What's His Passion 1 - Mountains to Climb (7 page)

“Would you consider moving back, Jensen? Move in with me here? I care about you. Hell, I might even fall in love with you again, but I don’t want to lose touch with you.”

Shifting until he leaned over Toby, Jensen regarded him. “I love you, Toby, and I’ll climb any mountain you want to prove it to you.”

“Don’t worry about climbing them. Just worry about coming home to me after each adventure. As long as you keep returning, we can work through anything.” Toby encircled his shoulders to bring him back for another kiss.

As their lips touched, Jensen’s heart skipped a beat and peace waved through him. The same joy he felt when he stood on the summit of a mountain filled his soul, letting him know Toby was the right choice as a base while he traveled the world following his passion.

Extra Scene

Epilogue

Toby rubbed his hands on his jeans while standing by the baggage claim area of LaGuardia Airport. He couldn’t wait to see Jensen, but he was nervous about what his boyfriend would do when he found out what had happened while he was gone.

“Toby.”

Whirling, he searched the approaching swarm of people. He’d checked the arrival boards and saw that Jensen’s plane had landed, so he knew Jensen was somewhere amidst the crowd. Then he spotted Jensen waving at him.

He threw his arms around Jensen in a tight embrace, holding him close. After brushing a kiss over Jensen’s ear, Toby stepped back. He ran his gaze over Jensen, checking to make sure he was in one piece.

“Everything go well?” He had to ask, even though it was obvious that at least physically things had gone good.

“It was amazing. I can’t believe I got to climb the Matterhorn.” Jensen practically bounced on the balls of his feet. His face lit up with joy.

Toby was hard put to figure out if Jensen’s happiness was because of the climb or because he was home with Toby. Then Jensen threw his arm around Toby’s shoulders as they walked through the airport to where his luggage would be appearing any minute now, and Toby discovered he didn’t care what the answer was. The way he held on to Toby, seeming not to care about the glances he was getting from people, told Toby he was thrilled to see him.

“Was it a good climb?”

He’d seen some of the pictures Jensen had taken of the cities he’d visited in Switzerland and the Alps as he’d traveled to get to the spot where they would start their climb. The one photo Jensen had taken when they made the summit on the Matterhorn was beautiful and Toby could understand a little why Jensen found peace in risking his life to conquer mountains. Toby had felt small simply from viewing the picture. He couldn’t imagine how tiny Jensen felt standing on rock that had been there for hundreds of thousands of years.

“It was awesome, except for all the tourists. The whole point of climbing is to get away from everything. The only thing around you is the sky above, the rock below, and the rope in your hand. Having strangers appear around a curve in the trail is a little weird, but in the end, it doesn’t matter. I achieved my goal. No one got hurt, and I came back to you. All is right in my world.”

“How long are you home this time?” Toby hadn’t meant to ask that question yet. He was going to wait a day or two before he started planning saying goodbye to Jensen again.

Jensen kissed his cheek. “You have me for at least three months before I want to head out to Wyoming to see Jigger and Cat. The baby will have arrived by then and I want to say hello. Plus I’d like to pack up my stuff and ship it back here.”

“You want to move in with me? Like live with me permanently?” He hadn’t been expecting that.

Jensen turned to face him, resting his hands on Toby’s shoulders. “You’re my home now, Toby. Aside from climbing trips and going to visit my friends, I don’t plan on leaving you. I belong with you and wherever your home is, that’s where I’ll be.”

Toby blinked away the tears. He wasn’t going to cry, not even if those were words he loved to hear. “I hope you still feel that way when you see what I’ve done while you were gone.”

Frowning, Jensen gave him a narrow-eyed stare. “You didn’t quit your job, did you?”

“No.” Toby shook his head. “Why would you think that?”

The conveyor belt hummed and creaked as it began to move. Jensen stepped away from Toby to wait for his luggage. Toby stood there, staring at his boyfriend, and decided that jeans and T-shirts looked better on Jensen than expensive suits ever did. Maybe it had more to do with the confident, relaxed way Jensen stood, hands on hips and head held high.

Jensen was sure of his place in the world and even more of his spot in Toby’s heart. Smiling, Toby watched as Jensen grabbed his bags off the belt then turned to come back to him.

“Let’s go.” He took Jensen’s backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. “We have a little bit of a drive ahead of us. Do you want to get something to eat before we leave the city?”

“Leave the city? Why would we leave?” Jensen studied him. “What did you do, Toby?”

“Just wait. It’s nothing bad and no, I didn’t quit my job. About food?”

“I’m fine. Got something during my layover at Amsterdam.”

They went out to the parking garage where Toby had parked. When he clicked the key fob to unlock the doors of his Audi S5, Jensen stopped in his tracks.

“You own a car? I never thought I’d see the day you owned a car in the city.” He sounded shocked.

After opening the trunk, Toby gestured for Jensen to toss his bags in. “Well, I don’t live in the city anymore, so I need something that’ll at least get me to the train station in the mornings. Plus you’ll need a vehicle to get around when you’re home.” He paused for a moment as he thought before continuing, “Of course, you might want a different kind of car. We can talk about it later.”

Jensen stayed quiet until they got out of the airport traffic then got onto the highway, heading from the city. Toby saw him glance at the sign saying Connecticut, but he kept his mouth shut, letting Toby navigate in the direction of their new life together. At least Toby hoped Jensen would be happy with it.

Eventually they reached Stamford, and Toby took the off ramp. He could feel all the questions Jensen had almost bursting from him.

“Just a few more minutes, love,” he said as he reached out to pat Jensen’s knee.

“It better be. I’m not sure I’ll be able to take it much longer.”

Chuckling, Toby turned onto a tree-lined street, heading toward the large brick house at the end of the cul-de-sac. He parked the car in the driveway instead of pulling into the two-car garage.

“Toby, why are we here?”

“Get out.”

Toby walked around the front of the vehicle to meet Jensen. He encircled Jensen’s waist before motioning to the house.

“Welcome home, Jensen Brockhoff.”

Jensen stiffened for a second. “Are you serious? You bought a house?”

“We bought a house. Sure, I used my money, but you’re going to live here as well. I hope.” Toby met Jensen’s confused gaze. “I know you would live in the city with me and not complain. I love that you would do that for me. Yet I know how hard it would be for you, especially now that you haven’t lived in a crowded, noisy place like that in years. You want a more suburban home. We have a big back yard. Big enough for a dog or two. Our neighbors aren’t right on top of us, but we still have some.”

Before he could say anything else, Jensen crushed their lips together. Toby answered with all the love he felt for Jensen. When they broke apart, Jensen studied the house.

“Our life together starts today. I love you, and now you have a home base to return to when you’re done having your adventures. I’ll be here waiting every day for you to come back.”

Jensen cleared his throat. “I love you, Toby Schwartzel. I’ll be happy to live in this house with you. Knowing you’re waiting for me to come home means more than anything else in the world to me.”

Toby relaxed at Jensen’s words, and excitement swept through him. “I want to give you a tour of the place. We can change anything you don’t like, and I figure maybe this weekend, we can go find a dog.”

He dragged Jensen behind him as he raced toward the front door. Toby couldn’t wait to show Jensen the home where their love would continue to grow until it was as big and as unmovable as the mountains Jensen liked to climb.

An interview with

T.A. Chase

1. What’s his Passion? is an imprint exploring our contemporary collection of men and their passions. What can you tell us about your book Mountains to Climb?

Mountains to Climb is about two former lovers who meet again six years after one of them disappeared. Jensen is there to convince Toby to take him back, but Toby isn’t sure he can trust his ex-lover not to hurt him again. It also gives the reader a glimpse into Jensen’s passion, which is mountaineering.

2. Toby clearly built up a protective wall to stop himself from being hurt again—is it important to show how characters can allow people back in their lives?

Sometimes people do need a second chance to prove they’ve changed for the better. I believe being able to forgive is very important to a person’s evolution into a better human. Jensen might not have been a good guy six years ago, but he dealt with his demons and he needed to be able to show Toby that.

3. Climbing mountains both physically and emotionally is a key theme in this story, what made you want to address this?

Everyone has obstacles—or mountains—in their lives that they must overcome. Whether it’s a handicap, an illness or an addiction. It could be an emotional obstacle as well. To be able to climb over it—literally and figuratively—helps make a person stronger in every way. I wanted to let people know they always have options to overcome the problems in their lives.

4. What do you enjoy about writing erotic romance?

It’s not so much erotic romance that I like writing as it is simply the romance part of it. I like all the possibilities out there for people to find the person they fit perfectly with. Every soul in the world should have the chance to meet the one soul that will make them happy.

5. How did you feel when you were asked to be part of this new imprint?

I was honoured to be considered for this imprint. I have a few ideas that fit perfectly with the passions idea.

6. What can readers see from you next with Totally Bound?

Next up from Totally Bound is Anywhere Tequila Flows, Book four of my Rags to Riches series.

Coming Soon from Totally Bound Publishing:

What’s his Passion?

Size Matters

Sean Michael

Released 18
th
July 2014

Excerpt

Chapter One

Trey took his guide dog Happy out, heading to the coffee shop at the corner. It was quiet there, especially late at night, and he knew Sarah and Anthony, the owners, would make sure he was taken care of. It was the one place he felt comfortable going on his own, thanks to them.

“Hey, Trey!” Sarah called out as he hit the door. “How’s it going?”

“Good. Good. Caramel latte, love?”

“You got it. We’ve got a piece of caramel crunch pie left, too.”

“Oh, rock on. Thanks.”

He sat, put one of his earbuds in, and checked his emails. There was one from the guy with the pretty voice, thanking him for signing. He answered with—

You’re welcome, man. Good to meet you.

It had been his first book signing, and it had gone okay. The guy with the pretty voice had been good-looking if Allison’s fluttering about him afterward was anything to go by. She’d described him as tall, dark and perfect. His voice had been…liquid velvet was pretty fucking cheesy. Still, it was true.

Velvety soft and rich and…whoa. Okay. Okay. No springing wood. The guy had asked him out for coffee in that voice…

His email binged.

Nice to meet you too. I meant it, about the coffee
.

Trey chuckled.

I managed to get myself a cup.

Lucien’s reply didn’t take long to arrive.

You’re going to make me come right out and say it, aren’t you? I’m more interested in you than in coffee.

I don’t know you from Job.

Trey wanted to, though. The idea of it both thrilled and scared him. More thrilled, if he were being honest.

Thus the coffee.

He chuckled at that.

I guess so. I have to be careful, you know?

I get that, I do. But if we could do coffee at the place of your choice. What can I do in a public place?

Yeah. I have a good place here. Safe. Folks know me.

There you go. Invite me over.

Earthscape Java on Cornell.

Oh, God. Oh, God, what had he done?

I’ll be there in twenty.

Twenty. That gave Trey time to go home, to bail. He really didn’t want to. He should, though, right?

“Everything okay?” That was Anthony, hand on his shoulder, reminding him he was in a safe place.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m meeting someone.”

“Oh, man. Well, I’ll walk you home whenever you’re ready.”

Oh, thank God
. “You rock.”

“Of course I do. And I have an all-natural oatmeal biscuit for Happy, that okay?”