Stevie Woods Choices

HOICES

…“Keep an eye on Suzie, though. That sister of mine is just at the

age to develop a crush and I think she’s picked you.”

“Suzie? But she’s just a kid.”
“She’s almost fourteen.”
“I can remember her being born,” James said softly. “I can hardly

believe it’s been fourteen years.”

“I know, or seventeen years since that fateful day when you tried

to stick your square peg in my round hole.” Ben fought to keep the
smile from his face. That was exactly what had happened when the
five-year-old James burst into his life, but the way he felt now it
carried so much double entendre it was ridiculous.

“Seems like that should’ve told us something about the different

ways we view life, instead of making us band together against the
world.”

And now they were going their separate ways. Ben sighed. “I can’t

say I truly understand your choice, but I do see it’s what you want and
I’m happy you got your wish. As far as I’m concerned, you’ll always
be a part of my family and you’ll be welcome any time you want to
come home for a visit.”

Ben didn’t say what he really wanted to. He didn’t believe it would

be appreciated just then. Ben hoped that one day, hopefully not too far
distant, James would realize he’d made the wrong choice and move
back home…

LSO

TEVIE

OODS

And This Man Is My Lover?

Best Policy
An Enigma

Cold Fear

A Favor For A Friend

Lightning Strikes

More Than Chains To Bind

Other Worlds, Vols. I & II

Stone By Stone

CHOICES

STEVIE WOODS

MBER

UILL

RESS

LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

TEVIE

OODS

MBER

UILL

RESS

OOK

This book is a work of fiction.

All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the

author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously.

Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales,

or events is entirely coincidental.

Amber Quill Press, LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

No portion of this book may be transmitted or

reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in

writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief

excerpts used for the purposes of review.

ISBN 978-1-61124-359-8

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Thanks to Chris for reading, listening and

giving me honest opinions and advice.

CHOICES

CHAPTER 1

June 2003

James struggled to get his case closed with everything he’d

stuffed inside. He could have left some things behind—his aunt
wouldn’t have minded—but he wanted a clean break. Aunt Carrie
had no other use for the room and had made it clear he could use it
if ever he needed to. He noted she had said if rather than when; she
didn’t particularly want him to return any more than he did.

Carrie Lilley was his father’s older sister and she had taken him

in after his parents had died in a plane crash when James was ten.
She took good care of him, but James had always felt it was more
from a sense of duty than a deep feeling of familial love. She
hadn’t said so, but James felt his leaving for New York was

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viewed with as much of a sense of freedom by Aunt Carrie as by
James himself.

The front door bell rang, and James wasn’t surprised when

Aunt Carrie shouted up, “Benjamin is here!”

Benjamin was one of the few people who would be sorry to see

James board the plane. He and Ben had hit it off the first day of
kindergarten and had been best friends ever since. They’d stuck
together through elementary, middle and high schools and then
four years of college. Seventeen years.

Lord, has it been that long? James smiled as he hurried down

the stairs to greet his friend.

“All packed and ready to go?” Ben asked. His smile didn’t

quite reach his eyes.

“I will be once I can get my case shut,” James said.
“James,” Aunt Carrie chided, “if Benjamin is kind enough to

drive you to the airport, the least you could do is to be ready and
waiting.”

“It’s okay, Miss Carrie,” Ben said, shooting a grin at James. “I

got here early ’cause I knew he wouldn’t be ready on time. Come
on, Jay. I’ll give you a hand.” As James led the way to his
bedroom, Ben added, “You really ready for this?”

They walked into James’ room and Ben shook his head at the

sight of James’ bulging suitcase. He sat on the lid and James
finally managed to close the locks.

“We talked about this, Ben. It’s what I want. You’re quite

happy with small town life, but I want something more. Never
thought when Aunt Carrie was always mad at me for being a
‘game-mad fifteen-year-old’ that it would eventually lead to such a
wonderful career opportunity. A way to really make something of
myself, to get out of here and head for the bright lights of New

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York. I know you don’t understand ’cause success just doesn’t
weigh with you.”

“What you call success? No, it doesn’t. But I don’t see why

you have to rush off to New York only a week after we graduated.
God, Jay, your twenty-second birthday was only last month.”

“I thought by now you understood. I want this. I worked my

socks off all through college to gain the best grades possible so I
could get out of this small town. I hardly dated at all because
studying was more important to me than anything.” He grinned. “I
decided I could wait until I arrived in the big city to party.

“And it all worked out, Ben. I got an entry-level position as a

games programmer offered to me if I achieved the right grades,
and I aced it! I know it bugs you that I’m leaving and for that I’m
sorry.” He grabbed hold of Ben’s biceps and stared intently into his
friend’s eyes. “The offer is still open, you know. You’ve got a
good degree in business studies; you could find work. Come with
me.”

Ben smiled, but shook his head. “You know it’s your dream,

not mine. I have no need to rush off and forge a new future for
myself. My life is here and I like it that way.”

“I’m gonna miss you, too, you know. If it wasn’t for your

friendship”—he grinned—“and that of your two cute sisters, I’m
not sure how I’d have coped sometimes.” He leaned against the
wall by his bedroom door. “Aunt Carrie did the best she could, but
you know how it is.” He shrugged. “The truth is I adopted your
family and I’m grateful they didn’t mind.”

“Didn’t mind at all, James…you know how much they love

you. We do need to keep an eye on Suzie, though. That sister of
mine is just at the age to develop a crush and I think she’s picked
you.”

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“Suzie? But she’s just a kid.”
“She’s almost fourteen.”
“I can remember her being born,” James said softly. “I can

hardly believe it’s been fourteen years.”

* * *

“I know, or seventeen years since that fateful day when you

tried to stick your square peg in my round hole.” Ben fought to
keep the smile from his face. That was exactly what had happened
when the five-year-old James burst into his life, but the way he felt
now it carried so much double entendre it was ridiculous.

“Seems like that should’ve told us something about the

different ways we view life, instead of making us band together
against the world.”

And now they were going their separate ways. Ben sighed. “I

can’t say I truly understand your choice, but I do see it’s what you
want and I’m happy you got your wish. As far as I’m concerned,
you’ll always be a part of my family and you’ll be welcome any
time you want to come home for a visit.”

Ben didn’t say what he really wanted to. He didn’t believe it

would be appreciated just then. Ben hoped that one day, hopefully
not too far distant, James would realize he’d made the wrong
choice and move back home.

“That could be a while,” James said. “I want to put down

strong roots, and running back home for every holiday isn’t the
way to do that. Anyhow, you’ll be too busy sorting out your own
life, won’t you? You thought any more on taking up that
architecture course your Dad recommended?”

“No. I looked at the syllabus mostly to please Dad, but the truth

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is I’ve had enough with schools and teachers. I want to learn by
doing. There’s something about creating with one’s own hands,
you know? I want to build stuff, not just draw diagrams on paper
for other folks to work with.”

James shook his head. “For someone who gives the appearance

of being so laid back, you always seem to choose the hardest path.”

“It’s only the hardest path if it’s not the one you want to take.”
He didn’t think James would ever understand the way he felt,

but then he couldn’t follow James’ thinking either. Why would he
want to put his future under someone else’s control? It made more
sense to Ben to be his own boss one day. Offer up bits of himself
on his own terms—that way he could maintain control of his life.

James thought going to the big city and starting out being a

small cog in someone else’s wheel would eventually bring him
what he wanted: money and success. However, to Ben’s way of
thinking, it would also tie that success to another person’s wheel,
without having any control over its ultimate direction. It was an old
argument between the two of them and Ben knew James would
never understand his point of view because James couldn’t see
that, to Ben, power and money were the least valuable things. Ben
saw value in the small things in life—small to some folks’ thinking
that was—family, home, trust, peace, and perhaps most important
of all, knowing his place in the scheme of things. Contentment
perhaps summed it up. There was only one thing missing and Ben
hoped it would come with time: the love of that one person who
was the other half of his soul.

“It’s not as hard as chasing a rainbow, James.”
James scowled. “Not chasing a rainbow; setting out to live my

dream. I have a skill I can use to get what I want from life and I
intend to make the best of it.” James took the last item from the

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closet and slipped his coat on. “Time to go if I’m going to catch
that plane.”

Ben picked up the suitcase, grunting a little because it was so

damned heavy, as James slung a backpack over his shoulder.
James took a last look around, and Ben noted only relief in his
expression. James was standing in profile to Ben and Ben couldn’t
help but admire how handsome James was. He was almost six feet
tall with a slim, athletic build. His nose wasn’t quite straight, as it
had been broken playing football, yet somehow it added to his
good looks rather than detracted. His eyes were hazel and his hair,
which James wore long enough that it curled on his collar, was a
warm brown. Ben longed to run his fingers through it as he kissed
James, a fantasy to which he often fell asleep.

“You will write to me, Jay?”
“Why you can’t join the twenty-first century and use email or

mobile phones is beyond me.”

“I like the freedom of putting my thoughts on paper,” Ben said

with a shrug. “I dislike the feeling of being constantly available,
even when I don’t want to be. As far as I’m concerned, mobile
phones are for emergencies only. And writing a letter by email is
just plain nasty.”

James laughed. “You’ll never change and I suppose that’s one

of the things I love about you.”

Ben suppressed a sigh because James didn’t mean the

sentiment the way Ben wished he did.

“Anyhow, of course I’ll write.” James slapped him on the

shoulder. “After all, I’ll want to brag about how well things are
going, though I still doubt my letters will be as long as yours to
me.”

“Tell me your troubles, too. That’s something we’ve always

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shared and I’ll be here for you.”

“Same goes for you, Ben. Come on; I need to get moving.”

* * *

At first, James kept to his word; he wrote to Ben once a week.

While he wasn’t exactly bragging about how well things were
going for him, he wasn’t hiding his light under a bushel either.
He’d managed to find a nice, reasonably priced apartment within
walking distance of his new job. It was small, but James
considered it good as a starting point. Of course, he had his eye on
moving to something better in about twelve months. That was how
long he estimated it would take until his employers recognized his
worth and he began to move up the ladder.

Ben smiled at James’ confidence as he read the letters, pleased

James did, indeed, seem to be living his dream. Ben replied to each
letter, though he didn’t have as much to report as James. He still
lived at home, being unable to afford a place of his own, and his
letters were full of comments about his family. Yet, in his own
way, he, too, was living his dream. Nothing as ambitious as James,
of course, but things were going according to his rather rough plan.
He’d secured a position as an apprentice with a small construction
company and was learning the basics. It didn’t take his boss long
to realize Ben had a particular talent when it came to working with
wood. Ben liked the feel of it, and it became clear he had a knack
for shaping it. He presently did framing as part of the job, but on
his own time, he practiced with smaller pieces, creating interesting
shapes and carving designs.

When Ben had written to tell James of his success and pleasure

in his new work, James had responded positively, but still

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wondered why Ben “didn’t really give it a go and study
architecture” before going on to tell Ben about the lovely new end
table he’d bought for his apartment.

“He still after you to take that architecture course?”
Ben jerked in surprise. He hadn’t heard Suzie come in, but

shouldn’t have been surprised at her reading over his shoulder.
Suzie was still very much a handful as always. It was no wonder he
loved her so much.

“Don’t you know how rude that is?” He ought to try to teach

her some manners.

“You should take it to your room if it’s private,” she said,

grabbing some orange juice from the fridge. “Anyhow, did he?”

Ben sighed. “Yeah. He’s doing so well, he thinks I’m missing

out.”

“Each to his own. You know how much I think of James, but

he sure is blinkered about you.”

Ben glanced at his sister, wondering if he was just being too

sensitive or if she really had guessed how he felt about James.
He’d been thinking of telling his parents the truth about his
leanings, but hadn’t managed it yet. It was with a sense of relief he
heard Suzie add, “Thinks everyone wants to be just like him.”

“Go on; get busy with your homework.”
She stuck her tongue out at him, but left the kitchen, and after

he heard her thump her way upstairs, Ben re-read the letter.

It went on that way for some time, and Ben allowed James to

dominate their correspondence with news of his work and home
life, the new friends he’d made and his varied social life.
Gradually, however, James’ letters became less frequent, sliding to
one every fortnight and then monthly, until finally they were
sporadic and Ben received the last one from him about twenty

CHOICES

months after James had left.

For about six months after that Ben continued to write about

once a month with news of his family and information about Ben’s
own version of success, but he finally accepted defeat when James
never responded to any of them. Not even the last one where Ben
had given James a kind of ultimatum: respond to tell me you want
me to keep in touch or I’ll assume you wish me to stop writing to
you.

Disappointment wasn’t a strong enough a word to describe how

Ben felt about James’ abandonment of his past connections. He
refused to consider that James had discarded him; that was just too
hard to bear. He couldn’t help but think James’ new life must be
everything he ever wanted, everything he dreamed of, and his
hometown friends were a memory he preferred to leave behind.
Sadly, Ben acknowledged the odds were that a person as
wonderful as James had found that someone special, and old
friends—even best friends like him—were superfluous.

As much as he disliked it, Ben considered trying to email

James, though if James had wanted to keep in touch he could
easily have gone that route himself, but James hadn’t bothered. It
seemed James wanted to let the contact fade.

For a moment, Ben considered going to New York and visiting

James to see for himself just how his friend was faring in his new
life, but he soon dismissed the idea. It was doubtful Ben’s
unexpected arrival would be welcome. Ben would probably talk
too much anyway, tell James more than he wanted to hear and
more than Ben could afford to reveal. Though part of Ben thought
that surely James knew how he really felt about him. Ben wasn’t
too good at keeping his feelings under wraps. He’d believed, too,
that James shared his attachment, but that James just wasn’t ready

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at the time. Perhaps one day…

The day James had left for New York, Ben had told him that he

had his own dream to follow. Maybe it was time to stop living his
life as an extension of James Lilley and concentrate on making
more of himself. Then, when the day came that James finally did
come home, he would find a new, improved Benjamin Short
waiting for him.

* * *

October 2005

Ben glanced up into the darkening sky; it appeared as gloomy

as he felt. Perhaps a funeral and rain were meant to go hand in
glove. Maybe he needed to accept that not only had his father died,
but so had his friendship with James. Ben had tried to hang onto
the hope it still had some life left it in, even after James never
replied to the letter, the last letter.

The door opened behind him and his sister Suzie joined him on

the porch. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just needed to get away from all the sympathy.”
“I know what you mean. Good intentions, but a bit cloying.

Still, it’s good to know how well liked Dad was.” She was quiet
for a minute and then added, “You want me to leave you alone?”

He smiled. “No. You I can cope with.”
“Mum’s managing well,” Suzie said. “Better than I expected.”
“She’s strong. I suggested moving back home—”
“But you only got your own apartment about six weeks ago.”
“She told me I didn’t need to.”
“Oh, right. Good. Me and Becky can look after Mum, and you

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don’t live far if we really need help. You’ve got your hands full
with this new business of yours.”

Ben nodded. Yes, his new business was slow to get off the

ground and he had his work cut out to make it successful. His gaze
drifted to the sky again as raindrops began to fall. Life seemed full
of raindrops at the moment.

CHOICES

CHAPTER 2

February 2006

James was feeling remarkably good. He’d almost finished

sorting through everything, separating what he wanted to keep and
what could be disposed of, and first thing in the morning he would
be out of this small apartment and into something bigger and
better. That was how his life felt at the moment—bigger and
better!

It was two months to the day since he’d received his

promotion, with a big enough salary hike he could afford a more
desirable apartment. Too bad it wasn’t quite as close to work as
this place was, but it was worth it to be living in a preferable
location. He’d struck lucky the third-floor apartment had become

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available when he’d started searching for a new place. It was just
what he’d been looking for. True, he would prefer to be on the top
floor, but the rent for that was still way out of his price league.

One day, he promised himself, one day he’d have everything he

wanted.

He paused for a minute. Well, one aspect of his life had been

rather confusing and he’d recently come to a decision, which made
everything fall into place. He had long considered himself
bisexual, but more and more over the last couple of years, he’d
found his encounters with girls to be less and less satisfying. He’d
had to admit females really did little for him. Everything seemed to
have come to a head in his life over the last few weeks, with a
promotion at work, a new place to live and the acceptance he most
definitely and exclusively liked guys.

With a contented smile, he pulled open the drawer in the hall

table and started sorting through it, tossing stuff he no longer
wanted into the waste bin and placing things he wanted to keep in
the small cardboard box. Stuffed under the take-out leaflets at the
right side of the drawer, he found an envelope. He frowned, not
remembering how it got there. He was surprised to see it was
unopened and, turning it over, he immediately recognized the
writing as Ben’s. He glanced at the post date and realized he’d had
it for over six months and had never even opened it.

He remembered coming home from work late one evening,

with just enough time to get changed and meet a date for dinner.
There had been a few letters waiting for him and he’d just chucked
them in the hall table drawer to read the next day. Which he had
done, or thought he had. Somehow, when he removed the
envelopes, this one had been left behind and it must have
eventually become mixed in with the menus, until it ended up at

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the bottom of the pile.

With a sense of guilt, it occurred to James he hadn’t received

any more letters from Ben. He had written regularly since James
had left, tailing off to once a month over the last year, clearly in
response to James’ increasingly dilatory letter writing habits. With
a twinge of guilt, James admitted he could hardly remember the
last time he had written to Ben. Obviously, Ben had had enough
and stopped writing. James’ guilt jumped up a notch. Ben was the
best friend he’d ever had and, after two years in the city, that was
still true.

James had friends in New York, but it wasn’t the same; it

wasn’t even vaguely comparable. He had acquaintances in his
apartment building, but, of course, he would leave all those behind
tomorrow and there was no one he wanted to keep in touch with.
He’d made friends at work, but, if truth be told, most of them had
an ulterior motive, which he had to admit he shared. Office gossip
could be most informative, even when those talking didn’t realize
it. Cultivating friends among work colleagues gave one an insight
into what was going on in their lives and how it might impact him
and what he wanted to achieve. The grapevine wasn’t a myth and it
could be damned useful.

It was sad to admit, however, that he had no one he could

consider a friend the way he had Ben, and it was almost a surprise
to recognize how much he missed that. He tore open the letter,
desperate for updates from home, for news about Benjamin Short.

James quickly scanned the letter. It contained information

about Suzie and Becky, Ben’s two younger sisters, and James was
surprised to see Suzie was about to celebrate her seventeenth
birthday. Time did, indeed, fly. Ben’s mother was a little
concerned about his father…seemed the man wasn’t well, but

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wouldn’t go to the doctor. James remembered how stubborn Ben’s
father could be and hoped Ben’s mother was worrying
unnecessarily.

At last, Ben got around to writing about himself. He’d taken

the plunge and left his job to start up on his own. Since he’d done a
few carpentry jobs on the side and gained a bit of a reputation for
himself, he’d decided it was time to become his own boss. Ben
proudly added he was really standing on his own two feet now as
he’d also just rented his first small apartment, hardly big enough to
swing a cat, but all his. James was happy for him, but he doubted
Ben would ever be able afford anything as nice as the place James
was to move into the next day.

Feeling rather petty, James glanced back at the letter. Ben

seemed to have stopped mid-subject; he’d been talking about a
baseball game he’d gone to with some friends and then suddenly
he’d begun a new paragraph.

Writing this I can’t help but wonder if you really want news

from home. You haven’t replied to a letter of mine in about nine
months. I had hoped to be kept abreast of how you were doing, if it
was all you expected, everything you wanted. I kept hoping to hear
you’re about to come home for a few days, but it seems you don’t
want that. Am I being a nuisance? Do you want me to stop
writing? It’s not what I want, but it has to be up to you. Please
write back this time and then I’ll know you want me to continue,
even if you don’t always have time to write back. But if you don’t
respond this time, then I won’t write again. Please know that
whatever you decide, my door and my heart will always be open to
you.

God, what had he done! Fuck…of all the letters to misplace!

And now what was he supposed to do?

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His immediate reaction was to write to Ben right away and he

was trying to think in which box he’d packed the stuff from his
desk drawer, until the thought occurred that perhaps it was better
this way. Six months had passed and Ben must have already
assumed James purposely hadn’t replied and he no longer wanted
to hear from Ben. His stomach cramped at the hurt Ben must have
felt at the realization. But surely he’d be over it by now and if
James opened that door again…

Somewhere down the line James knew the odds were Ben

would be hurt again, either by his thoughtlessness, or quite
possibly by his choice at some future date to discontinue the
association. He was honest enough to admit to his own selfish
nature, to the likelihood that one day he’d find reminders of his
small town beginnings too unpalatable.

James wasn’t too proud to admit he’d never kept to the

arrangement he and Ben had made to write to each other. God, Ben
must have posted ten letters to every one James had written. Was it
really fair to put Ben through that when he already believed it was
over? No, it was kinder in the long run to leave things as they
were. Let Ben believe James was a callous bastard, for hadn’t he
proved it was true?

The decision made, James felt better. Ben would be fine. No

one eased through life as simply as Ben did, and James was sure he
would be making the best of whatever life threw at him and be as
successful as he needed to be. It was probable he’d already put
thoughts of James Lilley away into a tidy little box. James hoped
he’d take them out on occasion and remember his old friend
fondly.

Sighing a little, James placed the letter in the box of items he

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wanted to keep and carried on packing up the last few things in
preparation for his move.

* * *

September 2008

“Engaged, and to Richard Seaton of all people. My little

tomboy sister, it seems incredible.” Ben grinned like a loon.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, big brother. Not so much

of the tomboy jibe either,” Suzie said, thumping him on the
shoulder.

Rubbing his shoulder, Ben retorted, “Trying to prove me right,

huh?”

“That wasn’t a tomboy; that was an aggrieved sister,” Ben’s

mother said as she walked in from the kitchen. “Though I can’t
deny I was surprised when Suzie told me she was dating just about
the most eligible young man in Neeston.”

“God, I know,” Suzie said. “He used to tease me all the time

when we were at school. Called me all sorts of names.” The
comments didn’t stop her smiling fondly at the memory.

“You called him a spoiled brat from what I remember,” Becky

said.

Ben hadn’t seen his youngest sister enter, but the girl often

seemed to appear as if by magic.

“Well, he was.” Suzie pouted, before adding with a grin, “Still

is on occasion, but as he spoils me, too, I can forgive him.”

“We need to organize a wedding outfit for you,” Mother

commented.

“And for you, too, Mom. Something dignified and yet—”

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“Good Lord, the wedding isn’t for six months,” Ben

interrupted.

“Which is hardly long enough to get everything ready,” Suzie

said, staring at him as if he was stupid or something.

Ben stood and was halfway to the door before his mother’s

voice stopped him. “Don’t forget, dear, you’ll need to talk with
Richard about what he wants the men to wear.”

Frowning as he turned around to face his family, Ben queried,

“What? All I need is a nice suit. I don’t—”

“Ben, you’ll be giving me away. You ought to talk to Richard

so you’ll—”

“Giving you away?” He felt the flush rise in his cheeks. He’d

forgotten. His father should be doing that, but, of course, that was
no longer possible.

His mother moved closer, taking hold of his hands. “I know,

my dear,” she said. “I forget on occasion as well. He would’ve so
loved walking both our girls down the aisle, but you’ll do it
beautifully.”

He kissed his mother’s cheek, looking over her shoulder at

Suzie, as he said. “I’d be honored. And now I’ll leave you alone to
talk about dresses, hats and whatever else is involved.”

He stood on the porch for a few minutes listening to the chatter

inside the family home and felt unaccountably lonely. His
nineteen-year-old sister was happily planning a life with the man
she loved and here he was, twenty-seven with not even a boyfriend
on the horizon. His mother had hinted the other day that he could
no longer blame the pressure of work for his non-existent social
life. The business was ticking along nicely; in fact, he didn’t need
any more contracts or he would have to employ more men, and
he’d never particularly wanted his firm to be any larger than it was

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now.

Ben had occasionally made a foray into Canton to try out a few

of the gay haunts there, but it wasn’t really his thing at all. He’d
had a few brief encounters, which he couldn’t deny had cured an
itch, but then he’d felt unsettled again the next day. Not cured after
all and he wasn’t sure the scratch was worth it. How, though, could
he explain that to his mother? She knew, of course, that he was
gay; he’d outed himself to his family on his twenty-third birthday.
He’d been trying for a year or two before then to be honest with
them, but he’d never quite had the nerve. Odd, he acknowledged,
that the courage came only after James had left town. He’d never
managed to have even a short relationship with anyone. He
inevitably compared everyone to James, and no one measured up.

The door behind him opened and closed with barely a swish,

and Ben knew Suzie had come to join him. Becky always slammed
the door open and closed, and his mother had a habit of speaking
even as she walked through, as if to ensure you knew who it was.
Suzie leaned against the railing for a few moments before gripping
it tightly and leaning against him instead.

“You’ve been out here for quite a while. You okay?”
“Sure, just thinking.”
They enjoyed a companionable silence for a few minutes until

Suzie asked, “You looked at that cottage again yet?”

“Yeah, I was out there again this morning.”
“So, made up your mind yet?”
It had been a difficult decision, not because the small house

wasn’t just what he wanted, but because it held so many memories
for him and he wasn’t sure if holding onto some of them was a
good idea. The cottage sat in a beautiful location on the edge of the
Neeston Pool, where every summer, for as long as anyone could

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remember, the local children had played, had swum and had
fished. He and James had spent many happy hours together at the
pool, and one of Ben’s favorite memories was of the day he finally
understood why being close to James meant so much to him. It was
a memory he cherished and that he never wanted to forget, but he
hadn’t been sure if he wanted to live somewhere where such
thoughts were never far away. He still missed James almost like
one of his limbs was missing, but he had all but abandoned his
dream that James would one day return. Ben had begun to accept
he would always be alone.

“Yeah, pretty much. I’m going to talk to the Realtor in the

morning; see if we can make a deal.”

“Good, I think it’ll be the ideal place for you.”
“You do? Why?”
“You always loved that place, especially during the summer

when you and James spent so much time out there.”

Ben sighed, but didn’t say anything.
“It’s a shame he didn’t keep in touch. I always expected he’d

come back one day.”

“Yeah, me too, but it doesn’t seem likely now.”
“You still miss him a lot, don’t you?”
He shrugged. “He was my best friend.”
She turned, leaning her hip on the railing to stare up at him. “I

always thought he meant something rather more to you.”

Ben raised an eyebrow, but kept silent.
“I think he still does,” she pressed.
“Even if that was true, it doesn’t matter. He’s not here.”
“No, but you know where he is. James was always so full of

himself, he probably never realized. Perhaps you should go tell
him.”

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Ben stared at her, the little girl who’d had a crush on James

when she was barely a teenager, and he wondered when she had
grown up to be so smart. Still, what she suggested wasn’t
something he could do. He shook his head. “No. I’ll be here if the
time ever comes that he wants me.”

“Perhaps he needs to know you want him,” Suzie said. She

kissed his cheek and went back inside.

The comment gave Ben pause for thought. Should he write one

final letter to James? He looked up into the sky as if the stars could
answer his question, but in the end, when it came down to it, Ben
believed James had to make his own choices.

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CHAPTER 3

March 2009

James stared at himself in the mirror, but he couldn’t see any

difference in his reflection to that of only a few months ago. The
life of the man looking back at him, however, had certainly
changed. The confident man, so sure of himself and his future, had
disappeared into the downward spiral his life had become. He’d
been shocked when the recession had taken his lucrative job three
months earlier and, though he had managed to get other
employment, it didn’t pay anywhere near as well.

He also now had cause to regret he’d been so confident his

good life would continue that he’d hardly saved any of his hard-
earned income, more often than not spending almost every dollar

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he earned to live well and enjoy himself. The result was he’d had
to give up his lovely apartment and rent a much cheaper one. That
had been difficult, but perhaps a harder lesson had been the retreat
of the circle of friends he’d accumulated following his promotion.
He’d believed himself to be very popular, but he’d come to
understand it was his generous nature that attracted those so-called
friends. They didn’t mind that he splashed his money around to
buy them drinks at the nightclubs and bars they introduced him to,
but returning the favor now that money was tight didn’t seem to be
on their agenda.

There’d been various young women who’d been more than

happy to spend a few very personal hours in his company—not to
mention the occasional young man, though he’d been careful to
keep his inclinations private. Apparently, those people were no
longer interested now his circumstances had changed. The
invitations and phone calls had all but dried up and James often
found himself spending his nights alone in his small apartment.

“James Lilley, you’re a stupid gullible idiot and you deserve

everything you got!”

With a deep sigh and a shake of his head, James closed the

bathroom door and shuffled back into his living room-slash-
kitchenette and flung himself onto the sofa. He was annoyed at
himself.

“How could I have been so blind? Looking at my life through

rose-colored glasses.”

The life he thought he’d been living was nothing more than a

sham and now all he felt was stupid and naïve. He’d fooled himself
into believing the people he’d hung around with had been his
friends.

Talk about wearing blinkers!

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All at once he saw an image in his mind’s eye of Benjamin

Short. Standing there by the Neeston Pool with the sun shining on
him, blue eyes sparkling as he shook the water from his fair hair.
James could remember that day perfectly. The previous day they
had graduated from high school and, feeling free at last, they had
headed for their favorite haunt at the pool. Of course, half the
graduating class had had the same idea and it had been a crazy day.
Crazy and so very happy…and James suddenly felt very alone.

Ben had not only been his best friend, but the only real friend

he had ever had, and now he deeply regretted leaving Ben behind
the way he had. Allowing Ben to think he no longer wanted to
know him, no longer needed him. “God, what a fool I was!”

It was hard to remember the last time he’d given a thought to

the small town he’d been brought up in.

“Damn, I don’t even know if Aunt Carrie’s still alive.”
Someone else he should have kept contact with, but he’d only

written to her twice, shortly after he’d left home. Then he realized,
as her next of kin, he would have been informed if anything had
happened to her as he was her heir, not that she owned much.
Except his parents’ house, which she’d moved into when they died.
James was shocked to acknowledge he had almost forgotten that.
He was relieved to know he still had something to keep him tied to
Neeston after all.

But was it the small town of Neeston he was glad to still be

connected to, or was it Ben, the only person who meant something
special to him?

“Ben, why was I such a fool?”
He’d accused himself of being blind only a few minutes earlier

when thinking about his so-called friends in the big city, but was
he any less blind over the only true friend he’d ever had? He’d

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blithely let the man slip through his fingers without a second
thought, not once but twice.

And for what? A career, a job he no longer had. A job he never

appreciated for the right reason in the first place. All it had ever
been was a way to earn enough money to support a life he now saw
as being vapid and pointless. He’d been so wrong about
everything. He had walked away from the important things in life:
a place he could belong, a place he could call home, a place where
the people were real. Where one person was so real, James
couldn’t understand why it took him more than six years to see
what should have been obvious.

He thought again about the kind of life he’d been living for the

last few years, believing he had everything he could ever want.
He’d had a busy, exciting social life, never taking anything
seriously, just enjoying whatever came his way, and that included
the joys of sex whenever he’d wanted. His mind drifted back to the
night a couple of days before he’d been fired, when he still thought
the world was his oyster.

He and a couple of guys from the office had gone out clubbing,

and James had been lucky enough to attract the attention of a
gorgeous guy. Tall, well built with fair hair and blue eyes.

It took James a moment to recall the man’s name and he felt

slightly sick at that realization. Kyle, his name had been Kyle.
They’d had a couple of drinks at the bar, but James was way from
being drunk. A little giddy maybe, but he was out for some fun and
he wanted to enjoy it and remember it the next morning.

And now he remembered it all too clearly. He recalled how

sordid it had been as he and Kyle had been crammed into a stall in
the restroom, pants around their ankles as they rutted against each
other until they both climaxed, their seed coating each other’s

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stomach and groin. It’d been momentarily satisfying, but the
feeling hadn’t lasted and, with a grin and a wave, Kyle had soon
left James alone in the stall.

Recalling the incident now, it hit James like a kick to the

stomach that the type of guy he’d always favored had fair hair and
blue eyes. Just like Ben. God, he’d been an even bigger idiot than
he’d ever understood.

He wanted to go home and see Ben again, but he didn’t know

how. He felt like such a failure.

James went to the kitchenette, took down a bottle of whiskey

and poured himself a small glass. Spirits weren’t something he
drank often—it tended to give him a thick head far too quickly—
but just then he felt in need of its punch.

Raising the glass, he said, “Here’s to you, Ben,” and he

swallowed it, then poured himself a second, which he took back to
the sofa. As he sipped it, he wondered how Ben was faring now.

Is he happy? “Never wanted much from life, did you, Ben?”

James smiled and added, “So, I hope you have everything you
need.”

God, is he married? That thought hurt and James tossed back

the rest of the whisky.

“Fuck, I have to know.” How could he find out? Ashamed, he

acknowledged he was too much of a coward to ask Ben directly.
For a moment he considered contacting Ben’s family, but he knew
they would tell Ben, not out of spite or anything, but simply
because it wouldn’t occur to them not to tell him. What other
alternatives were open to him?

Would the local weekly newspaper tell him anything? He

remembered the number of actual news items had tended to be
outweighed by chatty articles and lots of advertisements, which

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might be just what he’d need. Would it be viewable online?

He opened his laptop, remembering how in his old apartment it

had been stored on the desk under the window. He no longer had
that desk and now he used the coffee table. He shook his head at
the memory of his own pretension, smiling at the thought of Ben’s
reaction to it.

It only took a quick search to find the site for the Neeston

Herald. James discovered there were quite a number of back
copies available as well as the most up-to-date release. He decided
to go back a few months and immerse himself in the life
continuing in his hometown. He came across mention of his Aunt
Carrie, who had won a prize for her flower arranging.

A couple of weeks later, there was a short article announcing

the opening of a new library, mentioning the excellent work of the
Banks Construction Company and praising their decision to
subcontract the carpentry involved to Short’s Fine Woodworking.
It doesn’t specifically mention Ben by name, but who else could it
be? James wasn’t at all surprised his childhood friend was
proficient in his chosen field. In his own laid-back fashion, Ben
had always succeeded at everything he attempted.

It was almost midnight when he began to read last week’s

newspaper, skimming it quickly, as he was tired after reading so
many issues. He’d almost turned the page when a picture caught
his eye. It was of a young man, a smiling young woman leaning
against him, with a caption mentioning their upcoming wedding.
James thought for a moment he’d made a mistake, but the pretty
girl in the photograph was identified as Suzie Short.

James’ eyes widened in surprise and he shook his head. “Well,

what do you know, little Suzie is now twenty.” He knew, of
course, that it had been six years since he’d left for New York, but

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to somehow see the evidence in the adult Suzie as opposed to the
fourteen-year-old tomboy he remembered drove the fact home.

He read the short article accompanying the picture and was

pleasantly surprised to read Suzie was to marry Richard Seaton,
the son of one of the pillars of the community. Ben’s name
appeared in the last sentence of the article where it explained Suzie
was to be given away by her popular brother, owner of the well-
respected carpentry company. The realization struck that if Ben
was giving her away then their father must have passed away.
Something he would have known if he’d kept in touch.

“Damn, I always liked Mr. Short. I’d have liked to send flowers

to his funeral.”

He skimmed the article again and it brought him up short when

he saw that the wedding ceremony was to take place on April 4th,
three weeks from the date of the paper, but now just over two
weeks away.

Suddenly, his stomach flipped and James knew he had to go

home; he had to see Ben. He didn’t know how Ben would react to
him turning up again after all this time, rather like a bad penny? It
was possible Ben would only see a stranger and not the man who
had once been his friend. James knew it was entirely possible he
was heading for heartache, but the way he felt now, it was worth
the risk.

Without Ben, his life seemed empty anyway. It made him

angry he had only just recognized the truth of that. He’d been so
filled with visions of himself as a success he’d never seen the truth
of his failure. He’d failed to see the one thing that would really
make him happy.

He prayed it wasn’t too late to make amends and live the life he

always should have done.

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CHAPTER 4

Ben was just leaving the tailor after the final fitting for his suit

for the wedding, relieved it was finished with…and not a minute
too soon with the wedding that weekend. He’d have been happy to
wear his best suit. It was fairly new and was a nice dark blue he
thought suited him. But no, Richard wanted the “proper thing,” and
seeing as he insisted on paying for it, who was Ben to argue? Ah
well, at least he’d only have to wear it once. He refused to consider
the possibility Becky would ever be so “proper” as to want such a
fancy wedding. Then, he remembered the scruffy tomboy Suzie
had once been.

He sighed at the random memory of the surprise on a certain

friend’s face when Ben had told him that same scruffy tomboy had
a crush on him. He wondered what James would’ve thought if he

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knew the same besotted girl was about to marry such an
upstanding young man as Richard Seaton. He’d probably laugh
and say, “All things come to he who waits,” or something equally
as inaccurate.

He’d tried to close the door on his memory of James Lilley, but

it wasn’t possible and the truth was he didn’t really want to forget
him. His family made passing comments about the fact Ben was
still alone, and wasn’t it time he found someone, but he just
shrugged and didn’t bother to respond. Though he had only ever
discussed his feelings with Suzie, Ben thought it likely the others
were aware of how he felt about James.

A car passed by and Ben’s attention was momentarily caught

by the man behind the wheel, causing Ben to slow his pace. He
knew it wasn’t James, and if Ben could’ve seen the man clearly, he
probably didn’t even really resemble him at all. It wasn’t the first
time Ben’s obsession with James Lilley had caused him to mistake
a stranger for the man of his dreams when James was hundreds of
miles away in New York. Annoyed at himself for allowing things
to get to such a state, he concentrated on hurrying to his own
vehicle. He had work to do halfway across town. He might trust his
foreman to get on with the job, but he wanted to ensure the pieces
he had spent hours carving the day before were properly mounted.

* * *

James found himself driving slowly through town, noting how

little had really changed in the six years he’d been gone. He saw
that Payson’s grocery store had been given a facelift and he had to
admit it did look much better now. Leighton’s Clothing Emporium
had gone and in its place was the modern frontage of Neeston’s

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Home and Garden. Most everything else was just as it had been.
He turned a corner and almost came to a stop when he saw the sign
for Short’s Fine Woodworking over the door of a small office next
to the bank. Gripping the wheel tighter, James drove on, speeding
up as he made his way to the place he used to call home, Aunt
Carrie’s.

He’d purposely not informed anyone he was returning home,

not even his aunt. He didn’t want Ben to know in advance he was
coming; he wanted to face Ben on his own terms, when he was
ready. He wasn’t sure if that was cowardice—probably was—but it
was the way it had to be. It was only as he was approaching the
driveway that he wondered just how his aunt would greet his
sudden arrival.

He parked the car, took a breath to steady his nerves and

climbed out of the car. He’d almost reached the porch when the
door opened and Aunt Carrie was standing there. James was a little
taken aback by how much older she looked. Growing up, she had
always seemed ageless, but by his reckoning she must be about
sixty, though she looked older. It could be the grey hair he
remembered was now almost silver, or that the lines on her face
had apparently doubled in number. Then, the thought occurred that
perhaps she was ill, and he was surprised by how much that idea
hurt.

“James Lilley,” she said, her voice as strong and strident as

ever, “what are you doing here?”

She must have realized how the question sounded, for she

quickly added, “Not that you’re not welcome, my boy, but really it
would’ve been nice to receive some notice.”

“I’m sorry, Aunt Carrie. I wanted to surprise you…I had hoped

pleasantly. But forgive me if I’ve upset you.”

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“Come in, come in. Pleasant surprise indeed. This is your

home; don’t forget. Don’t let my sharp tongue let you think
otherwise.”

She put her arms around him as he stepped up onto the porch,

and James found himself surprised and touched by the gesture. He
hugged her back and said honestly, “It’s good to see you again.
I’ve missed you.”

She pulled back and looked at him with intent. “It’s been too

quiet around here since you left.” Then she smiled. “Yes, it was a
surprise to me, too, how much I missed you being here.”

Something unlocked inside him and he was shocked to realize

how good it felt to hear her say those words, to understand perhaps
he had kept her at arms-length as much as she had him.

“That being the case, I hope you don’t mind I’ve come back to

stay. Back home.”

Carrie’s eyes widened, she opened her mouth to speak, but

promptly closed it again. “I think you have much to tell me. Get
your bags from the car and I’ll make us a drink. Coffee? Or
perhaps tea might be better?”

“Tea would be good.” He went back to get his cases. As he

opened the trunk, it struck him that he felt comfortable for the first
time in weeks. After six years away, that should have been odd—
and intellectually it was—but he decided to ignore his brain and
listen to his heart.

* * *

It felt good to tell Aunt Carrie of his time in New York, of his

success and of his ultimate failure. Not that he had exactly referred
to his downward spiral as failure, more like matters had simply

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gotten beyond his control. He admitted he hadn’t liked being told
he was no longer needed in his well-paying job, or of having to
leave his nice apartment, but he also owned up to the fact that
perhaps the hardest lesson had been to learn his friends had been as
fake as his assumption of his perfect life.

Aunt Carrie smiled at him, reaching out to grasp his wrist, and

said, “I’m glad you were sensible enough to recognize that and to
come home.”

“It took me longer than it should to see the truth about myself,”

he confessed, “and I do have doubts about making a new life for
myself back here in Neeston, but I’m determined to do everything
in my power to make it work.”

“With that attitude, I know you’ll succeed, and I’ll help you in

any way I can. Don’t forget you had some real friends here when
you were growing up, and I think you’ll find it won’t be difficult to
rekindle your friendship with the Shorts.”

The one thing James kept to himself was how he felt about

Ben. He wasn’t sure how she would react to the information, even
though Carrie Lilley wasn’t one of those small town women whose
opinions seemed locked somehow in an earlier era. Some of her
ideas caused raised eyebrows in her church-going contemporaries,
but he couldn’t recall her ever making any comments about gay
people. Anyway, James felt the first person he ought to tell was
Ben.

“I’m not sure I deserve it to be that simple. I wasn’t exactly the

best at keeping in touch with them. I immersed myself too much in
my new life, purposely leaving the old one behind.” He frowned,
glancing at her sheepishly as he added, “I can’t remember how
many times I even bothered to write to you.”

“Twice,” she said quickly and then shrugged. “But I was no

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better. It took me longer than it should to reply to those and I never
wrote a third time either.” She looked at the mantle clock. “In fact,
I’m due at the literary circle meeting in thirty minutes and Lauren
Short should be there. Do you want me to mention to her that
you’ve come home?”

The question caught James unawares and he didn’t know what

to say. It would be the easy way out, he supposed, for Aunt Carrie
to tell Ben’s mother, but wasn’t that playing the coward again?
Didn’t he owe it to Ben to face him, to say his apologies and see
what Ben was prepared to offer him, if anything?

“You seem uncertain,” Aunt Carrie said, looking puzzled. “Is

there something I don’t know?”

“Thank you for the offer, but I think I ought to speak to Ben

first,” he said quickly, not wanting to answer any more questions
yet.

Carrie regarded him steadily for a moment before she said, “As

you wish. I’d better go and get ready. I should be back in time for
dinner.” She stood and walked a few steps to the door before she
turned and added, “Let’s celebrate and go out for dinner. We could
go to The Open Door.”

“It’s still going? Before I left, I remember the Martins were

thinking of closing the restaurant because they wanted to retire and
take things easy.”

“They’ve been saying that for three years that I can remember,”

Aunt Carrie said, “and they were hinting at it for the three before,
too. I think they enjoy the fuss when customers ask them to keep
the place open.”

James laughed. “Okay, but do you mind if we leave that for

another night?”

Carrie cocked her head on one side. “You want to see Ben

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before it gets around that you’re back in town? You’d better hurry
then; if anyone saw you arrive in town the news could already be
spreading.”

James sucked in a breath. She was right, of course; he couldn’t

keep putting it off. “Do you have his new address?” he asked.

“You know he moved out of the family home then?” Aunt

Carrie said, walking to the small desk in the corner and picking up
her address book.

“Yes.”
She passed him the book opened to the entries for the letter S.

He read Ben’s address and frowned.

“I thought he had a small apartment, but this is for—” Oh God,

the pool!

“He had the apartment for a couple of years or so, but moved to

the outskirts of town about six months ago.”

His stomach turned over as he realized Ben had bought the

cottage opposite the Neeston Pool.

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CHAPTER 5

Ben was tired. It had been a long day, but a productive one.

He’d already had a shower and was feeling suitably relaxed in a
pair of sweats and a T. Now all he wanted was a bite to eat and a
lazy evening in front of the TV. Not very exciting, but it worked
for him. Walking to the kitchen, he hoped something would tempt
him, since he didn’t know what he was in the mood for tonight.
Quick and easy, he decided. The sudden knock at the door
interrupted his musing. He frowned, wondering who it might be as
he changed direction to the front door.

The automatic smile on his face froze as he stared at the man

on his doorstep.

“I know it’s been a while, but I haven’t changed that much,

have I?”

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The voice was exactly the same, though the James he

remembered had tended to speak more forcefully, not in the quiet
tone this man used. God, he looked good. In the few years since
he’d seen him, Ben thought James had filled out and was much
less the boy he’d looked when he’d left, but now definitely all
man. Finally finding his voice, Ben said, “No, hardly at all. I
was… I didn’t know you were visiting. Come in, please.”

“I suppose someone might’ve seen me arrive a few hours ago,

but the only other person I’ve spoken to is Aunt Carrie.”

“You’re staying with her?”
“Yes, I’m back home.”
Ben felt as if he was in an alternative universe. James Lilley

couldn’t really be here standing less than two feet from him. Then
James smiled and it was like a kick to his stomach. It was real. Oh,
Jesus, it was real.

“What am I thinking? Come on in, sit down, I’ll get you a

drink.” As he led the way into his living room, he could feel James
following him, almost as if there was an invisible thread between
them. And, in that moment, he felt if the thread broke, he would
cease to exist. God, what was wrong with him? He turned around,
forcing a smile to his face. “What will it be? I know I have some
beer in the fridge and I’ve got a bottle of whisky in the cupboard
and a bottle of red wine.”

“If it’s okay with you, I’d prefer a coffee.”
“Coffee? Yes, of course. Make yourself comfortable.” He’d

gone two steps when the thought occurred. “Have you had dinner?
I was just about to fix myself something. Nothing too fancy, but if
you want to join me?”

“Actually, no, I haven’t eaten. I…” James stopped, then

dropped his eyes, before raising them again to look at Ben. He

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squared his shoulders, and Ben thought it looked as if he’d made
his mind up about something. “I wanted to see you right away.”

Ben didn’t quite know what to say to that. His immediate

reaction was pleasure, but something about the tension in James’
jaw puzzled Ben. He simply smiled and hurried on into the
kitchen. He stood in the middle of the room, unable to think about
anything as mundane as what to cook, let alone actually do
anything. He felt he ought to be over the moon with the pleasure of
seeing James again, so why did he feel… God, what did he feel?
Confused, uncertain? Afraid?

“I’m sorry to have just barged in on you like this,” James said

from behind him in that quiet, almost apologetic tone.

Ben looked over his shoulder to find him leaning against the

kitchen doorjamb, his expression vague, almost blank.

“I should’ve called first, I know, but I didn’t know how

welcome I’d be after the way I treated you. I decided to just come
knocking on your door and now I see it was a mistake. You know
I’m home now, so if you want to see me, give me a call.”

Ben stood staring at him and it was only when James turned

and walked away that Ben spoke. “No, it wasn’t a mistake. Okay,
you caught me unawares and I’m kind of shocked, but that doesn’t
mean I’m not glad to see you.”

James turned around. They stared at each other for a few

moments, then James gave a small smile and asked, “Do you still
make that great omelet?”

“With cheese, ham and onions? You bet.”
James glanced around, gaze halting when he saw the coffee

maker. “I’ll make the coffee.”

His mind still whirling with James’s presence in his life—

damn, in my kitchen—Ben got to work cutting up stuff for the

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omelets. As he beat the eggs, he tried to think of something to say,
but his mind was blank, unable to get past the fact James was here.
He closed his eyes and forced his breathing back into something
resembling a normal rhythm.

“Where do you keep the cups and plates?”
“Cupboard above to the right,” Ben replied, surprising himself

at how normal he sounded. “Cutlery drawer is right in front of
you.”

He turned as he spoke and found himself face to face with the

rear of James Lilley, butt tight as he stretched up to remove plates
from the cupboard. James had removed his jacket and the shirt he
was wearing only accentuated the strength of his spine and the
power in his muscles. Ben was suddenly aware of pain in his hand
and he realized it was because he was gripping the fork so tightly
the metal handle was digging into his palm. He quickly turned
back to the work surface. God, James was beautiful!

“Ready when you are,” James said.
Glancing over his shoulder, Ben saw the table was set and

James had taken a seat. “Coming up shortly,” Ben said.

* * *

James forced himself to keep calm as he waited for Ben to

serve up their meal. He’d gone through a mix of emotions since
showing up at the cottage and he didn’t want to imagine more than
there actually was in Ben’s reaction to his arrival. Ben might not
have sent him away with his tail between legs, but his welcome
had hardly been with open arms and a hug. Ben was a generous
person and he would’ve shown such hospitality to any of his
friends.

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Did James still have the right to think of himself as a friend?

He couldn’t claim the best friend title any longer and it was with a
touch of jealousy that he wondered who could.

Ben brought two plates over to the table, and James poured out

two coffees.

“Looks great,” James said. He spoke of the food, but he felt the

same about how Ben looked. Ben was a couple of inches shorter
than James and had always been a little heavier, but now that bulk
was all toned muscle and James wondered what that would feel
like under his hands.

“Eat up. Suppose you’re still always hungry, huh? We’ll have

plenty of time to talk after, and I imagine you have lots to tell me.”

James froze mid-chew, his eyes flying to Ben’s face. How did

he know? Then when he found himself looking into a curious
expression, James realized he’d jumped to conclusions and quickly
resumed eating, clearing his plate in no time.

Sitting back with a contented sigh, he said, “As good as ever.”
Ben smiled and, picking up the carafe, said, “Let’s take our

coffee to the living room and make ourselves comfortable.”

James picked up their mugs and followed. Ben placed the

carafe on the coffee table directly in front of the sofa and took a
seat, smiling up at James, who put the mugs down, but hesitated
before sitting. He glanced at the comfy-looking armchair set at a
forty-five degree angle to the sofa. Ben patted the seat next him in
silent invitation, and James sighed internally as he sat down.

“What’s wrong, Jay? It’s obvious something is bothering you.”
James closed his eyes and the words came without volition.

“Damn, but I missed that. Do you know how long it’s been since
someone spoke to me with simple friendly affection?

“What? I don’t—”

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Opening his eyes, James met Ben’s gaze. “Jay, you called me

Jay.” The sensation of tears gathering shocked James and he forced
them back.

“Jay, you need to talk to me; tell me what the problem is.

Please.”

“Ben, I came home because I needed so much to see you, but

now I hardly know what to say.” He dipped his head, barely able to
face Ben.

He felt a hand on his arm and James couldn’t help but glance at

Ben’s hand as it squeezed his wrist.

“I’m your friend, James. I’ve always considered you my best

friend, and though I understand that’s likely changed for you, for
me nothing’s changed. You can tell me anything; I swear I won’t
judge you.”

James placed his hand over Ben’s. “I don’t deserve you. I never

did.”

Ben frowned, but didn’t say anything.
“I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you still

consider me a friend after the way I treated you. I feel so ashamed
of my behavior.” James met Ben’s gaze then and held it steadily as
he continued, “I may not have shown it, but the truth is I still
consider you my best friend.”

* * *

Ben didn’t understand yet what was worrying James so much,

but it did his heart good to hear he still meant so much to James.

James took a breath and leaned back in his seat. “I was so full

of myself, of the success I was making of my life, that I lost sight
of the important things and allowed myself to be seduced by the

CHOICES

gloss all around me.”

Ben listened with growing disquiet as James described his time

in New York. Some of it he already knew about, but to hear James
describe the wonderful time he’d had with the new friends he’d
made, Ben became confused by James’ present downbeat attitude.
When James spoke of the last letter Ben had written to him and
how it’d been mislaid for six months, an uncomfortable feeling
settled in Ben’s chest, only to grow heavier when James confessed
he’d purposely decided to let the connection fade. Ben surged to
his feet, stopping James mid-sentence, but then didn’t know what
to do.

“Ben?” James said, also rising. “I’m so sorry. I know now what

a fool I was—”

“I need a drink,” Ben interrupted and strode to the kitchen. He

heard James sigh, followed by his footsteps coming after him, but
then James apparently stopped and returned to the living room.
Ben heaved a sigh of relief and leaned his hands on the worktop.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. This wasn’t helping. James
had been totally honest with him, and Ben had accepted being left
behind all those years ago, so why did it hurt so much now? He
grabbed two beers from the fridge and returned to face his friend.

As Ben walked back into the living room, he was struck by the

pain in James’ eyes. He passed over a beer, saying, “You look as if
you need that. I know I do.”

“Please, Ben. I—”
“Let’s not go over it again,” Ben interjected. “Continue with

what happened next.”

James nodded, then took a gulp of beer before carrying on with

his story. Ben prepared himself for what was to come next and,
sure enough, there were more stories of success, promotion and a

CHOICES

more up-market apartment. Ben told himself to be glad his friend
had done so well and to stop with the self-pity.

Ben was so self-involved it took a moment for him to realize

James was speaking of having lost his excellent position in the
financial downturn. Ben sat forward, watching James’ expression
as he spoke of his shock at being unable to find another job in his
chosen field and having to take any temporary work he could get
with the resultant change in his living conditions. James was
totally open about his own mistakes in adding to his situation,
including his choice of friends.

James smiled, as he said, “That’s when I learned I did, indeed,

know the true meaning of friendship.”

Ben frowned and then, his brow clearing, he said, “You mean

me?”

“You’d never have turned your back on me the way my so-

called friends in New York did.”

“Even the girlfriends you talked about? I can’t remember the

name of the last one you mentioned, but surely if—” He stopped
when James laughed, shaking his head.

“My girlfriends? Ben, none of them meant anything to me, or I

to them. It was never serious, just”—he shrugged—“convenient.”
James stared at him rather intently as he added, “Same with the
guys. Fun, and at times necessary, but never serious.”

Ben’s mouth dropped open as he considered those words.

“Guys?” Fun, necessary? Did that mean what he thought it did?

“Yeah,” James said, his gaze never leaving Ben’s. “I tried to

convince myself I liked girls, but the truth is it was always guys I
wanted to be with. I kept that side of myself secret. I wasn’t
ashamed of it, believe me, but…”

“You believed it could damage your career?”

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“Yeah. What a fool I was.” James glanced down at his hands

twisting in his lap.

Ben had to know. “You said you came home because you

needed to see me, Jay. Why?”

James closed his eyes, but soon opened them again. He took a

breath and steadily held Ben’s gaze. “When I finally stopped
looking at my life through rose-tinted glasses, I was able to see so
much I’d ignored or simply not seen clearly enough. One of them
was how good you had always been to me, and for me. I began to
believe…to hope you felt about me as I thought you did. The way I
feel about you.”

Ben’s heart was beating so fast he felt dizzy, but he had to

know. “And just how do you feel about me?”

“I love you so much I had to come home and beg you to

forgive me. To let me prove I’m worthy of a second chance. Tell
me I’m not wrong about you?”

He loves me! “If you’re asking if I’m gay, the answer is yes.”
“And will you? Forgive me and give me a chance to prove

myself?”

“And if I did, how long would you stay here before wanting to

return to your apartment in New York and try again? I couldn’t
take that, Jay, not again. I—”

“I thought you understood. I’m home for good.”

CHOICES

CHAPTER 6

From the utter surprise on Ben’s face, it was obvious to James

it had never occurred to Ben that James had returned home
permanently.

“You’re not going back to New York? You’re not just here on

a visit?”

James smiled. It wasn’t often Ben was so off kilter. “No, I’m

here for good. I decided my place is here with you. If you’ll have
me.”

Ben got to his feet and stood before James, who slowly rose

until he was almost toe-to-toe with Ben. “If you only knew how I
dreamed of this, you coming home and telling me you’d made a
mistake and that you should never have left. That you belonged
with me.” Ben grabbed James and pulled him in close, declaring,

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“You’re mine now, and I’ll never let go.”

James leaned back a little so he could see Ben’s face. “I have to

be honest, Ben. I don’t think I made a mistake when I went to New
York. I had to follow the dream that possessed me then. At that
time, it was the right thing for me. I think I needed to understand
what was really important to me and if I’d stayed here, believing it
was the wrong choice, it would likely have destroyed what could
be a wonderful future together.

“Life is a progression of choices. I know now that you’re more

important to me than anything else. You are my choice for the rest
of my life.”

“Jay,” Ben whispered, drawing James close again.
Their lips met, and James melted. He’d wondered what it

would be like to kiss Ben, fantasized a little, but the reality was so
much more intense than he possibly could have imagined. He’d
kissed girls and guys before, more than he cared to remember, but
none of them had ever affected him remotely the way Ben’s touch
did. It was like fire and ice, burning, tingling through him. He
never wanted it to end.

Gasping, they broke apart, and James laid his head on Ben’s

shoulder. “Did I tell you I love you?”

“Yes, you did, but you can say it as often as you like. And if I

haven’t said it to you, it’s only because I still can hardly believe
I’m not dreaming. I love you, James Lilley. I love you so much I
want to spend the rest of my life showing you.”

“You could start right now if you want.” James held Ben’s gaze

and smiled.

“Well, I never was one to refuse an invitation to a good time.”
“Plan to enjoy yourself, huh?”
“Damned right I do! Gonna join me?”

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“Thought you’d never ask.”
Ben was grinning as he grabbed hold of James’ hand and led

the way upstairs to his bedroom. The instant they entered the room,
Ben released him to lean back against the closed door and just
watch him stand by the bed. James frowned, until Ben said, “I love
seeing you there, but I’d prefer it if you weren’t wearing any
clothes.”

James flushed, not at the request, but how it made him feel

sexy and desirable. Without a word, he removed his jacket and
then his shirt, intently watching Ben’s reaction. When James
reached for his waistband and undid the button, Ben moved from
the door and came to James, as if drawn by an invisible cord. He
reached out and laid a hand on James’ chest, his fingers brushing
over nipples and making James suck in a breath at the intimate
touch.

“I can feel your heart beating”—Ben looked up to meet his

eyes—“beating so fast. Is that because of me?” Ben flicked one
nub and quickly moving over to the other one, twisted it.

“Fuck, yes!”
Ben’s hands moved around to James’ back and slid down

inside his pants, grasping his buttocks and pulling his body tightly
against Ben’s groin. James gasped, and Ben stuck his tongue into
his mouth. James tried to reach for his zipper, but, never breaking
the kiss, Ben pulled his hands free to grab James’ biceps and push
him backward. James couldn’t help the laugh rumbling inside.

Landing on the bed, James immediately missed the taste of his

lover—his lover—but then he found Ben was tugging at his zipper.

“Gently, I’m not going anywhere.”
Ben met his gaze and grinned. “Can’t wait any longer.”
“He says to the man who is half-undressed, while he is still

CHOICES

fully clothed,” James said with a raised eyebrow.

Ben glanced down at himself, as if he’d only just realized.

“Race you!” he said rolling off the bed.

James quickly divested himself of his remaining clothes and

glanced up to watch, fascinated, as Ben removed the last of his
stuff. “You take my breath away,” James murmured and Ben
raised his head, surprise clear in his eyes.

“I do? Fuck, don’t you ever look in the mirror?” Ben shook his

head in amazement, moving closer to touch, fingers drifting down
James’ arm with tender butterfly movements that sent tendrils of
fire through James, making him shiver. “And so very sensitive.”

“Oh God, Ben, what’re you trying to do?” James asked huskily,

“Drive me out of my mind?”

“Oh yeah, but not like this. Lie down.”
James immediately obeyed, and Ben climbed on the bed to

kneel over him. His eyes raked James’ body as he slowly lowered
himself to take James’ cock in his mouth. James thought he would
explode as Ben kissed the tip before licking along the length. His
cock was in Ben’s mouth—Ben’s mouth—and fuck, he knew how
to use it.

As Ben licked and nibbled his cock, his hand was playing with

James’ balls, lifting and caressing first one and then the other.
James arched from the bed as Ben finally took him in, deep-
throating him, and James could hardly believe what it felt like to
be encased in that heat.

Releasing his balls, Ben stroked along his perineum searching

out his entrance. James moaned and tossed his head from side to
side as Ben circled his hole, pressing in just a little, continuing to
work his cock as he played with his ass, kneading his cheeks and
brushing his hole.

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“Ben, Ben, that…that…” James’ thoughts tumbled away as he

was flooded with new sensations when Ben’s other hand caressed
his nipples. James discovered he had a direct connection between
his nipples and his cock as heat spread through him, tingling along
his nerves until he thought he might shatter into a million pieces.
“Keep that up, Ben, and I’m gonna come,” he gasped.

* * *

Hearing that desperation in James’ voice, Ben sucked again,

and when James cried out, he swallowed every drop, milking him
dry. Licking his lips in appreciation, Ben laid alongside James, idly
caressing his chest, fingers curling into wiry chest hair. After a few
moments, James turned to him, a smile forming.

Suddenly, James grabbed him and flipped Ben over onto his

back, eyes raking his body. “My turn,” James growled out, as he
rolled on top of him.

Ben sighed and wrapped his arms about him. “Help yourself,

Jay.”

The perspiration already slicking their bodies made the glide

easy as James slid over him, the movements making Ben hiss.
James trailed his fingers slowly over Ben’s body, teasing his
nipples and drawing a long line down his breastbone to finally dip
his fingers into Ben’s navel.

Ben moaned and bucked his hips, trying to draw attention to his

rock-hard cock, but James ignored him, instead dipping down to
lave and nuzzle his belly. His hands holding clumps of the bed
coverings in a death grip, Ben arched up from the bed, as James
finally took Ben’s cock in his hand. For a moment, James just held
it, as if testing for weight and texture.

CHOICES

“Fuck, Jay, do something, anything!”
Then James slid his hand up and down the length, swirling the

pre-come around the tip as he built up a rhythm. James glanced up
at Ben, but Ben could only hold the gaze for a second before
pleasure forced his eyes closed. James continued to make love to
his cock with his mouth and his hand, until Ben began to whimper.

“Please, Jay, please, please…”
James released Ben’s cock from his mouth and shifted his hand

to take a firmer grip. He curled over Ben and kissed along his
collarbone and, just as he gave a final twist of his wrist, he bit
down into the tender skin of his neck.

Ben cried out, “Jay!” as he climaxed and his seed coated their

stomachs and chests.

James held Ben as he shuddered through his orgasm, peppering

his hot skin with tiny kisses and murmuring words of
encouragement.

“Jay…Jay, that was so good.”
“Yeah, just wait until we get to round two.” James grinned, and

Ben could hardly wait.

“Just give me a little time to recover,” Ben said sleepily. The

last thing he remembered before drifting off was James
murmuring, “Rest of my life.”

* * *

Ben wasn’t sure how long he’d been dozing, but when he

opened his eyes, he was facing his lover. It was still dark, although
a sliver of moonlight made it just light enough to see James was
still fast asleep and Ben allowed himself to watch. It felt
miraculous that his dream had come true, a dream he’d all but

CHOICES

given up on. This time yesterday James had seemed as far away as
ever and then only… Jesus, only a few hours ago his whole life
changed when he’d opened the door to find the man he’d thought
lost forever standing on his doorstep. Oh, Jay, if only you knew
what this means to me!

As if he knew he was filling Ben’s thoughts, James opened his

eyes. For a moment, he looked confused, then he relaxed and a
smile broke out.

“Hello there,” James murmured, his gaze lingering on Ben’s

body, making him feel warm. As if he could read Ben’s mind,
James smiled. Then he sighed and added, “I suppose we ought to
finish our conversation. I never did get to tell you everything.”

“I guess.” Ben moved slightly, and as James edged closer, Ben

drew him into his embrace. “Never thought I’d ever be snuggling
up with you like this,” Ben said, holding James tighter.

“Never knew I was a snuggler until now,” James replied,

nuzzling his neck.

Ben shivered. “Thought you wanted to talk. Keep doing that

and talking will be the last thing on my mind.”

James sighed. “Not so much want to talk as need to. Here I am

with a whole new beginning and I’m not sure where to start.”

“What do you intend to do for work? Am I right in thinking

you just packed up one day and left?”

“More or less.” James shrugged. “The moment I accepted what

I really wanted, I started to plan. It didn’t take me long to pack and
I left New York two days later. I was pretty sure—no, let’s be
honest—I hoped I could get work using my computer skills, which,
if I say so myself, are pretty good.”

“That was a bit of a risk, what with the recession and all.”
“I know, pretty much what Aunt Carrie said. I told her I’d do

CHOICES

whatever was necessary to earn a living. The last job I had in New
York was filling orders in a stationery warehouse. I find I am no
longer proud.” James smiled.

Chewing his lower lip, wondering how James would react to

his offer, Ben ventured, “I’m sure you remember I was never that
great with a computer and my record keeping is very basic. You
could certainly help me, particularly with the financial stuff. I
don’t know how much is involved, but I can employ you part-
time.”

James kissed him, short and passionate, and when he broke off,

Ben was still reeling. James, however, just smiled gently as he
replied, “Thanks for the offer, Ben. I’ll certainly help you out any
way I can, but as a friend. I won’t work for you.”

“James. You just said you’re not proud and—”
“No, Ben. Let me finish. When Aunt Carrie saw how serious I

was, how important it was to me to forge my future here, she told
me she knows of someone in the next town who needs a computer
consultant. Apparently, he’s tried a couple of local guys, but he
wasn’t satisfied with what they could do for him. I’m sure there are
others in the area who’ll need my programming skills and I’m
prepared to travel to all the nearby small towns. I know how to
work hard and, given a little time, I know I can make a go of a
consultancy.”

Listening to James’ confidence, Ben found he believed it, too.

This was the James he’d gone to college with—the man who knew
what he wanted and went after it all guns blazing.

James went on, “And at least I don’t need to worry about a

place to live. Aunt Carrie told me yesterday that the house is
actually mine and she only took the place over as my guardian. I
suppose I should’ve realized it, but I never really thought about it.

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I’ve simply moved back into my old room.

“She offered to move out, but I told her no way, it’s her home,

too. Funny, just a few years apart and we seem closer now than
when we lived together.”

“That’s great,” Ben said, as soon as he could get a word in. He

rolled over until he was half-lying on James, who pulled him down
for another kiss. Ben lost himself in the bliss, sighing as they
separated. Ben smiled, one finger caressing James’ cheek as he
added, “Unless you want to live here with me?”

James’ eyes widened and he didn’t say anything.
“Whenever you’re ready. I didn’t mean to push,” Ben said. He

sat up, his stomach falling a little.

“It’s not that. I’d like nothing better than to live with you, but

not yet. Give me time to get myself back on my own two feet, then
I’ll feel ready to…” He grinned. “Run!”

Sitting up and facing Ben, James added, “Gotta say, living here

sure is the ideal place if we want to go swimming.”

From the look on James’ face, Ben knew exactly where his

thoughts had gone. With a grin, Ben said, “Shame we can’t skinny
dip like we used to when we were kids.”

James’ eyes sparkled. “Oh, I don’t know…”
Ben laughed. “We’re not teenagers any more, but maybe early

one morning. Right now, I have other more important things I want
to do with you. Let’s get wet another way this time.”

* * *

About half an hour later, they were back in bed after sharing a

shower. They’d washed each other, but kept it friendly, deciding to
investigate the joys of sex in the shower on another occasion.

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Something else to look forward to.

Scrambling back into bed, James asked, “Is it morning yet?”
Ben glanced at the alarm. “Not quite. Be dawn in about half an

hour.”

“Want to greet it in a special way?”
“Special, huh? How special?”
“Me inside you, or if prefer, you inside me? Don’t care

which…just want to feel that connection, you know?”

“Oh, yes.” Ben turned and opened the drawer beside the bed

and pulled out some lube and dropped it on the bed. “I’ve got lube,
Jay, but no condoms.” He raised a questioning eyebrow, then
feeling slightly embarrassed, he added, “I usually, um, get them on
my occasional visits to Canton.”

James nodded, hopped out of bed and rummaged in his jacket

pocket, pulling out his wallet. He took out two condoms, saying
sheepishly, “A habit I got into in New York. I won’t need to carry
any around with me from now on.”

“Oh, I don’t know. It might pay to be prepared.”
James laughed. “Okay, you can get a big box and keep it in the

drawer, and I’ll still keep a couple in my wallet for emergencies.”

“What kind of emergencies?”
“Oh, you know…you go out for a quiet evening with someone

special and he’s so sexy you can’t wait until you get home. You’ve
just gotta have him there and then, so you find some place quiet
and private.”

“Whew!” Ben said, fanning himself. “I think I’d like a date like

that.”

“Just tell me when.” James climbed back into bed. “Now,

where were we? Oh yes, that special connection. You inside me?”

“It’s pretty obvious you’re more experienced than I am, Jay, so

CHOICES

perhaps this first time it should be you inside me.”

James smiled. “First time? I like the sound of that.”
Ben smiled and settled comfortably on his stomach, opening

his legs wide to allow James to kneel between his thighs. James
began with gentle caresses across Ben’s shoulders and down first
one arm and then the other, leaning down occasionally to press
kisses where fingers had been moments before. He stroked the
back of each hand tenderly and then turned it over and caressed the
palms and each finger one by one, kissing each fingertip lovingly.
Sliding back up Ben’s arms, James switched his ministrations to
Ben’s back and, using long, slow strokes, moved over his spine
and then down his flanks.

“Oh God, Jay, that feels wonderful,” Ben murmured.
“You have a gorgeous ass. Did you know that?” James teased.
“Then do something with it!”

* * *

Smiling, James smoothed his hands over the gentle swell of his

lover’s ass, and Ben moaned his appreciation. Travelling in ever
decreasing circles, James’ hands moved lower toward the top of
Ben’s thighs, completely ignoring his crease. Ben squirmed, trying
to make James’ hands go where he desired.

Bending over, James whispered, “Patience,” in Ben’s ear, then

kissing his neck before settling back to continue his exploration of
Ben’s body. He was now stroking down his legs from thigh to calf,
and Ben was muttering into the pillow.

“What’s that, Ben?” James grinned, dropping a kiss on Ben’s

ass.

“Get on with it and stop torturing me,” Ben demanded.

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James laughed and, without warning, he stroked a lubed finger

along the crease of Ben’s ass, and Ben gasped at the sensation.
James sought out his opening and pressed the finger gently but
firmly into the first ring of muscle. Ben lifted his hips to push
back.

“Slowly, Ben; savor our first time.”
“Oh God, yeah,” Ben replied, as James continued to push his

finger inside, stretching his lover to take him.

Soon a second finger joined the first, pressing and twisting,

opening him up bit by bit, as James encouraged him. “That’s
it…just a little more…one more finger and then you’ll feel me.
You want that, don’t you? Me inside you, owning you.”

“Yes, now…don’t need another finger…just need you. Now,

please!”

“Hush, Ben, no. You’re so damn tight and I won’t hurt you.

Just a little longer.”

“It’s been a while,” Ben admitted.
“Here we go with the third finger. Feel that?” he asked, as he

found what he was searching for and he didn’t need Ben to answer
him in words; his back arched and he moaned long and loud.

James pulled his fingers free and quickly lubed himself. “Turn

over, Ben. I want to see your face.”

Ben rolled over. James raised Ben’s legs over his thighs and

lined himself up. “Ready?” he asked.

“Oh, yes.” Ben stared at him, eyes dark with passion. James

leaned over him and swiftly took his mouth in a bruising kiss. Ben
hissed as his engorged cock was rubbed between their bodies and,
as James leaned back, Ben reached to take a hold of his dick.

“No,” James said. “Don’t touch yourself.”
Ben sighed, but complied.

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James pressed against his lover’s opening and began to push,

slowly but steadily, inside. “Relax, Ben,” he murmured. “Relax.”

Ben just murmured at him to get on with it, but James felt

Ben’s muscles relax a little as he kept pushing into the warm,
welcoming heat. “That’s it. That’s it.”

Ben squirmed a bit, and James lifted Ben’s legs higher. All at

once he slid all the way in, feeling his balls slap against Ben’s ass.

“Oh, God, Jay that feels…it feels… Oh God! Move, move.”
So James did, pulling slowly out to thrust back in, holding

Ben’s legs as he set a rhythm, finally hooking them over his
shoulders and leaning over his lover as Ben kept repeating, “More,
more.”

James was slamming into him repeatedly now, each movement

rubbing Ben’s cock trapped between their bodies. Ben’s mantra
was now little more than unintelligible sounds, while James could
only manage moans and the repetition of his lover’s name over and
over as he felt his climax begin to gather, seemingly from every
cell in his body.

“Going to…going to come, Ben. Ben!” James saw lights and

colors swirl behind his tightly shut eyelids as his orgasm raced
through him, out of his body and into Ben’s, which was enough to
bring Ben off, too, his seed spilling between their hot bodies as
James collapsed on top of him.

A moment or an hour later—James had no idea—but he opened

his eyes to find he was staring at himself. It took a second for his
blood-starved brain cells to realize it was his reflection.

“Look, Ben,” James said softly, leaning down to kiss his

lover’s shoulder.

Slowly, Ben returned to some semblance of awareness and

turned to look at James. “What?” he murmured.

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“Look,” he repeated, nodding, and Ben followed his gaze.
There they were in the mirror, James still inside Ben, their arms

and legs entwined, both men smiling at the reflection.

TEVIE

OODS

Stevie is a Brit living in the Northwest of England and has recently
been able to leave her day job behind—though it’s a quandary that
there still doesn’t seem to be much more free time in her day!

A long-time avid reader of romance with a dash of adventure,
Stevie only stumbled over “slash” pairings a few years ago and
was an immediate convert. Having dabbled with writing on and off
for years, Stevie was tapping away on the keyboard not long
afterward, inventing stories around two hot guys, gaining her first
publication in the summer of 2007.

Stevie likes reading stories with a good strong plot and believable
characters and does her best to create them in her own work.

Stevie has a soft spot for Historical settings but also thoroughly
enjoys Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Paranormal and Contemporary, finding
the similarities as intriguing as the differences. Stevie already has a
variety of novels, novellas and short stories released by various
publishers.

To learn more about Stevie, please visit her website at
http://steviewoods.com, or email her at stevie@steviewoods.com.

* * *

Don’t miss More Than Chains To Bind

by Author,

available at AmberAllure.com!

When Prince Liander and his Guardian, Hollis, are captured
during a raid while visiting the south coast of Tesla, they find
themselves chained in pairs to other captive villagers. Once taken
aboard ship, they realize they’re prisoners of their country’s
ruthless enemy, and for his protection, it's vital Liander’s identity
is kept secret.

The new slaves are horrified to learn they’re to be trained in the
use of swords, other weapons, and unarmed combat so they can
fight in an arena for the entertainment of their captors. The
situation is made worse because Fortil, to whom Liander is
chained, has no respect for his prince and has only one goal—to
force the young man to have sex with him. Yet there is only one
man Liander is interested in, and it certainly isn’t Fortil.

Hollis worries about his charge, wishes to whisk Liander to safety,
but there’s nothing he can do as they are kept separate in different
training halls, chained to other slaves, and seeing each other only
rarely. Escape seems impossible, and desperation grows when it
becomes obvious they may be forced to one day battle each other
for their very survival…

MBER

UILL

RESS

LLC

OLD

TANDARD IN

UBLISHING

UALITY

OOKS

OTH

RINT AND

LECTRONIC

ORMATS

CTION

DVENTURE

USPENSE

HRILLER

CIENCE

ICTION

ARK

ANTASY

AINSTREAM

OMANCE

ORROR

ROTICA

ANTASY

GLBT

ESTERN

YSTERY

ARANORMAL

ISTORICAL

IRECT

AVE

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