Working for British Intelligence, agents Liam Bancroft and Colin Mason live a life of danger, on the razor’s edge. They’ve seen it all, done it all, trusting one another unequivocally with their very lives. Partners. Best mates. Their bond unbreakable. Until one assignment changes everything… It should’ve been nothing more than a simple, innocent kiss to save their cover and their mission. But instead, it sends Colin fleeing on a difficult journey of self-discovery and Liam fearing he’s irrevocably destroyed their friendship beyond repair. Against the backdrop of a quaint cottage in the sleepy English countryside, painful secrets are revealed, long-buried feelings rise to the surface and two men learn for the first time in their lives what it truly means to be in love. Stronger Together is a friends to lovers, first time gay romance with a HEA. An hour later it was all over, SecTen successful once again, and they were on their way back to London, Colin behind the wheel of his blue Suzuki jeep. Liam barely heard any of what Lockwood said during the clean-up, distracted by dead, sightless eyes. He closed his own, but they were still there, staring at him, accusing him, the demons of his past rising up to haunt him once more. The screams were so loud… Bile flooded his throat again and his stomach rolled and twisted. He bent forward, gasping. “Pull over…” “Eh?” “Pull over!” Colin did as Liam asked, hitting the brakes, bringing the jeep to a quick stop. Liam fumbled with the door handle and lurched from the seat, falling to his hands and knees in the dirt and was violently ill. Liam’s stomach heaved again and again until there was nothing left. Only then did he register Colin on his knees beside him, a warm hand on his back. “Liam, Christ, are you all right?” Liam spit several times, feeling himself trembling slightly. “I’m… I’m okay,” he lied. “Just…must be something I ate for breakfast.” Liam could tell from Colin’s expression he didn’t believe him, but he didn’t push the issue, either. Instead, he helped Liam to his feet and back into the jeep. Liam leaned back against the seat with a long exhale, cursing himself for acting like this. Especially in front of Colin. Colin was searching through the glove box and Liam looked down to see him offering up a packet of gum. Liam took it with a small smile. “Ta, mate.” Colin gave a pat to Liam’s leg and pulled back onto the roadway.
~*~*~*~*~
The remainder of the trip was made in silence, for which Liam was grateful. He didn’t want to talk about what happened. Or why. He just wanted to get home and be by himself. Alone with his memories to torture him once again. But when they arrived at Liam’s flat, Colin found a parking space instead of just pulling up to drop Liam off. Liam raised a questioning brow at his partner and Colin gave him a grin. “Need to use the loo.” Liam sighed, but he could hardly refuse him. “All right, come up.”
~*~*~*~*~
While Colin went to do his business, Liam headed to the kitchen for a glass of water, rinsing and spitting, then drank down the remainder. He refilled the glass and took it with him as he left the kitchen. He found Colin in the lounge, his hands in the pockets of his denims, a contemplative expression on his face. “Something you ate, eh?” Liam drank down half the glass of water, still feeling a bit shaky. He shrugged, trying to play it off as nothing. “Must’ve been the sausage. Past its expiry date.” Colin regarded him steadily and Liam waited for him to call him on his bollocks. But instead he slowly nodded his head. “You look knackered. Why don’t you get some kip?” Liam blinked at the reprieve he’d been given. “Yeah, I could do with a bit of a lie-down.” Colin hooked a thumb at Liam’s settee. “Mind if I crash here for a bit? My telly’s on the fritz and the football’s on.” It was rubbish and they both knew it. There was nothing wrong with Colin’s television. He was worried about Liam and wanted to keep an eye on him. That curl of warmth was back in Liam’s chest. “Help yourself, mate,” he replied, turning to leave the room. “Cheers. And Liam?” Liam turned back around. “Yeah?” “You need anything, just call out.” They held one another’s gaze for a long moment, once again communicating without words. Liam gave Colin a small, grateful smile. “Will do,” he said softly. And that right there? Having a partner? Liam wouldn’t trade that for all the flash cars and martinis in the world. BIO:  Jamie Lynn Miller has been writing fiction since childhood and decided to take the plunge and go pro in 2008, finding to her amazement that people truly enjoyed her love stories. She’s a romantic at heart, and her tales reflect the desire we all have to find “the one,” persevering through trials and heartache for that happy ending. Jamie has a degree in fine arts and has spent the last twenty-five years working as a graphic designer, though she’d much rather be writing. She was born in Chicago and still lives there today with her husband and their two furry, four-footed children, er… cats. If she’s not brainstorming story ideas, you can find Jamie at a sci-fi convention, in front of a furnace doing glass blowing, or on a mat twisted into a yoga pose. CONTACT INFO: Jamie Lynn Miller jamielynnmiller@live.com @JamieLynnAuthor  Jamie Lynn Miller has penned a masterpiece! Jamie has raised the bar with each novel she writes. Now with Stronger Together she's raised the bar to a point where it's no longer reachable. The characters are multi-faceted, well developed from page one of this page-turner. It's great to watch them develop even further especially as they grow into their amazing relationship. Jamie weaves the story back and forth between gentle and intense with great finesse. Amazing doesn't even begin to cover how she does this. Stronger Together has become my new favorite and it's a brilliant beginning for a new series. 5 out of 5 stars! |
