Book
Name: Hidden Gem
Author
Name: Lissa Kasey
Author
Bio: Lissa Kasey lives in St. Paul, MN, has a Bachelor’s
Degree in Creative Writing, and collects Asian Ball Joint Dolls who look like
her characters. She has three cats who enjoy waking her up an hour before her
alarm every morning and sitting on her lap to help her write. She can often be
found at Anime Conventions masquerading as random characters when she's not
writing about boy romance.
Author
Contact:
Twitter:
@parisbvamp
Cover
Artist: Siobhan
Bio
Lissa Kasey
lives in St. Paul, MN, has a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing, and
collects Asian Ball Joint Dolls who look like her characters. She has three
cats that enjoy waking her up an hour before her alarm every morning and
sitting on her lap to help her write. She can often be found at Anime Conventions
masquerading as random characters when she's not writing about boy romance.
Available from
Dreamspinner Press:
Inheritance
Reclamation
Conviction
Ascendance
Hidden
Gem
Available from
Lissa Kasey:
Friction
Resolute
Consequences
Decadence
Jamie
Devotion
Samhain
Dominion Shorts (compilation)
Available from
Lissa Kasey/Xara X. Xanakas
Sink or Swim
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Blurb(s):
Misaki
“Aki” Itou is a psi—a person with mutated DNA granting him psychic abilities.
He’s also a contracted companion—a whore. It may not be the perfect profession,
but having a roof over his head, food to eat, and not being subjected to
torture is a dream come true. He is the top companion at the Hidden Gem, and it
makes him enough money to buy the prettiest, most sparkly shoes he can find.
Shane McNaughton is an Irishman who survived the
Third World War and works as a cop. Head of Missing Persons, he’s good at finding
people, but after the plague of the Third mutated his DNA, he has a hard time
letting anyone see the monster inside. He’s been paying for Aki’s services for
two years, both the psi and the sexual kind, but he wants more from the
companion.
Shane needs Aki’s ability to see into another
person’s past to track down a serial killer murdering the children of rich and
powerful men, but the more they work together, the clearer it becomes that they
are linked through a darker past than either of them realizes.
Excerpt:
First Glimpse by
Lissa Kasey
Aki
swept up a bottle of McNaughton’s favorite scotch and headed toward the broad
Irishman. The man’s shoulders were arched forward, back tense, hair a sexy
mess, and face covered with a couple days’ growth. Obviously the cop was on a
difficult case. The detective hadn’t yet asked for him, just for his usual
meal—almost bloody steak with a baked potato.
“You
look like you could use a drink,” Aki told him as he slid into the chair beside
him. He turned an empty glass over and poured three fingers of the golden
liquid.
McNaughton
sighed, his dark eyes roaming over Aki’s small body, platinum blond hair pulled
up and styled with sparkling pins, see-thru knit top, and super-short skirt,
then over his bare legs down to the gleaming heels. The shoes were a silver mesh
of crystals that slid up just past his ankles. A gift from McNaughton. The cop
sucked in a deep breath and slid his hand over the covered part of Aki’s thigh.
He knew better than to touch bare flesh to bare flesh. Aki was a cognitive psi,
could see entire lives of horrors with a single touch, and he was sure
McNaughton’s past was filled with a lot of nasty memories.
“Wish
you had time for me tonight. But I’ve got a feeling you’re booked up tight.” He
glanced back at the room bustling with companions and potential customers. Aki
was the only psi in the room, his pale-pupiled blue eyes telling the world that
he was different.
“I’m
sure Bart can fit you in.” Aki’s eyes scanned the room until he found his boss,
who was engaged with negotiations with another client. “Looks like you need
some trouble eased tonight.” He leaned in close enough his breath ran across
McNaughton’s cheek.
McNaughton
turned his head, lips nearly close enough to touch. “Would love a bit of time
with your shine.”
“Words
like honey, McNaughton.”
The
cop flashed him one of his rare, heart-stopping smiles then nodded as Bart
appeared beside them. “Table seven is ready, Aki. Number one.” Bart told him.
Aki
grabbed Bart’s wrist with a gloved hand. “The cop needs some time tonight. You
can make that happen, right?”
“Of
course.” Bart nodded to them and took Aki’s vacated seat and Aki made his way
to his next client of the evening. There were only two services Aki performed.
A hand job and a blow job, one and two. This client wanted number one—which
meant he was cheap since rarely did anyone ask for a hand job from him. But his
prices were astronomical anyway.
“Hello,”
Aki smiled at the man as he slid into the chair opposite him. The client was
dressed nice, button down shirt, pressed pants, but he was bald and a little
heavier around the waist. A politician probably. “If you’re ready we can head
upstairs.”
The
man barely spoke, but he leered, eyes tracing over Aki’s form more like he was
cattle than a night of entertainment. Even in his worst moments McNaughton had
never done that. It wasn’t appreciation, but something darker. Aki sighed
internally and hoped this would be fast. He knew a thousand ways to get a man
off in minutes. Something about him just set off Aki’s creep radar.
“I
hear some wait months for the pleasure of your time,” the man said with
slightly accented speech.
Not
usually. The only ones who waited weeks were because their schedule and Aki’s
conflicted or because they’d done something to upset him or Bart. Most clients
got in within a few days if not the same day of requesting Aki’s time. And
regulars were always given precedence over someone not yet vetted like this
client. “If I don’t please you I can see if Preston or Royce is available.”
“I
was hoping for Candy originally.”
Was
always good to be told he was second choice. Aki gritted his teeth. “Candy only
serves a special kind of client. And he does have a wait list.” Mostly because
he took clients who wanted a little more kink than any of the other male
companions preferred. Aki was going to recommend this client be removed from
the premises after the service was over.
“I
guess you’ll have to do then. Won’t you?” He gave Aki a chilling smile.
Bastard.
Aki got up from his seat and offered his gloved hand to the man who followed
closely. They’d reached the stairs when the man grabbed him, yanked Aki against
him and shoved his hand up Aki’s skirt, groping him and sending him into a
spiral of nightmares.
A
dark room. The metallic stink of blood. Screams. The sound of knives being
sharpened. Metal bars clanking. Crying. Pain. The music of an ice cream truck.
How odd. It was all ripped away a moment later, but Aki’s stomach was already
heaving. The small plate of fruit and yogurt he’d had for dinner was not going
to stay down.
Someone
carried him unceremoniously to the private companion bathroom near the kitchen
and set him in front of the toilet just as the mash of fruits and dairy came
up. Aki heaved a couple of minutes, his brain swirling with the images that
thankfully began to fade just as quickly as they’d come. With any luck he’d be
able to brush his teeth, wash his face and go about his work day.
He
glanced up to find Manny, the head of security standing at the door. McNaughton
knelt beside Aki. Had held his hair back and even used his jacket to cover
Aki’s bottom. The skirts really were too short.
“Bart
is already having the guy removed. He should never have touched you like that.
Sorry I didn’t get to you quicker,” Manny told Aki. “Grateful to you,
Detective, for responding so quickly.”
McNaughton
stroked Aki’s back, using the soft material of the sweater to run circles over
his spine. “Want to talk about it?”
Aki
sighed. “Same crap. Just weird. Darkness, crying, smelled blood. Heard knives.”
He shook his head. “The guy could work at a butcher for all I know. The
memories get so jumbled.” Often with his own horrific past. “Thought I heard a
kid. And bars rattling like in a jail. And the music from an ice cream truck.”
McNaughton
nodded like it made perfect sense to him and helped Aki get up and make his way
to the sink where there were spare toothbrushes and endless varieties of paste.
The cop leaned over and kissed Aki’s hair. “Gotta go. I’ll have Bart reschedule
me sometime this week though. Love that you wore my shoes.” He was gone a
moment later.
Aki
cleaned up and made his way back to work. At least the night was almost over.
He was sad that McNaughton hadn’t stayed. Would have liked to see that smile
another time or two. At least the rest of the night flew by without incident,
even if the detective didn’t return.
“Sleeping
with me tonight?” Candy asked as he stripped out of their work clothes, leaving
just a pair of bright pink underwear and crawled into bed. His purple hair was
already brushed and eyes heavy with sleep.
“Please,”
Aki whispered. He stripped off everything but his underwear too. After putting
his shoes and pins away, he washed his face.
“Heard
that guy touched you. What a jerk.”
“He
wanted you to begin with.” Aki curled up beside his best friend.
Candy
flicked off the light. “I would have brought him down a few pegs.”
Aki
smiled, but he didn’t want to think of the horrible man at all. Those memories
just needed to go away. He had enough of his own to battle with each day. He
fell asleep hoping to wake up with less nasty memories each day.
The
next afternoon Aki was up early and at Artie’s for breakfast—best 24/7 diner in
the area—when McNaughton arrived. The man sat down at his table without asking
and pushed a pair of slim, jeweled, yellow flat sandals into Aki’s hands.
“What’s this for?” Aki asked.
He
just shook his head. He threw a stack of cash on the table and motioned to the
waitress. “Anything he wants is on me.” He then got up from the table and
headed for the door.
“Well
that was weird,” Aki said to LuAnn, the waitress.
She
pointed at the Vid screen. “He had a rough night. Caught the guy who was
killing kids.” The Vidscreen was turned to the news. Something about a man
named the “Ice Cream Killer” had been captured. Apparently he used an ice cream
truck to lure kids in, kidnapped them, raped them and killed them. Real
monster.
A
picture popped up of the guy. It was the client from the Gem. Maybe that’s why
McNaughton was at the Gem. No matter what he hoped the detective visited him
tonight. The new yellow shoes would need a new skirt to match…
Categories per
the author: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance
Tour Dates: 9/26/14
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Aki
swept up a bottle of McNaughton’s favorite scotch and headed toward the broad
Irishman. The man’s shoulders were arched forward, back tense, hair a sexy
mess, and face covered with a couple days’ growth. Obviously the cop was on a
difficult case. The detective hadn’t yet asked for him, just for his usual
meal—almost bloody steak with a baked potato.
“You
look like you could use a drink,” Aki told him as he slid into the chair beside
him. He turned an empty glass over and poured three fingers of the golden
liquid.
McNaughton
sighed, his dark eyes roaming over Aki’s small body, platinum blond hair pulled
up and styled with sparkling pins, see-thru knit top, and super-short skirt,
then over his bare legs down to the gleaming heels. The shoes were a silver mesh
of crystals that slid up just past his ankles. A gift from McNaughton. The cop
sucked in a deep breath and slid his hand over the covered part of Aki’s thigh.
He knew better than to touch bare flesh to bare flesh. Aki was a cognitive psi,
could see entire lives of horrors with a single touch, and he was sure
McNaughton’s past was filled with a lot of nasty memories.
“Wish
you had time for me tonight. But I’ve got a feeling you’re booked up tight.” He
glanced back at the room bustling with companions and potential customers. Aki
was the only psi in the room, his pale-pupiled blue eyes telling the world that
he was different.
“I’m
sure Bart can fit you in.” Aki’s eyes scanned the room until he found his boss,
who was engaged with negotiations with another client. “Looks like you need
some trouble eased tonight.” He leaned in close enough his breath ran across
McNaughton’s cheek.
McNaughton
turned his head, lips nearly close enough to touch. “Would love a bit of time
with your shine.”
“Words
like honey, McNaughton.”
The
cop flashed him one of his rare, heart-stopping smiles then nodded as Bart
appeared beside them. “Table seven is ready, Aki. Number one.” Bart told him.
Aki
grabbed Bart’s wrist with a gloved hand. “The cop needs some time tonight. You
can make that happen, right?”
“Of
course.” Bart nodded to them and took Aki’s vacated seat and Aki made his way
to his next client of the evening. There were only two services Aki performed.
A hand job and a blow job, one and two. This client wanted number one—which
meant he was cheap since rarely did anyone ask for a hand job from him. But his
prices were astronomical anyway.
“Hello,”
Aki smiled at the man as he slid into the chair opposite him. The client was
dressed nice, button down shirt, pressed pants, but he was bald and a little
heavier around the waist. A politician probably. “If you’re ready we can head
upstairs.”
The
man barely spoke, but he leered, eyes tracing over Aki’s form more like he was
cattle than a night of entertainment. Even in his worst moments McNaughton had
never done that. It wasn’t appreciation, but something darker. Aki sighed
internally and hoped this would be fast. He knew a thousand ways to get a man
off in minutes. Something about him just set off Aki’s creep radar.
“I
hear some wait months for the pleasure of your time,” the man said with
slightly accented speech.
Not
usually. The only ones who waited weeks were because their schedule and Aki’s
conflicted or because they’d done something to upset him or Bart. Most clients
got in within a few days if not the same day of requesting Aki’s time. And
regulars were always given precedence over someone not yet vetted like this client.
“If I don’t please you I can see if Preston or Royce is available.”
“I
was hoping for Candy originally.”
Was
always good to be told he was second choice. Aki gritted his teeth. “Candy only
serves a special kind of client. And he does have a wait list.” Mostly because
he took clients who wanted a little more kink than any of the other male
companions preferred. Aki was going to recommend this client be removed from
the premises after the service was over.
“I
guess you’ll have to do then. Won’t you?” He gave Aki a chilling smile.
Bastard.
Aki got up from his seat and offered his gloved hand to the man who followed
closely. They’d reached the stairs when the man grabbed him, yanked Aki against
him and shoved his hand up Aki’s skirt, groping him and sending him into a
spiral of nightmares.
A
dark room. The metallic stink of blood. Screams. The sound of knives being sharpened.
Metal bars clanking. Crying. Pain. The music of an ice cream truck. How odd. It
was all ripped away a moment later, but Aki’s stomach was already heaving. The
small plate of fruit and yogurt he’d had for dinner was not going to stay down.
Someone
carried him unceremoniously to the private companion bathroom near the kitchen
and set him in front of the toilet just as the mash of fruits and dairy came
up. Aki heaved a couple of minutes, his brain swirling with the images that
thankfully began to fade just as quickly as they’d come. With any luck he’d be
able to brush his teeth, wash his face and go about his work day.
He
glanced up to find Manny, the head of security standing at the door. McNaughton
knelt beside Aki. Had held his hair back and even used his jacket to cover
Aki’s bottom. The skirts really were too short.
“Bart
is already having the guy removed. He should never have touched you like that.
Sorry I didn’t get to you quicker,” Manny told Aki. “Grateful to you,
Detective, for responding so quickly.”
McNaughton
stroked Aki’s back, using the soft material of the sweater to run circles over
his spine. “Want to talk about it?”
Aki
sighed. “Same crap. Just weird. Darkness, crying, smelled blood. Heard knives.”
He shook his head. “The guy could work at a butcher for all I know. The
memories get so jumbled.” Often with his own horrific past. “Thought I heard a
kid. And bars rattling like in a jail. And the music from an ice cream truck.”
McNaughton
nodded like it made perfect sense to him and helped Aki get up and make his way
to the sink where there were spare toothbrushes and endless varieties of paste.
The cop leaned over and kissed Aki’s hair. “Gotta go. I’ll have Bart reschedule
me sometime this week though. Love that you wore my shoes.” He was gone a
moment later.
Aki
cleaned up and made his way back to work. At least the night was almost over.
He was sad that McNaughton hadn’t stayed. Would have liked to see that smile
another time or two. At least the rest of the night flew by without incident,
even if the detective didn’t return.
“Sleeping
with me tonight?” Candy asked as he stripped out of their work clothes, leaving
just a pair of bright pink underwear and crawled into bed. His purple hair was
already brushed and eyes heavy with sleep.
“Please,”
Aki whispered. He stripped off everything but his underwear too. After putting
his shoes and pins away, he washed his face.
“Heard
that guy touched you. What a jerk.”
“He
wanted you to begin with.” Aki curled up beside his best friend.
Candy
flicked off the light. “I would have brought him down a few pegs.”
Aki
smiled, but he didn’t want to think of the horrible man at all. Those memories
just needed to go away. He had enough of his own to battle with each day. He fell
asleep hoping to wake up with less nasty memories each day.
The
next afternoon Aki was up early and at Artie’s for breakfast—best 24/7 diner in
the area—when McNaughton arrived. The man sat down at his table without asking
and pushed a pair of slim, jeweled, yellow flat sandals into Aki’s hands.
“What’s this for?” Aki asked.
He
just shook his head. He threw a stack of cash on the table and motioned to the
waitress. “Anything he wants is on me.” He then got up from the table and
headed for the door.
“Well
that was weird,” Aki said to LuAnn, the waitress.
She
pointed at the Vid screen. “He had a rough night. Caught the guy who was
killing kids.” The Vidscreen was turned to the news. Something about a man
named the “Ice Cream Killer” had been captured. Apparently he used an ice cream
truck to lure kids in, kidnapped them, raped them and killed them. Real
monster.
A
picture popped up of the guy. It was the client from the Gem. Maybe that’s why
McNaughton was at the Gem. No matter what he hoped the detective visited him
tonight. The new yellow shoes would need a new skirt to match…
Bio
Lissa Kasey
lives in St. Paul, MN, has a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing, and
collects Asian Ball Joint Dolls who look like her characters. She has three
cats that enjoy waking her up an hour before her alarm every morning and
sitting on her lap to help her write. She can often be found at Anime
Conventions masquerading as random characters when she's not writing about boy
romance.
Available from
Dreamspinner Press:
Inheritance
Reclamation
Conviction
Ascendance
Hidden
Gem
Available from
Lissa Kasey:
Friction
Resolute
Consequences
Decadence
Jamie
Devotion
Samhain
Dominion Shorts (compilation)
Available from
Lissa Kasey/Xara X. Xanakas
Sink or Swim
