I'd read the first story in this collection before and remembered it as a short and sexy read but with little connection to the characters. The follow up stories more than make up for that as we get slice of life snippets (still with a high sex content) and a better feel for the relationship between FB and Matt.

I'd read the first story in this collection before and remembered it as a short and sexy read but with little connection to the characters. The follow up stories more than make up for that as we get slice of life snippets (still with a high sex content) and a better feel for the relationship between FB and Matt.

This collection of short stories about FB and Matt was a great way for me to reconnect to two characters I really love, but somehow I only ever caught their first two stories. The men are very different in how they think and act, but one thing is certain: their love for each other. From their first meeting at a Starbucks, through all their trials as a couple, it is quite obvious that FB, gruff though he may try to sound, is as dedicated to making Matt happy as Matt is determined to ensure FB’s life is as easy and fun as possible.

FB is a former Marine, and he’d be the first to insist there is no such thing as an ex-Marine. In fact, the fifth story in the collection is called “Once a Marine” and deals with that notion. FB may no longer be on active duty, and allow himself to be called retired, but he still runs his life like a Marine. His way of thinking, the words and phrases he uses, how he protects Matt with everything he has, they all scream “Marine” to anyone with eyes to see. I mean, who else would think about “routine shopping maneuvers” or pick the costume FB ends up going for on Halloween?

Matt is a little more sensitive. He runs a pet store, has an eye for the finer things in life, and loves romantic gestures. Something he never expected FB to give him, but then V-Day (also known as Valentines Day) happens, and Matt has to kick that notion out of the window so fast it made my head spin. He is the one to bring up the topic of children, and though FB is a little shocked at first, never having figured his “Corps of Two” would expand, he quickly warms to the idea. Matt makes sure to let FB know how much he appreciates him, and since that need is very mutual, both men end up better off together than they ever would have been on their own.

Each of these stories focuses on a different stage of the men’s relationship, but all of them are written with a wonderful sense of humor. Hot bedroom and not-so-bedroom activities are the norm for these guys, but the fun they have while they bring each other to explosive, ahem, endings, makes each story extra enjoyable to read.

If you like hot former Marines and their partners, if two men figuring out how to relate to each other, their families, and life’s challenges sound like an interesting topic to read about, and if you’re looking for funny, entertaining, and very hot short glimpses into FB and Matt’s lives, then you will probably enjoy this free collection. I certainly did! ( )