About Between Friends: Sammy's Place
by Sean Michael
274 pages / 86500 words
ISBN: 978-1-60370-550-9, 1-60370-550-3
Available file types - html, lit, pdf, prc, paperback
The boys from Between Friends are back in the story of Sammy and Peter! Sammy has the worst luck with men, and too often it shows on his face, or his body. His best friend Jason worries about him, and finally convinces Sammy to come stay with him and his lover, Harry. Sammy hates feeling like a failure, but he doesn't know what else to do.
Peter has been Harry's best friend for a lot of years, but somehow he's never managed to meet Sammy. When he does, he knows just what Sammy needs, and he's surprised to find that he wants to be the one to give it to the beautiful young man.
Sammy's not so sure. He likes Peter, a lot, but he's messed up every relationship he's ever had, except for his friendship with Jason. Peter's pretty convincing, especially when he ramps up the BDSM lifestyle that Sammy craves.
Between Harry, who's worried that his old friend Peter is no better than Sammy's other men, and Sammy's ex-boyfriend, who isn't willing to let go, Sammy and Peter face one challenge after another. Can they find a way to make their love work, or will Sammy walk away from the best thing he's ever found?
Review
Tory Temple, author of Tabula Rasa and Tinder, writes: The third installment of the popular Between Friends series gives us a look back at how Sammy and Peter came to be lovers. This chapter of the lives of Harry and Jason, Peter and Sammy is just as rich and fulfilling as the other two novels have been. Sean Michael deftly shows how the bonds of the friendship between the four men have deep roots.
Sammy just can’t seem to find the right sort of man. He makes mistake after mistake in awful relationships, and his latest one ended badly. Very badly. So badly, in fact, that Sammy is pretty much living in daily fear of William and the man’s terrible temper. Harry and Jason do their best to help and reassure Sam that he’s loved and has friends, but they can’t seem to fill the void that Sammy feels.
That’s when Peter comes along. Peter senses instantly that Sammy is a submissive just waiting for the right Dom. He begins a careful seduction, intent on showing Sammy that the two of them are meant for each other, despite Sam’s protests to the contrary. But the path to their happiness has unforeseen roadblocks in the form of Sammy’s low self-image and his violent former lover. Peter is patient throughout, although at times it seems that Sammy will never give in to the trust he wants so desperately to put in their relationship.
I’ve had the pleasure of reading all three Between Friends stories and this is by far my favorite one to date. Sam’s hesitation, Peter’s patience, and Harry and Jason’s support from the sidelines all combine to make this a wonderful novel about the healing power of love. As always, that love is made stronger by the powerful friendship the four men share. This glimpse into Sammy and Peter’s early days was a delight to read.
Sample
"I'm going to go back to the room, honey." Sammy wasn't dressed up. He wasn't having fun and he wasn't in the mood to blow everyone else's night.
Harry was hanging out with somebody pretending to be a leatherdaddy. Jason looked beautiful in the frock coat, and what little food Sammy'd eaten at supper hadn't settled.
"Oh, no, Sammy! No, please. Harry, I'm going to go dance with Sammy." Jase had that worried, sad look in his eyes again.
"Jase. Grab Harry. He's been checking you out all evening." He found a smile for Jason, patted his arm. "Go. Dance. Shake your groove thing."
Harry's pretend leatherdaddy friend came over, giving him and Jase a soft smile. "I was wondering if you wanted to dance?"
"I." Sammy started to shake his head -- he really was in the middle of a huge pout -- but then the music changed to something fun and light-hearted and yeah. Yeah, he sort of wanted to dance.
"Come on. A pretty little thing like you should be out on the dance floor, shaking your ass."
"Fuck, I'm not pretty, but yeah. I'll have a dance." He stood and took the guy's hand, heading them out.
The hand in his was warm and smooth, strong. It was almost a shame to drop it so they could dance.
He started moving, closing his eyes and just going with it, rocking and bopping away. It was like being in his own fucking world. A hand landed on his hip, fingers curling around, tugging him into leatherdaddy's space.
Sammy blinked, the touch surprising him a little. "Hey."
Leatherdaddy smiled down at him. "You really lose yourself in the music."
"You have to lose yourself somewhere." Another wave of sadness hit him and he sighed. "You know, I'm going to go. I hope you have a great night. Tell Jase... Fuck, tell him I found someone to go home with. That'll keep him from worrying."
"That's it? I get thirty seconds of dancing, and you're in your own little world for twenty-five of those, and then you're off?" Leatherdaddy shook his head. "If you don't want to dance, that's fine. But then let me buy you a cup of coffee."
Oh, man. "I'm sorry. Really. I just." Somebody bumped into him and he stepped into strong arms, both of them still moving, dancing.
The guy smelled like leather, and he was strong, chest muscles solid against him, the arms around him holding him loosely, but somehow securely. "That's more like it."
"You smell good." The words escaped him, like he'd had way too many. Jesus.
He got a slow smile for it, though, one that went right to the man's eyes. "Thank you. I love the smell of leather, myself."
Sammy nodded, moving easily, being led so well that he didn't have to think, he could just move.
"I'm Peter, by the way."
"Sammy. I'm Jason's old roommate." Peter -- great name for a gay man, really.
"Samuel. It's good to meet you." Peter pulled him around smoothly, out of the way of two guys who were starting to get a little too enthusiastic with their dance moves.
"Thanks."
Peter was tall, hair dark like his, but not a mop. Not messy. Not like a forest creature. Jesus.
"So how come you're not dressed up?"
"I didn't feel like pretending to be happy."
"And why aren't you happy?"
"How the fuck should I know?" He laughed, the sound bitter in his ears. "People are unhappy. It's the natural state of being."
One eyebrow went up. "I disagree. I also would prefer it if you didn't curse. Such foul language should not come out of such a lovely man."
Well, what the fuck did you say to something like that?