Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 10

great!" Darius cried.
    "Just leaves you trailing, D-man," Damian teased, leaning over to punch his brother in the arm.
    Darius laughed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever, dude. I like my bachelor status."
    Even as he said the words, Kyle saw the sadness and envy lurking within the depths of his gray eyes. A pang of sympathy filled him for Damian's younger brother, and he said a silent prayer to whatever gods cared to listen that Darius would find his soul mate soon. No one should be alone.
    "That also means if you don't want the title of Second Duke, you can pass it to Drake."
    Fabian's words may have been quiet, but they seemed to easily drown out the good-natured ribbing the brothers were still giving each other.
    "What?" Damian whispered.
    His father gave him a slight smile. "I've known about your Adelfi Psychi for two years, my son. It is only now that the rest of the court has found out that I've had to approach you."
    Damian's jaw dropped, and he glanced first at Darius, who shrugged, to Kyle and back to his father. "You knew all this time? Why didn't you say anything?"
    "You needed time, and I knew you really didn't want to be one of the dukes. If you wish to pass it to your brother, that is now an option."
    Damian's brows creased and his gaze slowly slid to lock onto Kyle. He could barely manage to catch his breath when he saw the intensity of his husband's stare. Damian smiled at him. "All I've ever wanted, since the day I met you, is to be with you, my Adelfi Psychi . What would make you happy?"
    Kyle opened his mouth once, then snapped it shut. He swallowed, forcing moisture into his dry throat. "I feel the same, my husband," he managed to reply, though his voice sounded hoarse. "I would follow you to the ends of the earth and beyond. If you want to be Second Duke, I'll stand at your side." He smirked. "Once you've explained what the husband of the Second Duke is supposed to do, anyway," he added. Then his smile faded. "If you want to stay right here in this house with me, I'd be happy with that, too." He finished with a shrug, not sure what else to say. "It doesn't matter to me what you choose, as long as I can be by your side."
    Kyle found himself wrapped in two powerful arms, his face pressed tightly to Damian's chest. "My love, my heart, I will never let you go," Damian crooned, kissing his temple. "You will always be by my side." The arms loosened only marginally when Damian's head lifted a bit, and he said, "I formally renounce my eligibility for my father's title."
    THE END
    Author bio: Charlie Richards lives on a mini ranchette in Utah with her husband and furry, four-legged children. She started writing fantasy when she was eight, and after stumbling onto her first erotic romance at age nineteen, she realized her true calling. She now focuses on writing erotic romance, normally of the paranormal variety, with heroes and heroines of all kinds. You can often find her curled up with her laptop and a cup of tea or glass of wine, creating her next adventure. Charlie enjoys exploring the mountains on horseback, 4-wheeler, or motorcycle. Her favorite exercise is jumping lessons with her Arabian gelding Apache or her Thoroughbred mare Repo. And she can't get enough of sexy highlanders with their kilts and swords. Right now, she and her muse are working with dedication on her Wolves of Stone Ridge series and Kontra's Menagerie series.
    She can be reached at: [email protected]
    Or visit her website .
    ****

USING BROKEN WINGS TO FLY
    by Eden Conner

    How did they expect him to retouch this damaged photo? George sighed and carefully rubbed at a spot. Great, this was one of Lucian LeTour's rare remaining photos. The restorer hated feeling like he failed in his task. The photo seemed damaged beyond repair.
    George rubbed around the downcast eyes.
    The eyes flicked upward. They stared in terror.
    George lunged back in alarm.
    "Help me. Please help me. They know where I hide. Help me."
    ~ S.A. Garcia

    genre: contemporary
    tags: in the closet; PTSD/post-traumatic stress; sex content: public activity; celebrities
    word count: 17,720
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    USING BROKEN WINGS TO FLY
    by Eden Conner
    How did they expect him to retouch this damaged photo? George sighed and carefully rubbed at a spot. Great, this was one of Lucian LeTour's rare remaining photos. The restorer hated feeling as if he failed in his task. The photo seemed damaged beyond repair. George rubbed around the downcast eyes.
    The