in love. When Jason's future happiness is in jeopardy, Kale sets himself on a course to make Jason's dreams come true, even if it means facing up to the fact that, for the first time in his life, he loves someone else more than he loves himself.Measure of Devotion is a bittersweet love story set in an alternate world and contains sexual content and adult language.

The Dawn of Darkness


A.L. Boyd - 2015
    His only real contact with other people is with his (small?) family, and he uses his horse to fill in for the emotional contact that he misses. As a direct result, he is an extremely good dressage rider though most people at his barn think that his horse is wasted on him and he doesn’t ride at all. One day, someone (the love interest) else sees him riding and realizes that 1. He really is a good rider and 2. He should be competing. Conflict and romance ensue.Photo Description: A tall, thin man dressed in a navy blue and white hoodie, rides a black stallion in an outdoor arena lined with short hedges. The horse, accented with white polo wraps and black and white bridle, trots along the arena rail.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.

Un/Common Ground


Arielle Pierce - 2014
    Escaping a repressive country, he has come to Saratoga Springs to attend university. Jamal’s freedom, however, is an illusion, for even thousands of miles away from his homophobic father, he dares not act on the feelings he has for the local barista. Matt feels like his life has stalled out. His dreams of being an artist are being sucked away by the reality of life, and now he works in a coffee shop and wishes things could be different. When Jamal receives news that a gay friend back home has been hurt in a hate crime, he flees his apartment, oblivious to the rapidly worsening weather. A blizzard strands him at the local coffeeshop, where Matt, the man he’s been pining over for three long years, happens to be working. Helping an elderly neighbor home through the storm is enough to break the ice, but is their growing attraction enough to convince Jamal to break faith with his family back home? As Jamal and Matt struggle to find some common ground, the cultural differences between them work to pull them apart. Torn between his family and his heart, Jamal is faced with a choice: break free of his family’s expectations, or lose his chance to find happiness with Matt.

Sandpipers' Secrets


Jade Archer - 2011
    Can Brody, Lark and Zak find their way to love, or will someone put a stop to their chance at happiness forever?Brody is starting again. He’s moved halfway across the country to a new city, a new life. But it’s hard to stay hopeful when you’re one meal away from starvation and two weeks away from eviction. He needs a job. Fast. And not in his old line of work either or he risks everything. Fortunately, Sandpipers’ restaurant is in need of a kitchen hand and Brody’s desperate enough to do almost anything. But once the pressures off, Brody finds a whole new focus for his attention. Well, two actually! He’s just not sure he can afford to indulge. Lark and Zak have been partners for years, both in business and in pleasure. They know everything about each other. They know what they have is right. They know…that there’s something missing. Could Brody be the answer? Will the secrets each of the men keep drive them apart? And will they live long enough to enjoy their love once someone decides it’s perverted? Publisher's Note: This book has been revised and re-edited for release with Totally Bound Publishing.

Sink or Swim


Lissa Kasey - 2011
    When he gets a job overseas, Abram feels that he has to follow his lover, but he still harbors doubts of his own worthiness. Those doubts come to a head during the long flight to begin their new lives. How far is Abram willing to go to keep Beau to himself? Sometimes in matters of the heart, you just have to dive in and sink or swim.Original Prompt:Dear Author,I will leave the story up to you. What ever gets your creative juices going is fine with me. These men just need a story.Photo Description: A close-up photo of the faces of two dark-haired, scruffy, shirtless young men in a field of red wildflowers. They are lying down in opposite directions. One's head rests on the other's chest, the other's head pillowed on a bent arm to look at the viewer.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.Download the story, read it here or find it in Don't Read in the Closet, Volume 3 or Don't Read in the Closet: GayRomLit Retreat 2011 Special Edition.__________Genre: contemporaryTags: gay m/m, established couples, travel, new beginnings, mile-high, first-person, HEAWord Count: 13,815

Just Desserts


Scarlet Blackwell - 2010
    French chef Luc Tessier is five-star successful. His cookery program on TV is rated as high as his restaurant, and casual flings are his specialty. The only stain on his toque is Daniel Sheridan, an English food critic who has made it his business to ruin Luc's reputation. The only way to clarify this particular pat of butter is to invite the critic to dine and bury the hatchet-preferably in Daniel's back. The moment he lays eyes on Daniel, however, Luc's thoughts turn from sauces to seduction. Daniel definitely finds Luc appetizing, but he plays it cool. He never wants to be anyone's toy, ever again. Yet in the face of Luc's relentless pursuit, he's finding it harder to keep the flamboyant chef at arm's length. A cooking competition on a remote Scottish island seems the perfect way to put some distance between them. Until Luc shows up to compete, determined to win not only the trophy, but Daniel's heart... Warning: Ingredients include two extremely hot men determined to come up with a whole new definition for "sizzling." Explicit use of food items could incite spontaneous nekkid food fights.