Finn McMurphy convinces himself his spoiled dogs are all the company he needs. Then he meets Crawford, his sexy new neighbour, and everything changes.
Patient soul Finn McMurphy teaches music and drama to middle schoolers. By the time he's finished with after-school rehearsals and the private lessons he teaches to make ends meet, he's too exhausted to think about dating or even hanging out with friends. He’s resigned to life with his music, his students, and his ludicrously spoiled Yorkies.
Then he meets Crawford Bixby. Crawford may be the most perfect man Finn has ever met—kind, good with kids, gorgeous, and completely unconcerned with Finn's lack of ability to be coherent around him. Finn falls hard for him, but he's terrified of what he feels. Will he be able to step out of the controlled world he's created for himself and take a chance on love, or will he keep making excuses—rehearsals, papers to grade, dogs to walk—and push Crawford away?
Reader Advisory: This story has been previously released as part of the 50s Mixed Tape anthology by Totally Bound Publishing.
General Release Date: 3rd January 2014
Finn McMurphy sat on his front porch grading an abysmal set of essays written by his music appreciation students. Some of them didn’t seem capable of writing a complete sentence despite having made it to eighth grade in an elite private school. He sighed and gazed out at his sunny yard. Daffodils, irises and his two lilac bushes were blooming, and he wished he could enjoy the beautiful spring weather. He’d thought working on the porch would at least make him feel as if he were taking part in the season rather than ignoring the beauty around him to grade homework. Perhaps the spring air would even help him psych himself up for rehearsals for the musical his principal had asked him to put together at the last minute.
He’d wanted to say no, to explain how busy he already was, but he knew the man was looking for any excuse to get rid of him. The principal detested that Finn was openly gay. He didn’t want him influencing students with his wicked ways, but the school’s board members weren’t willing to back the principal in getting rid of Finn without just cause. Not because they were concerned about Finn’s feelings or his right to a job no matter his sexual orientation—the board just didn’t want to deal with a scandal. On the whole, the parents at Langston Academy weren’t as liberal as the average Asheville citizens, but there were plenty of families who’d raise a fuss on Finn’s behalf, thank goodness.
Finn sighed. He was going to make the musical work even if it killed him. He wasn’t about to let that smug blowhard of a principal have anything to hold over him, but it meant working even harder for no more compensation. He already had to teach private lessons and play at weddings and other special occasions to make ends meet. He was still paying off medical bills from his mother’s long illness, and he was determined to hold onto the house he’d grown up in.
He reached down absently to pat Yip, one of the ludicrously spoiled Yorkies he’d inherited when his mother passed away. He scratched her ears as she pawed at Finn’s leg, begging to be held.
Silvia Violet writes erotic romance in a variety of genres including paranormal, contemporary, sci fi, and historical. She can be found haunting coffee shops looking for the darkest, strongest cup of coffee she can find. Once equipped with the needed fuel, she can happily sit for hours pounding away at her laptop.
Silvia typically leaves home disguised as a suburban stay-at-home-mom, and other coffee shop patrons tend to ask her hilarious questions like "Do you write children's books?" She loves watching the looks on their faces when they learn what she's actually up to. When not writing, Silvia enjoys baking sinfully delicious treats, exploring new styles of cooking, and reading to her incorrigible offspring.
Reviewed by Long and Short Reviews
I found this to be a wonderfully sweet story.
There’s a strong emotional connection between Crawford and Finn that I really liked and helped me think this...
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Reviewed by MM Good Book Reviews
Finn is delightfully uptight and Crawford is steadfast and solid. The reader will love both men even when Finn is acting like an ass and creating issues where none should be.&nbs...
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