GENRE: Gay Paranormal Spicy Romance
LENGTH: 244 pages
RATING:

Garner working as a waiter at an upscale restaurant with a growing attraction to a man named Alonzo, who always asks to be put in his section for dinner. One night after work, the man is assaulted while trailing Garner. Garner goes to his aid, but is shot for his trouble.

Taking time off from work to recover, Garner is resting on a park bench when Alonzo suddenly appears at the other end of the bench. Garner never saw him approach. He asks why Alonzo is trailing him.

After some hesitation, Alonzo explains he wants to recruit Garner to help fight against others who systematically hunt people like himself. Garner isn’t inclined to get involved in anything dangerous, but he does finds Alonzo more and more attractive, so he agrees to consider the idea. As he learns more about Alonzo’s bizarre and dangerous subculture, what Garner really wants to know is whether Alonzo is romantically interested in him at all.

EXCERPT:
Note: may contain sexually explicit scenes of a homoerotic nature.

After that they continued in silence. Garner was very aware of Alonzo’s presence next to him. They even brushed hands occasionally -- which gave Garner a thrill when it happened.

“So,” Garner said at last, deciding to change the subject. “I could see you, when you were -- doing that thing, suppressing my perceptions.”

Alonzo nodded. “You are beginning to develop your abilities.” He paused, before adding, “And you’re beginning to see.”

Garner wasn’t sure what that last word meant; he was distracted by another brush with Alonzo’s hand. This time he took hold of it and pulled his companion to a stop. Alonzo didn’t try to pull away. He just stood there, looking up at Garner calmly but questioningly.

“Look,” Garner said. “You have -- whatever, perceptions -- so you must know.” He paused, and took several breaths. “I mean -- do you have any feelings for me at all?”

Alonzo studied Garner’s face for a long while, then with a slight grimace, nodded minutely.

“Oh!” Garner’s mind whirled. It was not an enthusiastic response, but still -- “Oh!” he said again. “Wow! Uh -- great!”

Then he didn’t know what to do or to say. With great effort, however, he stepped closer to Alonzo and lowered his head toward him.

“May I kiss you?” he murmured when their lips were an inch apart. Again, there was a pause, then a slight nod. Garner leaned forward and kissed Alonzo’s lips. Although Alonzo’s response was, possibly, somewhat restrained, nevertheless Garner felt himself transported into a realm of sensuous bliss born of subtle, sensitive touch that was gentle, liquid, and electrically thrilling.

The kiss lasted almost a minute, and afterwards, when Garner stepped away again, he felt slightly giddy.

“Wow!” he murmured. Alonzo smiled, but said nothing.

Garner was still holding onto Alonzo’s hand, and as they resumed their progress, he felt like he was an inch above the sidewalk. The feeling was so wonderful that his brain just seemed to have taken a vacation. There were no thoughts, just that amazing feeling of intoxicated joy.

Part of him wanted to cry, but he didn’t ask why. He felt, as if for the first time, the beauty and mystery of the night, made perfect by the presence of this man walking next to him, by the touch of his hand.

They walked like this, without saying anything, for several blocks. At last, they encountered a section of sidewalk that was taped off beside a sign with an arrow on it, indicating that pedestrians should continue to walk on the far side of the street. It was fortunate that there was one of those periodically blinking orange lights near the tape, for the streetlight directly overhead was not working, producing a region of darkness in this section of the street.

Obeying the arrow, they had just stepped onto the asphalt when Garner momentarily felt something odd inside his head. Puzzled, he turned toward Alonzo. Though he could not see him, he could feel that he, too, was startled -- and uneasy.

Without saying anything, they both stopped walking. But, before he could speak or act, Garner felt a stinging pain in the middle of his back, followed by a juddering electric shock that passed through his entire body. He lost control of his muscles, and toppled to the ground, where he lay helpless, limbs quivering.