Luscious Beginnings [Love in Luscious, Kansas 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting ManLove) Read online

  Love in Luscious, Kansas 1

  Luscious Beginnings

  Sometimes what a person wants most has been standing in front of them all along.

  Four months ago, an eye-opening discovery drove Sam Carrington away from his best friends, Brett Monroe and Ethan Bartlett. Now he’s beginning his new life in Luscious, Kansas. But still, he longs for the men he loves.

  Brett and Ethan were shattered when Sam vanished. Every day since his disappearance has been devoted to finding him. However, their search is in vain because two of Sam’s powerful friends made sure he was impossible to find.

  After Sam is stabbed while protecting a friend, he shuts everyone around him out. Concerned for his emotional well-being, one of his protectors turns to Brett and Ethan for help. Once the men know where Sam is, they’ll do whatever it takes to get him back. Only their journey won’t be easy. And the path they must take will lead them to either a luscious beginning or a heartbreaking end.

  NOTE: Luscious Beginnings is truly just the beginning for Sam, Brett, and Ethan. After finding their HEA, a new dream will come along in the form of a woman named Athena in Their Luscious Dream(MMMF), to be published later this summer.

  Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre

  Length: 58,807 words

  LUSCIOUS BEGINNINGS

  Love in Luscious, Kansas 1

  Mia Ashlinn

  MENAGE EVERLASTING

  MANLOVE

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting ManLove

  LUSCIOUS BEGINNINGS

  Copyright © 2013 by Mia Ashlinn

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-62740-054-1

  First E-book Publication: June 2013

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Luscious Beginnings by Mia Ashlinn from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Mia Ashlinn’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Ashlinn’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATION

  As always, I dedicate this book to my wonderful, loving, supportive, and perfect-for-me husband. But for the first time, he has to share the dedication. Of course, he is fine with that because he knows as well as I do that this book wouldn’t exist without Tina Dowds, who is my beta, my personal assistant, my partner in crime, and my very best friend.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Gratitude is the music of the heart, when its chords are swept by the breeze of kindness. —Author Unknown

  To the Righteous Perverts, you are the most supportive, loving group I have ever been blessed to be a part of. When I joined a couple of years ago, I was at a crossroads in my life. I had a child starting school, and I was beginning a new career. And honestly, I was a bit lost. But then I found you. And when you guys took me in and accepted me for me, you helped me see that it was okay to be who I was—a righteously perverted woman with a sassy sense of humor. You helped me understand that we’re all beautiful and wonderful in our own way. And you taught me to embrace who I was and be who I wanted to be and that that would guide me. Now I’m in a place that isn’t always perfect, but it makes me happy. And I owe that to you. So I love you, and I thank you.

  To Tina, I know, I know. You’re so special that you got a Dedication and an Acknowledgement. But seriously, you had such a hand in this book that you deserve both—and frankly, a lot more. So thank you for all the long phone calls where we plot and plan and name characters and map out locations. Thank you for taking me on the road trip to Kansas, and thank you for listening to my insane ideas and gently nudging me away from them when they get too out there. And thank you for staying after me so I don’t chase all the pretty, shiny things, and thank you for reminding me of the details that constantly slip my mind. Pretty much, thank you for being you.

  To Tara, I know you don’t see how important you are to me and this process. But it’s the truth. When I hand you my book, I’m giving you my faith and my trust. And that is not something I do readily or easily because I’m a very private person. But your friendship and the beautiful person I know you to be has given me the courage to let you into a place that I tend to keep locked. And for that, I’m eternally grateful.

  To Luna, thank you for just being who you are. Yeah, that sounds trite. I know. But it’s who you are that keeps me grounded when I fly off to my weird little Mia land. I get in my head, and you know what to say or do to snap me out of it. So thank you for your jokes, smart aleck comments, and wise sayings. They help me when I’m at my craziest.

  To my Facebook friends and Twitter followers, you know who you are. Thanks so much for being a part of my life. I can’t tell you how often I say, “Oh! I so have to post that,” when something happens. And that’s because I want to share with you what’s going on. Sometimes, we laugh and we joke while other times, we talk about books and family life. But no matter what, you give me friendship and fun on a daily basis. For someone who likes to be a bit reclusive, that connection is essential. So thank you for giving me a reason to not hide in my office and be a hermit.

  To my readers, I write stories because I
love to write. But I publish them because I want to share these characters and their stories with you guys. I want you to laugh, to cry, to fall in love or lust or both—anything your heart desires—while you read my stories. So thank you for giving me the chance to do that, and thank you for being there beside me on my journey from the first page to the last. I couldn’t ask for more.

  Lastly, thank you to Diana DeBalko and all the staff at Siren Publishing. Without you, I would have a book with no way to share it. And for me, the thought of that is unbelievably painful. So thank you for taking a risk on me—more than once—and for supporting me and guiding me. You’re a true treasure.

  LUSCIOUS BEGINNINGS

  Love in Luscious, Kansas 1

  MIA ASHLINN

  Copyright © 2013

  Chapter 1

  Sam Carrington sang the heartrending lyrics of “Sad” along with Adam Levine on the satellite radio as he drove his Range Rover over the Luscious, Kansas, city limits. The melancholy melody fit with his mood. He was sad and mad and in a perpetually piss-poor mood. And damn he was so motherfucking tired.

  The ride from Kinky hadn’t been long, a mere sixty-nine miles. But still, he felt beat to the bone. He snorted. Who was he kidding? Lately, he stayed dog-tired. Giving up the bartending job he loved, his apartment, and his friends had sucked the life right out of him. Not to mention the whole being stabbed by a madman while trying to protect someone he cared about. All of that BS was why he was here in this eccentric hippie town rather than in Serenity—with his two best friends, Brett Monroe and Ethan Bartlett. He kept hoping he would find a home where he could forget, a place where he could start over. So far, he was batting zero.

  He’d spent three months traveling around the world while working with the notorious playboy slash art dealer, Rafaello Speranza. They’d traveled from one place to the next like a couple of drifters. But after a while, he’d grown tired of the nomadic lifestyle and contacted his friend Deke Andrews about finding a stationary home. He’d told Deke that it didn’t matter where he lived as long as he had a roof over his head and a job to keep him busy.

  As always, Mr. Know-It-All Deke had come up with a plan. He’d proposed that Sam move to Luscious, Kansas, where he and his partner Adam Stanton were reconstructing a bar on the outside of town. Since they were nearing completion, the two men were already on the lookout for a bartender, and Sam had been working behind one bar or another for nearly eight years. It had been the perfect solution for both him and them. So Sam had quit his job with Rafe and returned to Kansas. Now here he was, on his way to Luscious. Finally.

  He was supposed to have arrived over a month ago. But when he’d made a stopover in Kinky to work out a few details with Deke and Adam about his move, he’d been assaulted by a wackjob wielding a knife. Boy, talk about slowing his ass down. Even after getting out of the hospital in Trinity and retreating to Kinky, he’d struggled to get back on his feet, almost as much as he’d struggled to get the hell out of town.

  Although it hadn’t mattered all that much to him. Not getting stabbed and left for dead. Not being stuck in a hospital or trapped in a heinously uncomfortable bed. And not having to recuperate in Kinky. He didn’t give a shit about those things. No, his heart and his head were always in Serenity with the two men who lived there.

  Son of a bitch. Irritated, Sam brought his hands down onto the steering wheel. Pain bloomed in his palms before shooting through the rest of his hands then up his arms. He let another curse rip. “Motherfucker.” His voice easily carried over the vocals of Adam Levine. “I’ve got to forget them. It’s over.”

  He rolled his eyes in exasperation. Not that anything had begun in the first place. He’d taken off before he could make a complete and utter ass of himself. Without a note or a word of good-bye, he’d run scared. And he was still running—four months later.

  The glum song on the radio rolled from one into the next, and Adam Levine was replaced by Colbie Caillat singing “I Never Told You.” As he listened to the lyrics, he wanted to bang his head against the steering wheel. What was up with all the depressing music? The music gods are conspiring against me. I tell you. He emitted a sharp laugh. It was probably just him. After all, he was worried about failing—yet again—to move on.

  Naturally, he hoped Luscious would be different, but he wasn’t convinced. Even with his friend Brooklyn Sokolov’s positive attitude about the move, he realized only time would tell. Although, he had to concede she was right more often than not. When it came to her psychic abilities, she was amazingly accurate. Her predictions were uncanny. So he was putting his faith in her. Besides, what was his other option? Crawl back to Serenity? Hell no. Continue traveling but never having a home? Double hell no.

  Out of nowhere, a horn blared, and Sam jumped. Blessedly, his car didn’t veer off its course. But the excruciatingly loud noise did pull him out of the somber hellhole he’d allowed his mind to fall into and forced him to return his attention to the road—the very compact, narrow road.

  Eyeing his surroundings, Sam chuckled. Was this place for real? He felt as though he was hanging out in the middle of The Haight in San Francisco. Only that couldn’t be right. He was in Kansas, not California. However, from what he could see in the minimal glow of street lamps, the town had missed that memo—big time.

  Despite nineteenth century architecture undoubtedly designed when railroads came into Kansas, Luscious’s flower-power, peace-and-love vibe was alive and thriving. It could have been the brick walls slathered with bright paint or the intricate murals sketched on several of the buildings. Or it could have been the vintage storefront displays, the beatnik business names, and the custom-designed posters advertising everything from concerts to rallies, art exhibits, and plays. Or it could have been all of the things meshed together. Sam didn’t know. All he knew was Luscious was a bohemian town like no other.

  A second ear-splitting horn rent through the air and surrounded Sam’s SUV, bleeding through the windows and assaulting his ears. With a vehement curse, he snapped his head to the left and spotted a classic Volkswagen Beetle on the opposite side of the road. The driver had slowed his neon yellow car to a crawl. And Sam realized he’d done the same thing without even realizing it.

  Muting “I Never Told You” midsong, Sam rolled down his window and opened his mouth to apologize. However, the unknown man didn’t give him a chance. He’d already opened his window and was now saying warmly, “Welcome to Luscious, Sam. We’re so happy to have you here.”

  Um. What was Sam supposed to say to that? The guy had obviously heard of him, but Sam had no fucking clue who he could be. Uncomfortable because of his disadvantage, Sam pasted on a smile he hoped was friendly. “Thanks. I can’t tell you how happy I am to be here.”

  “I’m Rylan Hodge,” the stranger introduced, leaning out enough for the shadows to break and extending his hand across the center line of the street. “I work at the coffee shop slash book store.”

  Refusing to be rude, Sam checked the road for other cars. When he saw there was nothing coming, he shook Rylan’s hand. “I’m Sam. But you already knew that.”

  The blond-haired, blue-eyed man tilted his head in a nod of assent. “Everyone knows who you are. We’re just like that. You’ll get used to everyone being up in everyone else’s business around here.”

  Now why didn’t that surprise Sam? Probably because he was getting accustomed to all these unorthodox Kansas towns.

  Sam chuckled, drawing an odd look from Rylan. Before the other man could ask, he muttered, “Nothing.”

  Rylan shrugged, astoundingly not questioning him about his aberrant behavior.

  “I guess we should get out of the way,” Sam murmured. “I have to find my new place anyway.”

  “No worries. Most of the town’s at the poetry slam.” Rylan’s sea blue eyes twinkled. “Actually, I was heading there myself.” He smiled. Amazingly, his expression was friendlier than before. “You should come and meet everyone. We’d love to have you with u
s.”

  Being welcomed, so openly, warmed Sam. But still, he found himself shaking his head and declining, “No thanks. I need to get settled.” Feeling bad even though he knew he wasn’t in the mood to be social, Sam returned Rylan’s smile and asked, “Rain check?”

  ‘‘Sure thing.” Rylan pulled his hand back then rolled his window half-up before stopping. “Oh. You’re staying with Tate. Right?”

  Sam nodded silently.

  “Tate’s place is easy to find, but the street’s not.” Pausing, he turned awkwardly and pointed behind him. “You need to drive up Luscious Lane a little farther. You’ll pass Peace and Love Street first then Rainbow Road. After that, you’ll see Hope. That’s the one you want. ’Kay?”

  “Yeah, man. Thanks.”

  Grinning, Rylan added, “If you go all the way to Freedom Avenue, you’ve gone too far.” Then he rolled his window up the rest of the way and drove on.

  Wow. That was…surreal. Maybe this place is going to be my new beginning after all.

  Ten minutes later, Sam guided his car into the parking lot outside of Tate’s apartment building then pulled into an open spot and switched off the ignition. He felt even more optimistic than he had just a little bit ago. His heart was lighter, his mood brighter. Yes, he’d turned on the wrong eccentrically named road and gotten lost, but he still felt more relaxed than he had in ages. Of course, he figured it was hard to be too uptight in a town like Luscious. Shit, the Summer of Love-esque places would bring a smile to anyone’s face.