About Need
Written by Sean Michael
146 pages / 60500 words
ISBN: 1-933389-24-9
Available file types - html, lit, pdf, prc, paperback
When Bast picks up Trick, a street hustler with few prospects, Trick is prepared to play along, to have some fun. What he’s not prepared for is falling in love. Good thing for him the obsession is shared on both sides, Bast just as quickly falling for him, needing him.
But Bast is far older than Trick can even imagine, and he has another necessity that’s just as pressing as his love for Trick. Will his vampire nature drive them apart? Or can Trick accept that need takes all forms, and give himself to Bast completely?
Review
Alex Draven, editor of the High Balls imprint, writes: Bast isn’t the only person to fall dangerously hard for Trick on short acquaintance, and Trick isn’t the only one to find Bast close to addictive. I should probably confess that I followed suit within the first few scenes.
Vampire erotica is often horribly bad. Club scenes, hookers and group sex likewise. Need, however, is what happens when a really effective writer gets their hands on those ideas, and makes them good. Better than good – delicious. Sean Michael handles a set up that almost ought to be trite with the deft touch that we’ve come to expect, making the characters so vivid that their passion sings off the page.
And sings may, in fact, be the word - the thread of music that runs through this novel is one of a thousand touches that carry the reader through love lost and found again, against a convincing urban fantasy background that feels gritty and real and complicated.
Sean Michael also manages the almost-impossible and presents the reader with a vampire world that’s not quite like any of the others – I read a lot of vampire fiction and for a change I wasn’t half expecting Buffy, Anita Sookie or Lestat to round the corner at any moment.
Instead I was completely caught up in the story, and every now and again left all hot and bothered by the sometimes playful, sometimes desperate, always hot sex scenes. Because, really, beautiful immortals, sex toys and true love written this well? What’s not to like?
Sample
Early evening and the sun was already gone. The hardest days of winter were coming, breathing down the back of his neck like a cold john who just wanted to fuck him over. Trick was out early -- there wasn't anyone looking for a little back-alley fun yet, and it would be hours before the guys in their uptown cars started cruising by.
On the other hand, he was also the only working stiff for five blocks and he walked it like he owned it. If anyone did show, they were his. Which was damned good, because his belly was getting just a little bit on the empty side and being too hungry made you do stupid things.
He walked easily, arms swinging at his sides, pretending he had somewhere to be.
Some sort of new band must be playing at the No Name Bar -- there was already a fucking line. Weird. Trick'd been in there before: watered-down whiskey, crabby bartender, no doors on the bathroom stalls -- he fucking hated blowing a guy in an open-doored stall -- and a cramped, cracked dance floor.
He let his gait slow as he moved past the line; maybe one of them was looking to warm up before seeing the band.
Trick caught the eye of a kid -- fuck, the boy was what? Fourteen? Sixteen if he was a day? Dark purple hair like a goddamned doll, the boy's spare frame was completely encased in skin-tight leather beneath the heavy violet fur coat. He was made up, eyeliner and lipstick, but not girly, not at all. More like an art show -- one of those club kids who spent their lives and their spare change moving from one dance to another. Not a good choice.
Then again, that leather was top-dollar.
He offered the kid a smile, letting his body speak for itself. Trick knew he looked good, all in black, tight t-shirt showing beneath the open leather jacket. Fuck, it was cold.
The interest flared -- and he meant that, it really seemed to change those dark eyes and angled face, but he couldn't tell how. The kid leaned back and spoke to a group of much older players and every single one of them looked over at him as if they shared a brain, looking at him with curiosity.
Well, shit, he didn't mind a threesome, but he wasn't gonna take a whole group -- Benny had been in the hospital for a week after a group wanting blowjobs turned out to be the prelude to getting gangbanged. Still, he let his eyes travel up and down the kid's body, letting him know he was interested in that and sauntered on past the line.
By the time he reached the end of the line without a bite, he figured the new band must be fucking fabulous for these assholes to stand out in the cold. No boot steps followed him, no one hurried after him.
Fuck.
Then a touch came to his elbow and a smooth as fucking glass voice sounded. ''So, Sweets. What games do you like to play?''
He turned with a grin. It was the kid. Fuck, but he looked good. Rich and sexy -- Trick could have himself set for the week if this evening went right.
''What have you got in mind?''