New Year, New Love, New Challenge

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise

THEY fell through the doorway together in a tangle of lips and limbs, barely avoiding a collision with the floor. One moaned, the other gasped as they navigated the dark apartment. The faint sounds of passers-by outside reached their ears as others made their way home from their own New Year’s celebrations, but they were ignored. Trent thanked his lucky stars once more that he accepted his boss’s invitation to a Hogmanay ceilidh, which led to him meeting the fun and sexy man in his arms. Andrew Cameron, his boss’s nephew, seemed to be doing his best at the moment to suck his tongue from his mouth and pull his hair out. Trent slid a hand down Andy’s waist and along one muscular thigh to the bottom of the kilt he was wearing, finally, finally reaching underneath and dragging his palm back up again. He let out a surprised, pleased groan as he encountered no resistance until he reached the waist of the kilt once more from the other side, feeling nothing but smooth, slightly chilled skin the whole way. “Well, that answers that question,” he gasped. Andy laughed, kissing him again and grinding their bodies together. “Come on you,” he pulled Trent through another door. “You know there’s a saying that the first thing you do on the first day of New Year’s is what you’ll be doing the rest of the year?” Trent could just make out the grin on the other man’s face thanks to the dim light seeping through the curtains from the streetlamps outside. 2

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise “Really?” he asked, his own lips stretching into a leer. “I don’t believe I’ve heard of that belief before.” Andy nodded emphatically. “Oh yes. A venerable and respected superstition—that I may or may not have made up, but I’m sure I heard it somewhere. And if not, well, venerable, respected superstitions have to start somewhere.” Trent laughed. “And what would you suggest we do?” Andy snorted. “I shouldn’t have to draw you a picture; let’s just say I didn’t bring you here to play Scrabble.” Trent laughed and pressed his lips against Andy’s again in a hard kiss and withdrawing his hand from the kilt to try and unfasten it. He cursed as he fumbled with the straps and buckles, becoming clumsy in his eagerness. Andy snickered, finally taking pity on him and shoving him away to fall on the bed while undressing himself in less than a minute, leaving the kilt and his shirt in an undignified heap on the floor topped with his socks, his shoes next to it like a side dish. Trent’s breath was taken away by the sight of the naked man before him. The ache he felt in his groin for most of the night intensified to an almost painful degree. Andy’s smile turned to a cocky grin as he noticed the effect he was having and stalked over confidently. He let Trent settle further up on the bed and leaned over him. “Now, your turn.” He undid the buttons of Trent’s shirt, kissing each patch of skin in the trail down his chest as it was revealed, paying extra attention to his sensitive navel until Trent was squirming beneath him. Upon reaching the black trousers he bypassed them completely, moving instead to take off Trent’s shoes and socks, making him squirm for a 3

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise different reason as his feet met the cool air. “I wonder if Americans are as ticklish as Scottish people?” Andy asked, mischief clear in his voice. Trent aimed his best glare in the other man’s direction. “Don’t you fucking dare!” It was only met with a gleeful laugh. “Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’m only joking. I can barely hold on much longer as it is.” The desperation of his words made Trent moan, and he sighed, relaxing, as he felt hands at his waist again. The rest of his clothes were quickly tossed to join Andy’s on the floor. Andy’s warm skin slid against Trent’s and burned like a heater. Trent gasped, trying to touch every part of it that he could. Andy rocked and groaned above him. The cold of being outside for so long had been chased away and now Trent felt only a molten heat from within and around him. “Oh, hang on.” Andy paused, moving and picking up his sporran, the round leather bag that hung at the front of his kilt, to Trent’s moan of complaint. He retrieved something from it, grinning as he returned to the bed. Trent stared at the condom packet and mini tube of lube he held. “Is there anything that thing doesn’t carry?” he asked. Andy chuckled. “Kitchen sink?” He climbed onto the bed and stretched out over Trent again. “So, how we doing this then?” His spoke in a low, suggestive purr. “Your place, you choose,” Trent replied, tracing Andy’s skin with his fingertips again. He received a grin and Andy sat up to straddle him. “This works for me.”

4

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise Lubed up, his fingers pushed inside one by one with little resistance, and Andy rocked down to meet them, making him groan. It had been far too long since he did something like this and he wanted to savor it. At the same, he wanted to move faster and get to the main event. Finally Andy was ready, begging him to “quit fucking teasing and stick your dick in there.” It was an order Trent was eager to obey after rolling on the condom. It almost burned, the clenching around him, feeling perfect as Andy drove down onto his cock, the body above him a pale, broad stripe in the barely there light. Trent wished he could see the glinting green eyes, the wild mane of golden brown hair better, but he would settle for feeling instead and gripped Andy’s thighs, moving up to his hips, shifting one hand to examine his member by touch. They moved together, beads of sweat running from Trent’s brow, their groans and cries filling the room. Trent gave one last buck upwards, releasing into the restricting rubber sheath as Andy dropped down, splattering Trent’s hand and both their stomachs with hot liquid. Andy’s lips found Trent’s again, moaning into the deep, lazy kiss. They did a minimal clean up and struggled to get under the covers when their limbs had become practically boneless. The New Year continued to roll in without them as they had soon drifted off to sleep, arms and legs around each other. * * *

“TRENT?” a low Scottish-accented voice burred in his ear. “Mm?” “I’m off in the shower; I won’t be long, okay?” “Mm-hmm,” he managed to hum, barely awake. 5

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise He was lying in a warm, soft bed feeling heavy limbed and sated, his black hair the only thing visible above the covers. He wasn’t ready to get up and face the world yet. Though his ears picked up the sounds his brain didn’t really register them, as he was still mostly asleep. He heard a heavy door open and slam shut, then something being dropped on the floor, clattering against wooden floorboards, and a minute later came the sound of the bedroom door creaking open and steps approaching the bed. Oh, Andy’s back, that was quick, his sleep fuzzed brain reasoned idly, not realizing that the steps were too light for a man. “Ha-ppy New Year Andy—” Trent yelled, suddenly jolted awake by a woman’s loud voice as she practically leaped on him. She screamed in response and fell onto the floor in her haste to clamber quickly off him. They both screamed in surprise together. “What—what?” Andy asked, panicked, as he ran in, dripping wet and with only a towel clutched around his waist. The strange woman struggled to her feet, turning to him while Trent held the covers firmly up to his shoulders and stared at them both. “Andrew! There is a naked man in your bed!” She paused for a moment. “Can I have him?” “No! My naked man! You go find your own!” He stepped around her so he was between her and the bed. “What’re you doing in here?” “I came in to say Happy New Year to you and I find him!” she explained, gesturing at Trent before giving him a bright smile. “Hiya.” “Uh, hi,” Trent replied, returning her smile weakly. “So are you gonna introduce us or not?” she demanded, turning to Andrew again. 6

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise Looking as uncomfortable as Trent felt, Andrew pointed to each of them in turn. “Isla, Trent. Trent, Isla. Isla is my sister who I share the flat with.” “Nice to meet you,” she said cordially with a smile, as if Trent wasn’t sitting naked in her brother’s bed and she hadn’t jumped on him a moment ago. “You- you too,” he managed to reply, still wishing he could just sink into the bed and disappear. Now that he could look at her properly, Trent saw the resemblance. She was short, too, though slimmer than her brother, and wearing a bright pink strapless dress that clung to her curves. She was shoeless, and her hair fell past her shoulders in soft waves and was a deep red of a uniform color that usually meant a dye job. She had the same cheerful face as Andy, though, and her green eyes sparkled with the same mirth as his. “Well, nice to see it was a very happy new year for the both of you. I’ll leave you to it, and Andrew, I expect all the details so I can tease you and blackmail you with them later.” She gave them a final carefree wave as Andy all but shoved her outside the door. Andy turned to Trent with an embarrassed sigh, still gripping his towel. “Sorry about that. She’s the older one as well, if you can believe it. I should have warned you.” Now awake and recovered from the surprise, Trent was more interested in the way water droplets clung to Andy’s still wet skin, his nipples hardened by the cool air. “That’s okay,” he coughed, clearing his throat. “I’d better go finish my shower,” Andy said. He still looked uncomfortable in only a towel despite what they’d done last night. He 7

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise went back out, but Trent heard him banging on the bathroom door a moment later. “Isla! I was taking a shower!” There was a pause where he assumed Isla was saying something, and then Andy pounded the door again. “Augh!” he shouted, stomping back to his room. “Isla stole the bloody shower off me!” he fumed as he slammed the door. “Says she’s in it now and I can go in after her even though I’d been in there first and ran out ’cause of her screaming! I’m still wet and it’s cold!” Not really listening to the tirade, Trent sat up with a smile, his brown eyes still holding a sleepy warmth to them. He held out a hand. “I can always warm you up.” Andy approached but hesitated when he reached the edge of the mattress. “I’ll get the bed wet.” But now that he was close enough, Trent simply flipped aside the duvet and hauled Andy under it with him; Andy gave a surprised yell. “Don’t care. It’ll dry out.” He nuzzled Andy’s droplet-speckled skin. “I might almost think you were enjoying my predicament,” Andy managed to get out as he gasped at Trent kissing his neck. “You’re wet and naked. I’m definitely not complaining.” His attention shifted to the stiff, peaked nubs on Andy’s pale, broad chest. He licked at them and sucked them into his heated mouth one at a time, leaving gentle kisses on the skin between them as he moved from one to the other. Now that he could fully see and appreciate Andy’s naked body in the soft light coming in from the windows, he wanted to worship every part of it. It always fascinated him, seeing the bare skin of a new lover against his own, which was a warm, tawny brown thanks to his Hispanic roots. Being an international manager for one of the world’s largest banks allowed him to travel to various points around the 8

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise world and he firmly believed in experiencing the local culture and people. But he found Andy’s strawberries-and-cream skin with its light dusting of freckles the most mesmerizing of all. By the time he was finished they both needed a shower and crept stealthily into the bathroom together, keeping an eye turned to Isla’s closed bedroom door on the way. The little spectacle earlier had been more than enough embarrassment, they didn’t need her to see them sneaking in to the bathroom to have a shower together with only towels hiding their modesty. The water warmed and revitalized them and turned their skin slippery smooth. They took their time washing each other’s backs… and other areas. It was only the water beginning to turn chilly that drove them out and back to the bedroom once more. Trent sprawled on a corner of the couch while Andy stretched his legs out on the cushions, leaning against Trent’s chest. They were making fun of Eastenders when Isla emerged from her own bedroom. She looked clean and fresh with her hair pinned up, subtle makeup enhancing her features and wearing a dark brown suede skirt with a pale green satin blouse and brown knee high boots. She zipped up her purse, flashing them a smile. Trent had borrowed a jumper from Andy which was a little short on him and had to put his trousers from the night before back on as nothing of Andy’s would fit. Andy was only wearing tracksuit bottoms and a long-sleeved T-shirt. The two of them looked like slobs compared to her, not that either of them really cared. “Where you off to?” Andy asked. “Back to Stan’s. We’re having dinner with his parents for New Year’s Day.” “So you came back here just to change? Why not just stay at his?” “Because I didn’t have a change of clothes at his, at least not 9

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise anything I could wear for dinner with his parents,” she explained, annoyed. Andy snorted. “Don’t see why you don’t just get married, or at least move in together. You’re at his place most of the time anyway.” She made a frustrated sound and rolled her eyes. “Don’t think I haven’t been dropping hints, believe me.” She moved closer, leaning over the couch and pinching his cheeks. “Besides, I couldn’t leave my poor, sweet wee brother Andy-Pandy all on his own!” she said in a high-pitched, syrupy sweet voice with a smile to match. “Get off, hamster face!” He batted her hand away. “Save it for Stan. Stan’s her boyfriend,” he explained to Trent. “My man Stan. Stan, the man with the plan,” he added with a faint smile. “Does Stan have a tan?” Trent asked, joining in. “Since he came back from Japan,” Andy grinned. “He should go to Milan, or maybe Iran.” The two of them were both snickering now. “I don’t think that he can, unless he…” “Took the Auto-ban?” Trent suggested. It rhymed, at least. It didn’t exactly make sense, but it rhymed, that was the main thing. Both of them were laughing outright. Isla turned away with a frustrated huff. “You must really like this one Andy, he’s as bonkers as you are,” she said. Trent looked at him with a smile. “Am I as bonkers as you are?” “Hmmm, not quite, I’d say, but you’re getting there. Don’t worry. I’ll soon have you up to speed.” “I’m looking forward to it,” Trent murmured in his ear. 10

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise With a final shake of her head, Isla put her coat on, happy to get away and leave the both of them. Trent grinned, pulling Andy closer. They were alone in the apartment, he had the day off, and even the weather didn’t seem so bad now that he had somebody hot, in every sense of the word, to cuddle with. His new year was off to a pretty good start already. * * *

TRENT laughed, enjoying himself as he played with some of Andy’s younger cousins. Eventually he dusted off his knees and went to get another vodka and Irn-Bru, the clear, bright orange soda being the (nonalcoholic) national drink of Scotland, its sweetness complementing the sharp vodka perfectly. He got hooked on the stuff when Andy introduced him to it on a night out in January. That was when he’d learned that yes, Edinburgh did have a gay scene and it was a fairly vibrant one at that. The Gay Pride parade in particular was a real eye opener. He was at the house of one of Andy’s many aunts, he never could remember all their names, for New Year’s, or Hogmanay, as he’d become accustomed to calling it. There was plenty of food and drink as it apparently was necessary to have both as the bells rang at midnight and the Scots believed in starting early—especially when it came to the drinking part. He’d been told that the food to eat at midnight had to be a steak pie, though he wasn’t sure what the reasoning was behind it. There were some British customs he still didn’t understand. Trent thoroughly confused his relatives earlier on the phone when he wished them “Happy Hogmanay” and was accused of going native, which made him laugh. The rest of Andy’s family seemed to be 11

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise crammed inside the mid-sized residence as well. His mother, he knew, would like Andy’s relatives. She’d always believed that the bigger the family, the better, and Andy’s certainly fulfilled her exacting expectations. He really would have to get round to the whole tellinghis-parents-he-was-gay thing pretty soon. A hand clapped him on the shoulder. It was one of Andy’s cousins, Ronnie, with a grin on his reddened face and a can in his hand. “All right big man? You had a good Christmas?” “Yeah, thanks. You?” It had been a quiet Christmas for him, though he and Andy went a little crazy and had a lot of fun with the mistletoe. There also was dinner at Isla’s and Stan’s for the four of them, along with Mr. and Mrs. Cameron and Stan’s parents. He remembered having to disguise a laugh as a cough into his napkin when Isla beamed at her mother’s compliments of the food, waving it off as though it had been no trouble at all and she hadn’t really only barely averted some sort of disaster. “Not bad, not bad,” Ronnie replied. “Will you be coming to Burns’ Night again this year?” he asked with a grin. Trent smiled. “I’ll have to check with Andrew, but probably.” “Right, let us know, aye? I’ll see you later.” Trent nodded as the other man ambled away. Although he’d travelled to various countries and loved it, he never felt as at home in any of them as he did in Scotland. That was due in large part to Andy’s family taking to him and making him feel like one of their own. Not everyone knew about his and Andy’s relationship, but most did and welcomed him as part of the family the longer they dated. Those that didn’t know weren’t worth bothering about, in his opinion. If someone had told him this time last year that he’d be so happy 12

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise about moving to and living in Scotland, he would have looked up the number of the men in white coats to take them away. But the past year had been one of the best in his memory, and all because of the man he’d shared it with. He still griped about the cold weather, but even that didn’t bother him so much. Especially since Andy usually found a way to warm him up. It was hard to believe, sometimes, that he’d met Andy this very night a year ago, and that they dated ever since. Sometimes he wondered if he should pinch himself, but if this really was a dream he didn’t want to take the risk of waking up. He saw Isla approaching, Stan visible behind her. She gave him a tight hug. “The pair of you made it then?” she asked, her face beaming, the diamond on her finger sparkling like a star. He returned her smile. “Yeah, Drew’s around here somewhere.” He was the only one who called Andy that. Isla went off in search of her brother to pounce on him and tease him. It hadn’t taken long for them to be labelled “the pair of you” by Isla. “The pair of you coming to the party?” “The pair of you give me a hand with this,” or “bugger off, the pair of you. I’m busy tonight.” It made him smile, feeling that he’d been accepted by someone his lover was so close to, even though both siblings would probably rather eat live worms than say such a thing out loud. There was just one thing that was really worrying him now though, and it was Andy himself. The other man seemed pensive and anxious over the past few days, not at all like his usual cheerful self. Trent asked if anything was bothering him and was told “I’m fine.” There were only so many times he could ask, he didn’t want to push the matter or seem like he was prying. If Andy wanted to tell him, he would when he was ready. But still, Trent couldn’t help but be concerned. He managed to spot Andy in the dining room and made his way over. 13

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise “Hey, you okay?” “Fine,” he said, though his voice sounded a touch listless. “Pretty busy, huh? I can’t believe they got so many people in here, I think the house might burst.” “Mm,” was all Andy said to his weak attempt at humor. Trent frowned. “Look, Drew, I can tell something’s bugging you, okay? Can you at least try to tell me what it is? Is there something I can do to help? Or is it something I’ve done, or haven’t done?” “What? No!” Andy said, honestly surprised. “It’s not you, at least not really. I—oh fuck.” He broke off, scrubbing a hand over his face and taking another gulp of his drink. He pulled Trent into the hallway, stopping at a small nook that held boots and raincoats. “There was this thing at work months ago. One employee would get to do a sort of work experience thing at a wildlife conservancy, in Kenya.” Trent nodded in understanding. Andy worked as a keeper at the Edinburgh Zoo and loved his job. This would have been an amazing opportunity. “I signed up for the chance to go just because everybody else was and said I’d be crazy not to. We had to fill in a form, say why we thought we would be the best choice, that sort of thing. Anyway, I’d completely forgotten about it… until I got the letter the other day saying I’d been the one to be accepted. I mean, I still can’t believe it; it’s like a dream. A chance to go to Africa, to see so many different wild animals in their natural habitat, to study them, it would be incredible.” His face lit up, his eyes sparkled, and then it fell once more. “But the placement’s for a year, and I know you can say ‘it’s only a year’, but that’s a long time, and I can’t ask you to wait that long for me and 14

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise long-distance relationships suck. I really want to go, but then I—I love you, and being apart for that long, I just—I just can’t choose,” he finished, his expression tormented. Trent was silent, processing all of this. All the years he’d been travelling, he’d always been uncertain about getting into a serious relationship when his job could send him to the other side of the world with little notice. When he was younger he’d been happy with quick flings and the chance to escape if things got bad, but then he started to want more than that. When he met Andy, it hadn’t really been a choice of whether to get serious, it just sort of happened without either of them actively causing it or even being aware of it. He always assumed he would be the one having to make the choice of whether or not to leave Andy, whether or not to ask Andy to come with him, not the other way around. Andy loved him. He’d known it of course, but hearing it out loud was an entirely different matter. He knew there was no question of what he wanted. “You don’t have to choose,” he said quietly. “What?” Andy stared at him. “I can’t promise anything, but the bank’s usually very understanding towards couples and families that want to stay together, doesn’t matter if they’re gay or straight. I can talk to my bosses, and I’m pretty sure they’ll be able to find a place for me at least close to where you’ll be working.” Andy’s stare was getting a little unnerving. “But- but I can’t ask you to do that. Pick up and leave just to come with me.” “Why not? My work sends me to different countries all the time, it’s not like I’m not used to it. And you’re not asking me. I’m asking you 15

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise if I can come with you. Would you want that, me tagging along with you?” He staggered back as Andy all but flung himself against him, giving him in a heartfelt kiss, almost making both of them lose their drinks. Well, that answered that question. “But are you sure?” Andy asked when they broke apart. “You’d really come to Kenya with me?” Trent grinned. “You remember when we met last year, and you had to leave to go to the street party. You asked if I wanted to come with you?” Andy’s lips turned up in a smile. “As if I’d forget. I was praying you’d say yes.” “I’d figured I must be insane, leaving a nice warm building to go stand in the freezing cold for hours, listening to loud music, being jostled, dozens of people crowded in all around me. But you know what? I loved every minute of it, because I was with you. That was all that mattered to me. Wherever you are Drew, that’s where I want to be. I don’t care if it’s Edinburgh or Africa or anywhere else in the world. If you want to go there then I do too, for as long as you’ll have me. In case you can’t tell, I love you too, you dumbass.” Andy laughed, despite looking slightly stunned with a hint of misty eyes at Trent’s words. “I want you. I want you with me wherever I am, too; don’t worry about that. I’d been excited but sort of terrified as well at the thought of having to travel to Africa by myself; leaving you, my family, not knowing anyone. I don’t know how you can do it for a living. But if you’re there too it won’t be so bad, will it?” “It’ll be great,” Trent assured him. “You get to eat weird food, see new things, get away from this goddamned freezing weather… you’ll love it. And it is only for a year. You’ll be back here getting me drunk on whisky and eating sheep’s insides before you know it.” 16

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise Andy laughed again, sounding more cheerful this time. “It was only the once! And I told you not to drink so much; that was your own fault.” “Hey, I needed some way to take my mind off what I was eating!” Trent protested. “Still, the night ended well, didn’t it?” Andy returned his leering smile with a knowing smirk of his own. “Aye, it did. And I think tonight might end well too. We have a lot to celebrate now.” “Can’t we, maybe, start celebrating early?” Trent asked, hope clear in his voice. “No!” Andy told him sternly, though he looked for a moment as though he was considering it. “Come on, it’s nearly time for the bells. You can wait a wee bit longer.” Trent let out a whimpering moan but followed him back into one of the stifling hot rooms to be sociable again until midnight struck. There were no huge crowds to contend with this year. No loud bands and, thankfully, no freezing cold either. Just family and close friends, people who welcomed him and who he’d come to care about. The music that was playing was turned down when the time came and voices young and old joined in for the countdown. Cheers rang out and party poppers exploded, sending streamers into the air as the hour struck, others went around hugging and kissing or shaking hands, saying “Happy New Year!” but for two men there was no one else there except for them. Trent pulled Andy close, giving him a quick kiss. “Happy New Year.” “Happy New Year.” Trent’s grin widened. “Happy anniversary.” 17

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise “Happy anniversary,” Andy echoed, smiling as well, pulling him in for a longer, deeper kiss, taking the chance while no one was paying attention to them. “At least neither of us is likely to forget the date of it,” he laughed. Trent joined in. “Yeah, maybe we should get married at New Year’s as well to make that easy to remember too.” Andy’s eyes went wide, but before he could reply Isla pounced on them. “Oi! The pair of you, give me a kiss!” They obeyed, not that there was any choice, and shook Stan’s hand with “Happy New Year”s said all around. Andy went back to staring at him as Isla wandered away. “Did you just propose to me?” “Uh, I don’t know. If I said yes, would you accept?” “I- I don’t know. I’m still trying to let the fact that I’ll be going to Africa sink in, to be honest.” Trent could understand, and he wasn’t entirely sure why he’d said what he had himself. It just sort of came out, without his mind having any say in the matter. Not that he was completely averse to the idea, now that he was actually thinking about it. He couldn’t imagine Andy not being in his life. He had come from a family with traditional beliefs, brought up to respect marriage and all that it represented, even though he’d never had any desire to go through with such a thing himself—until now. And men in Britain could get married… Would he be allowed to marry Andy though, since he was American? And what if…? It was too much to think about, for the moment. “Okay, I know we do have to get through the whole ‘moving to Africa’ thing first, but how about if we agree to at least not completely dismiss the idea for good?” 18

New Year, New Love, New Challenge * S. Blaise Andy relaxed and smiled. “Sure, I think I can do that.” Trent grinned, feeling a tightness in him release. “Okay.” “Okay.” They wished others Happy New Year and then went back to their apartment to celebrate in their own way, into the early hours of the morning. Trent was still awake afterwards, content to stare up into the darkness, listening to Andy’s deep breaths beside him, the slight puffs of air as he exhaled washing over a patch of skin on his chest as his arms were crossed behind his head. Yet another year had gone, and it looked like there would be a new country and new challenges to face in the year ahead. But this time he wouldn’t be alone, he’d have someone to face them with him. His lover (and future husband? The thought made him smile.) would be by his side. Life didn’t get much better than this.

19

Got Mistletoe Madness?

The Dreamspinner Press 2009 Advent Calendar is available at http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com.

S. BLAISE has loved reading and creating stories for as long as she can remember, but first got into the “male romance” genre through fanfiction. She found slash and yaoi quite by accident (honest!) and began voraciously reading stories online in many fandoms, finally getting up the courage to have a go at writing some fan fics herself before shifting to original fiction. She has lived on both sides of the Atlantic and so can write about Caribbean summers as easily as Scottish winters, since she has experienced both.

New Year, New Love, New Challenge ©Copyright S. Blaise, 2009 Published by Dreamspinner Press 4760 Preston Road Suite 244-149 Frisco, TX 75034 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Cover Art by Paul Richmond http://www.paulrichmondstudio.com Cover Design by Mara McKennen This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 4760 Preston Road, Suite 244-149, Frisco, TX 75034 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ Released in the United States of America December 2009 eBook Edition eBook ISBN: 978-1-61581-322-3