Kipp Llewellyn, the proverbial poor little rich boy, can have whatever he wants, except the one thing he wants most: his father’s love. When the opportunity arises to obtain it, Kipp jumps at the chance, even though it means breaking a date with “Ham,” the man he’s sure he’s falling in love with. However, the opportunity turns out to be an arranged marriage with his father’s biggest competitor. Even worse, Kipp discovers his proposed groom is Hyde Wyndham, the man of his dreams. Having lived in a gilded cage his entire twenty-one years, Kipp refuses to settle for anything less than love and walks away from both his father and his future husband. Hyde didn’t achieve his position in the financial world by taking no for an answer, however, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make Kipp realize he’s wanted for himself, including wooing the young man he intends to marry, prenuptial agreements be damned. He’s certain he’s succeeded, until Kipp learns something that puts an insurmountable barrier between them. Will Hyde be able to overcome Kipp’s doubts, and will Kipp realize that some things are worth the sacrifice?

Two Lips, Indifferent Red

The only good thing was that even though my phone was wrecked, the SIM card wasn’t; I was able to transfer my contacts to my new phone. And I was able to keep my number.


After the new phone was activated, I discovered someone—not Hyde, so I didn’t pay it much attention—had been trying to reach me all afternoon. Hyde had called once more during the morning and three times in the afternoon.


Dammit. Then again, why had he called four times? Did he…I thought back to last night when I’d groped him. Did he not like me touching him like that?


I puzzled over that while I stood in line at Sbarro in the food court at the mall, ordering a slice of pizza and a medium Coke when the girl behind the counter finally got to me and asked what I wanted. After I paid for it, I found an empty table, and while I nibbled on my pizza, I programmed my ringtones, not that there were that many people I actually cared to give specific tones to: Hyde, Granddad, Geoff, Hunter.


Chapter 74