Title: Cross My Candy Heart
Series: A Belleview Holiday Romance
Author: A.C. Thomas
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: 02/06/2024
Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 26700
Genre: Contemporary, contemporary, holiday/Valentine’s Day, office worker, singing telegram, nerds, size difference, mistaken identity
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Description
Love is the last thing on Justin’s mind. Sure, he’s noticed the big, shy guy who comes in for his coffee every morning, but Justin doesn’t have time to indulge in a crush. After his last disastrous breakup, he needs to get his head out of the clouds and focus on climbing out of debt with his pile of part-time jobs. The singing telegram gig is the most embarrassing by far, but at least no one will ever recognize him in his ridiculous costumes. It’s temporary, just through the Valentine season.
Adam is in love. He just needs to drum up the nerve to do something about it. A daily smile from the cute guy behind the coffee counter is the bright spot in his day, keeping him going through the work week in an office filled with jerks. Especially when one of the jerks starts sending him romantic telegrams as a joke. There’s nothing he hates more than public humiliation. If he ever finds out who’s behind it, heads will roll.
Love songs, lies, and an absurd amount of glitter pave the way to a romance neither of them expected. Adam is everything Justin’s ever dreamed of, but he can never discover Justin’s terrible, fuzzy, off-key secret.
This Valentine’s Day, Cupid doesn’t miss, even if he has terrible timing.
Cross My Candy Heart
A.C. Thomas © 2024
All Rights Reserved
“Really?” Adam grumbled as he spun his chair around to face the enormous heart-shaped bulk of Justin’s candy heart costume. “You can’t be serious.”
It was by far the worst outfit in the entire Season’s Greetings catalog, constructed from heavy papier-mâché plastered over chicken wire and painted bright yellow, tattered and worn along the edges. He’d been forced to dig it out of storage since it wasn’t very popular. The fabric screen Justin looked through was definitely moth-eaten, and smelled of damp. The lavender hand-lettered BE MINE painted across the front had dripped a bit at the end, and whoever had painted it hadn’t even bothered to wipe it up. It wasn’t the company’s finest effort. The Sweetheart package was priced accordingly, a budget option. Still, it was more than Justin could ever afford, but not exactly the Kiss Me Cupid Special.
Justin attempted to wave a hand apologetically but only managed to smack his arm against the sharp internal chicken wire cage. He suppressed a pained whimper as he stooped to set his boom box on the floor. He held out the heart-shaped box of chocolates. “Hiya. We got a second order, this time for the sweetheart romance package. Someone must really be longing for you.”
Adam took the chocolate and examined the boom box with nothing short of dread. “I seriously doubt that.” His gaze sharpened as he peered at Justin’s view screen. “Wait. It’s you, again, isn’t it?”
There was no way he recognized him from the coffee shop. Justin was only visible from elbow to fingertip and ankle to toes, and even that was encased in shiny pink spandex, oversized white cartoon gloves, and sensible white tennis shoes. Sweat began to accumulate down Justin’s back at the thought of being recognized.
He’d known when he took this gig he was trading his dignity for cash. It hadn’t seemed like a bad deal at the time, with the scent of burning foam still seared into his nostrils. He just hadn’t expected to have to do it in front of someone he kinda sorta spent half his days pining over in a definitely not pathetic way.
“You always sound so familiar. What’s your name?” Adam rolled closer, scanning Justin from the top of his lopsided heart to his toes as if he might find a hidden clue.
The speed at which Justin’s inappropriate fascination with Adam backfired nearly knocked his costume off. He tried to wring his hands but only succeeded in removing one of his gloves, which he hastily shoved back on. “Sorry, we’re actually not supposed to give out our names on the job. It takes away from the magic. We’re not supposed to waste time chatting either, so I better get started.”
“If I can’t convince you to leave, we might as well get this over with. Can I make a request?” Adam slumped in his chair, every inch of him projecting defeat.
It tugged at Justin’s battered heartstrings. He already felt bad about having to go through with the order after Adam’s less than satisfied experience with the last one. He tried for a sympathetic stance, worried it came across more like a cardboard box trying to curtsy. “Of course, Mr. Hubert.”
At least Justin’s failure to even stand gracefully seemed to lift Adam’s mood. He dropped the frown as he looked up at Justin with dark, pleading eyes, and Justin’s real actual heart skipped a beat, and oh, no. That could become a very serious problem. Cardiac or romantic, he didn’t have room in his schedule for it either way.
The pleading eyes didn’t get any less compelling as Adam glanced down at his feet and back up to the screen hiding Justin’s face. “Adam. Call me Adam. Would you mind— Could you try to keep it down this time? Sing quietly or something? The guys really busted my balls over the last one. I could live without their incessant crowing over this whole thing.”
Yeah, that didn’t sound like a good time. Justin had worked in more than his share of shitty environments, and snickering coworkers was almost never fun.
“I can do that for you, Adam.” He took the request seriously, lowering his voice before he even started singing.
It was different, this time. Something about trying to start up a telegram was much more difficult after an earnest conversation. He didn’t have time to distance himself from the indignities of the job.
It was just him and Adam in a cramped office, staring at each other as they waited for Justin to start serenading him quietly.
For the very first time since he’d started this job, a frisson of excitement zipped up his spine as he got into position, arms out wide, heart facing Adam. It was supposed to be romantic. Justin had always considered it to be more silly and sweet, but now he could sense an actual element of romance in the air. This was the reason people sent these things. He was starting to get it.
Adam watched him with barely repressed apprehension, chewing his lip as he spared one last glance at the tightly closed door.
Quiet. Justin could do quiet.
There were a lot of things he thought he could do, if only Adam asked it of him. But he wouldn’t because Adam didn’t even know who he was. Was it sad that the anonymous sender of these telegrams wasn’t the only one pining in this situation? Maybe a little because Justin was the only one who knew. The only one who would ever know.
He nudged the button on the boom box with his foot and began, pitching his voice soft and low. “Let me call you sweetheart—”
This time, there was no looking away. Adam lounged back in his seat with the barest hint of a smile. “Thought I told you to call me Adam.”
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A.C. Thomas left the glamorous world of teaching preschool for the even more glamorous world of staying home with her toddler. Between the diaper changes and tea parties, she escapes into fantastical worlds, reading every romance available and even writing a few herself.
She devours books of every flavor—science fiction, historical, fantasy—but always with a touch of romance because she believes there is nothing more fantastical than the transformative power of love.
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