Kia Ora...

The next six months for me are going to be... messy. On top of writing my books I also need to start packing up my house and getting it ready for sale. The kids and I have lived here for the last twelve years so as you can imagine... we have a lot of stuff that needs to be sorted. And while I have an idea of where I'm shifting too, beyond that I have no idea... which is not ideal, but it is what it is.

Have you been making the most of the book sales that are on offer during Pride Month? I've bought several myself and my best finds so far have been Winter of the Owl by Iris Foxglove, and Fractured Souls by Ava Marie Salinger.

Updates

• Knight (Crime Lords 4) has passed the 30k mark and while I'm still working on a possible release date for this month, chances are it won't be until early next month. I'm managing to knock out close to 2-3k words on it most days, but even if I finish it this month, editing/proofing will take a bit longer and that's a process I don't like to rush these days.
• I have 1.5k words jotted down for the next Golden Decks Casino book. Bets Up will be Liam's book... he'll also be showing up in Knight!
• The anthology short is currently sitting at 5.5k leaving just under 10k words left to write. More details regarding this project will be forthcoming in September... but right now it's all hush hush.
• The plan is still to write Runway Riot (House of Bolton 4) after I've finished with Knight. I'm looking forward to heading back into Melbourne's underworld to write Clio and Addi's story. This will be my first FF story which only makes it doubly exciting.

Pride Sales

Don't forget to check out the sales running during Pride Month!!

Grab Them Here!

This weeks deleted scenes comes from Kings (Crime Lords One)

Misaki Cooks Dinner for Kristof and Aidan

“Kristof… why is there a finger in the freezer?” he yelled while staring curiously at the offending appendage. “And who the fuck’s is it?”

“Why are you rummaging around in my freezer?” Kristof shouted back, stepping out of the bedroom, and rubbing a towel over his damp hair.

“I was looking for meat… but a finger was not what I had in mind for dinner,” Misaki retorted. “Not sure Aidan would appreciate it on his plate, no matter how I serve it up to him.”

“Aidan’s coming to dinner?” Pain etched Kristof’s voice, faintly and yet still there. “You didn’t think to ask me first if it’d be okay? This is my apartment, not yours.”

“I didn’t think you’d have a problem with it,” he grumbled, grabbing out chicken breasts and placing them on the bench. “And you still haven’t explained whose finger it is… or why you thought your freezer was an appropriate place to store it.”

Kristof inhaled sharply and dropped the towel over the back of the couch. “It’s Zach’s.”

“What? Why the hell do you have that bastard’s finger for?” he asked, turning his attention away from the cupboards he’d begun to search through. Unless they were planning to eat more meals out, they really needed to get more groceries.

“I didn’t know what the fuck to do with it.” Kristof shrugged and leaned against the bench next to Misaki. “It’s… it’s not something I’ve ever had to ask far.”

Misaki placed the can he’d grabbed out of the cupboard on the bench next to the chicken unsure whether to console Kristof or laugh. The man’s usually button-down calm exterior had loosened to reveal a strange vulnerability that Misaki knew Kristof wouldn’t have dared to show anyone else. He felt privileged to see it… gave him hope that the physical intimacy that had developed between them recently might grow into something—

He blew out a long breath and shut those dangerous thoughts down quick. That line of thinking would only lead to heartbreak.

“Well, at least I can understand why you’re so adamant that Zach won’t be returning to Greertown. But fuck Kristof! Either burn the damn thing or toss it in the blasted bin,” Misaki exclaimed with a slow shake of his head. “But you sure as fuck don’t keep it in your freezer like some serial killer’s trophy.”

“Fine! Fine… I’ll get rid of it,” Kristof muttered. “But if were dealing with awkward questions… then what are you planning to do when you catch up to Matty?”

An obvious deflection and one that Misaki was more than happy to take. “I’ll be aiming for more than a finger,” he said with a laugh. “Though honestly… I won’t know until I catch up to him. A part of me wants him dead, to strangle the bastard with my bare hands… while another part of me begs me to reconsider, to remember that Matty and I were friends, the best of friends for so long and that I should settle for merely beating the crap out of him.”

“Yeah… I get that,” Kristof sighed. “Why is Aidan coming over tonight?”

Another deflection, and one Misaki was even more grateful for. Talking about Matty always brought up uncomfortable questions that Misaki didn’t want to answer. Easier to live in world built of anger-fueled fantasies where Matty suffered for betraying Misaki like he had, than to deal with the reality of their connection, the friendship that refused to die despite what Matty had done. Yet, Misaki couldn’t deny that if their situations had been reversed, he wouldn’t have hesitated to do the same thing.

“Because with all the crap that’s gone on recently, I’ve hardly seen the brat and I’m not in the mood to go out.”

“So, you decided to commandeer my kitchen instead.”

Misaki shrugged. “My place is out of the question, and I haven’t finalised the details on the new building.”

Kristof shoved his hands through his hair and groaned. “When’s he expected to arrive? I’ll make sure to disappear before then… there’s plenty of work I can do downstairs.”

He blinked, not quite sure where Kristof had gotten the impressions that Misaki wanted him to leave. Besides, he doubted Aidan would have agreed to come over if he it was only going to be the two of them, too worried about what Misaki might try to do.

“What are you talking about? I don’t remember suggesting that you’d need to leave… and I wouldn’t have asked you about the contents of your freezer if I hadn’t planned to cook for you too.”

“Are you sure? Because I’m not lying about having work to do.”

Misaki snorted and shook his head. “Do you really think Aidan would have agreed to dinner if it were only with me? He’s a skittish kitten, afraid that I’m going to jump at the first opportunity.”

“Are you saying you’ll actually keep our hands to yourself?” Kristof laughed. “You do come on pretty strong with the flirting.”

Surprised danced across his face at Kristof’s teasing before his shoulders slumped. Of course, Aidan would’ve complained to Kristof about the flirty, overtly sexual texts he sent the brat every day.

“Have you seen the brat? Of course, I want to drag him into the bedroom and fuck the hell out of him. He’s probably more afraid of liking it!” He huffed. “But you will stay for dinner, right?” Because as much as Misaki didn’t want to admit it, Aidan wasn’t the only one he wanted to spend time with.

*

“Kristof!” Misaki yelled from the kitchen where he was putting the final touched on the meal he’d cooked. “Can you get the door. It’ll be Aidan.”

“Why should I get the door?” he grumbled loudly, walking out of the bedroom and half-surprised that Aidan hadn’t simply let himself in. It wasn’t like the brat hadn’t stormed in here before.

“Well… it’s your apartment,” Misaki retorted, answering Kristof’s glare with a playful smirk.

“So, now it’s my apartment,” he muttered, opening the door. “It didn’t seem to worry you earlier when you took over my kitchen.

Aidan greeted him, an amused smile on his lips. “I wasn’t sure what to bring, so I grabbed a couple of bottles of the new product lines we’re developing,” he said while picking up the bag resting by his feet. “Fruit infused sake that we’re hoping will appeal to the younger market.”

Kristof closed the door and watch Aidan stride across the floor toward the kitchen, chuckling when the brat let out a surprised gasp. “It smells really good in here. Did you get someone into cook or get food delivered?”

“I’m glad you think you so,” Misaki shouted over the clatter of pots and pans.

“Wait. He cooked?” Aidan exclaimed, turning to stare at Kristof in disbelief. “Can the bastard actually cook, or should I be worried by stomach later?”

Kristof shrugged his shoulders. He wouldn’t have believed it either, that the delicious smells permeating through the apartment were a meal prepared and cooked in his own kitchen, if Kristof hadn’t watched Misaki cook it.

“Yes, I can cook, thank you very much.” Misaki huffed, reaching behind to unfasten the apron he’d worn over his clothes. “And what would be the point of inviting you over to dinner if one of us wasn’t cooking it?” Kristof breathed deep, refusing to admit that he wished Misaki hadn’t stopped at the removal of the apron, and quick glance at Aidan suggested the man was having similar thoughts. “What did you bring? And does it need to be chilled?”

“Room temperature is fine.” Aidan handed over the bag with the sake in it to Misaki. “My brewers have been playing around with different flavour profiles… something that would compete with the sweeter vodka ranges hitting the market.”

Kristof stared on with interest as Misaki removed each of the sakes Aidan had brought with him and lined them up on the bench. Bright colourful bottles with each flavour carefully marked. The development of product ranges wasn’t something Kristof had much experience with, but even he could appreciate the amount of work that had gone into designing the packaging. He could easily see them standing out from their competitors on the shelves of bottle stores or behind a bar. And the flavours… they were definitely interesting.

“Coconut… Raspberry… Cucumber… Sour Plum,” Kristof read out as he inspected each bottle. “They are definitely bold choices.”

Misaki opened a bottle and sniffed it. “Do they taste as good as they smell? Because this raspberry one smells delicious.”

“Well, I think so,” Aidan said, scratching at his head while trying to hide his embarrassment at the compliment Misaki had given him. “And I usually only drink the high-end stuff.”

“Hmm… which one will go best with chicken?”

“Plum,” Aidan answered without hesitation. “Do you have sake cups, Kristof? Or even shot glasses will do if you don’t.”

*

The nervous tension surrounding Aidan wasn’t unexpected as they all sat down to enjoy the meal Misaki had cooked, and it slowly dissipated with each cup of sake that he downed. He wasn’t the only one who’d begun to relax as the bottles of sake emptied, Kristof and Misaki were also showing the effects of the alcohol. But despite the wobble in their steps, they somehow managed to make it to the couch and sprawl across it. Inhibitions lowered so far that Aidan couldn’t even find the energy to make a fuss about how close the two men were too him. Didn’t complain either when Misaki lay his head in Aidan’s lap or when Kristof slung an arm along the back of the couch, fingers toying with the edges of Aidan’s collar while his own hand began to card through Misaki’s hair.

Laughter and conversation came so easily between them that if an outsider had witness the scene, they’d have though this were a normal everyday occurrence for them. And even Aidan could easily imagine spending more nights like this… but as comfortable as he was in Kristof and Misaki’s presence it scared him too.

Emotions bubbled up inside of him, stealing away the distance Aidan had planned to keep between himself and these two men. Dangerous emotions that hinted at desires he’d never wanted before and longed for a domesticity like this playing out every night all the way into the forever.

Frightening. Exhilarating.

He took a deep breath and glanced at the two men while wondering if they experienced the same buzz of euphoria, the same warmth flooding through their bodies as he did. Curious too as to whether the feelings he had toward Kristof were the same as those he felt for Misaki. If they’d been women, it would’ve been easy to put a name to the complicated mess of sensations surging through him—arousal, lust, and the early sparks of love. But they weren’t women, and Aidan had never been attracted to another man in his life, let alone two.

Confused. Intrigued.

Aidan wanted to understand it all, and yet he didn’t. He wanted to explore what this new attraction and see where it led. Feared what changes it might bring to his life. Complicated emotions that kept pulling him deeper into a well of desire that overwhelmed him. He fought hard to cling to the life he’d once known, the familiarity of an attraction to women, not yet ready to embrace the truth that had revealed itself courtesy of Misaki and Kristof—his options for love were far wider than Aidan had first thought.

And he should leave. Aidan should make his excuses and head for safer territory where he could work through these new emotions or bury them deep so they could never be uncovered by anyone. He shouldn’t, couldn’t stay in a place where his mind began to consider things it had never once thought of before… fantasies that both intrigued and confused him.

He needed to leave.

But Aidan was reluctant to do so.

Fear battled it out with desire… and desire might just win.

*****************************

Arranged Marriage

MMM

Bisexual Awakening

Gang War

Betrayal

Drama

Side Pairings: MM, MMM

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