Only Box Set Read online

  Only Box Set

  4 Gay Erotic Romances in 1!

  By Shawn Lane

  Published by JMS Books LLC

  Visit jms-books.com for more information.

  Copyright 2017 Shawn Lane

  ISBN 9781634863414

  Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

  Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

  All rights reserved.

  WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

  No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

  This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Published in the United States of America.

  * * * *

  Only Box Set

  By Shawn Lane

  Only in His Dreams

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Only for Him

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Only His Heart

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  His One and Only

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Epilogue

  Only in His Dreams

  Chapter 1

  Darrell Lincoln pulled into his parking spot, turned off his car, got out, and locked it. He was fairly geeked he had been given his own parking space since being hired as the financial manager at Anderson, Llewellyn, and Stevens.

  He approached the front door, office keys in hand. He prided himself on always being the first one to the office. Only Darrell, the office manager, Kim, and the three partners had keys to the front door.

  Darrell was the first one in his family to have finished college and he was damn proud of his business and finance degree. Things were going so well, he was considering purchasing a home. Maybe someday he’d find a person to share it with.

  He shook his head. He really needed to stop thinking in nonspecific gender terms. He knew very well he spoke of a man. He’d been openly gay for several years now.

  Earlier in the year, the law firm had installed sensor lights so as he walked down the hall toward his cubicle the lights flared on. Darrell powered on his computer and went to make a pot of coffee. He opened the fridge in the firm’s kitchen, checked on the amount of liquid creamers they had, and marked the list for the office manager for the ones getting low. This was his usual routine.

  After grabbing a cup of coffee in his mug, he went back to his desk to read his emails. It was only seven so he knew no one else would be in for a while.

  He checked the weather report on his favorite news station’s website. They were on storm watch. Darrell rolled his eyes. Southern California always carried on about a little bit of rain. Probably would be less than a quarter inch if that.

  The sound of the office front doors opening startled him. He stood up, craning over the top of his cubicle. Who besides himself would come in now? No one ever did.

  Four of the firm’s attorneys filed through the door. He was pretty friendly with the woman, Mary Biggs. She was probably the nicest attorney there, really. Mary and two of the men with her were associates. Darrell knew them, but they were always very businesslike. He’d never exchanged any personal information with either of them. Suited him fine, too.

  But the fourth attorney happened to be Travis Anderson, one of the partners, and Darrell’s big time crush. The man’s golden blond hair looked vaguely mussed like from the wind. He laughed at something one of the others said, showing his perfect white teeth and dimples on either side of his sensual lips. Darrell’s gut twisted and he sat down fast, hoping they didn’t notice him gaping at them over his cubicle.

  It was rare for Travis to even be in the office. Most days, it seemed to Darrell, he was in a trial. Travis was a big time, successful trial attorney, well sought after by corporate clients. He couldn’t even think of a case Travis hadn’t won.

  This Thursday morning his crush had dressed in a dark charcoal Armani suit with a crisp white dress shirt and a turquoise silk tie. Darrell was pretty sure it was close to matching the man’s eyes.

  He hadn’t been on a date in months, and he’d never dated a white guy, but since working at the firm, Darrell found he didn’t want anyone else. Stupid, of course. He didn’t even know if Travis was gay, and even if he was he didn’t seem to know Darrell existed. Someone like Travis—handsome, outgoing, well-off—would never want a quiet, shy, numbers geek. Only in his dreams.

  They’d not had even one conversation. Which made Darrell’s infatuation that much more pathetic.

  Mary, a still attractive woman in her fifties, came around the wall of his cubicle. “Good morning, Darrell.”

  “Good morning. I’m surprised to see you all so early.”

  She nodded. “We needed to meet about a big new client and this week is the only time Travis had to meet with us. He wanted to get an early start. I hope this means there’s coffee.”

  He smiled. “Of course. You want me to bring it in to the meeting?”

  Mary rolled her eyes. “God, no, we can get our own coffee. I’ll talk to you later.”

  She scurried away down the hall toward the direction of the conference room and Darrell opened up his billing file to get to work.

  “Hi, Darrell.”

  Darrell froze in the middle of typing in a code, his back ramrod straight and to the person who spoke. He knew the voice well. It starred in a number of his fantasies. Swallowing back his gasp of surprise, he turned his chair to face Travis Anderson.

  Travis had removed his suit coat and had loosened the turquoise silk tie just a fraction. Just enough for Darrell’s eyes to stray to the smooth, pale throat. He then forced his gaze upward to the chiseled jawline, and ah, hell, the lips, turned up just a tad at the corners. Up to the perfect patrician nose, obviously never broken, past the high cheekbones to those incredible blue eyes framed by golden lashes. Darrell thought he might swallow his own tongue.

  “Uh.” Crap. His first time talking to Travis and all he could make was a dumb ass sound.

  Travis’s expression was vaguely quizzical. He handed a manila folder to Darrell. “Here’s the information on the new client.”

  Darrell took the folder and merely stared at it, dumbfounded. Travis had never brought him client bills before. Usually if
Travis had anything for him it came from the man’s admin assistant, Barnaby, a rather young, flamboyant gay man with bleached hair. Barnaby was a big flirt.

  “Where’s Barnaby?” he blurted out.

  Travis smiled, showing off the dimples also often featured in Darrell’s fantasies. “Called in sick. I think he just had a little bit too much fun last night.”

  “Did you spend it together?” Damn, he’d just asked that out loud, hadn’t he? What the hell was the matter with him?

  Travis laughed. “No.”

  Darrell set the file down and picked up some papers, shuffling them. He couldn’t look at Travis. “Sorry. I mean, I’m sure you don’t…er…fraternize with the staff.”

  “It’s not that, really. Barnaby isn’t my type.”

  “Oh.” Oh. Well, Darrell now knew the answer regarding Travis’s sexual preference. Tamping down his disappointment, reminding himself again he’d never had a chance in a million years anyway, he plastered on a smile. “I’ll get that information in the system right away.”

  “I appreciate that. Have a good rest of the day.” And with a small wave, Travis disappeared from view.

  “Idiot,” Darrell muttered to himself.

  * * * *

  Even though he got to the office first, Darrell was often among the last to leave. At least of the non-attorney members of the staff. It was a little after six that night when he finally shut down his computer and headed to the front glass doors. The threatened storm had arrived an hour earlier with light rain and the downpour had begun twenty minutes ago. Darrell had planned to be gone before the heavy rain started, but hadn’t been able to tear himself away from a particular challenging client billing.

  Darrell now wished he had grabbed an umbrella when he’d left his apartment that morning. His glasses would be covered in spots by the time he got to his car. Grimacing, he opened the doors and hurried out to his car, pressing the unlock button as he ran. He wiped off his glasses, turned the key in the ignition, and cursed out loud when it just moaned.

  “No! Come on.” Darrell tried the key two more times. He jumped when he heard a sharp tap on his passenger window. Swallowing a trickle of unease, he opened the door and got out. Travis Anderson stood next to his car holding a large black umbrella.

  “Hey, Darrell. Car trouble?”

  He nodded. “Won’t start.”

  “Why don’t I give you a ride home? You can deal with the car tomorrow when the weather’s better. Hopefully.”

  His heart hammering hard, Darrel shook his head. “I, uh, don’t want to impose. I can probably call someone.”

  Travis smiled. “It’s no imposition, Darrell. Come on. The sooner you agree, the sooner we can both get out of the rain.”

  “Okay, thanks.” He followed Travis to the man’s Honda sedan. For some reason, Darrell had expected Travis to drive a fancy luxury car.

  “Where can I take you?” Travis asked as they got inside.

  His mind turned traitor on him and he almost had to bite his tongue off to keep from saying something hokey like “right here, baby.” Get a hold of yourself.

  “Burbank.”

  “Just program your address in my GPS. Or wait. Are you hungry?”

  Feeling a little lightheaded, Darrell heard his voice squeak out, “Yeah.”

  “Great, let’s stop somewhere on the way.”

  “Sounds good.” Darrell turned his face away from Travis’s scrutiny, certain the man could read his thoughts even in the dark car. He had to remind himself it was just a casual bite to eat on the way home. A favor from his boss. Nothing more.

  Chapter 2

  As Darrell slid into the booth across from Travis at the Mexican restaurant they’d stopped at, he reminded himself to play it cool.

  The waitress approached their table immediately. “Señor Travis, it is good to see you.”

  Travis smiled. “You, too.”

  “It’s slow tonight with the rain.” She glanced at Darrell and smiled. “Oh, you brought a handsome friend.”

  Darrell’s cheeks heated and he was glad for both his brown skin and the low lighting of the restaurant. He kept his gaze on the menu.

  “Darrell works at my firm,” Travis said.

  “Welcome. What can I get you to drink?”

  “I’m driving and it’s raining, just an iced tea for me.”

  Darrell nodded. “Make that two.”

  “I’ll be back with your drinks.”

  “You could have had something.”

  Darrell lowered his menu to look at Travis. “I’m not really much of a drinker, to be honest.”

  “Nothing wrong with that. What are you thinking of having?”

  “The chile relleno.”

  “Good choice. I think I’ll have the carne asada.”

  They gave their orders to the waitress and then Darrell started stuffing his face with the chips and salsa on the table. He had no idea what to say. He’d never been good at small talk on dates, which this wasn’t, and he never felt comfortable talking with employers either.

  “I have to tell you, Darrell, I’ve been very impressed with your work.”

  Darrell had a salsa covered chip about halfway up to his mouth. He paused and blinked. “Um, really?”

  Travis smiled and nodded. He couldn’t help but admire the gentle curve of the man’s sensual lips as they turned just a bit upward. Darrell usually noticed men’s lips first, even before he noticed their arms or their asses. And Travis had a fine ass, too.

  “We had some issues with the person we had in your position before. Some discrepancy problems as well as just letting work go. I didn’t like the idea of anyone losing their job, but we didn’t feel like we were left with much choice.” Travis paused to sip his iced tea. “To be honest, when Mark brought your resume to us I was a bit skeptical.”

  Mark Stevens was one of the firm’s other partners and the man Darrell had interviewed with for the position in the first place. The third one being Nathan Llewellyn. Like himself, Mark was African American, and for a moment Darrell wondered if that might be the reason Travis had been skeptical. Almost all his life, Darrell had been dealing with assumptions about his education and work background simply because he was black and originally from south central Los Angeles.

  “But,” Travis continued, “your lack of experience in a law firm didn’t end up being a factor. Your education was excellent. I wasn’t sure we could take the time to train you on our weird billing programs.”

  Darrell shrugged. “They were a piece of cake.”

  “I know. Like I said, obviously my reservations were unfounded.” He held up a hand. “Now, to be honest, Mark had once insisted we hire an intern who was the daughter of a friend of a friend and she ended up being a disaster, so he didn’t have the best track record.”

  “But Mark didn’t know me prior to sending in my resume.”

  “Exactly but I was leery of his choices at that point.” Travis smiled disarmingly. “The point is you’ve been a terrific addition to the firm.”

  The waitress arrived with their meals, refilled their iced tea, and disappeared once more.

  “I’ve been talking with both Mark and Nathan about you.”

  The bit of food Darrell had just placed in his mouth suddenly tasted like sawdust. He chewed and swallowed. “You have?”

  Travis laughed. “Don’t worry. You look like I just said we’ve been planning your murder.”

  His ears heating, Darrell attempted a smile. “Well, I…what were you talking about?”

  “All good, I assure you. I’ll make sure Barnaby gives you the details when he returns to the office, but we definitely feel a raise is in order.”

  Darrell blew out a slow breath of relief and maybe a touch of disappointment. Now it all made sense taking him to dinner. It was merely a way to thank him for his hard work and to tell him about the raise. A part of him, tiny though it was, had sort of hoped Travis was interested in him. Well, that was before he’d basically confirmed he wa
s straight when they were talking about Barnaby earlier.

  “Thank you very much,” Darrell said. “That’s a great surprise.”

  “You’re welcome. You’ve earned it.”

  Travis took several bites of his food without saying anything else for a few minutes and Darrell wondered if he should find some way to break the silence. He was sort of a social geek, really. Not that he liked admitting it. He decided in the end to take his cue from Travis, eat his dinner, and wait for the other man to say something.

  Travis was nearly done with his meal when he said, “So, tell me about your family.”

  “My family?”

  Travis’s bright smile dimmed just a fraction. “Unless you don’t want to talk about them.”

  “No, it’s just…I didn’t expect you to be interested.”

  “Why?” Travis looked genuinely puzzled.

  Because I am boring old Darrell and you’re sexy as sin Travis.

  “I don’t know.” Darrell cleared his throat. “Um, well, my daddy-er-father died when I was fourteen, so after that Mama raised me and my two brothers by herself. She worked as a hotel maid mostly, though she did some other odd jobs now and again. My oldest brother plays basketball with the Detroit Pistons. And my little brother is still in college.”

  “Wow, that’s pretty cool. Your mother did a fantastic job. Sorry to hear about your dad.”

  “Yeah, he got in a bar fight and ended up hitting his head on the asphalt in the bar parking lot. Got a brain hemorrhage,” Darrell explained.

  “Oh, my God.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, it was tough.”

  “Was the guy he fought with charged?” Travis pushed his mostly empty plate toward the end of the table.

  Darrell piled his plate on Travis’s. “That’s just the thing. The fight was with his best friend. It got out of hand. Uncle Jim, we always called him that, never meant to hurt my father. We all understood that, even my mama. It was just a bad accident.”

  “It’s amazing you and your family can be so forgiving.” Travis shrugged. “I’m not sure I would be in the same circumstances. You’re lucky to be close to your family.”