Excerpt From RENOVATING THE RELATIONSHIP by Katherine Kingston

Part of the NAUGHTY REUNIONS boxed-set, available for download September 25th

Click here to pre-order now from Amazon
 
Blurb:
Dani and Brad’s relationship ended years ago when he couldn’t give her what she needed. This time Brad thinks he’s found a way to provide it, but Dani might not agree when she realizes what he plans.
Genre/theme: Contemporary

Copyright © Katherine Kingston, 2015

Excerpt:

Brad Carpenter entered the office and approached his employer slowly, trying to gauge his mood before he spoke. He liked Andrew Robertson, who preferred to be called Drew, but the younger man had been through a lot. When his scars ached or the memories overtook him, he could be unpredictable.

It looked like today might be one of his better days, however. Drew smiled when he looked up and saw Brad, and he nodded to a chair.

Drew had hired Brad six months previously to renovate the gardens of the mansion. In the time since, a close friendship had grown between them, despite the difference in their ages and circumstances.

Brad cleared his throat after he sat. “Um… I have…” He sighed. “This is hard.”

Drew’s eyes widened. “Hell. You’re not quitting on me, are you? I know the grounds need a lot of work yet, but I thought you were excited about the challenge.”

“No! Not quitting. I just… I think I might have an answer to several of our problems.”

Drew’s sandy eyebrows rose. “Which ones?”

“The house, the decorator, and maybe…” Brad felt the heat rising in his cheeks. “A personal issue.”

A spark of laughter lit Drew’s light eyes. “Yours or mine?”

“Mine. Mostly.” Brad locked his fingers together and drew a breath before launching into the story. “I heard from my cousin Cara that an old friend could use a change. Dani’s husband died a few years ago, leaving her with two nearly grown kids and a mountain of medical bills. She’s working an office job, but my cousin says Dani isn’t happy with it. Her youngest has just left for college and she’s planning to the sell the house and move into an apartment. She’s not real happy about that either, apparently, but feels like she has no choice.”

Drew’s eyebrows rose. “So?”

“I think she might like a complete change of scene.”

“You think I should offer her a job?”

Brad nodded. “She’s really good at organizing things. She could help you sort out getting the house renovated and dealing with the decorators and all those kinds of things.”

“Can she cook?” A definite strain of interest underlay the question.

“Marvelously.”

Drew huffed a quick chuckle. “How well do you know her?”

“We grew up in the same town, went to the same high school and local college. We dated for a while before she married Tom. We’ve kept in touch off and on over the years. She’s a good person. Raised a couple of great kids. One’s a sophomore at N.C. State, the other just started at Appalachian. I think they both got some scholarship money, but I imagine it’s still increasing the financial pressure on her.”

Drew eyed him speculatively for a moment. “You want another chance with her?”

Brad chewed his lip and sought for an honest answer. “Maybe, but it would be complicated. I don’t even know if it’s possible. It’s more that I think she could use our help and she could be a lot of help in return.”

“What are the complications?” Drew asked. For a guy who was intensely private himself, he didn’t mind asking personal questions.

Again Brad felt heat flooding his face. “When we dated… Well, we slept together a few times. It was great for me, not so great for her. She… For a while she thought she was frigid. But it turned out she needed, well something more…some heavier stimulation. She started going to a BDSM club. That’s where she met Tom. Turns out he was a pretty good dominant and she wanted some kind of heavy discipline. I couldn’t do that. I’m pretty sure I still can’t.”

Drew’s smile turned wry. “I see. I think.”

Brad nodded. “I don’t get it, but I’ve done some reading on it and it seems like some people just are that way. But I don’t mean to imply that you’d need to do anything or even that she would want you to. I’m just explaining why the two of us together don’t really work.”

Drew’s expression turned wary. “But maybe with a third you could?”

“I don’t know. And that’s not why I brought it up. Maybe down the road, we could work something out, if everyone… But for now, I’m just saying she could be what you need to manage this place. And cook for us.” To lighten the atmosphere, he added, “Neither of us is very good at it.”

“You’re not kidding,” Drew shot back. “That stew last night was awful. You may be a genius with plants in the ground, but not in the crockpot.” He tapped his fingers on his desk. “I’ll ask her to come and talk to me about it. Can I tell her you recommended her for the job?”

“Tell her an old friend did. That should make her curious enough to ensure she’ll come and talk to you about it.”

 

Excerpt From LADY ESTHER'S LESBIAN LOVER by Berengaria Brown

Part of the NAUGHTY REUNIONS boxed-set, available for download September 25th

Click here to pre-order now from Amazon
 
Blurb:
Lady Esther’s London season failed to find her a husband. She’d rather find a woman to love. But that’s impossible in Regency England. Or is it?  
Genre/theme: F/F, Regency, lesbian, second chances

Copyright © Berengaria Brown, 2015

Excerpt:

More and more people arrived for the ball until the room was as overfull as if they’d been in town. That was the crown of a successful event for Patience, but it simply made Esther long for an excuse to walk outside in the gardens. Quietly she made her way around the room, until she reached a long window which opened into the garden. The door had been left open a crack, so it seemed other people had the same idea as she did. Esther drew in big lungfuls of air and walked down the shallow steps into the garden. Several men were standing over to one side, smoking cheroots, so she went the other way to a stone bench.

Sitting on it was Cecilia, her shawl wrapped around her shoulders, her head tipped up to the sky.

She startled as Esther approached and then smiled. “It’s so beautiful out here. I vow I could count the stars they’re so bright tonight.”

Esther looked up and agreed with her. “That’s true. I’m glad they’re there, but they don’t inspire me to number them.”

The other woman giggled. “Well, we could name the constellations if you prefer.”

Esther laughed. “Oh no. I doubt I can even remember them. Are you teaching the twins those kinds of things?”

“Not yet. Maybe in the middle of winter we could do that though. It gets dark much earlier and wouldn’t be so far past their bedtime.”

“I don’t really know anything about children. I’ve never lived with any before. I suppose if I were a good aunt, I’d spend more time with them.”

“Do you want to do that?”

Esther stared at Cecilia. “I do want to be a good aunt, but I don’t crave children, or long to be with them. I suppose I like older people. People I can hold a proper conversation with.” She closed her mouth quickly. That made her sound like an unnatural female. Wasn’t every woman supposed to ache to have children of her own? Babies to hold and nurture?

But instead of condemning her, Cecilia simply nodded. “I agree. I like teaching them things. Watching their eyes light up as they understand a new concept.”

“What else do you like doing?” Esther asked.

“Reading. The library here is amazing. There are so many books I’ve never seen before. It’s crammed with the most amazing treasures. I found a little volume of Lucius Livius Andronicus’s poetry last week. I’ve read it twice and still can’t bear to return it to the shelves.”

Esther adored reading herself but she had no idea who this Lucius was, or that the library was so well stocked. There was a shelf of her mother’s books, but her mother had been dead so long most of the books were very old.

“Clearly I need to look in the library. I haven’t been there yet. My father used it as his den before he became frail, so I wasn’t welcome there. Erasmus has arranged for the Circulating Library to bring me books, but I hadn’t even thought of the library here. My mother’s books are all very old indeed.”

“I don’t think many of these books have been read. They’re all on the upper shelves. The books your father preferred are likely the ones that are easy to reach.”

“That makes sense. Tomorrow I shall explore the upper shelves. Do you have free time? Shall we plan a sortie into the library together?”

Esther suddenly worried that she might be getting Cecilia into trouble. She was the governess, not family, after all.

“Edward still naps every afternoon and the twins are only with me in the mornings. Patience often needs my help with other tasks in the afternoon but not always, especially now she has your company.”

“I haven’t been much help yet. She was planning this ball all week. Oh dear. I’ve been out here quite long enough. I must go back. I hope to see you tomorrow afternoon.”

Esther stood up and walked back inside, but for the rest of the evening she was thinking about Cecilia. Patience was her sister-in-law and she loved her. But Cecilia might be her friend. That would be wonderful.

Excerpt From HOMEWARD BOUND by Alexa Silver

Part of the NAUGHTY REUNIONS boxed-set, available for download September 25th

Click here to pre-order now from Amazon
 
Blurb:
Bry intends to come out with a splash. How will the public handle their favorite movie actor coming out of the closet? And how will the stresses impact Bry's relationship with Kell?  
Genre/theme: M/M, rock star, actor

Copyright © Alexa Silver, 2015

Excerpt:

“Hi, Bryson. Or should I call you Bry. Seems as if everyone does.”

“That’s fine. Hi, Orion. It’s good to finally talk with you.”

Bry had put not only his faith and trust in Kell, but he’d taken a leap of faith when Kell had suggested that Orion pitch his story, no names included, to several publications to see which, if any, might bite.

This was going to be Bry’s coming out story, but also his debut as Kell’s lover, and it had to be right. Though Bry knew he couldn’t direct this, as if his life were a movie, he desperately wanted to try. The lack of control was its own stress.

“You too. Anyway, guys, I have some news.” He paused then and Bry white knuckled the steering wheel.

“Vanity Fair is interested in a four thousand word article. That’s huge, guys. And depending on who my celebrity coming out is, they may want the cover as well. Bry, I’m sure they’ll want you on the cover. Before I go forward, do I have your okay?”

“Shouldn’t we sign a contract or something?” Bry asked, panic welling up inside him. Was he ready for this?

“We will. Soon, I promise. And confidentiality agreements that should plug the majority of the leaks. I’ll do my best. Bry, Kell, Vanity Fair is a great choice, and they’re willing to go there without even knowing what celebrity it is. For all they know, I have Lindsey Lohan or Brittney Spears lined up. Or, I might have the girl who was in Glee for two lines. They’re trusting me, and I know you both are, too. It is a trust I’m not going to screw up, on any levels. I care too much about Kell and too much about my reputation and integrity as a journalist to mess anything up. Bry, I know you don’t know me, but I swear, you can trust me.”

Vanity Fair. A possible cover. Kell had thought he was ready for this, but maybe he wasn’t. “Give me tonight to think about it,” he told both Kell and Orion. “I need to make sure this is the right thing at the right time.”

“Cold feet,” Kell remarked.

“Not cold feet,” Bry shot back. “Just...hesitant. This is a huge thing.”

“Orion helped me when I had the People magazine cover,” Kell admitted.

Bry hadn’t known that. He nodded, driving automatically toward his parents’ house, the other cars mere distractions as his muscle memory took over, allowing him to think deeply. “Orion, I will call you tonight. Give me a few hours to think about it all.”

“You’ve got it. Lean on that guy there. He’s pretty amazing. If I wasn’t completely straight arrow, I’d be kicking myself for losing a chance with him. You’re lucky. Remember that.”

“I’ll try.”