After a scorching night with the gorgeous Carlton, Jem is counting the seconds until they can see each other again. When they reunite, Jem realises that Carlton can offer him much more than just sizzling sex—his warmth and affection can brighten every part of Jem’s solitary life.

4300-word MM erotic romance.

Excerpt

It was pure torture. Even worse, half an hour before his shift ended, Carlton came in.

Jem knew the instant the door swung closed that it was Carlton, because his fellow booksellers stared, then laughed, then shot him teasing looks. His stomach contracted, his throat tightened with sudden fierce awareness and he turned to stare. Carlton stood at the door, looking unfairly handsome in his suit, taller than ever, his square jaw tight. He was staring at Jem so intensely, his eyes so dark, that Jem was riveted to the spot. Jem swallowed, but couldn’t speak.

Carlton approached him slowly. It was the stalk of a predator. “Jem,” he said, a promise in his voice.

“I’m not off work for another half hour.” Jem got out the words in a rush, because if Carlton touched him he didn’t think he’d be able to hold himself back.

“I can wait.” Carlton was looking at him so hungrily that Jem couldn’t look away, as though he planned to eat him. A shiver ran up and down Jem’s spine, his hands curling tight. He wanted suddenly, badly to kiss him. Just reach up and drag him down into a kiss and never let go.

Jem made himself take one step back. Then another. “I’ll—I’ll see you later.”

“You bet.” Carlton took a step closer, closing the gap again. His shoulders tightened with some sudden urge and for a second Jem pictured his fantasy re-enacted here, Carlton bending Jem over a table in a shower of books, Jem scrabbling among the pages as Carlton—

With an undignified squeak, Jem fled.

He simmered steadily for the last half hour. Carlton waited for him, broodingly silent, watching him with such intensity that it should have struck sparks off him. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Carlton would do to him when he got off work. How good it would feel.

At the end of his shift he couldn’t clock off fast enough. He picked up his coat and hurried out still struggling into it. He went straight outside into a stream of passersby and Carlton caught him by the front of his coat and yanked him tight against him. Jem gasped, losing his balance. Carlton kissed him then with the pent-up hunger of a whole day spent apart; he captured his mouth so fiercely that the world spun and Jem could only clutch at him to stay upright.

When Carlton finally let him go he was dazed, panting, his uniform in disarray. It was just as well that Carlton spoke, because Jem couldn’t. “Let’s go,” he said.

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