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

“It didn’t occur to me,” he replied. “I mean, I’m no saint or anything, and I’ve sure done my share of stupid, but opiates and alcohol are a dangerous mix. Particularly if you’re not used to drinking at all. I thought you were just getting tipsy because of the wine.”


“With alcohol and painkillers, it’s a matter of two plus two equals six. With drinking, you get a little loopy, a little sleepy, sometimes a bit sick to your stomach. Same with the pain meds. But when you mix them, you’re sort of cubing the problem.”


“And that’s what happened?” Beau ran one hand through his mop of blond hair; it stuck up in wild spikes over his forehead. “Here I thought I just couldn’t hold my liquor.”


“Well, that could be as well,” Vin said, grinning. His fingers tingled and screamed bloody murder as they woke up. “Bet you got hella headache. I know a great coffee shop, not far from here, where we can get to work on fixing that.”


Chapter 43