Stand to attention, p.1
Stand to Attention, page 1
Table of Contents
Legal Page
Title Page
Book Description
Almost
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
About Sean Michael
On the Home Front
Dedication
Trademarks Acknowledgment
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Epilogue
About Jambrea Jo Jones
Whoe Dares Wins
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
About Lily Harlem
An Act of Duty
Dedication
Trademarks Acknowledgment
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Epilogue
About Elizabeth Coldwell
Trusting the Army Captain
Dedication
Trademarks Acknowledgment
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
About Noelle Keaton
Letters to a War Zone
Dedication
Trademarks Acknowledgment
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
About Lucy Felthouse
New Excerpt
Publisher Page
A Totally Bound Publication
Stand to Attention Anthology
ISBN # 978-1-78184-960-6
Almost ©Copyright Sean Michael 2014
On the Home Front ©Copyright Jambrea Jo Jones 2014
Who Dares Wins ©Copyright Lily Harlem 2014
An Act of Duty ©Copyright Elizabeth Coldwell 2014
Trusting the Army Captain ©Copyright Noelle Keaton 2014
Letters to a War Zone ©Copyright Lucy Felthouse 2014
Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright January 2014
Edited by Stacey Birkel
Totally Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.
Published in 2014 by Totally Bound Publishing, Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road, Lincoln, LN6 3QN
Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Totally Sizzling/Burning and a Sexometer of 2.
Stand to Attention Anthology
Almost
Sean Michael
On the Home Front
Jambrea Jo Jones
Who Dares Wins
Lily Harlem
An Act of Duty
Elizabeth Coldwell
Trusting the Army Captain
Noelle Keaton
Letters to a War Zone
Lucy Felthouse
‘Almost’ by Sean Michael
Hammer let Lane drive him away, but now he’s determined to make Lane the one who almost got away.
Lane lost his legs while saving his unit overseas. It’s been two years and he’s doing his best to come to terms with things, including the fact that he dumped his lover to free the man up from being stuck with a gimp for the rest of his life. Luckily, Lane inherited his Gramps’ cottage—it just needs some renovations to make it wheelchair friendly. He’s determined to make the best of what he’s got.
Hammer was one of the men Lane saved…and his lover while they were in the Army together. He let Lane drive him away back when the man first got hurt, but now he’s hunting Lane, determined to make Lane the one who almost got away. Will Lane be able to see past his injuries far enough to realize Hammer’s in it for the long haul?
‘On the Home Front’ by Jambrea Jo Jones
Forgiving yourself is the hardest battle…
Peter ‘Bulldog’ Jakes killed his mother. People tell him it wasn’t his fault, but he felt just as guilty as if he’d pulled the trigger. Bulldog had always figured being in the Army Special Forces would eventually hurt his family.
Moby Edward’s heart aches for his First Sergeant and he wants to help, but Bulldog blows him off every time.
When Bulldog is forced to take leave, Moby follows, but will things out of their control ruin what could be the healing power of friends turned into lovers?
‘Who Dares Wins’ by Lily Harlem
When secret service becomes not so secret servicing by not one, but two sexy soldiers, Ken learns that dreams can come true in explosive style!
Waiting for my SAS husband Jack to come home safe and sound is always a gut-wrenching, heart-twisting time. I have no idea where he is, what jungle swamp he may be lying out in or desert he might be marching across.
So naturally when he returns to me, our emotions can’t fail to run hot and our lust for each other cranks up to sky-high levels. But the one thing about Jack is he lives for the extreme and seizes the moment. I really should have known what would come of me telling him my wildest fantasies.
Oh, yes, he’s a guy who gets results…and when he brings home his colleague Slider, equally tough, equally rough, the pair of them can’t fail to hit the target. That target happens to be lucky old me and I head off on the ride of my life…
‘An Act of Duty’ by Elizabeth Coldwell
When duty becomes mixed up with desire, can a battle-scarred soldier leave behind the horrors of war and enter a world of fantasy and fulfilment?
For Corporal Mark Stockdale, a trip to Amsterdam won’t just provide some much-needed R and R away from the horrors of the Afghanistan battlefield—it’s also a way of keeping a promise to a fallen comrade. But violence has a way of seeking Mark out, even in the most peaceful of locations, and when he stops for a drink in a quiet bar, he finds himself stepping in to help its owner, Robin Sneijder, fight off a group of opportunist thieves. Robin shows his gratitude, stunning Mark with the depth of the passion between them. When Mark wakes in the night from a vivid nightmare of the attack that killed his best friend, Ozzy, Robin is there to comfort him.
Robin seems like the perfect partner, and what started as an act of duty turns into an unforgettably erotic encounter. But when Robin confesses he has an overwhelming urge to submit to a hunk in army uniform, Mark is not sure whether he can put aside the realities of war to fulfill his new lover’s most cherished desires. Can he separate fact and fantasy, and give Robin the domination he craves?
‘Trusting the Army Captain’ by Noelle Keaton
When it comes to choosing between advancing his career in the army or being truthful with the man he loves, Patrick learns everything ultimately boils down to trust.
Ambitious army captain, Patrick Bosworth, is eager to advance in his career so that he can live up to his family’s distinguished legacy. But having been passed over for promotion to major twice already, Patrick fears his career has stalled. He worries he’ll never match the accomplishments of other family members, especially his brother, a Bronze Star recipient recently promoted to lieutenant colonel.
When a superior office suggests a way to get the promotion that involves gathering information on a fellow army captain in the Medical Corps, Patrick reluctantly agrees to participate. He regrets the assignment almost immediately, especially when he falls for Craig, the guy he’s supposed to be investigating.
When he forms a passionate and intense bond with Craig, Patrick finds it difficult to separate where his professional obligations end and his personal feelings begin. After working for so long to prove himself a worthy member of his accomplished military family, Patrick has to decide if finally finding the love of his life is worth sacrificing advancement in the army, or even giving up his career itself.
‘Letters to a War Zone’ by Lucy Felthouse
When lonely insurance broker, Bailey, gets himself a new hobby, he ends up exchanging letters with a war zone. But he’s not expecting what happens next…
Bailey Hodgkiss is lonely and dissatisfied with his boring life as an insurance broker. In an attempt to insert some variety, he signs up to a website to write to serving soldiers. He’s put in touch with Corporal Nick Rock, and over the course of a couple of letters, the two of them strike up a friendship. They begin to divulge their secrets, including their preference for men.
Nick encourages Bailey to add more interests to his life. As a result, Bailey picks up his forgotten hobby, photography, and quickly decides to team it up with his other preferred interest, travel.
Booking a holiday to Rome is his biggest gesture toward a more exciting existence, and he eagerly looks forward to the trip. That is, until Nick says he’s coming home on leave, and it looks as though their respective trips will prevent them from meeting in person. Is there enough of a spark between them to push them to meet, or will their relationship remain on paper only?
ALMOST
Sean Michael
Chapter One
Lane got himself into his wheelchair, rolled himself to the back porch and started doing pull-ups. His eyes were on the lake, on the water right outside his porch as he worked his arms, his abs. He’d spent his whole fucking childhood in this lake house, fishing with his gramps, swimming, goofing off. He loved this place and now Gramps was gone and it was his to do what he wanted with.
Hell of a trade for a pair of legs.
Up. Down. Up. Down. Eyes on the water. Don’t think about sand, bombs, enemy fire. Just the lake. The water. The burn in his arms.
The snap of a twig sounded like a shot.
He stopped, frowning. It was late winter. People didn’t come out here in the winter and he hadn’t found himself a dog yet. “I have a .38 and I know how to use it.”
“I sure as hell hope so. It wasn’t your head you injured.”
Jesus fuck, that sounds just like Hammer.
Lane lowered himself down onto his chair. No. No way. He hadn’t talked to Hammer in almost two years. Hadn’t seen him in longer than that.
The owner of the voice appeared beside his deck from the side of the house. Tall, stacked, haircut high and tight over a strong, square jaw and mismatched eyes. He’d only ever met one man with one hazel eye and one green, and that was Hammer.
Lane immediately, instinctively rubbed his shaggy beard that hid the scars on his face. “You lost, Sarge?”
“I was thinking I might be, then I turned a corner and found you, so no, I’m not lost.” Hammer wore a pair of jeans, a T-shirt with a leather jacket over it and had his bag slung over his shoulder. Fuck, he looked good.
Lane was in nothing but a pair of sweats, the sweat cooling on his bare chest making him shiver. “You want a cup of coffee?”
“I do. I was hoping you’d invite me in, too.”
“Yeah. Yeah, sure. Come on.” He wheeled himself into the kitchen, which was in the middle of a remodel, and grabbed the coffeepot. “Excuse the chaos. I’m working on the place.”
Hammer followed him in, work boots ringing on the deck. “You doing it yourself?”
“Yeah. Gramps left it to me. I’m staying here full-time now. Fixing it up.” Making it as accessible as he could.
Hammer looked around but didn’t say anything, his face unreadable. Finally those mismatched eyes met his again. “I’m sorry about your Gramps.”
“Thank you. He liked you a lot.” He wheeled over to the sink, filled the coffeepot.
“He was a good man.” Hammer unshouldered his bag and left it by the door, out of the way.
“He was. How long are you on leave?”
“I got some time.”
“Oh.” Well, what did that mean? He got the coffee started then pulled a relatively clean shirt from a pile. “What’s been going on with you?”
“The usual. Sun, sand and adventure. Been doing a lot of thinking.”
“That’s not good for you, man.” He couldn’t help stealing looks. He’d climbed all over that hard body. Hammer had made him scream, made him come so hard he couldn’t see. It was a fucking shame he was broken.
“You’re not wrong there, Laney.”
No one had called him that since the last time he’d spoken to Hammer.
He didn’t know what the fuck to say. What did you do when the hottest piece of man on Earth walked into your house?
When he had the coffee made, Hammer took the mug from him, pulled a chair up to the table and sat.
A few sips later, Hammer met his eyes again. “You need some help with your remodel?”
“I’d love some. Ladders are a challenge for me.” Hell, the prosthetics were a challenge. He couldn’t figure out how to make them comfortable.
A half smile quirked Hammer’s lips, a teasing glint entering those eyes. “Nothing new there.”
“Fuck off, Sarge.”
“Now there’s the best suggestion I’ve heard in forever.” Hammer’s grin was wicked now.
“Yeah.” He didn’t do that anymore. Not even with his own hand. “You found yourself a…somebody to… A new guy?”
“I didn’t go looking for a new guy. I had a guy.” That voice had gone all brusque and rough.
“Yeah.” He kept saying that. “Fucking mines.”
“A mine didn’t kick my ass to the curb, Laney.”
“You need a guy who’s in one piece.” What else was there to say? Hammer was a lifer, one hell of a soldier. Laney was a broke-dick, disabled vet without legs and with a scarred face who couldn’t get it up.
“You are in one piece.” Hammer was growling now, glaring at him.
“Just drop it. I told you, find yourself someone who can keep up with you.” He squeezed the handle of his coffee cup, popping it right off. The rest of the coffee cup fell to the floor, shattering and sending the coffee everywhere.
Hammer jumped up like a shot, eyes wild for a moment. “Fuck-a-duck.”
“Sorry. Sorry. Fuck. Here.” He reached for a dish towel, muscles screaming from his workout earlier.
Hammer shook his head and grabbed it before Lane could and started cleaning up. “Sorry. Thought I was back there for a moment.”
“Sorry.” They kept fucking apologizing like a pair of idiots.
“Shut the fuck up.” Hammer glared at him. “Which is what I should have told you when you gave me my fucking walking papers.”
“What?” No one spoke to him like that. No one. He was a fucking cripple, for fuck’s sake.
Hammer mopped up the mess, then put a hand on either side of his wheelchair, leaning in. “You heard me.”
Oh, God. Lane could smell Hammer. It was the scent of pure sex and need and fucking home.
“Back off, man. I can’t do this.” He wanted to, though. He wanted to touch, explore.
“Sure you can.” Hammer’s gaze never wavered. It pushed right into him.
“I’m broke, man. I’m not the same guy.”
“Wounded, not broken. And you still look the same to me. You still smell the same. I know you.”
“Why did you come here?” He wanted to touch that ridged belly.
“I decided I want you back.”
“I’m not worth anything, Hammer. You know that.” His fingers touched Hammer’s wrist, the electricity between them shocking.
Hammer moaned at the contact. “That’s bullshit.”
“Hammer.” He groaned softly, licking his lips. “Back off now.”
“No.” Hammer moved in closer, tongue following the path his own had taken.
Oh, fuck. Fuck, he wanted that. Lane surged forward in his chair, bringing their lips together, hard. Hammer was right there, unyielding, giving as good as he got. The kiss went on and on, both of them fighting for it, struggling to dominate.
Pushing his tongue into Lane’s mouth, Hammer got the upper hand, devouring him. One hand cupped the back of his head, tilting his chin so that Hammer could feast on him. Lane was burning up, lost in the flavor of Hammer’s mouth.
The fingers on his head tightened, hard enough he knew he’d feel them long after Hammer let him go. The chair rolled forward, his knees bumping into Hammer, and he jerked backward, pulled away.
Hammer growled. “Where are you going?”
“I’m not going here with you. I can’t, man. I can’t get it up.” He couldn’t believe he’d fucking said that out loud. To Hammer.
“Last time I checked, kissing didn’t require a fucking hard-on.”
“I’m broken!” Fuck, it felt good to scream, to just let it out.
“So what?”
God, Hammer could glare. Lane dreamed of that intensity, deep in the night. He loved the fine son of a bitch more than he could verbalize.
“I tell you what, Laney. I’m not going fucking anywhere. So you get used to it.”
Right. Hammer would go back to duty eventually. It was who the man was.
“I’m going to be like this forever.” Lane motioned to the chair and his stumps.
“I’m not stupid—I know that. You think your legs were all you were about?” Hammer continued to glare at him.
“I think being whole was a big part.” His fucking legs were gone and never coming back.
