It’s been seven
years since Daniel Finley left his hometown in Florida for the hustle
and bustle of Chicago’s city life.
Since then, he’s
worked hard for his position at the prestigious law firm Leighton &
Associates, even when it’s caused distance and isolation from his
family and friends. But that’s all about to change.
On his thirtieth
birthday, he receives the one thing he never dared hope for.
Something that was promised to him years earlier—a note. One simple
sentence from the man he’s never been able to forget.
Six words will
forever change the course of their lives.
Brantley Hayes
has it all. Or so he thinks. When he first made the decision to take
a job down in Florida, his family thought he was crazy. But, after
years of living in the quiet beach town, he finally feels a sense of
community. He’s surrounded himself with friends who are like
family, has a job he loves, and owns a spectacular beachfront
property that is his sanctuary.
Yet he still
feels unfulfilled, as if a piece of the puzzle is missing, and he
knows exactly which piece it is. On an impulse, he follows through
with a promise he made years earlier. A promise to call home the one
he sent away.
Nothing is as
simple as it seems.
After years of
separation, the former lovers are reunited, but Brantley wasn’t
expecting to encounter the high walls now guarding Daniel’s heart.
Daniel may
not be the same person he was when he left, but he knows that the
first step to healing is the note in his hand.
BRANTLEY KEPT A discreet eye on the final student to leave for the
morning as Mr. Finley strode down the stairs to the front of the
classroom. They were three weeks into the semester and he was ashamed
to admit that, with every day that passed, his
fascination with the young man grew.
At first, he’d tried to convince himself that it
was purely academic. The kid was smart. He’d aced all the weekly
quizzes, and Brantley was more than aware of the way he watched him
lecture with keen, intelligent eyes that never strayed from him.
Oh, he was fascinated, all right, but
he made sure to tell himself at the end of every class that it had
nothing to do with the mischievous grin Daniel would flash at his
friends or the easygoing laugh that would bubble up out of him at any
given moment. But he knew he was lying. Daniel was quite possibly the
happiest person he’d ever met, and his joy of life lit up the room
and everyone in it. Including him.
When Daniel stopped in front of him and dropped his paper on the
desk, Brantley acknowledged him with a glance before returning his
gaze back to the notes he was going over.
“Any big plans this weekend, Professor?”
The question had been so unexpected that he didn’t think to
catch himself before he replied, “Nothing too big.
Just going out with some friends. You?”
Daniel smiled at him as he shoved his arms through the loops of
his backpack, and Brantley couldn’t help but look at his shirt as
it stretched across his broad chest.
“I’m going to hit the beach. Such great waves right now.”
“Ahh, you like to surf. That explains it.”
When the side of Daniel’s mouth crooked up, the effect was
charming as hell. The kid was a knockout.
“Explains what?”
Annoyed that he’d made such a stupid slipup, he looked back at
the papers in front of him, hoping Daniel would get the
message and leave. No such luck.
“Explains what?” he asked again.
Brantley sighed and rested his arms on the desk as he studied
Daniel’s inviting face. “It explains your hair.”
“My—oh,” he said, touching the ends of it. “Do you like
it?”
Stunned by the direct question, he sat back in his chair and
fought the smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Do I like
your hair?”
“Yeah.”
“Does it matter?” Jesus, fuck. Stop it. Stop flirting with
him.
But it was too late. Daniel put his hands on the desk and leaned
forward, Brantley toed the ground, shoving his chair
back.
“It could…”
“No. No, it couldn’t,” he said
as he got to his feet, shaking his head.
Daniel straightened and tucked his thumbs into the straps of his
backpack, no doubt to taunt him. His eyes were too knowing for
someone his age, and when they held his longer than was acceptable,
Brantley’s heart skipped a couple of beats.
“Was there something else, Mr. Finley?”
“You said you were going out with friends this weekend…”
Shit, did I? “Yes, that’s right.”
As Daniel ran his thumb down the left strap of his bag, he
admonished himself for noticing every little move he made. He needed
to get a fucking hold of himself.
“Are any of them more than a friend?”
If he hadn’t been watching Daniel quite so closely, he wouldn’t
have believed the words that had just come out of his mouth. But he
had been. So he did.
“I don’t believe that’s any of your business. You better
hurry or you’ll miss your next class.”
Satisfied that he’d firmly dismissed Daniel, he sat down and
made a show of focusing on the books lining his desk and didn’t
dare look and see if he had left this time or not. He wasn’t sure
what he’d do if he was still standing there.
He reached up to adjust his tie, which suddenly felt
a little too tight around his neck, and with each passing second that
he was consciously not checking to see if he was alone, he
swore that it was getting tighter.
“Professor Hayes?”
His head snapped up at his name, and when Daniel had his
attention, he continued.
“Are you gay?”
Brantley’s eyes widened, and he wondered how his mouth hadn’t
fallen open at the blunt question. Instead, he went with, “Excuse
me?”
“I asked if you were—”
“I heard what you said. But I don’t see how that is any
business of yours, either. You should think before you
speak, Mr. Finley. I’m your teacher, and it’s time for you to
leave. This conversation is over.” He flipped open one of the books
on his desk and shook his head. He couldn’t believe the audacity of
the kid—or the fact that he was so damn forthright. As he sat
there, grinding his teeth in an effort not to look at
his student—who was still standing in front of his desk—a
bead of sweat ran down his collar and he cursed the fact that his
nerves were getting the better of him.
“I only asked because, well, I am too. And I thought it would be
nice to have someone to talk to.”
Well, hell. He couldn’t fault him
for that. The only problem was…talking wasn’t what sprang to mind
when he was around Daniel Finley.
He clasped his hands on the desk and stared into the anxious face
peering down at him. Daniel was worrying his lower lip with his
teeth, and he suddenly looked very much the young man he was.
“Are you?” he asked again, and there was no way he could deny
that hesitant curiosity.
“Yes, Daniel. I am.”
As his words drifted between them, Daniel’s mouth slipped into a
smile. “Oh.”
Brantley laughed at that. He wasn’t sure what Daniel was
thinking right then. He’d thought for sure with the way he’d been
looking at him earlier that, if he’d admitted this,
he would be fending off—or at least putting up a good show of
fending off—an unwanted pass. But, instead, Daniel
appeared thoughtful.
“Does that bother you?”
Daniel adamantly shook his head. “No.”
“Are you sure?” he pressed, and the look that entered Daniel’s
eyes then was so hot that he thought he may overheat.
“Yes. I'm very sure.”
Oh, fuck. Okay. Where the hell did the nervous guy disappear to?
One minute, Daniel was endearingly awkward, and the
next, he was looking at him like he wanted to strip him
out of his clothes and—“Stop right there,” he said, and he
wasn’t sure if he was telling himself that or the contradiction
eyeing him with newfound knowledge. “Whatever you're thinking, stop
thinking it.”
“Why?”
Yep, he was fucked. That wasn’t a word he generally used,
but in this case, he was well and truly fucked. He should’ve just
stuck to the run-along-now speech.
“Because I'm your teacher.”
“This isn’t high school. I’m an adult.”
He sighed. “That may be true. But I’m your professor and this
conversation is inappropriate.”
“How? I just asked if you were gay and you said yes. I don't see
what the problem is.”
When Daniel aimed a mischievous grin at him, Brantley knew he was
very aware of what the problem was.
“Out,” he said, pointing to the door. “Time to leave, Mr.
Finley.”
This time, he made sure to watch Daniel so he knew
he was actually leaving. He walked to the door, but at
the last minute, he turned around to look back at him. Not willing to
back down and show weakness, Brantley kept his eyes on his student as
Daniel ran his tongue along his lower lip.
“You should call me Finn. Everyone else does.”
Christ. The kid was going to drive him to an early grave, but damn
if he didn’t laugh at his audacity.
“Out,” he said again, and this time Daniel pushed out the door
and disappeared into the hall.
After falling madly and hopelessly in love with Logan and Tate's story
in the authors Temptations Series, of course I couldn't wait for this
new spin off. And Finley DID NOT disappoint!! Great writing, Great
characters, and a love story that stands the test of time....
"It's time to come home, Finn."
Finley left his hometown heartbroken in order to follow
his dream to become a lawyer in Chicago. Now that he is back, he is
intense, dominating, and still harboring bitter feeling for the man he
left behind. His goal for returning home?
"Touch him, fuck him, and then forget him."
Brantley is the Sexy as Sin professor that made the
decision to push Finley away all those years ago. Not because he didn't
love him, but because he loved him enough to do what he felt was best
for Finley. He has never stopped loving him and never will.
"I've always needed you, Finn."
The reunion of these characters starts off difficult and
full of tension, as expected, but it doesn't take long for the healing
of separation to begin. All the feels come rushing back and knowing that
this reunion is only temporary, they are both bracing themselves for
their next goodbyes....
"Six words will forever change the course of their lives.”
This story is full of emotions, full of passion, full of
sexual chemistry, and m/m Hotness that you would expect from this
author. I highly recommend!
Ella Frank is
the author of the #1 Bestselling Temptation series, including Try,
Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite erotic
serial, A Desperate Man. Her Exquisite series has been praised
as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”
A life-long fan
of the romance genre, Ella writes contemporary and erotic fiction and
lives with her husband in Portland, OR. You can reach her
on the web at www.ellafrank.com and on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/ella.frank.author
Some of her favorite authors include
Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena
Showalter, and Carly Philips.
Bennett Morse devotes
his time to chasing two things: an NHL career and women. He’s the
easygoing member of his three-man line on the Fenway Flyers, content to
play the game he loves and soak up the female attention it brings – as
long as it’s from a different woman each time. He learned the hard way
that choosing only one leads to heartache.
Newly single attorney
Charlotte Holloway finds just what she needs in Bennett – a sweet, sexy
man to ease the burn of her recent breakup. One night is all she wants
from the left winger who seems to have all the right moves. Soon
circumstance draws her back to Bennett, and the sparks between them
become a fiery blaze. But with the stakes high, will they risk it all
and put their hearts on the line?
Excerpt
When
the game ended, we raised our sticks and the crowd roared. I fucking
loved the Flyers’ fans. They went crazy when we scored and loved us
whether we won or lost. Now that we had new ownership and a new
coach, I was hoping we’d be bringing in more wins than losses for a
change.
Orion’s
post-game talk was short, and as soon as it was done, I stripped off
my sweat-soaked gear and took a hot shower.
“Wanna
go out?” Liam asked as I wrapped a towel around my waist.
“Yeah.”
“Did
you get your shit put away at home?”
I
furrowed my brow at my roommate and thought about it. “What stuff?”
“The
laundry you left all over the couch.”
“I’m
folding it.”
Liam
shook his head. “Not yet, you’re not. It’s just a big fuckin’
pile.”
“I’ll
fold it later.”
“Dammit,
Bennett, living with you is like having a kid. I didn’t even get to
nut in a hot woman and I’m stuck with your slob ass.”
“You’re
so Type A,” I said, shaking my head. “Move my laundry over to the
side.”
“I’m
not bringing a woman home and moving your underwear off to the side
so we can fuck.”
“Take
her into your bedroom.” I arched my brows and wagged a finger at
him. “But make her take her shoes off first. And wipe off the
toilet seat after she uses it.”
“I’m
not that bad.”
“Yeah,
you are. You and my mom should be roommates.”
He
grinned at me. “Does she put out?”
I
shoved his shoulder. “Fuck you.”
“She
would?”
This
time, I shoved both his shoulders and pushed him back into his
locker. “You want some? Say one more thing about my mom.”
“Cool
it, assholes,” Killian growled at us. “I don’t want to listen
to anymore ballbusting from Coach tonight.”
Killian Bosch knows
he’s his own worst enemy – he just doesn’t give a damn. The star forward
of a minor league hockey team, he’s unstoppable on the ice. His
reckless behavior, devil-may-care attitude and complete disregard for
consequences have made him a major source of headaches for the Fenway
Flyers’ brass.
But the new Flyers owner is more steel than brass.
Sidney Stahl is a disciplined woman who parlayed earnings from a
college job into a real estate empire. She’s determined to transform the
Flyers from marketing nightmare to hockey powerhouse. Once she gets
Killian in line, she knows the rest of the team will follow his lead.
The
seduction of his sexy new team owner is a challenge too forbidden for
Killian to resist. Sidney plays into his attraction as a means of
controlling him, but soon finds that she’s the one surrendering. It’s
all on the line as Killian and Sidney are forced to choose - business or
pleasure?
AUTHOR BIO:
Brenda Rothert is an Illinois native who was a print journalist for nine
years. She made the jump from fact to fiction in 2013 and never looked
back. From new adult to steamy contemporary romance, Brenda creates
fresh characters in every story she tells. She’s a lover of Diet Coke,
chocolate, lazy weekends and happily ever afters.
I don't generally watch reality television, but I definitely don't watch reality dating shows. Besides the fact that it's completely staged, it's a horrible depiction of people -- women especially.
Women are pitted against each other to compete for the affection of a man they "fall in love" with after a week or two.
I call B.S.
It is complete crap.
So when my best friend, Koko, was hired as a makeup artist o the set of the most popular reality dating show, The One, I teased her mercilessly.
She told me that if I didn't stop teasing her, she would get me back.
And she did...
Which is how I ended up as a contestant on The One.
Add it to your TBR Today!!!
Available Exclusively On Amazon and Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
“Ohhhh, yeah,” I remembered, familiarity of the case and the names flooding my brain. “’Sweet’. That case ended her music career, didn’t it? I loved that song. I vaguely remember that he was the one who wrote it, but they settled out of court, right?”
“Yes. But do you know what he looks like now?” My best friend inquired.
“No… I just remember being fascinated by the case because—”
“I’m going to go ahead and stop you right there,” she interrupted, cutting me off mid-sentence.
“We are not going to talk law right now. We are going to talk about you having the chance to bump uglies with Julian Winters. He is the—”
I frowned as I interjected, “The sheer fact that you said ‘bump uglies’ has disqualified you from giving me advice about anything in general, but sex specifically. You need to—”
A quick knock on the door followed by the sound of it being pushed open forced my sentence to end abruptly.
About The Author
Danielle Allen is a lover of football, fashion, film and fiction. Married to the yin to her yang, Danielle spends most of her time with her husband, family and friends. From karaoke nights to vacationing and everything in between, she enjoys making the most out of the life in which she’s been blessed. Danielle spends her days teaching and event planning and her nights writing.
Danielle Allen is the author of the Back to Life Series (Back to Life, Back to Reality, Back to December*), Love Discovered in New York, Autumn & Summer, the Heartache Series (Heartache, Heartfelt, Heartless*) and Work Song.
M.N. Forgy was raised in Missouri where she still lives with her family. She's a soccer mom by day and a saucy writer by night. M.N. Forgy started writing at a young age but never took it seriously until years later, as a stay-at-home mom, she opened her laptop and started writing again. As a role model for her children, she felt she couldn't live with the "what if" anymore and finally took a chance on her character's story. So, with her glass of wine in hand and a stray Barbie sharing her seat, she continues to create and please her fans.
I had everything I ever wanted—a wife, a kid, with two more on the way. I was living the American dream.After the babies were born, we hit a rough patch. I did everything to prove my love, to show Suzy that nothing was more important than her. After some work and a lot of time, we found our groove again.Just when life had evened out, a familiar enemy came back to haunt us. It wasn’t my past that followed us, but my brother’s.When the danger gets too close, I’ll do anything to defend my family. There’s nothing more important than the people I love, and I’ll protect what’s mine—even if it costs me my life.
HAVEN'T READ THE MEN OF INKED? NOW'S YOUR CHANCE TO START FOR ONLY 99 CENTS!
Chelle Bliss, USA Today Bestselling author, currently lives in a small town near the Gulf of Mexico. She's a full-time writer, time-waster extraordinaire, social media addict, and coffee fiend. Currently she's written a dozen books in three different series. She loves spending her free time with her boyfriend, 2 cats, and hamster.
Before becoming a writer, Chelle taught high school history for over ten years. She holds a master's degree in Instructional Technology and a bachelor's in history. Although history is her first love, writing has become her dream job and she can't imagine doing anything else.
The cattiness.
Danielle Allen is a lover of football, fashion, film and fiction. Married to the yin to her yang, Danielle spends most of her time with her husband, family and friends. From karaoke nights to vacationing and everything in between, she enjoys making the most out of the life in which she’s been blessed. Danielle spends her days teaching and event planning and her nights writing.
