Desires Entwined Series Book Tour & Giveaway

CHASE WOKE with a start. The sound of banging, then locks clicking, brought him out of the
fitful sleep he’d been trapped in since he’d finally cried himself out. Still fully clothed, having
crashed on the bed as he was when he’d fled Rhys’s the night before, he reached for the baseball
bat he always kept by the nightstand, hoping it was just James using his key.
“He probably just overslept, pet. You know he goes out clubbing with some of his other
friends.” Seth’s deep voice was soft, soothing.
“No, Seth. He’s not answering his cell. Simon and the others haven’t seen him today, and
he didn’t go out with them last night. It’s after three in the afternoon, yet he was supposed to
meet me at ten. So where is he?” That was James’s voice, but it was high and tight like it only
got when he was scared.

Chase rounded the corner to find his best friend, James, and James’s fiancé, Seth Burns,
heading straight for his bedroom.
“James? Seth?” Chase croaked. His voice was tight and scratchy, probably from the
pointless crying the night before, or had it been earlier this morning? “What are you doing here?”
“Chase!” James cried, flinging himself down the short hall as fast as he could with his
forearm crutches.
Chase released the bat and soon had his arms full of James. He looked past James to Seth,
and with a weak voice asked, “What are you guys doing here, and why is he freaking out?”
“Five hours, Chase! That’s how long ago you were supposed to be at the studio to meet
me. The private sitting was today, remember? Seth doesn’t like me to be alone with strangers in
my studio, so you said you’d be there, but you never showed. Your cell goes straight to voice
mail. Simon, Dale, Vaughn—no one has heard from you all day,” James rattled off, practically in
one breath.
He could feel the pressure of Seth rubbing up and down James’s back as he held him.
“Calm down, hun. I’m right here, safe and sound. I just—” Chase bit off his words,
having no idea how to explain why he hadn’t been where he was supposed to be.
James suddenly pushed him back, holding tight to his arms, looking him up and down
with a curious expression on his handsome face. He cupped Chase’s cheeks, the tenderness of the
motion nearly breaking his heart again. “Chase, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing for you to worry about. I just had a rough night.” Looking past James to Seth,
he murmured, “Can you get him settled? I’ll shower and be right out. I really am very sorry for
upsetting you both.”
“James, come on. Let’s go sit down and wait for Chase,” Seth soothed, handing James’s
crutches to him again.
Chase mouthed “thank you” to Seth before he fled to his room.
After a quick shower to get the scent of Rhys and sweat off, Chase quickly dressed in a
simple T-shirt and a pair of old, threadbare jeans he kept for bumming around in. He didn’t feel
up to much right then, but he reckoned more than sleep pants would be good, considering Seth
was with James. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have worried about even that much.
After popping a couple of Tylenol, Chase headed out to find where his company was. He
got as far as his kitchen, where he found not only James and Seth, but a mug of his favorite
blonde roast coffee waiting for him.
“Thanks,” he offered, his voice soft. He wasn’t sure he had the energy for the coming
conversation, but he would never turn James away, not even now.
All three men entered the living room, where Chase flopped into his favorite chair, giving
James and Seth the couch.
“Chase,” James started tentatively. “What happened to you last night? Who hurt you?”
“What makes you think someone hurt me? I’m fine, just tired.”
James leaned forward, his face turning hard. “I know it was a guy that put you in this
mood, Chase. My nose works just fine, and you, dear,” he continued, wrinkling his nose, “you
smelled of sex when we got here. And, well, you look so sad. I didn’t even know you were
dating someone, but whoever he is, he’s obviously not good enough for you if he hurt you.”
James finished with a snort.
A slight smile tugged at his lips for a moment. God, he loved his BFF. Who else could
call you out on having sex, snort, and insult an unknown man all in one breath?

“Jamie, I’m not dating anyone, so there is nothing to tell. I wasn’t holding out on you.”
“Ha! Don’t give me that crap. You don’t have one-night stands. You go clubbing, dance,
and even hit on guys, but you never go home with any of them, so try again,” James snapped, his
eyes almost as hard as his voice.
“Really?” Seth asked.
“God!” Chase barked, throwing his hands up. “Why does everyone think I’m a damn
slut? Yes, really, Seth. If I take someone to bed, it’s after we’ve gotten to know one another a bit
and I have real feelings for the person. Why is—never mind. The point, Jamie, is that no, I’m not
dating anyone, and I’d really rather never see the person from last night again.”
Merely saying that much felt like picking at a not-quite-formed scab. Ignoring his
abandoned mug, Chase rubbed his temples, trying to forget it was the same motion that had
started everything with Rhys in the first place.
“Chase, yelling will not help. I only ask because of how you acted when James and I first
started seeing one another. My apologies for making assumptions about you. If you aren’t seeing
anyone, but you had sex and are now upset”—Seth’s voice dropped low, hard—“did someone
attack you?”
James tensed, and Chase knew he had to stop the panic attack before it set in.
“No, Seth. I just let things get out of hand. Rhys didn’t hurt me like that.” Chase slapped
his hand over his mouth as if he could contain the words that had already slipped out. “Forget I
said that last part, please,” he cried.