Author: Victoria Sue
Book: Guarding His Melody
Series: Enhanced World
Page/Word Count: 200 pages, 69K words
Categories: Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi, Gay Romance
Release Date: September 25, 2018
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Buy Links:
Blurb:
A standalone in the Enhanced World
Deaf since childhood, Sebastian Armitage had a promising musical future until his dreams were shattered when he transformed at twelve years old. In a world where enhanced humans are terrorized and imprisoned, his life shrinks around him even more as he suffers the torment of his father’s experimental research to enable him to hear.
Gray Darling—struggling with the scars left by his experience in Afghanistan—agrees to provide short-term personal protection when anonymous threats escalate into assault on those closest to Seb.
As the lines between protection and attraction blur, Gray and Seb can’t ignore the intense feelings drawing them together. But secrets and betrayals might prove deadly, unless Gray is willing to risk it all. And Seb must find the strength to make his own future and sing his own song
Gray glanced at Seb in the mirror and took a breath. Seb focused on him when he recognized the reaction was to steady himself for something. For a second, hope flared that Gray might feel even a tiny amount of the attraction Seb felt.
“I want to talk about your health going forward.”
Disappointment stung his eyes, and he dipped them. Gray touched his arm, but it took a couple of seconds before he trusted himself to look back up.
“Are you a hundred percent certain your dad wouldn’t stop the therapy and surgeries if you simply said you couldn’t cope with any more?”
Tears sprang to Seb’s eyes, and he closed them even as he felt Gray pull the chair out and bend down to his level. It was too soon. He hadn’t built up any defense for this type of question after being sick. Gray squeezed his arms to get him to open his eyes, and Seb tried to push him away so he could get to his feet. It was like trying to move a wall.
Then Gray thumbed the escaped moisture from his cheeks, and Seb froze. His hands slowly circled Seb’s shoulders and pulled him forward. Gray was so warm, so strong. Seb held himself together for what seemed like two gulps of air before they became sobs, and he simply lost it as he gave Gray all his weight. He seemed to cry forever. His throat was raw and his nose blocked. He was freezing, and as he shook, Gray wrapped him tighter and offered his heat.
Seb swallowed but still didn’t open his eyes because he didn’t want Gray to step away. Gray did of course, eventually, but didn’t let go. He simply steered Seb to the bed and pushed him gently down. Seb went because Gray did too. He sniffed and swallowed and felt a wad of tissues put into his hand, then reluctantly—very reluctantly—opened his eyes. It took a moment before Gray’s face stopped swimming. “Sorry.”
Gray smiled, and Seb basked in its warmth. For a second, he could almost pretend he was someone else. Someone important and not just a client.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, but I still need an answer because that’s going to determine the second question.”
“No,” Seb acknowledged sadly. He had been fooling himself. “I think my dad is too convinced he knows best.”
“Okay, then do you want me to find out if you have a choice? If the guardianship rules can be circumvented?”
Hope flared. “How?”
“Because I can get Rawlings to reach out to his contact in Florida. He knows the FBI team, and if anyone can help with the legal aspects, it would be them.”
Seb sagged against Gray. So long as Gray wasn’t objecting, Seb needed the closeness, and this wasn’t in any way because he wished for a different sort of a relationship with Gray; he knew that would never happen. This was simply because for the first time in a lot of years, maybe he trusted that someone else could make him feel safe.
About Victoria Sue:
Victoria Sue fell in love with love stories as a child when she would hide away with her mom’s library books and dream of the dashing hero coming to rescue her from math homework. She never mastered math but never stopped loving her heroes and decided to give them the happy ever afters they fight so hard for. She loves reading and writing about gorgeous boys loving each other the best—and creating a family for them to adore. Thrilled to hear from her readers, she can be found most days lurking on Facebook where she doesn’t need factor 1000 sun-cream to hide her freckles.
Where to find Victoria Sue:
Contest:
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