Victoria Sue

Charlie’s Rainbow (Rainbow Key Book 2) by Victoria Sue: Quick Review

May 16, 2018 by Denise

Eventually being diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder as a child, difficult didn’t even begin to describe the nightmare of Charlie’s life. Escaping the drug-induced limbo he existed in and running from his alcoholic mother and despotic grandfather, he finally finds some peace and a home on Rainbow Key.

Noah is also running, even if he doesn’t realize it, and the guilt he feels over his brother’s suicide chases him no matter where he goes. When he meets and falls for Charlie, he finally thinks he might have the chance to make a home and a future with the adorable man, except he doesn’t realize that the secret that Charlie is hiding is the one thing that he fears the most.

And not even a chance of mending their future can heal the scars of Charlie’s past.

Amazon

Sigh…. I think maybe I loved this one more than the first one….and hey there, hot cover!!!

In this one, we have Charlie, who we got to know in the first book of this series. He has trouble with touch, tactile sensitivity, and in a lot of cases, being touched even causes them physical pain. I couldn’t even imagine that, especially as a child, or having a child with such a …. I don’t want to say disability, but, it kind of is. My heart broke for Charlie, because living with this was brutal; with an alcoholic mother who didn’t know how to live with him and selfishly made it all about her, and a grandfather who tried to toughen him up by forcing it on him. I didn’t begrudge him for a second. He was a survivor, and I loved reading his story.

Noah gets left at the altar and was set to go on his honeymoon to the resort that we got to know and love last book. Unfortunately, Joshua was away with Daniel, so it left Charlie in charge of getting him set up and comfortable. It didn’t well in the beginning, but something about Charlie kept Noah wanting to be around him. Plus, being alone on your honeymoon….probably not a lot of fun.

However, it didn’t take Noah to realize that not going ahead with the wedding was a blessing in disguise. I was mad at the ex at first, but only for the way he done him on his wedding day; after that, I didn’t give him another thought.

While Noah was on the island, Charlie gets upsetting news and goes into this protective mode that wanted to help Charlie out. It was obvious that they felt for each other and it was kind of seamless, even though Noah had just gotten out of a very long-term relationship. It didn’t feel rushed to me, and maybe it should’ve, but they went through a lot together in such a short time that it didn’t feel forced or rushed at all. Bravo author, that’s hard to accomplish! Plus, Noah had his own demons he was battling, and I think helping Charlie kind of muted it, in a way….I understood it.

Unfortunately, Noah’s time away had come to an end, and he had to get back to his life. Charlie had made the impression though and an even bigger surprise, was so did Noah, to Charlie. He was so mindful of Charlie’s obstacles, and instead of getting frustrated by them or thinking there was something wrong with him, he just took it for what it was and worked around them. He didn’t judge Charlie or make him feel bad; he cared about him in a way that no one had before….so when he left, both men were left missing the other.

Leave it to Josh to concoct a reason to get him back on the island some weeks later, though….and though I want to gush some more and give you a step-by-step encounter of every piece of it, starting with what I loved and then moving on to what I adored…. I won’t. though I think you should just stop right now and go read it.

I cannot wait to see what happens with Ben, and I really, really, really need for Matt to get everything his heart could ever want. Knowing a little bit more about his story made me want to wish him real so I could spend all day every day, just hugging him for how unfair he was treated and how much of his life he missed out on. I sincerely hope he gets some justice for that!!! And Joe… I hope Joe is a part of all that happy…. Even though I’m curious to read about the new guy, Ryder and his little sister.

Overall, fantastic addition to a really great series. I cannot wait for more!

5 well deserved pieces of eye candy from me.

Joshua’s Rainbow (Rainbow Key Book 1) by Victoria Sue: Quick Review

May 15, 2018 by Denise

Rainbow Key – an idyllic island retreat off the west coast of Florida. Think wedding destination, white sandy beaches, lurve… except at the moment Joshua is struggling to pay the electricity bill, they’ve no paying customers, and even if they did they can’t afford the repairs from the devastating hurricane that struck three years ago – and to top it off they have to take in Daniel, a grumpy businessman who has been ordered by his doctor to take some time off before he has a heart attack from too much stress.

Funnily enough, Daniel owns a very expensive hotel chain that has been trying to buy the island for the past two years. Not that Joshua knows that yet, and boy are sparks gonna fly when he thinks he’s been set up.

Of course, sparks of a different kind are also soon flying between them.
Then there’s Matt who just got let out of prison, Charlie who ran away from home, and Ben, a famous model until a devastating house fire destroyed his face.

Welcome to Rainbow Key – held together by love, family, and sticky tape.

Amazon

This author is new to me, so I wasn’t sure what to expect going in; by page three, I couldn’t put it down! Although it was a little bit confusing for me, being thrown in with so many characters at once, I quickly fell in love with all of them….. granted, they’re secondary character’s, so they don’t get their own POV’s or anything, for a second I was like, okay, now…who’s who? After getting to know them though, I was pleased to know that most of them get their own story ! Yes, I paused to go look lol

So, in this one…. Daniel is a very busy, fast paced, very wealthy investor. He’s got hotels and resorts all over the place, and at the opening of his latest one, he suffers from a very serious panic attack that he confuses for a heart attack. It’s enough to scare him into agreeing to a little time away to recoup and let his body slow down and heal.

While there, he meets Joshua, the small little hotel’s manager, I guess he would be. Technically, it’s his hotel, though not for long if the man he inherited from’s family has any say in the matter….which, they do. Needing all the help he can get, he’s glad when Daniel comes and stays, with his time there paid in advance. Joshua knew that the hotel needed more than the few guests that he had, but he was determined to keep the place he’d deemed a safe haven for him and his friends. They’d all ran away from something, and all of them had the most heartbreaking stories, and we only got snibbits of each one. I truly cannot wait to uncover the terribleness that each one had endured to get there…. I want them all to get their pieces of happy, especially Charlie, Ben and Matt!

The days that Daniel stays, has Joshua hoping for things he thinks he can’t have. His self-worth is non-existent, and I hated the reason’s why. I hated the way he was treated, and I hated that he never got justice from any of the people who hurt and humiliated him. I hate when people get away with being terrible people. I need bone crushing vengeance or I Just feel unsettled LOL I may need to look into that. And Daniel, the more time he spends with Joshua, the more he wants everything that Joshua wants, and more!

The problem is, while in the beginning, Daniel could only see himself buying the hotel and thinking about what he could do with it. Because of that, he didn’t tell Joshua who he was, or what he really done for a living. Secrets are never easy, and I knew it wouldn’t end well…. Then, a poorly timed emergency with his sister just left everything seeming one way, when it was really something completely different.

It was low-angst, which I liked… I feel like I’m not emotionally able to handle angsty reads, but this one was sweet and hopeful, and by the end, I was so happy for all of them, especially what Daniel gave them all…. I loved him so much for that. I loved it for their whole broken and slowly mending, amazing family. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of them, and hopefully it’s not the last I’ll see of this couple either.

4 pieces of eye candy from me!

Victoria Sue: Monthly Author Guest Post: Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway from Ben’s Rainbow (Rainbow Key Book 3)

May 1, 2018 by Denise

Once again, the fabulous Victoria Sue is stopping by for her monthly check in on what is happening in her world. Today she has a new release! Ben’s Rainbow is book 3 in the Rainbow Key series, and the one I have been waiting for (yeah, yeah, I might have said that about the others, but this one for reals!). Anyway, as you can see by the exclusive excerpt she dropped, this one might be a bit angsty. Second chance love, two broken men, one beautiful Florida Key. That’s the makings of some good stuff! Make sure you leave a comment for the giveaway!

Benedict Keeler was one of America’s most popular models. Hot body, hot career, and super-hot boyfriend, until a devastating house fire destroyed his face and his dreams. After being told all his life that a pretty face is the measure of his worth, he can’t face another rejection and runs from his lover, eventually hiding out on Rainbow Key.

Zachary Quinn, a highly sought after photographer—even if he would rather shoot the homeless in Manhattan than a fashion spread—is now facing the real possibility that a genetic disease will render him blind and his days behind a camera may be over.

Two devastated men, one haunted by his past and one convinced he has no future. Will they both hide from the world, or will they give love, and each other, a second chance?

Amazon

The bark of a dog had him jerking to attention. He’d wandered a few feet away from Matt because Matt had said the tide was out, and the only thing beneath his feet was miles of sand, but the thought of being faced with an animal he couldn’t see and might not be friendly had him spinning around to where he knew Matt was stacking the sun beds.

“Hey, Kai,” Matt said in a warm voice. He must have noticed the way Zach twisted around sharply because his voice remained steady. “Kai’s just a big puppy. Labrador cross and as soft as a brush.”

“Kai?”

Zach heard the whispered faintly panicked plea of the other voice and stilled immediately.

“Hey, Ben,” Matt greeted the owner of the voice and obviously the dog, but Zach didn’t need to hear the name to know. Much as his mind was screaming in disbelief and denial, he only needed to hear the voice once to immediately recognize it.

Ben.

His Ben. The man he loved so desperately but had obviously never loved him. Zach whirled around and started walking away, ignoring Matt’s shout. His steps became faster and faster until he broke out into a run. Running from the voice he knew and couldn’t bear to hear now. He couldn’t see where he was going, and it didn’t matter. Nearly four fucking years. Four fucking years he had tried to find Ben, but he had vanished even before he’d made it to Hawaii. And that damn reporter had succeeded where he hadn’t then Ben had vanished again. All the agency would say was that Ben didn’t work for them anymore, and if Sylvia had said it was such a shame one more fucking time in front of him, he would have been tempted to put his fist through the expensive glass doors to her office. Even Seth, with all his medical contacts, had been unable to find him. He’d hired a private investigator, but it hadn’t helped, so Zach had thrown himself into his work. For nearly two years he had stayed home searching, until he’d given up and since then he had barely been home for more than a week at a time before he was gone again, chasing the next photograph. Then he had woken up without his sight and finally realized he had been missing his heart already.

“Zach, wait.” The words, urgent and panicked never filtered past the more pressing need to run. “Zach, stop.”

Fear. Fear this time, and that, more than anything, made Zach check his speed. The hand that clasped his arm and yanked made him stumble. “Rocks,” Ben gasped. “there’s three huge rocks, and you were running right at them.”

“Zach,” Matt yelled, and Zach heard him closing in. He shook his head, his knees gave way, and the hand that held him guided him to the ground. “We’re okay, Matt,” Ben called back. Tight tears burned, and Zach yanked at the sunglasses that were suddenly suffocating and threw them to the side. Zach bent over, kneeling, hands clutching his abdomen as agony both speared and mocked him. Sweat broke out on his forehead, and he forgot how to breathe. It seemed when he tried to inhale, nothing happened.

“Ben.” Choking, gasping, hurting.

“Hush,” Ben soothed. “Just breathe. Breathe with me.” And he did. Giddy as oxygen flooded his starving lungs, even as his body hungered for something else. He clasped the hand on his arm in sudden terror it was all a dream… a nightmare, and he had woken again to the other side of the bed as empty as the rest of him.

“Don’t—” go. But he couldn’t force the words through his choked throat. He jumped. The raspy tongue cautiously licked his other hand, and suddenly it was ridiculous, and he was laughing. He gasped again, and the laughs became sobs as he bent over and clutched at his body, convinced if he didn’t hold on he would fly apart.

But then maybe he should let it go?

Crying. Shaking. Turning his head and pressing into the comfort of the one thing he needed and had forgotten. He tried to inhale Ben’s scent, but his nose was clogged. Tried to reach out and hold him but his arms shook.

“Hush, sweetheart, I’m so sorry.” Pain everywhere. In him, around him. In the catch of Ben’s voice that seemed to fracture over and over until his brain was echoey and foggy. He couldn’t think, didn’t want to think.

Harsh panting seemed to steady him, and he became aware of the arms clutching him, holding him up. He sagged again, too heavy, but too tired to do any other. He wanted to ask so much, but renewed terror silenced him. More hands helped him to his feet, and too exhausted to form a protest, Zach did as he was told. All he could do was hold onto the one hand he was convinced it would kill him to let go. Begging him to stay without having the energy to form the words.

“Let’s get him back and into bed.”

“Do you think we should call his doctor?”

“No,” Zach gasped, knowing it was Josh and Matt who spoke. Ben was silent, but so long as he didn’t leave, he didn’t need to hear him.

“I’ll stay with him.”

Which made Zach want to cry all over again. Please.

Zach was barely aware of being helped back into the cart then into the hotel. He was finally in bed and completely exhausted…and still, through everything, clinging to the hand that held his. Nothing else mattered. Being alive. Being blind. Nothing.

Well, what do you think? Is this one going to be good or what? Leave a comment to be entered to win one of Victoria’s backlist books.

Monthly Guest Post: Victoria Sue: Exclusive Post, Excerpt and Giveaway

March 29, 2018 by Denise

It is always a joy to welcome Victoria Sue to TCO. I adore this woman, and every time I see her, I give her a big hug, and maybe harass her about how she says words like “coat”. 🙂 I love this series she has put together, so check out her guest post about Charlie’s Rainbow. I have a feeling this book might need a box of tissues next to you as you read it in one sitting. So grab the preorder so you don’t forget, and its ready for you right away on April 10th!

And not even a chance of mending their future can heal the scars of Charlie’s past.

Preorder at Amazon

I guess when I set out to write my Rainbow Key series I was thinking cute, possibly funny, and definitely no dead people.

All the things I thought would be cool to have in my first contemporary series.

I should have known better.

No, it’s okay – no one is dead. You may wish a couple of characters are but that isn’t because they have been shot, stabbed, drowned, blown-up, or disintegrated in a cloud of zombie dust… (note to self – write that down as a plot point.)

I was only ever going to write character A falls in love with character B. True love might not run smoothly but there’s no apocalypse.

Or that was the plan.

And Joshua happened. And Daniel. And because I wanted to play about a little I ended up with an ex-rent boy with zero confidence and a heart as big as he is; plus a too-old, too-mean, too-busy, businessman who needs to get off the merry-go-round before he breaks something…possibly himself.

And they have friends. And… because the urge to mess with my readers took over a little more in the second book we have Charlie.

Charlie has tactile sensitivity. He can’t stand being touched to the point it causes him physical pain. Noah has his own problems. Actually, he gets ditched at the altar and as Charlie puts his fiancé had to be blind, because Noah is every one of Charlie’s boyfriend fantasies wrapped up together.

If he had a fantasy.

Or if he had a boyfriend.

Or if Charlie could cope with being touched.

I know, right?

Rainbow Key – held together by love, family, and sticky-tape.

Joshua’s Rainbow is out now on Amazon. https://goo.gl/d4W1GM

Charlie’s Rainbow will be out in two weeks (April 10). (Noah’s just trying to persuade him to have their first kiss.)

For all updates, free short stories, competitions and excerpts join Victoria’s Secrets https://www.facebook.com/groups/1182647028418709/

Noah dropped his fork next to his half empty plate and peered at his phone. Seven twenty. Another ten minutes or so and Lindsey would be home from work and he could call her. He’d checked flights and had quite a few to choose from. Matt had brought him dinner an hour ago, but he’d picked at it and couldn’t summon the enthusiasm for anything.

He stood restlessly and went to the window. He was lucky enough his room overlooked the beach, and he gazed at all the empty sand.

Except it wasn’t empty.

Noah took a sharp breath as he stared at what he was seeing. Charlie—even as the sun set his blond hair was visible—stood in shorts and a T-shirt with his feet covered by the waves. Charlie took another step into the water, and all the things about his behavior seemed to coalesce. Panic. He had panicked when Noah had gotten close, to the point he hadn’t even liked shaking hands. His warning about going swimming. Charlie took another step, the waves nearly up to his knees.

He was terrified of water.

Everything he’d learned about Charlie came rushing back, and then it wasn’t Charlie he was seeing walking into the ocean, it was Jacob. His brother. The closest thing to a best friend he would ever have, and never would again.

Because he was dead. Because he had killed himself.

Noah didn’t remember wrenching his bedroom door open or clattering down the stairs. He didn’t remember racing past the pool or the sun beds or even his bare feet hitting the sand. The first time he breathed was when his hands closed around Charlie, who had turned in fear as Noah came crashing through the water towards him.

“What the actual fuck?” Noah screamed as he shook Charlie’s arm, hard.

Charlie opened his mouth, and then he was just there. In his arms. So close, he could breathe him in. His lips close enough to touch his own… and for a second they almost were. Noah groaned his surrender, nearly swallowed the tiny protest from Charlie’s throat, and gathered Charlie’s slim body close. He could smell the salt, almost taste the ocean where it touched his skin, and underneath that the taste that must have been all Charlie. Sweet, and oh so tempting. Noah wrapped his arms tighter and pressed Charlie’s slim body into his.

For a second, Jacob was safe. No… Noah shook himself and gulped air. Charlie. Charlie was safe.

“Noah?” The small question forced its way into his consciousness, and Noah blinked awareness back in. He stared into Charlie’s blue eyes.

“What are you doing?” Noah croaked the question out, not sure if he wanted to. Asking the question meant taking responsibility for whatever answer you got, and he wasn’t sure he wanted the responsibility of another human.

Not when he’d failed so spectacularly last time.

“You—let go.”

The whispered plea finally got Noah’s attention, and his grip eased.

“You’re getting wet,” Charlie commented breathlessly. Noah looked down. The waves were hitting the top of his shorts. Noah released one hand and turned, but he didn’t let go of Charlie until they were both on the sand.

He let his arm drop and slowly their eyes met. He swallowed. “Don’t do that. Whatever it is, nothing’s that bad.”

Charlie’s eyes widened, and his lips parted again as utter astonishment crossed his features at the same time as embarrassment blazed through Noah’s body. Fuck. He turned sharply and took three determined strides back to the hotel. He would pack, get Matt to take him to Sanibel. He would fucking swim if he had to.

Leave a comment about the blog post, and you could win an ebook of any backlist title from Victoria Sue.

Monthly Guest Post: Victoria Sue – Exclusive Excerpt from Joshua’s Rainbow

February 21, 2018 by Denise

As always, we love it when Victoria Sue drops by for her monthly blog post. She brings something fun, exciting, maybe a little on the the dirty side, but we are glad to have her! So check out the exclusive excerpt she brought to TCO this month from her book that is just out today, and on KU! Welcome Victoria!

Of course, sparks of a different kind are also soon flying between them.

Then there’s Matt who just got let out of prison, Charlie who ran away from home, and Ben, a famous model until a devastating house fire destroyed his face.

Welcome to Rainbow Key – held together by love, family, and sticky tape.

“Joshua?” Daniel reached out and gently pulled his face around to look at him. “I’m so sorry for what I said last night. It was a culmination of a month’s worth of stress, and I’m afraid I took it out on you.”

Joshua shook his head. “Not your fault. You were right, and”—he took a breath—“I haven’t had much luck with relationships.” He paused and Daniel’s heart went out to him.

“I find that very difficult to believe,” Daniel said lightly and nudged his arm.

Joshua looked incredulously at Daniel and waved a hand at himself. “Then you’re blind,” he said shortly.

“Do you know what I see when I look at you? It’s your eyes first,” Daniel mused. “They have been pulling me in since the first time I laid my own on you.”

“I’m huge,” Joshua said flatly.

“Well, your heart is, certainly.” His lips parted and Daniel knew he wanted to tell him something, but they closed on silence. “Joshua, Josh, you are trying to provide a home for people that don’t seem to have one, with barely any facilities and no money to do so. I am in awe at your generosity of spirit.” He nudged him. “You’re also sexy as all hell and I’m struggling to keep my hands of you.”

Joshua stared in astonishment and opened his mouth again, but just then they heard a shout from the hotel and turned to see Susie waving at them trying to get their attention. Daniel sighed to himself and offered his hand to pull him upright. He ignored the tingly warmth as Joshua placed his hand in Daniel’s and let himself be pulled up.

“So, you’re staying to help me feed fifty people?” Josh’s tone was doubtful, but the question seemed loaded with other things. Daniel threw away caution and every sensible thought he had ever had. In the same pile, he buried his guilt at the deception and told himself if he was going to try and buy the island he was being very altruistic by helping them first. Though, he admitted to himself, if he was really the savvy business man he had been accused of being—and not always politely—then helping Joshua should be the last thing he was doing.

“Not just that,” he said with meaning, and let his eyes trail suggestively over Josh’s body.

Josh stiffened and Daniel knew instantly he’d made a huge mistake.

“Hey.” He snagged Josh’s hand, incredibly relieved when he didn’t pull away. “That came out wrong. For a marketing consultant, I seem to be doing a bad job of communicating my feelings.” He took a deep breath, gratified that Josh hadn’t told him to get lost.

“I am incredibly attracted to you. I think that much is obvious.” Daniel laughed awkwardly when he didn’t get a reaction. “But this is business. After twenty jaded years I get a kick out of helping someone start up, running with an idea.” He nudged Joshua. “How about when the wedding’s a tremendous success and you have bookings flooding in, we talk again and see what we both want? No expectations or promises.”

Josh regarded him quizzically for a second then took a step nearer. He whispered because Susie was nearly within hearing distance. “I like expectations,” he said throatily, and Daniel made a soft noise in the back of his throat that might have been a whimper. Damn.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Victoria Sue fell in love with love stories as a child when she would hide away with her mom’s library books and dream of the dashing hero coming to rescue her from math homework. She never mastered math but managed to dream up quite a few heroes. Loves reading and writing about gorgeous boys loving each other the best—especially with a paranormal twist—but always with a happy ending.

Is an English northern lass currently serving twenty to life in Florida—unfortunately, she spends more time chained to her computer than on a beach.

Loves to hear from her readers and can be found most days lurking on Facebook where she doesn’t need factor 1000 sun-cream to hide her freckles.
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www.victoriasue.com

@vickysuewrites

Joshua’s Rainbow – https://goo.gl/VaFELb

Leave a comment on Victoria Sue’s monthly blog stop, and you are entered to win an ebook of one of her backlist books.

Beneath This Mask by Victoria Sue: Exclusive Monthly Guest Post & Excerpt with Giveaway

January 16, 2018 by Denise

As always, we are super excited to have Victoria Sue here for her monthly guest post. Today is release day for Beneath This Mask, and she has brought us an exclusive excerpt from the book. )I’ve read this one, the entire series in fact, and this one is fantastic. Gael is AMAZING! Jake isn’t so bad either 😉 )

Welcome to Victoria Sue!!!

Gael Peterson has spent years hiding behind the enhanced abilities he wears like a mask, even though he is an important, confident member of the FBI’s exclusive H.E.R.O. team. The hurt and betrayal of his mom’s abandonment and his father’s fists are secrets buried deep beneath the ugly scars on his face, and he doesn’t trust Jake, his new regular human partner, with any of them. In a world where those with special abilities like Gael’s are regarded as freaks and monsters, it won’t be easy for him to rely on Jake to have his back, especially when the abilities of a vulnerable, enhanced, nonspeaking child make that child a murder suspect.

Tempers rise and loyalties are challenged, and when the serial killer targeting the enhanced finally sets his sights on Gael, not only will Gael have to trust Jake with his secrets, he might have to trust him to save his life.

Title: Beneath This Mask
Author: Victoria Sue
Release Date: January 16, 2018
Category: Paranormal Other, Science Fiction
Pages: 206

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Gael was exhausted. Derrick had wiped him out, even though he couldn’t wait to tell the team. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had slept a full night from when he got the letter from his sister. Half sister. He needed to call Wyatt, but Wyatt was visiting his girlfriend’s family, and Gael thought he ought to check out Louise first.

And now, on top of everything else, as he walked into the field office, he was nervous. He hadn’t been lying exactly when he’d told Jake he could rent a room. He could, and he knew his biggest terror would have been the size of the cockroaches that scurried up the walls.

Or was it? Jake had been quite obvious. A harsh man would have said pushy, and it wasn’t like Gael was a virgin. It was true when they said one could buy almost anything. He just had no idea why Jake would have said what he did. Jake was gorgeous. Deep gray eyes he could drown in if he looked for long enough. The intense military cut, and the way he stood at attention without even meaning to. It certainly made certain parts of Gael stand at attention, at least the bits that weren’t attempting to melt, anyway.

Oh my God. Gael came to a stop. Did Jake think that because of his scar he was an easy target? That he was desperate? No, no, no. That didn’t make sense. He might admit to being so sometimes, but Jake was gorgeous. All he had to do was beckon a finger, like every cheesy romance moment he’d ever thought of, and someone would come running. He didn’t need Gael.

Gael blew out a long breath. Jake was stunning. Beautiful pin-up girls should hang from those biceps. Gael put the brakes on his thoughts—just because he was ugly didn’t make “gay” ugly. In fact, it was downright breathtaking sometimes.

He had spent the afternoon with Derrick, but Derrick had mostly slept it away. Dr. Maya had come in a few times and asked what Gael knew about Derrick, but obviously it wasn’t enough. After Gael managed to coax Derrick to eat something before he fell asleep again, his precious tablet clutched tightly, Gael had been all set to call Jake. Then the nurse, who had taken a keen interest in the signing, having done some himself, offered him a ride into town.

“Gael?” Gregory peered at him, and Gael tried to look like he was okay. “How was the boy?”

“He seemed calmer, sir. I’ll type up my report now.”

“Your team is in the gym” was all Gregory said before smiling and walking away.

Gael let them be for a while as he shot into the office and wrote his report on what had happened. Forty minutes later he walked into the gym and found Vance sitting on a bench and Jake laid flat out on the ground. Gael took in Vance’s amused look and Jake’s groan.

“You’re not supposed to kill your partner, you know,” he scolded Vance.

Jake groaned again and sat up. Gael walked to the vending machine and got a bottle of water. He unscrewed it and headed back to Jake, holding it out. Jake grabbed it, tipped his head back, and Gael followed every swallow down that smooth throat. He nearly repeated Jake’s groan.

“You staying here now?” Vance stood. “I’m going for a shower, then finishing my report. Talon says we can leave whenever we want so long as he has them for the morning.”

“Was the separate gym put in so all the other agents wouldn’t see our humiliation every time Vance put one of us down?” Jake asked, still sitting on the floor.

Vance chuckled and walked out.

“Walk it off a little,” Gael said, grinning.

“How’d it go?” Jake got carefully to his feet and rolled his shoulders.

Gael shook his head. “Incredible. Humbling. I have a ton to tell you. How did your session go with Vance?”

Jake shot him a level look. “For a mammoth he’s surprisingly agile,” he said appreciatively. “You gonna work out or did you just want to see me taken down?” He smiled, softening the question.

Gael chuckled and looked over Jake critically. “You feel okay?”

Jake nodded and quipped, “Still standing.”

“Vance has gone for a shower now that I’m in here.”

Jake’s brows creased a little. “He didn’t actually hurt me or anything.”

“We’re never allowed in here on our own,” Gael explained, and Jake raised his eyebrows. “It’s one of Talon’s rules.”

“Teambuilding?”

“No. The doc does an awful lot of tests on us, and she isn’t sure if adrenaline contributes to our abilities developing.” Gael looked behind him to make sure the doors were closed. “The thing with my skin? It happened suddenly when I was in a shoot-out. When the team first formed, it was me, Talon, and Vance, and they didn’t really know what to do with us. Vance knew a DEA guy, and he asked us for back up. Everyone just thought we were cannon fodder, I suppose. Anyway, the op went wrong, and Vance and Talon were pinned down.”

Jake stilled, waiting for Gael to finish.

“I thought I was gonna die anyway, so I used myself as a shield.”

“Gonna die,” Jake repeated woodenly.

“Cancer.”

“What?” Jake nearly shouted the question and took two steps right up to Gael, raking his eyes over him in concern.

“I’m fine.” Gael smiled. “Remind me to bore you with the science sometime. Anyway, my skin became a barrier for the first time, and the bullets bounced off me. More agents arrived and everything worked out okay. They started proper training for us after that.”

Jake gazed at Gael. His warm gray eyes seemed to slide over Gael’s skin. Gael took another breath, not wanting to see something in Jake’s eyes that wasn’t there. Jake had gotten a loud no the last time he had come on to Gael.

“What I’m trying to explain is why Talon won’t let any of us use the gym on our own. Safety. He always wants someone here in case our abilities increase, alter, whatever.”

“But I’m not enhanced.” Jake said it as almost an apology.

“Doesn’t matter,” Gael said. “You’re part of the team, and Talon doesn’t have separate rules depending on who you are.”

“And you’re sure you’re okay?”

Gael suddenly realized how close Jake was. He’d taken another step while Gael was desperately trying to rein in his imagination. Gael swallowed, and Jake’s gaze fell to his mouth, staring. Gael’s throat was so dry. For a second he wanted to step back in panic, but he was cold, suddenly, and the heat coming from Jake was so inviting.

“I’m not going to do anything that you wouldn’t welcome,” Jake said bluntly. “I want you to feel safe with me.”

Safe? That wasn’t the word Gael would use. The nerves in his gut tripled, but the tingles in his groin were fiercer. He ached. Just one more step and they would be almost touching.

Victoria Sue…

Loves to hear from her readers and can be found most days lurking on Facebook where she doesn’t need factor 1000 sun-cream to hide her freckles.

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