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.

    They try to make do by falling in and out of the beds of several different men as they search for their own Mr. Right, and along the way, they learn new skills, like the secrets to Tantric sex, or the moves required to succeed at lube wrestling.Yet all through the hot summer months, they flirt and eye each other by the buffet tables and open bars of reception halls crowded with men, even though they never get a chance to take their relationship to the next level. When the summer draws to a close and their two best friends are about to marry, the stars might finally align for Paul and Evan. They might just get to be each others' forever 'plus one'.

    He is buried in guilt when he thinks about how he never loved them the way they deserved, and because of pressure from his parents, he had been living a lie the whole time. Wondering what to do with himself, he recounts memories of times past, and remembers that there is a little slice of heaven out at the cabin his family owns in rural Washington. It's old, needs some loving attention from someone with time on their hands, and he’s just the man to rebuild it. While out hiking he meets a handsome man who is also an out-of-towner, and a spring love grows into bloom…

    He doesn’t speak to anyone. Avoiding conversation is easier than the pity and impatience he senses from everyone the moment he opens his mouth and nothing comes out. Since he split up with his partner years before, he hasn’t had much to do with anyone and that has suited him just fine. He has his dog, Zen, for company. Zen doesn’t care that Niall can’t get through an entire sentence without stuttering. Zen is all Niall needs. And that’s how it would have stayed until the day a new neighbour moves in next door.Zak is Niall’s exact opposite—twenty-three years Niall’s junior, bubbly, gregarious and never shuts up. His arrival fills Niall’s quiet life with constant noise and constant company. Zen appears to have defected, and Zak doesn’t seem to even notice that Niall rarely speaks. Gradually, Zak’s endless patience brings Niall out of his shell. To Niall’s surprise, he suddenly has a friend, a confidante and perhaps something more.And he didn’t even have to say a word.This story was originally 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.A new, extended version is now available with Beaten Track Publishing.

    One day he takes a call from “Ricky,” a suicidal man being forced into a marriage he doesn't want. For weeks Mark talks to Ricky and provides support, but he’s frustrated by the lack of information Ricky provides and the decisions he’s making. In the meantime, Mark starts a relationship with another volunteer. Then tragedy strikes and Mark takes time away from the helpline, but when he comes back, Ricky is waiting. Mark realizes Ricky is stronger than before and their relationship changes, but Mark isn’t sure what their future holds if their relationship is destined to be at the end of the phone.

    Rescue just isn’t going to happen. He’s now Cal Smith, a bartender of all things— but the situation could be worse.Out from under the pressure of regulations, he has a chance to explore the emotions he’s always kept tightly controlled. Ryan Cameron, the man who offered him shelter and a job when he needed it most, once held up the chance to be more than friends— and now that Cal’s sure he’s staying, it’s time to take him up on it. Maybe they can see if the lust and desire ricocheting between them is the start of something more.But Ryan’s lingering grief over the death of his husband five years before— and an unexpected visitor— might steal their future before they have a chance to build it together.

    His mother runs cuddle workshops, which could help Alastair overcome his fears--if he's brave enough to try. Alastair is nervous not only about the workshop, but also because he will be sharing a room with Martin, who's starred in his fantasies more often than an assistant should.Alastair reluctantly decides to give it a try, so they head to a commune in Wales where Martin grew up. The weekend at the commune with Martin proves to be transformative in more ways than one. NB: All royalties from sales of this story will be split equally between two LGBT charities: The Human Rights Campaign in the USA and Stonewall in the UK.

    A gap year before returning to school might give him enough time to sort out his residency and his sexuality—he’s deep in the closet and a complete rookie. Some crusty old partner who speaks three words a day won’t entice him.Except his partner turns out to be Kurt Carlson: confident, competent, and experienced. He's also young, hot, friendly, and considers clothing optional when it’s just two guys in the wilderness.Sharing a small cabin with this walking temptation is stressing Jake’s sanity—is he sending signals, or just being Kurt? How would Kurt react if he found out his new partner wants to start a fire of a different kind? Jake’s terrified—they have to live together for five months no matter what.Enough sparks fly between the rangers to set the trees alight, but it takes a raging inferno to make Jake and Kurt admit to the heat between them.

    He’s watched over the last few months as his partner’s health got worse and worse. Logan doesn’t eat. He doesn’t sleep. And Baxter can’t begin to figure out what to do with the terror he sees in Logan’s eyes.Finally convincing Logan to go on vacation, Baxter is committed to using the time wisely. He knows Logan loves him; he’s not worried about anything like that. But something is going on and he’s determined to get to the bottom of whatever it is. He’s got to find out what secrets Logan is harboring before it does irreparable damage and Baxter loses the most important thing in his life. But when Logan begs Baxter to go to a hotel without him and Baxter refuses, he gets his wish. It isn’t anything Baxter is prepared to face, though, and when he finds his own life hanging in the balance, love is put to the ultimate test.Dear Author,I love him so much and I hate to watch as he slowly drives himself to the point of exhaustion. Being a lawyer is a stressful job, I get that, but in most cases he just forgets to eat. My cooking can easy fix the problem; after all, he is not dating a chief of 2 star restaurant for nothing. This time is different. He barely eats or sleeps, and if he manages to fall under he wakes up screaming. When asked about it, he constantly says “I’m fine, sweetheart”. But I can’t help but worry. He was always loving and supportive. When I hit a rock bottom, he helped me get through it. So now is my turn. The last straw was when he got into a full bloody panic attack right in front of me. Now every time I close my eyes, I still see his face so frightened and vulnerable. After insisting and pleading, he finally agreed to go on long overdue vacation. Maybe a change of scenery will help calm his mind and, if I am very optimistic, finally trust me enough to tell me what caused all of it.Photo Description: Two men are on a beach, one carrying the other. Both are barefoot, in shorts and T-shirts, the one face we can see is happy and smiling.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.

    Maybe there’s something—or someone, missing. But dating is hard enough for vanilla people. Emile doesn’t just have to find someone he wants to date—he has to find someone he wants to kneel for.Jay likes playing soccer, reading poetry, and handsome men in tweed vests. Men like Emile, who Jay can’t forget after they connected on a rainy July night. Their encounter awoke a powerful urge in Jay to take, command, and control that has haunted him ever since. Jay had hoped that starting college would distract him, but that hope died when he showed up for the first day of his literature class and discovered Emile was his professor.When Emile tells Jay they can’t be together, Jay is still determined to figure out a way for the two of them to explore what they share. And Emile craves Jay’s gentle dominance too much to resist him. Jaywalking includes an age gap, a professor-student relationship, BDSM, a very polite dog, explicit sex, and a happy ending.

    The real trigger for his decision is losing his best friend, Mauricio, who died of AIDS, and whose last letter stirs forbidden desires, besides asking Esteban to look out for Mauricio’s widower, Javier Lozano.Without Mauricio's love Javier collapses, and the only thing which keeps him going on is to fulfill Mauricio's last wish. Javier has to personally return twenty years of letters to Mauricio's pen pal and best friend, Esteban. Someone Javier hasn’t meet, but whose voice over the phone, helps Javier cope with his ignorant family that doesn’t even understand the difference between being HIV positive and having AIDS. The meeting between Javier and Esteban changes their lives, but standing between them is a lethal virus, Esteban family’ prejudice, an age gap, and the memories of the man—both once loved.Original PromptDear Author,I gave you years of my life, my love, and my trust. All you gave me was "I'm sorry" before you died and left me with a crumbling house, a failing business, and your STD. Is there any hope that there is someone out there who will truly love me and take the mess that I have become?Obviously an HEA is required here :)Photo Description: A black and white photo depicts a lonely man sitting with his knees drawn to his chest on a desolated area of shoreline. He sits a few feet away from a leafless tree which is bending in the wind. 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 here or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 6.

    Stripped of his shirt, hands cuffed behind him, pushed back into a tight space…he doesn’t seem to be the one in charge here.I want you to imagine a story where he is the one in charge, where his face is actually glancing over his shoulder at you, calm and cocky, or someone’s opening the door for him, their eyes turned respectfully away. Or maybe whoever put him here doesn’t know he’s in charge yet, but oh, they’re going to soon.Photo Description: A shirtless man sits in the backseat of a car in the black-and-white photo. We mostly see his torso; his back is to us, and his wrists are handcuffed behind him. The cuffs and his bare skin seem to glow in the light coming from the open door of the car.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.

    As a child Lance remembered the comfort and simplicity of his summer vacations, lazing by the lake and enjoying everything upstate New York had to offer. A stark contrast from his hectic life in the Big Apple.Twenty-three year old Keefe Hammond and three of his friends from Rutgers decide to rent a cottage at the resort for a Labor Day weekend of non-stop partying. Keefe was deeply in the closet and had no intention of stepping out. Until…...The two men meet as they became temporary neighbors in the bungalow resort and soon Keefe began testing his own desires for sex with a man, against his terror of revealing who he is to his friends.One place Lancelot never expected to find true love was during a retreat to escape from it.In the end, love always finds a way and for Lancelot, he finds the love of his life in a young man named Keefe.

    But what about the THREE YEARS in between? Fear not, this JOCK SHORT is a collection of four chapters, written to fill in the gaps. So grab your tissues and pull up a chair, and prepare yourself to find out what Cole, Ellis, Rob, and Russell, from JOCK 1, got into before JOCK 2 comes out.Chapters include: Graduation, In The Meantime, He Said, "I Do.", and Where Do We Go From Here?

    Furious, he speeds away from the gates of his luxury home and life into the unknown. When he finds himself stranded on the side of the road in a remote village, his future looking bleak, his dreams wasted on a fairy tale that turned out to be a nightmare, he doesn’t expect the handsome but shaggy-looking bookshop owner, Nathan Marshall, to come to his rescue. A Divine Intervention if Charlie ever saw one.But the village is foreign land to glamour puss Charlie, who’s more at home in the bustling city, shopping for the latest trends. getting his hair coiffed and his nails buffed by his best friends, glamour girls Trinny, Kylie and Sasha than he is trekking through muddy hills in jeans and wellies. And Nathan’s never even seen the inside of a beauty salon, let alone considered having that tumbleweed on his chest waxed. How on earth can a queen even begin to craft himself into something fabulous in such dire circumstances?Hope seems lost until Charlie discovers that an amateur dramatics group are looking for budding stars to fill in two of their starring roles at the last minute. Could the village offer more than babbling streams, scenic moorland and the smell of horse manure? Could it offer a chance for Charlie to claim back the dreams he thought he’d lost? And, more importantly, could an unlikely romance be brewing on the horizon, even when the dark characters from this unlikely pairing’s pasts come back to make matters worse for them?A darkly comic look at love, death, dysfunctional family, emotional trauma and finding yourself, with a huge cast of characters. More than a romance. A story of self discovery. Gay romance. Gay romantic comedy.