Soufflés at Sunrise

by M. J. O'Shea

  “I can’t believe we pulled it off either. I guess now we just have to wait and see if they think they have enough leverage to slap us on the hand for what we did.”

  Chase rolled his eyes. “Let them try.”

  KAI WAS nervous. It was an emotion he’d gotten used to lately. Somehow every time he saw Chase’s name on his phone, his face over Skype, anything, the butterflies would start. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. Kai liked it a lot, actually. But it was surprising to him that it hadn’t gone away yet. He was in his car, idling in front of the airport. Chase’s flight had landed about a half an hour before, so he was due out any second. It was their longest visit yet. They’d gotten longer and longer progressively since they’d said good-bye at the end of the show.

  Things had quieted down for him. The episodes hadn’t aired yet, so nobody ever recognized him on the street, so it was back to normal. Working a little, missing Chase. It almost felt like those weeks on Burned had never happened. Except for one very big change.

  Kai saw Chase’s blond head bounding out of the doors of the baggage claim area. As soon as he saw Kai’s car, he waved.

  “Hi!” he called out. He was dragging a duffel bag and a suitcase and he looked exactly like he always did, golden skinned and beautiful.

  “Hey, babe.” Kai got out of his car and helped Chase load his suitcase into the back hatch. Chase gave Kai a huge hug and a long kiss before someone behind them was an asshole and honked.

  “Better get in the car, huh.”

  “Yeah.” Kai hopped into the driver’s side and waited for Chase to get in before he pushed on the gas. He was excited to show his new place off to Chase in person, rather than through a Skype tour and a million e-mailed pictures.

  “I can’t believe I’m here,” Chase said.

  It had only been about three weeks since his last visit. They were getting to the pathetic stage, but Kai couldn’t help it. They’d used his new apartment as an excuse. Chase reached over and wound their fingers together.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” Kai said. More glad than he really wanted to say out loud. Chase knew. He had to. It was getting harder for both of them to be alone.

  “Me too. Ruby’s doing really well with the ice cream shop.”

  “Yeah?”

  Chase’s sister had been taking over the reins more and more lately, especially with his habit of going to LA. Three times in three months. Kai didn’t want to ask…. Well, he did, but he was afraid of the answer. He hoped maybe Ruby might take over the shop permanently someday. And Chase’s loft. Kai wanted Chase near him, and he thought Chase might want to be in California too. He’d ask soon. Maybe in a few days.

  “Hey, where are we going for dinner, babe?” Chase finally asked. They’d been holding hands quietly, something the old part of Kai still couldn’t believe he did, and voluntarily. Happily.

  “I wasn’t sure. You interested in sushi? Mexican?” It had taken him a little talking to get Chase to try sushi, but once he’d succumbed, he’d become an addict. He’d wanted to go both nights on his last weekend trip out. He was there for five days this time. Maybe they’d have time for something else.

  “How ’bout Mexican? I haven’t had decent nachos in weeks.”

  “That’s not Mexican.” Kai tried to stuff his foodie self back down.

  Chase snorted. “Okay, top chef. I apologize. We can get ‘real’ Mexican.”

  Kai elbowed him and grinned. It felt so damn good to have Chase back within his arms’ reach.

  “You want to shower or grab dinner first?”

  “Dinner, I think,” Chase said. “If we get in the shower, I’m not going to want to let you out of bed until the morning.”

  Kai shivered and clenched Chase’s hand a little tighter. “Dinner it is.”

  He took Chase to one of his favorite little Mexican spots, a hole in the wall owned by a family he’d gotten close to since he moved to the mainland. They made the most amazing enchilada sauce, gorgeous beans, and these fish tacos he dreamed of sometimes at night. He wanted to order everything on the menu. Chase wasn’t much better. Between the two of them, they managed a huge table full of dishes to share.

  “We’re awful for each other.”

  Kai laughed. “Don’t you think any chefs would be like this together?”

  “Probably.”

  Chase linked his fingers through Kai’s across the table for a minute before he went back to his nachos. Nachos. Jesus. Chase had smirked when they were, in fact, on the menu. Kai wanted to shake his head, but it was so cute. At least he’d gotten the fish tacos and a spinach enchilada too. Branching out.

  “Hey, what are we doing tomorrow?” Chase asked.

  Kai typically led him around while he was visiting, which was fine because Chase, well, he led Kai around too, in his own way. It was a nice balance.

  “I thought we’d walk to get breakfast, maybe check out the beach.”

  “I like that,” Chase said, grinning. He reached across and stole a chunk of roasted peppers from Kai’s fajita burrito. “This is awesome,” he said. “Good idea for coming here. We can come back again before I go back to Wisconsin.”

  He didn’t say home. Kai noticed it right away. Chase probably noticed it too because his smile grew a little bit. Kai still thought of Hawaii as home, but he thought maybe California could be as well if he had Chase with him. Anywhere could be. And that was both terrifying and, well, not scary at all.

  “Hey, you full?” Kai finally asked. Chase had demolished a ton of his food, and there were lots they could use as leftovers in the morning or for lunch. It was time to go, maybe walk a little, and then… yeah. That. Kai had been looking forward to it since the second Chase got on the airplane last time. It was what he needed. It was what they both needed.

  “Yeah, I’m ready to go home.”

  KAI TOOK a detour home, letting Chase see the beach again before steering them back to the new apartment Kai had picked out after the show had finished. This place was bigger, had two bedrooms (even though the second was tiny, it was space for his sister to come stay if she wanted to) and a huge kitchen. The neighborhood was nice too, only a few blocks from the beach, meaning Kai could start surfing again. That felt good. Right. Like he was getting back to being himself again.

  He hadn’t gone back to Donovan’s, even though there had been an offer from the restaurant once the show was done filming. Instead he’d taken a job in a patisserie that supplied for a major catering company in Hollywood. It was a brand-new challenge for him, creating detailed, delicious desserts that would be served to some of the most famous people in the world. There was a little shop outlet too, one of those places known to people in the know, and strangely Kai found himself preferring to work in the back of the shop rather than in the big industrial kitchen. The shop was more intimate, and the kitchens reminded him of Burned.

  That night they made love, long and slow, reconnecting on a level that no one but the two of them could truly understand. Kai recognized what he had now in a way that he didn’t appreciate before. Chase was more than his lover or his boyfriend, he was a partner, in every sense of the word.

  The next morning they were woken by soft sunlight and dressed for the chilly dawn and an early walk on the beach, holding hands as they made their way down.

  “The diner’s this way, isn’t it?” Chase asked, tugging on Kai’s hand.

  “Yes,” Kai chuckled. “It’s that way. You’re learning your way around my neighborhood, finally. You want breakfast, I take it?”

  Chase made a face at him, loped across the street, and ground to a halt. Kai stopped too when he saw what Chase was staring at. It was a tiny empty building on the corner, probably a good seventy years old, pink with banana-yellow trim, but it was perfect. Not too big, not too small, room to install freezers, room for a patisserie. Even if it was a little crappy and run-down at the moment, all Kai wanted to do was open the door and wander in.

  “Kai,” Chase said quietly.

&n
bsp; “Yeah?” Kai asked.

  “How would you feel about maybe quitting your job again in a few months?”

  The nervous butterflies were back, but the good kind, the ones that told him that he was in the exact right place with the exact right person. He had some cash set aside and his small second-place check from Burned. Combine that with whatever Chase had saved up, and they could do it. This place was meant to be theirs. LA was meant to be theirs. Kai turned and smiled at Chase.

  He pulled out his phone and punched in the number on the “for rent” sign. “I think I might be okay with that.”

  Chase looked as awed as Kai felt and wrapped his arms around Kai from behind, pressing a small kiss to Kai’s neck. “Yeah,” he said. “Me too.”

  Don’t miss

  Macarons at Midnight

  By M.J. O’Shea and Anna Martin

  Tristan Green left his small English town for Manhattan and a job at a high profile ad agency, but can’t seem to find his bearings. He spends a lot of time working late at night, eating and sleeping alone, and even more time meandering around his neighborhood staring into the darkened windows of shops. One night when he’s feeling really low, he wanders by a beautiful little bakery with the lights still on. The baker invites him in, and some time during that night Tristan realizes it’s the first time he’s really smiled in months.

  Henry Livingston has always been the odd duck, the black sheep, the baker in an old money family where pedigree is everything and quirky personalities are hidden behind dry martinis and thick upper east side townhouse facades. Henry is drawn to Tristan’s easy country charm, dry English wit, and everything that is so different from Henry’s world.

  Their new romance is all buttercream frosting and sugared violets until Tristan’s need to fit in at work makes him do something he desperately wishes he could undo. Tristan has to prove to Henry that he can be trusted again before they can indulge in the sweet stuff they’re both craving.

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  About the Authors

  M.J. O’SHEA grew up and still lives in sunny Washington state, and while she loves to visit other places, she can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. M.J. spent her childhood writing stories. Sometime in her early teens, the stories turned to romance. Most of those stories were about her, her friends, and their favorite cute TV stars. She hopes she’s come a long way since then….

  When M.J.’s not writing, she loves to play the piano and cook and paint pictures, and, of course, read. She likes sparkly girly girl things, owns at least twenty different colored headbands, and she has two dogs who sit with her when she writes. Sometimes her dog comes up with the best ideas for stories… when she’s not busy napping.

  Visit M.J. at http://mjoshea.com. E-mail her at mjosheaseattle@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter.

  ANNA MARTIN is from a picturesque seaside village in the south-west of England and now lives in the slightly arty, slightly quirky city of Bristol. After spending most of her childhood making up stories, she studied English Literature at university before attempting to turn her hand as a professional writer.

  Apart from being physically dependent on her laptop, Anna is enthusiastic about writing and producing local grassroots theater (especially at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where she can be found every summer), going to visit friends in other countries, baking weird and wonderful sweets, learning to play the ukulele, and Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk.

  Anna claims her entire career is due to the love, support, pre-reading, and creative ass kicking provided by her best friend Jennifer. Jennifer refuses to accept responsibility for anything Anna has written.

  2nd place winner of the 2012 Goodreads M/M Romance Member’s Choice Award “Best Musician/Rockstars” for Tattoos & Teacups.

  Website: http://annamartin-fiction.com/

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/missannamartin

  Tumblr: http://annamartinwrites.tumblr.com

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annamartinfiction

  Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5251288.Anna_Martin

  Also by these authors and DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  Catch My Breath

  By M.J. O’Shea

  Danny Bright was born to entertain. He just needs his big break. So when he hears that Blue Horizon Records is holding auditions looking for the next big thing, Danny jumps at the chance. It doesn’t turn out exactly as he imagined, though. Instead of getting solo contracts, Danny and four other guys are put into a boy band.

  Innocent, idealistic Elliot Price thinks he’s headed for college. An impulsive decision to sing in the local talent search changes all that. A bigwig producer happens to see him, hands him a business card, and turns Elliot’s life upside down.

  Elliot and Danny are close from the beginning. They love all the guys, but it’s different with each other. Soon their friendship turns into feelings more intense than either of them can ignore. The other three boys only want Danny and Elliot to be happy, but when their management team and record label discover two of their biggest tween heartthrobs are in a relationship, they’re less than pleased. Danny and Elliot find themselves in the middle of a circle of lies and cover-ups, all with one bottom line—money. They have to stay strong and stick together if they don’t want to lose themselves… and each other.

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Corkscrewed

  By M.J. O’Shea

  Cary Talbot has found the perfect mark. Marigold Shelley is filthy rich, and her newly found grandson, Isaac Shelley, is poised to inherit her huge estate, complete with a priceless wine collection. Cary concocts a plan to con both of them into selling the crown jewel of that collection to him at a bargain price. Since Isaac is young, single, and gay, part of Cary’s scheme to get close to the Shelleys includes seduction.

  But Isaac isn’t the sheep he appears to be. He isn’t even the grandson he appears to be. Isaac is, in fact, running quite the con of his own.

  These two masters of the confidence game are pitted against each other, and both are after the ultimate prize—a chunk of the huge Shelley fortune. It’s only when a third cunning player comes in and is ready to outwit them both that they must band together and beat their opponent or see all they’ve worked for slip from their grasp one ruby-red drop at a time.

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Newton’s Laws of Attraction

  By M.J. O’Shea

  Rory was Ben’s oldest and best friend until senior year of high school, when they confessed they’d harbored feelings for each other all along. They enjoyed only a few months of happiness until Ben chose closeted popularity over true love… and he’s regretted it ever since.

  Eight years later, Ben is out and proud and teaching art at the same high school he graduated from. When he learns the chemistry teacher is retiring, he’s excited to meet her replacement until he finds out the brand new teacher is none other than Rory Newton—the first love he’s never quite gotten over. Despite a painfully awkward start, it doesn’t take Ben long to realize he’ll do whatever it takes to win Rory back. But it’s starting to look like even his best might not be enough.

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Impractical Magic

  By M.J. O’Shea

  Physics teacher Fenton Keene is looking forward to a summer of doing nothing but hanging out with friends and maybe getting into a little trouble. With his best friend out of town, trouble seems like the best option and it comes in the form of his building’s newest temporary resident, a gorgeous fireman named Kevin.

  Fen’s been attracted to men before, but this is the first time he’s considered acting on it. And act he does.

  Fen and Kevin have an intense summer fling. Just in time for Kevin to go home, more feelings develop than Fen can ignore, but they don’t stop Kevin from leaving. Once Kevin’s gone, Fen can’t stop thinking about him. That’s when reality sets in and Fen faces the difficulties of distance and fidelity, whi
le Kevin balks at Fen’s reluctance to tell his friends and family. They just need to find a way to make their magic more practical.

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Lucky Moon

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  One Thing

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Rock Bay

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Cricket

  By Anna Martin

  New York native Henry Richardson needs a change. His boyfriend just dumped him, and his business has fallen victim to the economy. But is jumping on a plane after a surprise phone call taking things too far?

  The promise of a new opportunity drags Henry away from the city to a tiny village in the English countryside and an enormous manor house his great-grandmother wants to bequeath him. As an experienced wedding planner, he sees the potential in renovating the dilapidated building and using it for events. All he needs is to find some local businesses to provide the essentials.

  That’s how Henry meets Ryan Burgess, the shy but hardworking owner of an organic farm. The spark between them sizzles slowly while work on the house continues, but Ryan is deeply in the closet and unwilling to take the last step. They finally find something that clicks in cricket, something that Henry, a former amateur baseball player, is surprisingly good at. For him, cricket helps bridge the gap between England and New York—but unless Ryan can find something to span the divide between his sexuality and his fear, their relationship doesn’t stand a chance.