Catching Cary

By Megan Slayer

Sometimes giving into fate gets you to the place you most want to be.

Cary Hazard walked away from his life as the front man for the band, Cascadia, to embrace a quieter existence in Zero. With no celebrities and no one wanting things from him, he’s happy. He’s also lonely. He wants to find that one special person to warm his nights and love him—tattoos and all. Will he or end up alone again or will the hunk at the Eight Ball bar be his saving grace?

Layne Stevens has a past he’s not proud of. He’s looking for redemption, but not in the hands of a former star. If he can stay in the shadows, he’s happy, but lonely. The man singing at the bar has his full attention. He wants to wrap himself up in the guy’s strong arms. Will he be able to open up and offer his heart or will the truth destroy everything he holds dear? It’s a matter of catching Cary.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Decadent Publishing
• Release date: Feb 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9781613336519

Megan Slayer

Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and BDSM themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been the runner up in the Kink Category at Love Romances Café as well as nominated at the LRC for best author, best contemporary, best ménage and best anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com. When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice.

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Catching Cary

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2014 by Megan Slayer

ISBN: 978-1-61333-651-9

Cover art by Mina Carter

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC

Look for us online at:

www.decadentpublishing.com/

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Also by Megan Slayer

Saving Sam

Everything He Wants

Mixing Mike

Writing as Wendi Zwaduk

One More Night

Catching Cary

A Zero, Ohio Story

By

Megan Slayer

~Dedication~

For JPZ because without you, this wouldn’t be possible.

Chapter One

Karaoke night. The best way for good songs to be ruined by too much beer. Cary tipped the bottle to his lips and winced as he swallowed the tart brew. Yet another fan of his former band insisted on mutilating his song. Soul Street wasn’t meant to be a ballad. The tune was written to soar above the crowd and invigorate the patrons. He shifted his attention from the person screaming into the microphone to the busboy across the room.

The thin man hunched over the shorter table. He loaded the gaggle of amber bottles and martini glasses into his tub. With his back to Cary, he wriggled his hips to the music. The denim conformed to his body, giving teasing glimpses to the lanky muscle underneath. The T-shirt clung to his skin, and the chain on his pants swung in the twinkle lights. Normally, the younger man would be the type Cary would ask out. But he hadn’t seen the guy’s face.

The silence after the song finished grabbed his attention. The person left the makeshift staging area and Cary debated performing. He hadn’t stood on stage in more than five years—not since Cascadia played the last horrible show. Everyone ended up fighting, and the audience walked out. He doubted people remembered the band. What the hell? Why not do a number and see if he still had the performance bug?

He scrawled his name and the song title on a piece of paper then handed the request to the deejay, who grinned.

Up next we have Gary, singing ‘Lost’ by Cascadia. Seems like a great night for some Cascadia.

Gary? Cary rolled his eyes. His handwriting stank, but not that bad. He gripped the mic and listened to his former best friend’s rough guitar lead in. He tapped his toes to the beat and his heart fluttered in his chest. The rush of baring his soul to the crowd overwhelmed him. The desire to sing wasn’t gone. Hell, it had gotten stronger with time. He poured his heart into the performance and ignored the lyrics on the screen. Each flourish, each key change rocked him to his core. Yeah, he needed to get the guys back together. By the time he finished, the crowd cheered and clapped. He opened his eyes, not realizing he’d closed them and gotten lost in the tune.

Thank you, he said then handed the microphone back to the deejay.

Next time, bring in Cary Hazard. He can do it better, someone shouted. Another person booed. Get off the stage, ass.

Cary shook his head. The sons of bitches. They would want what they perceived to be the real thing. If they only knew. He strode to his seat to finish his beer and close his bar tab. Screw ’em.

The busboy he’d been ogling moved to the table next to Cary. He plunked the tub down and rested one hand on his hip. How are you doing on that beer? Your server took off. If you want another, I’ll get it.

You’re serving tonight? Cary finally saw his face. Thick dark lashes framed his hazel eyes. A silver ball decorated the space between his bottom lip and chin. A tiny bit of mahogany-colored hair dusted his cheeks and concentrated on his