Handle With Care
By Liz Winters
3.5/5
()
About this ebook
If he didn't have bad luck with men Dean would have no luck at all, so he's surprised when he finds himself inviting a handsome tree lot operator he'd just met over for a Christmas Eve dinner. He's even more surprised when Gabe accepts the invitation. Will this just be two men sharing a holiday meal or will Gabe be that special someone Dean thought he'd never find?
This gay romance contains graphic depictions of sexual situations between consenting adult men and is not intended for readers under the age of 18 in the USA or the legal age for mature subject matter in other jurisdictions.
Liz Winters
Hi, I'm Liz Winters and I write m/m romance and gay fiction for both mature and YA audiences. Although I wish I could write full time, unfortunately I spend my days in a corporate cubicle, watching the clock and waiting for that magic hour when I can head home and get back to writing my stories. When I'm not writing, I'm often reading, and if the book on my kindle isn't m/m romance or gay lit (or, on occasion, gay themed non--fiction with some Porn-Without-Plot homoerotica thrown in for research purposes only *wink, wink* - lol!), then it is most likely something about zombies. I'm also a bit of a movie and TV junkie and I love to travel with my husband of 15 years around the United States, the Caribbean and Europe.My reading and writing crosses subgenres, but I prefer contemporary stories and I don't necessarily need a happy ending, just the right ending. I like characters who feel real, which means that they are usually slightly flawed. I'm a sucker for a main character who is a little bit insecure, whether he has reason to be or not.I value reader feedback and hope to hear from readers at lizwintersmm@gmail.com. I'm also very grateful for all constructive reviews. However, I have a policy of not responding directly to reviews, good or bad, so if you have a question that needs a response please contact me via e-mail.
Related to Handle With Care
Related ebooks
The Blueprint Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMade For Him Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAbout a Bottoms (a Trilogy) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Mechanic and the Surgeon: Collins Avenue Confidential, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPeach Tree Life (Gay Romance) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Season's Beatings Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummer City: Part 9 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNo Regrets Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDropping In Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChristmas Craic and Mistletoe Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Death By C*ck Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsComfort Zone Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEdge Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnexpected Lee Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSo Let Us Rejoice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Back to School: College Try, #3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDivas Las Vegas Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Model Christmas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFinding Him (Box Set) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5His Guilty Secret Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A Midnight Thanksgiving (Gay Romance) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRelease Me Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Dancing with the Tide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAdmiring Jesse Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Forever Soulmates: A Steamy Gay Romance Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5January Thaw Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Colby.... Conflicted (Studs & Steel #9) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Jealous Guy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Hesitant Husband Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCover Me in Chocolate Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Gay Fiction For You
Coming Out: 14 Erotica Closet Gay Bundle Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Anyone for a Threesome? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Marvellous Light Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Him: Him, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Priory of the Orange Tree Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5White Trash Warlock Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tales of the City: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Us: Him, #2 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Reality of Us Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summer Sons Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Young Mungo Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lie With Me: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Faggots Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pomegranate: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Kiss Her Once for Me: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The World of Normal Boys Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ghost Wall: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Silver in the Wood Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just by Looking at Him: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5These Violent Delights: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The House of Impossible Beauties: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Persian Boy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ghost Town Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Cabin at the End of the World: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jonny Appleseed Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5We the Animals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Exquisite Corpse Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Lush and Seething Hell: Two Tales of Cosmic Horror Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5We Are Water: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Handle With Care
7 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Handle With Care - Liz Winters
.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Dedication and Thanks
Book Blurb
About the Author
Other Works
Handle With Care
By Liz Winters
Copyright 2012 Liz Winters
Smashwords Edition
This is a work of fiction. Characters and places are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual events, places or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase as additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.
Cover created by Liz Winters
Model photograph copyright gpointstudio and chaoss via Fotolia
Model photographs are used for illustration purposes only. The author does not know the models or their sexual orientations.
Dedication and Thanks
To my husband, for his unwavering love and support of all my crazy schemes.
Many friends helped me to improve this story along the way and to work up the courage to self-publish. Thank you John, Maureen, Natalie, Maura, Dawn, Sylvia and my editor, Alice!
Book Blurb
If he didn't have bad luck with men Dean would have no luck at all, so he's surprised when he finds himself inviting a handsome tree lot operator he'd just met over for a Christmas Eve dinner. He's even more surprised when Gabe accepts the invitation. Will this just be two men sharing a holiday meal or will Gabe be that special someone Dean thought he'd never find?
This gay romance contains graphic depictions of sexual situations between consenting adult men and is not intended for readers under the age of 18 in the USA or the legal age for mature subject matter in other jurisdictions.
Handle With Care
Are you sure you don't want to come over for dinner tonight or tomorrow, Dean? I’m cooking for an army already, so it’s no trouble. I know it's not the same as Christmas with your family, but at least you won’t be by yourself.
Bundled up in a heavy winter coat, my assistant stood next to me in the reception area of our strip mall storefront office as I set the security alarm. It was Christmas Eve and everyone else had gone home almost as soon as the early dismissal e-mail from headquarters hit our in-boxes. Marjorie, however, had stayed behind to ensure there was nothing I needed before I officially closed down the office.
Thank you. I appreciate the invitation, but I couldn’t intrude on your family celebration,
I refused politely. Marjorie meant well, but she didn’t know that this year I had deliberately used work as an excuse not to go back to Buffalo for the holidays. And while being alone on Christmas wasn’t going to be a highlight of my life, having to make small talk with a bunch of strangers would be no better than spending Christmas with my well-meaning but judgmental family.
You wouldn’t be intruding at all. In fact, you’d be doing us all a favor if you took a turn listening to my Uncle Walter’s stories. He’s a Word War II vet, you know, one the very few still with us,
Marjorie made one last ditch effort to change my mind, using powerful ammunition. She knew I was a military history buff and volunteered every other weekend at the VFW to help with taxes and financial issues. The vets were eager to share their stories and appreciated a listening ear as much if not more than the accounting help, and their recollections were more than sufficient compensation for my time. Even if Marjorie was right about her Uncle Walter, though, there was a world of difference between listening to stories at a VFW hall, and horning in on a family Christmas.
You’re not playing fair, Marjorie,
I chastised in a falsely playful tone. I’d love to meet your Uncle Walter, but perhaps some other time. I already have plans of sorts for the holiday,
I gave her a smile that hinted at activities she wouldn’t want to ask about. Thankfully, she had always respected the boundaries I drew between work and home, and this was no exception. Recognizing the futility of further arguments, she gave me a resigned smile.
I’ll see you Monday, then. Merry Christmas!
she offered as we exited the building and I locked the front doors.
Merry Christmas to you, too, and your family. Have them help you with the work and make sure you take some time to relax!
I admonished. Marjorie just laughed and we both moved in the direction of our cars, parked on opposite sides of the small parking lot.
The sky was already overcast, a layer of clouds rolling in ahead of the imminent blizzard. I had always loved snow. Growing up, I awaited the first snowfall the way other kids awaited Christmas. I never grew tired of it, even when my father eventually saddled me with the bulk of snow removal duties. But now, just as nature was about to deliver a white Christmas of everyone’s dreams, I couldn’t get excited. For an adult, the beauty