Available at Red Rose Publishing
Lessons in Love
Unlikely Lovers: Book 1
Blake Deveraux
Erotic Romance: Contemporary, GLBT
ISBN: 978-1-60435-744-8
Cover Artist: Ash
Editor: T.D. McKinney
Line Editor: Pam
Word Count: 26,012
Release Date: July 15, 2010
College is a difficult time for the most confident student, but for Mitch Broward, College life promises to either be the beginning of a new life, or the extension of a painful lie.
When Mitch meets his flamboyant roommate Josh, he realizes just how hard it may be to find his place in the world. He is neither comfortable with his sexuality nor is he ready to put himself through the stress of being “outed”.
He’s hired to tutor Benjamin Walker and his attraction to the handsome football player is unmistakable. Mitch knows that Ben’s teammates regularly harass Josh, tormenting him mercilessly.
Mitch finds himself in a tense friendship with Ben that turns out to be far more complicated than either of them ever dreamed. Mitch’s final dilemma–is Ben is just another bigoted gay-basher, or is there more to the football player than meets the eye?
Excerpt
Three weeks had passed since the fateful night when Mitch found Josh naked and bleeding in the campus courtyard. Mitch couldn’t help thinking about what would happen if his roommate didn’t break it off with the sadistic married man. Mitch had tried several times to get him to open up about what made him continue seeing this monster, but Josh simply brushed off any inquiry as unimportant.
Mitch sat studying alone in his dorm room as he waited for the ‘football jock’ idiot he was supposed to tutor showed up. He was sure he was more than likely another redneck with an attitude. Mitch deliberately planned to have the player show up while Josh was out. Unfortunately, Josh was on one of his regular trips to the “football field”. Mitch simply shook his head in disbelief as he considered what unspeakable things Josh was allowing to be visited on himself.
Josh had confessed that although he didn’t enjoy being beaten up, there was a definite plus for him to be with a dominant man. He enjoyed the power play of it. Josh was simply addicted to the idea that he was the only person who could sexually satisfy this man. He’d said that by allowing himself to be humiliated, somehow this made him the “powerful” one. It was a twisted idea of power for Mitch to get his mind around.
His train of thought was thankfully interrupted when he noticed a tall handsome blonde man standing in his doorway. The football player smiled. “Are you Mitch?”
“Yes,” Mitch was thankful that he was, at least right now. It wasn’t every day that a tall muscular football player that just coincidentally had a killer smile, happened into his dorm room. Mitch frowned a bit as he considered the irony that the one guy he’d met on campus so far that he was insanely physically attracted to just happened to be, by most accounts, a gay bashing straight guy.
“Uhhh, can I come in?” Ben was obviously uncomfortable with the long pause.
“Sorry, I had my mind on other things.” Mitch answered honestly. “Do you have the books?”
Mitch flipped through the pages of the calculus text book. He directed the football player to work out several calculations before their next meeting.
Just as Mitch was making a few final notes in the book, Josh burst into the room. He was limping a bit and a black eye adorned his right side.
“Fuck, Josh, not again.” Mitch frowned at the young man.
“Nah, just a little love tap, that’s all.” Josh smiled, motioning toward Mitch, hiding his swollen eye. He turned toward Mitch’s desk, now getting a glimpse of the football player whom he obviously recognized. “What the fuck is that asshole doing in my room?”
“It’s my room too,” Mitch said angrily. “I’m tutoring him.”
“If you want to hang out with a Neanderthal, I can’t stop you.” Josh stormed out of the room.
“I’m sorry if I upset your roommate.”
“Are you one of the assholes that make his life hell?” Mitch paced angrily.
“No, but I do know the guys that do, I’m ashamed to say.”
“I’m not sure if this is going to work out.” Mitch rose quickly to distance himself from the football player
Ben stood up and walked toward Mitch, who now had his back turned to him. Mitch felt two hands grasp his shoulders. He turned abruptly to find the handsome football player inches from his face. He stood frozen. He looked directly into the steel blue eyes that belonged on the face of an angel. Mitch found himself transfixed and unable to utter a word. He felt his cock straining hard against his pants.
This is crazy! Mitch thought
After what seemed like an eternally long pregnant pause, Ben stammered “I’m sorry about my teammates, but I think they’re all assholes. I can’t change that. I don’t have a problem with him. I hope you’ll tell him that.”
Abandoning the intense desire to kiss the object of his lust right then and there, Mitch instead retorted. “No, I think that’s something you should do yourself.”
“Yeah I think you have a point. I should go, though.”
Mitch stood in the doorway watching the handsome football player exit the building. “Damn, he’s hot!” He whispered under his breath.
Dangerous Motives
Men of Danger: Book 4
Blake Deveraux
Erotic Romance: Contemporary, GLBT
ISBN: 978-1-4543-0043-4
Cover Artist: Ash Roland
Editor: TD McKinney
Line Editor: Pam
Word Count: 35,950
Release Date: April 7, 2011
Is Prince Charming just a mythical character?
Dr. Joseph Demitri is sure certain he’s met and married his Prince Charming. Charles is both handsome and kind. His new partner has proven his love and respect for both the doctor and his young son time and time again. Their world seems to be fairy tale.
That world is shattered when a vicious murder takes place in the quiet suburb of Atlanta they call home. When Charles is implicated in the murder, the evidence begins to mount, threatening and overwhelming. Most frightening of all, Charles had both motive and opportunity.
The doctor begins to doubt his partner, wondering if their lives have been an apparition, a trick of smoke and mirrors, the product of a cunning, charming chameleon.
Can Joseph rip away the veils hiding a killer or will his love be the next victim?
Excerpt
Joe stood silent outside the suite, the door ajar. He knew Charles was inside. Pushing the door open, he saw Charles packing a bag furiously. Normally Charles bordered on the obsessive when it came to carefully handling his clothing. Joe had assumed it was a result of his very meager means early in life. His belongings were always carefully arranged. Tonight though, Charles crammed his clothing hurriedly into the small leather bag.
Joe found himself growing angry. Charles had upset his entire life. He’d allowed himself to become a fixture in Braden’s life, now, he was leaving. He wondered how much of their life had been true, and how much was a fabrication designed to lure the doctor into a relationship.
“Don’t worry asshole, I’ll be out of your room soon!” The words reverberated off the plaster walls and marble floor.
The longer the doctor considered the ruse that Charles had spun, the more it infuriated him. He wondered now if he’d even been abused by his father, or if perhaps his father was the victim of Charles’ rage. The fact that he’d used Joe’s compassion as a psychiatrist to make the doctor fall in love with him infuriated Joe further. Joe paced across the floor. He grabbed the bag Charles was packing and threw it violently against the wall. The contents sailed over the room as burning anger rose up in the doctor, spilling over in heated words. “I want a goddamn explanation, Charles! I think I deserve some fucking answers now.”
Charles turned emotionless toward the strewn clothing. He knelt, scooping up the clothing into the leather bag. “I don’t owe you a goddamn thing!”
Joe’s face flushed hot with rage. He was a grown man. He wasn’t a small man, nor was he an idiot, yet he’d allowed this man to somehow con him, and, even worse, intimidate him physically. He grabbed Charles by the arm pulling him hard upward. Sanity seemed a distant reality as the situation spiraled wildly out of control. The fact that regardless of what Charles had done, Joe still loved this man. Yet he feared him and what he might be capable of doing to either Joe or his son. The awful contradiction made his gut ache.