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    Baby, it's Cold
    Baby, it's Cold
    Baby, it's Cold
    Ebook83 pages1 hour

    Baby, it's Cold

    By Josh Lanyon

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    About this ebook

    Talk about Kitchen Nightmares! TV Chef Rocky and Foodie Blogger Jesse have been pals forever, so it should have been the most natural thing in the world to kick their relationship up a notch. Instead, it turned out to be a disaster. But Christmas is the season of love, and someone’s cooking up a sweet surprise...

    (This story is also available in the COMFORT AND JOY anthology)

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJosh Lanyon
    Release dateDec 6, 2014
    ISBN9781937909765
    Author

    Josh Lanyon

    Author of 100+ titles of Gay Mystery and M/M Romance, Josh Lanyon has built a literary legacy on twisty mystery, kickass adventure, and unapologetic man-on-man romance. Her work has been translated into twelve languages. She is an EPIC Award winner, a four-time Lambda Literary Award finalist (twice for Gay Mystery), an Edgar nominee, and the first ever recipient of the Goodreads All Time Favorite M/M Author award.

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    21 ratings1 review

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    • 5/5
      It's funny and sweet. I think it's short too. I would have loved for the story to go at least past that time.
      But, it was a good read.

    Book preview

    Baby, it's Cold - Josh Lanyon

    Talk about Kitchen Nightmares! TV Chef Rocky and Foodie Blogger Jesse have been pals forever, so it should have been the most natural thing in the world to kick their relationship up a notch. Instead, it turned out to be a disaster. But Christmas is the season of love, and someone’s cooking up a sweet surprise…

    Baby, it’s Cold

    December 2014

    Copyright (c) 2014 by Josh Lanyon

    Cover Art by Johanna Ollila

    Edited by Keren Reed

    All rights reserved

    No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from JustJoshin Publishing, Inc.

    ISBN: 978-1-937909-76-5

    Printed in the United States of America

    JustJoshin Publishing, Inc.

    3053 Rancho Vista Blvd.

    Suite 116

    Palmdale, CA 93551

    www.joshlanyon.com

    This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

    Table of Contents

    Chapter One

    Chapter Two

    Chapter Three

    Chapter Four

    Chapter Five

    Chapter Six

    Baby, it’s Cold

    Josh Lanyon

    Chapter One

    "No, Rocky said. Oh hell no."

    Merry Christmas to you too, I said. And for your information, this wasn’t my idea.

    Where’s Poppy? Rocky peered past me into the rain, looking for my grandfather, Fausto Poppa—of Poppa’s House. You’ve seen the program. Everyone’s seen the program. It’s America’s longest running cooking show. It’s been on the air longer than there’s been a Food Network.

    I said tersely, Poppy’s sick. He’s got the flu. Why else would I be here?

    Rocky drew himself up to his full height. Which is…my height, which is medium. Yes, he wears it better, although why assorted piercings and tattoos should make a guy look taller, I don’t know. What I did know was that his green eyes were level with mine—and it was very weird to be this close to him again.

    Two months.

    That’s how long it had been. Eight weeks since we last spoke. If spoke is the right word. We’d been speaking at the top of our lungs.

    Who knows with you, Jesse, Rocky said. "Maybe you’re looking for fresh content for your blog. Or maybe you got some crazy idea to come by and peek in my windows to see who I’m banging this week."

    "Yeah right. Maybe I’m trying to steal your secret sauce recipe. Dream on. And I never peeked in your windows!"

    That’s right, Rocky said. "You didn’t bother with shit like proof or evidence. How could I forget? Oh! Maybe you’re here because it finally occurred to you, you owe me an apology."

    I laughed. Loudly. The sound sailed through the pine trees and ricocheted off the surrounding mountains. Assuming there were mountains behind that ominous wall of cloud and mist. "Have you been hitting the eggnog? I’m here because if I hadn’t agreed to this, Poppy would have dragged himself out of bed and tried to drive up here. That’s the only reason I’m here."

    Here being the rain-slick deck of Rocky’s A-Frame in Big Bear. Big Bear or Big Bear Lake is a summer and ski resort located in the San Bernardino Mountains. It’s surrounded by national forest, which is not my natural habitat. But Rocky grew up here. His first real gig was prep cook in a ski lodge. He calls the cabin his hideout.

    Warmth and the smell of woodsmoke and coffee wafted out from behind Rocky’s sturdy form. I shivered. There’s nothing like rain down the back of your neck to make you feel unloved and unwanted.

    Rocky eyed me for a long, scowling moment. His curly brown hair was looking wilder than usual and he hadn’t shaved in days. Going for the whole mountain man vibe, I guess. I don’t think this is a good idea, he said at last.

    I think it’s a terrible idea, I agreed. But this is what the client wanted.

    "If there really is a client."

    I gaped at him. "If there really is a client? I hope you’re kidding because otherwise you’re delusional and that might freak out the network honchos."

    I was probably overdoing it. Anyway, I could have been talking to myself. Rocky held up a hand as though to tick off a very long list. First of all, you can’t cook your way out of a paper bag.

    That stung. I can cook. I don’t have my own show or my own restaurant, but most people don’t. I know my way around the kitchen.

    You always knew where the door was, yeah.

    I curled my lip. Forget the cooking gig, you should do comedy. So do I get my gear out of my car or are you canceling? There’s no refund for your friend. That needs to be understood.

    His blunt features tightened. Even the tiny gold studs in his eyebrows seemed to bristle. "Who is this supposed friend? I want to know his name."

    Are you so sure it’s a he? I asked slyly.

    Rocky looked startled and then alarmed, and I laughed. Rocky is out. Out on TV and out in real life, but it’s surprising how many women see the gay as a challenge.

    Of course my laughing irritated him all the more, which I guess was kind of what I intended. He said stubbornly, I’m still not convinced there is any friend.

    "I admit I can’t see why anyone

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