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  “Paradise Found”

  M/M Gay Romance

  David Horne

  © 2018

  David Horne

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is intended for Adults (ages 18+) only. The contents may be offensive to some readers. It may contain graphic language, explicit sexual content, and adult situations. May contain scenes of unprotected sex. Please do not read this book if you are offended by content as mentioned above or if you are under the age of 18.

  Please educate yourself on safe sex practices before making potentially life-changing decisions about sex in real life. If you’re not sure where to start, see here: http://www.jerrycoleauthor.com/safe-sex-resources/ (courtesy of Jerry Cole).

  This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Products or brand names mentioned are trademarks of their respective holders or companies. The cover uses licensed images and are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any person(s) that may be depicted on the cover are simply models.

  Edition v1.00 (2018.05.28)

  http://www.DavidHorneauthor.com

  Special thanks to the following volunteer readers who helped with proofreading: Elryc Caledon, Judy M. and those who assisted but wished to be anonymous. Thank you so much for your support.

  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Free Book “Princes of Westlake”

  Chapter One

  The huge hall was filled with people. Ties had been left on chairs. Empty wine bottles stood like silent guardians on tables. Shirts had been unbuttoned, and high-heeled shoes had been left behind. The air was heavy with romance and laughter. The DJ pumped out old favorites, lifting everyone's spirits into the stratosphere. Intoxicated on wine and romance, everyone around Simon was drifting away into a hazy paradise. The real world was on hold for an evening, pushed aside by this small event. An event that didn't mean much in the grand scheme of things. To the stars that twinkled down on them all, they were nothing and didn't matter, but to those present it was the most important day in the world, especially for Jackie and Bob. To Simon it was different though. It was just another reminder that he was alone.

  Perhaps it was selfish of him to think about himself when it was their day. Jackie had looked beautiful in her long white dress, glowing like only brides and pregnant women could do. Bob looked handsomer than Simon had ever seen him, eschewing his usual plaid shirt and baseball cap for a tuxedo. His appearance elicited a swell of erotic thought from Simon, but he put a stop to that before it could get too distracting. It was bad form to fantasize about a man on his wedding day, and it was only the suit that had done it. Bob was most definitely not Simon's type.

  Laughter swelled as people bounced up and down on the balls of their feet, throwing their hands up in the air. Jackie and Bob were throwing themselves into the music. The playlist had been made up entirely of their favorite songs. This was their day. This was their time. Simon wondered if his was ever going to come.

  “You know, this is a wedding, I don't think you're allowed to be looking so glum,” Amy said as she twirled and wrapped her arms around Simon's shoulders. Her sweet perfume mingled with the musk of her sweat. Most men would probably kill for the chance to be this close to Amy. It was surprising that their dance hadn't been interrupted yet, but it was just another day for Simon.

  “I'm sorry. I think I've had a bit too much to drink. Maybe I should go and sit down for a little while,” Simon said. He began to pull away. Amy tightened her grip.

  “No way. I'm not letting you go that easily. You can be sad later. Right now you have to be happy. Weddings are a happy place, and you owe it to Jackie and Bob to put your own feelings aside. The last thing they want to see is someone being miserable at their wedding.”

  Simon glanced over to see Bob dipping Jackie.

  “I don't think they're paying much attention to anyone other than themselves,” Simon said.

  “Even so, it's just not done. Now then, are you going to tell me what's on your mind or are we going to dance?”

  “I guess we could do both.”

  “Actually, first, let me guess,” Amy slurred. Her eyes were dazed. She and Simon had shared a bottle of wine, although she had shared it more than Simon and now the effects were evident. “I'm going to say that you're sad because you don't think you're ever going to have a day like this yourself.”

  “Something like that. Maybe it's cliched, but I can't help but look around and be sad that I don't have anything like this.”

  “You should focus on getting a boyfriend first. Don't get ahead of yourself. Have you seen anyone here? I find it funny really. I've always been told that weddings are a great place to meet people, but I've never met anyone at a wedding. It's like one of those myths that get spoken about so often people just accept that it's true, when really it's just a load of BS.”

  Simon sensed that Amy was going to go on one of her philosophical rants about the senselessness of the modern world, so he stopped her before she could say anymore.

  “No, I haven't seen anyone yet, well, nobody that's available,” Simon said. There were plenty of attractive men around, but all of them were dancing with women. Simon was left to look longingly at them, wishing the world was different. Sometimes he wished that he wasn't.

  “Well, ain't that the truth of things. It's probably for the best. We'd be doomed if we went for the same guy.”

  “You would be.”

  “Oh, someone's confident. Let's not forget that I have turned someone before.”

  “You know it doesn't work like that. Either you're gay or you aren't. I'm pretty sure that guy used it as a pick-up line.”

  “You're just jealous. He was genuine.”

  “How can you tell?”

  “I just can. You know what it's like when you're intimate with someone, you can just tell these things. Besides, that's just what I do. I'm like some man whisperer. I'm the one that cures all their ills. Like that guy who hadn't slept with anyone for a decade. I tell you, for someone who had been abstinent for ten years he sure got back into the swing of things pretty quickly. I'm beginning to think I should open a clinic. Sex therapists are a thing, right?”

  “They are, but not in the way you're thinking. I'm pretty sure what you're thinking is illegal. Anyway, I would question if that man really was single for ten years.”

  “You're so skeptical, Simon. No wonder you're always so down. You always expect the worst of people.”

  “Only when it comes to men. They'll say anything to get in bed with you. No tale is too tall, no lie too unbelievable. The only thing that will prompt them to lie more is getting out of seeing you again after they've got what they wanted all along.”

  “This is about Adam again, isn't it?”

  “Isn't everything?” Simon said bitt
erly.

  Amy sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, her arms still wrapped around his neck. Although the music was still beating to a frantic rhythm and all those around them were jumping around like wild animals, the two of them were moving slowly, as though they were listening to their own personal song. Indeed, anyone who didn't know Simon would have assumed that he and Amy were a couple enjoying a romantic dance together, perhaps even whispering softly about the halcyon day in the future when the two of them would get married.

  “I know it hurt, but it was a year ago. I think it's time you let go of the pain,” Amy said.

  “I'm trying, but every time I think I'm getting over it I see something that reminds me of him. It's not exactly easy for me to be here either.”

  “If you let him control your life this much you'll never be happy.”

  “I'm not letting him control my life, but I can hardly go to a wedding and not be reminded of him.”

  “No, but you don't have to let it affect you either. Just be aware of your feelings, accept them, embrace them, then let them pass. Living in those memories is only going to make you more frustrated.”

  “He always told me how he was going to plan his own wedding, that he always kept some things secret from clients because he wanted his own wedding to be completely perfect and original. Nothing was going to take that away from him. When he spoke about it I always thought that I was going to be the man beside him,” Simon continued, as though Amy hadn't said a word.

  “He wasn't right for you Simon. You need someone nice, someone open. He was always so secretive. It wouldn't have surprised me if he had been cheating on you.”

  “Oh great, that makes me feel real good,” Simon said, brushing some of Amy's blonde hair over her shoulder. “Maybe you should reconsider that career in therapy.”

  “There's no need to get snappy at me,” Amy said. “I'm just trying to help. Where's the fun Simon I used to know? He'd be in the middle of the dance floor showing off all his moves, probably getting into a dance-off with someone. That's the only thing missing from this wedding.”

  “I haven't been that Simon for a long time.”

  He avoided looking at Amy because he knew what look she was giving him, that mixture of pity and sadness.

  “Sometimes I don't know what to say to you,” she said. Simon glanced at her, hearing the raw honesty in her voice. She leaned against him. The warmth of her body melted in his arms. Soft breaths rushed against the nape of his neck. His hands rested against the curve of her hips. There were times when he cursed himself for being the way he was. Life would have been so much easier if he was straight. He and Amy could have had the fairy tale romance of high school sweethearts and, as a result, he could have avoided all his heartache. Instead, he had to endure heartbreak.

  “Maybe there's nothing you can say.”

  “I just feel so sad for you. Like, I remember how you used to be Simon. You were so full of joy. Nothing could get you down. Now though, it's like you can't even see a happy ending for yourself.”

  “Isn't that the way the world works? Don't we all get older and lose that sense of childish innocence? I've just grown up, seen the world for what it really is. It's not my fault that it's all ugly and harsh.”

  “It doesn't have to be Simon. That's just what you haven't been able to understand yet. The world doesn't have to be like that. You still have some control.”

  “None of us do Amy. We live in different worlds. All of this? It's just an illusion. It's just reminding me of the things I can't have. I look around and I wonder why I'm even here. I barely know Bob and Jackie.”

  “You're here because I asked you, because there's nobody I'd rather be with than you. You're here because you're my best friend and we're supposed to be having a lovely time together. Isn't that enough for you? Can't you just enjoy yourself for once rather than losing yourself in this endless pit of despair?”

  “How can I when I'm only reminded that I'm not with someone special?”

  “What am I, Simon? Am I not someone special?”

  Before Simon could say anything in response, Amy tore herself away from him and stormed out of the hall, leaving Simon standing on the dance floor alone. All around people joined together as the music slowed and love filled the room.

  Simon didn't think he had ever felt that lonely.

  Chapter Two

  With a sigh, Simon stepped away from the dance floor and returned to his table, where he retrieved Amy's shoes. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried not to think about all the things that were going wrong. Sometimes it felt as though his life was spiraling out of control. Now he had upset Amy, and he wasn't entirely sure what he had said. Wasn't it his own prerogative to feel sad? Wasn't he allowed to be unhappy?

  Just as he was about to leave the hall he stopped, sensing a change of energy in the air. All eyes turned to the main entrance. The huge double doors opened like gates to Olympus and a man who could only be described as a god walked through. He was tall, with a thick golden mane of hair cascading down to his shoulders. He walked with purpose, his long legs striding across the hall, his granite chin coated with dark stubble. Nobody seemed to know who this man was or what he was doing there. Simon steadied himself, his knees going weak. For a moment this all seemed like it had been taken from one of his dreams, the kind he'd started having when he was a teenager in those dark, lonely nights when his parents were asleep, and he allowed his hand to wander, exploring his virgin body.

  For a moment Simon thought the mystery man was coming toward him. His throat ran dry and he started to wonder what he was going to say. Was this really happening? It wasn't beyond the realm of possibility...was it? Maybe life could be like a movie after all.

  The man marched forward and there were gasps behind Simon, but he didn't look around to see what the others were thinking. He merely waited for the man to come to him, a smile tugging at his lips.

  Then the man walked past him, not even bothering to pay any attention to Simon at all. Simon turned, watching the man walk up to the dance floor. The music was still playing, but everyone had stopped dancing. Bob and Jackie were the last to notice, having been completely oblivious to everything aside from each other.

  “Oh my God,” Bob said, leaving Jackie's side. He staggered forward, a look of disbelief on his face, hand rising to cover his open mouth.

  “Logan, is it really you?” he whispered. As the two men grew closer Bob reached out his hand, and when he touched Logan, a wide smile broke out upon his face. “Logan. Logan!” he cried, and immediately gathered up the man in his arms, holding him tightly. Tears streamed down his face. It had already been an emotional day for Bob. Simon looked on with curiosity. Jackie soon joined Bob's side and embraced the man as well.

  “I never thought I'd see you again,” Bob said.

  “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” Logan said in a deep, rumbling voice. “But there was no way I was going to miss my brother's wedding.”

  Brother? But Bob didn't have a brother, at least as far as Simon knew. All the guests started to circle around them and greet the return of Logan. Not for the first time that day, Simon felt apart from everyone else. He stood alone, torn between the intrigue of this man and the need to go and see Amy. There was a tether to this man, a magnetic pull that Simon wasn't sure he could resist, but Amy was upset, and it wasn't like anyone in that hall cared about it.

  Pulling himself away from the happy reunion, Simon turned and left the hall, although he kept turning around to glance at Logan, envying all the people who got to bask in his presence.

  The lobby was large, filled with flowers. Catering people were floating around, tidying up the mess left by the revelry. As he moved through the lobby, he caught snippets of their conversations. Most of them were as intrigued by the appearance of the well-dressed man as Simon was, and each of them was left in the dark. Somehow Simon would have to find the truth of it.

  Stepping outside, he was greeted with t
he cool night air. It wasn't cold enough to be uncomfortable, but there was a soft breeze. The sky was clear. Stars twinkled above. It was picturesque in its beauty. The huge stately home which Bob and Jackie had hired for the wedding (and Simon wondered how they had managed to afford such a venue) loomed behind him. A graveled path wound around the back of the house and led to a garden, and he assumed this was where Amy had headed. He followed the path and walked through the flowering bushes, breathing in the fragrance of the flora all around him.

  The night was still and peaceful. Simon wished life could always be this tranquil. He imagined what it would have been like to live in the past, to wander through the forests and lose himself in the middle of nature, having the entire world to himself rather than being cramped in his small apartment. The tall hedges were like a maze, and there was nothing he could do except go by instinct.

  As he walked, Simon ran his fingers against the hedge, feeling the rough leaves. He wasn't walking for long, but his thoughts turned to that man. What was his story? Where had he been?

  Then, he heard sobbing. Rounding a corner, he saw a forlorn figure hunched over, sitting beside a fountain. Her head was in her hands. A small stone cherub stood over her like a guardian angel, water trickling into a pool. The full moon reflected in its surface. Gravel crunched under Simon's feet as he approached.

  “Amy,” he said. She sniffed, wiping her eyes. It wasn't the first time Simon had seen her cry, but it was one of the few times he had been the direct cause. When she didn't reply, he sat down beside her. “I'm sorry for what I said.”

  “Are you? Or are you just saying that because you think it's what I want to hear?”

  “I'm sorry that I made you cry. I don't know what happened to make you cry, but I'm sorry that I did it.”

  Amy shook her head and laughed dryly.

  “It's always the same with you,” she said.