Jocelynn Drake's Blog: Announcements, page 17

Devour is out...at long last!

After what felt like an incredibly long wait...Devour is finally out. Yes, you can get the full details on Ian and Hollis. You will also finally get to find out what happens to Lucas and Andrei after the rough ending of Torch.

It's kind of hard to believe that just a little over two years ago Rinda and I started talking about the Unbreakable Bonds series. It was through the pushing and prodding of a mutual friend that we finally started seriously talking doing a series together. I had written the first few chapters of Shiver, introducing her to the boys. And yeah, like pretty much everyone, she fell in love with Snow. (But how can you not love Snow?!?!)

But that's how the romance started. There were Lucas and Andrei... and then Snow and Jude... and then Rowe and Noah....

The whole time, you saw Ian and Hollis in the background, touching the lives of everyone within the series, just waiting for their turn to shine.

And I'm happy to report that they definitely shine in their own book - DEVOUR.

If you haven't had a chance to pick up your copy yet, you can order the ebooks here:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

iBooks

Smashwords

In addition, you will be able to find print copies at Amazon and Barnes & Noble as well.

And if you are just now starting the series, the timing couldn't be better. You can go here to Unbreakable Bonds to see the entire reading list as well as links to the free stories. And when you're ready to start chatting with other readers about the series, you can always join our Facebook group, Unbreakable Readers.

But don't worry if you've finished Devour already. Rinda and I have lots of great books still planned for readers. We will be releasing short story collections for both Rowe and Ian later this year. In addition, we will be releasing the first book in the spin-off from the Unbreakable Bonds series, called Ward Security. And if you've read Devour, you've likely seen our announcement of who is going to be featured in the first book of this new series.

Finally, we'd like to thank all the readers, reviewers, and bloggers who have supported us and the Unbreakable Bonds series over the past couple of years. We've had a wonderful time writing these books and sharing them with you. We're touched that you've fallen in love with the boys as well and honored that you have gone on this adventure with us.

We can't wait to share the next book with you.

Happy reading!

A Final Playlist for Lucas and Andrei

Before I had the nerve to pitch the series idea to Rinda, there was Lucas. I’d even written a few chapters, churning out several thousand words as easily as drawing a breath. There was always Lucas — confident, overprotective, and hurting in ways that he wasn’t willing to admit even to his closest friends.

And for Lucas… there was always Andrei.

A promise of something he didn’t expect to ever find for himself.

When I started working on Devour with Rinda, it was always playing in the back of my mind that it could be the last time that I ever write a scene from either Lucas or Andrei’s point of view. It might be the last time we get that close look at their relationship, their tumultuous love affair, their stumbling attempts at finding a middle ground.

Before starting that first Lucas chapter for Devour , I created a special playlist for him and Andrei. Some of the songs helped me through Shiver as well as the other books of the Unbreakable Bonds series, while some are unique to Lucas.

Are you ready to see the songs that were driving the words to the page?
Lucas & Andrei’s Playlist
Hurt by Nine Inch Nails

Hate Me by Blue October

Raining in Baltimore by Counting Crows

Right Where It Belongs by Nine Inch Nails

Say Something by A Great Big World

Just Give Me a Reason by P!nk

Hold on to Me (Cause I’m A Little Unsteady) by X Ambassadors

All of Me by John Legend

 

Yeah, some of this is brutal, but they had to go through some dark times at the end of Torch before finding their way back to each other.

And you don’t want to miss how their story ends…

Be sure that you’ve pre-ordered your copy of Devour . The book will be out on Friday, April 28.

Your Guide to Preparing for Devour

It’s almost time! We are less than a month away from the release of  Devour , Book 4 of the Unbreakable Bonds series. It’s been a long, hard road to getting here with Ian and his friends. Are you ready to get some sexy time with Ian and a certain snarky cop? Are you ready to face down Jagger?

Rinda and I are definitely getting excited. We’re making our final tweaks and it will soon be going out to reviewers.

As Rinda and I get everything prepped for the release, I think it’s also important to have a reader’s guide to help you prepare for  Devour . This is important because this is technically the last novel for the Unbreakable Bonds series.
Guide to Prepare for Devour
Step 1. Have you read  Shiver ?  You know, it is helpful to read the first book. While each novel focuses on a different couple, the overall story does connect through each book. And, of course, you want to get all the good dirt on millionaire Lucas Vallois and his bodyguard Andrei Hadeon. There’s still time to catch up!

Step 2. Look at pictures of the models who inspired Lucas, Andrei, Snow, Jude and all the Unbreakable boys. Here is a link to our Tumblr page. Yeah, Rinda finds some really great pictures. And in case you’re wondering, Andrei is MINE.

Step 3. Read the Unbreakable Stories: Lucas collection. There are several short stories as well as novelette that brings all the boys together. Some of the short stories in the collection are available for free here:

The Meeting

Perfect

Te Iubesc

Step 4. Read Shatter . You don’t want to miss one word of Jude and Snow together. The cranky doctor has finally met his match in this paramedic as they fight a ghost from Snow’s past.

Step 5. You know, it’s been two whole steps since you last look at those pictures of the Unbreakable Boys. Maybe it’s a good idea to go back to the Tumblr page again.

Step 6. Read the Unbreakable Stories: Snow collection. This collection contains several short stories and a novelette that takes the boys on a camping trip that they will never forget. Some of the short stories in the collection are available for free here:

House Hunting with Anna: Short Story #1

No Walls are Sacred: Short Story #2 

The Home We Make: Short Story #3

Step 7. Are you really ready for Torch ? What happened to Rowe in Shatter was rough and you might need a moment to collection your thoughts? No. I didn’t really think so. It’s time to jump into Rowe’s adventure and meet his old friend from the Army, Noah. Can Rowe find happiness again and stop an arsonist? Let’s see…

Step 8. Wow! That was hot. Okay, but you might need a little more of Rowe and Noah. I completely understand. That’s why we have these three free short stories waiting for you here:

Piece of Pie: Short Story #1

Mistletoe: Short Story #2

Gotcha: Short Story #3

Step 9. Pre-order Devour . You don’t want to miss a second of Ian and Hollis. Be sure to pre-order your copy so that it’s waiting for you on your e-reader the second it is available. You can find the links for Devour here.

Step 10. Join the Unbreakable Readers Facebook group. This is our official group where you will be able to discuss the events of the Unbreakable Bonds series with other readers. Rinda and I have also posted an exclusive sneak peek of Devour here as well as announced the title of Book 3. Click here to join the group now! Rinda and I are on the group frequently, giving hints and secrets. Don't miss out!

Step 11. Sign up for our newsletter so that you will get notifications of important book releases, sneak peeks, contests, and other great information.

Step 12. It has been a really long time since you looked at our inspiration for the boys. I think it might be a good idea to stop back by our Tumblr page.

I hope you enjoyed this fun guide to the Unbreakable Bonds series. Happy Reading!

Cover Reveal for Devour

We are one month away from the release of Devour !

Rinda and I have had a blast working on the books for the Unbreakable Bonds series. Each of the main characters have surprised us one way or another. There's definitely no way to pick a favorite among them, we've come to love them all so much. And we know that readers have anxiously awaited the release of Ian and Hollis's book since the two characters first met in Shiver.

Rinda and I are absolutely thrilled to reveal the cover today! Stephen Drake of Design by Drake is responsible for this stunner, as well as all the other covers for the Unbreakable Bonds series. Check out his other work here!

Ian Pierce is the chef and part owner of the hottest restaurant in Cincinnati, his chosen family is full of happy relationships, and the scruffy, snarky cop who has been haunting his dreams is one step closer to being in his bed. But everything comes crashing down when the past he narrowly escaped nine years ago comes to a deadly head.

Hollis Banner was enamored of Ian at first sight. He’s kept his distance, knowing the gorgeous, self-confident man is out of his league. Yet there’s no standing aside when Boris Jagger escapes a raid. Jagger's world has been nearly destroyed and this time, the crime boss is coming after Ian and his friends personally.

Hollis will do whatever it takes to keep Ian safe as they escape to a safe house with a couple of Ian's overprotective friends. And Ian finds himself in a race to unlock painful memories—memories containing information that could take down the very last of Jagger's illegal operations forever.

Devour is available for pre-order at:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

iBooks

Devour comes out Friday, April 28.

What do you think of the cover for Devour? Do you think we have another winner? Do you have a favorite cover out of the Unbreakable Bonds series?

Devour Pre-Order Is Up!

It's hard to believe. Rinda and I have technically completed the Unbreakable Bonds series. Just last week, we handed over the final draft of DEVOUR - book 4 of the Unbreakable Bonds series - and took a deep breath.

We have had a lot of fun writing the Unbreakable Bond series. When we started writing these books, we had a general plan for what would happen and how the characters would grow. Some things went according to plan... and well, some things didn't.

Of course, now that we've finished DEVOUR, that doesn't necessarily mean that we're done with our boys. They're too much fun to completely walk away from. We are working on Rowe's short story collection right now and we will have the free stories for Ian and a certain snarky cop.

We also announced earlier this year on our Unbreakable Readers group that we will be doing a spin-off series called Ward Security. The first book will be releasing later this year.

But don't worry! Rinda and I have many plans in the works and we should probably have some great news and craziness that we will be announcing when we are at GRL Retreat in October.

In the meantime... what you really want to know about: Ian and Hollis.

Here is a description of the book:

Ian Pierce is the chef and part owner of the hottest restaurant in Cincinnati, his chosen family is full of happy relationships, and the scruffy, snarky cop who has been haunting his dreams is one step closer to being in his bed. But everything comes crashing down when the past he narrowly escaped nine years ago comes to a deadly head.

Hollis Banner was enamored of Ian at first sight. He’s kept his distance, knowing the gorgeous, self-confident man is out of his league. Yet there’s no standing aside when Boris Jagger escapes a raid. Jagger’s world has been nearly destroyed and this time, the crime boss is coming after Ian and his friends personally.

Hollis will do whatever it takes to keep Ian safe as they escape to a safe house with a couple of Ian’s overprotective friends. And Ian finds himself in a race to unlock painful memories—memories containing information that could take down the very last of Jagger’s illegal operations forever.

Devour will be out on Friday, April 29.

You can currently pre-order the book at:

Amazon

Kobo

iBooks

(The pre-order will be up on Barnes & Noble soon. We will also be releasing a print edition.)

 

Gotcha - A Rowe Short Story

For your reading pleasure, here is the final free Rowe and Noah short story. You can catch the other free short stories for Rowe along with Lucas and Snow here.

Also, if you've not had a chance to read Rowe and Noah's story, you can get more details about Torch , book 3 of the Unbreakable Bonds series, here.

Gotcha

Rowe crouched down, knees aching bad enough that he had to clench his teeth against the fresh torrent of curses that were about to break forth. He hid behind an outcropping of boulders and tree limbs, drawing in a deep breath as he popped the magazine from the handle of his gun. Only three shots left. Not great.

Spring had moved into the area early this year, but there still weren’t enough leaves on the trees and bushes to offer him any kind of decent cover considering that it was midday. He needed to keep moving if he wanted to stay alive.

With his pistol clenched in his right hand, Rowe slowly shifted, making as little noise as possible to look around the immediate area. He was in another damn valley with a small stream chattering away behind him, swollen in its banks and rushing over flat slate rocks. Golden sunlight shined down from a rare blue sky. The temperature was only in the fifties, but sweat trickled down the side of his face.

A few birds darted between trees, their calls muted. Most of the birds hadn’t returned from their winter home just yet. It was so damn quiet. He could feel the eyes on him, but he couldn’t guess as to where the bastard was hiding. The trees weren’t so close that he couldn’t see a far distance, and yet he couldn’t guess as to where his would-be attacker was lurking. He was running out of options.

“Someone give me a damn report,” he growled, his voice barely a whisper.

“It’s down to just you and Noah, boss,” Sven said in the earpiece he was wearing. “And he’s carrying his team’s flag with him.”

“Fuck,” Rowe snarled, rocking back on the balls of his feet to relieve some of the burning in the muscles of his calves. He refused to fucking lose to Noah. He’d never hear the end of it.

It had been damn rough year for Ward Security. They’d lost some customer accounts and one damn good guard. With Andrei’s help, Rowe had expanded their ranks with some solid talent and Gidget was making some nice headway in setting up some offshore servers so they could start offering clients a digital form of privacy protection.

But it had been Noah’s idea for a team outing. Something to help build a sense of camaraderie and to burn off a little stress. They pulled all the guards they could along with some of the back-office staff and divided into three teams: the Green Team led by Andrei, the Blue Team led by Rowe, and the Red Team led by Noah. Everyone had been given a paintball handgun with six shots and were directed to snag another team’s flag while defending their own.

While both his team and Andrei’s team had taken the tact of splitting their teams so that half defended their flag while the other half made a go at another team’s flag, the Red Team went rogue and apparently put their flag on the run with Noah.

It actually wasn’t a bad call considering that Noah had years of experience as an Army Ranger. The man knew how to move fast and stay unseen. It was unlikely that anyone was going to get the drop on Noah and it freed up his entire team to go after another team’s flag, which turned out to be the unfortunate Green Team’s.

Rowe shifted his stance again, getting ready to move. He’d dart across the stream and then start up the opposite hill to get a better vantage point before starting to sweep back toward the base that his team at set up. If he didn’t locate Noah soon, they’d have to call time and declare a tie. They needed to get on the bus to ride back to Ward Security, where Ian’s staff was setting up a surprise dinner for his people.

He looked over his shoulder one last time to see some movement out of the corner of his eye. He wasn’t quite sure what he saw, but he didn’t question his instincts. He dove forward, firing once in the direction of the movement before darting behind the other side of the outcropping. Over the rustle of dead leaves, he heard the distinct sound of a paintball smacking against a rock.

Noah’s laugh rang out, echoing through the empty woods. “You’re getting slow, old man,” he cackled.

“If I’m so slow, you should have hit me,” Rowe called back in a teasing sing-song, as he started to consider his options. They were pretty damn bad. Noah had the high ground and he couldn’t rely on the man being a horrible shot. He knew better. He was damn lucky that Noah hadn’t nailed him with the first shot.

“You willing to make a little side bet with me over the outcome of this standoff,” Noah asked.

Rowe moved slowly around his cover, trying to get a better view of the area where Noah was hiding without revealing any of himself. His voice sounded as if it was coming from the same location as before. “What kind of bet were you thinking?”

“A bet that involves toys.”

Rowe swallowed back a groan. He loved all of Noah’s ideas when they came to toys — in and out of the bedroom. Unfortunately he wasn’t sure which one he was talking about at that moment. “Is this bet going to require me to have yet another meeting with our HR department about what is and isn’t work-appropriate conversation?”

More laughter rang out from Noah and Rowe took the opportunity to get a better look at the area. He still couldn’t see Noah, but he had a better idea of where he was. The tree likely protecting Noah was huge with a wide base, but there weren’t any bushes nearby. Noah’s only cover was the tree.

“But I’m your boyfriend,” Noah cried.

“And you’re my freaking employee,” Rowe grumbled.

“You’re the one who was shouting about grabbing the lube next time we sparred.”

Rowe swallowed back his own laugh at that memory, concentrating on the best way to get out from where he was and up to the damn tree. From his vantage point, it looked as if he could see a little sliver of what could be the bottom tread of Noah’s boot. At that angle, it was likely that Noah was facing the other way, possibly even poised to make a move to come down on Rowe’s hiding spot.

“So what’s this bet you want?” Rowe asked while quietly crawling into better position. The tree was only a half dozen yards away and uphill. It would take only a couple seconds to cross that distance but he’d be out in the open the entire time. He just needed to get a slightly better angle so he could get off a shot.

“Oh…I don’t think you want me to say while we’re wearing earpieces, but it involves black leather and straps,” Noah called back.

Rowe clenched his teeth and closed his eyes for a split second as blood uncomfortably rushed south to his cock as he remained squatted behind a large rock. “And what do I get when I win?”

“I think you’re going to want the same as me,” Noah said.

As soon as Noah started speaking, Rowe darted forward, moving silently through the brush and up the hill. Jumping around the tree, the first thing he saw was Noah’s shoe…and no Noah.

“Up here, sunshine,” Noah called from above with a laugh.

Rowe didn’t hesitate. He jerked his gun upward and squeezed off his last two rounds. A heartbeat later, he felt the stinging impact of a paint pellet hitting him square in the chest.

“Gotcha, babe,” Noah purred.

“What? What? Is Rowe down?” Sven cried through their earpieces, but Rowe ignored it, smiling up at Noah as the man hung from a lower branch. He hand one hand and one sock-covered wrapped around the limb so that he was dangling like a monkey.

“I think you got a little something on your stomach there,” Rowe said.

Noah dropped to the ground and looked at the front of his black long-sleeve shirt. There was no missing the bright red splotch of paint on the left side of his waist.

“Son of a bitch!” Noah swore and Rowe cackled, falling on to his back on the cold, damp ground.

“What happened?” Andrei’s voice now came through the earpieces.

“It’s a tie,” Noah grumbled. “We got each other at the same time.”

There was more groaning through the earpieces but Rowe just ignored it as Noah fell on top of him, stretching out along his body.

“Guess I’m not so old and slow, huh?” Rowe teased.

“I still got you.”

“Pfft…you can have me whenever you want.”

Noah growled before grabbing his lips in a blistering kiss that had Rowe moaning as his hands slipped down to cup Noah’s ass. Lifting his hips, he rubbing his hardening length along Noah’s so that Noah whimpered into his mouth. He would never get enough of his man. Not the taste of him. Not his laughter. Not the feel of his skin. Not the love in his eyes. None of it.

“Ummm…guys…you know everyone can hear you,” Andrei broke in over their earpieces.

“So don’t care,” Rowe muttered. He raised his hand and twisted his fingers in the loose strands of Noah’s hair, holding him in place so he could deepen the kiss.

“Whatever. Get your asses back here in ten minutes or we’re leaving without you.”

Noah broke off the kiss. He planted his hands on the ground next to Rowe’s shoulders and lifted slightly up. “Race you.”

Before Rowe could even take a breath to speak, Noah was back on his feet and scooping up his shoe from the leaves. Rowe was after him a second later, still smiling. He’d get him this time.

Stay tuned for updates about Devour, book 4 of the Unbreakable Bonds series, as well as the upcoming Unbreakable Stories: Rowe collection.

Time for Retreat

We are going to the GRL Retreat!

This past weekend, Rinda and I signed up for the Gay Romance Literature Retreat in Denver from October 19 through 22.

It’s our first time attending this conference and we’re already fangirling over the incredible list of authors who will be attending.

At least one of us will be on a panel.

We will be signing books.

We will have awesome swag on hand.

We will be sharing secrets about the Unbreakable Bonds Boys as well as secrets about upcoming projects.

It’s going to be an awesome time. We will have more details on books and swag when we get closer to the conference.

If you were thinking that you might need a vacation, a trip to lovely Denver, Colorado or maybe you just need to meet a gaggle of awesome authors, then I think you should check out the GRL Retreat. Also, Rinda and I don’t make public appearances often (It’s really hard for me to get away from work.) GRL Retreat will likely be our only appearance in 2017. If you’d like books signed by both of us, this is going to be your best shot.

You can get more information here.

I would check it out soon as I think that available spots tend to fill up pretty fast.

In the meantime, Rinda and I are getting close to finishing up DEVOUR. I’ve got one last chapter to write and Rinda has only a few more chapters to finish. After a review or two, it will be off to the editors. When it lands with the editors and we can get a completion date, we will announce an official release date for DEVOUR and set up a pre-order.

I know it has been a hard wait for this book, but we want to make it awesome…and that takes time.

However, once I finish my last chapter of DEVOUR, I will jump over to work on the last free short story for Noah and Rowe. That short story will be released before DEVOUR.

If you haven’t had a chance to read Rowe and Noah’s short stories, here are the links for:

Piece of Pie

Mistletoe

You can also read all the free short stories here.

While you wait for DEVOUR, you can also join our Facebook group, Unbreakable Readers. This is just a fun place to talk about the series and get sneak peeks of what we’re working on.

Celebrate Valentine's Day with Rowe

Welcome to the final day of our Valentine’s extravaganza!

This week, we’ve posted great little fictional snippets for:

Lucas,

Andrei,

Snow,

And Jude.

They’ve all answered the critical question: What would each guy do for Valentine’s Day to show his love?

Today, we’re checking in with Rowe and Noah for their own Valentine’s Day celebration. And to help you get in the mood, we are also putting on sale the ebook edition of Torch for one day only at $0.99. Don’t miss out on your chance to pick up a copy and continue the Unbreakable Bonds adventure!

Rowe and Noah

Tucking the long, slender box a little tighter under his arm, Rowe drew in a deep breath before pushing open the front door. His uncharacteristic jitters were shoved aside as the pounding of three sets of paws thundered from the kitchen to the front of the house. With a smile, he set the box wrapped in red paper on the coffee table and bent to give the two Rottweilers and the German shepherd attention before they could knock him over with their heavy bodies.

“Hey babe!”

Rowe looked up to see Noah standing in the doorway to the kitchen, drying his hands on a dish towel before tossing it over his shoulder. He was wearing a pair of gray sweatpants that hung low on his narrow hips and an old t-shirt that had its neck all stretched out because Rowe kept pulling at it to get at more of Noah’s skin. It was amazing the damn thing was still in one piece.

“Dinner’s almost ready. Another fifteen minutes,” Noah said, squeezing between the dogs to wrap his arms around Rowe and snag his lips in a quick but searing kiss. “Ribs and I picked up that chocolate cake you apparently begged Ian’s pastry chef to make.”

“Mmmm….ribs, cake, and your sexy ass. I’m a lucky man,” Rowe growled before kissing him again. Noah laughed and pushed away.

“Is that why you broke our agreement for no gifts?”

Rowe shrugged, trying to ignore the heat he could feel spreading through his cheeks. “It’s our first Valentine’s Day and our other holidays weren’t exactly smooth.” Rowe cleared his throat and waved a hand at the wrapped box on the table. “Besides, I saw it and knew you’d like it.”

Still grinning, Noah walked over to the massive entertainment center against the far wall and pulled down a long, slender box from the top. It was wrapped in red fire engines. “I guess we’re shit at following rules.”

“Fire trucks?” Rowe asked, nodded at the box in Noah’s hands.

“You’re hot stuff.”

Rowe groaned as he shrugged out of his coat. “That was bad.”

“You love it.” Noah stepped closer and waved the gift in front of Rowe. “You wanna open before dinner?”

Noah’s smile was broad and warm and utterly intoxicating. He’d never stood a chance with Noah. He’d fallen years ago when they first met and a separation of years and thousands of miles hadn’t killed that love.

“Sure.” He grabbed the gift for Noah and flopped down on the sofa. Igor attempted to climb up next to Rowe, but Noah shooed him away and dropped down next to him. They swapped boxes and both paused when they noticed that the boxes were the exact same size. But then Noah shrugged and they tore away the wrapping paper, flinging it around the room in a flurry of shredded bits.

As they both opened the flat brown boxes, they broke out in deep belly laughs that had them falling against each other. They’d gotten each other the same Cold Steel axe with the hickory handle. But Rowe had gotten Noah the one with the spike end, he’d received the one with the hammer end.

“I can’t believe you got me a tomahawk!” Noah said, spinning it in his hand as he checked its weight and balance.

“Great minds, I guess,” Rowe chuckled, admiring his own gift. He couldn’t believe it. When he’d ordered Noah’s, he’d seriously considered buying one for himself.

Noah grabbed both and placed them on the table before straddling Rowe’s lap. “Seriously, that is the sexiest gift I have ever received.”

Rowe wrapped his arms around Noah’s waist, settling his hands on his ass. “Should we worry what it says about us that we got each other weapons?”

Leaning forward, Noah brushed his lips across Rowe’s. “Only that we’re perfect for each other.”

THE END

If you’d like to read more of Rowe and Noah, be sure to check out Torch from the Unbreakable Bonds series! For Friday, February 17 only, the ebook is on sale for $0.99. You can get your copy here:

Amazon

Apple's iBooks

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Smashwords

And stay tuned... we will have more news soon about Devour, book 4 of the Unbreakable Bonds series.

 

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Andrei

Happy Valentine’s Day!

And welcome to Day 2 of our Valentine’s celebration. Yesterday, we heard from Lucas and what he would give to Andrei for Valentine’s Day. Today, we’re checking in Andrei.

And to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Unbreakable Stories: Lucas is on sale for $0.99 for one day only! If you haven’t checked out this collection of stories for Lucas and Andrei, today is a great time to pick it up!

Andrei

Tightening his hands around the steering wheel, Andrei focused on the traffic in the parking lot as he pulled into a spot.

Lucas shifted in his seat, looking out the passenger side window. “A movie? Is that your big secret?”

“You’re getting warmer,” Andrei said. Of course, it was a good guess considering they’d just parked in the giant lot for the new movie theater.

“I like it. We’ve never gone out to a movie.” Lucas unbuckled his seat belt as Andrei put the car in park and leaned across to swiftly kiss Andrei, while Andrei tamped down a smug smile. “Do I get a say in what movie we see?”

“Nope.”

Lucas lifted his eyebrows at Andrei. “I thought this was my gift.”

“It’s all been handled already.” Lucas stared at him a second as if he was trying peer straight into Andrei’s brain. It was enough to get Andrei to set free the smile he’d been fighting. It was never easy to surprise this man. He was always one step ahead.

As they walked to the front of the theater, Andrei slid his hand into Lucas’s, threading their fingers together. His focus was on the man standing to the side of the ticket window in a black polo shirt and heavy winter coat. He waved when he saw Andrei, his face breaking into a wide grin.

“Hey Andrei!”

“Dave, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Lucas Vallois. Lucas, this is an old friend of mine, Dave Maloney.” The two men quickly shook hands and then Dave was looking back over at Andrei. He grinned and shook his head for a second. “I’ve got everything arrange. Theater 16. I’ll take you inside.”

Holding the door open for them, Dave led them past the teenager taking tickets and to the left where the long hallway ambled past more than half a dozen theaters. After wishing them a good night, Dave left Andrei and Lucas to continue to their theater.

“This date doesn’t even get me popcorn?” Lucas teased, giving Andrei a nudge with his shoulder as they walked down to Theater 16.

“It’s covered.”

“Who’s Dave?”

“Owner of the theater.” Andrei smirked over at Lucas. “I called in a few favors on this gift.”

“Why did Dave owe you a favor?”

“I promised never to date his sister.”

Lucas fell into Andrei laughing as they turned a corner and came to a short corridor that ended in Theater 16. “Got burned on that one, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, but he didn’t know it until he met you.” Andrei shrugged, still grinning. “Dave’s got a good sense of humor.” He released Lucas’s hand and pulled open one of the double doors, motioning for him to go first.

Another teenager in theater uniform waited inside the small theater that couldn’t have sat more than a few dozen people. All the chairs were huge leather recliners. In the center of the middle row was a small table with a white tablecloth.

“Everything is ready, Mr. Hadeon. We’ll start when you say,” the teen said.

“Give us fifteen minutes to get settled and then start the movie.”

The teen nodded and disappeared down the aisle while Andrei followed Lucas over to the seats by the table. Lucas lifted the silver cover to reveal a massive steak hoagie covered in pizza sauce and oozing cheese. A mound a crinkle fries were also on the plate while a cooler of beers and ice tea were beside the table in the floor. Lucas drew in a deep breath and groaned.

“God! That smells just like Germantowne.” He looked suspiciously over at Andrei, who just smiled. “But they’ve been closed for five years.”

He shrugged. “That would be Ian’s contribution to the evening. I tracked down one of their old cooks and he gave me the recipe. Ian was kind enough to replicate it as perfectly as he could.”

Lucas dropped into one of the chair, his mouth hanging open in shock. “You got me my favorite sandwich.” Andrei nodded. Lucas’s eyes darted to the blank movie screen, a look of nervous anticipation crossing his face. “What’s the movie?”

Slipping into the seat next to Lucas, Andrei leaned over and kissed his jaw. “It’s a surprise. Grab me a beer and let’s dig in. The movie will start any minute and I’m dying to get into this hoagie.”

They dug into their food, conversation limited to blissful moans. Andrei had discovered Germantowne Pizza and Hoagies just a year before they shut down and he’d mourned the loss. They really had been one of the best hoagie joints in the entire city. It was one of the first things Lucas and Andrei had commiserated over when they started dating.

The lights dimmed when they were only a few bites into their sandwiches and the studio logo flashed across the screen followed by the open notes of “Yakety Yak” played while a picturesque mountain range filled the screen.

“Holy shit,” Lucas whispered. “Great Outdoors? We’re getting to watch Great Outdoors.”

Andrei leaned over and gently kissed a thunderstruck Lucas. It was the first movie they’d watched together. A movie they’d watched at least three times while Andrei had been recovering from his injuries. One of Lucas’s all-time favorite movies. And one he’d always regretted not having the chance to see in theaters.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, baby,” Andrei whispered. “I love you.”

He would never need to give Lucas things. He was rich enough to get any of the things he wanted in the world. But he could give Lucas perfect moments.

THE END

If you’d like to read more of Lucas and Andrei, be sure to check out Unbreakable Stories: Lucas from the Unbreakable Bonds series! For Tuesday, February 14 only, the ebook is on sale for $0.99. You can pick up your copy here:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iBooks

Kobo

Smashwords

Be sure to stop back tomorrow to hear from Snow.

Celebrate Valentine's Day with Lucas

Welcome to the celebration!

I’ll admit that I’ve never been a big fan of Valentine’s Day, but when you’ve got the boys of the Unbreakable Bonds series around to make it special, well…it’s really hard to turn your nose up at the idea of love, chocolate, snuggling, and … other fun things.

To get in the mood, Rinda and I have decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day all week long.

To kick things off, Rinda and I have set a challenge forth that we have to answer: What would each of the guys do to celebrate Valentine’s Day?

So today I’m starting with Lucas’s answer since his book, SHIVER, is on sale for just $0.99 – TODAY ONLY!

(Disclaimer: Whatever follows during the next several days is hypothetical and non-canonical to the Unbreakable Bonds series. In other words, what happens here doesn’t necessarily happen in the series.  We will try to be non-spoiler-y if you haven’t read the series, but keep in mind that they are romance novels. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Lucas falls for Andrei.)

LUCAS

Andrei walked slowly, allowing himself to be carefully led by Lucas, as a smirk lifted on corner of his mouth. He lifted his left hand to touch the blindfold again, but stopped himself before his fingertips reached the silky material, dropping his hand back down to his side. “You know, I’ve never been much of a Valentine’s Day kind of guy. If you wanted to have your way with me, you just need to give me a bottle of lube and maybe some pizza.” He paused in his little shuffling walk and cocked his head to the side. “Actually, I think you can forget the pizza.”

Lucas stepped close, running his left hand up Andrei’s chest while tightening his right on Andrei’s hip. “Are you saying you’re a cheap date?”

“For you, baby? I’m fucking free.”

Lucas couldn’t help himself. He swooped in and captured Andrei’s mouth in a rough kiss, loving how the man instantly melted into him. A moan rose up Andrei’s throat as he kissed Lucas back. No matter how much time passed, they would always burn this hot and bright for each other. Lucas knew there was no one else for him. Never would be. Andrei could read him like no one else. He knew when to give him space, and he knew the moment he needed to step in and rein Lucas in.

A soft whimper broke from Andrei when Lucas ended the kiss. “Just tell me you’re my gift. That’s all I want.” Andrei caught Lucas’s wrist and tried to pull him in close again, but Lucas pressed his hand into his chest, keeping at least a foot of distance between them.

“That’s later, I promise. Go ahead and take the blindfold off.”

Lucas stepped back as Andrei released him to pull off the tie they’d used as a blindfold, trying to ignore the nervous flutter of his heart. He’d never tried to give a Valentine’s Day gift. He’d gotten his assistant Candace to send flowers in the past, but he’d spent weeks contemplating and planning this gift for Andrei.

Blinking, Andrei rubbed his eyes before looking around the master bedroom. Lucas knew the moment his gaze focused on the mountain bike sitting in the middle of the room with the fuzzy plush monkey carefully tied to the seat with a red ribbon because Andrei’s loud, joyous laughter filled the room.

“Your monkey has stolen my bicycle,” Andrei said in Romanian, repeating the same silly line he told Lucas over and over again, recalling the warmth and happiness of their first night together.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes! I was thinking of taking up mountain biking this spring. Something to change up my workout, get out of the office a little more.”

“You had mentioned that,” Lucas said while reaching into the interior pocket of his jacket and pulled out plane tickets. “I got a bike for myself. I thought we’d head over to Switzerland and check out some of their mountain biking trails.”

Andrei stepped closer, wrapping his arms around Lucas’s waist. “So…vacation in Switzerland. Mountain biking.”

“And excellent hotels and hotel sex.”

Andrei made a sound in the back of his throat like he was purring as he leaned in, kissing along Lucas’s jaw. “Now I’m sold. Let’s practice the hotel sex now. We can work on the mountain biking later.”

THE END

If you’d like to read more of Lucas and Andrei, be sure to check out Shiver from the Unbreakable Bonds series! For Monday, February 13 only, the ebook is on sale for $0.99. You can get your copy here:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Apple's iBookstore

Kobo

Smashwords

Be sure to stop by tomorrow to read the next Valentine's Day story.