Oleander House: Bay City Paranormal Investigations, Book 1

“Yeah.”
“I don’t have an answer for you. I wish I did.” Bo laid a hand on Sam’s knee. “But for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re still here.”
Sam rested his hand on top of Bo’s, thumb caressing his knuckles. “I want to research this some more. Find out exactly what happened, and keep it from ever happening to anyone else again.”
“You got it.” Bo stood, letting his fingers slip out from under Sam’s. “I have to go. I need to check on Andre. He’s staying with his sister and her family right now, but David and I are still taking turns looking in on him.”
Sam nodded, pushing to his feet to follow Bo to the door. “Tell him…” I’m so, so sorry, I’d give anything to bring her back, please forgive me, please… “Tell him I’m thinking of him, huh?”
Bo smiled. “Sure thing.”
Bo put a hand on the doorknob, then stopped, let go and turned to face Sam. His need shone clear as daylight in his eyes.
Sam smiled. Stepping close, he cupped Bo’s face in his palms and pressed a kiss to his lips. Bo made a soft little sound, hands slipping around Sam’s back to rest just above his buttocks. His tongue flicked over Sam’s upper lip as they pulled apart. The feathery touch went straight to Sam’s groin. He reigned himself in with an effort.
Bo leaned his forehead against Sam’s, fingers idly stroking his back. “This changes everything,” he whispered. “I have to take it slowly.”
Sam’s heart leapt. “As slow as you need to,” he heard himself promise, and was relieved to find that he meant it. “I won’t rush you.”
“Thank you.” Bo drew back, his smile wide and unguarded this time, and Sam thought that smile was worth eons of waiting. “I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? We need to talk about work, and I…I’d like to see you again.”
“Okay.” Sam brushed a thumb over Bo’s lower lip, then let him go. “‘Bye. Talk to you tomorrow.”
“Yeah.” Bo opened the door, smiled over his shoulder and was gone.
Sam leaned against the wall, trying to absorb what had happened. He couldn’t quite believe what Bo had just told him. Sam grinned at the sunny evening outside his window. Bo wanted to be with him. That simple fact started a warm glow in his belly.
It surprised him a little that he wanted a relationship with Bo badly enough to wait for it. But he did. He didn’t even mind that he would undoubtedly have to hold Bo’s hand through all the stages of coming out, not to mention teaching him about sex with a man. Being Bo’s sex coach, he figured, could only be a good thing.
Shoving away from the wall, Sam walked over to stand in front of the window. Outside, the sunset painted the cars and the tidy little houses red and gold. The Spanish moss trailing from the ancient oaks swayed gently in the breeze. Mobile was, Sam thought, a lovely city. A perfect place to make the changes he needed in his life.
“Sam,” he said out loud, “you’ve got a chance here. Don’t fuck this up.”
He realized, with something like wonder, that he truly believed he could do it. That he could build a new career for himself, and sustain a successful relationship. For the first time in his life, Sam felt a sense of optimism for the future.
He managed to suppress the other question that haunted him—why was he still sane? How had he managed to channel that nightmare creature without ending up vegetative like the others?
Except Josephine, he reminded himself. She was just like me. What was different about us?
Turning away from the window, he headed to the desk he’d set up on the other side of the room and thumbed on his laptop. No time like the present, he figured, to start digging for the information he needed.
“There’s an answer, somewhere,” he declared as the computer booted up. “And I’m going to find it.”
It was a promise he was sure he could keep, even though he had no idea where to start. Squaring his shoulders, he launched the search engine and began to type.
About the Author
    Ally Blue is acknowledged by the world at large (or at least by her heroes, who tend to suffer a lot) as the Popess of Gay Angst. She has a great big penis hat and rides in a bullet-proof Plexiglas bubble in Christmas parades. Her harem of manwhores does double duty as bodyguards and inspirational entertainment. Her favorite band is Radiohead, her favorite color is lime green and her favorite way to waste a perfectly good Saturday is to watch all three extended version