One More Wish

By Devon Rhodes

Benny Oshiro is having the time of his life at a private gig for his band, One Wish, until he’s assaulted and kidnapped by their former manager. When his rescue—or more accurately his rescuer—gets a little hairy, Benny knows he should reconsider their sparking attraction, but no one has ever looked at Benny with the naked want that Curtis does—want Benny can’t help but return.

Curtis Salinas knows at first sight that Benny is the only one for him. But now is not the time to test Curtis’s newly developed control. Outside forces are at work, threatening to expose his family’s secret, and when Benny is kidnapped a second time, Curtis realizes the enemy he’s searching for is only half the problem. To ensure a secure and happy future, he must also face down his doubts and claim Benny for his own.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
• Release date: Sep 21, 2011
• ISBN: 9781613721117

Devon Rhodes

Devon started reading and writing at an early age and never looked back. At 39 and holding, Devon finally figured out the best way to channel her midlife crisis was to morph from mild-mannered stay-at-home mom to erotic romance writer. She lives in Oregon with her family, who are (mostly) understanding of all the time she spends on her laptop, aka the black hole.

Book preview

Chapter One

IT WAS the fourth day of having his bandmate, Rory, as his pretend boyfriend, and Benny had to admit it was going better than he’d hoped.

A huge sigh came rocketing through the dark from the bed next to him.

What’s wrong? Benny asked dutifully.

Nothing, came the expected reply.

Well, it would have been going well if Rory hadn’t fallen for the leader of the group they were performing for, head over moony heels.

Benny rolled his eyes in the dark as the residual of the music hummed through him, making it almost impossible to lie still. Benny’d gotten the group an amazing gig—a chance to play a really small venue and try out some of their new music in an intimate setting. Three consecutive shows for their band, One Wish—and the one tonight had been a cappella, and it had sounded like a fucking dream in the outdoor amphitheater.

He’d been so jazzed to have the request land in his lap just when he’d been wanting to try out the ballads taking over his mind that Benny had eagerly had their new manager, Les, sign the gig. It was essentially a private performance for some kind of religious organization or something, and he’d talked over, ignored, and railroaded Les until it was a done deal. It wasn’t until he’d come down from one of his almost manic highs of excitement that he’d realized they’d laid down some very bizarre ground rules.

No photography or videography. Whatever. Rory had been pissed, but Benny was secretly relieved that his initial foray into the slower-paced, lyric-heavy music wouldn’t be recorded until he knew how it would sound.

Once the band arrived at the property containing the venue, they could not leave until after their last show. Again, he’d shrugged. Why would they?

And everyone involved had to be in a committed relationship. He’d looked that one over at a loss several times before hitting on the idea of pretending to be with Rory for the duration of their stay. After all, they were long-time roommates and had once been lovers, so acting the part should be a snap. He knew they could pull it off… if he could get Rory to go for it. He’d used every bit of charm he possessed to get his oddly distracted friend to come around. Benny needn’t have worried. Rory was his best friend and a sexy guy, but his one flaw was that he was almost too agreeable, too easily led. It was why they hadn’t made it as a couple. Benny preferred a bit more salt or spice to sweet.

It was their fourth night at the lodge, and the a cappella show in the amphitheater had been a rush. Rory and Benny had given themselves several hours to wind down before going to their shared bed, but apparently that wasn’t enough. Rory was tossing and turning, and Benny could tell he had Jared on his mind. The tension between his friend and the huge, hunky owner of the lodge was palpable, and the fact that Rory couldn’t act on it, due to their deception, was evidently driving him crazy. Benny tried not to think about Jared’s nephew, Curtis, or the crackle of sexual attraction that seemed to pull him to the big man’s side whenever they were in the same room together.

No, Curtis wasn’t his type. Too… young, for lack of a better word. Oh, he wasn’t any younger than Benny chronologically—they were both in their mid-twenties—but while Benny had been playing in the cynical and dog-eat-dog music scene since he was a teenager, Curtis seemed to have led a very sheltered life, living quietly with his uncle and extended family up here in the back of beyond. The lodge was so secluded, Benny would never have been able to find his way here if his GPS had gone out.

Rory broke his mental rambling with yet another pathetic sounding sigh, and Benny knew it was time to give up. That’s your third sigh in as many minutes, love. What’s eating you? And don’t say ‘nothing’ again, or I might have to smother you with my pillow.

Dunno. Just… antsy, I guess.

Oh, that’s much better than ‘nothing’. Benny’s voice dripped with sarcasm. Then it was his turn to sigh in the darkness of the wee hours of the morning. I’m a little wired too. Wanna mess around? A little friendly sex might take both of their minds off things. He ran his hand with easy familiarity down Rory’s side. They had an extensive history together, in and out of bed. But since they’d been at the lodge, despite their constant fondling in public, neither man had pressed for more in private. They shared a bed as part of their ruse, which wasn’t new for them, but they hadn’t been inclined to do anything more than chat and sleep.

Rory only chuckled in response, and Benny’s pride took a light hit. Ouch. "Oh, sure, laugh at the idea of sex with