I’ve never had sex before. And I've definitely never looked at a guy that way before. But with his brightly-colored hair and beautiful outfits, Rhys is hard to ignore--especially after I learn what he does for a living.
Signing up with The Camboy Network is way outside my comfort zone, but with Rhys guiding me the whole way, it doesn’t feel all that scary. In fact, it feels like fate.
Rhys
I left home the minute I turned eighteen, so falling for a guy from the old neighborhood is the last thing I should do--especially since he's straight. But he's utterly adorable, so innocently kinky, and exactly my type.
We shouldn't fit together so well, but we do. No matter how hard I try to stay away, I can’t. Our lives couldn’t be more different on the outside, but maybe we're a lot more alike than we think.
Angel is a bi-awakening, opposites attract, size difference MM romance between a burly cinnamon roll construction worker and a flamboyant pole-dancing twink. Expect accidentally dirty text messages, completely unexpected kinks, and chivalrous courage that truly runs deep. Angel is the third book in The Camboy Network series, but can be read as a stand-alone.
Stepping off the subway in Staten Island always feels like I’ve walked through the looking glass. On this side, I’m not Rhys Rawlings, pole dancer and camboy extraordinaire. Instead, I regress to Ricky Gallo, the scrawny, flamboyant gay boy from down the street.
I’ve even dressed the part. Jeans—ugh. And a t-shirt—double ugh. At least the jeans hug my ass like a second skin and my t-shirt sports a cute rainbow unicorn. Not that I expect anyone from the old neighborhood to appreciate the ’fit. The people I grew up with aren’t the most… trendy.
I hightailed it out of here the first chance I got and I only come back when absolutely necessary. Like for Dad’s sixtieth birthday party.
I was tempted not to come. It’s not like anyone will really miss me anyway.
I don’t remember the last time I had a real conversation with my dad, and my mom only calls when she needs something from me. My brother, Nico, and I get along pretty well, but he’s always busy with his wife and kids. They have their own lives here that I’m not really a part of. And I haven’t kept in touch with anyone else in the old neighborhood. There’s never been any reason to.
It’s about a twenty-minute walk from the subway station to the house where I grew up. Nico offered to come pick me up, but I need the extra time to psych myself up for the party.
I can hear it from a block away. Strains of music float over yards and rooftops. Voices mix with barks of laughter and parents shouting at kids. It sounds like the entire neighborhood’s turned out for the big event. I wouldn’t be surprised. The Gallos have been a part of this tight-knit community for generations.
I stop right before turning the corner onto my parents’ street, gripping the strap of my crossbody bag tightly.
I can do this. I can totally do this. It’s only for a couple hours. Just grin and bear it—like I’m performing on stage or on camera. Then I can escape back to Brooklyn and my real life.
Enter the Giveaway!
To celebrate the release of Angel, Linden is giving away 2 e-copies of the upcoming release!
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!
After a disastrous high school game of spin the bottle, I gave up trying to get a boyfriend and spent my time studying instead. Now I’m twenty-four, and I’m not only a virgin, I haven’t even been kissed.
When I meet Danny, a handsome legal hotshot, he catches my eye. Right before I trip on flat ground. Ugh.
He’s got a massive … reputation. He’s the most popular guy in the club, a total playboy with a new conquest every night. There’s no way he’d be interested in me.
But one night after I imbibe too much, he winds up taking care of me. And when I ask for his help with my travesty of a social life, he agrees to teach me how to be less awkward with men … if I let him document my progress so he can win a bet with his best friend.
Even though he’s just my love tutor and I’m just his apprentice, this starts to feel like more.
Too bad it can’t be anything but a high-level seminar in how to seduce someone else.
Studious is a sweet and sexy contemporary opposites-attract m/m romance about a suave attorney who’s scared to love and the shy, nerdy bookkeeper he’s teaching how to be a player. Cue makeover montage and a smoldering first kiss. These heroes most definitely are not falling in love. (Okay, heartwarming HEA guaranteed.)
My Review
Such a good story. I loved the characters, and I am a huge fan of opposites attract so I was naturally drawn to this from the moment I read the blurb. Danny is the typical player, a once-and-done guy who has no problem picking guys up for a bit of fun. You know the type, the guy who plays the field with no repeats, but once that one certain guy crosses his path that he gets to really know well he starts to think he may want more.
I identified strongly with Alden’s character with his shyness and awkwardness around others he doesn’t know, particularly when dating. It was incredibly satisfying to see the growth his character underwent, and how much he was able to finally open up around others. Danny went through his own growth as well the closer he and Alden became.
Alden and Danny’s relationship may have been borne of Alden’s desire to become more comfortable with other guys and to gain experience with them, but as we all can see coming, that relationship grows and develops into a heck of a lot more for them both.
I really enjoyed watching as these two develop their friendship into so much more, and I’ll say it again—it makes for a very satisfying story. It is written well, and has a solid cast of supporting characters. Even though it is the second book in the series, you do not need to have read the first book before starting this one. Studious was a 4.5-star read for me, and I highly recommend it to all M/M romance fans.
This was the first audiobook I’ve listened to from this narrator, and I thought Declan Winters did a great job. The pacing was even, and the character voices were injected with just the right levels of emotion. I do wish there was more differentiation in character voices to make them more distinct from each other, but overall this was a great listen.
About the Author
Leslie McAdam is a California girl who loves romance and well-defined abs. She lives in a drafty old farmhouse on a small orange tree farm in Southern California with her husband and two children. Leslie's first published book, The Sun and the Moon, won a 2015 Watty, which is the world's largest online writing competition. She's gone on to receive additional literary awards and has been featured in multiple publications, including Cosmopolitan.com. Her books have been Top 100 Bestsellers on both Amazon and Apple Books. Leslie is employed by day but spends her nights writing about the men of your fantasies.
Their rivalry? Explosive. Their chemistry? Magical.
When a regrettable drunken hookup becomes your partner in a high-stakes magical project, sparks are bound to fly—just not the kind Liam Morgan was hoping for. Teaming up with Adam Harrington, the golden boy of a legendary magical lineage, was not on his to-do list.
Adam, the epitome of tailored perfection, has accepted the need to lock his true self in the closet. Liam, on the other hand, wears his nonconformity like a badge of honour, challenging the elite’s silken norms with every step he takes.
Tasked with revolutionising urban development in an eco-friendly manner, their forced collaboration is marked by snark, resentment, and a magnetic undercurrent of attraction. But as their reluctant partnership turns into a bond that’s hard to deny, a plot for power simmers, threatening to unleash chaos that could sweep the city into a maelstrom of uncontrolled magic.
This contemporary MM romance is a romp through a magically infused London. It interweaves snappy banter, enemies to lovers, and political intrigue with a slow-burn kind of love that can save a city.
I accepted a glass from a passing waitress with a murmured thanks. She shot me a surprised glance from underneath demurely lowered lashes, and right, yeah. Acknowledging the hired help was not industry standard in these circles. But five years ago, I might have been in her place—just enough magic potential to orbit around those who mattered.
I reminded myself that I belonged. No, I couldn’t trace my lineage back to, say, the Middle Ages—hell, I couldn’t even trace it past my grandmother. But I had every bloody right to be here. Even if I was wearing one of only two designer suits I owned while most people in this room had likely chosen from a whole wardrobe of options.
The practice of publicly ranking families on the strength of their magic had largely fallen out of favour, but we still catered to them, didn’t we?
Except I didn’t bow anymore. Not to anyone.
“Well,” a wry voice said from behind me. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
I didn’t bow to anyone, no. And especially not to Adam Harrington.
Slowly, leisurely, I turned and raised my glass in a friendly salute. “Adam. Opting for a tried and true classic on the insult front rather than using your brain?”
His smile didn’t waver. “I’d respond, but I’d rather not engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person.”
God, he was infuriating. He carried himself with all the inbred entitlement of his family clout, a prince among commoners. Dark curls and hazel eyes that watched me with thinly veiled derision, and if I squinted just right, the warm, orange glow of his magic was so bright it bordered on blinding. Fun fact, though? He’d just about melted into me when I’d dragged my teeth along his throat.
Carra's Review
I’m not going to wait until the end of my review to say that I LOVED this book. The concept, the characters (both main and supporting), the setting, the writing…everything about it was what I love in a story. And with this being a new-to-me author with an established backlist? Yeah, I’ve just added ALL of them to my reading list.
Adam is from a family that is high up in the social hierarchy of this magical world, and not gonna lie—I was prepared to not like him much given his initial attitude. But he’s just not a character that I can’t like. He has the weight of his family on his shoulders, and if you couple that with the antiquated views of their society regarding same sex relationships, that weight is indeed crushing at times. His character experiences quite a bit of growth, particularly once he realizes what is most important to him.
Liam is used to being lower down in the social hierarchy of magical families, so he and Adam are set as opposites. I liked Liam’s quiet strength, and that he stood tall even when faced with those considered higher up in the magical social hierarchy. He’s not in the closet, so he is well aware he may be setting himself up for heartbreak when it comes to Adam.
My only “meh” thought about this book is that it seemed to move slowly in some places. I think this can mostly be attributed to the world building needed to set the stage and provide ongoing background. The good part of this though is that if the author decides to add more stories set in this world, the groundwork has already been laid. And yes, given the strong cast of supporting characters, there are several opportunities for more and I for one hope the author will take advantage of this!
Our Radiant Embers was a 5-star read for me—the relationship development, sensual intimate scenes (especially those infused with a touch of magic…oh…my…word), and emotional journey of the characters far outweigh the slow spots. This one is going on my Top Recommendations list for this year, and I am looking forward to diving into this author’s backlist while I sit here with fingers crossed for more in this magical world, and hopefully this one on audio as well. This story is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.
Enter the Giveaway:
To celebrate the release of Our Radiant Embers, Zarah is giving away a paperback or eBook of the release!
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!
Author of M/M romances. Chaos monkey and coffee snob. Loves a good book, a well-crafted White Russian, and long walks to the closest supermarket.
People in love with other people is her jam, with a particular penchant for snappy dialogue and a slow burn that is all the more satisfying once it finally catches fire. Playing with tropes of the famous-meets-non-famous variation? Bring it on! Fake relationships? Yes, please. All’s fair as long as everyone gets their happy ending.
Scott Fitzgerald is looking for love. Both his flatmates have met their forever someones—when will his turn come?
Then things at work get hectic after a consignment of Pleasure Seekers’ finest toys goes missing. There’s a thief in their midst and Scott has to find out who it is.
Enter Prin Lau, the handsome IT technician who’s escaped Scott’s notice until now. When they’re thrown together, it’s not just the hunt for the villain that makes Scott’s heartrate rocket.
But Prin has fled to Brighton to escape family problems. When he decides it’s time to face them head-on once and for all, where will that leave a barely begun relationship?
With so much distraction, Scott must keep his eye on the prize—and come to understand what he’s really willing to fight for…
Excerpt
Prin had taken the table at the rear of the coffee shop. As it was early for a Friday, there weren’t many other customers other than a group of schoolkids and a couple of people on their own. The kids were more interested in being the loudest in the group than anything Prin was up to. As for the others, they were focused solely on their laptops.
Nervously, Prin sipped his hot chocolate.
The door opened and Scott walked in. Butterflies swarmed inside Prin. The whole thing had him on edge. Scott’s model looks didn’t help either.
Scott noticed him and came over. “Prin?”
“That’s right.”
Scott dropped his bag and sat down. Prin barely met his gaze.
Maybe this was a bad idea. It’s too bloody late now.
He shifted in his seat.
“Can I get you anything?”
“No thanks,” Scott replied. “I’ve got to go home and log on after this. How did you get out early without raising suspicion?”
“I often work from home so it wasn’t a big deal,” Prin replied.
Scott looked at him expectantly. For some reason, Prin had no idea how to begin.
“It’s probably nothing—”
“I hope not,” Scott interjected. “I’ve had a sh*t day. I’m banking on you making it a better one.”
Prin had been right. Scott was a self-absorbed queen. He should never have listened to bloody Colin.
“I…”
Scott held up his hands. “I’m sorry,” he said. “My stupid mouth. I didn’t mean to sound like an arsehole. The truth is, I have a humdinger of a hangover. But I have no right to take it out on you. Can we start over?”
Prin’s nanny always used to say to him that he shouldn’t judge other people’s actions until he had an idea of what they were going through. Perhaps Prin had Scott wrong after all.
“I’d like that. Are you sure I can’t order you a drink?”
“Go on then,” Scott said. “I’ll have a flat white. It’ll give me the final hit of caffeine to get me home.”
Prin caught the eye of the barista. “Flat white, please.”
“Sure thing.”
Prin turned to Scott.
F*ck he’s too handsome to concentrate.
“Okay,” Scott said. “Let’s have it straight. I promise you it won’t go any further unless you want it to. I think I signed something when I joined that says you can sue me if I tell a soul other than a priest or a dog.”
Scott giggled to himself. Prin took a deep breath. This time he properly regarded the man across from him. His eyes were the most vivid blue Prin had ever experienced. Something radiated from him that gave Prin the trust he’d needed to attack this head on.
“My boss is Richard Brammin.”
“You have my sympathy.”
Prin smiled. “His son, Elliott, works in my team. You probably already know that.”
“Yeah. I’ve had the pleasure of dealing with him. Thick and arrogant. The worst combination going.”
“Agreed,” Prin said, relaxing a little. “Well yesterday he was booking a holiday. I know there’s nothing wrong in that. I guess his manner caught my attention. I overheard his conversation. I wasn’t eavesdropping or anything.”
The barista placed a cup down in front of Scott and left them to it. Prin waited until he was out of earshot.
“He asked his friend to pay and he would give them the cash. He told them they had to do it now. I don’t know. Saying it out loud it sounds ridiculous, but he was definitely on edge. Oh yes and he did say that there’s plenty more where that came from.”
Scott sipped his drink and frowned. “Go on.”
“I happened to mention it to Richard and he got really stressed. He stormed off to speak to Elliott about this holiday.”
Prin worried Scott would lay into him for wasting his time.
“It’s not just that,” Prin continued. “Even before that, I mentioned to Richard about the theft and he told me, in no uncertain terms, that it hadn’t happened in IT. I wasn’t to bring trouble to his door.”
Scott frowned. “Richard Brammin is on more money than you and I combined. Why would he want to rob a load of dildos? It doesn’t make sense.”
Prin stared down at his cup. “I shouldn’t have bothered you. I’m sorry.”
“No,” Scott said. “That’s not what I’m saying. This is suspicious as f*ck. Problem is, we need a damned sight more before I can take on Richard Brammin.”
“You believe me then?”
“Of course I do.”
Prin beamed. He had been so sure he was sticking his neck out only to get it chopped off. Now he’d unburdened himself, he felt so much lighter.
“What’s next?”
“Let me sleep on it,” Scott replied. “Don’t mention it to anyone. Have no fear, Prin. I will come up with a plan. I always do.”
Scott followed this up with a wink that went straight to Prin’s groin. Being thrown together with this gorgeous man could be very interesting indeed.
Pleasure Seekers is the online store for the nation’s naughty needs. It caters to all tastes from edible underwear to lube to things that are a little more niche.
Based in Brighton on the South Coast, Pleasure Seekers’ mission is to revolutionise Britain’s sex life.
But what kind of person works in a company like this?
Meet Tyler, Eddie and Scott. Three men who are about to have the summer of their lives.
Who says taking your work home with you is a bad thing?
About the Author
I have written for as long as I could write. In fact, before, when I would dictate to my auntie. I love to read, and I love to create worlds and characters.
I live in the English countryside. When I’m not writing, I like to get out there and think through the next scenario I’m going to throw my characters into.
Inspiration can be found anywhere, on a train, in a restaurant or in an office. I am always in search of the next character to find love in one of my stories. In a world of apps and online dating, it is important to remember love can be found when you least expect it.
Their rivalry? Explosive. Their chemistry? Magical.
When a regrettable drunken hookup becomes your partner in a high-stakes magical project, sparks are bound to fly—just not the kind Liam Morgan was hoping for. Teaming up with Adam Harrington, the golden boy of a legendary magical lineage, was not on his to-do list.
Adam, the epitome of tailored perfection, has accepted the need to lock his true self in the closet. Liam, on the other hand, wears his nonconformity like a badge of honour, challenging the elite’s silken norms with every step he takes.
Tasked with revolutionising urban development in an eco-friendly manner, their forced collaboration is marked by snark, resentment, and a magnetic undercurrent of attraction. But as their reluctant partnership turns into a bond that’s hard to deny, a plot for power simmers, threatening to unleash chaos that could sweep the city into a maelstrom of uncontrolled magic.
This contemporary MM romance is a romp through a magically infused London. It interweaves snappy banter, enemies to lovers, and political intrigue with a slow-burn kind of love that can save a city.
I accepted a glass from a passing waitress with a murmured thanks. She shot me a surprised glance from underneath demurely lowered lashes, and right, yeah. Acknowledging the hired help was not industry standard in these circles. But five years ago, I might have been in her place—just enough magic potential to orbit around those who mattered.
I reminded myself that I belonged. No, I couldn’t trace my lineage back to, say, the Middle Ages—hell, I couldn’t even trace it past my grandmother. But I had every bloody right to be here. Even if I was wearing one of only two designer suits I owned while most people in this room had likely chosen from a whole wardrobe of options.
The practice of publicly ranking families on the strength of their magic had largely fallen out of favour, but we still catered to them, didn’t we?
Except I didn’t bow anymore. Not to anyone.
“Well,” a wry voice said from behind me. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
I didn’t bow to anyone, no. And especially not to Adam Harrington.
Slowly, leisurely, I turned and raised my glass in a friendly salute. “Adam. Opting for a tried and true classic on the insult front rather than using your brain?”
His smile didn’t waver. “I’d respond, but I’d rather not engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person.”
God, he was infuriating. He carried himself with all the inbred entitlement of his family clout, a prince among commoners. Dark curls and hazel eyes that watched me with thinly veiled derision, and if I squinted just right, the warm, orange glow of his magic was so bright it bordered on blinding. Fun fact, though? He’d just about melted into me when I’d dragged my teeth along his throat.
Enter the Giveaway:
To celebrate the release of Our Radiant Embers, Zarah is giving away a paperback or eBook of the release!
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!
Author of M/M romances. Chaos monkey and coffee snob. Loves a good book, a well-crafted White Russian, and long walks to the closest supermarket.
People in love with other people is her jam, with a particular penchant for snappy dialogue and a slow burn that is all the more satisfying once it finally catches fire. Playing with tropes of the famous-meets-non-famous variation? Bring it on! Fake relationships? Yes, please. All’s fair as long as everyone gets their happy ending.
The second I hear a scream I run toward it without thinking. My own teammates are threatening someone, and I rush in to stop them. But the man I save is … beautiful. And funny. And smart. And he brazenly gives me his phone number right then and there.
He has no idea that he just gave his number to the most hunted man at this university.
I’m Omari Carter, a football player everyone assumes is destined for the pros. Scouts are hounding me. Coach is pushing me to decide on my future. My whole family is depending on me. But Mal doesn’t know or care about any of that.
With all the expectations weighing me down, I don’t have time for love. So why can’t I walk away from this?
Mint to Be is an opposites attract MM romance with a major size difference, a grumpy/sunshine dynamic, an athlete meeting a lovable fashion nerd and spicy open door scenes.
Broccoli cocks his hand back. I stumble away, but I’m not looking and my foot catches on the curb. I fall backward onto the sidewalk, screaming in terror as I thump to the ground. It’s a real scream, too, a full-throated shriek of panic as my doom approaches. I cover my head in my hands. It won’t do a bit of good, but I don’t have anything else to protect myself with. I can’t run. I can’t hide. I can’t talk my way out of this. When that fist comes down on me, I’m pulp on the sidewalk.
“Hey. Assholes.”
Everything stops as someone shouts at the football bros. Broccoli hesitates, his fist in the air, his dumb neanderthal face going slack with surprise as he sizes up the man sprinting toward us like his shoes are on fire. Seriously, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone that fast in my life.
He doesn’t slow down when he reaches the group, either. He keeps running, slamming into Broccoli and tackling him to the pavement. They grunt and shout, but the new guy has the upper hand. He doesn’t seem drunk, for one thing.
“Cut it out, Derek,” New Guy says.
“F*ck, Omari, what the hell? That really hurt!” Broccoli says.
“As much as it would have hurt that dude you were about to punch? What is wrong with you, man? You really think Coach won’t sit your ass on the bench for that sh*t?”
“I don’t know, man. I was drunk. He was in our way. He said some sh*t. I got mad.”
“Well, get un-mad. Real quick. And then get the f*ck out of here, understand?”
Broccoli nods, and New Guy lets him up. I’m still on the ground, mouth agape as I watch this interaction play out. The other guys in the group all mutter apologies before they drag their buddy away. And then it’s just me and that new guy, the one they called Omari.
He turns toward me, and I instantly forget how to breathe.
People jokingly call Albert tall, dark and handsome, but this guy is literally tall, dark and handsome. He might be taller than Albert, and he’s built from nothing but lean muscle. His every movement bears an athlete’s grace. When he looks down at me, his eyes are deep and vast and dark, nearly as dark as his close-cropped hair and beard. He extends one smooth brown hand toward me.
“Are you okay?” he says.
I don’t know how to answer that with my heart flailing around in my chest.
I just got superhero rescued by the most gorgeous man on this entire campus.
Enter the Giveaway:
To celebrate the release of Mint to Be, F.A. Ray's giving away 2 e-copies of the release!
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!
F. A. Ray started writing fiction as a child and has never stopped. When they aren’t writing, they enjoy rock climbing and hiking in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where they live with their partner and cat.
Visit linktr.ee/faraywrites to find out more. You can also sign up for my Patreon, where I post WIPs, updates, bonus scenes, deleted scenes and short stories that don’t appear anywhere else.
A sweet, snarky m/m romance with kittens, cheese festivals, royal gossip, and a guaranteed HEA.
Blurb
Neel Batra is good--no, great--at his job. A consummate professional despite all the chaos of managing one of the most notorious party boy royals in Europe, he never lets Prince Thibault get under his skin. Well, almost never. And he certainly doesn't entertain any thoughts or feelings that are less than professional. Especially after an image rehab campaign sees Neel and the prince working in closer conditions than ever.
Prince Thibault d'Archimbault may be a disaster, but even he knows certain things--and people--are off limits. Even if he can't help noticing his assistant's pretty eyes, and how fun it is to annoy him. Can he practice self-control for once in his life and stay out of Neel Batra's way, even while they work together on cleaning up Thibault's reputation? Or will things get distinctly ... messy?
Excerpt
“I don’t have a car.” Three years working for the prince, and the man knew nothing about him. Typical. “I rode my bicycle.”
“Of course you did. Doing your duty, right? Protecting the environment and all that.” Thibault had a smug little smile on his face, like Neel had completely failed to surprise him. “Doesn’t it ever get tiring?”
“What gets tiring is lack of sleep. Which is why I’m leaving now,” Neel said, making no move to get up.
“Stay here for a bit. Have a drink with me. I’ll get Viola to drive you home if you’re worried about biking under the influence.”
“Absolutely not. You shouldn’t be out here, either.” Neel pointed a finger at him across the hot tub. “We’re starting your twelve-step plan or whatever it is tomorrow and you need your sleep, too. More than I do. You’ll be the one in the photos, and we can’t have you looking all gray and hungover.”
Thibault shrugged. His chest was flushed from the heat, his hair curling into his eyes. “Honestly? I couldn’t sleep either. I’m… I’m trying to take this seriously, Batra. Whether you believe me or not. And it’s making me nervous.” He poured a refill into the glass and held it out. “Come on. One drink. Just stay and… talk to me. Until I feel sleepy.”
The glass was sweaty with condensation as Neel took it from his hand. “I’m only drinking this so that you won’t,” he warned, and finished it in one gulp, before he could have any foolish thoughts about how Thibault’s mouth had been on the glass, his pink, pouty, irritating mouth–
“You, er,” said Thibault.
“We’ve all been to university, your highness,” Neel said archly.
“Yes, but you probably weren’t shooting 100-year Ankenbrandian pear brandy.”
Neel shrugged, feeling the red bloom of alcohol in his stomach, the tension beginning to seep out of his shoulders, his neck. “So, I’m to tell you a bedtime story now, is that it? Don’t recall it being part of my job description. But who knows what my job is at this point.”
Thibault took a swig from the bottle, then refilled Neel’s glass. “I guess I was just hoping that you had some plan for tomorrow. You’re so good at plans.”
Neel really ought to sip this one slowly, but he was enjoying how the over-excited clock in his head had finally started to tick down, and the stars were bright overhead and the mountains gleamed in the distance and Prince Thibault was glistening across from him like some male siren that had just emerged from the Aegean sea, and it was time, wasn’t it, that Neel told him exactly what he thought about all of this nonsense?
“You are the one who came up with all of this. There is no plan. You’re petting kittens, for f*cksake.”
“Right, but, what should I wear?”
Neel waved his hand in the air dismissively. “Something casual but expensive that shows off your chest. Do you really need me to tell you all this? Just pet the kittens and look cute. Why did you choose all of these things if you don’t even want to do them?”
Thibault ran a hand through his hair. “Well, I knew I needed to tell grandmother something. And they are things I wanted to do. Most of them. Some I chose because I knew they’d annoy you.”
“I thought so. Pour me another drink.”
“You sure you’re going to be all right? The water’s really hot, and you’ve had like four shots. I’m a heavy pourer.”
“You owe me, Thibault.”
The prince slid across the hot tub, and Neel flinched at the sudden hand on his forehead. “Hm, yeah, I don’t think so,” Thibault murmured. “You’re really warm.”
“Don’t pretend you care,” Neel said, holding himself as still as possible so he wouldn’t melt. “Don’t pretend to be responsible.”
“I’m not,” Thibault said. “But you are, and you’re going to be hating yourself if you’re too hungover to get a perfectly adorable picture of me and those cats tomorrow. C’mon, Batra, let’s get you up.” He hoisted Neel onto his feet. “Out we go. We’ve got a date with some baby kittens.”
“‘Baby kittens’ is redundant,” Neel said, and fainted.
About the Author
Emily Spady lives in the Pacific Northwest of the United States with her husband and cat. This is her first novel.
