Saturday, April 29, 2023

New Release & Series Tour: PITCH & SICKLE - THE DIABOLUS CHRONICLES by DK Girl - THE HERLEQUIN (Book 6)

NEW RELEASE and SERIES TOUR 

Pitch & Sickle - The Diabolus Chronicles

by D K Girl

An MM Gaslamp Fantasy Series

NEW RELEASE - BOOK 6

The Herlequin – Pitch & Sickle Book Six

by D K Girl

Length: 129 000 words

Release Date: April 27, 2023

Genre:  MM Historical Fantasy

It is not a standalone story and ends on a cliffhanger.

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The journey to Blood Lake has begun...

Blurb 

Pitch and Sickle have survived enraged fae queens, murderous forest guardians, walking corpses, and ghosts turned monstrous by the Blight.


They been tortured by sorcerers and made playthings by enemies who have sided with the Morrigan.

The ankou and his daemon prince have been forced to confront awful secrets from their pasts.

Both have made terrible sacrifices to keep the other safe.

And would willingly do much more to protect the unimaginable bond that has grown between them.

In the midst of the chaos and carnage a deadman and a daemon have found each other.

Now, Prince Vassago will need his Pale Horseman more than ever before.

With the escape from the Fulbourn comes the truth about what lies ahead.

The journey will be perilous.

The great hunt has begun.

And all is not as it should be for a beleagered daemon.

Can Silas and the Order outwit the Morrigan, and deliver Pitch to where Seraphiel's secrets lie? Or will the sorcerers' Herlequin succeed where all the rest have failed?

CHECK OUT THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

BOOK 1

Book Title: The Bandalore - Pitch & Sickle Book One

Cover Artist: Deranged Doctor Designs

Release Date: February 25, 2021 

Heat Rating: 2 flames    

Length:  285 pages

Genre:  Historical Fantasy MM

Tropes: Slow, slow burn, opposites attract

Themes: Loneliness and friendship

It is not a standalone book. This is the first book in the Gaslamp Fantasy series, The Diabolus Chronicles.

It has an unresolved storyline rather than an outright cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited 

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Silas Mercer died once. He’d rather not do it again.

Blurb 

1885 London, England

Silas Mercer died once. He’d rather not do it again.

On his return to the world of the living, Silas finds himself in the hands of the mysterious Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

The Order has London society clamouring for their services, with tarot readings, seances and exorcisms among their arcane specialities.

Now they seem intent on making Silas their newest recruit.

But they want far more from him than cheap parlour tricks.

When the Order partners him with the scandalous rake, Tobias Astaroth, Silas's new life is turned on its head in more ways than one.

Tobias is quick-tempered, dangerously charming, and far more than the man he seems. 

For Silas, surviving what the Order has planned for him will be a challenge.

But finding a way to survive Tobias Astaroth could prove impossible.

A slow-burn MM Gaslamp Fantasy series.

Contains: Sexual content, violence and rather a lot of cursing.

This is the first book in the thrilling Gaslamp Fantasy series, The Diabolus Chronicles

BOOK 2

Book Title: The Verderer - Pitch & Sickle Book Two

Length: 309 pages

Release Date:  June 30, 2021

Genres: MM Fantasy, Gaslamp Fantasy, Historical Fantasy

Tropes: Opposites attract, Stuck together, Emotional scars

It is not a standalone story. The overarching storyline continues but issues are resolved for the immediate storyline.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited 

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Life as a servant of death has its challenges. But the biggest one of all is Silas’s daemonic guardian, Pitch.

Blurb

Silas Mercer is a dead man walking.

And the mysterious Order of the Golden Dawn have big plans for their newest ankou and his deathly bandalore.

Life as a servant of death has its challenges.

But the biggest one of all is Silas’s daemonic guardian, Pitch.

He may look like heaven, but he’s making Silas's life all kinds of hell.

The daemon is arrogant, egotistical and his appetite for violence and tea cakes is fast outgrowing the small village where they have been recuperating since their run-in with Black Annis.

Now, the increasingly unstable Blight is causing new havoc, and fresh monstrosities are emerging.

Pitch and Sickle are back in the saddle, and on their way to the haunted Forest of Dean.

But can Silas rely on his guardian’s protection?

Or will Pitch prove to be the most dangerous encounter of all?

BOOK 3

Book Title: The Skriker - Pitch & Sickle Book Three

Length: 369 pages

Release Date: October 20, 2021

Genres: MM Fantasy, Gaslamp Fantasy, Historical Fantasy

Tropes: Opposites attract, Stuck together, Emotional scars

It is not a standalone story. The overarching storyline continues but issues are resolved for the immediate storyline.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited 

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Silas Mercer has faced wily boggarts, mad faerie queens and enraged forest spirits. But can he withstand a daemon who is losing his mind?

Blurb

Silas Mercer has faced wily boggarts, mad faerie queens and enraged forest spirits.

But can he withstand a daemon who is losing his mind?

Pitch and Sickle are left bruised, battered and reeling after their confrontation with the Verderer.

They have learned a startling truth behind the arrowhead that wounded Silas, a truth that must be taken to the Lady Satine and the Order without delay.

But his encounters in the Forest of Dean have effected Pitch in alarming ways. The daemon’s body may have healed but his erratic behaviour and wildly unpredictable temper grow ever more concerning.

Silas owes his life to Pitch. Their experience in the forest has brought them a closeness he could not have imagined possible.

But what can he do for a daemon who is losing his way? And how long will Silas survive, if he must ride alone?

BOOK 4

Book Title: The Greensward - Pitch & Sickle Book Four

Length: 412 pages

Release Date: April 13, 2022

Genres: MM Fantasy, Gaslamp Fantasy, Historical Fantasy

Tropes: Opposites attract, Stuck together, Emotional scars

It is not a standalone story. The overarching storyline continues but issues are resolved for the immediate storyline.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited 

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

The Lady’s Horsemen are riding out once more. Carrying death’s scythe to where tormented souls linger. But what awaits them in a world where divine magick has returned?

Blurb 

The Lady’s Horsemen are riding out once more. Carrying death’s scythe to where tormented souls linger.

But what awaits them in a world where divine magick has returned?

Pitch is recovered from the injuries he received in the Forest of Dean, and Silas won’t soon forget the part he played in setting his guardian back on his feet.

The ankou and the daemon have been reunited in a most unexpected and intimate way, but barely have they caught their breath when a new threat arises.

A tortured spirit is frightening both the living and the dead along the roads of Devon.

But is this soul a monster that must be stopped, or another pawn in the necromancer’s mysterious game?

With Azazel’s magick re-emerging after hundreds of years, maleficium plagues the world once more. But who is wielding the forbidden arcane magick of the angels?

Do they work alone?

And why are they so intent on harassing the Lady’s Horsemen?

Silas has never felt stronger, or more determined to live up to the Order’s high expectations. He’s faced the walking dead, outwitted the enchanted Hall, and gained an ally in the skriker.

But he’s not sure he’s equipped to handle his growing attraction to a troubled daemon.

And Silas fears that getting any closer to Pitch and his tragic secrets may prove as dangerous as the monsters they are riding to face.

BOOK 5

Book Title:  The Fulbourn – Pitch & Sickle Book Five

Author: D K Girl

Publisher: Lucas Publishing 

Length:   133Kwords/ 458 pages

Release Date: October 20, 2022

It is not a standalone story. While it does not end on a cliffhanger, there are some unresolved issues.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited 

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

When the King of Daemonkind comes to call, be ready for hell to follow.

Blurb 

After Lucifer’s disturbing visit, the quest to destroy the Blight takes on a desperate urgency.

Finding Lieutenant Edward Charters is paramount.

But what role does a mortal man play in Seraphiel’s dangerous game?

The angel has sent Pitch a talisman from beyond the grave, a seemingly innocuous watch that may be the key to ending the Watcher King’s dark legacy. But to learn its secret Pitch and Silas must find the man intended to carry it.

As the search for the lieutenant begins, the Horsemen find themselves gifted with something more precious than any angelic token. An evening of unexpected freedom.
A night that will deepen their intimacy and bring long-stifled feelings to the fore.

But what price will they pay for choosing breathless pleasure over rigid duty?

The Morrigan have not forgiven the destruction at the greensward. They are prepared to do whatever it takes to rid themselves of the Horsemen and heed the Watcher King's ghostly call.

The Fulbourn is Pitch and Silas's greatest threat yet.
A place that will drive them into the depths of their most terrible fears and seek to tear them apart.

They are closer than ever before but will that fragile new bond be enough to save them?
Or have the daemon prince and his ankou found the nemesis that will destroy them once and for all?

Excerpt from ‘The Bandalore-Pitch & Sickle Book One’ 

 A rather pretty gentleman, sharp featured, pale and fine, stepped into the room with a flourish of raised hands. His tousled light brown hair was wild about his shoulders, and his eyes so green it was as though emeralds had been pressed into the sockets. ‘Let the amusements begin…or should I say…continue.’

His velvet coat, a red almost as bold as the woman’s lips, was unbuttoned, revealing a black shirt with a silver brocade of Chinese dragons upon it. An elaborate ruffling of silk tumbled from the collar and covered a good portion of his chest. His choice of trousers was equally curious, a rather outdated fall-front style in black silk.

The baron groaned, but his smile was ever-present. ‘Good god, man, we thought you two would never be done.’

‘Perfection takes time, does it not?’

‘Take your seat, you rascal, and stop your showmanship, at least just for a moment.’

Silas scratched his right palm absently, attempting to stymie the prickle. Like many things about himself he wasn’t certain of his age, his late twenties was likely, much the same as the man who had just swept into the room.

Mr Astaroth tilted his head, pursing lips that held a near-perfect Cupid’s bow. ‘Am I to stand aside so another showman can perform?’

‘Exactly,’ the baron declared.

As Mr Astaroth made his way to his seat with his companion, he had a notable effect on those in attendance. The ladies all at once seemed incapable of deciding how they should adjust their gowns upon their seats, and the men were equally as fidgety. All of them were fixated on Mr Astaroth’s procession across the room. The man had not spared Silas a glance yet, even when he was deriding him, and Silas had no issue with that at all. He was not sure he’d enjoy the pierce of those green eyes upon him. But he could not deny there was indeed something mesmerising about the lad, the sway of his hips, the coiled tension in his body that gave the impression he might suddenly leap unannounced in any direction.

Mr Astaroth stopped to take a glass of champagne from the tray offered by a somewhat flustered young footman. The liquid wobbled in its crystal confines, and the boy’s eyes darted so quickly between the floor and the man before him, it was as though he’d lost control of his eyeballs.

‘Thank you, kind sir. What a wonderful job you do.’ Mr Astaroth’s smile was discomfortingly suggestive, his whispered appreciation of the boy’s offering far too intimate, and the serving boy nearly stumbled over his own feet to move away.

Mr Astaroth was slender, not remarkable in height, and the angles of his face were delicate to the point of being feminine, but he held a presence that quite overwhelmed the room. Silas’s gaze moved down the length of the man’s body to his feet. He wore heeled boots, which meant he was shorter than first impressions allowed. The glean of polished leather distracted Silas from what became startlingly obvious a moment later. He tensed and closed his eyes a second, as though that might change things. But alas it was not to be.

The ground at Tobias Astaroth’s feet held no shadow.

Whoever this man was, he was not, for all intents and purposes, human. Silas took hold of the arms of the chair, filled with the sudden desire to depart. No one had thought to instruct him on an encounter such as this.

‘Stop frightening the help and get your arse on a chair,’ declared the bespectacled man at Silas’s left. ‘We know how you hate to have attention diverted from you, so do try and behave, Pitch old boy.’

Evidently the group knew the man well enough to have endowed him with a nickname. Silas could only imagine its origins.

‘Oh Brenton,’ Victoria, Mr Astaroth’s companion, said. ‘As far as I’m concerned, Tobias has been on his best behaviour all evening.’ She had taken her seat and leaned her elbows upon the table, utterly at ease.

‘Thank you, my dear,’ Mr Astaroth said. ‘You are as sensible as you are extremely talented in the art of, what were we calling it? Tarot reading.’ He tilted his glass towards her before turning to Silas. The air quite vanished from Silas’s lungs beneath the daggers of his emerald stare. ‘How very nice to make your acquaintance, Mr Mercer. I do hope we are in for a wonderful show.’

About the Author  

Danielle K Girl is an Aussie who lives in stunning Tasmania with her three furkids, cats Luffy, Sweetie and Ren.

Her idea of heaven is a farm full of rescue animals, with a vegie garden that sprouts peanut M&M’s and chocolate wheaten biscuits.

When she’s not keyboard-deep in mysterious, beguiling worlds, she is binge watching K-Dramas, listening to K-Pop or hiking through the beautiful Tasmanian wilderness.

Author Links

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Friday, April 28, 2023

New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: FOXY TAILS by Natalie Reis

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Foxy Tails
By Natalina Reis

Sleeping love_ideas_dev

Join a witty fox, a divine healer, and their companions on a voyage filled with danger, magic, romance, and surprises in a world where nothing is what it seems in this stunning MM fantasy romance by best-selling author Natalina Reis.

Unloved and broken, Huli knows nothing but hate. Born a nine-tailed fox in a world that hunts demons like him, he does what he must to survive.

Until the day fate throws him right into the arms of the Healer.

Xiao Ying grew up in a family of divine healers. But when he comes back to find his whole family murdered, he vows to bring them the justice they deserve. Xiao Ying chooses a lonely life, gathering the evidence he needs, and not allowing anything to get in his way.

Until the day his life crosses that of a nine-tailed fox and changes forever.

Brought together by fate and united by love, Huli and Xiao Ying embark on the adventure of a lifetime. One that will either answer all their questions or reveal truths they should've left buried.

Universal Link

Add to Goodreads

FT 3 lovers flavor

FT 4 totally fine


Excerpt

Behind him the barking continued relentlessly. They’d be upon him soon unless he figured out a way of retracting his tails. Once his tails were out of sight, they’d lose his scent.

Húlí rushed toward the wooden door, hoping it was unlocked and that whoever lived there had vacated the place. Once he was inside, he’d be temporarily protected from the hounds’ sense of smell long enough to calm down and get rid of his tails. At least that’s what he hoped.

Busting through the unlocked door, Húlí uttered a quiet thank you, the momentum almost throwing him into the roaring fire in the hearth directly across from the entrance.

“Who the hell are you?” a voice exploded behind him.

Sh*t! The house was not empty after all. Awesome. Now I have to deal with this human too.

“Close the f*cking door,” Húlí begged, bracing his hands on his knees and trying hard to regain his composure. Even a fox like him got winded after such an intense chase.

“Not unless you tell me who you are,” the human male said.

Húlí turned halfway to look at him. Couldn’t he see his red tails, gloriously—and unwisely—unfurled behind him? Right, he couldn’t. Húlí had no control over the scent his tails exuded but he could glamour them from humans.

“I’m being chased,” he sputtered, trying to catch his breath. “Please, can you close the door? I will tell you everything afterward.”

The male, a tall young specimen with a mop of dark curly hair carelessly gathered into a high ponytail hesitated for a heartbeat before doing as he was asked.

“Thank you,” Húlí whispered, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. Now, he could slow his heart down and cut the trail of his scent. Brushing off the dust from his clothing, he took deep breaths and checked for damage caused by the chase. His arms and hands were scratched and bleeding, leaving a trail of red stains on his light blue long tunic. “Sh*t. Now I will have to trash my clothes. I liked this shan yi.” His outrage only grew when he found a large rip on his left side where one of the hounds had sunk its teeth in. “Damn dogs.”

Húlí shook himself off, his tails swooshing as he moved. Good, they’re retracting. The sound of his pursuers was getting closer, but he wasn’t as worried anymore. In a few more seconds, his scent would be back to human only and the hounds would lose his track. He lifted his gaze to the other man and was surprised to meet a pair of intense lavender eyes studying him.

“Who are you?” the man asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He cocked his head to the side. “Why are you being chased by the hounds?” There was sharp intelligence in those beautifully shaped eyes; they were finely cut jewels that glinted in the dim light of the fire.

Not jewels. Petals of a lotus flower. Exquisite.

“It’s a long story,” Húlí muttered, one last swoosh telling him his tails were finally fully hidden. “I don’t want to bore you with it.”

The stranger anchored his feet solidly on the ground and twisted his full lips into a half smile. “I have all day and nothing interesting to do.”

FT 1 so much


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To celebrate the release of Foxy Tails, Natalia is giving a lucky winner the chance to win a $10 Amazon Voucher!

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FT 7 everything I do


About the Author

Natalina Reis

Natalina Reis is an international bestseller who wrote her first romance at the age of thirteen. Since then she has published thirteen romances that defy the boundaries of her genre. She enjoys writing all kinds of rebels and outcasts into her stories and she always roots for the underdog.

After earning a degree in tourism and foreign languages, she worked as a tourist guide in her native Portugal for a short time before moving to the United States. She lived in three continents and a few islands, and her knack for languages and linguistics led her to a master’s degree in education. She lives in Virginia where she has taught English as a Second Language to elementary school children for more years than she cares to admit.

Natalina doesn’t believe you can have too many books or too much coffee. Art and dance make her happy and she is pretty sure she could survive on lobster and bananas alone. When she is not writing or stressing over lesson plans, she shares her life with her husband and two adult sons.

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Wednesday, April 26, 2023

New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: LOVE BENEATH THE STARS: A Matchmaker Wedding Novella by Claerie Kavanaugh

Love Beneath the Stars: A Matchmaker Wedding Novella 

by Claerie Kavanaugh

Publisher: Half Caff Press 

Cover Artist: Lauren Dombrowski

Release Date: April 26, 2023 

Genres: Contemporary F/F Romance

Tropes: Age gap, celebrity, matchmaker, wedding 

Themes: Coming out, forgiveness

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 30 000 words

It is a standalone story in the Entertaining Love series.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

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They say love conquers all, but what if getting it means losing your family?

Blurb

After years of searching, a job gone wrong finally led Hollywood's most famous matchmaker Eve to her soulmate in up-and-coming starlet Jemma Mason. For a year, they had pictured their perfect destination Valentine's Day wedding. But when Jemma's family arrives from Montana, they quickly learn perfection is hard to come by.

Jemma's conservative brother has always been distant, but when he meets his sister's fiancée, who is seven years her senior, he worries she’s moving way too fast and refuses to come to the wedding, let alone keep his promise to walk her down the aisle. Can love really conquer all, or are there some wounds that simply run too deep to be buried?

Eve and Jemma's Wedding Novella. Sequel to LOVE AMONG THE STARS in the standalone sapphic celebrity romance series ENTERTAINING LOVE. 

Excerpt

When I turn to face Eve, she's sitting more fully upright, concern etched across her beautiful features. "What's wrong?"

"Apparently, a storm is coming," Despondence drips from my words as I sink, onto the edge of the bed. "They want us to stay inside."

Eve climbs out of the covers and wraps her arms around me. "We'll be alright, Jemma. We're together, and that's all that matters."

Her confidence is contagious, and I can't help but smile. "You always know how to make me feel better, don't you?"

"Of course." She grins, kissing my cheek. "Now, let's make the most of this unexpected day indoors."

We spend the morning lounging in bed, sipping coffee and flipping through the cable channels on the TV. But as the wind outside picks up, so does our restlessness.

"Let's play a game," Eve suggests, sitting up and stretching her toned arms above her head.

"What kind of game?" I ask, intrigued.

She smirks devilishly. "Strip poker."

My stomach flips at the thought of being naked in front of her, but I can't deny the thrill that pulses through me. "You're on."

We grab a deck of cards from the nightstand and settle in on the plush carpet, the sound of the wind howling outside echoing in my ears. As the game progresses, clothing is discarded, and as Eve tosses her shirt onto the pile, I can't help but let my eyes roam over her gorgeous curves and her smooth golden skin. A flush spreads across my cheeks as I drink her in

Eve smirks, arching an eyebrow. "Enjoying the view?"

I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly dry. "Very much so," I reply, a slightly wanton rasp dancing at the edges of my words.

She crawls over to me on all fours, her eyes locked onto mine. "Why don't you come a little closer?" I oblige, leaning in towards her, my heart pounding. She presses her body against mine, her skin hot against my own. My breath hitches as she trails her fingers down my spine, sending shivers through my body. I tangle my fingers in her hair, pulling her lips to mine. The kiss is electric, fire burning through my veins. I break away, gasping for air.

About the Author 

Claerie Kavanaugh has spent most of her life telling stories, but she never imagined herself writing romance. In fact, she used to think it should only be reserved for Hallmark movies. It wasn't until college, when she discovered fanfiction, that she learned what romance was truly about: not just fluffy relationships and happily-ever-afters, but human connection, the desire to push one another to be better, and create hope that somewhere, somehow, everyone has someone.

When she's not writing, she loves to travel and explore new cultures, helping other authors polish their works as a freelance editor, and singing while doing so. Broadway musicals are her soul-food, something her mother and sister know well. She constantly blasts the newest soundtrack through the halls of their Missouri home, much to the chagrin of her very sassy and spoiled cat.

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Thursday, April 20, 2023

New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: FAUXMANCE IN THE FALLS by J.E. Birk (Devon Falls #1)

Fauxmance in the Falls 

by J.E. Birk 

Publisher: Maple Mountains Press

Cover Artist: Cate Ashwood 

Release Date: April 20, 2023 

Genres: Contemporary M/M Romance, small town romance 

Tropes: Fake relationship, small town, age gap, alpha doctor, grumpy/sunshine

Themes: Redemption, coming out, found families 

Heat Rating:  4 flames 

Length:  Approx. 92 000 words and 331 pages

It’s the first book in the series and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

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Never date your dream doctor

Blurb

I'm here to destroy this town. How did I end up in a fake relationship with its hero?

I've spent my life proving to my grandpa and dad that I'm more than just the Lewis family mistake. So when Grandpa sends me to Devon Falls, VT to take some ridiculous leaf festival to court, I head straight there and get to work. 

But Dr. Jack Lancer keeps getting in my way.

 He's everywhere. Helping me out with my migraines, making me dinner, insisting people be nice to me even though I’m the enemy. Who is this guy? The next thing I know I'm pretending to be Jack's boyfriend to get him out of a bind. I swear he's putting kindness pills in my food or something.

Jack thinks he can fix me the same way he fixes everyone else. But I'm not broken. This podunk town will be when I'm done with it, though. And Jack? Well, he's about to learn the meaning of the term "collateral damage." Because I'll do anything to win this case and end this festival. 

Even if it means losing something that feels an awful lot like love.

Fauxmance in the Falls is an age-gap romance featuring a small town full of quirks, a grumpy lawyer and a charming physician, a fake relationship gone wild, some inappropriate use of a doctor’s office, and a healthy mix of humor and angst. It stars Benson Lewis, who first appeared in the book Counterpoint 

Excerpt

Benson stands before us, looking as wrecked as I could ever imagine seeing him. He’s barely standing upright, and there are dark circles surrounding his sagging eyes. He’s wearing a wrinkled pair of jogging pants and a shirt that looks like he’s sweated through it, and his facial expression screams of absolute misery. I simultaneously feel extremely guilty for knocking on his door and extremely glad that I did. “Benson,” I say softly. “Migraine?”

He nods, immediately wincing at the head motion. And that tiny little movement is all the cue I need to start taking charge.

“Elijah, I need you to run to the drug store,” I tell him quietly. I list off a series of items that Benson likely needs.

“Be right back,” Elijah whispers, though I never warned him about being quiet. He’s far more astute than his grandparents give him credit for. He runs off down the hall and I step into Benson’s space, examining him with my eyes. “How long?” I ask.

“Since the Thai restaurant.”

Sh*t. Almost twenty-four hours, then. “Have you taken anything?”

“Just aspirin.” He winces at the ray of light peeking around the door from the hallway. “Don’t have anything else,” he mumbles. I’m going to make sure we correct that the second he’s well enough for conversation. But right now, all I want to do is make him feel better.

“Okay,” I tell him gently. “We’ll fix it, Benson. I’ve got you. You’re not on your own anymore.”

He stares at me, squinting, and I notice his eyes are wet. “I’m really glad you’re here,” he says hoarsely.

I startle slightly. I know Benson well enough by now to know those probably aren’t words he says often.

I guide him gently into the apartment, which is a small studio with a double bed in one corner and a combination kitchen/living room taking up most of the space. The curtains are closed tightly. They’re mostly light-blocking, at least. I surprise him, I think, when I guide him over to the sofa and help him lay down there. “I’m going to get you some water and change your sheets,” I whisper. “Have you been able to keep food down?”

He shakes his head slightly.

“Well, I sent Elijah for applesauce and electrolytes. We’ll see if we can fix that.” I can feel his eyes track me as I make use of what his small space has to offer. I find a glass of water and help him sit up long enough to take a few sips. When he shakes his head at me, I don’t push for him to drink more. I find clean sheets and quickly make his bed, then grab some sweatpants and a Burlington U Law shirt from his dresser. “C’mon,” I urge him. “Let’s get you into some more comfortable clothes.”

He holds onto my shoulders as I help him step out of his pants. I look away to give him as much privacy as possible, but Benson draws my attention back to him when he says, “this isn’t really how I envisioned you getting in my pants for the first time.”

The corners of his lips are turned up in a hint of a wry grin, and my heart speeds up. Has he really had those thoughts too? Now is not the time for that conversation, unfortunately. “Me either,” I tell him, keeping things light as I help him into the fresh pants and shirt.

I change the sheets on the bed and get him settled into it before I dampen a washcloth with cool water. Some migraine patients are sensitive to any kind of touch when they have episodes like this, but Benson sighs with happiness when I lay the cloth across his forehead.

I sit down gently on the side of his bed. “When Elijah gets back we’ll try food and more water,” I tell him. “Get excited for that applesauce.”

Benson grimaces. “I’ll try it,” he promises. “I already feel better than I did. Thank you, Jack.”

I gently take one of his hands, and when he doesn’t object, I hold it while I rub my thumb against his palm. “Thank you for what?” I ask. I’m not sure what I’m being thanked for. Changing someone’s sheets and getting them some water when they’re ill are about the most basic things you can do for another human.

“No one’s ever really done this before. You know. For me,” he mutters. “Not lately, anyway.”

“Do you get migraines often?”  I ask him.

He sighs. “I used to get them a lot more when I was younger. I thought they were going away. But lately they’ve been getting worse.”

“Who used to take care of you when you got them?” I ask.

He shrugs into the sheets around him. “I think my nannies did. Well, some of them anyway. Until they… couldn’t anymore.”  Benson grimaces again, and I decide this isn’t the best time to have this conversation.

“You’re going to be okay,” I tell him. It’s a universal line I’ve used a million times in my career. Some patients believe it. Some don’t. From Benson’s expression, I can’t tell where he stands.

“It was worse last night,” he replies. “In the middle of the night. It was so bad. They’ve gotten worse lately, like I said. I was here, in this bed, and the pain was so awful I started to wonder if I was going to live through it. And I kept thinking… kept thinking that I didn’t want to die by myself in a studio apartment. Alone. All by myself.” He closes his eyes against pain I can’t see, and suddenly I need to be holding more than just his hand.

“You’re not alone,” I tell him. I lean over farther and graze his cheek with the fingers of my other hand. It’s a test to see if my touch hurts, but all he does is lean farther into it. And just like that, I know I’m doing the right thing. “You’re not alone right now,” I repeat. “And you never have to be alone again. Not if you don’t want to be. You have me now. Me and Elijah.”

Benson has settled his cheek deep into my hand at this point. He’s almost nuzzling it. “Not forever,” he mumbles. “Just for now. Just for pretend.”

About the Author 

J.E. Birk was raised in Vermont and is now adulting in Colorado with intermittent success. She is a long-time lover of stories, and she writes and reads in worlds where imperfect characters find their happily ever after. Snag free bonus content and stay up-to-date on J.E. Birk's news and releases by signing up for her newsletter

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