 That Old Gang of Mine An AmberPax™ Collection of Reunions Gay Erotic Romance Genre: Gay (M/M) Erotic Romance Cover Copyright ©2012 by Trace Edward Zaber |
Chase the Ace by Clare London Novella (Gay/Contemporary) | Choices by Stevie Woods Extended Amber Kiss (Gay/Contemporary) |
Doors of Time by KC Kendricks Novella (Gay/Contemporary) | Just Between Us by Aislinn Kerry Extended Amber Kiss (Gay/Contemporary/Menage) | Wallflowers by Sean Michael Extended Amber Kiss (Gay/Contemporary) |
In high school, Alex, Matt, and Gavin had been an inseparable trio, but all that changed when Matt and Alex started dating, and Gavin turned his back on both of them. Now in their late twenties, Alex and Matt are still together, but years of routine have worn their relationship into a rut.
When Alex unexpectedly runs into Gavin during a boys-night-out for the first time since high school, he's shocked to realize just how hot the other man has become. Alex loves Matt, but he can't deny his attraction to Gavin. And the more the three friends reconnect, the more Alex starts to suspect that the unrequited crush that drove Gavin away isn't quite a thing of the past that they thought it was.
And that crush might not have been as unrequited as it originally seemed, either. In fact, Gavin might be just the breath of fresh air that Alex and Matt need to breathe new life into their struggling relationship...if their hearts can survive it...
Genres: Gay / Contemporary / Ménage (M/M/M) / Group Sex
Heat Level: 3
Length: Extended Amber Kiss (16k words))
...The sound of the bedroom door latching shut behind Matt and Gavin made Alex’s shoulders twitch as though it had been a gunshot. He turned, halfway into the room, nerves crawling through his stomach.
Gavin kept his gaze turned somewhere halfway between the two of them, angled more or less at the floor. He had his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his jeans, curled into tight fists. Behind him, Matt looked just as at a loss. He moved away from the door slowly, his steps quiet on the carpet, as though a loud sound might cause any one of them to bolt.
Alex wasn’t entirely sure that he was wrong about that, either. Matt mostly looked uncertain, but Gavin’s gaze was tense, roving, the restlessness of an animal trapped in a cage.
“I’m sorry,” he said abruptly, making Matt and Alex both jump.
For a sinking moment, Alex thought he’d been even more right than he knew, that Gavin had decided he wasn’t up for this after all and was about to run.
“I’m not…” Gavin pulled his hands out of his pockets and made a helpless gesture. “I do this all the time,” he muttered, frowning. “It shouldn’t be a big deal. I don’t know why I’m being so weird about it.”
Matt startled at the reminder of Gavin’s job. Alex pressed the pad of his thumb against the center of his brow and tried to just keep breathing evenly. “It’s not just you,” he muttered. Gavin shot him a look like Alex had just thrown him a lifeline. “But maybe we’d better not get into your work experience just now.”
Color washed across Gavin’s face. It was endearing. Combined with his too-loose jeans and his There’s no place like 127.0.0.1 tee, he looked much more like the Gavin Alex remembered from high school, shy and awkward and fiercely defensive of his geekiness. Alex wasn’t sure if that made doing this easier, or harder.
Matt let out a heavy sigh that made them both jump. “All right,” he muttered. “First step is the hardest, right?” He grabbed the collar of his shirt and dragged it off over his head, then wadded it up into a ball and tossed it at the laundry hamper.
Relief washed across Gavin’s face. Alex waggled his brows at Matt, whistled and catcalled to break the tension. Matt laughed and gave his hips a little wiggle.
Gavin took his shirt off next. He folded it and laid it neatly on a chair as though Alex or Matt might scold him for making a mess of their room. But then he went for his belt, and Alex froze. Matt flinched a little bit as color burned across his cheeks. “Oh. I didn’t mean—”
Gavin glanced up at both of them and stilled with jeans halfway down his hips. Color washed across his cheeks, burned fierce and bright as his expression fell. “Fuck,” he muttered, scrubbing a hand across his face. “Fuck me. I thought— I thought we were just going to jump straight into the deep end, get it over with.”
Matt cleared his throat carefully. “I had been thinking more along the lines of dipping our toes into the water.”
“I’m sorry.” Gavin turned blindly, took two short steps back to the chair and reached with unsteady hands for the clothes he’d just shed. “I’m just making a royal mess of this, aren’t I? Maybe I should—”
Alex moved toward him, caught his hands, fingers circling his wrists and stilling him. He took the shirt out of Gavin’s hands and tossed it over the back of the chair. “You should stay.” He put a firmness into his voice he wasn’t sure he felt.
Gavin hesitated, then dropped his gaze down to the ground. “I’m really not sure I should,” he whispered.
There was hesitancy in him now, an uncertainty to his movements, as though he doubted every gesture. His fingers curled into half-formed fists, then straightened out again. He cast a sidelong glance past Alex, toward his shirt. He moved his hand as though to reach for it, then stilled and lowered it haltingly back to his side.
Fuck. The painful uncertainty in him hit Alex like a blow to the gut. It was wrong. He’d been so strong at the club, powerful and sure of himself, immune to any shock or scorn anyone might have thrown his way. Now he was here, and if Alex hadn’t known better, he might have thought Gavin had never taken his clothes off in front of another guy before in his life.
Yes, well, of course he’s uncertain, Einstein...
Calvin Lawson arrives in Clear River to rebuild bridges with his ailing father, not hook up with Emory Fleming, although being an honest man, he has to admit Emory’s on his mind. But first things first, and before he goes looking for his boyhood friend, he needs to find a restoration project to generate personal income so he’s not sponging off his father. Gutted by an arsonist, the Clocktower Theatre, affectionately called the Time by everyone in town, is in dire need of his special skills.
As an on-the-air journalist, Emory is making a name for himself and getting noticed. He’s back in Clear River at the local network affiliate, preparing for the move up to a major market in a few years. When Calvin rolls back into town, Emory’s stunned. The old pal he worked with at the Time kept a big secret—he’s gay. All the fantasies Emory had as a teenager suddenly become real as he and Calvin reconnect and quickly become lovers.
Calvin’s planned restoration of the Clocktower Theatre may not be a practical possibility. He has to secure a lot of funding to do the job properly, and money is tight everywhere. When Emory’s big break comes faster than anticipated, Calvin sees only one option—step aside so Emory will accept the job he’s always wanted. It doesn’t take Emory long to figure out why Calvin walked away, and he puts into action a plan to win him back before the doors of time close between them permanently.
Genres: Gay/Contemporary
Heat Level: 3
Length: Novella (29k words)
...“You don’t know what do when someone acts all gentlemanly toward you, do you?”
Emory reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “Not really, but I’m willing to work on it.” He climbed into the car, and Calvin closed the door.
If he were lucky, his knees wouldn’t buckle as he walked around to the driver’s side of the Charger and got the vehicle moving.
It wasn’t news to Calvin that Emory liked to lead, but some habits were hard to break. From an early age, his mother had drilled polite manners into him. A man opened doors, carried packages, pulled chairs out from tables, and held umbrellas. As far as Calvin was concerned, being genteel applied to gay men as much as straight guys. But maybe Emory didn’t see it that way.
“I won’t open the door for you if it makes you that uncomfortable.”
Emory pulled his keys out of his pocket and fidgeted with them. “It’s been a long time since anyone did it. It’s not all good memories, Calvin.”
Had one of those older men who swarmed around Emory hurt him? “What’s that mean, or don’t you want to tell me?”
“As a younger man, I seemed to attract a macho element intent on making me their bitch.” Emory looked at him and lifted his hands, palms up. “And there you sit, only gay for a few hours.”
Calvin snorted. “Disconcerting, isn’t it?”
“You don’t know the half of it. I mean, I tell you you’re dessert and that makes you decide to have dinner with me?”
Calvin parked the car beside Emory’s little sports coupe. “I was leaning toward dinner without dessert, but your way sounds more interesting.”
Emory scrambled from the car as he reached for the door handle. “I’ll leave your name at the front desk.”
Calvin hurried after him and blocked his escape into his own ride. “Wait a second! What are you scared of, Emory?”
“Feeling sixteen and clueless again.”
He was familiar with what Emory described. He had a case of it right now, but Calvin wasn’t going to let it stop him. He’d thought about Emory for so many years, and in the blink of an eye, he had a chance. Even if he screwed it up royally, he had to take his shot. Calvin cupped the back of Emory’s neck and kissed him.
Shock jolted through Calvin, an electric current that left heat in its wake. Emory’s soft lips opened and his tongue flicked across Calvin’s upper lip. His mouth opened, and Emory dove in, his silky tongue gliding over Calvin’s with invitation and promise. Calvin’s body tightened as blood rushed through his veins to deafen him. His cock filled, rock hard in just a few throbbing beats. He pushed Emory back against the side of car. Emory’s thighs strained against his as he arched his pelvis against his, the ridge of his dick riding along Calvin’s hard-on. Stars danced behind Calvin’s closed eyes.
This is what had been missing when he kissed other guys. They weren’t Emory. How could he have known the man’s taste and smell when they’d never been this close before? But he’d known all the others weren’t “right.” And Emory was.
Calvin pulled away and sucked in a desperate breath before he did something silly like pass out from lack of oxygen. Emory blinked at him, his blue eyes gone black and wild.
“Why didn’t you do that ten years ago?”
Calvin opened his mouth to speak and finally managed to shake his head and shrug. He swallowed and tried again, but the words wouldn’t come, so he did the only thing he could think to do. He cupped Emory’s cheeks with his palms and kissed him again. Calvin had no doubt where they were headed when Emory moaned softly into his mouth and gripped his hips to pull him closer. He ended the kiss and rested his forehead against Emory’s.
“We, um, should get moving.”
Emory’s hands slid up his sides in a slow caress. “To where? The station or my place?”
Calvin took a moment to breathe. “I don’t want to be in an unseemly hurry, but your place...”
Best friends since kindergarten, Ben and James are separated after college graduation by their different choices. Ben stays in their small hometown while James heads off to New York with dreams of money and success. Ben works to make his life follow the path he wants, and dreams of the day when James realizes he made a mistake and comes back home.
Each man promises to stay in touch, but this pledge falls by the wayside as James’ life in the big city takes off, leaving Ben yearning for a dream that gradually fades as the years pass.
But in New York, James finds that not all dreams are worth the cost of a wrong choice...
Genres: Gay/Contemporary
Heat Level: 2
Length: Extended Amber Kiss (16k words)
...“Keep an eye on Suzie, though,” Ben said. “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.
“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 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 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...
Newly single in his late twenties, and looking for more fun than he gets from his boring job, Daniel Cross soon discovers the lure of social media. After a few hiccups, he’s excited at the chance of tracking down his old mates from the Scorching Summer Sports Club of 1990. He lost touch with his “Gang of Four” after that summer, but now he launches a personal quest to find out what kind of man each boy has become.
It starts well with a link to the first boy’s current address, through a mutual friend on Facebook, until Dan realises he’s been chatting online to the wrong man—Nick Carson isn’t an old school friend at all. It’s a genuine mistake, and Nick isn’t offended. He offers to accompany Dan on the trip to find the others. It’s the first step to friendship and something more for both of them.
For Dan, the reunions with the “Gang of Four” range from startling, heartening and disturbing. Nick’s company is a constant support, though neither of them are prepared for the exposure of personal secrets they’d thought were long-hidden. Dan begins to suspect that he’s really looking for a direction in his own life—and the excitement and purpose he craves may be closer to home than a quest with its roots in a boyhood dream.
Genres: Gay/Contemporary
Heat Level: 3
Length: Novella (24k words)
...I glanced at my watch. “My lift’s arriving at eleven.”
“That’s another thing. Why aren’t you getting a taxi?” She looked worried again. “Driving off with some stranger, it’s odd. And potentially dangerous. You know, I could drive you wherever you want to go.”
God forbid. “It’s not a stranger, it’s another kid who was in the summer club. Well, he’s an adult now of course. I found him online and we’ve chatted a few times already. He’s got a current address for one of the people I’m looking for.”
“One of your Gang of Four?” Alice caught my look of surprise and smirked. “You talked a lot about them that year. I was always sorry you didn’t get to go back to the club…” Her voice trailed off and she looked suddenly sad.
“I’m fine.” I gave her a quick hug. “And looking forward to getting started on my quest.” The doorbell rang. Glancing at my watch again, I saw he was early.
“Shall I let him in?” Alice asked, already sidling toward the hallway.
I darted past her with a glower, and opened the front door myself with a ready smile. Then paused. My smile remained in place but it wasn’t quite as ready.
The man on the doorstep nodded slowly. “I’m not the person you expected, am I?”
I gaped. “I’m…well…no.”
He smiled ruefully. “Look, it’s okay. I thought so. I think you got me mixed up with my brother, Nathan.”
“Nathan Carson?” I was still gaping, like an impression of a hungry goldfish.
“Yes. I’m Nick Carson, Nathan’s older brother.” He peered at me. “You were looking for anyone who knew the Scorching Summer Sports Club? Who went there in the summer of 1990? I didn’t, but my brother Nate did.”
Things were starting to make horrible sense. “I friended you on Facebook!”
He nodded again.
“By mistake?” My voice came out in a squeak.
He shrugged. “It happens. Same initial. You know how it is.” He looked as if he doubted I did. There was high colour in his cheeks. It was actually very attractive. “I replied because I did know the club. And Nate’s not on Facebook, you see. But when you went into details about wanting to find your friends, I thought it was time to come along and…uh…meet you. Let you know the mistake. A face to face explanation felt better to me than just shooting you down online.”
“Um…thanks,” I said, feeling like the greatest idiot that had ever lived. I sneaked a better glance at the man on the doorstep. He didn’t look much like Nathan, even if I only had my memory to extrapolate what Nathan would look like now, at sixteen plus some twelve years. My visitor—Nick Carson—was taller than me by a couple of inches and leaner. His hair was short and he was clean-shaven. Clothes were smart/casual¬—a polo shirt, fitted jeans and Converse Hi-Tops. I’d wanted a pair of them myself a couple of years ago, but one of my exes who wore nothing but Hollister persuaded me they weren’t for old farts like me. Yes, and that was one of the reasons why he was an ex, but the caution had persisted.
I glanced back up and caught Nick’s gaze on me. His dark hair looked thick and natural, and his smile was striking. For a brief second, I saw the resemblance in that smile to my old football mate. But during that summer I spent at the SSSC with Nathan and all the other kids, I didn’t remember ever thinking Nathan was my type, even if he hadn’t been straight. Whereas Nick...
