Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Wednesday Briefs: The Sheriff #14 (4.3)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Meanwhile back at Partners, while Dustin is in the arms of his new beau, how is Roy making out with his blind date? Find out in this week's The Sheriff. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what they're up to! Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

The Sheriff #14 (4.3)

Roy’s night had gone from bad to worse.
It wasn’t like he was even slightly attached to Earlene. Hell, he didn’t even really know the woman, had just exchanged a few words with her online before he found himself agreeing to meet her at Partners. He still didn’t know what got into him to do that in the first place. So why was he being so irritable every time she left their table to dance with some other guy? He had no idea. He just knew the evening had started out on a bad foot, and hadn’t gotten any better.

Note to self: Stay off the damn Internet.

“Did you see that guy Dustin was with? He was a looker,” Marshall commented. He and Lee had just come back from the dance floor, where they’d been doing some line dancing. They’d invited Roy to go with them, but he wasn’t really inclined, so he sat at the table, drank his beer, and watched the two of them kick up their heels. Earlene was out there too, somewhere. She hadn’t even asked did he want to dance, just disappeared on him.

Frankly, he couldn’t care less.

Belatedly, he heard Marshall’s question. Thinking about Dustin only added to Roy’s growing irritation, but he had no idea why.

“Probably just a flavor of the week,” Roy commented. The words came out nastier than he intended, and he instantly regretted them.

“I think he’s trying,” Marshall said. “He seemed kinda excited, you know? Maybe this guy’s gonna be good for him.”

“I think he’s a good boy at heart,” Lee added. “Just has a little growing up to do.”

Personally, Roy thought Dustin had a lot of growing up to do, and Lee was too generous, but he kept that thought to himself.

He tried to be a gentleman and wait for his date, and occasionally she’d remember where he was sitting and swing by and say hello. Usually when she was in need of a fresh appletini. Being a gentleman, Roy obliged.  It was with a great sense of relief that Roy watched her exit the club with some guy, probably one of her many dance partners. The two seemed rather cozy, and she actually had the brass to wave at him on her way out.

He looked up to find Lee studying him in that way he had. He wasn’t surprised. Lee saw through Roy just about every time, why should this be any different?

“You ready to call it a night, Roy?” he asked. Marshall looked up from his beer, obviously caught by surprise, which made Roy feel even worse.

“I don’t want to rain on your parade,” Roy started to protest, but quit speaking at another look from Lee. “Okay, yeah, I think I would. If you don’t mind.”

“We have work tomorrow,” Lee said. “Wouldn’t hurt to get back, would it, Marshall?”

“Works for me,” Marshall said. He leaned in closer to Lee, and Roy didn’t have to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking—it was written all over his face.

Roy shook his head, but he couldn’t keep from smiling. The two of them were just plum contagious, even when he was feeling his worst, like now. Seeing them together made everything else seem worthwhile. “Honeymooners,” he muttered, pretending to a grumpiness he wasn’t feeling quite as much.

Lee winked at him. “You know it,” he said. “And someday you’ll be right there alongside us.”
That’ll be the day.

Roy kept his comment to himself, as he drained his beer and stood, and the three men headed toward the door.

to be continued

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Sunday, May 28, 2017

Tall, Dark, and Deported Review

Tall, Dark, and Deported    

Author: Bru Baker
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
American release date: April 1, 2017
Format/Genre/Length: E-book/M/M Contemporary Romance/236 pages
Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Forced by his boss to fly to Vancouver to audit an underachieving hotel, Crawford Hargrave is less than thrilled. Not because he doesn’t want to go there, but because he’s being forced to work with his unpleasant ex-husband, Davis. His boss makes it clear that this trip is expected, if he wants to keep his job. Crawford wants to keep his job, so he acquiesces to his demands, albeit unwillingly.

Mateus is a Portuguese import, who’s helping his brother and his wife take care of their orchard in Washington state.  His visa is about to run out, and if he can get a work visa, he can stay, but the orchard won’t be financially solvent for a few months yet. All he needs is to cross over into Canada, get his passport stamps, thereby automatically re-upping his American visa for another three months, giving him the time he needs to get the work visa.

What can possibly go wrong?

Except maybe everything?

Crawford and Mateus meet at the airport, and there’s an instant attraction, so why not spend some time talking? The situation begins to unravel when their flight is canceled, and Mateus realizes he’s on borrowed time in his need to get across the border before his visa expires. He can’t afford the delay. Crawford offers to rent a car so they can drive together. Sounds good, right? Except complications set in a t the border, and when Mateus is threatened with imminent deportation, Crawford unexpectedly speaks up and says hey, that’s my fiancĂ©.

What’s easier than getting married for a green card, just long enough to look good and go their separate ways? But life is never that easy, and the two men haven’t figured that anyone will want to follow up with them to make sure their marriage isn’t a sham. As if that isn’t bad enough, there’s the matter of Crawford’s bitchy ex he has to deal with. That and maybe falling in love with a total stranger?

What’s a man to do?

Tall, Dark and Deported is part of Dreamspinner’s Dreamspun Desires line, which are guaranteed to be hot, romantic, and come with a happily ever after ending.

This book is no slouch in any of those departments. The main characters are sexy, and yet extremely likeable, as well as hot. While it was frustrating as hell to watch them dance around each other, denying and refusing to act on their attractions, it was also damn hot. The writing is good, the story is very pleasing, and the only regret I have is that I didn’t get to see their marriage actually consummated.


I highly recommend this, but only if you like hot sexy men and combustibility and seeing little assholes get their comeuppance!

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Wednesday Briefs: The Sheriff #13 (4.2)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Dustin thinks Jordan is an incredibly sexy guy, and he's finding out firsthand just how sexy the man can be. See what's up with them in this week's chapter of The Sheriff. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what they've been up to! Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

The Sheriff #13 (4.2)

Pain flared inside Dustin’ at the unprepared intrusion, and his muscles tightened automatically, fighting against Jordan’s entry. He gasped in surprise just as Jordan claimed his mouth, swallowing his cry. Dustin arched his back, but it didn’t help, it still hurt. Then Jordan began to move inside him as he continued to kiss him, slowly at first, and the pain gradually began to recede, forced from his mind by the sweetness of Jordan’s mouth on his.

“God, you’re so hot and tight,” Jordan murmured when he drew back to take a breath. “You feel so damn good. Grab your legs, let me in deeper.”

Dustin obeyed, pulling his legs tight against his torso. He winced slightly as Jordan sheathed himself more fully. The sensations that coursed through him weren’t as painful as they had been, and his nerves were beginning to register pleasure at Jordan’s touch.

Jordan slid one hand beneath Dustin’s ass, stroking and kneading the flesh. “Such a sweet baby,” he murmured, “so sweet. So delicious.”

Jordan’s soothing words helped to ameliorate the roughness of Jordan’s approach. Dustin had been holding his breath, trying to breathe above the pain, but now he forced himself to take longer breaths. He couldn’t believe this gorgeous guy was so into him, and he wasn’t about to fuck that up just because their sex hurt a little. He could take it like a man.

Dustin’s cock was hard and aching to be touched, but Jordan didn’t seem to be inclined to do so at the moment. So Dustin took himself in hand and began to pump even as Jordan’s thrusts inside him became harder and shorter.  He barely had time to register Jordan’s release before Jordan fell back onto the bed beside him, panting heavily.

Dustin continued to palm his weeping erection until he brought himself to orgasm. He closed his eyes in an attempt to center himself, let his body and mind catch up to what had just happened. He felt the bed sway, but he had no idea what Jordan was doing. Surely he wasn’t getting up and getting dressed so quickly, was he?

He heard what sounded like a match being struck. So Jordan was a smoker, was he? Dustin hadn’t figured him for one of those, but whatever. Then his nostrils quivered as he smelled something that was definitely not tobacco. He opened his eyes and peered over at Jordan. Yep, just what he thought it was. Jordan was puffing on a joint, one hand behind his head, totally relaxed and comfortable in his beautiful skin.

His eyes met Jordan’s. Jordan seemed so…man-of-the-world and wise. Dustin felt distinctively out of his element, and wondered again what Jordan even saw in him. Other than a quick fuck.

As he watched, Jordan took a deep pull on the joint and held it, holding the handrolled cigarette toward Dustin.  Without thinking, Dustin shook his head. That wasn’t his scene, and never had been. He’d tried it, but hadn’t been impressed.

Jordan released his breath as he leaned toward Dustin, and Dustin found himself breathing some of it in, whether he wanted to or not.

“It’s okay,” Jordan said, “you’ll get used to it.”

Was Jordan suggesting what Dustin thought he was? That he intended to keep Dustin around for some time? He was trying not to read too much into his words, but it was hard not to.

If putting up with a little marijuana was the price of being chosen by a gorgeous man like Jordan, then that’s what he’d have to do. Didn’t mean he had to smoke the stuff, did it? In the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but remember the roughness of their sex, and his rather unsatisfactory end, but quickly pushed the thought aside.

Dustin mumbled something, and Jordan was apparently satisfied with his response. He took a few more tokes then put the butt out in a small glass ashtray on his bedside table.

“Pot makes everything good,” he said around a large yawn. “Especially sex.” He stretched out one leg, then the other, before rolling onto his side, facing away from Dustin. Dustin thought he heard him say something about morning. The next thing Dustin knew, he heard the sounds of measured breathing coming from Jordan, a clear indicator he’d gone to sleep.

Guess I’m spending the night.

Even as he pulled the sheet up over his naked body, Dustin wondered if this was what Jordan did with all his dates, or was he special? Just before Dustin lapsed into sleep himself, he thought he heard Roy’s voice—why, he had no idea. “Boy, why are you so dumb?”


“Shut up,” Dustin mumbled and fell asleep.

to be continued

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Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Wednesday Briefs: The Sheriff #12 (4.1)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

After bumping into the Sheriff and his group, Dustin and his date take the action somewhere else. See what develops in this chapter of The Sheriff! Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what they are up to. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

The Sheriff #12 (4.1)

They had barely gotten inside Jordan’s apartment before Jordan had Dustin pressed up against the door and fused their mouths together.  Jordan’s tongue battled with Dustin’s for supremacy, and Dustin didn’t argue, simply enjoyed the exploration. The sensations Jordan was producing felt too good to fight, and Dustin wasn’t about to.

By the time Jordan pulled back, Dustin was breathless with desire. He couldn’t contain the moan that escaped at the loss of Jordan’s warmth.

Jordan had a killer smile, and he was using it now, to full advantage, obviously pleased with the effect he was having on Dustin. “Don’t worry, there’s lots more where that came from, sexy,” he said. “You and me, we have a whole night ahead of us, don’t we?”

Dustin nodded, not trusting his voice at the moment. He was free to do as he liked, he was a grown man. And what he wanted to do right now was get naked with Jordan, in the worst possible way.

“Why don’t we take this into the bedroom?” Jordan suggested, even as he cupped Dustin’s aching groin and pressed against it provocatively. Dustin nodded again, feeling more than a little tongue-tied and oh so needy.

Jordan released him without another word and spun about gracefully before exiting the room. Dustin paused just long enough to catch his breath before following the other man into the bedroom.

Dustin had hoped he’d be able to help Jordan out of his clothes, but that apparently wasn’t going to happen, as Jordan was already disrobing when he arrived. Dustin swallowed his disappointment and began to remove his own clothes, following Jordan’s lead. He folded every item carefully and set it on a chair on his side of the room. He didn’t know why he was so nervous. Not like he was a virgin or anything. There was something about Jordan which was both exhilarating and a little unnerving at the same time. Dustin had never met anyone quite like him before.

Unsure what he should do next, Dustin glanced between the naked Jordan and the bed. Damn, he had one fine body. Dustin couldn’t wait to touch those muscles, especially one in particular, which rose majestically from a dark nest of curls. Dustin shivered at the thought of having that inside of him.

“Go ahead and lie down,” Jordan instructed with a wave of one hand.

Dustin eased himself onto the large four poster bed which was the center of the room. Mirrors lined the walls, as well as the ceiling, he noticed. He’d never seen so many mirrors in one bedroom before.

“Like what you see?” Jordan asked as he climbed on top of Dustin, brushing their cocks together.

“Hell yeah,” Dustin replied, resisting the urge to reach for that great big hunk of manhood between Jordan’s thighs. Patience. Play it cool.

“Spread your legs for me,” Jordan instructed, and Dustin automatically complied. He darted a quick glance toward Jordan’s bedside table, expecting to see some sign of condoms or lubes, but spotted neither. Swallowing down a momentary unease, he forced himself to relax and simply enjoy the moment.

“You’re a sexy motherfucker, Dusty.” Jordan’s breath was warm in Dustin’s ear.  “You want me, don’t you?”

“You know I do,” Dustin murmured. “Very much.”

Jordan purred in a low, throaty growl, as he reached between his legs and guided himself to Dustin’s entrance. Before Dustin could protest at the lack of lube, he had thrust inside in one move, as Dustin gasped.

to be continued

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Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Wednesday Briefs: The Sheriff #11 (3/6)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Well, talk about awkward! Roy and Dustin bump into each other, and Roy's date seems to know them both. How will this pan out? Find out in this week's episode of The Sheriff! Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what they are up to. Their links follow my tale!  Enjoy!

The Sheriff #11 (3.6)

Dustin was more than a little confused to find himself being held upright by none other than the standoffish sheriff himself. And who was this woman grinning at him like she knew him? Then recollection hit him. The overly handsy one from the bar, the one Jordan had blessedly rescued him from. But what was she doing with Marshall and Lee and Roy?

Ignoring her, he nodded to Marshall and Lee. “Hey there.”  He glanced up at Roy, wondering how long he was going to keep holding him like that. Not that he was complaining, mind you. This was the most civil behavior he’d gotten out of Roy yet.

As if the sheriff had suddenly realized how close their proximity was, Roy took a quick step back. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there,” he mumbled.

“No harm done,” Dustin said good-naturedly. He was in too good a mood to let this minor incident dampen his spirits. His date was going very well. In fact, he and Jordan were about to leave the bar, and he had hopes…

“Hi Dustin,” Marshall quickly spoke up. “Small world. You want to join us?”

Dustin glanced from Marshall to Lee, and saw nothing but approbation on the older man’s face. Maybe, under other circumstances, he would have taken them up on their offer. But not tonight.

“I would,” he said, “but I’m here with a date, and we were just about to leave. Maybe another time?”

“Sure,” Lee said. “Sounds good. You two have a good evening.”

“Thanks. See you guys later. ‘Night, Sheriff,” he added almost as an afterthought, but he didn’t wait for a response from Roy as he continued on his way to the table where Jordan waited for him. Just looking at Jordan was intoxicating. He was smoking hot, super exciting, a lot of fun…and he was plainly in to Dustin.

They’d been sitting quietly at a table away from the crowd. What began as subtle touches grew bolder, with Jordan’s tongue gliding across the exposed portions of Dustin’s skin until he thought he might explode. Just when he thought he’d lose control, Jordan had suggested they leave. Dustin quickly agreed and headed to the men’s room to calm down and clear his head.

And then the incident with Roy had occurred.

He shook that off as Jordan rose to meet him.

“Hey handsome, you ready to go?”

“I’m all yours. Where should we go?” He didn’t want to admit he lived with his cousin, not yet. As far as he knew, Denver was home, and that was potentially awkward.

But Jordan had all the answers. “Why don’t we go to my place, hmmm?”

“Wait a minute,” Dustin said, frowning. “Don’t you, um…I mean, I thought you lived with your mother?” That wasn’t a situation he wanted to be in, if his mama figured out what her baby boy was up to. She probably had no idea he was gay. She seemed rather clueless in most regards.

“Hell no.” Jordan laughed. “I have my own apartment. It’ll just be you and me, I promise.”

Dustin relaxed at the sound of that. This night was looking up more and more.

to be continued

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Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Wednesday Briefs: The Sheriff #10 (3.5)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Roy is beginning to wonder if this blind date was such a good idea, see what comes of it in this week's episode of The Sheriff. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what they've been up to! Their links follow my tale!  Enjoy!

The Sheriff #10 (3.5)

“Something wrong?” Marshall asked.

Roy shrugged. “Guess not, let’s go join Lee.”

Marshall opened his mouth, as if he had something to say, then closed it again. “Right this way.”

Roy followed Marshall to his table, making an effort not to look toward the dance floor.  When they got there, Lee seemed surprised to see him. He glanced behind Roy, as if he expected someone else to be there. Of course, Roy knew who Lee was looking for. He nodded toward the dance floor. “She’s dancing,” he said tersely.

“Huh,” was Lee’s only response but he gave Roy a sharp look.

Roy took a seat in one of the empty chairs and set the appletini on the table . Nothing else to do with it, not really.  Seemed silly to hold it. “Place is really jumping tonight,” he said randomly.

“Yup, that it is,” Lee agreed.  “What’s that?” He nodded toward the extra drink.

“Appletini,” Roy replied. “Not mine.”

Roy didn’t know if he was more embarrassed or relieved at the turn of events. He hadn’t exactly figured on having his date end up with another man before the night had even begun. What did that say about him? For that matter, what did it say about her? Maybe he should just chalk this up to experience and stay the hell away from online dating sites. There had to be a better way of finding a date, but damned if he knew what it was. On the other hand, celibacy didn’t exactly appeal to him either. Sort of a Catch 22 situation all the way around.

The music had ended, and in the pause between songs, some people began to leave the dance floor, while others stood where they were and waited for the next selection.

“Hey, Roy, here you are!”

Roy glanced up in surprise to find Earlene had appeared out of nowhere and taken a seat next to him. She gave him a wide grin as she reached for her drink. “Sorry to keep you waiting. I thought it might take you a while, considering how busy this place is. Leroy asked me to dance, so I said yes.”

Roy glanced around, but her dance partner was nowhere in evidence. At least she’d had the sense not to bring him to the table with her. Roy worked at quelling his rising irritation. No sense in getting riled up over what was done. It was just a dance. He’d get over it.

“Hi guys, I’m Earlene.”

Belatedly, Roy realized he should have made introductions.

“These are my friends,  Lee and Marshall. Guys, this is Earlene.” Better late than never.

“Nice to meet you,” Earlene said as she began to slide closer and closer to Roy, until their legs were touching. Her warmth made him reconsider what he’d been thinking, all of his previous concerns falling by the wayside. Despite his irritation with her, his body was responding to her, which he didn’t appreciate.  He didn’t think it was really her he was reacting to, it had just been a while, and… well, a man had needs.

Time to nip those in the bud, at least until he got to know her better. She hadn’t exactly made a great first impression, despite what his dick was trying to say.

Roy rose so quickly that Earlene had to catch herself or she’d have tumbled into his vacant seat. “Be right back,” he said, but whether he was speaking to his friends or his date, he couldn’t say. Not waiting for a response, he pivoted and took a step and managed to collide with someone who was walking by at the wrong time. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed the other person, to keep from falling,  move which was reciprocated.

“What the hell?” a familiar voice barked.

Roy was startled to see he had his arms around Dustin. The younger man looked just as surprised as he did.

“Hey cutie!” Earlene chirped. “We meet again!”

Roy suppressed a groan. Did she know every man in this damn place?

to be continued

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