Tomorrow’s Hero by Thom Collins
Book 2 in the Success series
General Release Date: 31st August 2021
Word Count: 32,214
Book Length: SHORT NOVEL
Pages: 127
Genres:
CELEBRITIES,CONTEMPORARY,EROTIC ROMANCE,GAY,GLBTQI,SPORTS
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Book Description
A professional footballer with a secret. Can love conquer a lifetime of fear?
On the surface, international football star Fernando Inglesias has the perfect life—his dream career, fame, wealth and a beautiful girlfriend on his arm. At twenty-nine, Fernando has it all, but success is fragile, and one mistake could destroy everything. Fernando has a secret he will never share, something that could destroy everything he’s worked hard to achieve. There are no openly gay male footballers in the professional league, and he has no intention of becoming the first.
Ibiza…the party playground of Europe—a hedonistic island where anything is possible. On a weekend trip with the boys, love is the last thing Fernando expects to find. A chance meeting with Joshua, a handsome English visitor, changes it all. For the first time, he finds himself interested in more than sex from another guy. As Fernando and Joshua grow closer, the stakes are high on both sides as they struggle to overcome their personal differences.
Can Fernando risk his career for the sake of loving another man?
Reader advisory: This book contains themes of homophobia, a mention of suicide and references to parental neglect and abuse.
Joshua awoke after nine to the sound of running water. Where am I? he wondered for a second. Not at home, that much was certain. Strange bed, strange sounds, strange body lying next to me. He opened his eyes, and everything snapped into focus. The sumptuous comfort of the king-sized bed, the lush décor of the surrounding room, the sexy heat and scent coming off the figure beside him. Of course, Ibiza. I’m on a yacht with a hot Spanish guy called Juan.
Joshua smiled.
The strange watery sounds came from above, not below. Too loud and heavy to be rain. Then he realised one of the crew must be hosing down the decks.
It was all so out of the ordinary.
He turned to look at the man next to him. Juan Carlos lay on his back, one arm across his chest, the other flung over his head, exposing his hairless pit. The white sheet covered him to the waist. His upper body was an incredible sight. Joshua must have explored every inch of him during the night. He’d never been with anyone so toned and ripped. It was more than average fitness. Juan had the physique of a professional athlete. The stamina too, and for such a manly guy he was quite a bottom—seemingly insatiable, at times. Joshua had fucked him three times over the course of the night—and hard too. Juan wasn’t interested in taking things slow, demanding to be thoroughly ploughed each time. Joshua had always been pretty versatile, happy to go either way, depending on the other man. He’d never met such a voracious bottom.
He was beyond handsome. Joshua tended to avoid guys who were too good-looking. There was often a great ego behind those perfect faces, and they behaved like they were doing the biggest favour just letting anyone near them. Juan was nothing like that. It had surprised Joshua, after striking up a conversation, to find there was no attitude there. Juan had seemed quiet, self-effacing, even a little shy. Joshua put a lot of his faith in first impressions and Juan made a great one.
He looked at him as he slept. After an energetic night, his brown hair was in wild disarray. He had thick eyebrows and long lashes. Joshua had been startled when they’d reached the yacht to look into his eyes and see their striking shade of pale blue, quite unexpected and startling in a man with such dark colouring. There were more than a few days’ growth in his stubble. It suited him, making his model good looks slightly less perfect, more normal. It was odd that the rest of his body was so immaculately groomed. Save for a tiny patch of pubes, he was hairless. Joshua preferred a more natural look. He liked hairy guys, though he had to admit that Juan’s silken balls and smooth arse crack were a huge turn on. That arse. Oh boy. Joshua could lose himself in there for days—licking, smelling, kissing, fucking. And given his performance last night, Juan would probably let him.
The sound of water grew louder.
Juan’s eyes shot open. “What’s that?”
“It’s okay. It’s just the crew. I think they have turned the hose on our window.” The curtains were closed, but there was no mistaking the forceful spray against the pane behind them. “I don’t know how things work around here. Maybe they do that every day.”
“I guess they do.” Juan stretched, pushing his limbs across the bed. His bare leg pressed against Joshua’s. “What time is it?”
He reached for his watch on the bedside table. “Nine-fifteen.”
Juan released a wide, open-mouthed yawn. “I should get going.”
Don’t let him go, a voice inside Joshua cried. It was too soon. He wanted to spend some time with Juan, get to know him better. He hated casual hook-ups and avoided apps like Grindr as much as he could. The encounters were too fleeting and meaningless, with little more than a quick hello before pulling off a stranger’s pants and getting down to fuck. He’d never spent the whole night with a hook-up, not like this. As soon as they’d come, most men knew how quick to haul their trousers back on and get out of there. Last night had been different. Juan was different. They had a connection. Joshua was certain he hadn’t imagined it. Juan wouldn’t have slept over if they hadn’t. Would he?
“Got time for breakfast?” he asked.
“No. I should go,” Juan said. “My friends…”
“Will wonder where you are.”
A smile. “Exactly.”
Joshua decided not to push it. Let him go. He wouldn’t cling or make a scene. That would be desperate. They’d enjoyed a very special night together—the hottest Joshua had ever known. There was no reason it should go any further than that.
Juan sat up and shoved his hands through his hair. To Joshua’s surprise, it brushed straight back into place, looking damn near perfect. Joshua ran his fingers through his own hair and realised its unruly state was beyond saving. Only a shower would calm his unmanageable waves.
“Don’t worry,” Juan said, a cheeky smile playing on his lips and a dimple cutting his cheek. “You look lovely.” He reached across and messed up to the top of Joshua’s hair. “I like it like that.”
“As long as you look immaculate yourself?”
He winked. “Always.”
Juan flung back the sheets and got out of bed. He stood tall and stretched, unselfconscious of his nudity. Strange, after everything they’d done the previous night, that Joshua should be insecure about his own body this morning. He kept the sheet pulled to mid torso while Juan extended his arms towards the ceiling. Joshua knew he was in good shape, but it paled to insignificance next to Juan. He watched the muscles of his back and shoulders bunch and flex as he reached upwards. And his arse? God. Despite fucking it for hours, he was still in awe of its beauty this morning.
So high and tight and round… There was even a faint tan line with his creamy cheeks a few shades lighter than his almond-coloured skin. Juan walked across the cabin to where he’d left his clothes folded on an oversized armchair. Joshua squinted his eyes, following the progress of that arse. He’d taken his contacts out after coming to bed and didn’t want to spoil the impression this morning by putting on his glasses. Juan’s perfect body and peachy butt became blurred and indistinct the farther away he moved.
Joshua swung over the bed and sat up, keeping the sheet around his waist. If Juan Carlos was going, he wanted to enjoy these last few minutes. He watched as Juan gathered his things and, still naked, strode to the en suite bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Joshua jumped up and quickly located his own clothes, stepping into the previous night’s underwear before pulling on his trousers and shirt. When Juan returned, he was dressed.
“I used some of your mouthwash,” Juan said, crossing the room to put his hands lightly on Joshua’s hips. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” he replied, wishing he’d had time to take similar measures with his own morning breath. He moved his hands around Juan’s waist, resting his fingers on the fine curve of his arse. What a pity they were no longer naked in bed.
“I feel bad, rushing off like this.” Juan looked directly at him as he spoke. If it weren’t true, he was the best liar Joshua had ever met. “My friends—well, one friend and several acquaintances—they’ll wonder where I am if I don’t return soon. And they’ll ask a lot of questions—the kind I’d rather not answer.”
“About Le Señor?”
“Exactly,” he said, flashing a shy smile. “They don’t know…about that side of me.”
“Oh,” Joshua said. What does that mean? Juan’s in the closet? Bi? It was none of his business. “It’s all right. I understand. My lips are sealed.” Though the chance of him running into Juan’s stag-party buddies this weekend was zero. He had no intention of going near the kind of places they’d be holed up in. Juan’s secret was safe with him.
“Your father? He’ll be here soon?”
Joshua shrugged. “Sometime this afternoon…if he ever turns up. He’s, er, not the most reliable of dads. Let’s put it that way.”
They stared at each other. Time to say goodbye…an interminable moment. He sensed Juan was as reluctant to end this as he was.
“I’ll walk you to the gangway,” Joshua said at last, breaking the spell.
He led the way from his cabin back to the main lounge and down to the exit. As they stepped onto the deck, the source of the running water became clear as they found a pretty young woman in a white crew uniform, rinsing down the stern of the yacht with a long hose. Joshua hadn’t met her before. Since arriving yesterday, he’d only met two other members of the crew and had no idea how many of them there were in all.
“Morning,” he greeted.
“Good morning, sir.” The woman smiled, shutting off the water, before brushing down the deck.
Juan had stuck his black cap on his head, ready to depart.
So this is it. “Well,” Joshua said, “thanks for last night. I’m glad I met you. Really glad.”
Juan looked shyly between Joshua and the deckhand. When he spoke, he lowered his voice. “Listen… I was just thinking. If, maybe, things don’t work out with your father, you’d like to see me again before the weekend is over… We could share contacts.”
Joshua brightened and pulled his mobile out of his pants before Juan could change his mind. “What’s your number?”
As Juan called out the digits, he keyed them straight into his phone, then sent a blank SMS message to the number. An electronic notification sounded in Juan’s trouser pocket.
“There,” he said. “I have your number and you have mine. Make sure you use it.”
Juan’s grin spread large, showing strong white teeth and dimples. A double treat. “So, I’m here until Monday. If things don’t work out or you find you have time on your hands, give me a call.”
“You can count on it,” he said, already half-hoping that his dad would stand him up. Stop it. Don’t think like that. You haven’t seen the old guy in months. Give him a break.
“Okay,” Juan said, moving to the gangway. “I should go. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Maybe I will hear from you again.”
“I hope so.”
Juan looked warily at the deckhand, who had her back to them. Joshua thought for a brief second that Juan would steal one last kiss and stepped forward to receive it, but just as it seemed inevitable, Juan spun on his heel and hurried down to the dock, his feet clattering on the metal walkway. From below, he gave a final flash of his beautiful blue eyes and smile, before striding off towards the town.
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Thom Collins
Thom Collins is the author of Closer by Morning, with Pride Publishing. His love of page turning thrillers 
began at an early age when his mother caught him reading the latest Jackie Collins book and promptly confiscated it, sparking a life-long love of raunchy novels.
Thom has lived in the North East of England his whole life. He grew up in Northumberland and now lives in County Durham with his husband and two cats. He loves all kinds of genre fiction, especially bonkbusters, thrillers, romance and horror. He is also a cookery book addict with far too many titles cluttering his shelves. When not writing he can be found in the kitchen trying out new recipes. He’s a keen traveler but with a fear of flying that gets worse with age, but since taking his first cruise in 2013 he realized that sailing is the way to go.
You can take a look at Thom’s Blog and follow him on Twitter.
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