About Emerald: Rewriting History
by EM Lynley
89 pages / 20200 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-022-0
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Tobin Wyler is about to open the most significant exhibit in his career
as a curator, and everything is going perfectly until he spots his
former boyfriend chatting with his most important contributor at the
black-tie reception. It goes from bad to worse because not only did
Pierce Worthington once break Tobin's heart, but he's suspected of being
the elusive art thief known as Jaguar, and Tobin knows his target is the
highlight of the exhibit: an enormous emerald known as the Green Sorrow.
Pierce is torn about seeing Tobin again. He is expected to obtain the
emerald, but he knows it may damage Tobin's reputation. What Pierce
doesn't expect is how quickly old feelings about Tobin rise to the
surface. Hoping to ease Tobin's fears and spend time with him, Pierce
offers to let Tobin keep a constant eye on him for the thirty six hours
leading up to the exhibit. Thrown together again out of necessity laced
with attraction, Tobin must figure out how to protect the emerald, his
reputation, and his heart.
Sample
After the reception, the museum slowly emptied out except for security
personnel. Tobin was still on a high. He loved to wander the deserted
building, and now he hoped it would calm him a little. Pierce followed
along, mostly silently, until they got to the Egyptian room. The centerpiece
of this collection was a display including an actual burial chamber
completely reconstructed in the center of the room, which visitors could
enter and experience the inside of a genuine pyramid, including the original
if faded wall and ceiling murals.
"Remember the first time we came here together?" Pierce asked, his voice
soft and wistful.
"What about it?" Tobin knew exactly what Pierce meant and he didn't
particularly want to be reminded. He recalled it every time he entered this
room.
"Didn't you once say something about fucking in a pyramid?" A corner of
Pierce's mouth lifted.
"Yeah, I said something like that." Tobin wished Pierce would stop rehashing
their past. It was killing him to remember the good times, and he wouldn't
play this game with Pierce. Not again.
"Well?" Pierce's expression turned hopeful.
"Turned out it wasn't as good as I expected." Tobin kept his voice even,
though his chest ached with the effort.
"You did it then?" Was that disappointment, or maybe even hurt in Pierce's
voice?
"Twice." Tobin lied.
"Oh." Pierce's veneer of suave sophistication and playfulness seemed to have
thoroughly cracked and he sounded as awful as Tobin felt. Truth was, Tobin
had never been in the pyramid with anyone, but every time he saw it, he
recalled that conversation he and Pierce had years ago. He closed his eyes
for a few seconds and attempted to gather his thoughts.
Pierce turned from the pyramid's entrance and wandered over to the next
display, leaning down to examine a collection of scarabs. He kept his back
to Tobin.
"I think it would be amazing with you, Pierce..." Tobin's voice was little
more than a whisper but in the empty museum it echoed and he hoped Pierce
couldn't hear the pain.
Pierce's head shot up, but he didn't turn toward Tobin.
Tobin bit his lip. What he said had been the absolute truth, only now he
couldn't back down on the earlier lie.
"Still interested?" Tobin hoped he didn't sound like he was pleading. He
pulled his phone from a pocket and punched in the code that locked down the
room and the doors slid shut with an echoing clang. No one could enter until
he released them. He turned off the cameras with another code.
Seeming startled by the shutting doors, Pierce rotated slowly, a thoughtful
look on his face, until Tobin held out a beckoning hand. As soon as Pierce's
fingers touched his, Tobin pulled him close. Damn how good Pierce smelled.
Always had. It had taken years to get the smell of him out of Tobin's memory
so he could be around other men wearing Pierce's favorite colognes and not
think of him. And in barely twenty-four hours, it had all come undone.
Pulling each other's jackets off, they kissed, mouths at first eager and
seeking, but then slowed, savoring each other, and the poignancy of this
moment, long delayed. Tobin backed Pierce against the side of the pyramid,
kissing him deeply while hands strayed under Pierce's shirt, fingers seeking
skin, caressing, pinching, possessing.