Settling Down (13 page)

Jae rose from the desk, talking as he walked around. “Because I want you to move in with me. Hard for you to take care of our household when we live separately, don’t you think?”

And then there was silence and Tim staring at the keys, then up to Jae. “What about my apartment?”

“It’s got enough boxes in there, make it your inventory.”

“That would clear out the office to be actually useful.” Tim nodded slowly. Jae swore he could see the several hamster wheels that made up Tim’s brain running forward, backward, and through one another, maybe even upside down.

Jae held up a hand. “It’s a big step, I know, but I need you here. And I think you need me a lot closer than a phone call away. We can make this work, but damn, Tim, pet, you belong here.”

Thin lips tugged into a small smile, and then a bigger one. “You make it sound so easy.”

“Isn’t it?”

“Where’s the key for the collar?

Jae held up his key ring, presenting the tiny key. “Already put it where it belongs.”

“I suppose you’re right. Let’s do it.”

Before Jae could respond, Tim turned his back to him, tilting his head forward. “Speaking of putting things where they belong….”

Jae’s heart leaped as he unlocked the collar and drew it around Tim’s neck. The color was lovely against his pale skin and it fit loosely. He admired it there before bending to kiss the lock.

“There’s a second key to this under the silk. For emergencies,” Jae murmured, wanting to get that unpleasant thought out of their minds quickly. If Tim were to have an allergic reaction and couldn’t breathe, it might have to come off quickly.

“Yes, Sir.” The breathy reply made it clear the thought had come and gone from Tim’s mind. Good.

They would have to concern themselves with all kinds of details and moving and making Tim’s life fit here with Jae’s. But that could wait. Right now….

“I want you naked, save for this—” Another kiss to the lock. “—in our bed. Waiting for me. Now.”

“Yes, Sir!”

Tim was out of the office, leaving the door open, moving with that quick quietness that never failed to amaze Jae. Good, he was so good.

And they were going to be so good. Together.

Little Earthquakes: Book One

Tim Myers is the flamboyant and overly fastidious owner of the adult shop Little Earthquakes. In his spare time, he moonlights as a sub for his friend’s BDSM classes, and while he’d love to find a Dom to cater to his domestic servitude kink, he’s wary of exposing his body and his heart. When Jae Seong comes into Tim’s shop and asks him for help with a wax play demo, Tim is turned off by the idea. Jae is nothing if not persistent, though. He’s a skilled Dom and soon finds out why Tim is so protective of his body, his neck, and his heart. Over a series of play dates, the two grow close, and it dawns on Tim that he might be looking at a match made for collaring.

Jonathan Mendoza used to live an even crazier life, partying with his tight-knit traveling performance troupe whenever he wasn’t on stage belly dancing. When his sick mother begged him to change his lifestyle, he agreed to try to live sober, but that change is hard. Neither is it easy to stop staring at Dean Winters after he nearly knocks the man over before a performance.

A former recluse, prone to panic attacks after surviving a traumatic accident, Dean isn’t Jonathan’s usual type. Still, Jonathan is irresistibly attracted to him, and decides to cure the itch with a one-night stand. But that night, he’s shaken by Dean’s kindness and consideration—something he’s not used to in a lover or a friend. His best friend, Rachel, who co-owns the troupe with Jonathan, sees Dean as a threat to their friendship and to the troupe—the dream they’ve worked together to build. She reveals a cruel and possessive streak that could do much greater damage on both fronts, and Jonathan realizes he will have to choose between the nomadic life he’s lived and the man who is stealing his heart.

NICOLE FORCINE
was born a strange child and former Georgia peach. When she was younger, she was never far from a composition book with pen in hand and way too many people in her head (she’s even been known to talk back to them). When two or more of them talk loud enough to overshadow the rest, a story is born. After years of writing and storing her tales in those books, she had a revelation: man, there are a lot of dudes kissing in these stories.

Her stories include themes of creating families of choice, how love can come in all forms and supersede all boundaries, and the joys and sorrows of earning a happily-ever-after.

Currently, she resides in Minneapolis with one of the most laid-back men in history and two kitties: one old and grumpy, the other short and adorable (hers, of course). When she’s not writing (ha!), she’s saving the world/galaxy/humanity as we know it in the world of video games and general geekiness.

E-mail: [email protected]

Blog: nicoleforcine.wordpress.com

Twitter: @NikiForcine

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/7160783.Nicole_Forcine

This Little Whatever

LITTLE EARTHQUAKES

Shaken Up

Settling Down

Published by
DREAMSPINNER PRESS

www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Published by

DREAMSPINNER PRESS

5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA

www.dreamspinnerpress.com

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Settling Down

© 2016 Nicole Forcine.

Cover Art

© 2016 AngstyG.

http://www.angstyg.com

Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.

Digital ISBN: 978-1-63477-324-9

Published July 2016

v. 1.0

Printed in the United States of America