by H L Day
It was a very different man who opened the door this time, his face breaking into a huge smile as soon as he saw it was me. He grabbed my arm and hustled me inside, his arms wrapping around me as soon as the door had closed. I squeezed him tight, breathing him in, his body almost vibrating in my arms with excitement. He pushed me away, too excited to stand still for longer than two minutes. "Max, did you see? They loved me. I'd forgotten what it was like to dance in front of an audience, to look out and see hundreds of faces all watching me. And I got a standing ovation. Did you see that? Even though I didn't reach perfection. Which gives me something to work on. I don't think that anyone noticed." He grabbed a bottle of champagne from an ice bucket, pouring a glass and handing it to me. "Aren't you meant to be congratulating me?"
I stared at him, loving how happy and carefree he was with the adrenaline of performing still coursing through his veins. "I would if I could get a word in edgeways."
His brow furrowed. "But you liked it?"
"Of course I liked it. You were fantastic. But then I already knew that. I think I fell in love with you the first moment I watched you dance."
He smiled. "That explains why you couldn't even manage to press a button at the right time." His face suddenly shadowed. "I have news."
I didn't like the expression on his face or the fact that he'd gone from ecstatically happy to worried, all in the space of a matter of seconds. "Bad news?"
He crossed his arms over his chest, half of the glitter that had been on it, now smeared all over the front of my shirt. Not that I cared. "I guess that depends on your viewpoint."
My mind started to race. Had he heard from Dmitry? Was it something about his ankle? "Tell me."
He leaned back against the wall, still wearing a somber expression that did nothing to ease my panic. "I knew before the show, but I wanted to wait until after." He grimaced. "I don't know why, really... it just seemed better."
I wasn't used to my boyfriend fumbling for words. He was usually the epitome of calm and collected. "Valentin, whatever it is, just tell me."
"They signed a contract to take the show to New York for six weeks, with a good chance of a possible extension, and they want to keep me in the lead role."
I stared at him, shaking my head slightly when that was all he had to say, a smile breaking out on my face. "That's fantastic news! Congratulations."
His face didn't change. "Is it? I mean, I know it is, but we are going to be apart for six weeks." He looked even sadder. "I know we talked about the fact that this might happen, but I'm going to miss you, Max, so damn much. I'm not used to feeling like this. Aren't you going to miss me?"
I grabbed his hand, pulling him back into my arms so we swayed together, my heart bursting with love. "Like you wouldn't believe. But we're going to talk on the phone every night and think of the reunion we'll have when you get back."
Valentin smiled, but he didn't look any happier. "We wouldn't get out of bed for at least a week after."
"Bed!" I did my best Valentin impression in an effort to cheer him up. "You're so vanilla." For once, it didn't work. "Hey! Don't be sad. This is your big night. You should be enjoying it. This is not for a few weeks anyway. Don't start missing me while we're still together."
He nodded. "I know." He paused. "Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless you come with me?"
"To New York?"
"Da. For the whole six weeks. Longer, if it is extended. When I am not dancing, we could go sightseeing, and you could come to rehearsals. They're paying me good money, and the hotel is already paid for, so you will not need to worry about the fact that you will not be working. Your work is flexible so you can take the time. Right? What do you say?"
It was on the tip of my tongue to say no, to say that I couldn't live on his money, but if he'd done the same while his ankle was healing, we'd never have gotten anywhere as a couple. He hadn't liked depending on me, but he'd done it. So really, it would only be returning the favor. I imagined six weeks without being able to see him or touch him, wondering constantly what he was doing and who he was with. Not that I didn't trust him, I did. Neither of us was interested in anyone else. We'd found the person we wanted to spend the rest of our lives with and that was it for us.
Thinking of it that way, recognizing that our lives were inexorably entwined and that what was mine was his and vice versa, left only one possible answer. "Yes. Yes, I'll come to New York. For however long you want me—"
I didn't get a chance to finish my sentence due to the eager pair of lips pressing against mine and the enthusiastic tongue looking to get better acquainted. We kissed until we were both dizzy, our cocks straining together. I forced myself to stop. "You've got a party to get to so that everyone can tell you how fabulous you are and fawn over you all night."
He backed off a few steps, a mischievous look on his face, his arousal clearly evident in the ballet tights, which made me want to get down on my knees and worship something very different from his dancing talent. "That does sound fantastic, but I think there's enough time for you to fawn all over me first.” I didn't need asking twice. I dropped to my knees, peeling the ballet tights down over the muscular thighs and preparing to demonstrate just how much I loved Valentin Bychkov.
He might be an insufferably arrogant diva at times.
But he was my diva.
Afterword
For those of you that are annoyed that Dmitry didn't get his comeuppance, all I can say is that I wasn't too happy myself, but it just didn't fit with this book. Maybe he'll pop up again though in another book, and hopefully then he might get what's coming to him.
Watch this space.
Thanks, from H.L Day
Thank you so much for choosing to read this book. You've made me really happy. How could you make me even happier? Well, you could leave a review. Then, I'd be ecstatic. :)
About H.L Day
H.L Day grew up in the North of England. As a child she was an avid reader, spending lots of time at the local library or escaping into the imaginary worlds created by the books she read. Her grandmother first introduced her to the genre of romance novels, as a teenager, and all the steamy sex they entailed. Naughty Grandma!
One day, H.L Day stumbled upon the world of m/m romance. She remained content to read other people’s books for a while, before deciding to give it a go herself.
Now, she’s a teacher by day and a writer by night. Actually, that’s not quite true—she’s a teacher by day, procrastinates about writing at night, and writes in the school holidays, when she’s not continuing to procrastinate. After all, there’s books to read, places to go, people to see, exercise at the gym to do, films to watch. So many things to do—so few hours to do it in. Every now and again, she musters enough self-discipline to actually get some words onto paper—sometimes they even make sense and are in the right order.
Finding H.L Day
Where am I? I often ask myself the same question.
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More books from H.L Day
A Temporary Situation (Temporary series; Tristan and Dom #1)
Personal assistant Dominic is a consummate professional. Funny then, that he harbors such unprofessional feelings toward Tristan Maxwell, the CEO of the company. No, not in that way. The man may be the walking epitome of gorgeousness dressed up in a designer suit. But, Dominic's immune. Unlike most of the workforce, he can see through the pretty facade to the arrogant, self-entitled asshole below. It's lucky then, that the man's easy enough to avoid.
Disaster strikes when Dominic finds himself having to work in close proximity as Tristan's P.A. The man is
infuriatingly unflappable, infuriatingly good-humored, and infuriatingly unorthodox. In short, just infuriating. A late-night rescue leading to a drunken pass only complicates matters further, especially with the discovery that Tristan is both straight and engaged.
Hatred turns to tolerance, tolerance to friendship, and friendship to mutual passion. One thing's for sure, if Tristan sets his sights on Dominic, there's no way Dominic has the necessary armor or willpower to keep a force of nature like Tristan at bay for long, no matter how unprofessional a relationship with the boss might be. He may just have to revise everything he previously thought and believed in for a chance at love.
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A Christmas Situation (Temporary Series; Tristan and Dom #2)
Love conquers all. But can it survive Christmas?
Dominic and Tristan have been together for almost a year. So everything's got to be plain sailing, right? Not quite. Not if you ask Dominic. Tristan's a bundle of energy and crazy ideas at the best of times. Add in Christmas, and it's a recipe for disaster.
That's not the only issue. There's also Tristan's mysterious absences and secret phone calls to contend with. Dominic might be insecure, but he's not crazy. His boyfriend is definitely up to something, and neither family nor friends seem interested in listening to his concerns. He won't jump to conclusions this time though. He'll talk to Tristan. Only what do you do when you can't get a straight answer out of the man you love?
When Tristan's secrets are revealed, will their first Christmas together also be their last? Or is Dominic about to discover that all his worries have been for nothing?
Only time will tell.
A story containing Christmas snark; a drunk Tristan; snow; and absolutely no mention of spiders—well alright, maybe a few mentions.
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Time for a Change
What if the last thing you want, might be the very thing you need?
Stuffy and uptight accountant Michael’s life is exactly the way he likes it: ordered, routine and risk-free. He doesn’t need chaos and he doesn’t need anything shaking it up and causing him anxiety. The only blot on the horizon is the small matter of getting his ex-boyfriend Christian back. That’s exactly the type of man Michael goes for: cultured, suave and sophisticated.
Coffee shop employee Sam, is none of those things. He’s a ball of energy and happiness who thinks nothing of flaunting his half-naked muscular body and devastating smile in front of Michael when he’s trying to work. He knows what he wants—and that’s Michael. And no matter how much Michael tries to resist him, he’s not going to take no for an answer.
Sam eventually chips through Michael’s barriers and straight into his bed. But Michael’s already made some questionable decisions that might just come back to haunt him. He’s got some difficult choices to make if he’s ever going to find love. And he might just find that he’s too set in his ways to make the right ones quickly enough. If Michael’s not careful, the best thing that’s ever happened to him might just slip right through his fingers. Because even a patient man like Sam has his limits.
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Kept in the Dark
Struggling actor Dean, only escorts occasionally to pay the bills. So, his first instinct on being offered a job with a strange set of conditions is to turn it down. No date. Don’t switch the lights on. Don’t touch him. I mean, what’s that all about? What’s the man trying to hide? Dean certainly doesn’t expect sex with a faceless stranger to spark so much passion inside him. It’s just business though, right? He can put a stop to it whenever he wants.
When Dean meets Justin—a scarred, ex-army soldier unlucky in love. Dean’s given a chance at a proper relationship. He can see past the scars to the man underneath. He’s everything Dean could possibly wish for in a boyfriend: kind, caring and sweet. All Dean needs to do is be honest. Easy, right? But, Justin’s holding back and Dean can’t work out why. But whatever it is, it’s enough to give him second thoughts.
They both have secrets which could shatter their fledgling relationship. After all, secrets have a nasty habit of coming out eventually. The question is when they do, will they be able to piece their relationship back together? Or will they be left with nothing but memories of bad decisions and the promise of the love they could have had, if only they’d both been honest and fought harder.
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Refuge (Fight for Survival #1)
If you no longer recognise someone, how can you possibly be expected to trust them with your life?
Some might describe Blake Brannigan’s life in the small Yorkshire village of Thwaite as bordering on mundane. His job in a café doesn’t exactly set the world alight. But, he’s got his own house, a boyfriend, and a close-knit group of good friends. For him, that’s more than enough to lead a contented life.
Then in one fell swoop, everything’s ripped away when he’s forced to flee the village with only his boyfriend for company. He doesn’t know why they’re leaving. He hasn’t got the faintest clue what’s going on, and he’s struggling to understand the actions and behaviour of a man he thought he knew. A man that it soon becomes clear knows far more about what’s happening than he’s letting on. A man hiding a multitude of secrets.
When the true extent of what’s happening comes to light, Blake is rocked to the core. Peril lurks around every corner. The smallest decision suddenly spells the difference between life and death. If Blake’s to have any chance of survival in this new and frightening world, he’s going to have to unearth buried secrets, figure out whether love really can conquer all, and face emotional, physical, and mental challenges the likes of which he could never have imagined.
One thing's for sure, when life suddenly boils down to nothing more than the desperate need to find refuge, priorities change. Blake’s certainly have.
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Taking Love's Lead
Zachary Cole's new personal shopper is stunning in more ways than one. Gone is the staid, professional Jonathan. In his place is sexy, whirlwind Edgar, whose methods and lifestyle are less than orthodox. Still reeling from the experience, Zack can't get him out of his head. He needs to see him again. Even if it does involve dragging his heavily pregnant sister and her dalmatian into his cunning plan.
Sick of being dumped yet again, dog walker Edgar's pledged to stay single and put energy into finding a career more suited to an adult instead. Zack might be extremely tempting...and just happen to pop up wherever he goes, but that doesn't mean he's going to change his mind. He's got bigger priorities in life than a website designer who's after a brief walk on the wild side. Edgar's heart has taken enough of a bruising. He's not prepared to get dumped again.
Zack wants love. Edgar only wants friendship. Can the two men find common ground amid the chaos of Edgar's life? Or is Zack going to find that no matter what he does, there's no happy ending and he'll have to walk away?
Warning: This story contains dogs. Lots of dogs. Big ones. Small ones. Naughty ones. Ones that like ducks, squirrels, and lakes and ones that like to be carried. No dogs were harmed in the writing of this book.
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Edge of Living
Sometimes, death can feel like the only escape.
It's been a year since Alex stopped living. He exists. He breathes. He pretends to be like everyone else. But, he doesn't live. Burdened by memories, he dreams of the day when he can finally be free. Until that time comes, he keeps everybody at bay. It's been easy so far. But he never factored in, meeting a man like Austin.
Hard-working mechanic Austin has always gone for men as muscular as himself. So, it's a mystery why he's so bewitched by the slim, quiet man with the soulful brown eyes who works in the library. The magnetic attraction is one thing, but the protective instincts are harder to fathom. Austin's sure though, that if he can only earn Alex's trust then the two of them could be perfect together.
A tentative relationship begins. But Alex's secrets run
deep. Far deeper than Austin could ever envisage. Time is ticking. Events are coming to a head, and love is never a magic cure. Oblivious to the extent of Alex's pain, can Austin discover the truth? Or is he destined to be left alone, only able to piece together the fragments of his boyfriend's history, once its already too late?
Trigger warning: Please be aware that this story deals with suicidal ideation and other dark themes. If this is a subject you find uncomfortable, then this book is not recommended.
Despite this, there is a guaranteed HEA.
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