M/M Contemporary Romance
Date Published: October 3, 2017
Publisher: Loose ID
Vacationing at a gay resort is risky business for Winter Media’s CEO, Graham Winters. In negotiations for the purchase of an anti-LGBTQ publication, if found out he preferred men, the deal would collapse, along with Winter Media’s bottom line. But take a risk, Graham does. He can’t pass up two weeks where he can be himself.
But when Graham arrives at Secretus, there is no record of his reservation. Never one to take no for an answer, he coerces the owner of Secretus, Chris Katsaros, to let him stay in Chris’s home.
Winter Media owns one of the worst gossip rags in the country, so Chris has no choice but to agree to Graham’s terms. Chris keeps a low profile when it comes to Secretus, securing a safe environment where high profile gays can relax without media hounding their every move. An introvert by nature, Chris has a difficult time letting anyone into his life. As a foster kid, he had never experienced love until adopted by Pete and Bob.
Forced to entertain Graham, Chris finds they have more in common than he ever thought. The attraction between them is real, and Chris’s guarded heart begins to thaw.
Excerpt:
Chris
Katsaros set down his cell phone after the call from Josh and quickly did an
Internet search on Graham Winter’s name. Holy
shit. The guy’s company owned Gossipy!—the
worst of the worst rumor-mill rags in the country.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Maybe
he should call Josh to sit in on the meeting. Tact was not one of Chris’s
strong points, and he’d need backup in dealing with Winter.
All
thirty cabins were rented until five days from now. Thankfully Josh had had the
foresight to call the Coastal Pines and reserve a room. In all the years he’d
been running Secretus, he’d never had this problem. Now he had to contend with
an angry guest who was huffing and puffing toward his office. This major clusterfuck
should never have happened. He’d have to call Honda Bergen as soon as he
finished with Graham Winter. Good thing Chris’s best friend gave him 24-7
on-call tech service.
Before
the bull came storming in, Chris clicked on the images, his brows knitting as
pictures of Winter came into view. Good-looking in a GQ sort of way, Graham
Winter wore his brown hair slightly longer than the usual short-cropped
business style. A few of the photos showed him at society events with his mother?
Other
pictures had him coupled with beautiful women. One caption read “America’s most
eligible bachelor.” So this eligible bachelor was a closeted fuck?
Chris
detested successful gay men who didn’t have the balls to be themselves in
public. His dads fought for gay rights and instilled in Chris the need to speak
out against injustices. Not hide behind fake girlfriends and one’s mother.
Chris’s
head snapped toward the door when Graham Winter strode in, the screen door
slamming behind him. Heat spiked in Chris’s chest. Fucking Jesus. Good-looking was not enough of an adjective to
describe the man. The chiseled jawline and intense green eyes made Chris’s
mouth dry. Not a hair out of place, an expensive-looking watch on his right
wrist… The man’s image screamed wealthy, arrogant SOB.
Those
shapely lips thinned when he glared at Chris.
Sweet lips. And fuck,
stop.
This man would eat Chris for breakfast if he weren’t careful.
At
least Mr. Winter kept his gaze steady even when he took in Chris’s scarred face
down to his scarred hands.
Got to give the guy a
gold star for not flinching.
Running
his hand along his stubble, Chris felt like one of the homeless who hitched
rides along the coast highway. He slipped into his worn sandals. When he
brushed back his hair, his fingernail caught in one of his curls, and he
winced. Grim amusement glittered in the man’s eyes.
Why
did those judgmental eyes have to be such an awesome green?
Chris
cleared his throat and motioned toward the only chair in his office not covered
by files. “Mr. Winter, please have a seat.”
Mr.
Winter took in the room in one glance. When he met Chris’s gaze, his expression
soured further. “You’re the owner?”
The
disbelief in his grave voice made Chris’s hair rise on his nape. His heartbeat
pumped a tad too fast from the anger roiling in his stomach. So what if he
dressed in shorts and a T-shirt? His private office was not some corporate
boardroom. He forced a smile. Josh had taught him a few tricks in dealing with
irritable guests, but Chris never mastered the fake smile.
Mr.
Winter sat in a chair, his back mimicking the straight backrest. “Call me
Graham. My father was Mr. Winter. Now, do you have room for me or not?”
“Unfortunately
our system double booked your cabin. It won’t be available for a few days. My
manager called the Coastal Pines, and they can set you up in their penthouse
suite. It’s a five-star hotel, and of course, we’ll pay for all the room
charges and your meals while you stay there.”
That
should satisfy the asshole.
“I’m
not going to be shuffled back and forth like a piece of luggage. I like it
here. If I wanted to spend time in a pretentious hotel, I’d have stayed in New
York.” Graham drummed his fingernails on his thigh. He eyed the doorway leading
to the hall. “Do you live here alone?”
Chris’s
jaw twitched. “I don’t see how that relates to the situation.”
“This
must place must be what, three, four bedrooms?”
“Three,
but I—”
“You
married? Boyfriend living with you?”
Chris
clutched the papers on his desk, crumpling the edges. “That’s none of your
business.”
“Just
as I thought. You live alone. Then I’ll stay here until a room opens. Perfect
solution.”
Chris’s
mouth opened, but he was too stunned to speak. Already his head was buzzing.
The last thing he wanted was a stranger lodging in his home. Not that he’d ever
be interested in this guest. The man had the power of the media to bully
people. Most likely Graham abused this kind of power to get what he desired.
Chris
cleared his throat. “No resort in Big Sur is stuffy. You’ll be comfortable at
Coastal Pines.”
Graham
smiled.
Chris’s
ire rose at the shark-like expression. Graham reminded him of the boys who used
to bully him in school. Taunts of faggot,
pretty boy, echoed in his memories. Buffering against the predator smile,
Chris repeated, “As I’ve said, we’ll pick up the tab for your stay. It will
only be for a few days. We’ll make sure the transition is seamless. You will
not be inconvenienced.”
“I
already am.”
“If
you don’t like the arrangements I’ve made, then I’m sorry, but this is my home.
I don’t open it up to guests. We’ll arrange for your airfare back home or a
hotel if you decide to stay in the area. That’s my final offer.”
Graham
sat forward, his hands casually in his lap. “I won’t be inconvenienced if you
let me stay here until a room opens up. You said it’d only be a few days. Keep
in mind that bad press is not always better than no press.”
Shit.
Just as he’d thought, the guy used his power of media over him. Chris ran his
hand through his hair. He licked his lips, tasting the big NO. If Gossipy! got a hold of this fiasco,
they’d have a field day at the expense of Secretus’s reputation, not to mention
blowing the anonymity that he coveted. The social-media sharks would pick up
the story and twist the facts with fake news.
Better
to take it on the chin.
“Well,
what’s your decision, Mr. Katsaros? Do I stay or go?”
Chris
could hide out in his office. They wouldn’t have to see much of each other. His
most experienced concierge could serve as Graham’s private valet. Henri was one
of the more mature staff and would be able to handle this asshole. Yeah. It’d
be cool. Chris could do this without disturbing his routine.
Counting
under this breath to ten, he squashed his pride. “You can stay through the
weekend, and then you’ll need to either move to another room or a hotel if a
cabin doesn’t become available.”
“Okay.
That’s fair.”
“I’ll
have your luggage delivered to your room.” Chris stood. “Come with me.”
Chris
ignored Graham’s triumphant smile as he led him down the hallway. As Graham
passed, Chris caught a whiff of cologne. The scent smelled a warm vanilla with
a hint of sandalwood. Chris once had a crush on a guy who wore the same brand.
Avoiding
eye contact, Chris stared ahead. He’d put Graham in the second bedroom
overlooking the ocean. It was next to his room, but the third bedroom back of
the hall would not be a wise decision. Freshly painted, the room stood empty.
Not only that, but it was one of the darkest rooms in the house, positioned on
the side of the forest. A sly grin rose as he pictured stuffing Graham into that
postage-stamp bedroom and locking him inside. Oh, yeah, that would be sweet
justice.
Chris
opened the door to the bedroom and stepped inside. The room was furnished with
a nightstand and dresser, the king-size bed made up and ready for guests. Not
that many visitors stayed overnight. He never brought home a guy, preferring a
bed where he could be the one to leave before morning.
Graham
walked the perimeter and took in the high ceiling, ran his hand over the curved
redwood wall, and then beelined to the glass sliding doors and stepped onto the
balcony. He whistled through his teeth while taking in the panoramic ocean
view.
A
sense of pride swelled in Chris. This home was all his, built to his
specifications. The sea shimmered in the sunlight. The air carried the scent of
pines and saltwater. The coastal view and fresh air were Chris’s meditation. He
couldn’t imagine living anyplace else, and that was why he never moved far from
home.
“Now
this is a million-dollar view.”
Graham’s
genuine smile caused Chris’s heart to take a flying leap off the balcony. He
had no idea that such an arrogant guy could look so boyish.
Not
sure if he should stay or go, Chris stuttered, “Ah…lunch. You missed it.”
“I
caught a bite on the road.”
“Dial
star-twelve for room service if you get hungry. Dinner is served from five
thirty to ten thirty. Do you have a car?”
“Yeah.”
“You
can park at the back of the house. Josh will let you know about our services,
and he’ll have your luggage sent to your room.”
Graham
flopped on the bed and bounced a few times. “Ah, great mattress. This day is
looking up.”
Chris
momentarily lost his train of thought as he stared at Graham sprawled on the
bed. His skin flushed as he pictured Graham naked. Muscles bulged under the man’s
dress shirt. Chris steeled his mind to stay focused on the situation.
Graham
lifted up on his elbows. “Please make dinner reservations for seven thirty.
I’ll expect you to join me for dinner.”
Did
Graham just ask him out? The agreement had been for Chris to give Graham a
room, but that didn’t include being a dinner companion.
“I
rarely dine out,” he mumbled while struggling to get his head around being
asked out. As a rule, he only dated gay men who were out. Being the president
of Equality Acceptance Now, he had a reputation to maintain. Another black
check against Graham was that he was a guest.
Graham’s
gaze swept over Chris, and he licked his lips.
Was
that interest in those green eyes? Graham’s gaze seemed softer, more human and
less like a man-eating shark’s. Having this conversation in the bedroom with
those sexy eyes peering at Chris didn’t help his treacherous thoughts.
Nah. Don’t even think
it. This is a fucking closet case.
“Graham.”
Chris tried the name out and found it easily rolled off his tongue. “Like I
said, I don’t go out for dinner.”
“Then
it’ll be a treat for both of us.” Graham’s tone brooked no argument. “Since
you’re the only man I know here, you’ll do.”
Chris’s
stomach tightened at the backhanded compliment. “Now look here—”
“Hey,
you agreed to my terms. And I read in your brochure that each guest has a
personal valet. To see to your guest’s needs? I don’t like to dine alone.”
“I’ll
assign you a valet.”
“You’ll
do.”
Chris
gritted his teeth. Who the fuck would want to date this guy?
“I
don’t run an escort service. If you want companionship, you should go back to
San Francisco, where there’s plenty of action.”
“I’m
not asking to fuck you. Just dinner.”
Chris’s
cock jumped at the mere suggestion, invoking an image of Graham fucking him in
the ass. Chris’s visualization of this scenario made the situation even more
treacherous.
Resigned
to babysitting this guy, he sighed. “I’ll make the arrangements.”
Graham
bounced from the bed and strode up to Chris with a big grin. “Great.”
Chris
stepped back. The sheer magnetism oozing off Graham bothered him. Their gazes
locked. Chris was tall, but he had to look up at Graham. He should have looked
away, but the warmth in Graham’s eyes zapped his resolve to remain indifferent.
Beautiful
color. Warm.
Graham
swept his bangs off his forehead, and then his hair fell back into its proper
place. “I’ll see you around quarter after seven, then. Meet in the living
room?”
“Yeah.
Sure.” Chris looked away first. “I need to get back to work.”
As
he steadied his gait, going for nonchalance, he headed out, hearing Graham call
out thanks. The guy could say thank-you. What a surprise.
Once
inside his office, Chris locked the door and leaned against it, catching his
breath. Winter was arrogant and pushy. Chris wiped his brow. His shorts were
uncomfortably tight. The moment he’d laid eyes on Graham, his knees went weak
and his groin got that achy, pleasant sensation.
The
back door to the garden was still open, and he locked that too. No matter that
he hid in his bolt hole, he sensed Graham in the bedroom doing fuck knew what,
and well, shit, Chris tried to stay focused on his tasks.
Multi-published and award winner, Viki Lyn is a successful writer of gay paranormal and contemporary romance. After reading and collecting whatever she could get her hands on, she wrote her first male/male romance. And that was ‘it’ for her. She never looked back. Viki travels the world in search of inspiration. She considers herself blessed to have traveled to many of the mystical sites she had dreamed about as a child. Her travel experiences have been influential in creating her paranormal worlds. When she needs to relax, she calls a friend to meet at their favorite coffee house. When the chattering in her head goes off the charts, she plays one of her favorite RPGs on her PS4 and immerses herself in the world of dragons and magic.
You can email Viki at viki.lyn.romance@gmail.com.
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Thank you for hosting me today! I am stuffed from yesterday's meal - and recovering by reading a good book. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
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