Just His

By Shawn Lane

After his boss at the hospital suggests he take a sabbatical for a much-needed rest, neurologist Geoff Spencer ends up at his friend’s cabin in Big Bear, California. But to Geoff’s surprise, his former lover is also there -- his friend’s brother, the beautiful Adrian Michels, a brooding artist and a “commitment-phobe” who broke Geoff’s heart years earlier before leaving unexpectedly for Europe.

Now, Adrian suggests a no-strings affair while Geoff is with him in Big Bear. Although torn, Geoff eventually agrees. But what he really wants is for Adrian to be his -- Just His -- for eternity ...

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Jun 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9781634863964

Shawn Lane

Shawn Lane is a multi-published author of gay romance. She lives and works in Southern California. She has been published by Loose Id, Amber Quill Press, Evernight Publishing, MLR Press, JMS Books, and Ellora’s Cave. For more information, visit smlgr8.blogspot.com.

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Epilogue

Chapter 1

Geoffrey Spencer hoped his beat-up old car would make it to Big Bear. Now that he was halfway up the mountain road he regretted the choice to bring his older car. At the time he’d chosen it, taking his old Honda sedan seemed the best course. It was a Honda and had always been a good car to him, despite all the miles on it, and his new BMW was…well, new. He didn’t want to put a lot of wear and tear on it.

Only now, as the weather turned colder—when had the heater given out anyway—and the clouds above him thicker, Geoff imagined the old car making all kinds of weird noises. If it started to snow and the Honda quit on him, he would be seriously fucked.

Or more fucked.

He was on his way to Big Bear and Jezebel’s cabin for an extended sabbatical. She’d given him permission to stay in the family cabin for as long as he needed. He had no clue how long he needed.

His boss at the hospital, the head of Neurology, had advised him to take two months off. He hadn’t wanted to go, but it had been strongly suggested he either take the sabbatical or look for a new hospital.

Ouch.

Geoff knew his bedside manner could take some getting used to, but he hadn’t realized things had gotten that bad before he’d been talked to. No one at the hospital liked him anymore, he’d been told. There had been not so discreet questions about drug use—Geoff didn’t—and alcoholism. He had been drinking more than usual, but he wasn’t an alcoholic, of that he was certain.

So, what had caused his breakdown? Stress for sure. He’d lost a young patient to brain cancer—a patient for whom he had really come to care. He’d gotten the lecture from the head of Neurology then that he had to step back and not take everything so seriously, but it had rocked Geoff. There’d also been his brief affair with Micah Florentine, a nurse at the hospital. Geoff had admittedly fallen far more for Micah than the guy had for him. Which was not at all. Micah wanted nothing from Geoff but sex, and then had turned around and fallen for another doctor at the hospital, Linus Montgomery.

Ouch.

And then his dog had died and the plumbing in his house had needed fixing, which had cost a fortune. It had been one thing after another. Apparently, Geoff had let it affect his work.

Thank God for Jezebel Michels, his friend since they were kids living across from each other growing up. Once upon a time, before Geoff gave up pretending he wasn’t gay, he and Jez had even been boyfriend and girlfriend in high school. She was the first person he told when he came out, partly because she was his best friend and soon-to-be former girlfriend, and partly because it was Jez’s little brother, Adrian, with whom Geoff had fallen desperately in love.

But those days were painful and didn’t last. Geoff had moved on. But he’d still stayed friends with Jez, who’d thankfully offered the cabin to him.

He’d come prepared clothing-wise for snow, if it happened, even chains for his tires, if needed. But he was not prepared to breakdown. He only hoped the sounds he heard really had been imagined.

Geoff white-knuckled it the whole way to Big Bear, but finally reached the town. The Honda seemed to be all right after all, and as darkness crept ever closer, Geoff remembered Jez told him he would have to go to the grocery store for food as the cabin was not kept stocked.

He made a stop at the local chain store, situated not too far from the Michels’ family cabin, and purchased food supplies for a week. Beyond that, he would decide when the week was over if he wanted to prolong his stay here.

The cabin bore little resemblance to one made of logs or even one of those found at a National Park. It was large, two-stories, and as Geoff recalled from his two times there