A Competitive Edge


Adara O’Hare - 2012
    When he arrives at the house to move back in, the room is a mess and Heath is acting very strange: he's apologetic and bashful instead of the antagonistic jerk he usually is. Heath's personality switch catches Fleury off-guard in ways he doesn't want to examine. It's also too good to be true; Heath reverts to his old ways once the other team members arrive back at the house. After that, Heath runs hot and cold throughout the semester, swinging between flirty and frustrating.Then, at the first track meet of the outdoor season, Fleury makes a huge, stupid error that ends up in a twisted ankle and Heath taking his place as the anchor leg of the 'A' relay. It doesn't help matters that Heath is the only one who saw exactly what caused Fleury's accident.Fleury can't help but wonder which Heath will greet him when they return from the track meet. Will it be the rival gloating about his stupidity? Or will Heath surprise him with kindness? If he wants more than a cold shoulder, Fleury will have to take matters into his own hands.Original Prompt:Dear Author.I'm running warm up laps around the track when the shot put throwers start their practice throws. Ogling them distracts me enough that I veer off course into the hurdles. The end result is embarrassment, a sprained ankle, and losing my chance to participate in today's meet against our biggest rival. As a senior, I don't want to give up my spot, but I especially don't want to give it up to him.Since the start, we've been rivals on the track. We run the same distances and are competing with each other for spots at the starting block. But while I'm sure what relationship we have on the field, I'm less sure what we have off of it. Being forced to share a bedroom in a house with our other teammates doesn't help any. One day he's flaying me with sarcasm and the next he's gazing soulfully at me from across the room when he thinks I can't see. What's his problem? I can't figure him out. And what will happen tonight? Will he gloat about taking my spot, or surprise me by offering comfort just when I need it most?Photo Description: Two photos, each of a young man. One is tall, skinny, and pale-skinned with straight, platinum blonde, straw-like hair. He wears black skinny jeans and a tight black shirt with a V-neck and the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. The other guy is a few inches shorter, slightly more muscular and tanned, with wavy, brown hair. He wears black jeans and an open black leather vest, showing off his body.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.Download the story, read it at the Author's website or here or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 2.

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

Unintended


M.J. O'Shea - 2010
    He never meant to fall for the hottest guy in school...or any guy at all for that matter. But he did.Alex Stewart is in love. He took one look at the adorable skater boy with the big lost eyes and was gone.They're both happier than they've ever been, but can their fragile new love survive?

When It All Falls Down


Tanya Chris - 2017
    Charlie’s tough, though. He doesn’t mind eating lunch alone or watching his former gang interact with their new best buddy. What he does mind is seeing Drew Lavoitt suffer the same fate. Drew didn’t come out. As far as he, or anyone else knows, he’s straight. What Drew did is accidentally hit and kill a little girl. Now the boy who was voted Most Popular, and who Charlie has maybe had a crush on since eighth grade, faces financial ruin, expulsion, and the fear that if he’s not everything, he’s not enough. Popularity, wealth, acclaim—these things are easily lost. In each other’s arms, Drew and Charlie find something that can’t be taken from them. Together the two build a foundation on which they can re-create their lives.

Not So Smart


Misha Horne - 2017
    Except, it probably was." JOSHDamon Price is a brutally hot, ripply muscled, scarily confident, dimpled god. Without his hard body to stare at three times a week, I probably would have dropped out of college months ago. Too bad he doesn't know I exist. But, even if he did know, even if it was true that he screwed anything and everything that moved, an awkward virgin like me would still be at the bottom of his to-do list.Even if he knew the kind of filthy stuff I actually wanted.Even if he knew the last thing I need is any kind of relationship. "I never meant to f*ck a virgin." DAMONI should have been out the door the second that word came out of his mouth. A virgin was not what I was looking for. Except, damn, he knew how to talk. Knew how to say things so off-the-grid dirty I hardly knew what to say back. And talk wasn't all he knew how to do. There's kinky, and then there's crazy, and then, apparently, there's Josh Holloway-- who's up for anything.And who I definitely should not still be thinking about.Because the last thing I need is any kind of relationship.NOT SO SMART is a 52,000 word enemies-to-(still-mostly-enemies-but-also-)lovers novel, featuring messed up college guys who are great at lying to themselves, wall to wall sex, naked guitar playing, inappropriate library behavior, inappropriate dressing room behavior, inappropriate tube sock behavior, bondage, spanking, little bit of shoplifting, and some very unwelcome romantic feelings.**NOT SO SMART is based on a previously published short story series (Smart Boy). It has been substantially re-edited and expanded by 30,000 words.

Maps


Nash Summers - 2015
    If Maps ruled the world, his best pal would still be living next door, and there wouldn’t be any gap-toothed new guy staring at him as if he’s bonkers.Pity Maps doesn’t rule the world . . .

Out on the Net: A Love Story in Blog Form


Rick R. Reed - 2010
    Ray Tolliver has bad timing. Cold feet? It doesn’t get much worse than accepting you’re gay twenty minutes before your wedding to a woman, yet that’s just what happens. Join Ray as he recounts in his blog the hilarious and touching events that lead him on a journey toward true love. Although he originally starts looking for love in all the wrong places, will he eventually find another man who wants more than just quick sex? A man who appreciates romance, hearts, and flowers? Or will he find that self-acceptance and bliss do not always go hand-in-hand? And what of Alice, Ray’s lovely, jilted fiancée? Will she find it in her heart to forgive the man who left her at the altar? These questions and more are answered in this unique love story, told in the form of blog entries. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but you’ll come away with a renewed appreciation for the power and difficulties of loving not only others, but yourself...

The Deal


Mackenzie Gray - 2020
    The guy struts around campus like he's God's gift to man. And who gets the unfortunate job of tutoring him? Me. I'm counting down the days until I'm finally free of him. Sebastian Aidan is... awkward. I feel bad for the guy. Aside from his brain, he doesn't have much going for him. He's about as sexually appealing as a toothpick. What Aidan needs is a crash course in seduction. How to dress, how to flirt, how to seduce a man. Figure it's the least I can do. Sebastian Dumont: Good Samaritan. Truth is, I never expected anyone to fall for him. I never expected that person to be me. The Deal is the first book in the Rules of Play series, a steamy m/m contemporary romance series about four brothers finding love on and off the field. Contains failed under-the-table-dealings, bar trivia, a Jude Law look-alike, and a happy ending for our two heroes. It was formerly published as Sebastian. For those who purchased it under the previous title, please update your Kindle for the most recent version.

The Rivalry


Beth Bolden - 2020
    Sam turns out to be nothing like Heath expects. He’s kind and funny and irreverent—and also unbelievably, shockingly sexy. For three short, glorious, life-changing days, there are no rules.The second time they meet, Sam has just been traded to Heath’s team, and instead of lovers, now they're rivals. Heath has spent the last five years working desperately to be the best quarterback the Riptide could ever need, but when injuries threaten to derail his career, Sam is right there, standing on the sideline. Ready to take over, and ready to ruin everything Heath has given his life for. Rival. Enemy. Teammate. Friend. Lover. As their orbits collide, sparks fly, and Heath struggles to find the right label and the right box to shove Sam into, hoping to keep him contained. But Sam—and Heath’s feelings—refuse to cooperate.Sam might not be just one of those things, he might be all of them, and so much more.

Loser Takes All


Kora Knight - 2014
    But just as the evening hits its peak, things get up-ended fast. Ditched by his drunken, trolling friends, Tad winds up getting hustled by three jocks playing poker. Now he’s forced to pay his dues in the most outlandish of ways: accepting a couple broken bones or spending an hour with his victors’ favorite flogger, Scott. But the tantalizing torture quickly proves to be the least of Tad’s worries… and the kickoff to a night of raw, shocking lust. Experience the graphic, minute-by-minute account of that hour spent at the hands of Tad’s insatiable tormentor. Addicting chemistry lights the stage as Scott ignites Tad’s reluctant desires into a frenzy of forbidden need.

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.

The Rest of Forever


Kate Aaron - 2012
    Scared and stupid, Jack ran away. Seven years later, haunted by what he lost, Jack returns to claim the man who'd been his since they were four years old. But has he left it too late?Photo Description: Two shirtless men embrace, seconds away from kissing. The black-haired man looks down at his lover, one hand holding his face; his thumb just brushing against the smaller man’s parted lips. His lover’s eyes are closed as he leans towards the other man’s chest, his expression longing.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.WARNING. This book contains explicit scenes unsuitable for readers under eighteen. It also contains buckets of angst, crying in the rain, a jealous boyfriend and a very lonely bear. Available free from Amazon

It's You, Then Breathing


Vicktor Alexander - 2014
    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. Dear Author,I don’t know what to do. How to feel. We just won the World Series. The whole locker room is going crazy, champagne is spraying everywhere. And here I am, in the corner. I’m watching him. The smile on his face, his wet hair plastered all over his face, the muscles in his arms flexing as he soaks our rookie centerfielder. I should be happy. But, I’m not. Not really. I love him. And now the season is over, and everyone will go their separate ways. I love him. And I can’t tell him… Can I?Photo Description: Two men are pressed together in a corner, both are wearing white t-shirts that are wet and white briefs, but no pants. One is blond and the other has black hair. They appear to be either outside or in an outdoor shower, but they are wet and are close together, the blond is touching the shorter black-haired one’s stomach intimately.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.

On the Ice


Amy Aislin - 2018
    A busy schedule of practices, games, classes, homework, two part-time jobs—and now, working with a tutor to help him pass the class he’s failing so that he can keep his scholarship—shouldn’t leave him with enough time to flirt with the NHL player in town. But that doesn’t stop him. Placed on the injured reserve list until his broken arm heals, NHL defenseman Alex Dean is using the time off to be with his ailing grandfather and get a head start on the book he’s been commissioned to write. He doesn’t expect to get roped into a tutoring gig, especially not for cocky, smart-ass Mitch. But Alex soon discovers that there’s more to Mitch than meets the eye...and he really likes what he sees. Only Alex doesn’t dare risk his NHL career by coming out, and a relationship between them would jeopardize Mitch’s chances with the organization too. It looks impossible. Then again, the best things usually do...On the Ice is an m/m contemporary romance featuring a flirty college hockey player who meets his match in a demisexual NHL player.

Pillow Talk


J.H. Knight - 2012
    Sweetness, trust, absolute comfort with each other. So are they just friends or what?Photo Description: Two young men sleeping on a bed together. Fully clothed and lying on top of the covers, the one in back sleeps on the other's back with his arm tucked around his midsection, hugging him in sleep.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.Download the story, read it online or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 7.