by RJ Scott
Manny ignored this and pushed on, "What I do is all consuming. Then Joseph happened to us all."
"Joseph?"
"I have this friend, you haven't met him yet. His name is Dale, tall, big-assed operative who fell in lust in literally days with this SEAL, Joseph. And I mean days. He wanted to be with a guy who may not even make it back from his next mission alive let alone be the kind of guy you plan forever with. But you want to know how they played it? Dale told me they promised now. Whatever that was, or however long it lasted. I always saw Joseph and Dale as the ones like me; the couple who had to exist by seeing each other when they could and praying the other man didn't get himself killed. "
"I don't see where this is going. I'm back in witness protection and you'll be out here doing stupid stuff without me to stop you. We'd never meet up so wouldn't even have a now."
Manny gripped Josh's upper arms tight. "This is our now, Josh. I'll take you back into witness protection because we promised your dad you would be safe but I came up with a compromise. I just need to know what you might be feeling and if you think it's something we could work on."
"Go on." Josh sounded intrigued.
"There is a place Sanctuary has in Canada. Deep in the wilderness but with awesome satellite coverage, it has a comms room like you wouldn't believe, room for your mom—"
"You want to play happy family?"
Manny shook Josh again. He could smack the guy—in fact he was getting close to doing so. "I want a 'now' with you. This case has come full circle for Sanctuary. It started with your dad and now it's ending with you and me. We'll stay in the north until it's all done down here, and then we'll create a new 'now' for us."
"Us?" Josh whispered. He was clearly focusing on that one word.
"Only if you want?" Suddenly Manny was uncertain. He had more or less opened his heart to the gorgeous man in front of him. Standing in that office with Alastair and Gregory and no backup had crystalized what Manny wanted. What Josh said next was vitally important.
Josh said nothing. Instead he pulled Manny close
for a kiss. The kiss deepened and Manny wondered if this was the answer. When Josh guided him to sit up on the counter so that they were level, and wasn't that hot, he finally pulled back from kissing. What he said cut through to the very heart of Manny.
"Us would be good," Josh said simply. "There's something here. A connection that is way past just going to bed together."
"Agreed."
Josh smiled and his green eyes sparked with mischief. "Anyway," he began with a smirk. "I've never been to Canada."
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
RJ Scott lives just outside London. She has been writing since age six, when she was made to stay in at lunchtime for an infraction involving cookies and was told to write a story. Two sides of paper about a trapped princess later, a lover of writing was born. She will read anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror; however, her first real love will always be the world of romance. Her goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and more than a hint of happily ever after.
Email:
[email protected]
Webpage:
www.rjscott.co.uk
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/rjscotts
Twitter:
@rjscott_author
ALSO BY R J SCOTT
Available at Silver Publishing:
Oracle
Moments
The Christmas Throwaway "Valentine 2525" in Never Say Never All the King's Men Back Home
One Night
Deefur Dog
Jesse's Christmas The Gallows Tree
The Art of Words with Meredith Russell A Better Man with Jaime Reese (coming soon)
TEXAS
The Heart of Texas The Heart of Texas 2: Texas Winter
THE FIRE TRILOGY
Kian
Darach
Eoin
THE FITZWARREN INHERITANCE
The Psychic's Tale, by Chris Quinton The Soldier's Tale, by RJ Scott The Lord's Tale, by Sue Brown
SANCTUARY
Guarding Morgan
The Only Easy Day Face Value
Still Waters
Full Circle
SHADOW OF THE WOLF with Diane Adams
Shattered Secrets Broken Memories
Available at Love Lane Books:
Love Is In The Hallways Love Is In The Title Love Is In The Message The Decisions We Make
AWARDS:
Best Paranormal Author 2010
Nomination: Love Romance Café
Best GBLTQ Author 2010
Nomination: Love Romance Café
Oracle
Best Gay Paranormal / Horror 2010: Honorable Mention (5th) Elisa Rolle's Rainbow Awards
Oracle
Best Cover 2010: Second Place Elisa Rolle's Rainbow Awards
Oracle
Best Cover 2010: Runner Up Love Romance Café
The Christmas Throwaway Top 10 Bestselling Books of 2010
Are (All Romance ebooks)
REVIEWS:
Lisa from Michele n Jeff Reviews gives 5/5 to The Christmas Throwaway
RJ Scott has created a beautiful and inspirational story that grabs hold of the heart and doesn't let go, even after its final words are read. It is a sweetly sentimental book that cultivates an emotional response and inspires belief that love can prevail under the most improbable of circumstances. The characters are well developed and engaging, and the attraction between Zach and Ben was entirely credible. To use a trite but true cliché, The Christmas Throwaway is simply a feel-good story, a touching and romantic read that embodies the meaning of new beginnings and happy endings.
Book Wenches give 4.5 to Moments
Although I began reading it looking for a Hollywood train wreck, this novel is much more than that. It is a well-told story of love, personal growth and redemption that I found to be touching and quite involving. It features well-developed and arresting characters, heartfelt emotion, and a romance that is both intriguing and affecting… I will definitely be seeking out more of Ms. Scott's work in the future.
Readers Roundtable gives 5/5 to Oracle
Oracle by RJ Scott is in one word beautiful. You have to take the journey with Alex to find that beauty but it's there and it will bring a smile, and a few tears, to your face.
Black Raven's Reviews gives 5/5 to The Heart Of Texas The Heart of Texas is a delightful novel with many fascinating layers. The love story between Jack and Riley is heartwarming and realistic. Their sex scenes are beautifully written, extremely erotic, and filled with emotion. RJ Scott is an immensely talented and gifted storyteller, and I highly recommend this engaging romance.
QMO Books on Back Home
Back Home is a really touching story that showed me the power of communication. When I started reading this story, I started having an idea about what I thought the story is about and by the end, it was a completely different picture.
I love how RJ has taken on such a complex subject matter and turned it on its ear, smoothly incorporating family opinions and history to build tension and drama. Written in a contemporary style, if you enjoy drama, or family style stories, this is for you.
Literary Nymphs gives 4/5 to Back Home
Back Home is another intense emotional story by author R.J. Scott that's filled with drama, pain and what it means to be part of a family.
Night Owl Reviews gives 4.5/5 to Guarding Morgan (Sanctuary 1)
and a 'Night Owl Top Pick Review
I liked the premise of not only the story, but of Sanctuary as well. I found the characters likable and I liked that they were not one-dimensional.
QMO Books on The Only Easy Day (Sanctuary 2)
This book has thriller, mystery, and a high-tension character study all balled into one, and kept me on the edge of my seat. The links to Guarding Morgan, the first book in the series, were fascinating, and the overarching mystery as to why
Elisabeth was killed moved a little closer to being solved. Not too close, though, there is plenty left for the next few books.
MM Good Book Reviews gives 4/5 to The Only Easy Day (Sanctuary 2)
… I will recommend this to those who love danger, explosive car chases, hot sex, total alpha men, bloody rescues and a happy (for these men) ending.
MM Good Book Reviews gives 4/5 to Face Value (Sanctuary 3)
A great addition to the Sanctuary series so I recommend this to those who love mystery, suspense, a bit of action, some danger, a budding attraction/relationship and two stubborn men who strike sparks off each other.
*
QMO Books on Deefur Dog
This is a wonderful love story which portrays that a nontraditional family has the same joys, sorrow, problems, angst, and love as any other family and does it extraordinarily well. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a wonderful, emotional love story with a happy ending.
Top to Bottom Reviews gives 5+ kisses to Love Is In The Title
RJ Scott has written an outstanding young adult story, one that can be appreciated by those who are right now living in the midst of those very trying times, as well as those who have lived through them and managed to somehow survive.
Elisa Rolle on The Gallows Tree
The relationship between Cody and Sebastian is sweet; I would dare to see it's not passionate, but that is not what Cody needs now. Cody needs sweetness, reassurance, comfortable; I think Cody would be scared by passion, he would run away from passion. Sebastian's sweet approach is what allows him to get near to Cody, to quietly and kindly open each protective layer Cody put around his heart.