Swift stayed seated. “Max, I have to talk to you.”

“Something we can’t talk over while we eat?”

“Indigestion guaranteed.”

Max took a closer look, scrutinizing Swift’s face. He slowly sat down again. “Okay. Shoot.”

His heart was hammering with something weirdly close to panic. Swift made himself go on, made himself speak calmly. “I neglected to tell you last night that I’d seen Tad Corelli earlier. In the afternoon. After my classes were finished. In fact, I loaned him the keys to my place on Orson Island.”

Max didn’t move a muscle. He didn’t even blink. He was so still, Swift wondered if he’d heard.

He opened his mouth to ask, but Max finally said in a voice stripped of any emotion, “You didn’t think that was something you ought to mention?”

“Yes. But…I wanted to talk to him first. I wanted to convince him to give himself up.” Swift watched Max reach for the phone. “He’s not there now.”

“And you know that how?”

“I went out there this afternoon. There’s no sign that Tad ever arrived at the bungalow.”

“You… Jesus fucking Christ.” Max let the handset drop back in its cradle. He stared at Swift. “Are you crazy?”

Swift shook his head, though the question was probably rhetorical.

“You knowingly, deliberately let a murder suspect…” Max’s voice died out as though his thought process had short-circuited. He continued to gaze at Swift in almost stricken disbelief.

“I didn’t know he was a suspect when I offered him the use of the bungalow.”

“You sure as hell knew after I told you last night.”

“I’m sorry,” Swift said. “I acted on instinct. Maybe a bad one.”

“Maybe? Maybe? Do you have any clue of what you’ve done?”

Unwisely, Swift protested, “Even if Tad did this, it’s not like he’s Public Enemy No.1. He’s a confused, scared—”

“Don’t.” It was enough to shut Swift up. Max’s face was white, his eyes blazing with fury. He looked like a stranger. A stranger Swift would not want to get on the wrong side of.

“Max—”

“Not one fucking word more, Swift.”

But there was always room for one word more, right? Especially this word. Besides, Swift had always been so very bad at following rules.

“I’m sorry, Max,” he repeated.

Max stared at him as though Swift had been hand delivered by Martians. As though Swift were an alien creature that Max needed to exterminate—as soon as he figured out whether to use bullets or pesticide.

“Yeah?” Max made a funny sound that wasn’t quite a laugh. “Not as sorry as you’re going to be.”

The hair rose on the back of his neck. Swift searched the hard, implacable planes of Max’s features. Max wasn’t a guy for idle threats. “Are you…? Am I…?” He wasn’t even sure what question to ask. He knew that expression although Max had never worn it before—not for Swift. It was the expression that said, You’re pathetic. You’re a junky low-life loser. You can’t be trusted. You aren’t one of us. You don’t belong here.

It was an expression he’d have done anything to keep from seeing on Max’s face.

Almost anything.

Swift steadied his voice and got out, “Am I…under arrest?” He tried to say it without emotion, but he had at long last reached a point in his life where he had something to lose. A number of things, in fact, that he didn’t want to lose. Wasn’t sure he could survive losing. Arrest meant losing them all.

Max didn’t seem to hear the question. He was on his feet again, moving into action, speaking under his breath as he grabbed the phone. Tight, fierce words. “Stupid, arrogant, irresponsible, crackbrained…” He jabbed a couple of buttons and then paused. Fastening that lightless gaze on Swift’s face, he said, “Get the fuck out of my office. Get out before I do something we’ll both regret.”

Swift was up and to the door when Max threw after him, “You realize this is probably going to cost you your job?”

Swift had no answer. Or maybe the answer was in his face. Max turned his back on him and snapped his orders into the phone.

When life hands you lemons…make cookies.

Life, Love and Lemon Cookies

© 2011 Ally Blue

A Love’s Evolution Story

Chris Tucker’s perfect life has just gone up in smoke. The fire that destroyed the best restaurant in Asheville took his head-chef dream job along with it—and the owner is walking away. Sure, Chris still has his beautiful home and blissful marriage to his soul mate, Matt Gallagher. But for the first time in his working life, he’s unemployed and spiraling into depression.

Matt’s trying hard to be supportive, but it’s tough when every time he tries to get Chris to open up, the man shuts down tighter than a live clam. Maybe it’s best to hide his hurt and back off. Yet as Chris’s fruitless search for work wears on, Matt begins to wonder if his lover will ever come around.

As the tension between them reaches breaking point, Chris faces the fact that it could be the end of an era for him and Matt. Unless one sweet idea can turn his mounting troubles into a fresh-cut path back to the arms of the one man who makes him whole.

Warning: This book contains gay sex, lots of angst, occasional smartassedness, and an abundance of cookies. Ally Blue and Samhain Publishing will not be held responsible for any resulting food-porn habit.

Enjoy the following excerpt for Life, Love and Lemon Cookies:

Chris was taking the second batch of cookies out of the oven when Matt shuffled back into the kitchen, looking wary as a rabbit in a kennel. “Hey.”

“Matt.” Setting the baking stone full of cookies on the stove, Chris pulled off his oven mitts, hurried to Matt and wrapped both arms around him. He rested his forehead on Matt’s, savoring the feel of Matt’s body pressed against his and the warmth of Matt’s palms on his hips. “I’m so sorry, love. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. I don’t know what came over me.”

“It’s all right. I shouldn’t have pushed you to talk when you just wanted some space.” Matt’s lips quirked into a wry smile. “I know cooking is your security blanket. I guess it just bothers me when I know damn well you’re not okay and you pretend you are.”

Chris frowned. “Do I do that?”

“Not a lot, no. But sometimes. When you don’t understand how you feel. You’re kind of a control freak that way.” Matt pulled back enough to gaze into Chris’s eyes. His expression was unusually serious. “I know this thing about The Falls hit you hard. I just want to help.” He raked his fingers through Chris’s hair and traced the shell of Chris’s ear with his thumb. “Just talk to me.”

Chris shook his head. “Honestly, I’m not sure how to feel right now. I don’t have a job anymore. After fifteen years at The Falls, I’m out of work.”

Matt stroked his fingertips down Chris’s neck. “I’m sorry.”

“I’ve worked since I was fourteen.” Chris laid a hand on Matt’s cheek. “I don’t know how to be unemployed. What on earth do I do, Matt?”

The big blue eyes softened in sympathy. Slipping one arm around Chris’s neck and settling the other hand on his rear, Matt tilted his head upward and covered Chris’s mouth with his own.

Chris couldn’t say the response was unexpected, and he certainly couldn’t pretend he didn’t want it. Nevertheless, fear and worry nagged at the back of his brain in spite of the baking-induced calm.

“Come on, babe,” Matt whispered against his lips. He shoved his hand down the back of the soft drawstring pants Chris had been slouching around the house in for the past few days and squeezed his ass. “Let it go. Just for a little while.” Matt trailed kisses down Chris’s throat and dug his tongue into the place that always made Chris shiver. “Let me make you forget about everything except getting your cock up my ass.”