Title: Bête Noire
Series: En Pointe, Book Two
Author: Mickie B. Ashling
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: November 10, 2022
Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 263
Genre: Romance, New Adult, LGBT+ fiction, bisexual fiction, contemporary, family drama, ongoing series, sequel
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Synopsis
Misha Vergara had it all—a promising career as a principal dancer, a thriving stage partnership with Talia Baranova, and the unconditional support of his mentor—until he revealed his true feelings for Henri.
Crushed, and worried about her own reputation, Talia publicly denounced Misha and severed their intricate relationship. Now, thirsting for revenge, she vows to destroy the people he loves. Dating his alleged half brother is only the beginning.
Kazimir Lebedev has done everything he can for his illegitimate son, except acknowledge paternity. When Misha announces he’s bisexual, Kaz struggles to understand. With Talia behaving recklessly and making vicious threats, he can no longer guarantee a good outcome, for any of them.
Finally reunited after a six month separation, Misha and Henri enjoy every sublime moment of their New York vacation. Henri has secretly loved Misha since he was thirteen years old, so being out with him is a dream come true. Until news of an abduction propels them back to St. Petersburg, Russia. Will they weather this latest crisis and grow even closer or will Talia wreak havoc on their newfound bliss?
Bête Noir is a direct sequel to Torn, the first book in the En Pointe Series. The novels should be read in order to fully appreciate the dynamic of these complex characters.
I’d like to thank Dani at Love Bytes for the opportunity to share an exclusive excerpt of Bête Noire, the second book in my En Pointe series. This is a sequel to Torn and can’t be read as a standalone. The novel does have a HFN ending, but also a cliffhanger leading into the third book which will release sometime next year. I hope you enjoy this one.
Excerpt-Henri’s POV
One of the qualities I admired about Misha was his self-confidence. He hardly ever lost his cool, and when Talia and I were flailing, he’d know what to say to boost our morale. And this generosity extended to all the members of the corps, who often sought his advice when they were feeling discouraged. He wasn’t too proud to accept constructive criticism, and knew how to make self-deprecating jokes if something didn’t go his way or a fellow dancer didn’t measure up to his high standards. Now he was all jagged edges, an unpleasant new side to his character, and not in keeping with the guy I loved. He wasn’t eating or sleeping well either, and it showed.
Almost everyone noticed the change in his personality since our return from New York City. They looked to me for answers, but I couldn’t explain without going into details. After the minister’s lackluster response to Alla’s condition, Misha bumped up his vigilance, constantly checking his phone for updates from Mariska. Deep down, he felt the old lady’s welfare rested squarely on his shoulders because her own son couldn’t be bothered. I accepted this new normal, but every time his phone pinged with a new message, I was filled with dread.
“You would think he’d be more concerned,” Misha fumed on one such occasion, “but Onu is convinced she’ll recover as usual.”
“Maybe he refuses to admit the truth and can’t imagine losing his mother.”
“You’re giving him way too much credit,” Misha replied. “He’s a slave to his career and lacks the empathy gene.”
“A bit harsh, don’t you think?”
“Is it? He ignored her for years and only reached out when he had to hide me in plain sight. They’ve never had a loving mother and son relationship. It was more like a business arrangement. She does have this uncanny ability to see right through him though. Maybe he’s staying away because he doesn’t want to be cross-examined. Meddling is her superpower.”
Henri grinned. “And she does it effortlessly.”
“Right?”
“All kidding aside, I thought you reached a new level of understanding with your father when we were in New York?”
“I thought so, too, except he’s different since the kidnapping. I can’t put my finger on it, Henri, but I know there’s more to this story than he’s letting on.”
“You know him better than anyone, and if he’s holding back information, you’ll figure it out eventually.”
“But I can’t accuse him without proof,” Misha argued.
“This situation can’t go on forever.”
“I hope you’re right because everything seems out of whack.”
“Except you and me.”
“I would lose my mind if anything happened between us.”
“You have nothing to worry about on my end,” I reassured.
“What if I do something dumb again?”
“Stop stressing, chéri. We’re bound to make mistakes along the way, but we’ve learned to communicate. So long as we continue along this vein, I have every faith in our longevity.”
“Do you? Because I hate to disappoint you after everything you’ve endured.”
“Short of murder, there is nothing you can do or say to put me off.”
“I’m counting on it,” Misha admitted. “Losing you was an awful experience. Your love was so much a part of me that I felt the withdrawal like a drug addict seeking a fix. Nothing else mattered but you.”
“And if you’ll recall, I jumped at the opportunity to have you back in my life. Saying no to you isn’t in my vocabulary.”
“Thank God it all worked out.”
He sounded unconvinced though. I wrapped my arms around him and he rested his head on my shoulders. “What else is troubling you?”
“I guess it’s all catching up to me,” he admitted. “When I left to join you in Manhattan, I put all thoughts of Talia and the destruction of our partnership aside. My primary goal was to win you back. But I was dead wrong to assume my career would go on as normal when I returned to St. Petersburg. Nothing feels right, Henri. Breaking in a new partner is more challenging than I let on. Darya has done her best to keep up, but she’ll never be Talia. I hate to admit it, because I don’t want you to get upset, but I miss her. It’s got nothing to do with romance and everything to do with my artistic comfort.”
My heart rate sped up with the admission, but the anxiety receded with his last remark. Knowing it was chiefly artistic made all the difference. At least he was open about his feelings for Talia. Denying the loss would have been disingenuous, and despite my reservations, I understood the difficulties involved in training a new partner. “Thank you for sharing your concerns, bébé.”
We meshed fingers and Misha kissed the back of my hand. “I hoped things would improve, but the situation is getting worse. With Talia, dancing was effortless. There was nothing we couldn’t do once we put our minds to it. I looked forward to each new session, no matter how grueling, because we mastered our elements after a few tries. Right now, the simplest maneuver is an ordeal.”
“Maybe Darya is the wrong choice?”
“Or my muse is rejecting the change. I’ll admit there was a small part of me that hoped Talia would reconsider.”
I gave him a rueful look. “Are you forgetting her very selfish streak and inherent homophobia?”
“Not at all, but she’s also ambitious. Finding someone who is in sync with your every move comes along once in a lifetime. To discard it like rubbish because I fancied you in my bed is irresponsible and counterproductive. Our sex life shouldn’t have factored into the dynamic.”
“I think you’re being naïve, chéri. The girl I know would rather walk away than take a secondary role in your life.”
“But they’re two separate things,” he argued. “How could she let her ego destroy everything?”
“Some situations can’t be overlooked.”
“At the risk of hurting you, I’ll admit I have a blind spot when it comes to Talia.”
Truer words had never been spoken, but I remained calm or the conversation would go off the rails. “Someday I’ll be mature enough to understand your feelings for her, but for the moment, all I can do is learn how to live with it.”
“You’re a fucking saint, Henri.”
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MICKIE B. ASHLING is the pseudonym of a multi-published author who resides in a suburb outside Chicago. She is a product of her upbringing in various cultures, having lived in Japan, the Philippines, Spain, and the Middle East. Fluent in three languages, she’s a citizen of the world and an interesting mixture of East and West.
Since 2009, Mickie has written several dozen novels in the LGBTQ+ genre—which have been translated into French, Italian, Spanish, and German. Some of her backlist is still “Under Construction” as she slowly transitions from traditional publishing to representing herself. Her goal is to have most of her novels back in the universe by the end of 2023. Audiobooks and foreign translations are still available at Amazon and Audible.
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