Read as part of [b:Out of Bounds|17907062|Out of Bounds (Anthology)|Cheryl Dragon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1368220495s/17907062.jpg|25089176] ( )

From a perfect match on the football field during the friendly games the play during weekends to trying to be a match in their personal lives isn’t easy for Aiden, the engineer, and Jack, the UPS delivery man. They are attracted to each other, which is a good start, but the differences in their status bother Jack, and Jack's hesitancy really gets to Aiden. This is a story of overcoming perceived obstacles and societal expectations as much as it is two guys trying to figure out if they can live together and share the kind of intimacy they both crave. It's realistic, filled with tension and good-natured support form friends in equal measure, and very hot!

Aiden may be a bit of a geek, with the perfect education, a great job, and some good friends, but he is lonely. Every time he thought he might have found a guy for a long-term relationship he was dumped. He still keeps trying to find the right one, and, secretly, hopes jack might be it - if the super- macho ever stops posturing long enough to notice Aiden. The thing is, even when Jack does show an interest, everything isn’t sunshine and roses, and that gives the story an extra little edge of tension which was a nice addition to the sparkling sexual tension that is going on already.

Jack seems to be Mr. Macho himself, but he definitely has his insecurities as well. It may make him more human, but is also throws a bit of a spanner in the works when he finally does take the first step and approaches Aiden. Jack's self-confidence is not what it should be, and the seemingly innocent invitation to Aiden's office party upsets him more than he wants to admit. That is, he doesn’t want to get into the real reasons for it and that almost kills the relationship with Aiden before it even begins.

I liked that both men had flaws, neither was perfect or without faults when things went wrong, and they each had something to learn about having a real relationship and how to trust their partner. Aside form which, they were very hot together in the bedroom. If you like stories about tough guys who learn to appreciate the benefits of the softer emotions in their lives, if you enjoy reading about friendships developing into more, and if you're looking for a short read with lots of hot action, then you will probably like this novella.


NOTE: The anthology this story was published in was provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )