A Ring and a Promise

By Devon Rhodes

Careers in military service are never easy on relationships—even less so when both lovers are in different branches...and both are men.

Naval Academy graduation now under their belts, Cary Barrientos knows the reality of the upcoming separation from his roommate of the past four years. Owen is more to him than just his best friend—he is the one person Cary can see spending his life with.

Owen Marsh knew that when he became Cary's lover, the day would come when he would have to walk away. Now that day has come, and he's having a hard time convincing himself that it's just sex between them. Even with DADT repealed, there is no way a Marine and a Navy flier can be together. He's just being realistic not expecting more.

When Cary switches their Academy rings, hoping Owen won't notice, he makes a vow—he will do whatever he has to do, including believing enough for the both of them, to make their unlikely relationship stand the test of time. But when his Marine is called up for duty overseas, can a piece of jewellery and a promise be enough to get them through?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pride Publishing
• Release date: Feb 13, 2012
• ISBN: 9780857158796

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A Totally Bound Publication

A Ring and a Promise

ISBN # 978-0-85715-879-6

©Copyright Devon Rhodes 2012

Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright January 2012

Edited by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

Totally Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorized or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2012 by Totally Bound Publishing, Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road, Lincoln, LN6 3QN

Warning:

This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Totally Burning and a Sexometer of 1.

A RING AND A PROMISE

Devon Rhodes

Careers in military service are never easy on relationships—even less so when both lovers are in different branches…and both are men.

Naval Academy graduation now under their belts, Cary Barrientos knows the reality of the upcoming separation from his roommate of the past four years. Owen is more to him than just his best friend—he is the one person Cary can see spending his life with.

Owen Marsh knew that when he became Cary’s lover, the day would come when he would have to walk away. Now that day has come, and he’s having a hard time convincing himself that it’s just sex between them. Even with DADT repealed, there is no way a Marine and a Navy flier can be together. He's just being realistic not expecting more.

When Cary switches their Academy rings, hoping Owen won't notice, he makes a vow—he will do whatever he has to do, including believing enough for the both of them, to make their unlikely relationship stand the test of time. But when his Marine is called up for duty overseas, can a piece of jewellery and a promise be enough to get them through?

Dedication

To all current and former servicemen and women,

Thank you.

And since I was raised a Navy brat…

Fly Navy!

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmark mentioned in this work of fiction:

Care Bear: American Greetings

Chapter One

Cary felt a trickle of sweat rolling down the centre of his back as he and his uniformed classmates baked on the unseasonably warm day. At least five hours they’d been out in the sun, but the end was finally in sight as the Second Lieutenant was welcomed back to the stage.

The surge of excitement in the group was palpable as the class was told to rise. Everyone knew what was coming next. Various scattered cheers broke out as they all stood, hats in hand. Under the pretence of stretching, Cary craned his neck and was barely able to see the service dress blues of his best friend two rows behind him and a considerable distance to the left. But try as he might, he couldn’t manage to see Owen’s face. Cary’s own summer whites at least had a shot at reflecting the sun. Owen must be sweltering in his dark Marines uniform.

Cary had seen him standing tall above the other graduates earlier as all the Marines had risen for their commissioning, pride and intensity radiating from the face he knew as well as his own. The moment before he’d retaken his seat, Owen’s gaze had zeroed in on his for a brief moment, a reconnection Cary had welcomed at the end of a busy, hectic week.

Cary sighed. Pretty pathetic to be missing him already with so much separation ahead of them. It was only a handful of hours and a hundred feet of distance right now. The enforced intimacy of sharing quarters for four years was going to abruptly end—way sooner than Cary was prepared for.

I propose three cheers for those we leave behind! Hip, hip—

Hooray! Cary shouted with the rest of the graduates.

Hip, hip—

Hooray! He tensed in preparation.

Hip, hip—

Hooray! Cary released all of the excitement of the day and uncertainty about the future in a huge upwards heave of his arm. Over one thousand hats flew into the air then smiling people were embracing and congratulating each other all around him.

Without the structure of the orderly rows of seats, when Cary looked back again, he could no longer pick Owen out of the crowd. Usually his friend and classmate’s height made him instantly recognisable, but then again, there were a lot of tall soon-to-be-Marines out here today…

We did it, Care Bear. The familiar low whisper in his ear was accompanied by a firm clasp to his shoulder.

A breath gushed from him in relief. He graciously finished shaking hands with a female middie near him before he span around and thumped up against Owen in a fierce hug. He couldn’t think of another occasion where he’d be able to hold his lover in public—the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ notwithstanding—and unashamedly took advantage of the rare opportunity.

Owen tensed for a second then curled his body to pull Cary in as close as possible, the muscles he took pride in maintaining flexing and rippling under his dark uniform. Cary closed his eyes and gave himself up to that strength. Just another minute…

Hands closed

Reviews for A Ring and a Promise

[jules0623 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful. :)

[serenayates · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a beautiful story! It is a great mix between the ‘rough and tough’ kind of love two military men might share and some extremely tender and intimate moments that were far more romantic than I had expected. As sweet as those moments are, they are never unrealistic. Control of their feelings is so engrained in these guys that deviating from what they had to practice for years while in training together doesn’t even change once they are stationed separately and can only meet very occasionally.

Carey, the Navy guy, knows and admits he is in love with Owen almost from the start. He is the one who pursues his roommate until they become more, he is the one who comes up with this incredibly romantic idea of switching their rings. Interestingly, this doesn’t make him a sap, he is simply more honest with himself.

Owen is a tough Marine, inside and out. I think he is in love long before he admits it, and, not knowing what to do with those feelings at first, he lets his concern for Carey guide his actions. At least, that is what he calls it. Once he does figure out what is what, his response to the exchanged rings, years later, brought tears to my eyes.

This is a wonderful, contemporary story that shows the reality of military life, even in times after the DADT repeal. The heroes are very much in love, but it is the kind of enduring emotion that makes me hope they really will get their happy-ever-after one day. If you like men in uniform showing their feelings, if you want realistic love without syrupy sweetness but are not willing to compromise on the romance, and if you don’t mind shedding tear or two when they finally fully connect, you will like this story as much as I did.



NOTE: This book was provided by Total-E-Bound for the purpose of a review on QMO Books.