Jet Mykles's Blog, page 17

EXCERPT – A Rose is a Rose

[image error]Due to be released February 8, 2011 from Loose Id

Pairing: m/m

Available soon in ebook from Loose Id

Here's another one of my very pretty boys. Carson also happens to be something of a cross-dresser. And, come now, you gotta love the hair, yes?

BLURB:

When his latest sugar daddy drops him like yesterday's news, Carson's got more than a bruised ego to deal with. He's broke! No designer clothes, no baubles, and while he loves his job with the burlesque show he needs to pay the bills.

Should be no problem. Carson's young and pretty, it should be no trouble finding someone new to pick up his tab.

Instead, he finds Eddie. The superintendent of Carson's apartment building, Eddie couldn't be further from Carson's usual type both financially and physically but his gift of a single red rose that touches Carson's heart.

For the first time, Carson doesn't want to be just a kept man.

But what's he to do? To live the life he always thought he wants, he needs to find a new rich man. But how can he part with the support of someone who seems to really love him?

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©2011 Jet Mykles, all rights reserved

Carson's quiet sobbing filled the early morning air. Heedless of the expensive red Chinese silk of his robe, he sat on the dusty floor of his balcony, back wedged against the stucco wall, shoulder against the sturdy wooden posts of the railing. Dawn had just broken over the roof of the apartments across the courtyard from his, washing his haven in weak golden light. Summer was on the wane, and fall had taken root, turning the leaves of some of the trees that shaded him from green to dusky brown. Hugging his folded legs, he rested his forehead on his knees and gave in to the misery that was his life.

"You better think hard, baby." Anthony's cruel tone echoed in his head. "You go on and see how far you get without me."

Despite his anger, Carson knew the answer to that — he wouldn't get very far without Anthony to support him. His job with the burlesque show would barely cover the rent on his apartment and utilities. He'd become far too accustomed to relying on Anthony for all the little extras like clothing, entertainment, and food. For a glorious six months, Anthony had taken care of him. He knew that. Silly him to think that since the man had done so thus far, he'd want to do so on a more permanent basis. He'd thought that moving in together and becoming a real couple was the next step.

Boy, had he been wrong.

Anthony set him straight and made it clear that they would not be living together. Carson had known that Anthony had other lovers at the beginning of their relationship, but he'd honestly thought that he was now the only one. He was mistaken. Anthony might have been spending more time with him in the last few months, but Carson wasn't his only interest, and Anthony had made that very plain after the show last night. It turned out he was just as stupid and naive as Anthony claimed him to be. He hugged his legs closer and kept his head bowed, ignoring the growl of his empty stomach. At least Anthony could have fed him before they broke up. Of course, that had been at three in the morning. Neither of them had been particularly hungry, even after sex.

Sex. Yeah. That had started it. Carson had almost dropped the L bomb on Anthony too. Good thing he'd kept his tongue. How could he think he loved someone like that?

"Please."

Startled at the sound of another voice, Carson jerked his head up. Loose, bright crimson hair flew clear of his face, allowing his watery gaze to focus on the man who stood beyond the balcony railing. Since the balcony floor was only a few feet above the garden floor, much of the man was visible even if he was mostly in the shadow of a threadbare tree. A good but plain workingman's face looked back at him. Eddie, the building superintendent. A roughly trimmed black beard and mustache framed a wide mouth underneath deep, sympathetic brown eyes. Brown skin was rough and sun worn, the crinkles at the edges of his eyes making him look a little older than he probably was. A faded and beat-up Los Angeles Dodgers cap shaded his face from the early-morning sun, and a light polyester green-checked shirt was open at the collar to reveal more brown skin and a hint of chest hair.

Now that he had Carson's attention, Eddie cocked his head and raised a hand through the open slats of the balcony railing. Held between a black-nailed finger and thumb was the stem of a gorgeous red rose blossom. The bloom was full, nearly the size of Carson's fist, with layer after layer of scarlet petals that looked for all the world like softest velvet. The heady scent of it wafted into Carson's nostrils as Eddie held it nearer. "Please." His voice was low and soft. Soothing. "Don't cry."

Carson hiccupped, his eyes widening. It was five a.m., not long after the taxi Anthony had paid for dropped Carson off. He'd come outside because indoors had felt too confining, but he certainly hadn't expected anyone to be up at this hour, let alone to hear him cry. The building's residents tended to keep far more normal hours, working during the day and sleeping during the night in opposition to Carson's usual schedule thanks to the late-night shows.

Fully awake and looking like he was already well into his day, Eddie smiled and held the rose closer. He nodded.

Carson felt the smile curl his lips even though the bottom one trembled. Eddie's smile was infectious, and the rose was beautiful. Hesitantly, he reached out. A half dozen gold bracelets jangled softly about his slim wrist as he accepted the flower from the nice man.

Dark eyes sparkling beneath heavy black brows, Eddie glanced at the blossom, then back at Carson's face. "It matches your hair."

A watery laugh bled from Carson's lips. With his free hand he reached up to tuck away an errant lock of red hair that had fallen forward over his left eye. "Yes. It does." Although the flower's color was natural, while his was from a bottle. He buried his nose in the full bloom to take in the fresh scent. A part of him eased. There was nothing like the smell of roses, and he didn't think he'd ever held a freshly cut one.

Eddie patted Carson's socked foot lightly. "Please. Don't cry."

Carson opened his mouth to spew the dozens of reasons why he had to be miserable, but in the face of Eddie's simple, heartfelt request and with the smell of the rose filling his head, he couldn't do it. Wiping tears from his lashes with one thumb, knowing that last night's mascara must be making ugly tracks down his cheeks, he laughed softly. "Okay." Surprisingly, he meant it. Beyond Eddie's hat, he saw the sun peek through the break in the building across the courtyard, spilling a square of light and warmth over one of the many rosebushes that filled the central area between the buildings. It looked to be a beautiful October day, and just like that, the heartache of the previous night lessened, leaving him weary.

He gave Eddie a genuine smile. "Thank you."

Eddie closed his eyes as he bowed his head. "You're welcome." He stepped back and touched two fingers to the bill of his cap. "You have a good day."

Carson blinked as he watched Eddie turn. He tucked a pair of clippers into the rawhide belt at his waist and ambled down the courtyard's central aisle to eventually disappear through one of the apartment building's entrances.

Carson was pleased to discover the smile was still on his face. With a lighter heart, he stood and went inside to succumb to the sleep that was calling him.

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Click here for the site's main page for A Rose is a Rose

New cover – A Rose is a Rose

Got myself a new cover. PL Nunn has done well by me again. Isn't Carson pretty?

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This is my Valentine's Day story, due out February 8th.

A Journey for a Book

I went on an interesting journey last night.

It started because of my father. He just got a Kindle and is having way too much fun with it. He said he was looking for some books from the past and was interested to hear which authors and books I remembered reading when I was in high school — my prime reading time — so he could look at getting them.

Well, it sent me back. Back to a time when I would hardly look at a book if it wasn't fantasy and was less than 300 pages in paperback. This was my time of Lord of the Rings and Dune, Anne McCaffrey's Pern books and David Eddings' Belgariad) and Malloreon series. Piers Anthony and Mercedes Lackey took me into the worlds of Xanth and Valdemar and I was loathe for any book to end because that meant I had to leave such fantastic, marvelous worlds. Melanie Rawn blew my mind with the Dragon Prince series and I have never been the same since.

So, as I'm strolling down memory lane, I remember this one book. I remember loving it because it was so different. It was sort of sci-fi because it took place on a different planet but it was much more fantasy because of an element of the planet made "magic" possible. Wasn't magic in the true sense but it was close enough. One of the main characters was simply enchanting. He was a bad man, nearly evil incarnate. But he was likable. He actually became one of the heros of the story. Sort of. He was absolutely enthralling and he's one of the key characters I remember each time I craft a true villian. He was the best lesson for me that the villian considers himself to be the hero of his own story.

Okay, cool. But I couldn't remember the title. I couldn't remember the author's name. If I'd been in a bookstore, I could have found it. I know this because I've seen it a few times in the last ten or fifteen years. I was reasonably certain that the author's last name started with a "C", or at least there was a capital C in there somewhere and I was pretty sure the publisher was either DAW or Del Rey (because those were pretty much the only publishers I bought from at the time and I made note of them because I wanted to write for them someday). But I didn't have enough information to go on for an Amazon search.

I should have given up. I intended to give up. But the more I thought of the book, the more obsessed I became. It was nonsensical to me that I couldn't think of the title of one of my very favorite books. Also, I reasoned, that I should buy the damn thing if it was available for Kindle so I could read it again sometime. I now know a lot more about Amazon's advanced search options.

I finally found it. Black Sun Rising by CS Friedman.

So, anyone else have books that shaped their world?

See my Scrivener

Teddy Pig has done a cool thing and rounded up various authors who use Scrivener and asked them to send a screenshot of their workspace.

Here's mine

It's neat to see how other people use the same app.

What I Learned about Writing from Jet by Tara Lain

Those who follow my site know that I don't often have posts from other people. But I've heard from Tara Lain before and she's got a her first book out today so I'll happily make an exception. I remember all the authors who helped me when I was just starting out and I'm happy to return the favor for an author who seems to share a lot of my same sensibilities toward writing. Good Luck, Tara!!

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For years, people told me I should write a book, but I couldn't imagine what I wanted to write about. Then I started reading Jet Mykles, and less than two years later, I'm a published author with my first book, Genetic Attraction, coming out from Loose Id this week and a second book under contract. Reading Jet's books was better than all the fiction-writing classes (although I did those too), because through Jet I discovered my passion for passion. For the first time, I found something so fun and exciting it would write itself. (Jet can now put "muse" on her resume.)

Here's what Jet taught me:

It's impossible for heroes to be too beautiful – Don't tell me my hero, Roan Black, couldn't exist in real life. Erotic romance fiction isn't real life. The likes of Johnny in Heaven and Shasertai in Sursein Judgement are compelling to me and lots of other readers.
Characters benefit from being a little (or a lot) over the top – Many writers concentrate on "real people", but I find I best remember the ones that stand out from the crowd. Have you ever met anyone quite like Hell?
It's possible to write great conflict without unspeakable angst – When conflict gets too intense in books, I often feel like closing the cover and walking away. (I avoid the Russian authors and love Jane Austen) Jet makes her readers wonder how the characters will ever get out of their mess – while being totally confident that it will happen.
Relationships between people are diverse, wondrous and mysterious — Jet's books avoid labels and categories. She has straight men falling in love with other men , gay men falling in love with women, all  with a minimum of chest-pounding. Is this real life? Who cares? It's great fiction.
Once your characters grab a hold of you, they don't let go – Jet's book are almost always part of series. I never intended it, but I've written four books and three  are all in the same series. My people demanded that I tell their stories.

The bottom line is — thank you, Jet. You have always been generous with your help, and, above all, a huge inspiration to many writers like me. I've learned great lessons from your fiction and, hopefully, have put it to work in my books. Oh yes, I forgot to mention. We both love  Adam Lambert.

What have you learned from reading Jet's books? Share.   :  )

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Buy Link for the book:  http://www.loose-id.com/Genetic-Attraction.aspx

Tara's contact info:

E-mail – tara@taralain.com
Website:  http://www.taralain.com
Author blog:  http://taralain.blogspot.com
Book blog:  http://beautifulboysbooks.blogspot.com

At a conservative Long Island University, renowned researcher, Dr. Emmaline Silvay, has two great loves — her life-saving work, and her younger research partner, Jake Martin. The romantic love is impossible. She's his boss and he lives with his girlfriend. But his "girlfriend" is actually a boyfriend; the beautiful and infamous supermodel, Roan Black.

Resigned to a platonic relationship, Em accepts a weekend invitation to their home, but the men have a ménage on their minds. She can't resist, doesn't even want to. But their intentions go far beyond passion. They want her to "be a part of them." Their three-way love defies propriety and the standards of the University that funds their work. The supermodel's fame makes secrecy impossible. Their ménage threatens to crumble all she's worked for. What will give way to make room for genetic attraction?

Happy Holidays

Well, it's over already for many of you. I've been absent for much of the holiday season. Not gone in the physical sense. Gone because I bought myself a Wii at the beginning of the month and have gotten lost in Epic Mickey.

Despite that, I've managed to get A Rose is a Rose polished up and sent to the editor. So that'll be out for Valentine's Day. And because I'm done with that, I'm back to work on Reverb. No, don't ask me about other stories. I NEED to get this one done. I've delayed it way too long and the powers that be have been way too nice to me about it.

Anyway, back to the happy holidays. I hope everyone reading this and everyone they love is having/has had a lovely holiday season and is looking forward to a hopeful, happy new year!

(BTW, my apologies for no holiday story or image this year. Blame the Wii and my need to turn off my brain for a bit)

Much Ado available as a stand alone ebook

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Much Ado is now available on its own as a stand alone ebook.

http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=JMMUCADO

Reindeer Games available now!

Reindeer Games is live! Hope you like it

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New Cover – Reindeer Games

Finally got the final product. This one comes out December 7th from Loose Id. Only a week to go!

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EXCERPT – Reindeer Games

Due to be released December 7, 2010.

I'd hoped to have had the cover with the excerpt but it's not quite ready. But, since I'm due to post an excerpt on a chat today, I figured I should post it here as well. This is the first chapter of Reindeer Games.

Available in ebook soon from Loose Id

BLURB (subject to change)

Rom is Dasher, the leader of Santa's shape-shifting team of reindeer. He is the quintessential elf — smart, handsome, charming — and everyone in Santa's Village wants him. Lon is no exception. He's hopelessly in love with Rom, but how can he hope to get Rom's attention? Even if he is now one of the reindeer handlers, he's still just a plain, ordinary elf, and painfully shy to boot.

Then there's Wod. As Dancer, he's both Rom's second in command and Rom's best friend. He, too, is devilishly handsome but in a darker and — truth be told — slightly frightening way. At least, he makes Lon's heart race and his tongue tie in knots.

When Wod unexpectedly offers to help Lon gain Rom's attention, Lon is completely confused. To make matters worse, Wod is clear that he'd love to play with Lon himself.

Lon is used to the sexual freedom in Santa's Village but he craves something more meaningful. He wants a real relationship. So what does he do? Keep pining for Rom or play Wod's special brand of reindeer games?

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©2010 Jet Mykles, all rights reserved

There was a subdued pop far overhead. One moment there was only the pale sliver of moon and stars twinkling in the blanket of midnight sky. Then, from a faint sparkling of a cloud that wasn't a cloud, emerged the silhouette of a sleigh pulled by nine reindeer.

"Here they come." Pol pointed needlessly. They all knew what was there.

Lon watched with the rest of the handlers, captivated by the sight regardless of having seen it nightly over the past few months. At first, the sleigh and its chargers looked like little flying dolls, coasting shapes against the stars. Then they became more distinct as they neared. Reindeer galloping on air. The magical sleigh seemed weightless behind them. Even closer and the soft trill of jingle bells filled the air.

"Welcome home," one of the handlers behind Lon and Pol murmured.

Lon smiled, nodding. It still filled his heart to see Santa and his sleigh, and it always would. It was part of the magic that still affected him and his brethren even though, as elves, they didn't receive any of the physical bounty of the season. The feeling, the tone, the power of the giving and love of the Christmas season fueled the magic that kept their little corner of the universe in existence, and there was no harm in enjoying it.

The sleigh and its team touched down in the midst of a meadow spread before a sprawling barn at one end of Santa's Village. The pulsing beacon of Rudolph's nose shed its ruddy glow on the snowy field. Small hooves caused shallow dents in the deep rifts, the reindeer's magic keeping them from sinking. The sleigh itself, although weighted by its rotund master, barely caused any runnels in the snow. The reindeer held their heads high, tossing proud antlers. They gradually checked their speed as they neared the barn, showing only a little of the exhaustion Lon knew they felt from the full night's work. Each year, for the six months prior to Christmas in the human realm, Santa, the reindeer, and the sleigh passed between dimensions, bending time so that Santa could personally deliver joy to human children. The magic of Christmas had created the realm of the elves and sustained it, and for that the elves worked tirelessly to feed the joy so that on the one magical day when the times of the two planes converged and Christmas Day was celebrated simultaneously in both realms, the magic would support them for another year. Even though that special day was still five weeks away, the anticipation was palpable.

Lon stood aside with the other handlers, making a pathway toward the open barn doors. He waited as the sleigh passed by, then followed in its wake into the brightly lit expanse of the barn. Specially designed to house a unique sleigh, the interior of the barn was brightly lit and efficiently ordered. A large cubicle in one corner housed the sleigh itself during the off hours. Along the wall beside it were cupboards and shelves to hold spare parts and materials for the mechanics who tended it. Along the opposite walls were matching cupboards and shelves where the reindeer handlers like Lon stored the leather harnesses and jingle bells that adorned the reindeer. Directly across from the large doors was the single red door that was an entrance to Santa's workshop. The reindeer brought the sleigh to a halt in the midst of the clear, hay-dusted floor, and only then did the runners settle from the air to the ground. Santa accepted the help of two assistants ready to see him safely to the ground as Lon and three fellow handlers approached the reindeer, two from each side.

Lon took a deep breath to still his nerves as he approached Dasher. Even after nearly a full season of working with the reindeer, he still found them wondrous, Dasher most of all. Three and a half feet at the shoulder, Dasher was the biggest on the team, and his thickly furred shoulder was on level with Lon's chest. Lon made sure to catch the attention of Dasher's large brown eye before reaching out to start unbuckling the harness. Jingle bells chimed as Pol worked with another handler to free Rudolph of the harness, while their other coworker aided Dancer. Supple red leather slid smoothly through gilded buckles, but most of Lon's attention was on the gray and brown fur that covered Dasher's powerful shoulders. Dasher's spreading antlers rose above both their heads. By the time Rudolph had moved forward, free of the sleigh, Lon had the buckles loose from Dasher. A polite pat on the shoulder let the reindeer know he was free, and Lon held the harness until Dasher's rump had passed by. As he moved to his left to begin loosening the straps of Prancer's gear, Lon kept a part of his attention on the lead reindeer.

Dasher, Dancer, and Rudolph spaced themselves out in the center of the barn. Change charged the air, palpable to everyone. Slowly they turned, each carefully making sure everyone was clear of them. Then separate clouds of what looked like shimmering snowflakes filled the air around them, obscuring them briefly. One by one they emerged from the cloud in their true forms. Lon's breath caught, his hands stilling for just a heartbeat on Prancer's harness. From the cloud of magic that had encompassed Dasher emerged the most beautiful man he'd ever seen. Like his reindeer form, Rom was tall, just topping five feet. Sleek muscle filled every inch under pale, milky skin. He laughed and stretched skyward as the magic dissipated around him, proud and unashamed by his nudity. Not that he had anything to be ashamed of. He was a perfect specimen of an athletic elf, a prime candidate for his coveted spot leading Santa's team. Broad of shoulder, narrow of hip, and hung like a buck, with sky blue hair falling in a shining straight cascade nearly to his tight, trim buttocks. He reached over to slap the meat of Wod's shoulder, congratulating Dancer for another successful night. Wod grinned back at him, tucking his deep mahogany hair behind the delicate point of one ear. The blue-silver of their reindeer medallions shone from the centers of two powerful chests, Wod's satiny skin a few shades darker than Rom's, more of a pale caramel to smooth milk. Behind them, Tessie, the team's Rudolph guide, stretched and yawned under the cloud of her bright orange hair, her own medallion resting between two small, creamy breasts. The three of them moved to the side to make room for the next reindeer to change. They were immediately surrounded by a number of other handlers, these bearing robes, shoes, and refreshment for the exhausted members of the team.

Lon bit his lip and forced himself to concentrate on his remaining work before his obsession with the lead reindeer became obvious. It wouldn't do to let anyone know he was hopelessly, madly in love with Rom. True, nearly everyone was in love with Rom, at least a little, but Lon was sure his feelings were different. His heart constricted when he was around the sexy lead reindeer. But he didn't want to be seen as a simpering follower. He wanted Rom to notice him as a man. He would, one day. Soon. Although he had yet to come up with a suitable way to make that happen.

He managed to keep his eyes off Rom, and soon all nine reindeer were free of their harnesses and had shed their four-legged forms. Five men and four women, all chosen for their physical prowess to fill the role of Santa's chargers. The waiting list to become one of the reindeer shifters included at least half of the population of Santa's Village, certainly most of the youths. Although it was acknowledged hard work, nearly everyone wanted not only the excitement of crossing into the human realm to deliver toys but also the unique magic that allowed the shift into reindeer.

"Ho ho ho." Santa's signature laugh got everyone's attention even if it was uttered by a feminine throat. Jannie mounted a small platform by the workshop entrance of the barn, still wearing the red pants with the white fur trim. But since the special coat that enabled her shift was slung over one shoulder, she was revealed as the elf she was. Her small breasts remained bare underneath the suspenders that held up the pants that sagged about her legs, pert, rosy nipples vivid against her snowy white skin. At all of four feet, she was much smaller than the five-and-a-half-foot form she presented in full Santa regalia. It wasn't physical prowess that qualified Jannie for her leadership as Santa among them. Jannie had gotten her job for her smarts and her natural talent for magic. Not for the first time, Lon wondered what humans would think if they knew that Santa wasn't always a man. For five years now, Santa had been this petite little woman with short, grape purple hair and silver and gold rings pierced along the edges of her pointed ears.

Jannie raised a golden goblet. "A fine night and a fine job, everyone." She toasted her team and the handlers that surrounded them. "We made many a child happy this night." Cheers all around as Jannie drank, and then everyone with a glass — namely the reindeer — joined her.

The door opened behind Jannie, and Gus, the reigning Mrs. Claus, stepped through. Because he didn't typically have a public face, he didn't wear the shifting gown that would make him look like an aging, snowy-haired woman. Instead he just wore a sleeveless red jacket with something of a short skirt that flared out from his waist almost to his knees. The role of Mrs. Claus was no longer only held by the wife — or husband — of the current Santa but rather by a person appointed as the most qualified to run the "housekeeping" of Santa's Village. Mrs. Claus was in charge of the communal kitchens and all housekeeping staff, leaving Santa to concentrate on the business of The List of Good and Bad as well as the acquisition and distribution of toys. Gus was the first man in history to fill the role of keeper of the house, but no one begrudged him the fine work he'd done for the past eight years.

Jannie saw Gus. He gestured over his shoulder, and she nodded. "Good work, everyone. Get a good night's rest, and we'll do this again tomorrow night."

A genial groan followed her off the platform, and she laughed at it as she approached Gus. The housekeeper immediately started talking to her in a low voice as he accompanied her through the workshop door. Although the day was longer here than in the human realm, there was still much to do before the next night. Toys had to be gathered for the proper region, and the exact time schedule had to be perfected before Santa and the reindeer made their time jump to the Christmas Eve that wouldn't happen for another month.

"Work work work."

Lon jumped at the sound of a low male voice right behind him. He spun to see the reindeer second-in-command leaning against one of the posts that supported the storage loft. Like Rom's, Wod's hair draped heavy and loose almost to his waist, and it had something of a wave, so the tips just brushed the soft green velvet of his fur-trimmed robe. The robe was loosely belted so it fell half open in front, letting his Dasher medallion sparkle against the hairless backdrop of his muscular chest. Wod smiled at Lon, eyes every bit the deep almost brown but mostly red color of his hair. Lon wasn't entirely sure why but Wod's darkness of hair and eyes had always frightened him slightly. Wod wasn't the only elf with dark hair and skin, certainly, but they weren't many. Lon had heard that the darker-haired elves were descended from a different race of fae, maybe even a different realm, and had access to a different kind of magic. Neither Lon nor anyone he knew had ever been able to prove that, but it was the rumor nonetheless. Wod was certainly mysterious enough. Lon could only attribute the way his heart raced and throat tightened around Wod to fear of the mystery.

Wod's smile darkened, and he brought his goblet to his lips. "Are you all right, little Lon?"

Lon startled, realizing he'd been staring. "I-I'm fine." He tore his gaze from the taller man to stare at the loose hay at his feet. Wod remained barefoot, and a small silver ring winked around the second toe of his left foot. It matched the ring that dangled from his right ear. Wod said nothing, but Lon knew he was still watching. Wod did this to him often, showing up and saying little. Lon didn't know if the bigger man was teasing him or what. "E-excuse me, Wod." With a little bow that wasn't necessary but showed respect, Lon gathered up his harnesses and fled.

Or would have fled, if he hadn't slammed into a bigger, more solid person. The collision barely moved the other but sent Lon sprawling onto his back, harnesses spewing from his hands and landing about him in a loud jangle of jingle bells.

"Whoa, hey."

Lon knew that voice well and squinched his eyes shut, too mortified by falling to see.

But he heard the swish of Rom's robe and felt a strong hand on his shoulder. "Hey, little Lon, sorry about that. Did I hurt you?"

Suppressing a groan, Lon opened his eyes. Rom's face hovered above his, the sweep of his light blue hair draped down the right side of his face. His uptilted eyes shone crystal blue even in the shadow his head and hair made over his face.

Rom grinned. "You okay?"

Embarrassed, Lon reached up to rub the point of his ear. "I'm okay."

"Excellent." A slim, strong hand gripped Lon's shoulder to help him up. "You shouldn't rush about in a crowd like that."

Lon nodded, keeping his eyes down. Look at him, you idiot! he yelled silently at himself, but he was too mortified to meet those gorgeous eyes. He wanted Rom to fall for him. He wouldn't do it if Lon showed himself as a joke. He climbed to his feet and tried to keep Rom from brushing him off, but the bigger man would have none of it. Lon was grateful for the loose, long fit of his jacket, for it covered the state of his erection when Rom's firm hand dusted off Lon's backside.

To make matters worse, while Rom was righting Lon, Wod had gathered the strewn harness bits. He stood beside Lon and Rom, dark eyes gone stony as he watched Rom put Lon to rights. "Here you go."

Lon took the straps of leather from Wod quickly, avoiding any contact. "Thank you." He nodded his head at both reindeer as he backed from them. "Thank you. Good night." He spun before he could blindly collide with anything or anyone else and this time succeeded in fleeing the room.

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Click here for the site's main page for Reindeer Games