by Opal Carew
“Yeah,” I admitted. “We need to reset our karma.”
“How?” Lex asked.
“Let’s do some charity work. A fundraiser for HIV or something.” My mind went to Thor.
“Yawn. Screw pro-bono,” Vive sassed. “Let’s go see a voodoo priestess or one of those ladies with the crystals and have our souls cleansed.”
“Oh, brother.” Lex sighed.
“Count me out. I don’t believe in that kinda stuff.” Mysticism and witchcraft weren’t my cup of tea.
“You don’t get it, do you?” Vive shifted Hedda from one part of her lap to the other.
“Get what?” I asked.
“Someone is out to kill us.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” I let out a sarcastic laugh.
Lex wiped the frosting from her lips. “Over the summer, Mom’s penthouse blows up. I’ve thought about it over and over again. There’s no way that blast was an accident. Sure, the fire department said it was my fault, because I’d burned the dress and Mom’s oxygen facial tanks were lying around. But come on! You saw the explosion. Someone had to have rigged those tanks to go off like that.”
Although Lex had been cleared of all charges, I could admit the whole thing was a freaky-deaky fluke of major oddsauce.
She leaned forward and added, “Then we’re flying over the Caribbean with Taddy, on our way to her next modeling assignment, and the plane just happens to fall apart in mid-air.”
“Don’t remind me.” I turned my cheek, flashing them my scar.
Vive slammed her fist on the table, causing Hedda to stand on her hind legs. “I’ve researched our plane crash. The jet wasn’t old. Someone had to have tampered with the aircraft before we even took off. What else would cause a tear in the ceiling like that?”
“Air pressure,” I suggested, putting my palms in the air.
The Federal Aviation Administration hadn’t released an official statement as to why our plane fell apart. It was still under investigation. But clearly the plane fell apart.
“Bull-fucking-shit, Blake Morgan.” Vive crossed her arms.
“Did Officer Ford come to this conclusion, too?” I asked.
They both nodded simultaneously.
“No. Way.”
“Yes waaay,” Vive snapped back.
“It’s a bit out of Ford’s jurisdiction, but he’s looking into it. He’s advised me to tell all of you to stay put. No traveling. No clubbing. We go to class. We come home. That’s it.”
“Looks like Taddy won’t be going to France anytime soon, then.” Vive pushed her seat back.
This was insanity. I was used to the girls and their over-the-top drama, so I wasn’t fazed by what they’d said. Not at all. I was more annoyed that they were giving this any consideration and putting energy into it. I’d had enough drama for one week. Wanting to change the subject, I asked, “What did Ford say about having sex? Are we at least allowed to fuck?”
“Oh, brother.” Lex sighed and turned into Vive. “See, I knew we shouldn’t have told Blake. I told you he wouldn’t believe us. He’s not taking us seriously.”
“Who exactly do you plan on fucking?” Vive asked.
“Diego.”
Clapping her sticky hands together, Lex’s shaking leg stopped. “Finally, some good news around here!”
“Not so fast. What about Miguel?” Vive’s right painted eyebrow arched.
“I think he and I will just be friends.”
“Shoot. I liked him better for you,” she admitted, finally removing her fingers from her mouth.
“Why’s that?”
“Call it women’s intuition.” She shrugged. “He just seems like a better fit. Honey, don’t get me wrong. I like Diego. He’s very easy on the eyes. But based on my interactions with them in class, there just seems to be a layer of depth to Miguel that has yet to be explored.”
“Not up for that challenge,” I admitted. Don’t get me wrong. Miguel Santana was beautiful. But if he’d wanted me in that way, he would’ve come for me. I was sure of it.
They both laughed.
“Listen, Officer Ford wants us to lay low. I get that. So this weekend, let’s all go to my parents’ house.” Omitting the part about Thor’s HIV, I filled them in on the conversation with my mom about seeing us on TV.
“Sounds good to me.” Lex smiled.
“Me, too!” Vive scooped Hedda up in her arm. “Leon heads back to France tomorrow. Maybe your mom can talk some sense into Taddy about staying in school and postponing her marriage.”
“Four years would be a long-ass engagement.” Lex laughed.
“Three and half,” Vive corrected.
“Maybe…” I said, realizing we’d barely gotten through one semester of school and already had so much happen in our lives.
But if anyone could talk Taddy out of something, it was my mother.
* * *
A few days later, at home in Fairfield, I laid on my bed, pulled out my gratitude journal, and wrote…
Dear Grace,
I’m grateful for…
Diego coming into my life. I’m falling for him. I’m glad he came with me this weekend to meet my family.
My new friendship with Miguel. He’s growing on me.
Thor’s mom coming to visit him today. He’s going to be just fine. And that makes me happy.
Taddy agreeing to wait to get married until after she’s graduated from college.
Vive and Lex for calming themselves down about the supposed man who’s out to kill us.
Most of all, I’m grateful for my family. I love my parents and am looking forward to the next semester at college.
XO,
Blake
# # #
Join the XO, Blake buddy read on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2257963-xo-blake-buddy-read and get the dialogue going by asking the following questions:
- How would you have handled Thor’s situation?
-Would you ever tell a lie to keep your mom from worrying?
- What’s your fantasy? Is it getting tied up in bed?
Be sure to leave your review at: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20567999-xo-blake
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Get Unsaid
Aren’t you dying to know who Blake Morgan got his happily ever after with ten years later? Gurl, I thought so. *wink* I’ll give you three clues. He’s Mexican, one of the most famous artists in New York, and back when they were in college, he never got to tell Blake how he really felt about him. Find out how Blake fell in love for the second time with Unsaid (The Manhattanites #3): http://averyaster.com/unsaid/
Special Acknowledgments
Huge hugs to my family George, Pauline, and Adam for loving me. Thank you to my friends Shane, Julie, Sara, Kelly, Shari, Edward, Manuel, Brenda, Holly, Pat, Michele, John, Ron, Nicole, Nackie, Bailee, Hector, and Lynn for not taking it personally when I’m locked up in my cave writing.
Author love to my beta-readers Nicole and Miss Diamond. Much praise to Kristin and Becky at Hot Tree for editing this novel.
About Avery Aster
New York Times bestselling author Avery Aster pens The Manhattanites, a contemporary erotic romance series of full-length, stand-alone novels, and the naughty new adult prequel companion series The Undergrad Years.
As a resident of New York’s Upper East Side and a graduate from New York University, Avery gives readers an inside look at the city’s glitzy nightlife, socialite sexcapades and tall tales of the über-rich and ultra-famous.
Hey. Wait!! There’s more…
You must read the next installment in The Undergrad Years featuring Vive
Farnworth in Always & Forever, Vive or I’ll never speak to you again *wink*. Add it to your Goodreads TBR shelf https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20568008-always-forever-vive and join Vive Farnworth on her New Adult adventure.
Add Avery’s Releases to Your Goodreads TBR List
http://www.goodreads.com/AveryAster
The Undergrad Years series
Love, Lex #1
Yours Truly, Taddy #2
XO, Blake #3
Always & Forever, Vive #4
The Manhattanites series
Undressed #1
Unscrupulous #2
Unsaid #3
Unconventional #4
Unique #5
Uncensored #6
A Smexy Excerpt
Read the prologue and first chapter of Avery Aster’s upcoming stand-alone, male/male erotic romance Unsaid (The Manhattanites #3)
For fans who loved the snarky wit of Will & Grace and the epic love drama found in Brokeback Mountain comes Avery Aster's new full-length, standalone contemporary erotic m/m romance novel, Unsaid.
Chelsea’s hottie Blake Morgan III has reemerged from a nasty breakup. His marriage was a frigid disaster beyond repair, and he vows to be single—forever. Bruised but still hot in Prada, he creates his Seven Desires wish list, his sexiest imaginings. Blake soon realizes there’s only one man he may trust to make these uninhibited intentions come to fruition: his best friend Miguel Santana.
Lower East Side multimedia artist extraordinaire Miguel Santana may be known as the cocky Latin stud in the city, but all he’s wanted since college was Blake’s hand in marriage. He was livid when Blake walked down the aisle with the wrong guy. Miguel has his own list titled the Seven Needs which are quite contrary to Blake’s dirty-boy deeds. They involve serious commitments, which may leave his new-to-the-singles-scene buddy sprinting for the door, destroying any hopes Miguel has for happiness.
Can these two hunks conquer their intimate fears and love one another as only best friends can? Join the star-studded cast in The Manhattanites series and see for yourself!
Readers Advisory: Pent-up sexual tension between two best friends leads to water sports, BDSM, electricity, and fisting.
Part One
Blake’s Seven Desires
“At eighteen, I fell in love with Blake Morgan. Eleven years later, I’m still in love with him. Does he know? Nope. I hoped after a while my feelings for him would stop or I’d be able to find someone else. They didn’t and I haven’t.” —Miguel Santana, Lower East Side
Prologue
Miguel’s Unwelcomed Invitation
Five Years Ago
Lower East Side
Miguel Santana collected his mail in the lobby at his apartment building.
Something fancy was caught between his invitations to gallery openings and his father’s medical bills. It was an ecru-colored card stock envelope. Embossed in gold by Crane & Co. stationery, the letter was addressed in an eccentric Gothic-styled calligraphy.
The paper felt important in his hands. Who was it from? Mr. & Mrs. Morgan on Meadowcroft Lane in Greenwich, Connecticut. Blake’s parents.
Blake, his best friend since college, had remained his secret crush even after all these years. But what did the Morgans send him? It was too soon for a Christmas card. The knot twisting in his stomach told him this was no holiday greeting.
Tearing the envelope open, he read his attendance was requested by Blake Morgan III as he wed Diego Oalo. Fuck. Diego was Blake’s boyfriend, the asshole-turned-douchebag who their friends, Lex Easton, Taddy Brill and Vive Farnworth, secretly referred to as MLD—Missy Limp Dick—for obvious reasons. Miguel had coined Diego with the nickname when they were freshmen in college. Five years later, it still stuck.
It appeared Blake was serious about marrying MLD. He questioned how he could let Blake get away from him. He assumed he’d have more time. Miguel never expected Blake to marry the first guy who’d come along. MLD was supposed to be his starter-boyfriendto warm him up for the grand prize, himself. Shit.
His cell phone chimed, so he reached in his back pocket. The glowing screen read ‘Thor Edwards’. “Wasup?” Miguel greeted.
“Eh mah gawd.”
“Huh?”
“O-M-G!” Thor screamed.
“Thor, stop. What’s wrong?” He didn’t have the energy for his friend’s drama that day. Not now.
“Did you get that thing in the mail?”
“Sí, I have it right here.” Miguel paused before forcing, “Hats off to Blake for tying the knot. Maravilloso news, isn’t it?” His eyes rolled even on his own sarcasm.
“You high?”
“Heavens no.”
“Drunk?”
“No…”
“I’m coming over,” Thor demanded.
“Stay put. I’m busy,” he lied. His apartment was a mess. Last thing he needed was Thor Edwards, socialite amongst the foo-foo fabulous, poking fun at his bachelor-could-care-less-about-throw-pillows taste in decorating.
“Why didn’t we learn about this sooner?”
“Blake knows we’d probably kill him.” He also thought he didn’t have anything to do with the wedding planning. It must be Diego’s idea. The bastard was a gold-digging piece of shit who climbed his way to the top of Wall Street and Blake’s bed.
“Whaddya say we head over to Macanudo’s tonight and martini it up. We’ll plan a way for Blake to get out of this.”
“Not up for socializing.”
“Taddy and Vive are going,” Thor persisted.
“Did the girls get their invites?”
“Yup. Looks like Blake’s mother wants us all to be part of the wedding party.”
“Mierda.” Miguel couldn’t imagine how Taddy and Vive would take this. They, of all their outspoken diva friends, were probably ready to tie Blake up to a tree in Central Park and hit him over the head with their Waterford crystal. Maybe the girls could knock some sense into him. “What good will happy hour do us tonight?”
“A few cocktails may lessen the blow.” He pressed on. “Cock being the key word here. Come on, we’ll make a night of it.”
“Nothing’s going to make me feel better.”
“What’re we gonna do?” Thor asked.
“You and I are going to put on our happy faces and support Blake’s dream.” God, he felt sick even saying that.
“Don’t-cha mean our nightmare?”
“Same thing.” Miguel stared at the invitation. The words on the card blurred into one spot.
“We are so not.” He exaggerated the ‘o’ in ‘so’ and then paused for a second. “My strategy to prevent this from happening is when the officiant asks if anyone objects, you and I will raise our hands.”
“No.”
“Then let’s kidnap Blake before the wedding. Send him to Jersey. Yeah, that’s what we’ll do. No one will find him over there.”
“Thor...”
“Vive and I will drug Blake. Then throw his tight ass on one of those gay cruises which goes outta Bayonne. When the ship arrives in Barcelona a few days later, he’ll have so much Latino cock rammed up his waspy hide he’ll never think twice about MLD.” Thor spoke as if he had all the solutions.
The only Latin cock Miguel wanted going in Blake’s ass was his own. Not Diego’s, not anyone else’s.
“We have to support this. It’s what Blake wants.” He would find a way to respect his friend’s decision.
“You’re gonna have to duct-tape me to the pew during their ceremony. I, for one, want no part in supporting this union. I can’t stand MLD, and I know the girls won’t either.”
“That’s nice, considering we’re not the ones marrying Diego.”
“Miguel?” His voice became serious.
“Sí?”
“I’m sorry. I know how much you loved Blake.”
“Right.” He noted Thor spoke about his love in the past tense, as if it was behind him, and over with. It wasn’t.
“I don’t know what else to
say…” His voice rose an octave.
The cell phone chimed as his screen read ‘Lex Easton’.
“Another drama queen is calling in. I’ll meet you at the club in a few, okay?”
“See you soon, buddy.”
“Adios.” He clicked over. “Hola.”
“I don’t…I won’t…I can’t…effin’ believe this.” Lex sounded as if she could barely speak but she still, as always, managed to curse. “Did you get—”
“Sí,” he replied, hearing the sadness in her voice. Appeared he wasn’t the only one with selfish thoughts; others felt the same way he and Thor did. But it didn’t really matter, because the marriage was going to happen. “Thor and I are going to the club. Can you meet us and we’ll talk about it?”
“Sure. I’ll ring my driver and pick you up in, say, thirty minutes.”
“Bueno.”
He hoped fresh air would calm his unease as he stepped outside. Could he risk not going to the wedding and stand his ground? Knowing Blake, if his friends didn’t support the wedding, he’d most likely cut them off for good. Miguel’s friendship to Blake was too important for that. Saying farewell to the hopes of making Blake his boyfriend would be a lot harder than he thought.
Chapter One
Vive’s Power Bottoms
Present Day
Upper East Side
Blake Morgan III often poked jokes at himself by saying if CBS TV executives produced a spin-off show from Julianna Margulies’s smash hit, The Good Wife, with a unique twist turning the iconic Alicia Florrick role into a gay male—they’d be sure to cast him.
He was always good—too good, in fact. At age ten, he’d given his Boy Scouts pledge to do his best, to do his duty to God and his country and to obey Scout Law. At twelve, he’d attended Sunday services as an altar boy helping Reverend Robinson at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Greenwich, Connecticut, spreading word from the Book of Common Prayer.
At fourteen, he along with his friend, Thor Edwards, were the first boys admitted into the recently-converted-to-coed Avon Porter Academy in Cheshire, Connecticut. He’d blended right in with the other girls and became fast friends with rock-n-roll royalty Lex Easton, European nobility Taddy Brill, and Scandinavian liquor heiress Vive Farnworth. The year he’d turned sixteen, he came out of the closet. His dream was to get married and be a dad one day. With no boyfriend in sight, he’d rallied his entire state into a mammoth fundraiser aiding to legalize gay marriage, an action Senator Taft coined The Land of Steady Habits Equality Movement.