Rainbow Snippets gives writers a chance to share six sentences (and sometimes a little more) of LGBTQ+ fiction every weekend. Check out the Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook for more snippets: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets/
From my current WIP Tattered Angel Coming October 16 A little more than six sentences this week:
“Well,
if you guys are gonna waste time, I’ll get the first shower then,” Riley
grumbled, moving to squeeze past them when a soft meow caught his
attention. A fluffy gray and white cat, looking barely half-grown, preened
beneath the hands that were rubbing its ears and running fingertips down its
back. The little thing let out a tiny sneeze, then went about licking its paw
and grooming its whiskers while the guys lavished attention on it.
“Where’d
the cat come from?” he asked, as he reached over Damien’s shoulder to pet the
little ball of floof.
“Stepped
outta the club and it was standin’ there meowin’ a greeting at us,” Zakk
explained. “Damien scooped it up to check for a collar, and it decided to cling
to his jacket until he brought it inside.”
“It
seems to be a foregone conclusion that the fluffy little beast is a stray,”
Damien said.
“So,
what, are we planning on giving it a ride to the pound or…”
“We’re
plannin’ on makin’ it our mascot,” Zakk replied, scratching its ears until the
little kitty began to purr.
“Who
ever heard of a cat on a tour bus,” Riley muttered, and yet, its fur was so
soft he couldn’t resist petting it more.
“Cats,
dogs, birds, fish, I know guys who have taken bearded dragons and boa
constrictors on tour with them,” Dez muttered. “She’s adorable.”
“How
do you know it’s a she?” Riley asked.
Dez
raised its tail a little and pointed, “’Cause she don’t have nuts.”
“The board is done,” Lucky declared. “Turned out pretty sweet too, wait ‘til you see it.”
“Give me a minute.”
Lucky nodded and waited while Cain finished emptying the box, then checked the task off
of the clipboard he never seemed to be without.
“If I don’t write shit down I’ll forget to do it,” Cain had explained when Lucky had asked
him about it. “Get distracted easy, especially when the big waves are breaking.”
Lucky had witnessed Cain’s distractions more than once while he’d been working around
the shop, like early that morning, when Lucky was sweeping up while waiting for a coat to dry.
Cain was supposed to be washing the front windows, but instead he’d stood frozen, eyes on the
sea, until Thorn had gone over and snapped him out of it.
Lucky had envied the intimacy of each and every casual caress. The way Thorn had bumped shoulders with Cain and then leaned against him, heads pressed together as Thorn had spoken to
Cain too low for anyone else to hear. There was a moment when Thorn slid his fingertips down
Cain’s back and Cain had shivered and then grinned up at him, nodded his head at something
Thorn had said and then went back to wiping the windows. Lucky had watched as Thorn had
lingered, studying Cain, the heat in his expression when he’d turned around had been enough to
make Lucky swallow hard and fight down the desire to someday have that gaze turned on him.
He’d reminded himself that Thorn didn’t seem to like him, and that was enough to cool the
rising desire that had surged through him. Now, as he watched Cain walk toward him, he had to
wonder how long Cain would keep playing games with him before he admitted that nothing real
was ever gonna happen.
Cain smiled as he finished breaking down the box and stepped up beside Lucky, who looked
away, gut clenching as he realized how quickly this could all be over.
“What’s wrong?”
Lucky blinked, looking up to see the concerned look in Cain’s eyes.
For a moment, Lucky considered saying nothing, but he knew that would just lead to Cain
prying and pushing him to talk.
“A little too deep in my own head right now,” Lucky admitted,
hoping that would be enough to get Cain to back off.
“Then let’s see what we can do to fix that,” Cain suggested, and stepped right into Lucky’s
space. Lucky’s eyes widened and when he tried to take a step back Cain followed, one hand
going to Lucky’s waist, the other landing on his shoulder.
“Wh—”
“Shhhhh,” Cain silenced him easily as Lucky blinked up into his eyes.
The radio was on low, it was always low when Cain played it. Thorn liked it loud much the
same way Lucky usually did. Right now some soft song was on, heavy on the piano with a sad
sounding guitar, and Lucky found himself drawn to it.
A knowing smile crossed Cain’s face as he moved just a little, his hand on Lucky’s hip
urging him to move too. Soon they were swaying to the beat, Lucky’s arms around Cain’s neck,
his head pressed against Cain’s shoulder.
Lucky couldn’t help the contented sigh that escaped his lips or the way he pressed just a
little bit tighter, seeking Cain’s warmth and more of the soft caresses that Cain was trailing down
the back of his neck.
“When was the last time you danced,” Cain asked.
Lucky inhaled the scent of salt water and sand that clung to Cain’s skin and guessed that the
man must have headed down to catch a few waves on his lunch break. “Like this, never. Club
stuff though, a few times, whenever Cody wanted to go.”
“Did you like it?”
“Naw, that was Cody’s thing, not mine. Most times I’d just sit at the bar unless he dragged
me out on the dance floor. I like this better. Not as loud and not so many limbs flying around.”
Cain chuckled and stroked his fingers through Lucky’s hair. “That can be annoying,” he
admitted, before falling silent again.
Content to just give in to the movement and the motion, Lucky closed his eyes and swayed,
letting every thought, every feeling just melt away. Even after the song changed to something a
little faster, neither man moved away from the other, the distance between them having been
swallowed up by their need to get as close as clothes would allow.
Lucky Strike McAllister isn't very lucky. In fact, he isn't
much of anything most days, to hear his MC tell it. Since the death of his
father from cancer and the suicide of his pops, he's done nothing but find ways
to get into trouble. He's talented with an airbrush gun and an amazing artist
when he sets his mind to it, but more often than not, the things Lucky sets his
mind to are pretty self-destructive.
When Thorn and his partner Cain, members of the neighboring
chapter of the Rollin' Jokers, are forced to fish Lucky out of the ocean on a
chilly fall night, both men decide he needs a keeper and who better than them
to keep Lucky from destroying himself. Too bad Lucky can't see that they're
trying to help. Bitter and lashing out, he does everything he can to sabotage
the home and relationship they're offering.
With secrets mounting and trouble knocking on their
doorstep, Lucky struggles to find a way to put aside his anger long enough to
get to know the two men who have taken such an intense interest in him. As
tensions mount, will he look to take the easy path and he run from them, his
club and everything he's ever known, burning bridges and the last of his luck
in the process or will he stay and learn that there are better ways to burn?
Jax licked his lips and Danny’s eyes widened as Jax moved in closer.
This is stupid.
The inner voice in Jax’s mind screamed at him to put on the breaks and pull back. This was
his neighbor, maybe even a friend, the last thing he needed was to make shit awkward when he
decided to start listing all the reasons that it wouldn’t work between them.
And yet…he couldn’t make himself stop.
As if of its own accord, Jax’s hand reached out to cup Danny’s cheek, one finger brushing
along the still fading bruise beneath Danny’s eye as he shifted forward and brushed the gentlest
kiss he’d ever given across Danny’s lips.
“Do you want to go out with me sometime?” Jax asked softly, having barely pulled away.
Up close, Danny’s smile made his eyes light up. Jax slid his fingers into Danny’s hair shocked
at the softness of his curls, baby fine and fluffy rather than thick and heavy, the way they looked.
He smelled of the cinnamon macchiato coffee he’d ordered at the café they’d found on the way
home and Jax found himself wondering if he tasted like it too and kissed him again, just as gentle,
but lingering this time, with the smallest swipe of tongue.
“Yeah,” Danny breathed, eyes fluttering closed as Jax drew back.
“Are you free Monday night?” Jax whispered, caging Danny in with his body. He had one
hand on Danny’s shoulders, fingers brushing lightly along the side of his neck while his other hand
was still playing with Danny’s hair and smoothing it back from his face.
“I can be,” Danny murmured.
His hand, hovering near Jax’s hip, seemed restless, nervous, so Jax shifted his weight pressing
his body against Danny’s hand as he leaned in and kissed him again. He felt Danny shiver, his
fingertips sliding over Jax’s collarbone before landing warm and firm on the side of Jax’s neck.
With slow swipes of his tongue Jax coaxed Danny into letting him in.
The first taste was just
as Jax suspected, cinnamon and chocolate, sweet and a little earthy. Danny let out a soft moan and
deepened the kiss, gripping the hem of Jax’s t-shirt in his fist as he pressed closer.
Jax moved in even more, feeling the warmth of Danny’s body seeping through his t-shirt,
losing himself in the mounting sensations.
“Jax!” Max bellowed, causing Jax to jerk back completely and drop his hands.
He stood there
blinking as he tried to get his bearings, kicking himself for what he’d just done.
“Hey, Jax, you up
there, man!”
“Dude!” Jax yelled back as Max came thundering up the stairs. “We’re not sharing a house
anymore, man, other people live here, you can’t run around hollering like that.”
“Shit man, I forgot, sorry. Hey Danny, how you been?”
“Umm, good,” Danny stammered, wiggling out from between Jax and the wall and fiddling
for his keys.
Jax made a shooing motion at Max, trying to get his buddy to take the hint. Of course
he wasn’t that lucky.
“Callum sent me up to find you.”
“I’ll be down in a few minutes,” Jax grumbled, sighing as he glanced back at Danny to see
him already fitting his key in the lock, he gave Jax a small smile, popped the door open and stepped
in.
“Night, Jax.”
“Goodnight, Danny.”
Danny closed the door, leaving the pair out in the hallway.
Jax heard the lock being engaged
and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back and hit the wall as he groaned loudly.
Moving into his new apartment, Jax never
expected to have to break up a fight between his new neighbors, resulting in a
physical altercation and a visit from the cops. Never in his wildest dreams did
he imagine that it would lead to him meeting Danny, the cute theater manager
and playwright that lived next door. Unfortunately, his first impression of
Danny and the way he’d cowered away in the fight with his ex, wasn’t exactly a favorable
one.
Jax already has his own issues to deal
with, between his past problems with his mother and the chain of men who’ve
floated in and out of her life, his new job as a piercer in his sister’s tattoo
shop and his struggles with an eating disorder; the last thing he plans to add
to it is a relationship. Yet Danny isn’t so easy to ignore and when they find themselves
bonding after Danny shows him around town, and more when Jax offers to help
with sets for his latest play, it becomes harder and harder for him to ignore
the connection forming between them.
As Jax’s insecurities and food issues
grow more and more out of control, he find himself turning to Danny for help,
rather than his longtime friends Callum and Max who lives just downstairs.
Danny’s mix of patience, stubbornness and tough love make it harder and harder
for Jax to keep his distance, and somewhere in the course of their daily lives,
they find themselves moving from being friends, to being more.
Rainbow Snippets gives writers a chance to share six sentences (and sometimes a little more) of LGBTQ+ fiction every weekend. Check out the Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook for more snippets: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets/
From my current WIP Tattered Angel Coming October 16 A little more than six sentences this week:
“I’m
pretty sure there’s nothing Riley won’t let past his lips, especially if it
poses a challenge or is presented as a dare,” Zakk remarked.
“Really?”
Dez pondered with a Cheshire cat grin that left Riley wishing there was a way
to shake the hell outta Zakk that wouldn’t leave them at the center of a fiery
wreck.
“Quiet
you, aren’t you supposed to be paying attention to the road? I thought we had a
rule about not holding extended conversations with the driver.”
“Yeah,
yeah, you just want me to shut up before Dez figures out what a freak you
actually are.”
“Too
late.” Dez shot back, the skin at the corner of his eyes crinkling he was
smiling so hard.
“Brussel
sprouts,” Riley blurted, hoping to spin things back to some level of PG while
simultaneously wishing they were alone so they could take a hard left and veer
firmly into the smut zone. “Liver and Onions. Rabbit, they’re just too damn
cute, I don’t care how tender people claim it is. Rocky Mountain Oysters…fuck
that, not happening.”
“Why
not, they’re actually pretty good, or maybe it was the top shelf tequila that
was sinfully good, and the Rocky Mountain Oysters just went down smooth because
of it.”
Staring
at him, Riley kept waiting for some sign that he was joking, but Dez just
shrugged like it was no big thing. “Hey, you’re not the only one who hates turning
down a dare.”
Rainbow Snippets gives writers a chance to share six sentences (and sometimes a little more) of LGBTQ+ fiction every weekend. Check out the Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook for more snippets: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets/
From my current WIP Tattered Angel Coming October 16
“How
do you suggest we go about it?”
“We
can book ourselves around the city for the next couple months to work shit out,
use that time to let Dez put his own spin on whichever old pieces we decide to
use,” Damien suggested.
“Or,
we can load up in the tour bus, have a grand adventure and see what comes of
it,” Zakk suggested.
“Okay
Pooh Bear, just do us all a favor, okay, and try not to get us eaten by a
Skullasaurus.”
Zakk
sputtered, and for a moment, Riley was left wondering what the fuck Dez was
smoking to come up with that when it dawned on him and he snorted and smacked a
palm to his forehead. “Seriously.”
Shrugging,
Dez flashed him a bemused grin, the shit. “He left the door open for it.”
“And
you couldn’t resist crashing though, could you?”
Rainbow Snippets gives writers a chance to share six sentences (and sometimes a little more) of LGBTQ+ fiction every weekend. Check out the Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook for more snippets: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets/
From my current WIP Tattered Angel Coming in October
Finger
poised over the mouse, Zakk froze, chewing his bottom lip as he glanced over at
the rest of them. Riley knew that look and was out of his seat in an instant to
come stand behind him. Ahh, so that was it. The moment of truth. The Rocktoberfest
email was tagged with a red exclamation point. That was a good thing, wasn’t it?
“I’m
scared to open it.”
“Maybe
we should get James in here to open it,” Damien offered, already on the edge of
his seat and fishing the phone out of his jacket pocket.
“Seriously?
What are we, three?” Riley growled as he reached for the mouse. “Just click it
for fuck’s sake.”
Rainbow Snippets gives writers a chance to share six sentences (and sometimes a little more) of LGBTQ+ fiction every weekend. Check out the Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook for more snippets: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets/
From my current WIP Tattered Angel Coming in October
“Like I tried to explain back at the restaurant, we are
looking for a new singer, like on the permanent.”
Dez snorted and slid his guitar strap onto his shoulder.
“Nothing’s permanent.”
“Yeah, okay, you wanna get technical, fine. Nothing in life
is ever a sure thing. Could get fried by lightning and be gone before your body
hits the ground if that’s what the fates have in store for you,” Riley
remarked. “No one is ever promised another day. What we can promise is that
when we say we are looking for a new singer, we are not planning on it being a
temporary thing.”
Another snort, and for the first time those gray-green eyes
locked with Riley’s. “I’ve heard that too.”
“I know. But you showed up anyway. So, either you actually
want to fill the slot, or you came here just to be a douche and turn it down
when we offered it to you.”
