Don't Read in the Closet volume one Read online

  Introduction

  Don’t Read in the Closet

  An M/M Romance Collection

  Volume One

  an M/M Romance Group Publication ©2011

  edited by Diane W.

  Introduction

  The stories you are about to read celebrate love, sex and romance between men. They are the product of the Hot Summer Days promotion sponsored by the Goodreads M/M Romance group and are published as a free gift to you.

  What is the Hot Summer Days promotion?

  The M/M Romance group invited members to choose a photo and pen a letter asking for a short M/M romance story inspired by the image; authors from the group were encouraged to select a letter and write an original tale. The result was an outpouring of creativity that shined a spotlight on the special bond between M/M romance writers and the people who love what they do.

  Over 100 stories were submitted and published as a four volume set titled Don’t Read in the Closet; this edition is volume one. A written description of the images that inspired each story is provided. If you’d like to view the real deal, please feel free to join the Goodreads M/M Romance group (www.goodreads.com) and visit the discussion section: Hot Summer Days Letters.

  Whether you are an avid M/M romance reader or new to the genre, you are in for a delicious treat.

  Words of credit and caution…

  The stories in this collection are sexually explicit and intended for adult readers. The ebook is distributed free by the M/M Romance Group and should not be offered for sale. Each story appears courtesy of its respective author and should not be reproduced without express written consent from the author.

  This ebook is published by the M/M Romance Group and is not directly endorsed by or affiliated with Goodreads Inc.

  Dedication

  As you can imagine, coordinating over 100 authors, proofing their work and publishing it both online and in eprint for free involved hundreds of hours of (volunteer) work.

  First and foremost, this project never would have happened without the tireless dedication and leadership of M/M Romance Group moderator Jen McJ. Jen managed every stage of an unmanageable project and spun order out of chaos. That level of focus and organization is unnatural and we should fear her.

  A good leader starts with a good team. Jen’s team of co-moderators Moderatrix Lori, Jason and Juniper had to endure reading and proofing nearly two thousand pages of hot, steamy man-on-man action, those poor lucky bastards! And group member, Diane who fed over one million words of text into her alchemy machine and pulled out volume after volume of mobi/Kindle, ePub, PDF and Html ebooks.

  Finally, this book is dedicated to all the authors who put pen to paper (or more accurately fingers to keys) and created the wonderful original stories you are about to read. Thank you.

  ebook navigation

  This ebook can be navigated through the Table of Contents which lists the authors, their story title and its overall genre or theme. Any time you see the words “Dear Author” or “THE END”, you can click on the link and be transported back to the TOC.

  Enjoy.

  Table of Contents

  Introduction

  Jade Archer – CUPID’S BEAU (Fantasy/Friends to Lovers)

  J. P. Barnaby – END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT (First Love)*

  Sarah Black – SUCKER–PUNCH (Athlete/Hurt-Comfort)

  Scarlet Blackwell – BREAKING WAVES (Surfing/Angst)

  Penny Brandon – FINDING JACK (Cowboys/Mild BDSM)

  Lee Brazil – BE A BAD BOY (First-time/Family Drama)

  Cardeno C. – WOMAN WITH A DILDO (Friends to Lovers)

  L.C. Chase – OPEN TACKLE (Friends to Lovers)*

  Kim Dare – MASOCHISM 101 (BDSM)

  S.J. Frost – A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY (Musicians/Rivals to Lovers)

  Jeanette Grey – HEART AND SOUL (Friends to Lovers)

  Jambrea Jo Jones – WILD BLUE YONDER (Military/Coming out)*

  Pender Mackie – DOG DAYS OF SUMMER (Blue Collar/First Date)

  KM Mahoney – SHOW & TELL (College/First-time)

  JL Merrow – BEAR NAKED (First-time/Bears)

  M.J. O'Shea – BRIDGES (First Love)*

  Neil S. Plakcy – PHOTO BOOTH (Cowboys/FBI)

  Dustin Adrian Rhodes – STORM OF PASSION (Friends to Lovers)

  Jaime Samms – MOURNING (Hurt/Comfort)*

  Justin South – REFLECTIONS (First Love/Hurt-Comfort)

  Zach Sweets – LUSCIOUS LOVE (Coming out/Food Kinky)

  Piper Vaughn – WANTING (First Love)*

  Silvia Violet – TIME TO TELL (Military/Friends to Lovers)

  Deanna Wadsworth – UNSCHEDULED MAINTENANCE (Office Sex)

  Stuart Wakefield – THE ELEMENTS OF LOVE (Sci-Fi/Ménage)

  Alex Whitehall – HOLD ME TIGHT (Hurt-Comfort/BDSM Light)

  Lisa Worrall – JUST ONE KISS (Gay-for-You/Cops)

  Connor Wright – GONE TO PIECES (Sci-Fi/Mild BDSM)

  Want more?

  *encore appearance of a story included in the GayRomLit Retreat 2011 Special Edition.

  Jade Archer – CUPID’S BEAU (Fantasy/Friends to Lovers)

  Selected by Jade Archer

  Dear Author,

  Meet Cupid a.k.a – Dashiel Rose. He has a real mischievous streak when it comes to firing those arrows of his, but lately he’s been feeling lonely creating so much love but getting none in return. Give Dashiel a run for his money with a little tease all of his own and let him see how it feels to experience the shot of a cupid’s arrow for himself.

  [PHOTO: A dark-haired, shirtless man with defined abs leans against a waist-high white wall. He wears black low-rise jeans and knee-high leather boots. A compound bow in his right hand rests on his hip. His left arm is bent over his head, hand grabbing the string.]

  Sincerely,

  Casey

  Genre: Fantasy

  Tags: long-lost-friends-to-lovers, sexy-immortals/gods, coming-out-in-love, fuck-me-boots

  Words: 10,116

  CUPID’S BEAU

  by Jade Archer

  Meet Cupid a.k.a – Dashiel Rose.

  He has a real mischievous streak when it comes to firing those arrows of his, but lately he’s being feeling lonely creating so much love but getting none in return. Give Dashiel a run for his money with a little tease all of his own and let him see how it feels to experience the shot of a cupid’s arrow for himself.

  Dashiel watched the silly human from his ethereal perch high above the mortal realm. Ivy Leaguer. Power suit. More starch per square inch than the average Idaho Russet. His current target was sharp as a tack… and about as likely to find love. Constantly making sure no one dismissed her for not having been born with a dick as she powered her way to the top, he’d have felt sorry for her if the extra large stick up her ass didn’t make her a snotty, self-opinionated, elitist jerk a lot of the time.

  Still, with any luck, that was all going to change. She was about to get a very big wake-up call.

  Dashiel allowed a merciless smirk. This was going to be fun. He’d been waiting weeks for the opportunity to introduce Ms. Prim-and-Proper-High-Priced-Lawyer to love… and humility. And Todd was just the guy for the job.

  Right on time, Todd the UPS guy rounded the corner—all happy smiles and easy going attitude—and slammed right into Ms. Prim.

  The legal folders she’d been carrying slipped to the floor, as did the package Todd had been taking to her office. Immediately, Todd bent to retrieve both. And so did Ms. Prim.

  “Oh hey! I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there,” Todd rushed out.

  “Why don’t you watch where you’re go—?”

  Ms. Prim looked up into Todd’s eyes. An
d Dashiel shot her right in the ass with one of his special issue, gold tipped Cupid’s Legion arrows.

  “Oooo… that was just plain nasty, Dash!”

  Dashiel spun around to see Korey—best friend and occasional partner in crime—standing behind him watching the scene play out.

  “Love should never be too easy,” Dashiel replied, turning back to make sure his special brand of poison was working. “Where would be the fun in that?”

  Korey looked over at the woman currently flustered and fluttering in the most un-lawyer like of ways. “She’s going to fight it all the way, isn’t she?”

  Dashiel shrugged without an ounce of remorse. “Probably.”

  He sensed Korey’s sharp green eyes drilling into him—as always seeing far too much. “Feeling a little peevish, are we?”

  Ignoring him, Dashiel disconnected them from the mortal realm with a sharp click of his fingers now that his work was done. He could always watch the fireworks later.

  But, like a terrier with a well loved squeaky toy, Korey wasn’t to be distracted so easily. “You know, if you just got your head out of your ass and got laid—”

  “Screw you,” Dashiel grunted, adjusting his quiver and settling his bow across his back once more.

  “Not likely… unfortunately,” Korey grumbled back.

  Dashiel didn’t rise to the bait. They both knew Korey wasn’t serious. Not really. They were much better friends than they’d ever been lovers. Unfortunately, Dashiel had been going through a dry spell that rivalled the Sahara over the last few decades where lovers were concerned. And Korey knew it.

  “I could always set you up with this guy I know—”

  “No!”

  Korey cocked his head to the side in that considering way that always made Dashiel squirm. The truth was, he wasn’t interested in a quick hook-up. Not anymore. And that, more than anything, was the problem. He wasn’t about to let Korey know that though. He’d make life a living Tartarus. It was practically in his job description.

  Dashiel cleared his throat. “No thank you, O god of the beer goggles. That last guy you tried to set me up with was a gargoyle!”

  “Hey! Gargoyles need love too!” Korey pouted.

  “Trust me when I say he wasn’t looking for love.”

  And Dashiel didn’t have the first idea why that disappointed him. The guy really had been incredibly unattractive—inside and out. He’d been looking for hard and fast, not long and lasting, but it wasn’t like faith and fidelity were high on anyone’s list of priorities around here. Dashiel guessed it came with being immortal—promiscuity and infidelity via boredom was always likely to be on the cards. And lately that reality had been bothering him more and more.

  Unfortunately, the whole situation was compounded by the fact he was a Cupid. Potential lovers only ever saw his reputation as a minion of erotic love and the pretty window dressing he’d been blessed with. They wanted him to show them a good time, but it never went deeper than that. In short, they never saw him. Granted, it had been a lot of fun for the first two thousand years or so, but the song was getting old now. He needed something… more.

  “Anyway,” Korey continued, “That little incident at B’s wasn’t my fault. I never sent that gargoyle your way.”

  “Sure. You do realise he’s still hounding me though, right?”

  Even as he asked, he knew it was pointless trying to make Korey feel guilty. He’d always denied sending Crash or Crush or whatever his name was to him anyway. It was just that Dashiel knew better than to believe him. Then again, he should have known better than to go looking for more than a quick fuck at one of the parties held at Bacchus’ Den too.

  “You’re too picky, that’s your problem,” Korey huffed.

  “I am not!”

  “Yes you are.”

  Dashiel bristled. “Maybe I’m just looking for something a little more meaningful than wham-bam-thank-you-man and a slap on the ass.”

  Shit! Shit! Shit!

  Why had he said that? So much for not telling Korey about his little mid-immortality crisis.

  Korey scrunched up his nose as if he’d just suggested swimming at a sewage treatment plant. “Have you been licking your own arrow tips or something? Seriously, workplace health and safety is going to nail your ass if they catch wind of that.”

  Dashiel ran his hand through his hair.

  “Oh shit! You’re serious?”

  “Yes! No! I mean… I don’t know.”

  Korey wrapped an arm around Dashiel’s shoulders. “Oh, honey! Trust me, love you forever isn’t meant for us. It’s way too long a time commitment for most of the poor saps in the mortal realm, never mind us. You’ll get over it. You’ve just got to get out there again and grab what you can out of eternity.”

  And wasn’t that just the most depressing thought in the cosmos. “You do realise you’re supposed to believe in love and happily ever after and all that crap as a Venus, right?”

  “Yeah! Yeah! Doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with happy for right now though.”

  As he spoke, Korey was giving him that look—the one that was both concerned and calculating. Shit! He was in for it now. He was going to be inundated with gargoyles and satyrs and gods only knew what else, he could just see it.

  Korey gave his shoulders a reassuring—at least he assumed it was supposed to feel reassuring—little squeeze. “Come on, The Pantheon is inducting new Mercuries today and there’s going to be a huge party afterwards.”

  “Great, more little messenger boys cluttering up the place.”

  “Hey now! If we didn’t have them, who’d carry all the love notes you inspire, gorgeous?”

  “Pigeons?”

  “Nah! I think they only do lice these days. They’ve got a better union.” Dashiel snorted in amusement despite himself. Korey gave his shoulders another squeeze. “Come on, you’ll enjoy it. I promise.”

  Dashiel eyed Korey. He hadn’t actually said anything about setting him up with anybody at the party. Maybe if they went, Korey would get distracted with whatever nymph or deity or miscellaneous immortal creature took his fancy for the night and forget all about Dashiel’s morose little slip.

  “Okay. Lead the way,” Dashiel sighed in resignation.

  “Oh no! After you. I insist.”

  “You just want to stare at my ass again, don’t you?”

  “Duh!” Dashiel shook his head and chuckled as Korey gave him a little push to get him moving. Korey was fun and always made him smile. This kind of playfulness helped to remind him why he liked the god so much. “Nice boots by the way. They definitely say fuck me. I’m betting you get lucky tonight, big boy.”

  And then he’d go and say something to remind Dashiel why it was a love/hate thing with them.

  Dashiel looked down at the shiny black leather that encased his lower legs from toes to knees—a series of three silver buckles and straps holding them firmly around each calf. His latest acquisition and current pride and joy, they were seriously kick-ass boots. Still, something had to be said.

  “Korey?”

  “Yeah, babe?”

  “Shut-up.”

  ****

  Dashiel took a deep breath. Then, as ready as he was ever likely to be, stepped into the semi-circular auditorium of The Pantheon.

  As always, the amphitheatre was noisy and crowded. Gods and goddesses mingled and chattered like a flock of brightly coloured parrots—seeing and being seen. Or perhaps scene was more the word he was looking for—many had about as much substance as the backdrop to a low budget high school musical.

  Picking his way down the glowing white marble steps, Dashiel searched for a relatively quiet spot. Somewhere they would still be close enough to see what was going on without being jostled or overwhelmed by the prattle. Fixing on a row about halfway down, he led the way—steering them through the throng with some difficulty as various deities tried to waylay them.

  Generally speaking, there was nothing like the prospect of a party to get t
he inhabitants of Godshome out en masse and in high spirits. Today was no different, but Dashiel wasn’t sure he was in the mood right now. With a little effort he could probably work his way up to a good funk.

  “Ooo… looks like Fredricka and Sebastian are going to be putting on a show,” Korey said beside him as they settled into their seats.

  Dashiel followed Korey’s gaze to a pair of amorous Venuses locked in a passionate embrace in full view of The Pantheon.

  “I thought Fredricka was with Sasha.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I mean,” Korey replied with an evil grin. “Sasha’s going to hit the roof when he finds out about this.”

  Dashiel sighed and looked away. It was all so predictable and monotonous. Different players engaged in the same games. Parties and pranks. He could dimly remember it being exciting and fresh, but now it was just lacklustre and uninspiring. Not to mention rather lonely as he found himself less and less inclined to join in the ‘fun’ with the other gods and goddesses.

  Just as he was working his way up to broody, however, his gaze settled on the group assembled below about to be inducted into godhood. Dashiel had to work hard to prevent his jaw dropping open and landing in his lap. Standing in the middle of the open stage area at the base of the amphitheatre was the most magnificent specimen of male godhood he’d ever laid eyes on.

  Rather short—even for the often diminutive Mercury—the man nevertheless stood out far and above the rest of his peers. A lean runner’s body. Spiked black hair that honest to gods glittered—covered as it was in a liberal amount of silver sparkles that highlighted bright royal blue tips and shone in the sunlight. Midnight blue eyes kohl blackened within an inch of their lives. Lips that were so perfectly pouty he wanted to explore and taste them to see if they were as soft and sweet as they looked.

  “Who is that?”

  “Who?” Korey asked absently—still busy checking out the scene.

  “That.” Dashiel nodded towards the man who held him transfixed.

  He couldn’t believe the sexy as sin godling didn’t have everyone in the whole damn place staring at him. Not that he was necessarily disappointed none of the vultures seemed to have spotted him yet.