by
A. E. Wasp
A. E. Wasp
Publisher: Self-Published
Cover Artist: Angsty G
Release Date: February 20, 2020
Genre/s: Contemporary romantic suspense/comedy
Trope/s: Law officer/thief. A gay cross of Charlie’s Angels and Leverage
Heat Rating: 3 flames
Length: 65 000 words
Blurb
Two jobs down, three to go, and job #3
is mine. My name is Ridge Pfeiffer. I’m a dirt poor jewel thief from
the wrong side of the tracks, and I don't play well with others.
Theoretically,
the deal works like this. I do the job Charlie planned for me and
Miranda erases my past, makes my biggest problems go away. Too bad my
biggest problem is the one thing I don’t want to go away: Diplomatic
Security Agent Davis Ethan.
When Davis caught me
breaking into a safe during job #2, I should have ended up in jail.
instead, I ended up in his bed. Rich, gorgeous, and privileged, the only
thing we have in common is a love of beautiful lingerie and beautiful
men. He’s everything I hate, everything I want, and he could destroy me
with a word.
There are a hundred red flags surrounding
this job, I should walk away and take my chances, but I’m going to do
it anyway. Anything to buy me one more night with Davis.
One more job, one more night, and then I’ll leave for good.
Five Men. Five changes for redemption. One things for sure, these guys are no angels.
Excerpt
“You know we don't have to meet in places like this. I'm willing to spring for some better accommodations.” I said, stripping the nylon bedspread off and tossing it to the floor. I grimaced at the feel of it between my fingers.
“I like this,” Ridge said. “It's perfect.”
“Perfect for what?”
“Perfect for cheap, meaningless sex. And that's all this is.”
I wanted to argue with him, but I also wanted to get laid, and I knew pointing out that we both knew this was more would only chase him away. “Can’t we have expensive meaningless sex? I’ve done it in five-star resorts. All I’m asking for is a place with nice sheets and room service. And a mattress that may have been cleaned sometime in the last twenty years.”
Ridge pushed me against the wall. “We could, Rich Boy, but this is my world and if you want me, you get my world with it.”
“Maybe we could chip in and meet in the middle.”
“Maybe I like seeing the pretty rich boy begging for someone like me in this run down pay-by-the-hour motel.”
“Do you like it here?”
“No, I don't like it. But this is where we are.”
We didn’t normally do this during the day. Dust motes danced in the light rimming the curtains. The room was dark and smelled of things I’d rather not think about.
Except for him. He smelled amazing. Whatever soap or shampoo or cologne he wore carried the scent of oranges and tk.
“Wait, how did you...why did you call me a rich boy?” How did he know?
“Really? I could smell it on you. Literally smell it on you. Your fucking Ambre Topkapi cologne, which sounds like a Pokemon for chrissake. You have perfect teeth, perfect haircut. Manicure, pedicure. You’ve never missed a meal in your life. You don’t live anywhere in the real world. Do you even know any normal people?”
“Everybody I work with.”
“And are you friends with them?”
I wasn’t. Not really. I tried but there was this barrier between us. Really, what could I say about kids and wives and bills?
He slid his hand down the back of my trousers and grabbed my ass. His grip turned into a caress as his fingers brushed across the silky lace and he lost his train of thought. “Are these the same ones?”
“Yes.” I said leaning my shoulders back against the wall and grinning at it. “The purple and black lace La Perla.” He loved those. They might not be the most expensive pair I owned, but they were certainly the most effective at getting him to fuck me through the mattress the way I loved. I had another surprised for him as well, but I’d let him discover that on his own time.
“Anyway. Stop distracting me.” His long fingers wrapped around my wrists, pinning them to the wall. His thumb caressed my pulse point, his thigh pressed between my legs and I couldn’t stop myself from grinding down against it.
“I’m distracting you?”
“Mmm hmmm,” he said mouthing along my neck. I tilted my chin up to give him better access. “You never talk about normal thing. You never complain about car repairs, the cost of anything.” His thumb pressed into the palm of my hand. “This watch?” he pulled away from me far enough to dangle my own watch in front of my eye. I hadn’t even felt him taking it off me.
“Clever boy,” I said, kissing him in reward.
His fox-like grin short-circuited my brain. In my defense, anyone would find thinking impossible with an angel rubbing up against them. I was surprised I could still breathe. “Gotta keep you on your toes.”
“Asshole,” I said, grinning back at him. I snatched it out of his hand, Knowing I was able to only because he let me was incredible arousing. I’d talk to my therapist about that another day.
“You’re the asshole, wearing a thirty-thousand dollar watch in a neighborhood like this.”
“Yeah, but—”
“But who would know? Everyone. We know how much everything costs in a way you never will.”
“We?”
“Poor people, Davey. We know the price of everything down to the penny because we have to.”
“Oh really?”
Really.
I jerked my chin at the shopping bag I had dropped at the doorway. “Then how about a quiz?” My brain came back on line as he backed away from me.
“What kind of a test?”
“I got you a present.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted to.”
Laughing at his suspicious look, I handed him the bag.
He took it gingerly, holding it between two fingers much in the same way I had held the bedspread. “What is it?”
“It’s a present.”
“What is it?”
“Open it and see. That’s usually how presents work.”
Buy Links
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About the Author
A dreamer and an idealist, Amy writes about people finding connection in a world that can seem lonely and magic in a world that can seem all too mundane. She invites readers into her characters’ lives and worlds when they are their most vulnerable, their most human, living with the same hopes and fears we all have. An avid traveler who has lived in big cities and small towns in four different continents, Amy has found that time and distance are no barriers to love. She invites her readers to reach out and share how her characters have touched their lives or how the found families they have gathered around them have shaped their worlds.
Author Links
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My review:
4.5 out of 5 stars
Pros & Cons of Desire by A.E. Wasp is the third in the
series and focuses on Ridge Pfeiffer and his assignment from the crafty Charles
Bingham. The restitution that the recently departed manipulator wants to
accomplish is complicated by Ridge’s intense attraction to the mysterious Davis
Ethan who had a significant influence on the previous mission. It turns out
that it isn’t only Ridge who has been harboring significant secrets, some of
which may prove to be deadly.
This contemporary gay romance series just keeps getting more
entertaining, and the “gang” gathered at the late Charlie’s behest is melding
together into a cohesive unit that is comprised of both lovers and friends (and brothers). I
love the counterpoint of the intense and lusty relationship that is burning
between the unwilling pair and the planning and research that is taking place.
The twists and turns kept me riveted and I enjoyed seeing not only this
relationship evolve, but getting glimpses of how the other guys are becoming
more comfortable in their roles and in their connections with each other. The
formidable Josie continues to provide a fun contrast (and a mind-boggling role
model) even as the guys continue to dance along that tightrope between legal
and not-so-legal maneuverings.
This author does a great job of balancing the angst and
pathos of the horrific backgrounds that many of these men have dealt with and
their sometimes challenging methods of coping with their pasts. Add in the
delicious capers they embark upon, the hint of danger and violence that
surrounds them, and the gradual revelations of their respective histories, and
this series continues to enthrall and entertain. I thought this was the best story
thus far and anxiously await the next installment.
A copy of this title was provided for review
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