From the farms of Tennessee, Beau Watkins had it all in high school: the cute girl, the popular jock lifestyle, a loving family. As a rising freshman at an out-of-state college, he's determined to find out who he really is behind the fake it 'til you make it attitude. He joins Rainbow Connection, the gay student alliance, hoping to find himself. Instead, he meets Vin Reyes. Raised by his grandparents and the heir to a prosperous company, Vin has been out of the closet since he figured out what that meant. He has it all: fashionable clothing, fancy cars, huge houses, and a real party lifestyle, even a bodyguard. Most of all, he has a secret. Uncomfortable with Vin's generosity, Beau fights his growing attraction for the president of Rainbow Connection, instead chasing a series of shallow affairs. Vin's never been denied anything he wants, though, and now he wants Beau. But it isn’t until an old rival puts Beau in the hospital that Vin realizes Beau means more to him than a simple affair. Can the two of them bridge the gap between their worlds and roll with the all the punches life throws at them?

On a Roll

Ann-Marie looked at him out of the corner of her eye, a wide smile painting her face. “I nominate—what is your name, kid?”


“Yeah, well, I nominate Boo Randal here,” Ann-Marie said, “to organize a letter writing and phone calling committee aimed at getting us some donations.”


“Did she just make a To Kill a Mockingbirdjoke?” someone said. “Only a fucking English major.”


“Would you like fries with that, English major?”


Ann-Marie glowered. “You want side order of ‘fuck you’ with that?” She held up a hammer-sized fist. “I will kick your ass sideways for you, boy or no boy.”


“You wouldn’t hit a guy with glasses, would you?”


Vin came out from behind the professor’s stand and perched on the edge of Beau’s desk. He smelled of sandalwood soap and his fancy cigarettes. “So,” Vin said, “will you run the committee? We can get a few volunteers to help you make cold calls and stuff.”


Chapter 8