Careless Whisper: I'm Your Man, #2

By Andrea Dalling

Can love cure the hurts of a shattered past?

 

Mason needs a break from adulting. Between his job, his art, and his overprotective family, he can barely find time for his rugged new boyfriend Rhy. While pursuing a graphic arts career, Mason works for his mom to pay the bills and can't escape her running commentary on his life. Despite his efforts to shield Rhy from her meddling, her careless words put their relationship at risk. Mason knows it's time to break free of her interference, and he'll do whatever it takes to win Rhy back.

 

Rhy loves Mason, but it's hard for him to trust. After his parents kicked him out because of his orientation, he survived through grit and self-reliance. Now, he discovers that Mason hasn't been open with him. Maybe Mason isn't the man Rhy thought he was—or maybe Rhy doesn't deserve unconditional love. Is it time to get out before he gets hurt again? Or if he risks his heart, could Mason be the key to his dreams of building a new family?

 

This steamy M/M romance has a happy ending and no cliffhanger.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LoveLight Press
• Release date: Apr 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9798201736712

Andrea Dalling

Andrea Dalling lives in the sexy Southeast U.S., where the summers are hot and the romance hotter. She loves to torture her characters but eventually rewards them with a happily-ever-after.  Married to her college sweetheart, she's an ally and an advocate for LGBT rights. When she's not writing, she enjoys gardening at her Raleigh home and scuba diving in the clear blue waters of the Caribbean.  You can follow her on Facebook (andrea.dalling.romance) or on Twitter (@Andrea_Dalling). For news about upcoming releases, sign up at http://eepurl.com/00WxP or visit her website at http://andreadalling.com. Want free books? Sign up for her ARC Club to receive advance reader copies. http://eepurl.com/2c4DH

Book preview

About This Book

Can love cure the hurts of a shattered past?

Mason needs a break from adulting. Between his job, his art, and his overprotective family, he can barely find time for his rugged new boyfriend Rhy. While pursuing a graphic arts career, Mason works for his mom to pay the bills and can't escape her running commentary on his life. Despite his efforts to shield Rhy from her meddling, her careless words put their relationship at risk. Mason knows it's time to break free of her interference, and he'll do whatever it takes to win Rhy back.

Rhy loves Mason, but it’s hard for him to trust. After his parents kicked him out because of his orientation, he survived through grit and and self-reliance. Now, he discovers that Mason hasn’t been open with him. Maybe Mason isn't the man Rhy thought he was—or maybe Rhy doesn't deserve unconditional love. Is it time to get out before he gets hurt again? Or if he risks his heart, could Mason be the key to his dreams of building a new family?

This steamy M/M romance has a happy ending and no cliffhanger.

Chapter 1

Mason Kane stared at his mother as she sat behind her desk looking nonchalant, as if her request were the most casual thing in the world. And maybe it would have been in most cases. But this situation wasn’t normal, and she knew it.

You want me to what?

She crossed her legs and relaxed against the back of her chair, a black-padded executive model befitting her position as owner of a prestigious real estate firm. Ask Rhy to join us for church on Easter Sunday.

Mason turned over the idea in his mind, the knot in his stomach tightening. Invite Rhy to church, after what his so-called Christian parents had put him through. It felt like a betrayal, like the single most insensitive thing he could do to his boyfriend. They’d only been dating a few weeks, and Mason didn’t want to push him.

You know I can’t do that, he said to his mother.

Of course you can.

He bit his cheek. Why was she putting him in this position? He hated being caught in the middle, trying to balance what other people wanted. There’s a very good reason he doesn’t go to church.

Which has nothing to do with us, or our church.

Mason closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his rapid heartbeat. Yes, he’d been raised in a progressive church that had performed same-sex marriage ceremonies long before the courts affirmed them. But would Rhy care about that? I doubt he’d see it that way.

You won’t know unless you ask.

He shook his head, the tension in his neck rising. It wasn’t fair to Rhy. Maybe when the two knew each other better, when he could judge better how Rhy would feel about it, he could raise the subject. But now was too soon. "I’m not going to bring up something that painful just because you think going to church is good for business."

Mason, she scolded. "Give me more credit. Rhy needs a sense of family. Our family goes to church together on Easter Sunday. I would prefer that you and your sisters came to church every Sunday—"

Please don’t start with that again, Mason said. I’ve been baptized. My immortal soul is in no danger.

"At least talk to Rhy. You have to get over your fear of confrontation someday."

Anger burned hot in the pit of his stomach and rose into his chest. I’m not afraid of confrontation. What if church is a trigger for him? I don’t want to put him through that for no good reason.

That’s an excuse. If you want to have a serious relationship with this man, you can’t tiptoe around all the possible triggers. They’re endless.

Mason ran his fingers through his hair. He hated to admit it, but she was right about that. Still, Rhy had very good reason for never wanting to step inside a church again. He wouldn’t knowingly put the man into a painful situation.

My mind is made up. The answer is no.

Oh, Mason...Will you at least invite him to dinner afterward?

His mom never quit—it was too early in the relationship to expect Rhy to come to a family dinner. What if I have to work?

On Easter?

Not everyone celebrates Easter.

I’m your boss. You have my permission to take the day off. In fact, I insist.

Mason shook his head. Now that he was working for his mother, it seemed she was trying to run his personal and his professional life. But he had already pushed her far enough for one day. May as well let her have this one. Okay. I’ll invite Rhy for Easter dinner. But if he says no, I won’t pressure him.

Of course not. You act as if I’m some sort of a monster. I’m trying to help Rhy get over his trauma, not to cause more.

Mason let the words sink in, and had to concede they were true. His mother might not be the warmest person, but she was certainly compassionate. She was the first one to arrive with a casserole at a wake, the first to donate to a worthy cause.

The fact that it was good for business just happened to be a perk.

His mother had owned the real estate agency for fifteen years. She considered it to be the heart of the community. After all, what could be more important than helping families choose the home where they would raise their children?

So Mason, unable to find a graphic arts job after he graduated college, had gone to work for her. He loved interacting with people, but hated the hours. Fortunately, Rhy was a freelance web designer and could work his schedule around Mason’s.

The only problem was the distance. Mason lived in a loft downtown, while Rhy’s home was thirty minutes away in a woodland cabin halfway up the nearest mountain.

Rhy planned to sell it and buy a place closer to town—in fact, that was how he and Mason had met. But the only offer that had come in so far was well under asking price. Rhy wasn’t willing to sell the cabin his grandfather had built for less than it was worth. Mason supported him in that. But the traveling back and forth was taking its toll. Neither of them liked wasting time, and the hour-long round-trip to see each other definitely did not feel like a good use of time.

But it was only temporary, Mason reminded himself. Once the sale of the cabin was under contract, Rhy could buy a house in the suburbs. With his smart, sexy boyfriend living nearby, Mason’s life would be perfect.

Until then, he would have to make the best of a difficult situation.

CAN’T YOU MAKE IT FLASHIER?

Rhy Burroughs stared across the table at his client—or more accurately, his client’s son, Brock. The guy was thin with skinny jeans, shaggy blond hair, and wire-rimmed glasses. Your father specifically asked for something understated, Rhy said. That was the word he used.

Yeah, but this isn’t understated. It’s boring.

Rhy clenched his teeth. The dude was a poser, but Rhy had to be polite. Your father has already approved the design.

Yeah, but he’s, like, fifty. He doesn’t understand what millennials want.

Obviously Rhy wasn’t going to win in a theoretical argument with Brock. The guy understood nothing about design. Rhy decided to tease out more information—maybe a simple concession would shut the guy up. "Was there something specific