New Release - Jessie Pinkham - Acts of Service

I am always delighted to Have Jessie Pinkham over here. He guest posts are always interesting and thoughtful! Today she's here with her new release, Acts of Service.

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Hello and thanks for having me. =) Acts of Service is another book with a lot of myself in it, which, as you know, makes for an emotional journey in writing and then again when the book releases to the wider world.

I started writing this novella with the idea of Tom as a man who wants to be loved and has a lot of love to give in return, but can’t seem to find someone who accepts the way he demonstrates his feelings. Like so many of us, he’s been rejected on account of his flaws, and it begins to eat at him until he questions if there’s something terribly wrong with him.

The story wasn’t envisioned as being personal at first, but it quickly became that way with Alex. He’s not an autobiographical character per se, but he struggles with generalized anxiety, as do I, so by the end of the writing process I was very attached to him indeed. I’m personally acquainted with how anxiety can make a person feel like they’re too much trouble for anyone to be romantically interested in. There’s this nagging question, “Why would you want me when you could be with someone easier?” and let me tell you, the last thing an anxious person needs is another idea to worry about.

Lately we’re seeing more characters with mental health challenges, which is terrific, because millions of us have these struggles and it’s good to see that represented in fiction. Life beats us all up in different ways. That doesn’t mean we’re unlovable, even though sometimes it can feel that way.

One way of looking at happily ever after is finding the person who doesn’t think your baggage is too heavy.

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Tom can’t catch a break when it comes to his love life. He’s not good with romance, as his exes told him in uncharitable terms, and he’s starting to wonder if there’s something wrong with him. So when he finds himself attracted to his temporary roommate, he’s afraid of being called inadequate all over again.

Alex has serious anxiety which make his life a challenge and his dating prospects slim to nonexistent. He assumes Tom isn’t interested in him because men never are. It’s a pleasant surprise to start a friends with benefits relationship, so Alex goes out on a limb in an attempt to impress Tom. When it backfires spectacularly, he thinks all hope is lost.

Both men are held back by past rejections. Will a minor crisis bring them together – or tear them apart? 

Excerpt:

This is undoubtedly the stupidest thing I’ve ever done to impress a guy.

“Go ahead, start it up,” said Tom.

Alex took a deep breath and turned the key. Tom’s truck roared to life. No such luck as a fortuitously-timed engine malfunction. Though he shouldn’t think such things, as Tom was only being nice and wishing expensive repairs on him was hardly fair.

He looked around trepidatiously. The parking lot really was almost deserted, with only a few vehicles parked and those much closer to the doors. He wondered what role those people played in the postal service that required them to work on Sundays, then realized the line of thought was just a mental delay.

“You’re not going to cause any damage,” said Tom. If he was impatient, it didn’t come across in his voice.

“Your brakes are in good order, right?”

“Yes. The truck just passed inspection last month with no problems at all.”

It was a valiant attempt to make Alex feel better, and he appreciated the intent even though it failed.

The brake pedal went down smoothly under his foot. Such a small little piece of metal, and it could be a matter of life or death. Did people who worked at brake factories realize how much trust was being placed in them every single day?

Once he had that all-important device pressed firmly against the floor, he reached for the gear shift. The first notch down put the truck in neutral, the second in drive.

“Now ease up on the brake,” Tom said, remarkably cavalier about putting his safety, not to mention his vehicle, in the hands of a man who couldn’t drive.

Nothing happened when he lightened his touch on the brake as instructed. Maybe it was a sign. Alex had never believed in such things, but he was willing to consider the possibility.

“Wow, you had it stomped all the way down, huh? Okay, let it go. Take your time so you’re comfortable.”

As if that will ever happen.

“How about less terrified? I believe in setting realistic goals.”

“Sure. Whatever works. Just remember, there’s nobody around us, so you can’t do much damage.”

“I could drive into a light pole,” countered Alex, not because he was trying to be ornery, but suddenly concerned about damaging Tom’s truck. Those poles were stuck into cement, a material not known for being kind to vehicles.

“I’m not worried.”

Well, that made one of them. Alex eased up on the brake a bit more, but nothing happened aside from a vague sense of power waiting to be unleashed, though that could have been his imagination.

“Good,” said Tom. “Now give it some gas.”

If I crash into a light pole, he can’t say I didn’t warn him.

Of course he knew the truck was an inanimate object and thus had no feelings. All the same, it seemed as though the massive beast was eager to move, and it lurched forward when he pressed on the gas pedal just the slightest bit. He wasted no time in going back to the nice, safe brake.

“Not bad. Try again, and let it go a little more.”

Alex tried to ignore the churning in his stomach and nervous sweat rolling down the back of his neck, and he depressed the gas pedal again.

This time, the truck moved a good six feet forward before he threw down the brake. The parking lot was beginning to spin around him, something which hadn’t happened in years, and suddenly the truck’s ventilation system seemed entirely insufficient.

“That was good,” said Tom. “A little jerky on the brake, but with practice…”

He was still talking, but Alex didn’t hear a word because he was trying to get his traitorous body to obey him for once. It wasn’t working.

Five years since he’d last had a panic attack, half a decade, and he recognized the oncoming storm as though it had been five days. His heart raced, he struggled to breath, and if he’d eaten recently he’d probably be on the verge of throwing up. Most of all, the whole world raged around him, out of his control while he couldn’t even manage his own physiological response to stress.

Never mind driving, at this point he’d have happily settled for not breaking down in front of Tom, but he knew it was too late for that. Once a panic attack started, there was no cutting it off.

So much for making a good impression.

Buy Links:

Amazon (universal): http://mybook.to/ActsofService

JMS Books: https://www.jms-books.com/jessie-pinkham-c-224_281/acts-of-service-p-2622.html

Bookstrand: https://www.bookstrand.com/acts-of-service-mm

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/acts-of-service-jessie-pinkham/1130033189

Jessie’s Social Links:

Website: http://www.jessiepinkham.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessiePinkhambooks/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16835564.Jessie_Pinkham

New Release - Blind Spot - Jessie Pinkham

I am always delighted to Have Jessie Pinkham on the blog. Her stories are beautiful and her guest posts always thoughtful and interesting! So read on to learn more about her newest release, Blind Spot, which just came out with Evernight Publishing.

My interest in friends-to-lovers stories starts with my own, as Mr. P and I were friends for two years before we started seeing each other romantically. Or, if you ask him, we spent two years going on a series of “non-date dates.” These are defined as spending time together when one person realizes it is basically a date, and the other (that would be me, I’m afraid) does not.
There’s a certain universality about the fears that come with moving a friendship to romance. What if it goes badly? You have this person in your life who means a great deal to you, and you know full well how often relationships end, so the odds are against your happily ever after. When I finally realized my interest in him went beyond the platonic, I was terrified.
What really tipped the balance for me was the recognition that we wouldn’t be able to maintain the status quo forever. A woman would come along and snap him up, because he’s quite the catch, and our friendship would inevitably suffer as his priorities shifted. Remaining friends wasn’t a guarantee he’d always be in my life. From that perspective, taking the leap to ask him out was, if not easy, slightly less terrifying. (Fun fact: he later told me he sat through my introductory spiel thinking, “Okay, get all this out so I can say yes already.”)
When I set out to write a friends-to-lovers story, then, the idea that you can’t end-proof a friendship was solidly in my mind. Ben is nothing like me. For one thing, I regrettably do not have a sixth sense for true love. Just as I did, though, he eventually has to wrestle with the fact that he could very well lose this man who means so much to him, with or without taking a risk on dating.
I had a lot of fun writing Ben’s supernatural ability, or as Isaiah calls it, cupidar. At the end of the day, though, Ben is just like so many of us who are trying to find a promise of happiness in a world that offers no such thing.

Blurb
Ben has a sixth sense for love. He can instantly pick out partners who will be together for life, like a modern Cupid. Unfortunately, his gift has a serious limitation: he can’t use it on himself.

Emotionally scarred by his parents’ acrimonious divorce, he doesn’t trust love he can’t sense. This drives him to bury his feelings for Isaiah, his friend with benefits, because he can’t stand the thought of losing him to a bad breakup. Then he finds out Isaiah is in love with him.

He’s used to dealing with guaranteed happily ever afters. Now he has to decide which is more important: the promise of forever, or the man he wants to spend it with.

Excerpt in Indented Format
He wished his grandfather was still alive to meet Isaiah, because then Pops would’ve been able to tell him if they were a match. Now all he could do was hope his cousin sobered up or by some miracle he found another person with his gift. Maybe he should see if there was a secret message board for this kind of talent.
After all, Cupid couldn’t shoot himself. Ben was his own blind spot, so he had no way of knowing if he and Isaiah were destined to make a great couple or not. It was disconcerting beyond all measure to look at other people and simply know, and yet have no clue whatsoever about himself. This explained his chronic singledom.
In the meantime, he and Isaiah were fantastic friends who sometimes hit the sheets together. It could’ve been a lot worse, and Ben tried not to dwell on any lingering dissatisfaction with his life. He wasn’t setting himself up for a protracted, messy breakup, and in his experience, avoiding such a trauma was worth not acting on a long shot.
Couples who weren’t a perfect fit broke up all the time. Friends, statistically speaking, stuck around much longer, and having Isaiah in his life was infinitely better than not, so friendship was a better choice.
They didn’t finish the pizza. Sex wasn’t as fun if the blood was going to your stomach instead of your cock due to stuffing yourself beforehand. When the leftovers were in the fridge Isaiah said, “I don’t want to think right now.”
He sometimes preferred to let Ben make the decisions so he could turn his brain off, and that suited Ben just fine, not least because it was an action he could take to make his friend feel better and escape shitty reality for a while. The sexiness didn’t hurt, either.
“I can be persuaded to take care of the thinking.”
“Yeah, your dick is reliable that way.”
This wasn’t just Ben’s dick, though it was admittedly signaling enthusiasm for the prospect. He wanted to give Isaiah happiness even more than he wanted to get off, and he also had an inkling that his priority here suggested he might need to reevaluate his stance on risk aversion at some point.
If only there was a way to know. The more these thoughts about Isaiah niggled at him, the more annoyed he got that he could, at least in theory, discern ideal partners for everyone else in the world and meanwhile be blind and deaf to his own man. But there was no way to find out, not at present anyway, and Isaiah was there asking for him to make the evening a sexy diversion, so that was exactly what he intended to do.
****
As expected, the condoms and lube were already on Isaiah’s nightstand, just waiting to be put to good use. Ben looked at them and briefly debated suggesting a bit of kissing before they got going. Then he rejected the idea. They didn’t kiss, as a general rule, and Isaiah didn’t need him changing the game today.
Instead he pulled Isaiah’s shirt over his head. There should be some kind of rule against covering up such a good-looking chest. Isaiah was all smooth brown skin and toned muscles, with no pesky hair obscuring the view.
“Always so hot,” he said. After all, everyone liked to hear something nice when they were having a bad day, and this was completely true.
Isaiah was getting better about accepting such compliments. You’d think by thirty-one a guy would believe it when someone told him he was hot, but he always compared himself to his gym rat brothers with their Mr. Universe abs and bulging pecs. Said brothers looked at ice cream like you were offering them arsenic. Ben much preferred Isaiah’s regular-guy hotness and willingness to join him for dessert as opposed to lecturing on the evils of refined sugar.
This time Isaiah smiled like he actually believed Ben. “You’re not too bad yourself.” Then he unbuckled his belt with a sultry gaze aimed at Ben’s crotch.
Ben appreciated the sound of a belt buckle being undone. There was so much potential in the situation, so many delightful permutations of fun to be had all wrapped up in glorious anticipation. Ever since he’d let this information slip, Isaiah had been working his belt to maximum advantage. Ben had no complaints.
He got a move on as far as his own disrobing went. Seeing Isaiah drop his pants was a good incentive there, and Ben unbuttoned his shirt as fast as possible. He had entirely too many clothes on.

Excerpt in Web Formatting
He wished his grandfather was still alive to meet Isaiah, because then Pops would’ve been able to tell him if they were a match. Now all he could do was hope his cousin sobered up or by some miracle he found another person with his gift. Maybe he should see if there was a secret message board for this kind of talent.

After all, Cupid couldn’t shoot himself. Ben was his own blind spot, so he had no way of knowing if he and Isaiah were destined to make a great couple or not. It was disconcerting beyond all measure to look at other people and simply know, and yet have no clue whatsoever about himself. This explained his chronic singledom.

In the meantime, he and Isaiah were fantastic friends who sometimes hit the sheets together. It could’ve been a lot worse, and Ben tried not to dwell on any lingering dissatisfaction with his life. He wasn’t setting himself up for a protracted, messy breakup, and in his experience, avoiding such a trauma was worth not acting on a long shot.

Couples who weren’t a perfect fit broke up all the time. Friends, statistically speaking, stuck around much longer, and having Isaiah in his life was infinitely better than not, so friendship was a better choice.

They didn’t finish the pizza. Sex wasn’t as fun if the blood was going to your stomach instead of your cock due to stuffing yourself beforehand. When the leftovers were in the fridge Isaiah said, “I don’t want to think right now.”

He sometimes preferred to let Ben make the decisions so he could turn his brain off, and that suited Ben just fine, not least because it was an action he could take to make his friend feel better and escape shitty reality for a while. The sexiness didn’t hurt, either.

“I can be persuaded to take care of the thinking.”

“Yeah, your dick is reliable that way.”

This wasn’t just Ben’s dick, though it was admittedly signaling enthusiasm for the prospect. He wanted to give Isaiah happiness even more than he wanted to get off, and he also had an inkling that his priority here suggested he might need to reevaluate his stance on risk aversion at some point.

If only there was a way to know. The more these thoughts about Isaiah niggled at him, the more annoyed he got that he could, at least in theory, discern ideal partners for everyone else in the world and meanwhile be blind and deaf to his own man. But there was no way to find out, not at present anyway, and Isaiah was there asking for him to make the evening a sexy diversion, so that was exactly what he intended to do.

****
As expected, the condoms and lube were already on Isaiah’s nightstand, just waiting to be put to good use. Ben looked at them and briefly debated suggesting a bit of kissing before they got going. Then he rejected the idea. They didn’t kiss, as a general rule, and Isaiah didn’t need him changing the game today.

Instead he pulled Isaiah’s shirt over his head. There should be some kind of rule against covering up such a good-looking chest. Isaiah was all smooth brown skin and toned muscles, with no pesky hair obscuring the view.

“Always so hot,” he said. After all, everyone liked to hear something nice when they were having a bad day, and this was completely true.

Isaiah was getting better about accepting such compliments. You’d think by thirty-one a guy would believe it when someone told him he was hot, but he always compared himself to his gym rat brothers with their Mr. Universe abs and bulging pecs. Said brothers looked at ice cream like you were offering them arsenic. Ben much preferred Isaiah’s regular-guy hotness and willingness to join him for dessert as opposed to lecturing on the evils of refined sugar.

This time Isaiah smiled like he actually believed Ben. “You’re not too bad yourself.” Then he unbuckled his belt with a sultry gaze aimed at Ben’s crotch.

Ben appreciated the sound of a belt buckle being undone. There was so much potential in the situation, so many delightful permutations of fun to be had all wrapped up in glorious anticipation. Ever since he’d let this information slip, Isaiah had been working his belt to maximum advantage. Ben had no complaints.

He got a move on as far as his own disrobing went. Seeing Isaiah drop his pants was a good incentive there, and Ben unbuttoned his shirt as fast as possible. He had entirely too many clothes on.

Buy Links
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Amazon (universal)
Bookstrand
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

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New Release - Jessie Pinkham - His to Cherish

It's an intense time for my friend Jessie. Just a few days ago her book Sex, Serendipity and Salacia Station was released by JMS Books, and now she has a new Sci/fi story out with Evernight! I have grabbed hold of her as she passed by like a whirlwind, and here's a lovely and thoughtful guest post about the book!

"Dear Katherine, thank you very much for hosting me today with my new release, His to Cherish. In this book I’m going back to Tusnua for my second empath-anchor couple, and this time my lovebirds are not emotionally robust, well-adjusted people. Much of the story focuses on healing from the burdens imparted by one’s parents. In fact, as I wrote, Gabe revealed himself to be a much more damaged character than I’d originally envisioned, and I think he’s all the more compelling for it.

The interesting aspect of Gabe’s character is that he’s not consciously aware of just how much damage his cold, inattentive parents did, and the way this pain influenced his outlook on life and interactions with other people. This is something I see frequently in the world around me, because taking that long, hard look at childhood pain isn’t easy when a person has years of defensively ignoring the hurt, and was anyway too young when it occurred to recognize and name what wounded them.

Without peeling back the layers of self-defense, though, one can’t identify the pain, which is the first step to healing. Sometimes, as in Gabe’s case, circumstances come to a point where our old hurts scream to be addressed so we can move forward in life. Certainly, it’s much easier to have a successful romantic relationship when one has moved past the immediacy of childhood pain, and that’s the heart of Gabe’s journey. "

Love may be within his reach… if he is able to trust in it.

Gabe Thorne was disgusted by his sister’s plan to purchase an empath. She wanted someone who would be compelled to please her, and only her sudden death interrupted the plan. The empath she’d chosen, Ignacio, needs to bond with an anchor almost immediately, and Gabe volunteers to prevent him from being auctioned off to an abuser by his greedy parents.

Ignacio proves to be a sweet, enchanting guy, and soon Gabe begins to develop real feelings for him. Despite this, and the lifelong commitment he made when he let Ignacio bond to him, Gabe doesn’t believe they can have a real relationship. His long habit of pessimism has protected him from a lot of disappointment over the years. This time? Expecting the worst might ruin any chance of a happy relationship.

Excerpt:

Having Nacio around and frequently reading, Gabe found himself reading more as well. So he was lying in bed, finishing a short story before going to sleep for the night, when Nacio said, “Gabe, I think it’s happening.”

“You’re bonding with me?”

Nacio nodded. “I can’t fight it.”

“Hey, you don’t have to fight it.” Gabe set aside his tablet and rolled on his side so he could face his bedmate. He pulled Nacio into his arms. “I’m here for you.”

“This is forever. I’ll always need you.” Nacio’s blue eyes darted around, a sure sign he was nervous.

“I know.” While it was rushed and he’d have liked more time, they didn’t have that option and he truly thought this was the best thing for Nacio. It was nerve-wracking because Gabe didn’t know if it was the best idea for himself.

If they were fortunate, they might just end up in the kind of relationship Gabe wanted, two men in a long-term, loving, monogamous sharing of lives. He was far from certain that would happen, and if the future didn’t work out the way he hoped, Nacio would forever be in his life in some capacity. Gabe knew what he was signing on for and he would honor the commitment, whatever the personal cost. He could do no less for this endearing man who trusted him so completely.

He kissed Nacio’s forehead. “I’ll always be here for you, and I’m not going to take advantage of you. There’s no need to fight, okay? You have so much to deal with, sensing all those emotions. Let me help you.”

Nacio clung to Gabe, face pressed into his shirt. “I’m glad it’s you.”

“Me too.” As much as this was upending his world, Gabe spoke the truth. He did not at all like the idea of Nacio having someone else as his anchor, someone who might not appreciate him or support his individuality as much as Gabe did, and in the short time Nacio had been with him, he’d grown incredibly fond of the young man. “Is there anything I can do to make this easier?”

The answer was spoken into his chest. “Don’t let go.”

Simple enough. It felt so good, so right, to hold Nacio. They had similar builds and heights, with Gabe slightly broader-chested but not as long-limbed, and it was easy to align their bodies for optimal contact. 

“I’ve got you, sweetheart.” He rubbed circles on Nacio’s back in what he hoped was a soothing manner. “You don’t have to fight it.”

 “You’re so uncertain.”

“Well, sure. We haven’t even known each other a week, and we have no clue what our future is going to look like. Doesn’t mean I’m changing my mind.”

“Good. I really want you for my anchor, Gabe. Not because of your family or money, because those aren’t so very important. I want you because you’re kind and thoughtful, and you make me smile a lot. Also, the fact that you’re such a good person despite your family speaks very highly to your character.”

It was an incredible privilege to be Nacio’s anchor, and while Gabe wasn’t convinced he was worthy of the honor, he’d do his very best. “I feel the same way about you with your parents. They’re so terrible and yet you’re a great guy.”

Nacio smiled. “I’m glad you think so. I really am very lucky to get you for my anchor.”

Gabe wasn’t sure about that, but hearing it felt damn good all the same. “I’m not big on making promises,” he said, “because if I make one, I keep it. I’ll promise you this, though—I will never, ever deliberately take advantage of being your anchor, and if I don’t realize I’m doing it, tell me and I will stop.”

“I believe you,” said Nacio quietly. “With you, bonding isn’t frightening the way I’d thought.”

“Good.”

For something as mad as agreeing to be Nacio’s anchor, it felt remarkably right to hold him. Gabe was content to lie in silence and let Nacio deal with the empathy. He didn’t think he’d be much help in that department.

“You know, everyone uses the term anchor, but now that it’s happening to me I think an old-fashioned compass might be a better analogy,” said Nacio. “I’m pulled to you like a magnet, and you’ll help keep me oriented in a sea of emotions.”

The description made sense to Gabe, who wasn’t very well versed in empathy. He resolved to work on increasing his knowledge. “So you can feel the bond forming?”

“Yes. Don’t let go, please.”

“I won’t.” In fact, he held Nacio a bit tighter. “I’ve got you.”

Nacio’s next move could only be described as nuzzling followed by a murmur of contentment. Gabe wasn’t sure any physical contact had ever hit him the way this did. All the protective and nurturing instincts he usually tried to ignore rushed to the surface, along with great affection.

Nacio looked at him, wide-eyed. “Oh, Gabe.”

Wishing he could hide his feelings if only to protect his heart, Gabe resigned himself to the fact that he was falling hard and fast. It would probably come back to bite him in the ass later, but with Nacio looking at him with such wonder, in the moment he was having a hard time finding the regret he knew was lurking just around the corner.

 “Would you mind very much to kiss me? I want to know what it feels like.”

As if he could refuse Nacio anything. Since this was presumably the younger man’s first kiss, Gabe kept it light, a gentle press of his lips on Nacio’s, followed by another which lingered a little longer. The third kiss Nacio shyly returned.

“So that’s kissing,” he said. “I can see the appeal.”

Find His to Cherish
at Evernight (with new release discount):
https://www.evernightpublishin g.com/his-to-cherish-by- jessie-pinkham/
On Amazon: http://mybook.to/HistoCherish
On Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/his-to-cherish-mm
On Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/ books/view/820898

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New Release - Sex, Serendipity & Salacia Station - Jessie Pinkham

Always happy to have Jessie over on my blog. Not only I like her stories, but her guest posts are always interesting. So, give her a big cheer for her new release, Sex, Serendipity & Salacia Station, which I just read and that I recommend!

"Hi Katherine and thanks for having me again.

While I enjoy various subgenres of romance, sci-fi has a special place in my heart. What I wanted to write for this story was a fun, lighthearted near future sci-fi where I could explore technology with significant limitations.

Salacia Station orbits Neptune, and anyone going out further into space is going to be signing up for a diet of nutrient shakes and meal bars. Bringing the requisite amounts of real food, and the means to prepare it, would require space and fuel that simply isn’t available. These intrepid voyagers are also saying goodbye to showering with water and a lot of recreation option.

The station itself has more amenities. Mick is the head chef, and some of the food he uses is grown in Salacia Station’s park. They can take showers, but entertainment options are still limited. The story opens with Mick and his friends discussing movies in detail for lack of anything better to do, and they also amuse themselves by inventing their own games.

It can be fun to think of a world with so much technology that it’s practically magic, but for this story I wanted to go a different route, and I think the final result is a more grounded feel. This is a tale that could happen in the next century.

Now, of course, I’m dying for a real-life couple to meet in space. Wouldn’t that be so delightfully romantic? In the meantime, I give you Mick and Kevin." 

Having just read the book, I can confirm that she conveyed that sense of "relatable future" extremely well! 

After months cooped up on a spaceship, Kevin Roth is more than ready to get out and interact with people on Salacia Station. If that interaction happens to be with a hot guy and involve orgasms, even better. He isn’t expecting more than a hookup because he’s on his way back to Earth.

Mick Santorino, the station's head chef, doesn't have a problem finding sex. But finding a deeper connection is difficult in the outer solar system. Mechanical failures keeping Kevin on Salacia Station are a blessing because now Mick gets to spend more time with a great guy.

Despite the pull they feel, Kevin and Mick are convinced nothing more than highly enjoyable sex can come of their attraction. No one meets a future husband 2.7 billion miles from Earth. But as the saying goes, there's a first time for everything ...

Excerpt:

"I don't suppose you know why they named the station Salacia?" he asked.

"She was Neptune's wife in Roman mythology. A sea goddess for the sea god."

"Slightly presumptuous, don't you think?" asked Kevin.

"How so?"

Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned that, as it was admittedly a strange thought. He attempted to explain. "To presume that we can make a suitable spouse for a planet." Yeah, that sounded much dumber out loud than it did in his head.

To his credit Mick actually considered this crazy idea before stating, "I never got the impression ancient Romans were concerned about their wives being equal partners."

Kevin was happy to latch on to any idea which redeemed his intelligence, so he nodded. "Good point." After a suitable subject-diverting pause he added, "I've never been able to remember who was who among those ancient deities."

"I got curious and read up, though that was a while ago, and I've forgotten most of what didn't relate to the immediate neighborhood here." Mick gestured out towards the planet. "I'm telling you, the ancient Greeks and Roman gods were up to some crazy shit. Plus the gods couldn't keep in in their pants, or togas or whatever."

"Ancient mythology sounds more interesting that I gave it credit for."

Mick eyed him deliberately. "Sex on the brain, huh?"

In a word, yes. It had just been his hand and a couple toys for the past months and now Kevin had a hot guy who was clearly interested. Yeah, he had sex on the brain alright. Plus, Mick could actually carry on a conversation, an ability Kevin appreciated in a man.

"Takes one to know one," he replied.

Mick grinned. "Does that mean you'd like a tour of the permanent living quarters?"

"As long as you're giving it."

"Of course," said Mick, standing up.

Kevin followed him out of the lounge and through the corridors. Truthfully he didn't absorb any of the information in Mick's tour, though he did enjoy the view as he walked behind the man. It occurred to him halfway to Mick's quarters that he ought to at least pay sufficient attention to find his way back later.

The quarters were at least sixty percent bigger than the room Kevin had to share aboard the Tasman and therefore seemed palatial for one person. He didn't get more than a cursory glance around, enough to see the size and the window showing a field of stars, because Mick wasted no time in grabbing his hip and asking, "What are you into?"

While Kevin's sexual interests were varied, one particular scenario appealed most at the moment. "I've been fantasizing about a sixty-nine for the last month."

"Yeah?" Mick grinned. "Sounds good to me." With that he pulled Kevin in for a kiss.

Kevin enjoyed many kinds of kisses. This variety was the messy, primal kind that promised they'd soon be doing a lot more. It was raw and visceral and so, so good after seven sexually frustrating months. He reached around to grab Mick's ass, finding it eminently suited for groping.

If Mick's sexy growl was anything to go by, he liked having his ass grabbed. Excellent. Kevin took that as permission to grope to his heart's content. Mick, meanwhile, had gotten his hands under Kevin's shirt and given them free reign over Kevin's back.

As tended to happen in these scenarios it wasn't long before they were thrusting against each other, which was only pleasant for so long. Mick pulled back, pupils wide with lust. "We're overdressed."

"True." Kevin set to work rectifying that problematic state of affairs.

Find Jessie's book at:

JMS Books: https://www.jms-books.com/ erotic-romance-c-29_94/sex- serendipity-and-salacia- station-p-2365.html

 

Or at all the usual retailers:

Amazon: http://mybook.to/ SalaciaStation

Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/sex- serendipity-and-salacia- station-mm

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/ books/view/812536