Although his coach is confident he has a successful career ahead of him, Brandon's not so sure. What if he doesn’t make it? What will he have to fall back on? He wishes he were smarter. He looks at his friend's roommate and thinks he’d give anything for that confidence and those brains. Because brains and confidence? That’s sexy! If only he could get Corey to notice him, come up with a plan that would appeal to Corey's inner geek… Corey's program of study and academic standing are sure to land him a good job in his chosen career field: cryptology. Those popular kids? They think that because he’s a “geek” he’s missing out on life, but they’re wrong. He’s got his eye on the prize and doesn’t need the distractions of a social life. So why is he having such a hard time ignoring his roommate's flirty friend?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.

    He hasn’t been working here long and I’ve been too shy to approach him so far. Since I do all the cooking here on the ranch I only see him at mealtimes and I’ve been trying to find out what he likes so that I can make it especially for him. I have some great friends here who are surprisingly encouraging and open minded. They’ve been trying to help me out (without being too obvious of course, which of course means they are being ridiculously obvious). They mean well, but I might be better off with less “help”.Justin is very sweet and always polite, he was definitely raised well but I have a feeling he’s been on his own for a long time, too long. I don’t know his story, but his eyes just look so sad sometimes and it breaks my heart. I think he might be interested, but I know sometimes I can seem intimidating. I’ve always been taller and bigger than most of the other guys here and being that I’m also the cook, most people don’t know really know what to make of me. It kind of keeps me from approaching guys I’m attracted to and I don’t want to make the same mistake with Justin. It’s not like a get a lot of chances to meet many available men and Justin is someone special, I just really don’t want to screw this up.We’ve been dancing around the attraction for a while now (at least in my own mind) and I’ve been working up my courage to see if Justin wants to spend some time with me away from the ranch. I finally have a whole “date speech” planned and I head out the back door, around the barn and what do I see? Justin in all his wet and soapy glory. Needless to say, I forgot my speech.Can you help me with what happens next? I need your words to help me work up my courage through some clumsily romantic moments that may not always work out, but where I have the best of intentions? One of my biggest weaknesses is Justin’s voice, his husky southern drawl does me in every time he opens his mouth.Photo Description: A lean and muscular man with dark hair and tattoos on his chest and shoulders stands in a large bucket. He is naked and soaping himself all over, paying particular attention to his crotch.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" 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.

    Sixty Five Hours to get along. Sixty Five Hours to not kill each other. Sixty Five Hours to fall in love.** First published in 2012. No additional content has been added.

    The war started in third grade, with a surprise punch to the face, and lasted until the summer after high school when Brooklyn and Dallas are stuck working at the same store. At night. Together. It should've been a recipe for disaster. But instead of outright combat, they slowly start to notice that not only do they not hate each other, but perhaps they have more in common than either of them knew. Soon, amidst unexpected laughter and camaraderie, Dallas realizes that maybe the guy who used to be his number one enemy could actually be his perfect match.Original Prompt:Dear Author,These beautiful boys have a story to tell. A story of firsts. The first stirrings of attraction, the first feelings of love, the first touch of another, the first forever...Please tell us their story so that their love may live on...Photo Description: A black/white photo of two naked teenage boys in a white bedroom. One sits on the bed facing right, leaning back into the other kneeling behind him. His lover's right hand is across his arm and chest. The left hand gently strokes his hardened penis as they both watch.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, Vol 1 or Don't Read in the Closet: GayRomLit Retreat 2011 Special Edition.__________Genre: contemporaryTags: gay m/m, virgins, first love, enemies-to-lovers, high school, summer romanceWord Count: 14,012

    When an axe-wielding maniac knocks on his front door and asks to dig up his living room floor, he figures his Monday from hell is complete.But an axe-wielding maniac may be just what Josh needs.This story also available in print in the anthology Ever After: The Collected Short Works of Marie Sexton.

    He doesn't know I'm gay and I'm really scared what will happen when he finds out. Especially when he finds out that I don't want to be just friends anymore.Josh and Trey have been friends since they were kids, but Josh moved away when they were both seventeen. Their bond has been thinned by distance, by the weight of secrets withheld and a trust betrayed. For years now they've only exchanged short emails and occasional calls, over too many miles to cross. Trey's been willing to live with that, even encouraged it. Because letting Josh get close again might make keeping Trey's secrets impossible.When Josh shows up on Trey's doorstep with a request for help, it could well be an unmitigated disaster. But Trey finds he can't say no. This is Josh asking Trey to lend a hand. Josh, the guy who still pushes every other man Trey ever looked at to second place. So Trey's going to take the chance and say yes. He's going to grab a few days with the straight guy he never stopped loving, take what crumbs he can get, and damn the consequences. Although those consequences may not turn out to be the ones Trey's expecting.Photo Description: Two dark-haired young men share a playful moment beside the ocean, framed against a backdrop of waves crashing on a rocky shore. Both men are laughing, wet and tanned, wearing only Speedos. The slimmer man reaches forward to snag the waistband of his friend's swim trunks, pulling them back in a way that exposes part of the other man's taut, rounded ass. The more muscular man reaches back with a hand planted on his friend's close-cropped head, shoving him away.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is Always Write" 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.Read the story online or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 8.

    His partner and he worked together on many campaigns, and MC was happy to let his partner take the fame, preferring to stay out of the spotlight. After all, they knew it was a team effort, and that’s all that counted… right until being unceremoniously ditched in favour of a glamorous job offer in another city.MC decides he needs a change of job and a change of attitude. What could be more different than working in a bakery? He expects it to be difficult, and his former friends and colleagues enjoy teasing him about this abrupt shift. MC doesn’t mind— it’s a temporary thing while he finds his feet. What he doesn’t expect is to find himself enjoying like in the cafe/bakery as much as he does! Decorating and baking really appeal to his creative side… and the bakery’s owner/manager is so passionate about his work that it is not hard to admire his drive. MC has to remind himself that he is falling in love with the bakery— not his boss! But lines blur, Boss is a friendly, supportive guy who views the bakery staff as an extended family and MC is starting to realise that this might be the best decision he’s ever made! It’s not perfect— Boss is staunchly against corporate-speak and MC is itching to use his business know-how and advertising contacts to push the bakery to the next level. But will success go against what Boss and the bakery stand for?Photo Description: In this pretty picture, a forest green ceramic cup and saucer sits upon a table of warm amber wood. The cup is filled almost to the brim with luscious, creamy hot chocolate and it has a gingerbread man inside, sunk chest deep and smiling. The effect is one of happiness— and possibly pleasure— at having found his perfect place.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" 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.

    And it all gets even better when he shares the fun with his new best friend, Felix, even though Felix doesn't care about Aladdin. In fact, scrappy, foul-mouthed Felix doesn't care about anything much, except looking after the class snail, Bob, and playing with Beanie in the magic kingdom they create together. He might even like the kisses and cuddles Beanie gives him as they play, although he's not about to admit it.As they grow older and the affection shared between the two boys changes into something much deeper, so do Felix's fears that Beanie will leave him. But Beanie is determined to prove to Felix that he will love him forever, and what better way than recreating the magic kingdom they once shared?This short story can be downloaded for free as part of the Goodreads M/M Romance Group's 'Love Has No Boundaries' event, athttp://www.mmromancegroup.com/?p=28553

    Tall, broad, and über-masculine, he’s the epitome of the dominant top—in appearance at least. When they discuss their sexual fantasies, Duncan confesses to a secret desire that surprises Tyler. Luckily for Duncan, Tyler’s happy to oblige and is determined to give Duncan a night to remember. Length: 9666 words

    Every day he walks his dog in the woods nearby, never suspecting that someone who is completely smitten is watching. The watcher is Alex Shaw, and he too works from home, designing logic and crossword puzzles. Alex’s options are limited: he’s too shy to approach Luke and his wheelchair won’t let him follow into the woods. His solution? Secret messages for Luke in the crosswords he writes for the local paper. When Luke decodes them, romance begins, but then they face greater puzzles, like Alex’s interfering sister and what commitment to a man in a wheelchair really takes. And, most puzzling of all, how do you know if love is real?

    Dan. His hot, beefy, bad-ass cop boyfriend, with protective instincts galore and an inexplicable weakness for a certain flighty – and flexible - dance major. Things are getting hot and heavy and Niall is realizing exactly how cherished and wanted and safe he is in Dan’s hands. And he thinks he just may have met the one man he can trust with his secret. But he hesitates, and the decision is taken out of his hands. Dan knows. Will he run? Or will Niall have the nerve to stick around long enough to find out? Originally published as part of the M/M Romance Group’s “Love's Landscapes” event on Goodreads. Content advisory: This story contains sexually explicit content in the form of kinky man-sex and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is distressing or triggering to some readers: abduction, references to past abuse.

    He’s working toward a degree in a field he loves and even managed to score one of the coveted singles in the nicest upperclassmen dorm. There’s only one problem. Daniel. The guy whose single is attached to the other side of the connecting bathroom. The mess Alvaro could maybe ignore. The wet towels, balled up socks, and bottles and bottles of bubble bath. It’s the singing he can’t take. Every night it’s the same. Daniel takes a bubble bath and murders another of Alvaro’s favorite songs. One night, Alvaro stomps into the bathroom, ready to halt the mangling of another musical memory. But his feet fly up and his head smacks down. Daniel hops to the rescue in all his wet, bubble-covered glory, and a relationship begins that will continue to set Alvaro reeling. Until now, Alvaro’s life has been heading in the right direction. But can an attraction this strong—even to a guy who doesn’t organize his socks—be all wrong?Wrong Direction is a sweet and sexy novella with lots of clumsy mishaps, cute dates, and deep thoughts about life’s multiple directions.

    When he finally gives in and gives up, an angel pulls him from the filthy ground of a back alley.Mitchell isn't in the market for a new boy, but he can’t bear to stand by and watch Owen's demise from the sidelines. He finds more than a companion in the older man when he takes him under his wing, and makes it his mission to show Owen it’s never too late to teach an old dog some new tricks.Original Prompt:Dear Author,I'm an older sub who has lost my Dom (you tell us why). Could this younger man with the killer eyebrows be my new love? I feel so lost and vulnerable. Can I trust this new lover? Is this man the one who will provide me with comfort and stability?Picture Description: Two naked, wet, soapy men, one older, one younger, hold each other in the shower, faces turned toward the viewer. The younger, dark-haired man has both arms wrapped around his lover's neck. The silver fox has his left hand at his lover's waist, his right cupping his lover's ass.Download the story, read it online or find it in Don't Read in the Closet, Volume 2.__________Genre: contemporary slave fictionTags: gay m/m, d/s, kink, light BDSMWord Count: 9,109

    Until I met them. We’d seen each other at different times but it wasn’t until the night I almost killed myself trying to lift more weight than I should that our worlds finally collided. What started out as lifting partners and movie marathons turned into weekend jaunts across the city and every free moment spent together, a tension building up between us that left me holding my breathe. I’ll never forget the night He took control and shattered our worlds, morphing our growing friendship into something more. I used to tell myself I would walk this earth lost and broken forever, but I know now my soul was waiting for Sir and Pup to save me.Photo Description: A naked man tightly holds a chain wrapped around the necks of two guys on their knees in front of him.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" 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.

    Patrick McCloud wake up married. A quickie divorce is the most obvious way out—unless you’re the heir of a staunchly Catholic mafia boss with a draconian position on the sanctity of marriage.Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Will and Patrick don't like it, or each other, but they have to make the best of it until they can find another way out of their marriage. To ensure the trust fund Will's charitable foundation relies on isn't revoked by his mobster grandfather, he and Patrick travel to Will’s hometown of Healing, South Dakota, posing as a newlywed couple in the throes of true love at first sight.Complicating their scheme are Will’s unresolved feelings for his all-too-recent ex-boyfriend Ryan, and Patrick’s desire to get back to the only thing that really matters to him in life: neurosurgery. Will they fool everyone? Or will the mafia get wind that their marriage is a fake? Throw their simmering attraction into the mix and all bets are off!Approx. word count: 34KEpisode 1 of 6 in the Wake Up Married serial.