A Twin Peeks Bookstore Romance
by
Mason
I've escaped a past that would have destroyed most men: used, abused and sold for sex from a young age by those who should have protected me. An unexpected moment of compassion from a stranger gives me a chance at a new life.
Though I've started over, my scars run deep; I'm an LGBTQ fantasy graphic novel writer and artist with a huge following, but I'm terrified of the world, and of my tormenters finding me.
When I discover that the stranger who has saved me from a life of abuse is the same man who has finally awakened my body to desire, I realize the truth.
Can I ever really be free if I'm still afraid of my past and the people who have shattered me?
Lee
Serving as a medic in the Middle East, I felt the life of my fiancé slip away under my hands and was powerless to stop it. Discharged with physical and emotional wounds I can't heal. I go home to my crazy, geeky family and try to learn to live with the damage.
Pain and grief lead me to some acts I'm not proud of, including paying strangers for sex. I'm determined to keep it strictly business, no emotions involved. However, when I discover that Mason Malone isn't a high-end escort, but a battered young man who has been forced into a life of pain and degradation, I'm frozen in indecision. Then the man with the raven curls and blue-gold eyes whispers, "Please..." and the barriers I have built around my heart shatter.
Years later, fate brings us back together. He has a new name and career, but I have never been able to forget those eyes. Mason, unfortunately, doesn't recognize me. Every day I find myself more and more drawn to him, but I'm terrified of what will happen when my secrets are discovered.
As both our pasts threaten our future, can we find a path to redemption? Or will the discovery of the truth create a chasm too wide to bridge? Can love and forgiveness overcome soul-shattering pain?
BIO
Mellanie Rourke lives in Akron, Ohio with her loving (and long-suffering) husband, snarky children, and furry menagerie.
She has been writing since she was a child but never had the impulse to publish until she was introduced to the world of MM Romance.
Now her husband has to put up with a variety of new ways to say "penis", and her children aren't allowed to tell their teachers what she writes.
For more information on Mellanie's upcoming work, join her Facebook group "Misfits & Malcontents"
- 1 To Be Read list
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Editors:
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 5
Romantic Content: 5
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Gay
Protagonist 1 Age: 18-25
Protagonist 2 Age: 26-35
Tropes: Hurt / Comfort, Moral Failure
Word Count: 144000
Setting: Akron, OH
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
“Mason, we’re going to play a game…” He looked up at me in surprise, his eyes glassy, his pupils half-blown.
“A… game?” he asked in confusion and a little trepidation apparent in his voice, his breath coming in pants. “What… game?” he asked.
“Oh, baby, don’t worry,” I said. “It’s called ‘Mason, May I?’”
I felt one corner of my mouth twitch upward as a grin spread across my face, and I saw understanding work its way through his lust-addled brain.
“Fuck… I think I’m going to like this game…” he whispered, his voice unusually low and choked with lust as he spoke. “What are the rules?”
READ MOREI grinned at him. “Well, I think it’s going to be one of my new favorites… Before I do anything with you, you have to give your permission,” I said, licking my lips as I looked up and down his gorgeous body. “For example, Mason, May I… touch you?” I asked, breathless with lust at the sight of him seated on my bed. His head was thrown back, his neck arched, and arms bracing himself against the mattress as I’d sucked on his nipples. His lips were parted, and his face flushed with arousal.
A bit of that mischievous look flared back in his eyes and he grinned at me.
“Yes, please…” he groaned. “I mean, ‘you may’.”
I leaned forward and brushed a light caress across his cheek, stroking my thumb across his cheek, along his face, gliding my fingers across his closed eyelids, feeling the brush of his eyelashes like butterfly kisses on my skin.
“Mason, May I… kiss your neck?” I whispered.
He groaned, his eyes half-lidded as he lay on the bed watching me, his throat moving almost convulsively as he swallowed.
“You may,” he whispered.
My lips brushed along his jaw, sucking gently at his earlobe before moving down to a little hollow along his neck, a spot right above his collarbone. My tongue flicked out and tasted his skin. I moaned this time, exulting in the salty taste of his fevered flesh against my tongue.
“Mason, May I… unbutton your pants?” I asked, starting to move down the bed.
He watched me as I crept down his body and this time he didn’t answer, simply nodded. I saw some of the tension he had exhibited earlier was back, and I felt a small tremor go through him as my face moved closer to his crotch.
I stopped moving.
“Ah! Ah! Ah!” I said, waving a finger at him like a naughty child. “That’s not in the rules… What are the magic words?”
“Ass,” he groaned again, but this time a gritted, “You may” escaped his lips.
I continued down his body, nuzzling his skin as I lazily made my way down to his crotch. I could see the way the denim strained with his erection, a wet spot darkening the front of his jeans, and I was practically salivating to be able to flick my tongue out and taste him, but I hadn’t asked yet. God, this game was going to kill both of us.
COLLAPSE
Ruth Evans on Goodreads wrote:This book is not for the faint of heart and please make sure to keep children far far away but otherwise, buckle in for a wild ride. This book is gonna be the start of something great, because if this is just the first book in a series, I don't know if my heart can handle the later installments. As soon as I read the blurb, I thought this book had great potential but it far exceeded my expectations. Mason's life is the darkest of dark and a lot of it is shown on page. I admit to not being knowledgeable about the particular subject matter but the way the scenes were portrayed did not come off as gratuitous and were detailed but came off as an almost out of body experience, much like Mason described going into when he experiences trauma. So it's dark but I would argue that it's not dark to just give a character tragedy. Some aspects of the plot required some suspension of disbelief, mainly around the criminal justice system but that certainly didn't get in the way of my enjoyment.
Lee and Mason really seem like unlikely lovers. They are both very damaged and it would make sense if they never loved again but they're also meant for each other, so of course they learn to love again. They are the nerdy heroes that you never thought you needed, and they are both very much heroes. They show strength in the face of adversity and it was inspiring to read. They are also so very sweet together and their romance was a joy to read.
I absolutely can't wait for more because I have a feeling that the rest of the Devereaux gang will be just as devastatingly enjoyable to read. I highly recommend this for fans of the Protector series by Sloane Kennedy.
This book is well written with characters the reader can fall in love with. Mason is just beautiful, strong, courageous and easy to love. Lee is a hero, loving and kind. It's easy to get behind these characters and the reader is rooting for them from the start. This is a hard story to read at times but it's respectful written and well thought out.
Mason has a horrible past with only one good day, the day he was saved. He has become a graphic writer and he writes about his 'dark Angel.' When he meets a man who gets a reaction out of his body for the first time he's not sure what is happening. Mason has moved on but he is always looking over his shoulder because he fears his past will find him. He can't help falling a little for Lee and his family. He would do anything to protect them.
Lee has had it rough but still tries to carry on. When he picks up the awkward writer for his brothers he can't help but find him familiar but can't think why. They get off to a bar start but soon Lee sees the vulnerable side of Mason. When Lee realises who Mason is he is torn he knows he should tell him but he is scared. The longer the secret goes on the harder it is to tell. Lee knows he's falling for Lee but he also knows something is wrong. He has to trust that Mason will tell him when he is ready.
The build in this relationship is lovely and you are invested in the outcome. It's well written and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for this author in the future. If you like a read with angst but also a lot of strong wonderful characters then this is the book for you. Be prepared to laugh til you cry when Lee tells a story about a sex toy! I read that part several times because it's just so well written.
