Finding Sun an Mm Romance

By Nikki-Jo Mars

A novel about awakening, love and finding your purpose in life. Cyrus Galloway thought he had his life figured out. He lived within the lines he drew. He was comfortable. Little did he know that one chance encounter with the enigmatic Renshu Lue Sue would change his life forever. How can you alter what you know about yourself and the history you've been taught? How can you unlearn that which you have ingrained in your soul? Who can you trust when long buried secrets emerge? Find out in this journey of awakening and love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Nov 26, 2017
• ISBN: 9781387397860

Book preview

Finding Sun an Mm Romance

Finding Sun

An MM Romance

By Nikki-Jo Mars

Disclaimer

Finding Sun is a work of fiction. Names, character, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This book contains sexually explicit material of male/male relationships.

Copyright © Joanne Reid-Haynes

All rights reserved

ISBN: 978-1-387-39786-0

Warning: All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without written permission, except for brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain is investigated by the police and is punishable by fine or imprisonment.

Contact the publisher for further information.

Cover art by Joanne Reid-Haynes.

Awakening -Chapter 1

He sat outside in the sun, his arms cradling his head, his eyes closed, his exposed skin tingling absorbing the sun’s heat, warming his clothes where he was covered. Today was the perfect day - sun shining brightly in the clear blue sky, not a cloud to make shadows, a slight breeze to cool the sweat running freely on his skin. He inhaled a large breath and heaved a contented sigh. The icing on the cake would be if he had someone to share it with, someone to feel the same contentment and peace he had found in his quiet spot in the garden, off the beaten track where no one else had come in all his years coming here since he found it. This spot, right here, was his own hidden gem in the oft traversed Botanical Garden.

Time flew by cocooned in this quiet piece of heaven on earth. If he walked five minutes in any direction he would meet civilization, but right now the only sounds he heard were the rustling of the trees and the twittering of birds, no sounds of cars or people penetrated this spot. He sighed again and pulled out his phone to check the time. Damn! Lunch was over already, time to get back to the grind. He got up and stretched, rolled down his sleeves, buttoned his cuffs, collected his jacket from the grass, shook off the bits stuck to his pants and collected his trash. He would get rid of it at the office. He started the short walk to his car to get back to the office.

He made it a point to never be in the office at lunch. He was on call most nights and weekends so lunch time was solely his. That hour whichever hour that broke up his eight hour shifts he would spend, as far as he was able, in his sanctuary and he had never been disturbed, not even by cell. He told his work colleagues that the world wouldn’t end if he wasn’t there for one hour. Everything ticked on just fine when he was off shift and would tick on just fine for the one hour he took lunch when he was on shift.

He drove smoothly and carefully to his office and reclaimed his spot in the car park. He unfurled himself from the vehicle and walked to the elevators and punched in his floor. Once the stainless steel doors smoothed open he walked to the end of the row, nodded to his assistant Ross and sat behind his desk. He tapped the mouse to wake up his computer and started to scroll through the status reports generated while he was out. There were a few items that required his attention. He lost himself in reviewing the programming back-end that was his purview. The phone ringing startled him.

Mr. Galloway, in my office, please. Though it was worded as a request he knew it was an order.

Yes, sir. He hung up and locked his computer before heading to his boss’ office across the way. He knocked and entered after speaking with Nadine, the boss’ gatekeeper.

Mr. Galloway, I know what your schedule is tomorrow, but I need you to come in for 8:00 a.m. I realize it will be difficult, but your presence is absolutely required.

He hadn’t even sat before this pronouncement. He felt his anger rising at the interruption of his carefully planned schedule. Damn! So many things to shift to make the appointment! He fought to maintain his calm façade. He pulled his hands behind his back and clasped them together in a tight fist. He hated his schedule changing at the last minute. He wasn’t exactly OCD but it threw him off to make changes so suddenly. He breathed deeply trying to swallow his frustration while his boss looked at him expectantly.

Of course, sir, I’ll be here if it is absolutely required. He made sure to emphasize the necessity of the requirement. His boss examined him closely some more before dismissing him.

You may go ahead and make the required changes to your schedule. See you in the morning. With that his boss went back to the documents on his desk. He let himself out of the office and gave a curt nod to Nadine. No one stopped him on the way to his office, he figured his face would be picture of stay the fuck away!

Ross, show me the roster! he said as he passed his assistant. Ross jumped up with a tablet and brought it to him opening the rotating schedule of those under his supervision. Who could he change that would be fair to everyone?

Call Steve, tell him I need to switch tomorrow. He’s the least likely to be upset by the change. Tell him I’ll give him an extra day off next month.

Ross double checked his logic, nodded and made the adjustment to the schedule. Anything else?

No. I’ll be leaving shortly. I’ll see you at 8 tomorrow morning. Ross was too much of a professional to balk at that announcement.

Ross left to make the call and he woke his computer again to check the progress of the programming he was working on. He had it in a virtual environment testing it before he presented it to the boss. It was supposed to improve the integration of the systems and make the company run more efficiently but there was a glitch that he was trying to fix. No matter the permutation of the command prompts it wouldn’t function as he wanted it. Just that one glitch he couldn’t figure out, couldn’t control was driving him crazy. Some days he wondered if he should just chuck the whole thing and start over. He rubbed his hand over his face and shut everything down.

He picked up his satchel and dropped some files in it with print outs of the day’s reports, collected his tablet for remote monitoring of the system and left the office. With the change of his schedule he would have to go to the gym tonight and see his mother since he wouldn’t be able to do it in the morning.

He pushed himself through his workout and hurried through a shower to make it to the Hospice before the nurses gave his mother the pills to help her sleep. He wanted to make sure she knew he was there since his schedule was changed and he didn’t want her upset too much by it.

He pulled into the car park and hurried though the doors.

Hey Maxine, how is she today? Cyrus asked with a polite smile as he stepped up to the reception desk.

The nurse at the desk smiled at him in her usual matronly manner. Didn’t expect to see you today Cyrus, but she’d had a good day, Maxine replied.

He gave another small smile and let his long legs carry him to his mother’s door. The nurses all knew him. His mother had been here for nearly ten years; age and illness ravishing her once vibrant beauty. His father was long since dead and he had no extended family that he knew of on either side since they were both only children born to aged parents. His mother was the only family he had left.

He walked into his mother’s room, the smell of some floral powder tried to mask the scent of decay that hung around his mother. She was sitting in her chair looking out the window to the courtyard below.

Good evening, mother. Would you like a walk in the garden? he said coming to press a kiss to her forehead.

Ah, Cyrus, my son, stop teasing, you know I cannot leave this room. Your father is coming to get me soon and I must be ready. Help me with my shawl.

He looked around the room and spotted the afghan she had forever. She’d told him it was one of the very first things his father bought her when they were courting. Its blue stripes fading to match the white, the fibers smooth from many washings, patches where the fabric frayed and his mother tried to repair unable and unwilling to relinquish it to the rubbish heap.

His parent’s relationship had been a happy one. Being their only child he spent more time with them than his friends had with theirs. There were many family outings and so much love. His mother’s sun rose and set with his father’s presence. When he died he saw his mother become a shadow of her former self and it hurt his heart. He was not unchanged either. Her loss convinced him to shut his heart and attempt to control everything around him. He knew it was false -his sense of control- but he had to try or he would go mad from the grief that threatened to engulf him with every breath he took.

He gently laid the shawl over his mother’s shoulders and felt the bones under the thin film of skin. Lately his mother felt more bone than flesh. He would ask about her eating and see what could be done to increase her appetite, but he knew on her bad days she would refuse food. In the past month she had more bad days than good.

Has your schedule changed? I know you hate it when your schedule changes. He smiled. She was having a really good day if she remembered his schedule.

Yes mother. I won’t be coming in tomorrow so I came tonight. If we can’t go for a walk in the garden then, perhaps, a game of rummy? I promise to let you win.

Bah, she swatted his hand at her shoulder. You’re a card shark like your father. Never could win with him, but the forfeits were always pleasant.

He made a choking sound. Ghah! Please don’t regale me with tales of my father’s prowess. It’s enough to know you consummated at least once to have me and I’ll be glad to believe you never did it again!

Their playful banter eased his heart as he sat opposite her pulling the pack of cards from the draw in her bedside table bringing the moveable food tray between them and adjusting the height to make play easier. He sat and expertly shuffled the deck, then proceeded to deal and begin the game.

They kept to mundane topics and by the third hand he could see his mother was tired.

Should I call Maxine to help you to bed? he said when she nodded off for the fourth time in as many minutes.

She looked at him, eyes unfocused and he knew she was disconnecting. It hurt as it always did when she looked at him in confusion.

Myles? she asked in a weak quivering voice. Is it time for bed, darling? Have you quite finished robbing me?

He swallowed pass the knot in his throat and started collecting the cards, ignoring the stinging behind his eyes. He knew he should expect it, but it was becoming harder and harder to act normally when she went back in the past forgetting him. He cleared his throat to speak.

Come let’s get you to bed. He stood and took her hand and taking her weight, guided her to the bed. He pulled back the duvet to get her settled then pulled it firmly over her till she gripped the edge in her boney fingers. He kissed her forehead again and sighed.

I’ll see you in two days, please be nice to the nurses. he was finding it extremely difficult to talk past the lump in his throat but managed to