When he sees entrepreneur Mitch O'Shea whirling around an empty building, contractor Ben Behr is enchanted. Even though his two brothers are gay, Ben always thought he was a ladies' man until he met Mitch. Despite his feelings, Ben knows San Francisco native Mitch is totally out of his league. What could Ben possibly do to get out-and-proud Mitch to notice him? Turns out Mitch is just as attracted to Ben. As they compete in car rallies, camp in the Sierra Nevada foothills, and tour the bars Mitch owns in the city, they realize how stifled they've been their entire lives. Maybe looking over the fence and jumping it to explore what's on the other side are good ideas. When these two seemingly opposites get together, will Ben and Mitch find out they have the world at their feet and might even have love in their hearts?

Waking the Behr

Then some of the raindrops turned red, and we were caught in a bloodbath amid a series of anguished cries. I cringed and almost raised my arms to shield myself. No one but Mitch noticed my unease. His hand on my lower back gently guided me as we walked.


After we were seated, Mitch ordered us drinks from someone clad in black who faded into the background. Meanwhile, the lighting leveled off, and a group of paintings were highlighted on the walls. I couldn’t tell if they were real or as fake as the rain. Some of the pictures were bizarre, but most were what I’d call normal images of objects I could recognize.


I looked at Mitch, now that he was visible.


He threw an arm around the back of my chair.


“Stay tuned. You ain’t seen nothing yet,” he whispered in my ear, eager excitement in his tone.


Chapter 21