Book Title: Nautilus Than Perfect (Sucker for Love Mysteries, Book 4)
Author: K.L. Hiers
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Tiferet Design
Release Date: October 26, 2021
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Tropes: False Start, Unrequited Love (Or Is It?), Pining For Your Partner, Office Romance
Themes: Love Conquers All
Length: 60 000 words / 200 pages
It is a standalone story, but the author recommends reading the previous books.
It does not end on a cliffhanger.
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Blurb
Detective Elwood Q. Chase has ninety-nine problems, and the unexpected revelation that his partner is a god is only one of them.
Chase has been in love with Benjamin Merrick for years and has resigned himself to a life of unrequited pining. But when they run afoul of a strange cult, Merrick’s secret identity as Gordoth the Untouched slips out… and so do Chase’s feelings. The timing can’t be helped, but now Merrick thinks Chase only cares about him because he’s a god.
Even more unfortunately, it turns out the cultists want to perform a ritual to end the world. Chase’s mission to convince Merrick his feelings predate any divine revelations takes a back seat to a case tangled with murder and lies, but Chase doesn’t give up. Once he finds out there’s a chance Merrick feels the same way, he digs in his heels. Suddenly he’s trying to court a god and save the world at the same time. What could possibly go wrong?
“I’m in love with you,” Chase said firmly, watching Merrick’s rage fade into complete shock. He was determined to get this out, all of it, and finally tell Merrick how he felt. He reached for his hand and gave it a small squeeze. “Did you hear me?”
“Yes?” Merrick sounded confused, but he hadn’t pulled away.
“I’ve been in love with you for so long, I really don’t think I can’t not love you,” Chase went on. “I say stupid stuff and flirt and invite you over for no-pants time because I’m a big idiot, and I have no idea how to tell you how incredible I think you are. I wanted you way before I ever knew you were a fuckin’ god, and I mean, let’s face it. You were always like a god to me anyway, ’cause all I ever wanted to do was worship you.
“Just being near you was enough for me, just… just being able to work with you, to get to know you. I don’t care if you don’t wanna have any physical pleasures or whatever with me. I don’t care if you don’t ever wanna speak to me again and decide to get that transfer. But don’t you dare question how I feel about you after you made a bunch of crappy assumptions. I love you. You’re an idiot, but I still love you.”
“Elwood,” Merrick murmured, his eyes getting dark. His fingers awkwardly twined with Chase’s, and he was starting to breathe faster. “You… you truly mean all of that? All those wonderful things?”
“Yeah,” Chase said as he gulped back a wave of nerves. “Almost dying for the second time today has kinda lit a fire under my ass, I guess. Or maybe it was the third time. I’ve lost count. I just… I just can’t listen to you say that crap. Maybe you got it with mortals only wanting you ’cause you’re a god. I get it. But that’s not me.”
“You are really in love with me?” Merrick still sounded as if he couldn’t quite believe it.
“Some great detective you are,” Chase teased lightly. “Kinda been this way for a while.”
“I suspected that you desired me physically after the invitation of no pants, but I truly had no idea your feelings carried this depth.”
“Why else do you think I put up with your crap?”
“I must also confess my affections for you. I have had the most impure thoughts about you—”
“Me?”
“Yes,” Merrick replied earnestly. “And just as you do not want to hear me complain about my godly attributes preventing me from finding true passion, I do not want to hear you speak poorly of yourself.”
“I’m almost twice your age,” Chase said weakly. “I mean… come on.”
“Are you now?” Merrick smiled, and he looked downright sly. “I do believe I am much older than you.”
“Only by a few thousand years.” Chase laughed at the truth of it. “Damn cradle robber.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t ask. Right. Forget I said anything.”
“Even after all these years, I still find myself struggling with some mortal idioms.” Merrick sighed. “I have been struggling with a lot, to be honest. What I feel for you is… it makes it difficult to think. My affections have also surpassed mere physical desires, and I care about you very much.”
“What is there to think about?” Chase scooted a little closer. “I’m crazy about you. And you like me too. Can’t we just… could we try?”
“I am worried about what will happen if I give in to my passions,” Merrick replied softly. “We still have a job to do. We have sworn duties to uphold.”
“And we can do it together,” Chase promised. “Me and you.”
“You make it sound so easy.” Merrick smiled sadly.
“It can be,” Chase said, his heart pounding so hard he was certain Merrick could hear it. “If you want me, I’m yours. That’s kinda all there is to it.”
“And if I do not?”
“Then I get over it.” Chase’s gut lurched. “I get over it, and we ain’t gotta talk about this again. I’ve told you everything I wanted you to know.”
“Just like that?” Merrick brought his other hand over to rest on top of Chase’s. “You would not fight?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“It’s like what Ollie was saying about his guy,” Chase explained. “He could have tried to make Ted stay if he had told him the truth, but there wasn’t any point if Ted didn’t really love him. I wouldn’t want you to be with me out of some fucked-up pity. I want you to want me because you just… want to.”
“Oh, Elwood,” Merrick murmured, “I very much want to…. It violates our code of conduct, the strict tenets against fraternization, and would bring into question whether or not we could be unbiased when evaluating each other’s job performance.”
Chase’s heart squeezed in on itself deeper with every item that Merrick listed, and he really wanted another drink to soothe the pain. He knew there was always a chance Merrick would still reject him, but he had hoped….
“It’s okay,” Chase said suddenly, eager to go ahead and rip this Band-Aid off. “I get it. I know Merrick’s career is your big priority.” He pulled away. “I wanted you to know, and now you know, so—”
Merrick kissed him, hard, and didn’t let go.
K.L. “Kat” Hiers is an embalmer, restorative artist, and queer writer. Licensed in both funeral directing and funeral service, she worked in the death industry for nearly a decade. Her first love was always telling stories, and she has been writing for over twenty years, penning her very first book at just eight years old. Publishers generally do not accept manuscripts in Hello Kitty notebooks, however, but she never gave up.
Following the success of her first novel, Cold Hard Cash, she now enjoys writing professionally, focusing on spinning tales of sultry passion, exotic worlds, and emotional journeys. She loves attending horror movie conventions and indulging in cosplay of her favorite characters. She lives in Zebulon, NC, with her husband and their children, some of whom have paws and a few that only pretend to because they think it’s cute.
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