The Ballerino and The Biker
Rebecca James
M/M Romance
Release Date: 03.10.18
Cover Design: Reese Dante
Blurb
Most of his young life, Morgan Wentworth has dreamed of becoming a principal dancer in a prestigious corps de ballet. After years studying the art in Milan, Morgan comes home to New York City to apprentice with the Manhattan Ballet Company only to be hit by the unexpected death of his older brother, Jake. The grieving dancer learns his life is threatened by a dangerous rival motorcycle gang and that pierced, tattooed, HOT biker Zeke Ivers has been assigned by Jake’s MC to guard him. Saddled with the constant presence of the infuriating man, Morgan juggles the demands of an exhausting dance schedule as well as his new responsibilities as CEO of his family’s multi-million-dollar company. He never expects to develop an attraction for the straight, obnoxious biker, but that’s exactly what happens.
Estranged from an abusive family, Zeke Ivers has lived at the Sentinel’s club house and worked on cars since he was a teen. When fellow club member Jake Wentworth and a rival club president’s girl are killed on Jake’s bike, the Sentinel’s president delegates the protection of Jake’s little brother, Morgan, to Zeke. Zeke would do anything for the club that pulled him off the streets, but Morgan’s a ballet dancer, for Christ’s sake, as well as annoying as hell. Still, Zeke finds himself inexplicably drawn to the young man. The more attracted Zeke becomes to Morgan, the more the biker is forced to examine his sexuality and decide whether two people from opposite sides of the tracks could possibly have a future together, or if Zeke should do what is fast becoming too painful to consider: let Morgan go.
“Not to be rude, but you don’t really seem like the rest of the club.” I took a bite of cereal.
“I’m not a member. I guess you’d call me a hanger-on. But that’s a story for another time.” Swish took another drag of his cigarette and leaned back in his chair. I refrained from wrinkling my nose at the copious amount of smoke billowing between us, but only just. I needed to get out of there before I got lung cancer from all the second-hand smoke.
“Sucks what’s going down with you and the Pistons.”
That uncomfortable my life’s in danger feeling that had begun to sink in since the night Zeke had appeared in Nikki’s apartment squeezed at my stomach, and I put down my spoon.
“Oops. Sorry,” Swish said. “I never was good being delicate about things. Maybe you can go back to—where was it? Rome? Until you’re safe.”
“Milan,” I said. “I’m going to apprentice with the Manhattan Ballet. It’s my dream.”
“Well, that sounds pretty impressive. What does it mean, exactly?”
“Basically, it’s a year shadowing the ballet company, attending every rehearsal, learning all the parts and being ready to step into any of them at a moment’s notice. If I’m lucky, at the end of the year I’ll be asked to join the company. After that, I’ll work to be a soloist, and then a principal dancer.”
Swish tucked a strand of light brown hair that had fallen from his bun behind one ear. A silver cross dangled from his earlobe, and I was pretty sure he was wearing lip gloss. His lips were unusually shaped, like gentle ripples on the water. “Guess all that dancing’s where you got that rocking bod.”
I laughed. “Rocking bod? Really? If that was a pick-up line, you definitely need a new one.”
Swish smiled. “I’m not coming on to you, but I wouldn’t object, if that’s what you want.” He winked. “Although I have a feeling we’d both be jockeying for the same position.”
I laughed. “You’re probably right. I’d think you have enough “rocking bods” to look at here with the Hedonists, anyway.”
Swish shrugged. “A little too beefy for my taste. Except for Dante. His body is perfect.”
He continued smoking, and I finished my cereal, wondering about him and Dante but not wanting to ask.
A bark from the back porch reminded me about the dogs. “When I first got here, I saw you with a different dog. How many do you have?”
“Oh, they aren’t mine. I groom them. You know, wash them, clip their fur and nails, and put bows on their heads. Stuff like that.”
“Really? Here?”
Swish shrugged. “Sure. Got everything set up on the back porch. I’ll show you sometime. I make a decent amount of money. Keeps me from totally freeloading here. I’m squirreling away as much as I can, hoping to get my own shop. Maybe sleep in the back.”
“Cool.” I didn’t know what Swish’s story was, but I admired him for using his skills to make it in life. I got up to rinse my bowl in the sink. “You know where Zeke is? If I don’t get to dance in a real studio soon, I’ll go crazy. ”
Swish regarded me through a cloud of cigarette smoke. “Pretty sure he’s in the basement working on the dryer.”
I hadn’t known there was a basement. I must have looked uncertain, because Swish stood.
“I’ll show you.”
I followed him to a door tucked beneath the stairwell, and he flipped on a light. As we descended the steps, I asked, “You called anything but Swish?”
“Not anymore.” He didn’t offer an explanation, and I added it to the list of things to ponder about him.
I looked around. A bare bulb hung from the ceiling, and one window high up on the wall allowed in a small amount natural light. Zeke was on his hands and knees behind the dryer. From that angle, I had a great view of his ass and found myself staring at it before jerking to attention and nudging his leg with my foot.
“I need someone to take me to the dance studio near where Nikki lives,” I said.
Zeke didn’t look up from what he was doing. “I’ll be finished here in an hour.”
“Okay. I’ll get ready.”
The stairs vibrated with someone descending, and Swish looked up. “Ax could probably do it.”
“Ax?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, although with this club the guy could just as well be named after his favorite body spray as his chosen implement for murder.
A man appeared from around the corner. A big man. “I can do what?”
“Morgan needs a ride somewhere.”
Over six and a half feet tall, bald, with tats all over his head and arms the size of my thighs, Ax was fucking scary-looking. My thoughts must have shown on my face, for he grinned and slapped me on the back, almost knocking me into Swish. A little more good-humored force, and we both would’ve wound up on the floor.
“Jake’s little brother. Nice to finally meet you.” Ax’s baritone reverberated through the room. “Where you need to go, kid?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but Zeke interrupted from behind the dryer.
“He hates bein’ called a kid, and I’m taking him. Go get ready, twinkle toes.”
“Not to be rude, but you don’t really seem like the rest of the club.” I took a bite of cereal.
“I’m not a member. I guess you’d call me a hanger-on. But that’s a story for another time.” Swish took another drag of his cigarette and leaned back in his chair. I refrained from wrinkling my nose at the copious amount of smoke billowing between us, but only just. I needed to get out of there before I got lung cancer from all the second-hand smoke.
“Sucks what’s going down with you and the Pistons.”
That uncomfortable my life’s in danger feeling that had begun to sink in since the night Zeke had appeared in Nikki’s apartment squeezed at my stomach, and I put down my spoon.
“Oops. Sorry,” Swish said. “I never was good being delicate about things. Maybe you can go back to—where was it? Rome? Until you’re safe.”
“Milan,” I said. “I’m going to apprentice with the Manhattan Ballet. It’s my dream.”
“Well, that sounds pretty impressive. What does it mean, exactly?”
“Basically, it’s a year shadowing the ballet company, attending every rehearsal, learning all the parts and being ready to step into any of them at a moment’s notice. If I’m lucky, at the end of the year I’ll be asked to join the company. After that, I’ll work to be a soloist, and then a principal dancer.”
Swish tucked a strand of light brown hair that had fallen from his bun behind one ear. A silver cross dangled from his earlobe, and I was pretty sure he was wearing lip gloss. His lips were unusually shaped, like gentle ripples on the water. “Guess all that dancing’s where you got that rocking bod.”
I laughed. “Rocking bod? Really? If that was a pick-up line, you definitely need a new one.”
Swish smiled. “I’m not coming on to you, but I wouldn’t object, if that’s what you want.” He winked. “Although I have a feeling we’d both be jockeying for the same position.”
I laughed. “You’re probably right. I’d think you have enough “rocking bods” to look at here with the Hedonists, anyway.”
Swish shrugged. “A little too beefy for my taste. Except for Dante. His body is perfect.”
He continued smoking, and I finished my cereal, wondering about him and Dante but not wanting to ask.
A bark from the back porch reminded me about the dogs. “When I first got here, I saw you with a different dog. How many do you have?”
“Oh, they aren’t mine. I groom them. You know, wash them, clip their fur and nails, and put bows on their heads. Stuff like that.”
“Really? Here?”
Swish shrugged. “Sure. Got everything set up on the back porch. I’ll show you sometime. I make a decent amount of money. Keeps me from totally freeloading here. I’m squirreling away as much as I can, hoping to get my own shop. Maybe sleep in the back.”
“Cool.” I didn’t know what Swish’s story was, but I admired him for using his skills to make it in life. I got up to rinse my bowl in the sink. “You know where Zeke is? If I don’t get to dance in a real studio soon, I’ll go crazy. ”
Swish regarded me through a cloud of cigarette smoke. “Pretty sure he’s in the basement working on the dryer.”
I hadn’t known there was a basement. I must have looked uncertain, because Swish stood.
“I’ll show you.”
I followed him to a door tucked beneath the stairwell, and he flipped on a light. As we descended the steps, I asked, “You called anything but Swish?”
“Not anymore.” He didn’t offer an explanation, and I added it to the list of things to ponder about him.
I looked around. A bare bulb hung from the ceiling, and one window high up on the wall allowed in a small amount natural light. Zeke was on his hands and knees behind the dryer. From that angle, I had a great view of his ass and found myself staring at it before jerking to attention and nudging his leg with my foot.
“I need someone to take me to the dance studio near where Nikki lives,” I said.
Zeke didn’t look up from what he was doing. “I’ll be finished here in an hour.”
“Okay. I’ll get ready.”
The stairs vibrated with someone descending, and Swish looked up. “Ax could probably do it.”
“Ax?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, although with this club the guy could just as well be named after his favorite body spray as his chosen implement for murder.
A man appeared from around the corner. A big man. “I can do what?”
“Morgan needs a ride somewhere.”
Over six and a half feet tall, bald, with tats all over his head and arms the size of my thighs, Ax was fucking scary-looking. My thoughts must have shown on my face, for he grinned and slapped me on the back, almost knocking me into Swish. A little more good-humored force, and we both would’ve wound up on the floor.
“Jake’s little brother. Nice to finally meet you.” Ax’s baritone reverberated through the room. “Where you need to go, kid?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but Zeke interrupted from behind the dryer.
“He hates bein’ called a kid, and I’m taking him. Go get ready, twinkle toes.”
I’ve always loved to write and have written since I was a child, usually to entertain my family. I enjoy writing m/m romance because there’s nothing hotter than two men in a loving relationship. I write contemporary romance but am not limited to that. I enjoy writing alpha/omega and vampire stories, and I wouldn’t rule other things out. I’m very prolific, so look for a lot of things to come!
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