Keir Moreau, a middle school teacher living a solitary life, is excited to welcome a handsome new neighbor. But after their first meeting goes alarmingly wrong, Keir decides it's safer to keep his distance. Besides, he has to focus all his attention on finding help for a student who is being forced into conversion therapy.<br><br>Riley Quinn used to be an award-winning photojournalist, roaming the world and exposing corruption. An injury put an end to all that. Now he's frustrated with his new aimless life, wondering if he'll ever do anything again that really matters. When he first meets Keir, a case of mistaken identity leads him to mistreat his intriguing new neighbor. Riley tries again and again to redeem himself, but everything he does seems to push Keir farther away.<br><br>Keir, obsessing about his failure to help his student and fighting his stubborn attraction to Riley, takes a reckless gamble that goes dreadfully wrong. Or does it? Can an act of desperation open the door to romance?

The Chartreuse Door

Riley heard the faint knocking only because he happened to be crossing the dark hall on his way to the living room. The screech of the wind and the constant hammering of the rain blocked just about all othersounds. Wondering what idiot was out in this monsoon, he set the lighted candle out of range of the wind and opened the door.


He peered into the night. Whoever was out there was silent. The wind dipped, and a familiar voice whispered, “Riley?”


Excitement spiraled through him, along with a mental warning to himself not to fuck this up. He grabbed the candle and lifted it high to shine on his visitor, preparing to welcome him in. What he saw looked very wrong.


Chapter 25