The Sweetheart Quest, page 1
THE SWEETHEART QUEST
SWEETHEART ESCAPES
BOOK FOUR
JACY BRAEGAN
Copyright © 2023 by Jack Braegan
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. For permission, write to: jacy@jacybraegan.com.
Cover Art & Formatting by Whimsical Reverie Design LLC (http://whimsicalreverie.design)
CONTENTS
Synopsis
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Epilogue
Want the rest of the series?
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Jacy Braegan
SYNOPSIS
Finding out my blind date is one of my gamer friends? Awesome. Finding out he’s also my boss? Kill me now.
Trevor:
When my best friend suggested a blind auction to aid in my shy self losing my v-card, I thought he was insane. If a hook up weirds me out, why would a blind date be different? Especially one no one I know can vouch for. While I’d rather have it be the guild mate I flirt with in-game, somehow I find myself sitting in the parking lot for the resort of my date. How did I get here… and who awaits me inside?
Rhodes:
Passing the reins of our family’s business over to my twin? Check. Building a successful gaming company? Proudly done. My love life? Laughable. I put all my focus in developing my game and company which left little time for dating. When my friend tells me about the auction he’d been working on, I’m curious. What could the auction bring me?
For my Family and Friends for all your support. I love you.
CHAPTER ONE
TREVOR
Will I always be alone? I curse myself as I turn away from yet another guy at the club Eliot's dragged me out too. Sure, the guy's flirting game is on point. Mine? Ha. That's laughable. I have zero game. None. What's a guy to do when you stare at him like he's an alien from outer space?
Ugh. I don't even know why I agreed to Eliot's scheme. We'd be having more fun raiding dungeons with the guild on King's Ransom rather than being here. Okay, so sure, I can't get laid and lose my v-card on a game, but a shy, introvert like me won’t cut it at the clubs either. That requires a level of trust I just don't have in me.
With a roll of my eyes at myself, I glance around the club, looking for Eliot. My eyes trail along the lines of exposed skin and hard lines of sexy men all over the dance floor before they land on my best friend. He’s sandwiched between two beef cakes, grinding out the time of his life. Ah, to have it so easy in social situations. I wish I had his charisma sometimes, if only to rid myself of this shyness that's been part of my existence.
Eliot finds me looking at him and cocks a brow toward the ceiling. I nod my head back toward the doors while tugging my phone from my pocket, showing him I’m planning on heading out. He frowns and points to himself and I shake my head, letting him know he can stay. No need to invite him to my pity party when he’s having a good night. He up-nods to me and puts his hand to his ear, telling me to call him later. With a last nod, I break eye contact and turn toward the doors.
I open the ride share app and call up for a car, happy to see one is only five minutes away, so I won’t have to wait for long. I slither around a pair of men kissing and groping each other against one of the high-top tables. Then I skirt the dance floor and pop out of the club doors into the entry. The guy at the counter gives me a friendly wave as I duck out onto the street to await my ride.
After a cute little blue four-door sedan pulls up, I check the tags and hop into the back with a deep sigh. The driver looks back at me in the rearview mirror and I wave him off with a wan smile before glancing out the window. One of these days, I’ll figure out how to be social.
Well, it’s not like I don’t know how, per se. Get me behind my computer screen and I’ve got no issues talking to people, whether I know them or not. Hiding behind my monitor levels the playing field. Sure, people can judge me across the miles, but I can’t see them doing so. Everything just seems easier that way.
I hold back another sigh, not wanting to get the driver’s attention like the sad sack I’m feeling I am. No sense in more judgement if I can avoid it. He’s got some soft music playing and the ride’s a comfy one. As he pulls up to my apartment building, I glance toward the man with as much of a smile as I can muster right now. “Thanks for the ride.”
He nods as I get out of the car and I up my tip a bit as he drives off. I rub my fob against the plate next to the door to let myself into my building. After a quick climb of the stairs to the second story, I let myself into my small studio apartment. I inhale the scent of an ocean breeze from my wall plugin and feel every muscle in my body relax as the door clicks shut behind me. I flip the looks and kick off my shoes to the rack next to it. Home, sweet freaking home. Honestly, there’s no place better for me.
I strip the tight black t-shirt I’d worn to the club over my head as I cross the open plan set up to my gaming rig set up by the bay windows. I stab the power button with my index finger, letting the computer light up and all my gadgets come to life. My dual monitors flicker to life. The soft whir of the fans kicking in does even more to soothe my soul as I head toward the bathroom tucked away under my open-air loft.
With a twist of the knob, I get the water to heating. Then I work the skinny jeans clinging to me down my legs before kicking them toward the hamper next to the doorway. My boxer briefs follow the way of the pants before tugging off my socks and tossing them into the basket. I do a little shimmy as both make it into the hamper as if I’m playing a game of basketball. Got to have fun where you can find it sometimes.
As steam rolls over the glass door, I reach in to add some of the cold water till it’s just this south of boiling me alive and step into the spray. I turn my back to the water, tilting my head and shutting my eyes. The warmth seeps into my muscles as the water sluices down my skin to the drain below. For the moment, I revel in the familiar that surrounds me and let my rueful thoughts float into the ether. I can deal with them another night.
I give myself another few moments under the spray before grabbing my shampoo and body wash to cleanse the stink from the club off my skin. No one wants to take that to bed by themselves, or at least, I don’t. Feeling I’m as clean as can be, I shut off the knobs. After I grab the towel hanging on the shower door bar, I dry myself off, wrapping the towel around my wet curls like a turban.
I open the closet door connecting to the bathroom and step inside, dragging some clean briefs and a pair of pajama pants from a drawer and slipping them on. I snag a t-shirt from a hanger, letting it dance precariously against the metal rail with a rattle from the momentum before it settles back into place. Time for some actual good fun.
I pad barefoot through my apartment and pull my big rolling chair out from under my desk and sink into it. Tucking my feet underneath me, I wiggle the mouse to wake my sleeping giant from the screensaver and open the chat server for my guild. My heart gives a little zing as my sight narrows in on a name I hoped to find tonight. StarGazer.
I grin to myself as I pop a message into the chat window.
Aravar: Hey guys. How’s it hanging tonight?
I double-click the icon to start up the game on my other screen, watching as a couple of people answer back. One of them acts the part of a smartass and says, ‘to the left’. I shake my head with a laugh to myself, quite entertained by my guildmates’ shenanigans. It’s a wonderful group of people, all either LGBT+ or an ally.
A lot of times, you hear about how toxic the gaming community can be, and it can be. Sometimes, you just have to find your people. I was ecstatic to see a game being shouted as LGBT+ friendly and the developers and moderators backing up their statements. Our guild echoes those statements, so I know in this, I’m in a safe space. We’re quick to boot people looking to stir up that kind of drama. We deal with it enough IRL; we don’t need that shit in-game, too.
As my character finishes loading into his house in the game, a message pops up from StarGazer.
StarGazer: Much better now. Didn’t think I’d see you tonight.
A smile crosses my face, and I chuckle at his message. I’d told them this afternoon that I planned to head out with Eliot tonight, who they all know as our illustrious guild leader, RiverRager. My fingers fly over the keys as I type back.
Aravar: Their company just didn’t compare with yours’.
I tag a winky face on to the end and start my character to some crafting. See? Game for days when I’m online. Why can’t I do this with
I shove the negative thoughts back from my mind again as I focus on the chat and my game. This is my time to be myself and not wallow in the loneliness that surrounds me.
I set my character to make some new armor sets I’d gotten the recipes for before getting out of my chair. Padding into the kitchen, I nab a coke from the fridge and the bag of white cheddar popcorn from the basket on top. Settling back in my seat with my snack, I pop the tab on the can and guzzle some down before opening the bag with a pop. A new message on my chat greets me.
StarGazer: Well, I’ll count my lucky stars you think that.
Bless all the little baby gay hearts the world over, this guy is just too sweet. His words make me swoon a bit in my seat as I think of how to reply to him. Our flirting game has always been fun. Can’t say I hate it. Not one freaking bit.
Aravar: You be sure and do that. Count each one carefully.
StarGazer answers with a wink emoji as one of our glutamates asks for help with a quest line he’s on. I stop crafting and we all group up to help him get the difficult quest out of the way. We cut off the flirtatious banter going on between us while we focus in on the mission. As we wrap up the main boss fight and divvy up the loot with random rolls, I yawn and glance over at the clock to see how late it’s gotten. Three am. Need to grab some shuteye. I teleport back to my home base and hit the button to logout while letting my guildies know I’m heading out for the night. Of course, no night is complete without a last message to StarGazer.
Aravar: Until the stars shine again.
I await his answer before I power off my machine and crawl into bed, letting thoughts of an imaginary future with an imaginary man carry me off to sleep.
CHAPTER TWO
RHODES
StarGazer: And sunlight hides from our gaze.
I don’t know what it is about the little spitfire healer from my game that gets me, but he snatches my attention every time he logs on. Tonight was no exception. I’d just been about to log off for the night when his name popped online. Even knowing I’ve got an early morning, I couldn’t help but to stay online longer to talk to him.
I sign off the game when he does and blow out a breath. I’ve got to get this little crush under control. It’s not like I can do anything about it. None of the people in my guild know I run the King’s Ransom MMORPG we all play, and I’d really like it to stay that way. I enjoy the way they treat me as if I’m just another player. I don’t need them kissing up to me, thinking they’re going to get some unique shit just from knowing me.
That may be wrong to think of all the guys in the guild, but I’ve seen it happen in others. Add to the fact I like the people I’m running around with, I want nothing to jeopardize that. So even meeting or doing anything real with my online flirt, Aravar, is not happening. Just got to get over that.
I shove my sweats off my legs and let my bare body sink into the cool sheets of my king size bed. I glance over the left side and yet again wish for a body to lie there, for some person to curl around and bury my face in the nape of their neck as I fall asleep. Once more, tonight is not that night. I shut my eyes and force myself to relax and seek the oblivion of darkness.
I scribble my signature across the line at the bottom of the page, slide the document into the file folder, and set it in the outbox on my desk. It’s been a long day of paperwork and getting things ready for the upcoming launch of the new expansion for the game. My teams have put in a lot of work into the first full expansion and I’m hopeful for an explosion of new gamers to flock to the game with the new content. Time will tell, but either way, I want to make sure we well compensated the teams for all their hard work.
I rub my eyes with the heels of my hands for a moment as a soft rapping comes at my office door. Looking up from my work, my assistant pops the door open to step inside. “I’m cutting you off. You’re going to be late.”
I frown and look at the clock, seeing it’s only six in the evening. It’s not like I’ve got anything to run home to. For the past few years, my heart and soul have been building my company and video game from the ground up. A lot of smaller companies get swallowed up by the bigger ones and I’ve been fighting tooth and nail to compete with more well-known titles in the MMO industry.
With a raised brow, I look back at Regina in confusion. “Late for what?”
My assistant tidies up my desk before grabbing the files in the outbox to take to her desk to deal with. She settles an exasperated look at me with a shake of her head. “Your dinner with Dean at seven? I’ve only reminded you twice this afternoon.”
I groan and drop my head to my desk like a drama queen. I’d totally forgotten I’d set up to catch up with my best friend tonight. We’d both been busy with our own launches, so it’d completely slipped my mind. Again. Oops. I lift my head and reach to shut my laptop down to slide it into my bag to take home. “What would I do without you?”
She laughs and shakes her head at me as she backs toward the door. “Lose your mind, more than likely.”
I tilt my head to acknowledge she’s more than likely right in that case. She was one of my first hires when I built my team and she’s been her worth her weight doubled in gold, maybe even triple. Best hire ever. “Probably right.”
I stretch, feeling the muscles tight in my back pull against the movement and groan a bit. Regina stops to look at me with a frown on her face. “After this launch, you need to take a vacation. Or at least some kind of break. You’re looking kind of tired there.”
I shake my head to her as I sling the strap of my laptop bag over my shoulder and come around my desk to head to the door behind her. “No rest for the wicked. Got to prep for the next content release.”
I lock my office door behind us as we enter her area of the office suite. She lays a hand on my arm to stop me from walking away. “No, you’re going to take a break. Both you and the teams have earned it. The devs will be busy working through any random bugs which we always know come with releases like this, anyway.”
I sigh and shake my head. “Regina…”
The shake of her head cuts me off as she retorts, “Rhodes, it’s not up for discussion. You’re going to burn yourself out.”
I fight the urge to roll my eyes. At least she cares enough about my mental health. I’ve got to give her that. “I’m not agreeing to anything, but I promise I’ll think about it. Will that work?”
Regina rolls her eyes with a put-upon sigh and waves her hand at me as she removes it from my arm. “I guess that’ll have to do.”
Apparently, I’m the only one fighting such outward shows of emotion this evening. At her agreement, I give her a smile and move toward the main office door. “You’re the best. See you on Monday.”
She nods her head. “Have a good weekend, Rhodes.”
I make my way from the building and outside to my waiting car. As I slide into the backseat and greet my driver, I settle into the plush leather seat and turn my gaze out the window, allow my mind to filter over thoughts of all that could go wrong with the launch to come as the car eases its way through traffic toward my home so I can change to meet Dean.
