Bennett "Ben" Pachowski is a bouncer at Throwbacks. He likes his job, though he gets tired of being thought of as more brawn than brain. He loves books, prefers to be romanced before sleeping with a man, and has a crazy feline companion named Bessie. Ben's favorite band, Rebel's Ultimatum, plays at the club on weekends, giving him an eyeful of sexy bass player, Monty Mabuse. Ben is content to flirt -- nothing more. He knows the kind of person Monty is, and commitment is not something the bass player is interested in. When Monty resorts to something devious to get what he wants, it backfires, and Ben walks away. Before he goes on tour with his band, Monty finally gets Ben to talk to him, but if Monty really wants to have something serious with Ben, he’ll have to change his ways. A little romance could go a long way.

Romancing the Bouncer

I showered, found some old shorts and a many-holed muscle shirt to dress in before heading to the kitchen to make coffee and breakfast. I’d sort this out on a full stomach, and heavily caffeinated.


After filling Bessie’s bowl with water, I cleaned the litter box and put food down for her before making a meal. Half an hour later, I was on my second cup of coffee and about to enjoy my pancakes when Bessie crawled into my lap, looking for attention.


“I don’t see why I should be nice to you, Mata Hari,” I muttered, petting her despite her recent defection.


I almost dropped my coffee cup when Monty stopped next to me, wearing the same clothes as yesterday. He kissed the top of my head.


“What are you…why are you in my apartment?” I demanded, sloshing hot liquid as I slammed my cup on the table and folded my arms across my chest. Bessie scampered away and licked at the water in her bowl. Smart cat.


Chapter 5