The Backup Plan

by Eden Finley

Thad

Failing to make it in pro ball left me absolutely devastated. Baseball has been my life, my dream, but it’s time to move on.
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Becoming a sports agent was always my backup plan, and now that I’m interning at the biggest queer-focused firm in the country, I’m doing my best not to let my bitterness toward baseball affect my future.
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That’s really difficult when I’m assigned to babysit Kelley Afton, hotshot rookie pitcher for Philly. He has everything I ever wanted, and he doesn’t even appreciate it. I didn’t become an agent so I could soothe the ego of diva athletes.
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His constant need for validation from others frustrates me to no end, but that’s probably a good thing. Because if he didn’t have that, I’d find him irresistibly my type.
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Attraction could lead to crossing lines which would put my position at King Sports in jeopardy, and I can’t have that.

I don’t have a backup for my backup plan.

Naughty Elf: Mistletoe

By Edie Monte

Christmas Elves might be adorable decorations, but Ryan’s is that and so much more.

When my husband died, leaving me to raise our beautiful daughter alone, I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but for some reason Christmas is especially difficult. I want to bring her all the Christmas magic wrapped in holiday joy, and I usually manage to do a decent job. But when this year starts off with a concussion thanks to someone hurling an elf statue at me, I’m not so sure I’ll pull it off.

The weird thing is, I'm drawn to it. Instead of tossing it like I should, I decide to keep it. Never in a million years do I expect to find a gorgeous omega sitting in the same exact spot hours later, complete with pointy ears and the same outfit as the concussion-giving decoration!

I must’ve hit my head harder than I thought because as he explains to me that Santa sent him here as punishment, it makes sense and I let him stay. Little do I know, our time together is slipping away as quickly as my feelings for him grow.

Flame

by Louisa Masters

“I didn’t actually accuse the guy of being an arsonist.”

My job is to put out fires, so the people who set them on purpose make me mad. There’s one arsonist we’ve been after for years, but finding him is harder than you’d think. So when I see the same sexy redhead hanging out at fire after fire, what am I to think except that he might be our guy?

He sure does like playing with fire… just not the way I thought.

Finding Home at Randy's

by Abrianna Denae

The quiet one, the outgoing one, the observant one…they shouldn’t work, but against all odds, they learn the meaning of home, together.
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Luka
Boston is a fresh start, a chance to live my life on my terms, rather than doing what my family expects of me. Though, to my disappointment, my anxiety and insecurities made the cross-country move with me.
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When a co-worker introduces me to Randy’s Diner, at first, I’m not sure what to expect, but the warm and welcoming people who treat the diner like a second home show me a world of inclusion that I've only ever dreamed about. And then I meet not one but two people, who somehow manage to see through every wall I’ve ever tried to hide behind.
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Graeme
Since my divorce, my life has been…stagnant. Other than my son, my ex-husband turned best friend, and my career as an author, Randy’s Diner has been the only way to break up the monotony.
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Luka catches my attention from the first glimpse. His shy smile and perpetual blush draw me in, making the caretaker instincts I buried long ago rise to the surface. But when he befriends the one person I can’t have, I’m convinced I’ve lost my shot before I can even ask for a chance.
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Denver
I can flirt and make friends with anyone, so it’s no hardship to take the new face I meet at Randy’s under my wing. Luka is adorably shy, and I make it my mission to help him feel comfortable in his own skin.
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The closer we get, the more our feelings for one another grow, but it’s not just Luka I’m interested in. Where my confidence and open nature helps me bring Luka out of his shell, I feel like a fumbling teenager around Graeme. So when it becomes apparent the other man is also interested in Luka, things get…complicated.
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It’ll take a lot of trust in each other, ourselves, and the new discoveries we’re making, in order to ensure the fragile relationship between the three of us lasts. But together, we might just find safety and the home we’ve always longed for.

Winnie Takes Paris

by Lane Hayes

The fabulous stylist, the absentminded professor, and a Parisian adventure…

Winnie

Someone once said, when life gets you down and you’re feeling blue, brush yourself off and go to Paris!

Okay, maybe that was me.

Hey, I don’t regret taking an oddball assignment to assist a British professor abroad. I could use a break from my life as an aspiring hair and style guru in LA. The only worrisome snag is that the professor is determined to do everything on his own.

Not acceptable. I’m here to help the impossibly smart geek with mismatched socks who just happens to be my best friend’s boss.

No, I don’t know nothing about history, but I’m nothing if not resourceful. What could go wrong?

Alistair

I’ve been called an absent-minded professor more than once. I don’t mind at all. My work is important and living on a diet of biscuits and tea while delving into ancient civilizations doesn’t seem so terrible. But Paris calls. And somehow, I have a new temporary assistant.

Winnie is a technicolor, whirlwind American with a wicked laugh and the subtlety of a steamroller. He’s brash and ridiculous and…funny, warm, lovely, and—

Oh no. This can’t be happening. I swore I’d never fall for anyone again.

Winnie can take Paris, but he can’t take my heart.

Or can he?

Masked Marionette

by E.V. Olsen

Every mask hides a secret . . . but some secrets are meant to devour.

I'm used to being in control.

In the clubs, under the dim lights and masked faces, I'm the one who calls the shots. I thrive on the power that comes with being desired-onstage, behind closed doors, wherever I choose. But it's always been temporary.

Fleeting.

And lately, that rush? It's starting to feel . . . hollow.

Until him.

The moment his eyes locked on mine, something shifts. He sees through me, like he knows exactly what I've been hiding behind the mask, behind every night I've spent trying to pretend I've got it all figured out. He offers me something more than just another night of control. He offers me a chance to let go. To see what happens when I stop pretending I'm the one pulling the strings.

Now, I'm standing in his house, in the middle of nowhere, staring at my reflection in a room full of mirrors. I thought I was in control when I came here. Thought I could handle whatever game Adrian was playing. But with every touch, every whispered command, I feel myself slipping. The further I go, the more I realize this isn't just about desire.

It's about power.

And I'm starting to wonder if I gave mine up the minute I walked through his door.