Chapter 1

Stranded. How far, Marcus couldn’t be certain. All he knew was, if he wanted to keep from being some strange creature’s next meal, he needed to get out of there before nightfall. What made things worse was that with all his advanced degrees and training, the only thing Marcus could think of right now was to find the cave that he stumbled into that led him to this place. All he wanted was to go to an exotic location and relax. Half of his wish came true.

“Come on, think,” he roared in frustration. Something roared back even louder in the distance. Marcuslooked around anxiously, cowering down a bit as if somehow, he could shield himself from whatever was out there. Nothing. Everything around him seemed still; not a single leaf wiggled in the vast green that surrounded him. Marcus was safe, at least for now.

Marcus wasn’t exactly sure how he ended up in this jungle-like place, and the very thought of how he was going to get back was killing him. He knew the cave had something to do with it, yet he wasn’t sure how. All he really remembered was veering off the road and chasing someone into the cave. That’s right, someone was there, he remembered. He almost plowed right into him, then followed the mystery manto the cave to make sure he was okay. Marcus knew this was stupid, but he had to make sure the guy was okay.

But unfortunately, that good nature led him here. The only thing that Marcus hated more than disasters was not knowing what to do about them. But now, here he was alone without the slightest idea on how to get out of this jam.

Perhaps Daniel was right, he mused, surprised those words entered his mind. His thoughts turned to his colleague and ex-boyfriend Daniel, and how for the first time since their breakup, he truly wished Daniel was next to him. It wasn’t that he was a particularly awful boyfriend; he was just so predictable. Marcus okay with some routine, but not when it came to love. Apart from one incredible night, Marcus could literally guess their plans right down to the last second. First, they would head out to an intimate dinner at a local bistro, followed by a trip to his place for some pedestrian sex—twice if he were lucky. That is if you considered pedestrian sex lucky.

Oh, but on that one night, Daniel had caught Marcus completely off-guard. Marcus was receiving a teacher of the year award, one that he wasn’t expecting. Though he was very active at the high school he worked at, and was popular with both students and colleagues, he never once thought anyone would nominate him for something so prestigious. To Marcus, he was just the ordinary tenth grade chemistry teacher who simply did his job.

The funny thing was that Marcus had been considering changing careers. He started wondering if perhaps he needed something new in his life. He felt that his life lacked a certain adventure and was beginning to get routine. Every day he would get up at 5:45 A.M., get to work by 7:15, and unless there was a game or event, he would leave by 5:00 P.M. Then he would meet up with Daniel for dinner and maybe a movie at home before bed.

That was another sticking point. He felt that Daniel’s predictability was beginning to venture out into his everyday life. He was thinking of ending things, but just couldn’t bring himself to do it. Daniel was too sweet, and every time Marcus thought of having the talk, he would look into Daniel’s eyes and instantly shy away. But the thought remained there until that night.

When Daniel picked him up to celebrate, he expected the usual dinner and drinks and was a little more than pleased when they drove up to four-star hotel. Both were successful in their field, but teachers were not known to receive the same financial rewards as other areas. To see Daniel sparing no expense impressed Marcus beyond belief, even more so when Daniel escorted him past the restaurant and straight to the front desk.

After getting their key, Daniel took Marcus to the elevator, and once the doors closed, he caressed the small of his back with his hand, gently stroking it up and down. This is new, Marcus mused, but I like it. Daniel continued, pulling him closer until their bodies were united and slowly moving forward to kiss his neck. Oh God, Marcus thought, please don’t let anyone need to use the elevator right now. Not just yet.

The elevator dinged. Daniel gave one final kiss to Marcus’s neck before the doors slid open. An older woman walked in, giving Marcus and Daniel a once-over. Daniel still held onto Marcus’s hand, rubbing his fingers onto his palm. Such a small act, but it drove him crazy. He wanted to moan just to let Danielknow what he was doing to him, but not with the little old lady standing next to them. Just having to keep still like that made it more intense, causing an anticipation that drove Marcus further into insanity.