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Not My Spook! (Spy vs. Spook)
by TinneanSequel to Houseboat on the NileSpy vs. Spook: Book TwoHighly ranked CIA officer Quinton Mann finds himself in a relationship with Mark Vincent--for exactly five days. At that point, Mark uses the excuse of going to Massachusetts for his mother's funeral to end it. But Quinn's a spook, and you can't fake a faker. Mark fears he's getting in too deep with Quinn, hence the disappearing act. Then Quinn does something unexpected, something nobody has ever done before: he comes after Mark. Maybe being in a relationship with Quinn isn't such a bad idea. In the meantime, something strange is going on in the intelligence community worldwide. When Quinn disappears while investigating a rogue antiterrorist organization, Mark makes up his mind. Quinn might be a spook, but he's Mark's spook, damn it--and once he gets Quinn home, he intends to keep him. He just has to find him first.
Not My Spook (Spy vs. Spook #2)
by TinneanQuinton Mann, a highly ranked CIA officer, is used to being called the Ice Man. He’s astounded to discover himself in a relationship with Mark Vincent, not because Vincent is a man, but because he’s a top-rated WBIS agent. There they are though, for a total of five glorious days. But when Mark uses the excuse of going to Massachusetts for his mother’s funeral to end their relationship, Quinn’s not buying it.No one screws with Mark Vincent. Even Mark doesn't screw with himself. Once he realizes how close he's allowed Quinton Mann to get to him, he does what any self-respecting spy would do -- he makes tracks out of there. But Quinn does something no one else ever has -- he comes after Mark. Maybe this relationship thing with a spook isn’t such a bad idea.Meanwhile, something strange is going on in the intelligence community worldwide. It takes Quinn’s disappearance while investigating a rogue antiterrorism organization that results in Mark making up his mind. Quinn may be a spook, but he’s Mark’s spook, dammit -- and once he gets Quinn home, he intends to keep him. He knows without a doubt he’ll find Quinn. The question is, will he find Quinn in time?
Pandemic (Surviving the Apocalypse #2)
by TinneanLaurie Parkinson, who’s lived in Laurel Hills all his life, is a gay sheet metal worker who’d rather be a gay hairdresser. Wheat Dupuis, who’s also gay, is the scion of one of Laurel Hill’s wealthiest families. He’d rather grow grapes than become CFO of Dupuis International.Laurie wakes one morning to discover his family gone and his town decimated by a bacteria that has lain dormant for millennia, incased in ice. With the melting of the ice caps, the bacteria is released, and mankind faces a pandemic that could surpass the Black Plague.Wheat and his family are on their way to safety when the unthinkable happens and he’s left behind. Laurie knows of a bunker in the woods outside Laurel Hill, where he intends to take refuge. On the way there, Laurie finds and rescues Wheat.Can two such dissimilar men work together through a pandemic to find their families ... and possibly find love, as well?
Pick Up the Pieces (Spy vs. Spook)
by TinneanThe Light in Your Eyes: Book OneA Spy vs Spook NovelFifteen-year-old Theo Bascopolis longs for the man of his dreams. But his dreams are dashed when his conservative Greek father discovers Theo is gay and throws him out. Hopeless, he falls in with Fast Franky, a pimp who seduces Theo with the nickname "Sweetcheeks," but abuses him and wants Theo to hustle. A bloody fight with Franky forces Sweetcheeks to run. Winding up in Washington, DC, he meets a group of rent boys who take care of each other. While he may not have the man of his dreams, Theo finally has a home and family of his own making. When the boys take in mysterious tenant Mark Vincent, he seems a solid protector, until one of Sweetcheeks's boys suffers a savage beating in his name. Vincent visits the boy in the hospital and introduces his equally enigmatic trainee, William Matheson. The instant attraction blindsides Sweetcheeks. In spite of knowing love isn't for rent boys, Sweetcheeks hopes Matheson sees beyond the body he's offered to so many. But Matheson has secrets of his own, and both will have to tear down their walls to find enduring love.
Pick Up the Pieces (Spy Vs. Spook Ser.)
by TinneanChange comes to all of us. For Theo Bascopolis, the first time is when he's fifteen. He finds his life falling apart when his father discovers Theo is gay and orders him to become straight or leave. Having no choice, in spite of what his father might think, Theo leaves. But where can a fifteen-year-old go? Especially when it starts to rain. He thinks things are looking up when he meets a striking man named Franky, who seems very attracted to him. However, once again Theo's life changes when he learns all Franky wants is for him to hustle. And so Theo becomes the rent boy Sweetcheeks.However, Franky underestimates Sweetcheeks, and the results of the ensuing fight sees Sweetcheeks fleeing to Washington DC, where he crosses paths with a group of rent boys who take him in. Finally Sweetcheeks has a family, a home, and an additional source of income in the form of apartments they're able to rent out.His life changes again a few years later when a mysterious tenant by the name of Mark Vincent becomes the reason behind the assault on one of Sweetcheeks's boys. Vincent visits the boy in the hospital, bringing with him his equally enigmatic trainee, William Matheson. The instant attraction blindsides Sweetcheeks. In spite of knowing love isn't for rent boys, he hopes Matheson can see beyond the body he's offered to so many.But Matheson has secrets of his own. Can Sweetcheeks overcome his insecurities enough to believe in the quiet man who's come into his life? Can Matheson keep his actual occupation a secret without it jeopardizing their budding relationship?
Portal to Eden
by TinneanTerra is overcrowded, but a solution may have been found -- tucked away in Roswell is alien technology that leads to the creation of a method of space travel known asportaling.A party of soldiers and scientists led by Dr. Emma Bradley, Colonel John Berger, and Dr. Layton Tremayne are about to take what they believe is the first step into the unknown. But what they discover is not only a wonder but a puzzle. The city of Eden on the distant planet Nibiru has obvious Terran influences. Who was there before them?When Emma, John, and Layton return to Terra, they're dismayed to find things are even worse than they were when the trio left. The atmosphere is on the verge of toxicity and the population is reaching Malthusian proportions. Worse, there are plans afoot toportalthe excess population off Terra to planets which may not be what their new inhabitants expect. Most won't survive.Then they learn that a platoon of soldiers wereportaledto Eden for a planned invasion of Nibiru and the surrounding planets. Emma, John, and Layton scramble to stop the military action, but will they be able to take back the city that’s become their home?
Rainbows in Your Eyes
by TinneanAndrew Dorincourt has the blood of powerful shifters in his veins. It’s his job to take care of his siblings, who are his pack, and he has no intention of letting anything get in the way. However, he’s seen the love shared not only by his parents but by the Papas, the men who raised his mother, and he wants that for himself. The problem is none of the young women he’s dated have left him wanting anything more than to go home alone. Perhaps he’d have more success by dating men, as his brother does. Only it seems he’s not very successful at that, either.Da’ric is the son of Ric’u, a Brachi who’d been stranded on Terra for decades, and David Knight, an ichthyologist who traveled up the Amazon in search of his heart’s desire. Seeing the deep love his fathers have for each other, Da’ric determines to settle for nothing less. At any rate, the dating pool is pretty much empty in the Lagoon of Dreams, and so he goes to the States, where he intends to become a herpetologist. In order to do that, he must mingle with normals, Terrans who have no idea extraterrestrials share the planet with them. When he walks among Terrans, he must disguise his heritage by wearing sunglasses to conceal his rainbow-colored eyes and long-sleeved shirts to hide his scale-patterned skin.After being kidnapped and sold to a high-ranking member of the London underworld to be displayed as the Snake Boy, Da’ despairs of ever seeing his beloved family again, until Drew wanders into the House of Oddities and helps Da’ escape.Is it fate, kismet, or destiny that brings together the offspring of two very unique families? Have these two been waiting for each other, and will the future hold the love they’d both been seeking?
Sidebars Book 1
by TinneanSidebars are stories set in the Spy vs. Spook/Mann of My Dreams universe. The stories are told from the point of views of Nigel Mann, Bryan Sebring, Jack Matheson (Wills’s dad), a pair of jeans, Michael Shaw, and finally, Wills himself.Contains the stories:Solo Tu: Nigel Mann, known as the CIA’s own Mr. Freeze, and Portia Sebring, the Ice Princess of the NSA, might seem like a match made in the Arctic, but it’s exactly what Anthony Sebring wants for his daughter. This story takes place in 1958.Chasing Rainbows: Bryan Sebring tells the story of how he and his “one” finally get together.How to Handle a Gay Son: Jack Matheson learns his beloved oldest son is gay, and we see how he handles it.The Lick Me, Suck Me, Fuck Me Jeans: Wills’s jeans explains how his owner becomes pretty much irresistible while wearing him.Where Have You Been, Willie Boy?: Michael Shaw has been William Matheson’s best friend since they met in the sixth grade. Things change when they start college, helped along by those lick me, suck me, fuck me jeans Wills had been given for a birthday present. But Michael isn’t gay, and he won’t let anyone label him as queer, not even for his best friend. But will his determination drive away the one man he values above all others?Into the Lion’s Den: The first of Wills Matheson’s stories. We see his relationship with Michael Shaw, with his family, and eventually with the WBIS and Mark Vincent, who becomes his boss.
Sidebars Book 2
by TinneanSidebars are stories set in the Spy vs. Spook/Mann of My Dreams universe. The stories in this book are told from three different points of view: William Matheson’s, covering the majority of the events from 2002 to 2009, including his work at the WBIS and his relationship with Theo Bascopolis, a former rent boy.Contains the stories:Is It You?: Wills meets Theo Bascopolis and wonders if he could be the one.Sway: Wills goes along with Theo’s assumption that he can’t dance.This Simple Phrase: Wills and Theo spend their first Christmas together.Goodbye to Love: Wills returns home to the apartment he shares with Theo to find his lover has left him. Wills intends to discover why.To Be Loved: Wills has asked Theo to marry him, and they celebrate their first Easter as engaged men in Cambridge with Wills’s family.P.S. I Love You: Wills and Theo get married and welcome a new addition to their little family.Dedicated to the One I Love: In 2004, same-sex marriage becomes legal in Massachusetts. For their first anniversary, Wills decides to take advantage of that and takes Theo to Cambridge so they can be legally married.Happy Anniversary, Baby Redux: It’s Mark and Quinn’s anniversary, and Mark muses about how they got there.The Very Best Christmas Ever (So Far): Pat Mulcahy, aka the Antichrist, has turned his life around and now lives with the Mathesons. On the trip to Washington, he meets someone who just might make this the best Christmas ever for him.When Complications Arrive at Your Door: This is the missing epilogue from Complications. Rebecca Goddard, daughter of the former WBIS doctor, has decided making herself scarce after Mark Vincent discovered her part in the events that went down in 2004 is a good idea. Five years later, she’s no longer looking over her shoulder, but maybe she should be.Trick or Treat: It’s Halloween, and Wills and Theo take their children trick or treating.Happy Birthday, Baby Redux: Mark Vincent has a birthday coming up, but his husband is out of town and won’t be there to celebrate with him. In addition, it’s snowing.
Silver Bells
by TinneanMax Futé and Avery “Smitty” Schmidt are both doctors who work for the Washington Bureau of Intelligence and Security. They’ve settled into a comfortable relationship, and although Max assures him otherwise, Smitty is waiting for the other shoe to drop. That will be when Charles Browne, Max’s former lover, realizes what he’s let slip through his fingers and comes to take Max back.Although Charles had enjoyed having Max in his bed, he’s always declared he wasn’t gay. And finding solace with other men after Max left him had nothing to do with ... anything. Now, however, he’s found a woman who ticks all his boxes in spite of her somewhat kinky tastes.Will Santa give them each what they want most this Christmas?
So Let Us Rejoice
by TinneanEven the nicest of guys can decide to cut loose at some point, especially if he's at college and a frat brother invites him to a party. Unfortunately, that can end quite badly. Luckily for Dante ap Owen, it doesn't -- until he keeps needing to piss every few minutes and he sees blood in his urine. Another stroke of luck for him is the substitute professor, also a medical doctor he’s been crushing on, who happens to be there when he passes out in class and pushes him to come to his clinic.But Dante and his beloved, critically ill mother are under the control of his bitter uncle, who also provides health insurance. If his uncle finds out Dante is being treated for anything, let alone what Dante fears is an STD, he's ... Dante doesn't want to think about that. So he flees the clinic before he has to make a follow-up appointment.The good doctor shows up at his uncle's farm when phone calls do nothing. And when Dante's uncle invites the doctor to dinner and serves a meal worthy of Medea, the doctor urges Dante and his mother to leave. But will they? And will Dante realize the doctor wants him as much as he wants the doctor?
Spy vs. Spook (Dreamspinner Press Bundles #28)
by TinneanQuinton Mann is a spook for the CIA; Mark Vincent is a spy for the Washington Bureau of Intelligence and Security. They don't get along. But that doesn't mean they can't sleep together. Follow their adventures in bombings, terrorists, murders, and love in The Start of a Beautiful Friendship, Houseboat on the Nile, Not My Spook!, and Forever. In Pick Up the Pieces and Foolish Me, rent boy Theo "Sweetchecks" Bascopolis is introduced to William Matheson by the mysterious Mark Vincent. The attraction is instant, but both men have secrets and pasts that seem determined to come between them.
The Start of a Beautiful Friendship (Spy vs. Spook #0.5)
by TinneanA Spy vs. Spook NovellaPrequel to Houseboat on the NileIt's 1996, and Mark Vincent, senior special agent of the Washington Bureau of Intelligence and Security, has been assigned the task of assassinating the head of a terrorist organization in Europe. When the mission goes south and he's ordered to take a vacation, he reluctantly goes to Paris, where, in a little bar called Le Petit Homme, he sees a man who intrigues him. However, like ships passing in the night, they go their separate ways, only to meet again the following morning, and over breakfast, the man introduces himself as Louis. Is it too much of a coincidence? Perhaps, perhaps not, but Mark is intrigued and, unable to resist, he gives his name as Rick. A comment of Louis's leads Mark to assume Louis hustles for a living, so Mark decides to "rent" him for the week. Unbeknownst to Mark, Louis has his own reasons for going along with the charade, which leads to... the start of a beautiful friendship.
The Start of a Beautiful Friendship (Spy Vs. Spook Ser. #0.5)
by TinneanIt’s 1996, and Mark Vincent, senior special agent of the Washington Bureau of Investigation and Security, is sent on assignment to Prague to cancel the head of a terrorist organization. He has no doubt it will be a simple operation. After all, he’s the best, isn’t he?Only another member of the WBIS gets involved, and when everything goes south -- including the loss of valued members of his team -- Mark vows to destroy the man responsible for this debacle.Refused permission to return to the States and ordered to take time off to decompress, Mark heads to Paris, where he meets an attractive rent boy who introduces himself as Louis. Unable to resist, Mark, portraying an ordinary businessman, gives his name as Rick, and they spend the week together. However, neither man is what he portrays himself as.With this unlikely pair, can this be the start of a beautiful friendship?
Strange Strange World Box Set
by TinneanImagine an earth just a bit different from ours. In this world normals unknowingly share the planet with all manner of beings, including vampyres, shapeshifters, aliens, and ancient gods. What would happen if ordinary people learned of their existence? These stories tell those tales.Contains the novels:Destiny’s End: It’s the early part of the 20th century, and Warrick Synclaire, a baronet’s son, is in love with his best friend, Thomas Smythe. After they part, Warrick is bitten by a werewolf, although he doesn’t turn immediately. Events keep them separated, they find other lovers, but Warrick can’t forget Thomas. He returns home and his life unravels under the full moon. Will any love be able to save him?The Most Loved of All: Years after they first met, Roddy Sayer and Thomas Fortescue-Smythe cross paths again in Egypt and renew their friendship. But the danger that lurked in the hot desert follows them home to England. Can they save each other from the threat of a millennia-old curse?Lagoon of Dreams: Scientist David Knight has been plagued by dreams his entire life, only to have no memory of them when he awakens. Now his dreams are drawing him to the Amazon, where an unidentifiable clawed hand has been found. Theories abound, and an expedition is put together to explore the stretch of the Amazon leading to the Lagoon of Dreams. Will what they find once they arrive there give them an answer?Rainbows in Your Eyes: Andrew Dorincourt has the blood of powerful shifters in his veins. However, he can hide what he is. Da’ric is the son of an extraterrestrial and a Terran. His physical characteristics, rainbow-colored eyes and scale-patterned skin, make it difficult for him to conceal his heritage. They meet when Da’ is kidnapped and Drew helps him escape. What will the future hold for these two unusual men?More by all Mores: In an effort to gain his father’s notice, St. John Ashford sets his sights on Andrew Dorincourt, a man for whom the Viscount has nothing but disdain. However, St. John finds himself more attracted to Andrew’s brother, Robin. When Robin realizes Drew wants someone else, he decides to go after St. John. St. John might be attracted to Robin, but he’ll be damned if he’s anyone’s second choice.They Come By Night: Tyrell Small has always felt different. On his sixteenth birthday, he learns exactly how different. He’s a sabor, a being vampyres need in order to survive. Ty decides he’s not having any of that, but while attempting to run away, he meets Adam Dasani, a vampyre who’ll one day feed from him. Others also want Ty, however, and it’s up to Adam to keep the young sabor safe. The question is, can he?
Surviving the Apocalypse
by TinneanLyncoln Ryland always saw himself as an ordinary man with an ordinary job, working maintenance in an ordinary mall. The only thing about him that isn’t ordinary are his feelings for the man who’s renovating the mall, but any kind of relationship with such a sophisticated man is highly unlikely.Adam James is the wealthy man who owns the mall. He’s secretly been yearning for Lyncoln, a man he doesn’t see as ordinary in the least. But Adam’s family has plans for him, and they don’t include a relationship with a blue-collar worker.All this is about to change when the sirens go off, signaling the possible end of the world. When the two men realize this isn’t a drill, they take shelter in the mall that isn’t quite as ordinary as everyone believes. What will the outcome be when two such disparate men must survive the apocalypse together?
They Come By Night
by TinneanImagine an Earth just a bit different from ours. It may be 2014, but in this world, normals unknowingly share the planet with vampyrs. Most vampyrs rely on bagged blood, supplemented by the blood of sabors--valued individuals whose blood contains an element needed for the survival of the species. Tyrell Small has always felt different. He doesn't know he is a sabor, but he has the birthmark to prove it. When his father reveals that he'll be required to feed vampyrs, Ty decides to run away. Slipping out of his bedroom window, he finds the most gorgeous man he's ever seen sitting on his roof. Adam Dasani is a vampyr, equerry to the vampyr king, who has given Adam the task of guarding Ty. The blood of the two most powerful saborese families in the shared history of vampyrs and sabors runs through Ty's veins. And some vampyrs intend to use him to gain power, something Adam isn't about to allow. Adam insists that Ty can't escape his destiny, but they both find that destiny can take unexpected turns... and following those turns may put those Ty loves--including Adam--in danger.
They Come by Night
by TinneanImagine an earth just a bit different from ours. In this world normals unknowingly share the planet with all manner of beings, including vampyres, most of whom rely on bagged blood, which is supplemented by the blood of sabors, valued individuals whose blood contains an element necessary for the survival of the species.Tyrell Small has always felt different. He just never knew how different. On his sixteenth birthday, his father reveals Ty is one such sabor, with the birthmark to prove it. Upon learning he’ll be required to feed vampyres, Ty decides he’s not having any of that. He’ll run away and make his own destiny. Slipping out his second story bedroom window, he finds Adam Dasani, the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen, waiting for him on the roof.Adam is reluctant to distress the young sabor about to slide down the drainpipe, but he’s one of the vampyres Ty will one day feed. Equerry to the vampyre king, Adam had been given the task of guarding Ty on the day he was born. Because the blood of the two most powerful saborese families in the shared history of vampyres and sabors runs through Ty’s veins, some vampyres will do anything to obtain him for themselves. It will be up to Adam to keep Ty safe, not only from those rogue vampyres but from others who have plans of their own for him.Everyone keeps telling Ty he can’t escape his destiny, but he has no intention of sitting around twiddling his thumbs, waiting for life to catch up with him. However, will something Adam inadvertently said give Ty a way to live the life he wants and keep those he loves -- including Adam -- out of danger?
To Love Through Space and Time
by TinneanIn the year 2060, a Terra on the verge of dying sends ships to its nearest neighbors in hopes of finding a suitable site to relocate the human race. While returning from Mars, the crew of the Mission Reconnaissance Mars travel through a magnetic field that crashes them... somewhere. As they explore the unknown world with its dangers, Doc, Nick, Hank, and Ed will struggle to come to terms with their new reality and find their own paths to happiness.
To Love Through Space and Time
by TinneanBy the year 2060, mankind is on the verge of bringing Terra to her knees. The population has exploded, and land for cattle and crops has been sacrificed for housing and employment for the more than fifteen billion souls now living on the planet. Synthetic food is created in plants, and the remaining animals are kept in zoos and game preserves of the wealthy. In an effort to insure the survival of mankind, spaceships are sent to explore Terra’s nearest neighbors, Mars and Venus, but will it be too little too late?The four men who took the MRM to Mars have high hopes, until on their return home they travel through a magnetic field that crashes them… somewhere. As they explore the unknown world with its dangers, Doc, Nick, Hank, and Ed will struggle to come to terms with their new reality and find their own paths to happiness.
Twelve Desserts of Summer
by TinneanConnor Murphy, the CFO of the family business, has given up his dream of becoming a chef in order to help the company. After all, family means the world to him, something his boyfriend learned at Christmas, much to his displeasure. This is why six months after that disastrous Christmas, Connor is sans boyfriend and buries himself in work to take his mind off his single status. Still, he enjoys baking desserts and bringing them to his beloved nanny. He also enjoys going to the Coffee Shoppe, exchanging glances with the man behind the counter. Until the man is suddenly gone.While Murphy Doyle waits for a job in his preferred field, he helps out behind the counter at his family’s coffee shop. He might be a physical therapist, but he also loves to bake, especially desserts, which are a big hit at work. He’s been intrigued by the businessman who frequently comes into the shop, wearing a three-piece suit and always ordering the same thing. Murph would have loved to ask him out, but it’s against company policy, so they never speak, just gaze silently at each other, everything but their eyes hidden by the masks they wear due to the pandemic. And then he gets his dream job, and he’s afraid the opportunity is lost.Are these two men destined to be ships passing in the night, or will family meddling somehow bring them together?
Two for Home
by TinneanSequel to Home Before SundownIn 1861, eleven-year old Zachary Taylor Browne marches off to war as a drummer boy with the 14th Brooklyn Chasseurs under the leadership of Lieutenant Steve Marriott, whom he worships. During the Battle of Antietam, he saves his lieutenant’s life and earns the nickname Sharps. When the 14th musters out in 1864, Sharps and Marriott part ways.Steve Marriott has always liked the boy under his care but lost track of him after the war. Marriott becomes a wagon master, and in 1869 receives word the family of an old friend needs his help in traveling to the Dakotas. On the journey there, he crosses paths once again with Sharps, now a young man, and falls hopelessly in love.But there’s danger awaiting them on the trail as well as misunderstandings. Can they arrive safely at their destination? Will Steve’s feelings be returned? And if so, can he and Sharps find a home together in the wild territory?
Two Lips, Indifferent Red (Two Lips, Indifferent Red and What You Will)
by TinneanKipp Llewellyn would rather follow his dreams than toe the family line, so instead of the support of his wealthy family, he has estrangement and a part-time job with Hunter, an in-demand interior designer. Hunter opens a new world for Kipp to explore--and not just for his career. It's through Hunter that Kipp meets and begins what he thinks is a one-sided flirtation with Ham, one of Hunter's customers. To Kipp's astonishment, Ham asks him for a date. Unfortunately for Kipp, a mysterious phone call summons him home, where his father gives him an ultimatum: save the family company by marrying billionaire Hyde Wyndham, in which case all will be overlooked, or never set foot in his home again. But meeting Hyde leaves Kipp stunned and betrayed, because Hyde is actually Ham. A guarantee of marriage is no excuse for making Kipp feel foolish, and Kipp had enough of the gilded cage in the first twenty-one years of his life. He turns Hyde down, stating that marriage should be about love rather than convenience. If Hyde wants him, he'll have to court him the old-fashioned way.
Two Lips, Indifferent Red (Two Lips, Indifferent Red And What You Will Ser.)
by TinneanKipp Llewellyn, the proverbial poor little rich boy, can have whatever he wants, except the one thing he wants most: his father’s love. When the opportunity arises to obtain it, Kipp jumps at the chance, even though it means breaking a date with “Ham,” the man he’s sure he’s falling in love with.However, the opportunity turns out to be an arranged marriage with his father’s biggest competitor. Even worse, Kipp discovers his proposed groom is Hyde Wyndham, the man of his dreams. Having lived in a gilded cage his entire twenty-one years, Kipp refuses to settle for anything less than love and walks away from both his father and his future husband.Hyde didn’t achieve his position in the financial world by taking no for an answer, however, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make Kipp realize he’s wanted for himself, including wooing the young man he intends to marry, prenuptial agreements be damned. He’s certain he’s succeeded, until Kipp learns something that puts an insurmountable barrier between them.Will Hyde be able to overcome Kipp’s doubts, and will Kipp realize that some things are worth the sacrifice?
Where the Heart Chooses
by TinneanPortia Sebring was born into a family that’s considered royalty in the intelligence community, and the fact that she’s a woman doesn’t preclude her from joining the “family business.” A linguistic genius, she’s recruited by her older brother to decipher Russian codes for the Venona Project. While at Arlington Hall, she meets Nigel Mann, a CIA officer known as Mr. Freeze, who’s been vetted to the NSA. Unbeknownst to Portia, her father is behind the meeting. Rumor has it that Portia, called the ice princess, is also a lesbian, and at this time in America -- the late ’50s -- it could negate any veracity to the codes she deciphers. A match with an equally cold man who won’t distract her from her work seems the ideal solution in her father’s eyes.Things don’t go quite according to plan, as both Portia and Nigel develop strong feelings for each other. They marry and eventually start a family. However, the lifetime together they anticipate is cut short when Nigel’s jet crashes on New Year’s Day, 1978. Devastated, but with a thirteen-year-old son depending on her, Portia has no choice but to go on after Nigel’s death.When Quinton, her son, is approached to join the US Equestrian Team for the 1980 Summer Olympics, she’s pleased and proud, but those plans are dashed due to the government’s boycott of the Games. To distract him, Portia takes him to France on a wine-buying trip, and it’s there that Quinton first feels an attraction for someone of his own sex. Portia, a wise mother, is aware, but since she herself had a same-sex affair in her early twenties, she’s very accepting of this.Along with Gregor, her trusted bodyguard and devoted family friend, she watches as Quinton follows in his father's and her footsteps in the "family business," and finally finds a partner worthy of him, WBIS agent Mark Vincent. She’s happy for them, but sure that she won’t love again, since Sebrings have their “one” and she's lost hers, but is she right?