Haunted Embraces

By Alexander Verlangen

Isaac is a new recruit at the most prestigious soccer team on the East Coast. He has one goal: to not make a fool of himself. Everything falls apart when he does just that.

Jackson, his stunningly attractive Australian rival on the team, is furious at his performance. Cameron, the charming British team captain, is dedicated to settling their feud. Jackson dares Isaac to last one day with them in a haunted mansion.

Inside the haunted mansion, things are ghostly. Three poltergeists that look exactly like them are up to something. So are Jackson and Cameron, who are opposites in every way. Cameron is kind and caring. Jackson is passionate and stubborn. Yet Isaac finds himself confused, wanting both of them.

Can they manage to explore their electric chemistry and survive?

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Oct 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9781685505271

Book preview

Chapter 1

Isaac stumbled over the curb, his feet catching against the cement step. The entrance was booming with the voices of college students. Parents hugged their children goodbye. Not that his parents were among them. They had shipped his belongings to the dorm and didn’t bother with a farewell.

The college was as he remembered. The dorm was surrounded by a large garden with leafless cherry blossoms. The brick building was rustic. Isaac appreciated the historical architecture. He ran his hands through his thick black hair, excited to be in his new home. There was a large purple flag hanging from the entrance.

Isaac didn’t love the shark that was on the flag. Nor did he love his sports jacket that bore the same grimacing shark. He did love that this school had several toned athletes. Many of them were shirtless, playing volleyball on the quad. He was happy to enjoy the college life. Even if it was October and he would have to return to his family for the holidays.

A cluster of muscular athletes whispered as he passed them. They were tanned and beautiful. His skin was pale compared to those who surrounded him.

It’s the new kid on the soccer team, one of the college juniors said, noticing him.

Soccer was life here. Everyone watched. Everyone cared. His recruitment to the best soccer team on the East Coast was the only thing that made his family proud.

He was a last-minute recruit. An injury knocked the previous goalie out. They needed a replacement. He left the university he had attended in New York and fled here.

Isaac sighed and pushed through the crowd into the brick building. The hallway was what one would expect of a college dorm, chipped white paint and the smell of alcohol and men. He opened the door to his room to be greeted by the same cracked walls. He had insisted on not sharing a bedroom with anyone. His parents relented and allowed him to live in an apartment-style dorm.

He placed his boxes of books down and began trying to organize them. He had brought a ridiculous amount of literature. He stacked the books carefully by genre. Each book had notations with his thoughts.

A creaking wooden bed, an old dresser, and a desk filled the tiny and cramped room. Isaac’s boxes hardly fit. He collapsed on the bed and looked down at his phone. It was time for his first practice.

Don’t make a fool of yourself, Isaac muttered to himself.

He looked in the mirror. He had the traditional soccer body. Lean and thin with some muscle. Though, he wished he were more muscular. His black hair had a natural wave to it. He was taller than most men. He wished he had a different eye color. His were the color of honey. Isaac found them dull.

He changed into his soccer uniform. The shirt hung from his chest. Isaac hoped his thin frame and abs would get some attention from his teammates. He was hoping for a college romance.

The shorts were tight, cutting against his thighs. He’d have to ask for new ones. He summoned his courage. He knew how these teams worked. Everything was about proving yourself. He’d have to show his worth.

* * * *

Fuck, Isaac muttered to himself. The practice had been a nightmare. He had been at his new college for less than a day. Already he had made an enemy. Two jocks walked toward him. Both looked at him differently. The first looked at him with gentleness and the other with contempt.

For October, the day was warm. Isaac sat outside his dorm room on the grass. It was itchier than he would have liked. He wasn’t