Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 2

mage? He then smiled. "Of course, their magic would mate with yours, perhaps even creating something new. Their child would be freed of their caste."
    "I refused. I was in such pain…" He sighed heavily. "To bring a child into such a world as this… and yet, today, the idea seems more appealing."
    "Then perhaps you should consider it. Fatherhood—" He felt a smile drift over his face, a reflection of what his heart was telling him. "Aron. My greatest weakness, and yet my greatest strength. Will he know me, Sai?"
    "Oh, yes." There was that smile again. "He may not remember you that well, but you never died in his heart or his memory. He will be overjoyed to see you again!"
    Impulsively, he reached out, pulling Sai tightly to his body. He kissed him roughly, pushing him back against the rocky wall of the cave.
    "Fuck!" Sai gasped. He panted, and then grinned. "Are you planning to do me here and now?"
    "No better time!" Arick dug into Sai's tattered breeches, clasping the man's thick, hot erection. He pressed it next to his own cock, loving the feel of skin to skin, their heat joining.
    "The horse can wait, but I cannot."
    THE END
    Author bio: Belinda McBride writes science fiction, fantasy and paranormal romance. She lives in far Northern California with her family, a pack of Siberian Huskies, and her rather vivid imagination. Her degree is in History and Cultural Anthropology by way of English Literature and Theatre Arts.
    She's received several notable awards for her writing, including RWA's Passionate Plume Award in science fiction for her m/m romance An Uncommon Whore . She also won the 2012 EPIC Award in paranormal romance for her m/m romance Blacque/Bleu .
    You can find her books at Loose Id, MLR Press and Changeling Press. You can also visit her at her website and her blog .
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BRINGING HOME BABY BIRD
    by Megan Reddaway

    This is Jules, a French Chef. His sister died in childbirth leaving him the only relative who could claim her newborn child after she refused to name the father. He is trying hard to do the right thing, but doesn't have a clue how to bond with a baby, and his normally calm, decisive manner has failed him with a crying child in his arms. Who is the one person he would turn to in this emergency situation to help him get a grip and show him the blessing this child is?
    ~ Dee Wy

    genre: contemporary
    tags: culinary/bartenders; men with children; coworkers; friends to lovers; British/French; misunderstandings
    content warnings: none
    word count: 11,830
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    BRINGING HOME BABY BIRD
    by Megan Reddaway
    He almost didn't take the call. It was past closing time and unusual for a Tuesday night, there were still customers in the restaurant. It was a matter of pride for Jules that he didn't get the after-pub crowd: they went to the Indian restaurant or one of the two Chinese takeaways in the market square. Jules's French restaurant was a classier place, a place that people picked for anniversaries, important clients and serious dates, when they wanted to spend a leisurely evening choosing from the best menu that this small English town could offer.
    He glanced down at the ringing phone and saw that it was his sister. It would be an hour later across the Channel, well past midnight. Strange that Claire should be calling so late when she said that she slept all the time these days. The customers had finished everything but their coffee; the kitchen was being cleaned. He pressed the green button to answer the call.
    "Jules? Can you come? I'm going to have the baby."
    She sounded a little breathless and he wondered if she was drunk. He said, "Claire, I told you I'll be there. I'll arrive next Thursday to paint her room while you're in the hospital. Everything's booked, it's fine."
    "She's coming now , Jules."
    He frowned. "But you said the fifteenth."
    "I told you it wouldn't necessarily be that exact day."
    "You said it might be later."
    "I said first babies are often late. I didn't mean she couldn't be born early!" Her voice rose high.
    From long experience of dealing with his sensitive sister, he made the effort to sound calm and reasonable. "Claire, your friend is going to be there for the birth, isn't she? Everything is arranged for next week. My flight, the relief chef—"
    "The ambulance is here." He heard her breathing more heavily, imagined her picking up her bag and starting down the stairs from her apartment, taking them slowly so that her big belly