Change comes to all of us. For Theo Bascopolis, the first time is when he's fifteen. He finds his life falling apart when his father discovers Theo is gay and orders him to become straight or leave. Having no choice, in spite of what his father might think, Theo leaves. But where can a fifteen-year-old go? Especially when it starts to rain. He thinks things are looking up when he meets a striking man named Franky, who seems very attracted to him. However, once again Theo's life changes when he learns all Franky wants is for him to hustle. And so Theo becomes the rent boy Sweetcheeks. However, Franky underestimates Sweetcheeks, and the results of the ensuing fight sees Sweetcheeks fleeing to Washington DC, where he crosses paths with a group of rent boys who take him in. Finally Sweetcheeks has a family, a home, and an additional source of income in the form of apartments they're able to rent out. His life changes again a few years later when a mysterious tenant by the name of Mark Vincent becomes the reason behind the assault on one of Sweetcheeks's boys. Vincent visits the boy in the hospital, bringing with him his equally enigmatic trainee, William Matheson. The instant attraction blindsides Sweetcheeks. In spite of knowing love isn't for rent boys, he hopes Matheson can see beyond the body he's offered to so many. But Matheson has secrets of his own. Can Sweetcheeks overcome his insecurities enough to believe in the quiet man who's come into his life? Can Matheson keep his actual occupation a secret without it jeopardizing their budding relationship?

Pick Up the Pieces

“Thanks.” Little containers of creamer were on the counter. I emptied three of them into my cup. “Milk?” I offered him one.


I had raised the cup to my lips, but that stopped me from taking a sip. “Are you calling me a wuss?”


“I’m certainly not calling you Sweetcheeks.”


“Oh?” Son of a bitch. The first man I’d been attracted to since…well, forever, and he had to turn out to be a shit. “Mind telling me why? You think it makes me sound like a rent boy?” I gave him a hard glare. Vincent must have told him what our line of work was. It didn’t matter a hill of beans to him, but too many times people had put us down because of what we did for a living.


The glower that I’d learned from Tim didn’t seem to bother Matheson at all.


“No.” His expression was bland. “It makes you sound like my boyfriend.”


My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. He was flirting with me? “You…uh…you really call your boyfriends ‘sweetcheeks’?”


Chapter 46