This week's Midweek Tease #MWTease comes from
Wren and Deverel
Blurb:
Lucian Wren
and Beau Deverel have always been friends. They think they know everything
about each other, but they both hide a secret desire. They’re devoted to each
other, but they’ve never revealed the depth of their feelings.
When Lucian
starts a private investigation service, and Beau joins him in the fledgling
agency, little do they know what a delicious, close encounter on their first
case will lead to.
This case is
bizarre. Is there a hidden reason the client has chosen their newly formed
agency for such an important job?
As Beau and
Lucian dive headlong into the mystery, their relationship deepens, and their
friendship changes forever.
Erotic,
romantic—a friends to lovers gay mystery, romance.
Words:
42,881 Encompass Ink December 2016
Read the teaser:
Beau took the stairs two at a time to the office where
he expected Lucian to be waiting for him. He strode into the long room. “Hi,
how did the meeting go?”
“We have our first job. It’s art theft.”
Beau knew instantly that Lucian was worried. A
concerned frown leapt onto Beau’s face.
“You’re not really happy about it. I can tell.” He
approached Lucian, dragging a chair with him to sit alongside his friend.
Lucian sat in front of his open laptop and Beau glanced
at the screen. He saw a document, full of row after row of small print in
columns. “What’s that?”
Lucian took his finger from the trackpad and ran his
hand through his glossy brown hair.
“A database—I’m looking for a record of the stolen
painting.” His sigh told Beau that he was having no luck.
“Who’s the artist?” Beau watched Lucian’s shoulder’s
slump.
“Matisse, but it seems to have no provenance.”
Beau couldn’t help grinning at the specialist term.
“You’ve picked up the art world’s language already.” He tried to cheer Lucian.
“Matisse is huge you know, famous, sought after, not to mention valuable. Does
the painting have a name?”
Lucian twisted in his chair to be face to face with
him. “The client gave me a photograph of the painting and on the back there’s a
name. I forgot to ask in the meeting. I forgot to ask a few things. I couldn’t
look in the databases without a name. I have a weird feeling about this job,
Beau.”
Beau’s gaze traced a path over Lucian’s handsome face.
A shade of stubble darkened Lucian’s angular jaw. His hair stuck up from his forehead
as if he’d run his hands through it a few times that afternoon. His deep blue
eyes held anxiety. Beau fought down the urge to reach out a fingertip and run
it down Lucian’s cheek to trace the curve of Lucian’s delicious lips. He ached
to hug Lucian and comfort him. He stuck to less risky action. “Let me see the
photo.”
Lucian moved a pad full of handwritten notes and picked
up a photo. He handed it to Beau.
Beau took it, careful not to brush Lucian’s fingers
with his, because in his experience the feel of Lucian’s skin made his cock
stir. He turned the picture over and read the name aloud.
“‘Before the dance,’ I’ve never heard of it.” He gazed
at the photograph. “It doesn’t even look like a Matisse to me.”
Lucian’s laugh brought his head up to look at his
friend
“How many Matisse paintings do you know?"
Beau grinned. “Not many I guess.” He gave the photo
back to Lucian. “What is it about this job that gives you a weird feeling?”
Lucian took a deep breath. “It’s the way the client,
Jack Starling, didn’t answer all my questions, and Beau, if this is a priceless
painting, why choose a fledging detective agency to find the thief? I need a
cup of coffee. Do you want to go to the diner on the corner? I’d like a decent
cup. The stuff I made earlier isn’t good.”
Beau stood. “I’d love to go to the diner. I didn’t get
lunch and only had coffee for breakfast. Tell me exactly what happened in the
meeting.” He extended his arm, about to slip it around Lucian’s shoulders and
then caught himself, and dropped it fast.
Lucian talked as he retrieved his jacket from the coat
stand placed against the wall by the door. “Starling avoided telling me if he’d
made an insurance claim and if he’d reported the theft to the police. He just
seems off—arrogant, rich, controlling, and devious.”
Beau stood next to Lucian as he locked the office door.
“Maybe he was nervous. I’m nervous, you know, since this will be our first
case. I don’t have much of an idea where to start, if I’m honest.” He led the
way down the stairs to the street, his boot heels making a dull thud on the
polished wooden treads where Lucian had the old-fashioned linoleum removed.
A fine drizzle of rain dampened Beau’s face as Lucian
walked alongside him to the diner.
“I’ve already found the address for the man in Seattle
that Jack thinks stole his painting and then disappeared. He owns a gallery. I
think we should start there. Go see the guy, if he’s there, if not try to establish his whereabouts, or exactly
when he left the city. Someone must know where he is.” Lucian hunched his
shoulders and bent his head against the shower.
Beau cast a sidelong glance at Lucian as they walked.
“That’s great, well done. When will we go?”
Lucian gave a little shake of his head as he pushed
open the door of the diner. “Starling told me the guy’s name and that he deals
art in Seattle, so I can’t take the credit, but I did find the exact address
and researched the gallery.”
Beau followed Lucian to a table and sat opposite him.
He fiddled with the menu enclosed in a plastic stand, running his eyes down the
list of sandwiches on offer.
Lucian continued talking. “I think we should go as soon
as possible. When can you get away from work?”
Beau brought his schedule to mind. He knew there was
nothing to do but take some leave. “I’m owed vacation time. I’ll take a week or
two. I need to be with you for this case, for our first case, without
interruption, so I’ll tell dad tonight, teach tomorrow’s classes, and then we
can take off. It’s about a three hour drive isn’t it?”
“Unless there’s heaps of traffic, but I figure if we
start the drive at the right time we’ll miss the rush hour at this end. Is that
enough notice for your dad?”
“It will have to be. I never take vacations.” Beau saw
the troubled look that flashed in Lucian’s eyes. A surge of tenderness made him
lean toward Lucian. One of these days
I’ll forget myself, reach out and kiss him. “It’ll be fine, Lucian,
really.”
HOP TO the Next MIDWEEK TEASER
