Showing results by narrator "Joel Leslie" in All Categories

At 43, I’m supposed to have everything figured out, and if you’d asked me six months ago, I’d have said I did: head of my own tech company, beautiful fiancée, amazing future all planned out...life was perfect. Or, at least, I thought it was. So now I’m in New York after selling my company and fleeing San Jose, and for the first time in as long as I can remember, I have nothing to fill my day - no meetings, no reports, no launch parties - and that’s how I manage to get hooked on Warpath 4 and somehow find myself sexting with a guy almost 20 years younger than me.

It’s a classic story: Boy meets girl, girl breaks boy’s heart, boy pretends to be gay to get back at girl, girl outs boy to everyone on Facebook…okay, maybe it’s not that classic. But it’s what happened to me. When I bump into my cheating ex and catch sight of the moon-sized rock on her finger, there’s only one option to save face: pretend to be dating my gay best friend, Declan. And when she outs me on Facebook and everyone I know sees it, there’s still only one option: keep pretending to be dating Declan.

After an unconventional upbringing, Ben Sedgwick is perfectly content with the quiet, predictable life of a country vicar, free of strife or turmoil. When he’s asked to look after an absent naval captain’s three wild children, he reluctantly agrees, but instantly falls for the hellions. And when their stern but gloriously handsome father arrives, Ben is tempted in ways that make him doubt everything.

"Red Wine and Blood": The Blood Wars raged for centuries across Boston. Witness a brief glimpse into the brutal history of the Wars with Ignacio Salvatore and the vampire he loves, Ashwin Metcalfe, in 1897. "A History of Trouble": Angel was joking when he asked O'Malley if someone resurrected a mammoth. Little did he know that was exactly what someone did. "A Dragon in the City": What happens when Eroch goes adventuring in Beacon Hill without Angel? Chaos, pure chaos. "Fae's Gold": Daniel is helping the newly-resurrected fae, Ruairi Brennan, become accustomed to modern-day living.

At the cafe Milo Miracle co-owns with his twin sister, coffee and pastries are served up along with his unique blend of sass and snark. Milo knows that small-town life often means that every day is the same as the one before, and excitement can only be found in the gossip that travels faster than the speed of light. When the Adonis who broke his heart returns home after a 12-year absence, Milo unhappily finds himself at the center of Blissville's favorite pastime.

Memphis Sullivan thought he was coming to Blissville to help his cousin out, but instead, he gained three meddlesome females, a tribe, and a permanent home. More than a year later, he owns a popular comic book and vinyl record store and doesn't think his life could get any better. That all changes when the star of his favorite television show and bad-boy fantasies rides into town and spices up his vanilla world.

Librarian Sebastian Rath and his lover Vesper Rune are tasked with seeking and containing the evil Books of the Bound. But one of the books has been freed from its prison — and is in the hands of a killer. As more bodies turn up, Sebastian finds himself tempted to use forbidden magic to locate the book and stop the murderer. And when an unexpected connection to the necromancers who created the books is revealed, Sebastian must choose just how far he’ll go to right the wrongs of the past — even if it means endangering his own future.

It’s petty, but Naval Chief Derrick Fox wishes he could exact a little revenge on his ex by showing off a rebound fling. His submarine is due to return to its Bremerton, Washington, home base soon, and Derrick knows all too well there won't be anyone waiting with a big, showy welcome. Enter one ill-advised plan....

This year, the holidays seem to be rubbing Archie the wrong way. He can't stand that damn happy music blasting in the stores and all over the radio. The decorations went up far too early. And don't even get Archie started on how cheery everyone is. Seeing the holidays causes Archie to slip back into a depression. Adze decides to take matters into his own hands.

Freddie Evans is flamboyant, funny, and a lifelong fan of Jane Austen’s love stories which is how he ended up as a guide on a tour bus. He firmly believes in happily ever afters and would love to find his own with his best friend, Darcy. Driving a Jane Austen tour bus isn’t the most exciting side job in the world, but to Darcy Griffiths, it represents precious time with his best friend Freddie, who’s the guide. He’s loved him since they were teenagers but has never had the nerve to tell him.

Haven Hart stands on the edge of good and evil. Having balance between the two is the only thing keeping the town from crumbling to the ground. For years, one man has been charged with maintaining that balance - Poe. The air of mystery surrounding Poe is one of necessity. He's the keeper of secrets, and for good reason. He's stood alone against the most ruthless men and women, always hiding behind the curtain to help his friends defeat what seeks to destroy them.

Six years ago, Ellis walked into his first briefing as the newest member of London's specialist firearms unit. He was partnered with Wayne, and they became fast friends. When Wayne begins to notice changes - Ellis’s erratic temper, the effects of sleep deprivation - he knows he has to act before Ellis reaches his breaking point. He invites Ellis to the opening of the new BDSM club, Secrets, where Wayne has a membership. His purpose? He wants Ellis to glimpse the lifestyle before Wayne approaches him with a proposition.

Eli may only be 30, but he has had enough of pretend submissives. When he spies Jarod in a BDSM club, everything about the man screams submission. So what if Jarod is probably 20 years older than Eli. What does age matter, anyway? All he can see is what he's always wanted - a sub who wants to serve.

Romeo Bradly and Julius Shepherd moved to Blissville for the same reason: a fresh start. Romeo was looking for a school district where he could make a real impact in the lives of students and faculty, and Julius was eager to teach one of his passions to the best and brightest. But the sleepy little town offered them much more than they'd bargained for - quirky people, unlikely friendships, and an all-consuming attraction that turns them inside out.

Once beloved by London's fashionable elite, Hartley Sedgwick has become a recluse after a spate of salacious gossip exposed his most-private secrets. Rarely venturing from the house whose inheritance is a daily reminder of his downfall, he’s captivated by the exceedingly handsome man who seeks to rob him. Since retiring from the boxing ring, Sam Fox has made his pub, The Bell, into a haven for those in his Free Black community. But when his best friend Kate implores him to find and destroy a scandalously revealing painting of her, he agrees.

When Felix met handsome journalist Max Travers, it was lust at first sight. It was just his luck that he then had to develop a terrible case of feelings and got his heart broken.

Wren Roberts thought he’d found his fairy tale when he met Mateo Rossi on holiday in Majorca. The wealthy and successful older man swept him off his feet, and before he knew it, he’d thrown caution to the wind and was living in Mateo’s waterside apartment in Venice. It’s a far cry from his harsh upbringing and crummy flat in London. But as the summer turns to autumn, cracks begin to show. Mateo’s family aren’t welcoming, and there doesn’t seem to be a place for Wren in Mateo’s world.

Quellcrist wasn't new to fame or the effect it had on a relationship. He'd been married in the spotlight for as long as he'd been famous. But that was before Hale. He knew it was going to test him, but even he hadn't known the toll that months apart would take on his fledgling relationship. Long days of shooting, different time zones, calls every day dwindled to days without calls, and rumors were all over the rags. Through it all Quell had to battle his own worst enemy, but he didn't know how to win against something inside him.

Tobias Lykke is big, awkward, and accustomed to spending his holidays alone. This year, however, his godmother—who may or may not be an Italian countess—gives him an elf doll originally entrusted to her by her second husband, who might or might not have been a wizard.

This collection contains the first three Bureau novellas: Corruption, Clay White, and Creature.