Sunday, June 30, 2013

LGBT Pride BlogFest



I have a confession to make: I'm a thirty-four year old bisexual transman, and I've only been to one pride event in my entire life, and only for a few minutes.

Growing up queer in the South, I didn't even know what "gay pride" was. Hell, I didn't even know any other queer folks until I was in high school - at least none I knew of. The one and only queer person in my family was shunned and spoken of in hushed tones, when he was spoken of at all.

It wasn't until I moved to Upstate NY that I discovered a whole community of people like myself. Mind you, we're in a small, white bread town, so it's not like it's queer utopia around here. But it is nice to be able to reach out to others like myself.

Why haven't I been to a Pride event, though?

The first one I ever even heard of was several years ago. At that time, I was living in the closet while I raised my step kids. (It's a long story, but it was my decision and it was the right one, based on the circumstances we were in.) Going to pride wasn't really an option for me.

The next time I heard of one, my husband and I went. Unfortunately, the skies opened up about fifteen minutes in, and our outdoor celebration ended prematurely.

Since then, our town hasn't had a Pride event. The closest one is in another town about 45 minutes away. I have ambitions to go, but sadly the stars keep aligning against me every time.

For me, though, Pride is more than an event or a parade. Pride is living my life out loud every day. Pride is looking in the mirror and not hating myself for things I can't change. Pride is detaching from a toxic family who refused to accept me. Pride is surrounding myself with people who don't judge me, who love me for who I am, or even in spite of who I am on some days!

For my prize today, I'm offering up any the winner's choice of one (1) free pdf of any of my GLBTQ stories, found at www.dcjuris.com. Remember, only GLBTQ stories are up for grabs.

GOOD LUCK!

****PLEASE BE AWARE: I write GLBTQ romance. GLBTQ stands for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer. This means my works feature same sex relationships AND same sex sexual acts. If winning that kind of a book isn't your cup of tea, kindly pass on to the next blog in the hop and leave the spot open for someone else. Thank you.****











Thursday, June 27, 2013

Naughty Nights Press 2nd Anniversary Blog Hop


NNP asked that we keep our posts short and sweet, so how's this:

Leave a comment, with your e-mail, and you'll be entered to win a free pdf copy of your choice of any of my books, found at www.dcjuris.com

GOOD LUCK!!

****PLEASE BE AWARE:  I write GLBTQ romance. GLBTQ stands for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer. This means my works feature same sex relationships AND same sex sexual acts. If winning that kind of a book isn't your cup of tea, kindly pass on to the next blog in the hop and leave the spot open for someone else. Thank you.****




Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Mini Giveaway: Kitchen Theme

Another mini giveaway!

This one is kitchen themed. There's 2 cheese knives, a calendar, a timer, a recipe box, a silicone pot holder, 4 toast stamps, a note pad, and a bottle opener.






To enter to win, just leave a comment below and tell me your favorite kitchen or cooking memory.

Be sure to include your e-mail. Contest ends 6/28/13 at Noon EST.

Good luck!!


****PLEASE BE AWARE: I write GLBTQ romance. GLBTQ stands for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer. This means my works feature same sex relationships AND same sex sexual acts. If being associated with that kind of a blog isn't your cup of tea, kindly pass on. Thank you.****

Monday, June 24, 2013

Romantic Pet Peeves

This is a recycled post. What does that mean? Well, it means it originally appeared as a guest post on a website that has since ceased to function. I'm sharing recycled posts along the way, because I think they still have merit and, well, frankly I wrote the darn things, so somebody should read them! LOL

This one originally appeared on www.sexmarksthegspot.com


Romantic Pet Peeves by DC Juris

I have a friend who recently started reviewing. Up until a month or so ago, she'd read books I'd recommended. The significance here is that I'm extremely, extremely picky when it comes to what I read. I don't have a lot of time for reading, so I chose carefully. I look at the author's website, I read excerpts, I scour reviews, and I only take the time to read things that sound solid all around. As a reviewer, my friend isn't that lucky. She sent me a long e-mail last week, despairing of her biggest pet peeves, and how she'd managed to come across all of them in about two days. We had a lot of the same irks in common, and I wondered if we're not alone.

Here are mine:

1. Characters who constantly address each other by their first names. I know why this is used – it's a very handy device for showing who is talking. But it's annoying. Think about your real life experiences, Reader. How often do you call people by their names, Reader? In every sentence you speak to them, Reader? Every other, Reader? Or rarely, Reader? (See what I mean, Reader?)

2. Ohhhhh mmmmyyyy goooddddd yeeeesssss and similarly overdone spellings to indicate joy, hate, exasperation, etc. Aside from being really bad grammar, I'd rather you showed me the reaction. Tell me how his voice sounded, what the look on his face was, how he moved.

3. Man tits. Man cunt. Man pussy. Don't. Just. Please. Don't.

4. Disturbing adjectives used during sex scenes. Among others, I'm specifically talking about slimy, gooey (in regards to a cock), and chunky (in regards to cum). Um…GROSS. (And yes, I've read that.)

5. The "You're gay? I'm gay! Let's fuck!" storyline. As a bi man, I can tell you with all honesty I do not want or need to fuck every gay or bi guy I meet. Some of them, I don't even want to share breathing room with.

6. The "gay-guys-meet-and-instantly-want-to-fuck-each-other-at-first-sight-even-though-they-know-nothing-about-each-other-and-one-or-both-could-very-well-be-a-serial-killer-for-all-they-know" storyline. Again ::raises hand:: I can attest we're not all looking to get in each other's pants. Personally, I'm not even attracted to a man until I hear him talk about life. I want to know what he thinks. What are his views on politics? Does he like animals? He might be drop-dead gorgeous, but I reserve the desire to fuck him until I actually know him.

7. The sculpted to perfection main character. I get why he's sexy. Really, I do. But think of men like Jason Statham. He's not perfect in the looks department, and really not that much to look at in terms of body. But then you see him fight, and YOWZA! Suddenly Mr. Unassuming has you panting. Think of Ron Pearlman. He's handsome because he's not perfect, and when he acts, he infuses his characters with sexuality and dominance. I took a little heat for making Evan in "Perfect Christmas" four foot nine, and his partner Drake six foot two. Logistics came into question. Wanna know a secret? I'm four foot nine, and Hubby is six food two. And the logistics work just fine. ::wink::

So tell me - what are YOUR pet peeves in m/m romance??






Thursday, June 20, 2013

Hot and Deadly Blog Hop



For my part in the hop today, I'm featuring my m/m vampire romance "Orion's Way."

Orion is definitely a dark hero. He's been through a lot of tragedy in his life, and all of it has taken a toll on him. On the other hand, Malagan is also dark...but just because he's ancient and damned sexy!

Content warning: "Orion's Way" contains adult content, graphic sexual situations, and BDSM.


To enter to win a copy, just leave a comment below, and be sure to include your e-mail! Good luck!




Here's the blurb:

Orion is a vampire with a tragic past. After running away from abusive parents at the tender age of sixteen, he was turned by a ruthless elder vampire and forced to torture and sexually abuse human feeders and submissive vampires. Though that's all behind him now, he still lives in the shadow of what he was, and it has cost him the loyalty of Xavier, the human feeder he loves. Malagan is Orion's closest friend--the vampire who saved him from brutality all those years ago. Malagan knows the dominant side of Orion--the side Xavier needs--is still there, lurking below the surface. But if Orion's going to find his way back to who he ought to be, he'll need help. And Malagan is just the man for the job.


And an excerpt:


That night Malagan sat at his desk in his office, sorting through bills and papers. He’d made apologies and assurances to the other lair dwellers that what had taken place with Clay and Xavier would never happen again. He shook his head, wishing he could rid himself of the sting of Clay’s betrayal just as easily. Clay had been with him from the beginning—had been instrumental in helping Malagan establish the lair. He knew exactly what the place meant to Malagan, and how important it was to those who sought sanctuary and peace within its walls.

“Ah.” Malagan sat back and crossed his legs, settling in for what he assumed would be a drawn-out conversation. Always was, when dealing with Marco. “What did he tell you?”

“How his Maker found him when he was sixteen, after he’d run away from those horrible parents of his, and promised him all these amazing things, but really his Maker just wanted to use him.” Marco looked away. “His Maker did use him. The things he was forced to do...”

Malagan nodded. “Zachariah was a ruthless creature.”

“Did you know him, Master?” Marco peered across at Malagan with wide eyes.

“I met him once, briefly.” For twenty minutes, to be exact. And that was all the time Malagan needed to decide Zachariah should die. “Orion said he never saw Zachariah again after the night you found him.” Marco shifted in his seat. “What happened to him? Will he ever come back for Orion? Because I’ve heard that when a Maker chooses his protégé—”

“Zachariah is dead,” Malagan interrupted. “Orion has nothing to fear from him anymore, or from anyone else. Nor do you.” He leaned forward and patted Marco’s arm. “The lair is a safe place.”

Marco nodded and looked around the room. “The lair is all I’ve ever known of vampire life. My Maker is a kind man, as are you, Master. All the masters here are kind. I can’t imagine...” He trailed off and shook his head, biting his lower lip.

“Life should be filled with kind people. But sometimes it’s not.” Malagan sat back in his chair again.

Marco stuck out his chin. “Xavier should’ve stayed with Orion, no matter what. Orion was good to him.”

“Someone being good to you doesn’t mean you owe them your loyalty. Xavier needs something Orion can’t give him.” Suspecting there was more to Marco’s visit than sharing gossip over Orion, Malagan raised an eyebrow and waited while the young vampire fidgeted and fretted.

“I’m worried about Orion, Master,” Marco blurted at last.

“He’ll be all right. I know he’s upset—”

“No, you don’t understand. He—” Marco finally looked at Malagan, winced apologetically, and ducked his head back down. “Forgive me for interrupting you, Master. It’s just...I’m not supposed to tell you. Orion asked me not to, and any other time, I might keep a secret for him. But this time...”

Malagan leaned forward. “If you think Orion is in danger, I need to know.”

Marco nodded. “I do. He went to try to talk to Xavier. He went to Clay’s house.”

Malagan clenched his jaw tight. Though a welcome change, this reemerging defiant streak of Orion’s would be the death of him. Perhaps of them both. “When did he leave?”

“Just after Clay left.”

Malagan glanced at his watch. Orion had a full hour’s head start on him. He stood, slid his jacket on, and reached into his pocket for his keys. “Stay here,” he instructed. “Gather the others and be prepared to deal with whatever I bring back.”



****PLEASE BE AWARE:  I write GLBTQ romance. GLBTQ stands for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer. This means my works feature same sex relationships AND same sex sexual acts. If winning that kind of a book isn't your cup of tea, kindly pass on to the next blog in the hop and leave the spot open for someone else. Thank you.***























Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Doggone Blog Hop for Charity


Meet Mindy and Wallace.

They came to us under very different circumstances. I work at a veterinary clinic, and the local shelter brought in a six month old pug with a broken leg to be put to sleep. Of course, I took him on the spot. We named him Wallace. Shortly after he got better, it became pretty clear to us that he needed a friend. We called a local shelter, told them the situation, and they said they had the perfect dog. We threw Wallace in the car, sped down the road, and adopted a furry ball of fire whom Hubby named Mindy.

At first, Wallace just wasn't sure of her. She was a girl after all, and girls have cooties. But it didn't take long until they became buddies. Now, they're virtually inseparable. They sleep together and play together - in fact, they spend most of their time by each other's sides.






For my donation today, I'm pledging 50% of my royalties of all of my Breathless Press titles, found here, now through the end of July to Tanners P.A.W. S, a local rescue. 

For my hoppers, I'm offering up a free pdf copy of your choice of any of my Breathless Press titles. Just head over to Breathless Press and look up DC Juris. 

To enter to win, just leave a comment below with your e-mail, and tell me about a special dog in your life!

Also, please consider voting for my dog and charity as TOP DOG of the blog hop by leaving a comment of TOP DOG. (Pretty please!!!)


****PLEASE BE AWARE:  I write GLBTQ romance. GLBTQ stands for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer. This means my works feature same sex relationships AND same sex sexual acts. If winning that kind of a book isn't your cup of tea, kindly pass on to the next blog in the hop and leave the spot open for someone else. Thank you.****










Sunday, June 16, 2013

Sneak Peek Sunday 6/16/13



These 6 paragraphs are from a WIP titled "Pudding Jones." It's currently being reviewed for submission. Maybe if you all love these 6 paragraphs enough, that'll convince the editor to accept it!  (hint, hint)

Enjoy!


Pudding took a deep breath; let it out slowly and deliberately. "Suppose I should start at the beginning, hmm? To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I record that I was born, as I have been informed and believe, on a Friday, at twelve o'clock at night. It was remarked that the clock began to strike, and I began to cry, simultaneously..."

While he talked, I wracked my brain. I had heard those words before. But where? It finally hit me, and I chuckled. "Copperfield."

"What?"

"That's from David Copperfield."

"What is?"

"What you just said. To begin my life, yadda yadda. It's the opening lines of a book called David Copperfield by Charles Dickens."

Friday, June 14, 2013

Colors of the Rainbow Blog Hop



http://bloghops.marketingforromancewriters.org
(click this link, click next, then click start/welcome to the hop - there you will find the
list of participants and the download link for the free mini book mentioned in this blog)


For my part in the hop, I'm sharing an excerpt from "Dream Come True," one of my very first published stories, and the first story in The Sky People Trilogy.  Leave a comment below, including your e-mail, and you'll be entered to win a free pdf copy. Good luck!!

Also, don't forget about the Rainbow hop giveaway! By following the link above, you can download a 60 page eBook of excerpts from MFRW Authors, exclusive for this blog hop.

****PLEASE BE AWARE:  I write GLBTQ romance. GLBTQ stands for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer. This means my works feature same sex relationships AND same sex sexual acts. If winning that kind of a book isn't your cup of tea, kindly pass on to the next blog in the hop and leave the spot open for someone else. Thank you.****


Blurb:

Driven by dreams of his soul mate Tristen, Jinsu steps through the portal to Earth, leaving all he has ever known behind. Little does he know that Tristan has had dreams too, but unlike Jinsu, Tristan doesn't believe in them. When they meet, will they both discover that dreams really can come true? 

Excerpt:

Jinsu scrambled up over the chain link fence. Barbed wire at the top bit into his hands, but he didn’t care. He had to know the truth. He hit the ground running and scaled another fence with barely any effort. He darted through the dense, tangled undergrowth with reckless abandon, mindless of the limbs and branches that whipped at his face. A few scratches were a fair price to pay. He splashed through a small stream, aware the entire time of shouts from behind him. His pursuers were gaining on him; he wasn’t going to make it.

He skidded to a stop, sending chunks of dirt and loose rock flying over the edge of the cliff. Arms flailing, he fought to keep his balance and his footing as the ground beneath him came to an abrupt end, leaving him perched on the overhang. He gaped—never had he thought that his homeland was high up in the air, but the evidence was undeniable. He wrapped an arm around a tree branch, and leaned out over the expanse for a better look.

Jinsu blinked at the wonder below him, straining to make sense of shapes below. Another city, maybe. He blinked again. Several cities; an entire country, perhaps. Another world. Shining lights glittered up at him, but from how far away he couldn’t tell. Not that it mattered anymore.

“There he is! Get him!”

Jinsu climbed back to solid ground and stood, his hands held high above his head in surrender. He cast a longing look back as they lead him away. This was not over. Not by a long shot.




Flash Fiction - End of the Line










Flash Fiction: "End of the Line" by DC Juris


Rain slashed the air, falling hard and fast in fat drops that hit my head like tiny pebbles. Might've been annoying if I'd had any time to give it thought. The piece of shit on the ground beneath my boot had all my attention, though. "Where is the girl?"

"You don't know who you're dealing with." He spat blood onto my boot. "You're in way over your head, copper."

A slow grin lifted my lips and I showed my teeth in a snarl. "I'm not a cop, asshole." I pressed my foot down on his throat and cocked the gun. "The girl?"

He coughed and sputtered, clawing at my boot. He struggled to speak.

I lifted my foot a fraction of an inch. "Beg your pardon?"

"Fifth and Maine." He rubbed his throat. "The old coffee plant."

I nodded and aimed the gun at his head.

"Wait! I gave you what you wanted! You can't kill me!" He held shaking hands up to me. "No! Please, God!"

I smirked. "God won't recognize you when I'm done."

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Recent Hop Winners

With being sick and all the doctor appointments, I've fallen behind on blogging and hops. So, here's a list of recent winners, and I'll be contacting you all shortly!

Congratulations!!

Love of Mythology Hop - Richard Knaak books - Katieamanda1(at)yahoo(dot)com


Backlist Blog Hop - Omarati - wendynjason04@gmail.com, debby236 at gmail dot com, strive4bst(At) yahoo(Dot) com, koozebane(at)yahoo(dot)com, slats5663(at)shaw(dot)ca, humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com, penumbrareads(at)gmail(dot)com, sstrode at scrtc dot com, caroaz [at] ymail [dot] com, smurfettev AT gmail DOT com, shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com


Duckapalooza Final Giveaway - Flowers - June M (manning_J2004 at yahoo dot com),

Insects - Jason (jason.jacobs47 at gmail dot com)

Readers - Aly (alinutza4u2004[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]uk)



Duckapalooza Ninja Ducks - Justin (jmelter(at)gmail(dot)com)


Hot Summer Nights Blog Hop - winner's choice of three pdfs - koozebane(at)yahoo(dot)com ( SUNDAE SURPRISE, ASIAN PERSUASION, and ALONE TOGETHER


Wet and Wild Blog Hop - Two of a Kind - Roxanne (roxxii _ g @ live . com )

Hop Against Homophobia - winner's choice pdf and swag pack - kimberlyFDR@yahoo.com

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Father's Day Giveaway 6/6/13 - 6/13/13

To celebrate Fathers' Day, I'm giving away this awesome set of chocolate tools!





Leave a comment below with your e-mail, and you'll be entered to win!

GOOD LUCK!!

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

NEW RELEASE - "Cupid Knows" by DC Juris



"Cupid Knows" was originally part of the "Shot Through the Heart" anthology, and is now being re-released as a stand alone book. This is the story of how Jack and Alan met!

Blurb:

Jack has been dreaming about Alan ever since they met at a game. Can he convince Alan to take a chance on a Valentine's Day meeting when Alan has something to hide?

Excerpt:


Ugh. Valentine's Day. If there was a better way to make a single man feel like crap, I didn't know what it was. I stomped the snow off my boots and stared hard at the stupid little cut outs of hearts and cherubs adorning the bank door as I opened it and entered. Inside the décor was even worse; a giant inflatable Cupid, complete with bow and arrow and cheesy smile, stood off to the side. Cupid Knows You Should Bank at Mid Atlantic!, the sign above him proclaimed. I shook my head, wondering if I should bother to point out that anyone who was actually inside the bank probably already did bank there, or would shortly, and wouldn't it make more sense to put Cupid out on the curb?

I had decided it couldn't get any tackier when I turned and spotted little white bears hanging from the stanchion ropes. I smirked at the words Mid Atlantic Cares emblazoned across their furry chests, imagining bank tellers armed with tattoo guns hunting down polar bears. And then it happened: I looked up…and stifled a gasp.

There he was.

I didn't know his name. Had never even formally met him. I'd hugged him at a football game. A playoff game, to be more specific. Our team won. I say "our team" since we had both been wearing team shirts. In the magic of the moment of the final ticking of the game clock, as the crowed had screamed "five…four…three…two…ONE!!!" we had turned to each other and hugged. That was it. Nothing more. No handshake. No "Hi, my name is…" Nothing. Stupid, insignificant nothing.




















Saturday, June 1, 2013

Love of Mythology Blog Hop



My favorite mythological creature is the minotaur. I'm not talking about the old stories of mazes and whatnot, I'm talking about the creations of Author Richard Knaak.

He's far and away the best fantasy writer around today. He weaves intricate worlds and complex characters.

Not surprisingly, my favorite of his characters is Kaz the Minotaur. Though he's part beast he's no brainless brute, and I think that's what I like about him and Knaak's writing.

For my prize today, I'm offering up a set of his books. These are hardcover books - not ebooks. (I'll have them sent to the winner directly from Amazon). Here are the links for the books I'm giving away:

Night of Blood (Dragonlance: The Minotaur Wars, Vol. 1) [Hardcover]
Tides of Blood (Dragonlance: The Minotaur Wars, Vol. 2) [Hardcover]
Empire of Blood: The Minotaur Wars, Volume Three [Hardcover]
 Again, to be clear, these are *not* my books and they are *not* romance. But they *are* fabulous! I've read and own all three! 

To enter to win, just leave a comment below telling me your favorite mythological creature. Be sure to include your e-mail!

GOOD LUCK!!


****PLEASE BE AWARE: I write GLBTQ romance. GLBTQ stands for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer. This means my works feature same sex relationships AND same sex sexual acts. If winning a prize from that kind of a blog isn't your cup of tea, kindly pass on to the next blog in the hop and leave the spot open for someone else. Thank you.****


Grand Prize Info:

The Grand Prize Consists of the following:
 $45 Amazon GC or $45 worth of books at TBD.
ebooks from Patricia Bates
a prize from Lisa Beth Darling 
an ecopy of Sunburn by Rosanna Leo
an ecopy of Ain't No Bull by Danica Avet
an ecopy of Remedy Maker by Sheri Fredricks




a Rafflecopter giveaway







Link and Haddon Chapter One: Home

Link stopped on the concrete walkway and simply stared at the house in front of him. No, not the house. His house. He tightened his grip around the key; let the metal press painfully into his palm. Maybe it would leave a mark, and he could remember this feeling – this elation, this sense of finally accomplishing something. Something he'd been told he'd never do.


"Hey." Haddon bumped up against him, shoulder to shoulder. "You okay?"


"Yeah." Link nodded and took the box his lover hefted toward him. "What the hell is in this one?"


"What do you think? What's been in the last dozen?" Haddon shrugged and laughed as he turned and headed back to the moving truck.


"Books." Link sighed and let the tug of a grin curve his lips. "My books," he whispered, "that I'm taking up my front walk, and putting on my bookshelf, in my house." He toed open the door and stood on the threshold, frowning at the sea of boxes in the tiny living room. "My books, that I'm putting on my living room floor."


As much as he knew they had to get back to work – they only had the truck for another hour – he couldn't resist the urge to walk through the place again, even though he knew he'd be walking through it for years to come. He strolled into the dining room… okay, he stepped into the dining room. The place wasn't that big, after all – only a little over nine hundred square feet. Most of his friends had said he and Haddon were nuts to buy such a small place, but how much room did two guys in love really need?


He surveyed the dining room. They'd found an old retro Formica table and four powder blue chairs at a thrift store the week before and brought them over while they'd worked to make the hundred year old house livable. The table had since become command central, littered with receipts, notes, screwdriver bits, pens, soda bottles, and more rolls of packing tape than any two people should legally own. He tapped his foot on the dark hardwood floor – what a surprise it had been to find that lurking under inch thick shag carpeting.


He passed through the door into the postage stamp of a kitchen. First order of business would be to head off to the local appliance store and see about a smaller stove and fridge. Ones that didn't take up half the space and dwarf the room. He ran his hand over the cabinets absently. His friends Danny and John were really creative when it came to decorating – they'd have to have them over to take a look at the place and see what they could collectively come up with together. Maybe a Bitchin’ Kitchen theme. He grinned as he imagined the place bedazzled in sparkly skulls and disembodied baby doll heads.


The sounds of Haddon grunting under the effort of more boxes floated into him, but Link ignored it. Haddon loved this kind of physical work, the man was right in his element, and Link could afford these few minutes to himself. He turned left, took two steps, and turned right, leaned in the doorway of the bathroom. The blue bathroom. Blue tub, blue sink, blue toilet. He shook his head. And those gold stars on the wallpaper? Good grief. Haddon had fallen in love with the blue, but those stars simply had to go.


Link turned and walked another couple steps and peered into the bedroom. And what a massive bedroom. The largest room in the house, neither of them had ever had so much space. They'd have the bed delivered this week, put it right there in the middle of the room, where they could lay together and look out the window at the backyard. They'd get bird feeders and a birdbath, maybe leave some binoculars on the bedside table, and maybe a digital camera. Shit! He slapped his palm on his thigh. He'd forgotten to ask Danny which one he should get. He'd have to make a note of that.


He turned around and headed down the hall, intended to go grab a piece of paper off the dining room table – God, he loved saying dining room – and instead found himself stopped in his tracks, breathless and dumbfounded. Haddon stood at the other end of the hall, naked from the waist up, wiping the sweat dripping off his forehead with his balled up shirt. Link moved without thought, grabbed his lover's wrist and pulled Haddon behind him.


"Damn," Haddon muttered. He kicked the door closed and followed without another word.


Link dragged them both to the bedroom.


Haddon tugged on his hand. "You wanna wait until we have a bed?" He trailed his fingers up and down Link's right arm. "You know, somewhere soft?"


Link bit his lower lip. A bed and soft sounded good. But something primal, a need to claim this place, his place and his man, as his own thrummed through him. If he didn't, someone might come and take this all away from him. Show up at his door tomorrow morning and say there'd been some mix up, and he had to leave. Go back to that filthy, run-down apartment with the uncleanable stains of God only knew what on the bathroom wall, and the sometimes running, sometimes not running hot water, and the broken windows that let in the cold and the rain and the bugs, and the disgusting, sticky carpet in the kitchen, and the roaches they could never seem to get rid of. He squeezed his eyes shut and sagged back against the wall.


"Hey." Haddon moved close, rubbed hips against Link's and pulled Link into a tight embrace.


Link held on for dear life, afraid the tide of emotions churning inside him would crash over him and drag him under. He fought not to let the tears slip, fought the choking sob lodged in his throat.


Haddon moved a hand up to caress Link's back. "Nobody's gonna take this away from us, baby. I promise you that. This is ours. We scraped and pinched and went without for so long, and this is our reward." He pulled back and captured Link's face in his hands. "You hear me?"


Link nodded. He sighed as Haddon captured his lips in a gentle kiss, Haddon's mouth moving across his, tongue searching out all those warm, wet spaces, grinding against him, pressing him back against the wall, Haddon's fingers gripping the back of his head so tight.


Haddon broke the kiss and took Link's hand. "Help me finish getting this stuff inside, then we'll take the truck back and get dinner."


"Here," Link blurted. "I want to eat dinner here. Not out somewhere. Just…here. We can pick up whatever you want, but lets bring it back. Let’s eat in our house."


Haddon grinned. "There's no place else I'd rather be." He quirked an eyebrow and his grin widened impossibly. “Maybe on the way back from the truck place, we can stop at that camping store on the highway.”


Link frowned. “For what?” He knew which box they’d packed the coffee pot in, and if they were ordering out tonight they wouldn’t need any pans.


Haddon took his hand an pressed a kiss to his ear. “An inflatable bed.”