Cameron D. James's Blog, page 3

Taming Alexander by Leo Sparx

Greetings, book lovers!

Last week we featured Claiming Alexander, book one of House of Otter by Leo Sparx — and today we’re featuring book two, Taming Alexander!

Check it out!

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Blurb:

With new hairy boys dwelling inside the House of Otter, adjusting to a life of extravagance continues to thrill and trouble Alexander. Battling the unexpected trades he must make for his recently satiated need of financial security, he learns more about the inner-workings and secrets of the mysterious estate. An enticing but dangerous discovery within the mansion may help him understand more about his keeper’s past and how that history will impact everyone’s future.

Buy your copy: Amazon

Excerpt:

“You didn’t even realize it was your birthday, did you?” Roderick asked, leaning back on his elbows, still balanced against the steps of the giant pool. I hadn’t seen them before, but below us, and extending to the deeper end, the pool floor had colored tiles creating mosaics of masculine bodies. I’d seen it done with dolphins in ritzy hotel pools, but instead of sea creatures these were supersized cocks and what resembled men playing leapfrog. I acknowledged his question with a light laugh, but still in my post-climax haze, I didn’t move my focus from the newly discovered art. 

He was right; there wasn’t exactly a desk calendar in my room, but since it was somewhere before the end of the year and the branches were still bare outside of my window, I was probably another year older. Somehow, Roderick had remembered when I didn’t. I was certain now, if my time with him would be the only gift I received, it had still been the perfect way to celebrate.

Buy your copy: Amazon

About the Author:

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0Leo Sparx is a digital artist who has brought his fascination with the history of queer sex to the literary erotica world. Inspiration for his award-winning work is often found during virtual orgies, trips to offbeat museums, or classic—occasionally spooky—literature. His unique blend of steamy sensations and dark passion takes the reader on a kinky exploration and allows them to experience encounters in unexpected locations.

Website, Instagram, Twitter

The Line of Succession 4: Rex v. Regina by Harry F. Rey

Greetings, book lovers!

Today is new release day over at Deep Desires Press with a hot new book from Harry F. Rey — check it out!

The Line of Succession 4: Rex v. Regina



Harry F. Rey

A life changing diagnosis flips the line of succession on its head, forging new alliances and reigniting old feuds. But every step closer to the crown brings new dangers, and no victory can come without a heavy cost.

The throne lies empty, the monarchy is in chaos, and a country mourns.

Fresh on the news that the Queen is near death comes the tragic demise of Prince James’ fiancée, Princess Katyn.

As the country gathers together to bury Katyn, James’ secret lover Andrew realizes the establishment has brutally turned against the Prince. Where the powers-at-be were once pushing for a smooth transition to King James, they now seem to favor his twin sister Alexandra and are working to upend the line of succession to see her sit on the throne. When Andrew discovers the cause of this betrayal is because James has received a life-changing diagnosis, the two men must decide what love and life and happiness mean to them, even at the expense of the throne.

It’s brother versus sister, Prince versus Princess, as James and Alexandra confront the paths laid out before them by both friends and foes. With the Queen’s last hours counting down, James and Alexandra will have to fight with everything they have to wear the crown…and to survive.

Buy your ebook copy now:

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Buy your paperback copy now:

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Claiming Alexander by Leo Sparx

Greetings, book lovers!

Today we’re featuring Claiming Alexander — book one of the House of Otter — by Leo Sparx!

Check it out!

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Blurb:

Inspired by the dark tales of Edgar Allan Poe, this kinky queer romance speaks in whispers about a mysterious mansion and an eccentric millionaire with a taste for hairy young men. Alexander, born on the wrong side of the tracks, longs for a lavish lifestyle and often teases the perimeter of the seemingly abandoned house while fantasizing about the man rumored to dwell within. When reconnected with a friend from his past and offered an unexpected proposition, Alexander must decide how much of his body and sexual freedom he is willing to surrender in exchange for a life of luxury.

Buy your copy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Excerpt:

“Why don’t you want men to touch you?” he asked, holding the whip in front of my face. I was on my knees now in a room so dimly lit I was only able to see what he allowed me to. 

There had been a device for the wall under one of the vases on the table. He’d said, “You didn’t think to check the credenza,” while he pushed the hidden silver button. If I hadn’t been gagged already, I may have said, “What the fuck is a credenza?”

“I have a prediction that you need this. I’m glad you’ve taken the opportunity to relax and enjoy yourself. For what you are about to endure here, I needed your body clean and ready to submit, to be fixed before it could be broken.”

He was looking down at me, drool forming around the edges of the sphere in my mouth, my legs spread apart at the knee in front of him. His hair was nearly black and fell effortlessly in place aside from a single wisp on his forehead. Mustache and scruffy face, the stubble on his defined chin gave way to a fully buttoned collared shirt. Like his fitted slacks held with a polished belt buckle, everything on his body was tailored and flawless; he was letting me take it all in, allowing me from my kneeling position to get a full view from his eyes to his boots; both made me feel more naked. It was difficult to understand how a man this attractive would ever pay for sex.

Buy your copy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

About Leo Sparx:

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Leo Sparx is a digital artist who has brought his fascination with the history of queer sex to the literary erotica world. Inspiration for his award-winning work is often found during virtual orgies, trips to offbeat museums, or classic—occasionally spooky—literature. His unique blend of steamy sensations and dark passion takes the reader on a kinky exploration and allows them to experience encounters in unexpected locations.

Website, Instagram, Twitter

Not Gay, Man! by David Marchatt

Greetings, book lovers!

It’s New Release Day over at Deep Desires Press with the launch of Not Gay, Man! by David Marchatt!

Check it out!

Not Gay, Man!



David Marchatt

When Greg falls for a gorgeous exhibitionist half his age, what he expects is a few lust-fuelled encounters. But what he finds is so much more than that.

The last thing Greg expects to find when going grocery shopping is a gorgeous, blond show-off—but a very attractive young man half Greg’s age lifts his shirt and gives Greg a tantalizing peek.

For weeks afterward, Greg can’t get that exhibitionist out of his mind. It was one of those rare encounters that he’ll have to learn to treasure…until he runs into that young man again, and this time that young man is fully naked in the middle of a park, victim of a clothes-stealing prank from his friends.

Greg offers Chris—the naked young man—some modesty and an escape. And soon Chris is in Greg’s home, naked, declaring that he’s not gay, and yet clearly flirting with Greg.

Chris is brash and adventurous, seeking pleasure wherever pleasure can be found. Going along with the heat of the moment, for fear that it might never happen again, Greg gives in to Chris’s temptations and soon finds himself in a steamy lust triangle from his wildest dreams.

But lust can become love…with the right guy.

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Drag Queens, Emo Teens & Big Dreams

Greetings, book lovers!

Today is extra-special! It’s New Release Day for my new gay young adult novel! Read on for all the fun!

Drag Queens, Emo Teens & Big Dreams



Muscles and Mascara #1



Dylan James

For Corbin, his secret double-life as a drag queen is the escape he needs from his oppressive life as the son in a hyper-masculine family. But that escape comes to an end when his older brother finds out his secret.

Corbin has two secrets.

The first secret is that he’s gay. He’s known it for a while now and six months ago he met a cute guy and they’ve been dating ever since. But he can’t tell anyone. His father is like a one-man Marine recruitment poster and has made every effort to raise Corbin to be an alpha male. If he finds out Corbin is gay, he’ll forbid Corbin from seeing his boyfriend, dooming the relationship to an unhappy end.

The second secret is that he’s a drag queen. On Sundays he heads to the queer café and dons his best dress, wig, and heels, and becomes Misty Rain, putting on a captivating show to an adoring crowd. While coming out as gay would lead to a crack-down from his Dad, the punishment for putting on a dress and heels would be ten times worse—he’d be shipped off to military school and there’d be absolutely no hope for Corbin and his love.

So far, Corbin has managed to keep his secrets.

But when his older brother comes home while on leave from the Marines, he happens to catch the drag show featuring Corbin—and he spots his brother right away.

Corbin’s perfectly structured life and his big dreams are all about to come crashing down.

Buy your ebook copy now:

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Buy your paperback copy now:

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New Young Adult Book Coming Tuesday!

Coming Tuesday September 29!

Drag Queens, Emo Teens & Big Dreams



Muscles and Mascara #1



Dylan James

For Corbin, his secret double-life as a drag queen is the escape he needs from his oppressive life as the son in a hyper-masculine family. But that escape comes to an end when his older brother finds out his secret.

Corbin has two secrets.

The first secret is that he’s gay. He’s known it for a while now and six months ago he met a cute guy and they’ve been dating ever since. But he can’t tell anyone. His father is like a one-man Marine recruitment poster and has made every effort to raise Corbin to be an alpha male. If he finds out Corbin is gay, he’ll forbid Corbin from seeing his boyfriend, dooming the relationship to an unhappy end.

The second secret is that he’s a drag queen. On Sundays he heads to the queer café and dons his best dress, wig, and heels, and becomes Misty Rain, putting on a captivating show to an adoring crowd. While coming out as gay would lead to a crack-down from his Dad, the punishment for putting on a dress and heels would be ten times worse—he’d be shipped off to military school and there’d be absolutely no hope for Corbin and his love.

So far, Corbin has managed to keep his secrets.

But when his older brother comes home while on leave from the Marines, he happens to catch the drag show featuring Corbin—and he spots his brother right away.

Corbin’s perfectly structured life and his big dreams are all about to come crashing down.

Drag Queens, Emo Teens & Big Dreams publishes on September 29, 2020!

Pre-order your ebook copy now:

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Paperback buy links will be available closer to publication date

Young King Arthur And The Round Table Knights by Siryn Sueng

Greetings, book lovers!

Today we’ve got a new release over at Deep Hearts YA — the queer young adult fiction publisher that I co-own. Check out Young King Arthur And The Round Table Knights by Siryn Sueng!

Young King Arthur And The Round Table Knights



King Arthur Series #1



Siryn Sueng

Arthur grew up a peasant, but when he was fourteen, Excalibur chose him, and now as King Arthur, he must learn to play the game of royalty quickly…or suffer the consequences.

There was no reason for Arthur to think he would ever become king.

A peasant and son of a baker, Arthur grew up in the castle town of Camelot. When he attended the Choosing Ceremony, it was merely to see who would draw the Holy Sword, Excalibur—to see who would inherit the throne of the recently departed King Uther. He never expected the sword would choose him…

But it did.

Now, at the young age of fourteen, he has become King Arthur, and for all the power he has gained, he has made just as many enemies. Surrounded by the Knights of the Round Table, and led by the mysterious mage, Merlin, Arthur is grateful for his allies, though he would just as soon return to his old life. Surely, someone more worthy should be chosen as king.

Arthur is in the middle of chaos, a world where everyone wants more than they let on, where many hate the idea of a young boy with no noble background being crowned king; where cold stares and whispered words are just as sharp as an assassin’s blade.

As Arthur fends for his life, he must draw on the strength of his knights, especially fifteen-year-old Mordred, who becomes closer to him than the mere bounds of duty. He must become king, not just in name, but in his heart.

And he must do it quickly, because his enemies want more than just his crown…

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Dying Before Living by Chris Bedell

Greetings, book-lovers!

We’ve got a brand new release over at Deep Hearts YA — check it out!

Dying Before Living



Chris Bedell

Cameron wants nothing more than to just be left alone and live his life without being considered a freak. Ryder intrudes on that loneliness and, unexpectedly, Cameron is okay with it. But as secrets unravel and people start dying, Cameron must use his greatest secret to save himself—and risk everything in the process.

Cameron is alive.

That’s a big deal considering he had died of a genetic disease and then been put in cold storage until science could fix him and bring him back to life. But being a once-dead teen is nowhere near as much fun as one might expect. He gets no privacy because everyone knows who he is. He sometimes wonders about mortality and what happens—or what doesn’t happen—in the afterlife.

And then there’s his strange, newfound ability to make objects levitate and move if he just focuses his attention on them.

So when Ryder hits on him, the last thing Cameron wants in this world is to enter into a relationship.

When Cameron’s grandmother is murdered in broad daylight, he soon discovers her secret—his grandmother, who worked at the biotech company that revived him, was secretly communicating with the media and about to leak confidential files. Grappling with the overwhelming pressures of life and death, the nosy media, and the rising crime rate in his town, Cameron starts using those secret powers of his to get a sense of justice and order into his world. And try as he might to avoid it, he soon falls for Ryder.

But nothing is easy. Especially when Cameron uncovers the secret his grandmother wanted to leak about her boss…and it gets messy with that boss being Ryder’s father.

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The Spindle’s Curse by TL Gehr

Greetings book-lovers!

Check out this gay spin on a classic fairy tale!

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Sleeping Beauty has insomnia and a habit he can’t shake. Can true love still break his curse?

Brian is fresh out of rehab when he receives a letter from his estranged mother, inviting him to meet with her in Manhattan. He wants nothing more than to leave his troubled past behind and build a new future, but that proves more difficult than he expected when his past is determined to follow him to the big city.

As one of New York’s elite, Philip is forced to hide his true passions from everyone close to him. When he meets Brian, he finds himself revealing secret after secret. He’s finally met a man who can see beyond his money, but will the curse Brian has to face prove too strong for them both?

Loosely inspired by Sleeping Beauty

Features: Slow burn, rags to riches, pretend boyfriend, size difference, sleeping with the boss, sexy billionaire, banter, wholesome fluff

Content warning for: drug use, explicit sex, strong language, some violence 

Get your copy at Amazon!

Excerpt:

My blood is roaring as I press my way through the crowds and I am hard, hard, hard. Did Philip see? Oh god.This is awful. This is like highschool all over again. And like at highschool, the only thing I can think to do is hide in the bathroom until it goes down.

I find the corridor for the bathroom near where I found Philip and Chase earlier. Part of the conversation that I overheard is still echoing in my ears.

“…Once you’ve had your fun with your bit of rough. You’ll come back to me, because no one understands you like I do.”

“I’ll never come back to you. You broke my heart.”

He’s still raw, still hurting. That’s why he’s single. That’s why, as if there weren’t a million other reasons, he shouldn’t know how turned on I am by him.

The bathroom doesn’t have any sign indicating it’s gender specific. I push open the heavy wooden door and the first thing I notice is that the bathroom is full of people, but the people aren’t doing their business. Two are draped over a sofa, one is in front of the mirror.

My boner instantly vanishes, because the next thing I notice is the white powder that the person by the mirror is chopping. Then I see the syringe in the arm of the girl draped over the sofa.

“Hey,” she says, in a lazy, drugged-up voice. “It’s Arrigo’s new beau.”

She’s got black hair and a red dress. She’s not one of Philip’s friends. I’m frozen in the doorway, I can’t make myself move. I can’t make myself look away from the syringe as her friend withdraws it from her skin.

“You want some, handsome?”

Yes. Yes, I absolutely do. How much easier would all of this be if I was high? I could make a much better impression on Philip’s friends if I was pumped up with false confidence, light-headed, at peace with myself. And it would be free, no scrounging, offered up by this beautiful siren. These rich folk are handing drugs out like candy. And if I keep hanging around them, I could get more. I’d never have to quit again.

The girl shifts forward. “Hey, you okay?”

I turn and run.

* * *

I push through the claustrophobic throng until I find Philip. He’s mid-conversation with Triston when I grab his arm. “I need to go. I’m sorry.”

I don’t give him a chance to ask why. I only catch the “o” his mouth makes before I’m already fighting my way to the door. Even now my body is yearning for the stuff. My whole being wants me to go back into that room and shoot up. I’m trembling with the effort not to.

When I eventually get outside, icy air hits me in the face and I suck it in, tasting salt. We must be near the ocean. I pull my phone out of my pocket. The battery’s almost dead. I try to find the number for the cab that I saved earlier.

I shiver as I walk around the building and not with cold. The voices in my head are demanding I go back. Stop fighting. Just go back, get high, be with Philip.

I manage to find the number and call but it beeps loudly in my ear. This number does not exist.

“Shit!” I must have saved it wrong. With shaking hands, I try to call up Uber, but the app crashes because my phone is a piece of crap.

Okay, I’ll keep walking. Hail a cab. That’s a thing people do here in the city. I stalk ahead, look up and see… New York City. The buildings glitter bright orange across what must be the East River. The top of the Empire State Building is like a little Christmas Tree and the streetlights look like tinsel far beneath it. My breath catches at the magnificence of it. What a waste that we couldn’t see any of this from inside that dark underworld of a club. 

“Brian!”

I turn. Philip is jogging up behind me, his cheeks flushed pink. When he comes to a stop, he’s panting. “You okay?”

I shake my head and turn back to the view.

“What’s up? Can I do anything?”

He stays beside me as I continue to walk along the road. I need to keep moving. The craving feels all-powerful. Worse even than the other night. I shake my head again.

“Did I do something…?”

“No,” I answer quickly. “No, Philip. I just needed to get away.”

“Did Chase do something?” He’s not going to let this go.

“No.” Even though the path we’re on is lit and skyscrapers stretch up in every direction, dark trees surround us and it feels like we’re the only people in the world. I swallow because my tongue feels heavy. “When I went to the bathroom… there were people using. I mean, taking drugs.”

“Oh.” Philip’s step falters. “I’m sorry I didn’t think… you didn’t strike me as the conservative type. I mean, that sounds bad. I just mean if I’d known that sort of thing would disturb you, I would have warned you there might be some of that.”

Par for the course at this type of event. I should have guessed without him having to tell me.

“Not conservative.” I pause. With a deep breath, I stretch out my arm and pull up my sleeve. I want to shrivel up with shame and disintegrate into dust. I can’t look at Philip. My eyes stay locked on the track marks. “I’m a recovering addict. I can’t be around drug use.”

“Oh…” he says again.

Get your copy at Amazon!

About the author:

T L Gehr is an author and artist living in Cape Town, South Africa.
Gehr has bachelor’s degree majoring in journalism and psychology, is an avid reader and believes in the power of love and happy endings.

The Omega’s Missing Mate by Penelope Peters

Greetings book-lovers!

Let’s kick off the weekend with a sexy read! Check this one out!

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Eric Calhoun was looking for a date. 

Eric Calhoun defies all omega stereotypes – most of the time. He’s adventurous, determined, independent… and desperate for a date that will actually go somewhere. When he meets Rashad Abboud, he immediately falls for Rashad’s good looks and sweet, considerate behavior. It’s obvious that Rashad likes Eric just as much – at least, if their short and probably ill-advised liaison in the back alley is any indication.

But fast forward one month – and Rashad’s not only ghosted Eric, but he’s left him a souvenir. Newly pregnant and determined to the right thing, Eric gives Rashad one more chance – only to discover that Rashad hasn’t just stopped returning his texts. He’s disappeared.

And after Eric asks the right questions in the wrong places – he’s about to disappear, too.

Rashad Abboud was looking for answers.

Rashad Abboud isn’t the macho, unattached alpha he might seem. And he definitely didn’t mean to ghost Eric. He only wanted to follow the latest lead on his missing mother, who fled the country after her husband’s death when Rashad was just a toddler. Rashad’s questions clearly have caught someone’s attention, though: one minute he’s walking down a D.C. street, and the next he’s waking up on the other side of the world.

Maybe for some people, finding his family would be a dream come true: but for Rashad, the combination of family politics and leaving Eric behind is a personal nightmare! And just when he’s convinced the only way out is to accept it – he finds the surprise of a lifetime waiting for him in the next bedroom over…

Neither of them were looking for an international adventure.

Eric never wanted an adventure quite this big – and Rashad never wanted to find family this cloying. There’s no reason in the world why they should trust each other – but it might just be the only way they’ll ever make it home.

The Omega’s Missing Mate is a stand-alone m/m mpreg romance with an HEA ending. It features over-the-top bedrooms, the slowest car chase ever, and family members who really need to learn the definition of “boundaries”. 

Get your copy at Amazon!

Excerpt:

(Setting the scene: Rashad and Eric are on their first blind date – and it’s going really well. And then Eric makes a startling discovery about just how much he likes Rashad…)

Rashad looked impressed. “You’re a chef?”

“Not according to the head chef where I work, but I try.”

“Where do you work?”

“Paleo, it’s downtown—”

Rashad’s eyes widened. “Two Michelin star Paleo?”

Eric blushed and looked down at the table. “Yeah.”

“I’ve eaten there, it’s delicious. They catered an iftar for my grandparents a few years back, it was amazing. Perhaps you were the one cooking my food.”

Eric squeezed his hand, knowing full well that his face well on its way to being as red as his hair. “If it was a few years ago, it’s more likely I was chopping the veg. Now I’m working the fish station; we don’t usually provide the food for catering, since it’s hard to make fish travel well. I hope it was a good party, though.”

Rashad chuckled. “Iftars are the meal eaten after a day of Ramadan fasting. So I guarantee, we enjoyed the food immensely.”

“Oh.” Eric ducked his head. “Sorry, I don’t know much about Islam. We’re not exactly religious ourselves.”

“Nor am I. I’m the Muslim equivalent of people who celebrate Christmas and Easter but very little else. I fast during Ramadan, but for me, it’s more a psychological challenge than a religious endeavor.” 

Eric thought of the Arabic he’d heard Rashad say. Maybe it wasn’t religious, though – the way some Yiddish and Hebrew words had snuck into the vernacular and no longer held their original religious overtures. Before he could ask, Rashad continued. “What’s your favorite cuisine to make?”

The change of subject was almost a relief. “Hoping I’ll say Middle Eastern?”

Rashad rolled his eyes, but Eric could tell he was amused. It was something about the crinkles in his forehead. “I wouldn’t mind. Though Alnurian food is closer to Indian in style than typical Middle Eastern.”

“Alnuria – that’s where you’re from?”

Rashad nodded. “My father’s parents immigrated as children. It’s also where my mother was born. It’s a very small country, on the Gulf of Oman between Iran and Pakistan. Most people have never heard of it.”

“Have you ever been there?”

Rashad shook his head. “My work has never taken me to Alnuria, unfortunately. I wouldn’t mind the chance to see if my mother has any living relatives, but…” He shrugged, as if it wasn’t exactly a priority. “Work keeps me busy. And… I’m not always sure I’d like what I would find. Or that they would like being found. My grandparents always gave the impression that my mother left Alnuria for a very good reason. She kept her secrets, my mother. I don’t even know her maiden name.”

“Wow.” The way he said Alnuria wasn’t anything like how Eric had pronounced it. Eric leaned closer it. “Say the country’s name again?”

Rashad smiled and leaned closer. “Al-nooriyeh.”

The vowels were drawn out, almost a whisper. It sounded exotic and beautiful, as if Rashad was speaking an entirely different language.

“I’ll have to look up the cuisine,” Eric promised him, sitting up a little. The motion made his hand pull a little at Rashad’s, as if he was about to slip away.

Rashad’s hand contracted so quickly, almost violently, that Eric’s breath caught in his throat. He almost whimpered at the sudden pain of it, even if it didn’t really hurt very much.

“Sorry,” whispered Rashad, his eyes wide with what Eric suspected was his own shock. “I didn’t mean—”

“It’s okay,” said Eric, shaking just a little bit. It wasn’t the pain of Rashad’s hold on his hand so much that surprised him.

It was the way he liked it. The way his body clearly liked it, if his reaction was any indication. He felt strangely light, every nerve and cell waking up inside of him, focusing its attention on the man sitting across the table.

“Ah,” said Eric, his voice strangely bright. “Your tea’s going to get cold.”

Rashad’s eyes were focused squarely on Eric. “I couldn’t care less. You’ve kept me talking.”

“Did I? Sorry. You should drink it. Nothing worse than cold tea. Unless it’s too-hot tea and you burn your tongue and then you can’t taste anything—”

“You’re babbling again,” said Rashad.

“Oh damn,” groaned Eric, closing his eyes. “I’m completely fucking this up.”

Rashad laughed softly. “No. You’re not. I’ve been on enough terrible dates, I can assure you that you’re doing just fine.”

“Yeah?” Eric opened his eyes. “How many?”

Rashad’s smile was soft and secretive and it felt to Eric like it was meant solely for him. “I have four cousins who are very determined to see me bonded.”

Eric laughed softly. “Which is why you’re on a dating app?”

“They are wonderful cousins. And terrible matchmakers,” said Rashad darkly, but his eyes twinkled with humor. “I think I’ve dated every Alnurian omega and possibly every suitable Muslim omega in the entire DMV. They finally gave up on me.”

“Are you that difficult?”

Rashad shook his head, still smiling. “I wouldn’t say that. But the types of omegas that interest me aren’t the types my cousins meet very often.”

Eric felt his heart squeeze a little. “What type is that?”

“The surprising sort,” said Rashad, pitching his voice low.

“I’m surprising,” said Eric, sitting up a little.

Rashad leaned closer, eyes still squarely focused on Eric, so dark and smoldering that Eric could feel the warmth cascade down his skin, into his bones and the very deepest parts of him, which twisted and gaped and wanted.

Every part. Eric felt the thickening in his cock, and he was suddenly aware of his body in a way that he wasn’t usually aware of it. The way it was beginning to feel warm, present, and above all – empty.

“Have you been on many dates?” said Rashad, his nostrils flaring.

Eric nodded. “First dates. Not many second ones, though. Guess I’m not the type of guy people want to see twice.”

“I don’t believe that,” whispered Rashad.

“True,” Eric told him. “You might not like me much, either.”

“Try me,” Rashad challenged.

Eric took a breath. “I’m stubborn. Willful. I like working. I don’t want to stop. I mean, I get how working in a restaurant isn’t exactly good for family life, but I want someone who’s willing to figure out how to make it work, or support me while I figure out what else I can do with what I’ve got. I don’t like being put in a box or told what to do.”

“You want independence,” said Rashad.

“Yeah, exactly,” said Eric, brightening a little.

“That makes sense to me – you’ve been independent so long, I can’t see easily giving that up,” said Rashad, so reasonable that Eric squeezed his hand reflexively. “Why would that scare me off?”

“It always has before,” whispered Eric, his heart pounding in his chest.

Rashad shook his head. “Not this time.”

The feeling came on so strong – or maybe it’d just been building so deep in Eric’s mind that he wasn’t willing to pay attention until Rashad said those words.

An urge, a deep longing in his stomach to tighten his grip on Rashad’s hand and yank him right out of the chair and out of the café and down the street to somewhere where they could….

He realized he’d forgotten to breathe when his lungs began to protest, and when he sucked in a breath, he caught it.

A familiar sort of taste to the air, something that was more scent than anything else. Something rich and thick and yeasty. Something that reminded him of…

Eric sat up and quickly moved his hand to his neck, fingers at the slim bit of skin behind his ear, right where his omega scent would be the strongest.

Pheromones, thought Eric with horror. He stared at Rashad, who was still looking at him, though looking a little more startled now.

Oh shit – maybe Jane wasn’t joking. She always said the only reason she didn’t jump Lucy in the library that day was because she couldn’t find a broom closet and was too scared to use the stacks. I’m kicking out pheromones like no tomorrow. And if they’re strong enough for him to notice…

“I think,” began Eric, trying to keep his voice even. “Rashad, are you… can you tell if…?”

Rashad nodded, staring at him. “Your scent,” he said huskily. “It’s… stronger now. Yeah.”

Eric swallowed. It was a lot harder than it’d been ten minutes ago. If just touching him has kicked off an impromptu estrus… I can’t stay here. People are going to start to notice.

“I…” Eric stammered. “I should probably go.”

Rashad nodded briskly – but he didn’t let go of Eric’s hand. Instead, he stood up with him. “Let me walk you at least part of the way. You shouldn’t go out like this unprotected.”

Rashad was probably right – but beyond that, just knowing that Rashad didn’t want to leave him was a complete relief, enough to settle the shakes that were threatening to take over Eric’s entire body.

“Okay,” he said. “A little ways.”

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About the Author:

Penelope Peters has spent a considerable percentage of her life waiting in international terminals around the world; she may or may not have ranked her favorites. She’s never flown on a private plane, but she did get bumped into business class once. It was awesome. Having driven in two Middle Eastern countries, she assures you that Dupont Circle in DC is cake. She has, to the best of her knowledge, never been involved in a high-speed car chase involving a moped.

Penelope is greatly indebted to HL for her expertise and patience in being a sensitivity reader for this book and the Muslim characters within. Any remaining mistakes or misconceptions are Penelope’s.

Penelope no longer lives in the Middle East. As much as she misses the taste of shawarma, the scent of oud, and the hauntingly beautiful call to prayer, she has greatly enjoyed experiencing cold weather again. Her husband and sons also enjoyed the colder weather, or at least the sports that came with it. The cat has other opinions.