Men of Riverside Print Volume 1
Men of Riverside Volume One
Finding Elliot
After five years of forced separation David was determined to find Elliot again – but what he gets isn’t the closure he was hoping for...
After yet another unsatisfying one-night stand David Lear decides it's finally time to find his former lover Elliot Watkins. He needs closure before he can move on. He is still angry at the man for never getting in touch after his parents moved away when David and Elliot were caught kissing at age seventeen.
Elliot Watkins has never forgotten his first and only lover David but lives under his father's scrutiny, too afraid to come out before he gets access to his trust fund when he turns twenty-five. His fiancée Patricia Hobart constantly nags him and he wants nothing more than to live his own life and to become an architect.
Falling back into each other's arms is relatively easy. But will Elliot be able to free himself from his father's influence? Will David be able to forgive his lover and have the patience to wait until Elliot is ready?
Rediscovering Adrian
What happens when the past you've been running from finally catches up with you?
For the past five years, Peter Adams has convinced himself that his one and only true love, Adrian Shrader, never really cared. Peter has dedicated his life to becoming a private investigator, more determined than ever to keep his memories, and his feelings, locked away. But when a near fatal shooting causes a brain injury, he's about to discover that his past is anything but behind him.
Adrian Shrader disappeared in the hopes that his best friend and lover wouldn't lose the only family he'd ever known. Aware that Peter's mother threatened to remove Peter from his sibling's lives, Adrian's spent the past few years wishing there was a way to right this wrong. When he hears that Peter is seriously injured and in the hospital, Adrian rushes to his side. Will they be able to rediscover love? Or will history repeat itself?
Pages: 210
Words: 61.400
Heat Index:
Cover Artist: Natalie Winters, Posh Gosh
Book Type: Paperback
All Books, Men of Riverside, Paperbacks, Contemporary, Collection of Novellas
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Copyright © Serena Yates, 2010
All Rights Reserved, Total-E-Ntwined Limited, T/A Total-E-Bound.
Excerpt From: Finding Elliot
Riverside, Texas
Tuesday January 1, 2008
“Elliot!” David pushed one last time and shuddered as he came into the condom in short bursts. The relief was as explosive as it was short lived.
“What the fuck?”
The stranger’s voice brought David back to reality. Shit, this wasn’t Elliot, the man he still loved. This was some stranger he’d picked up at the Riverside New Year’s party. They’d had a good time, but now he couldn’t even remember the guy’s name. He closed his eyes for a moment. The situation was too embarrassing for words.
“I’m sorry.” David pulled out, dealt with the condom and donned his clothes as quickly as possible. Thank God it was mostly dark so he didn’t have to look the stranger in the eye. “I’m really, really sorry. I shouldn’t have agreed to this.”
“I’ll say!” The stranger switched on a bedside lamp, trying to cover himself with the sheet at the same time.
The light made David look up. The only similarities with Elliot were the man’s dark curly hair and his deep blue eyes. Nothing else about him looked right, and David couldn’t for the life of him explain why he’d gone with the guy. Trying to forget Elliot was as close to an answer as he could come. Considering he’d been doing that for years, without even a trace of success, only made the situation even more pathetic.
“I’m really sorry.” David cringed at his inability to say anything more sensible. He’d had his share of encounters in clubs, even the occasional visit to a stranger’s apartment, but he’d never actually said Elliot’s name when he was with another man.
“Look, I know this is only a one-night stand. But we did exchange names and I sort of expected you to at least remember that.” The stranger sat up and raked a hand through his short curls. “It’s not a real problem for me, but I think you need help. You’re still hung up on this Elliot guy.”
David nodded. He’d gotten the message loud and clear this time. He couldn't say or do anything to make this situation better so he left the bedroom, grabbed his coat from the back of the sofa in the living room and hurried out.
What had he been thinking? He closed the door of the stranger’s apartment behind him, made his way down the stairs and got into his car. The new year had started only hours ago. It was still dark and he was still alone. He shook his head as he drove along the deserted streets of his hometown. At twenty-two he should have known better than to expect another one-night stand to be the solution to his problem, no matter how attractive the guy had seemed.
He was still hung up on Elliot, even five years after they’d been forcibly separated when Elliot’s parents had moved away from Riverside. He’d never heard from Elliot again and hated to admit how much that still hurt. He hit the steering wheel with an open hand and the pain was almost a relief. He wasn’t one to make New Year’s resolutions, but this was different. There wasn’t anything he could do on New Year’s Day, but as soon as it was over, he was going to get help.
* * * *
The next morning, David stood in front of the office of Russiter Investigations, his woollen coat pulled tightly around himself. He hoped that his friend Peter would arrive soon so he could step inside the office building. The cold January air was crisp enough to make him shiver, even though there wasn’t much wind.
“David Lear, what a surprise to see you here this bright and early.” Peter’s voice came from behind him. “Must be urgent or else you’d have come at a more civilised hour.”
“You’re right, it's urgent.” David shook hands with his former high school classmate and college buddy. He watched him unlock the office door and switch on the lights before following him inside, carefully closing the outside door behind him. “You may not agree, but please hear me out. And don’t laugh.”
Excerpt From: Rediscovering Adrian
Riverside, Texas
Saturday April 26, 2003
“Adrian?” Peter Adams stared at his best friend whose eyes were luminous in the shadows of the backyard. “What are you doing out here?”
It was too chilly to be sitting on the swings, and anyway, the birthday party was inside the house. Rick was the third of their close group of friends to turn eighteen and he was celebrating in style, having invited everyone in their high school year. They’d had fun in the basement-turned-disco earlier, the whole group dancing as if there was no tomorrow. Peter had lost track of Adrian while he and Rick tried to cheer up David who was the fourth member of their group.
Adrian dropped his gaze and shrugged his shoulders, looking dejected.
“What’s going on buddy?” Peter sat on his haunches, resting his arms on his thighs as he tried to get Adrian to look at him again.
Adrian shook his head, his slightly too long brown hair covering his forehead and hiding his dark-copper eyes. Peter fisted his hands in an effort to stop himself from touching Adrian. They were best friends and that was all there was to it. If anyone found out how attracted he was to Adrian, including Adrian, bad things might happen. He didn’t want them to get separated like David and Elliot. Granted, those two had been caught kissing, not just touching, but knowing how traditional his mother and Adrian’s parents were, Peter wasn’t going to risk it.
“Something’s wrong, isn’t it?” Peter was determined to find out what was going on. He couldn’t stand seeing Adrian this depressed.
“Just the usual.” Adrian raked his hair before dropping his hand back onto his thigh and looking up. “Don’t worry about it. There’s nothing you can do about it, anyway.”
“The usual?” Peter took a deep breath. “Have they been harassing you about your height again?”
“Just teasing. You know what they’re like. I’m not a jock and never will be. Being called a baby, though, only because I’m small and just turned eighteen, got to me.” Adrian shrugged and dropped his head. “I just needed a moment alone. Didn’t want to drag you out here.”
“You didn’t drag me out here. I missed you and wanted to check what was going on with you.” Shit, that was way too close to the truth. Why could Peter never switch on his brain before opening his mouth? He’d have to learn someday soon or he’d never become a good PI.
“You missed me?” Adrian looked back up, something like hope in his eyes.
“Yeah, well…” How was he going to get out of this one?
“Oh, you mean…” Adrian looked hurt and Peter couldn’t stand it.
“I mean I missed you.” Peter was going to get into all kinds of trouble for this, but he couldn’t let Adrian believe he was all alone. Adrian was having enough trouble because his father didn’t like him or his hobby very much. Baking the most wonderful creations with his mother wasn’t 'manly' enough for his father. And most of their classmates made fun of Adrian because he was small and wiry, making him look much younger than he actually was.
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Adrian sat up straight, making the swing move and his knee brush against Peter’s thigh.
“Well, yes, I mean we’re best friends, aren’t we?” There, that was safe enough. Peter could only hope that Adrian would drop it now.
“Yes, of course we are. But…” Adrian swallowed.
“What?” Peter’s heart started beating faster, partly hoping that Adrian was going to return his feelings and partly fearing that he would. “What are you trying to say?”
“I-I don’t know.” Adrian looked flustered and confused.
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