Ryan is a young artist hoping to make a name for himself. When he meets a man who offers to help him advance his career, he accepts. His career takes off when Merrick arranges two shows for Ryan at a local gallery. Ryan is elated, especially when their relationship becomes more personal. What he doesn’t expect is to end up being abused, physically and emotionally, as Merrick tightens his control over the younger artist.<br><br>After a vicious beating, Ryan manages to escape, naked except for a bedspread wrapped around himself. Policeman Shaun Levitt finds him cowering in an alley. Taking the battered young man under his wing, Shaun begins the slow process of helping Ryan come to grips with what happened.<br><br>Will Ryan learn to trust again? Or will he forever look at any man who might be interested in him as another potential abuser ... including Shaun?

In the Name of Love

When Shaun arrived at the boarding house late Christmas morning, he was greeted by Miss Gina and the lodgers as if he was one of what she called her extended family. Everyone was, unsurprisingly, in the parlor, some with eggnog, others sipping coffee.


Shaun’s gaze immediately went to Ryan, who was looking inordinately pleased with himself. Shaun found out why when Miss Gina practically dragged him over to show him a new drawing that held the place of honor over the fireplace. It was of her, seated on one of the parlor sofas, with the rest of the lodgers standing behind her.


“That’s beautiful,” Shaun said. “It’s only missing one person.”


She smiled. “I know. Ryan. When I said so, he told me he hadn’t been here long enough.” She gave Ryan a mock glare. “I could have smacked him.”


Ryan shrugged, before picking up the lone gift still under the tree. It was obvious to Shaun there had been others, from the wastebasket full to overflowing with discarded wrapping paper.


Chapter 81