Bøger af Sloane Kennedy

Everything was supposed to go back to normal when I was rescued. It hasn't. And I'm starting to think it never will because I don't even know what normal is anymore...It's been two years since Aleks Silva was rescued by his older brother from the dark underworld of sex trafficking and every day since then has been a battle. Leaving the house, interacting with people, even doing something as boring as deciding what clothes to wear or what to eat for breakfast are tasks that most people take for granted. But for Aleks, they're torture. Because freedom and choice are things that once came at a steep price and survival meant submitting to the whims of those who only saw him as a possession and plaything.Until there was one man who saw him as something more...I knew from the moment I saw him that I was going to get him out. But I also knew once I did, I'd need to let him go...He's known as Vaughn and nothing more. His job is to make sure secrets don't get out and the possessions he's been tasked with guarding never escape and tell their story. After eight years in a world where innocent kids are used to feed the darkest of depravities, Vaughn has seen things that would break even the strongest man. But he's played it smart and built up a wall between himself and the darkness that threatens to consume him.It wasn't until he met a young man who had to be a thousand times stronger to survive the life he was forced into as a child that the first crack appeared in his carefully constructed wall.Vaughn's only job was to make sure young Aleks Silva remained the ugly little secret of one of the most powerful men in Chicago. It was one job he was more than happy to fail at, and when he eliminated the threat against Aleks and set him free, he was sure their paths would never cross again.But fate has other plans...Vaughn is the only man from my other life who never had a starring role in my nightmares... but he's been in every one of my dreams. And I don't know why...When Aleks is suddenly abducted after leaving work one quiet spring evening, he's certain he'll never see his brother and family again. But terror quickly turns to relief when a familiar face once again comes to his rescue, along with all the feelings he's always had but never quite understood around the dangerous, older Vaughn. Certain that Vaughn will make everything okay again like he did once before, Aleks knows he doesn't even need to ask Vaughn to take him home. But when he does anyway, nothing he's ever experienced prepares him for Vaughn's answer... or the brutal betrayal that comes along with it.I'm sorry, Aleks, I can't do that.

He was only there for a business deal...A couple of days...that was all it was supposed to take for property developer Roman Blackwell to decide if the strip of land just south of Dare, Montana would be the perfect spot for his next luxury resort. He wasn't interested in repairing his frayed relationship with his half-brother who'd moved to the small town a few months earlier and he definitely wasn't interested in doing anything more than scratching an itch when he checked out the gay club near his hotel. But when his plans for a quick hook-up are waylaid after he steps in to save a young man being brutalized, Roman finds himself building an emotional connection he never saw coming.One bad decision changed everything...College student Hunter Greene has spent 18 months trying to forget the one night he gave in to temptation and made a decision to hide one lie by telling another. But the guilt of knowing he shattered another young man's life to protect his own secret shame is slowly destroying him and he knows that soon even his spiral into a dangerous pattern of self-destructive behavior won't be enough to keep his entire world from imploding. But the last thing he's looking for is someone to save him.But fate works in mysterious ways...Forced to return to the town he grew up in, the last person Hunter expects to run into is the mysterious savior who changed everything with one soul shattering kiss. While he can't deny his attraction to Roman, Hunter knows that he'll never be free to act on it and once Roman discovers the terrible secret he's hiding, it won't matter anyway.Because some things just can't be forgiven...

"I knew it would be like this...like finding something I didn't know was missing." --LukeAuthor Gray Hawthorne has it all and he's on the verge of having even more. His bestselling detective novels are being turned into a movie series that will make him a household name and he's rubbing a lot more than just elbows with Hollywood's elite. Money, fame and good looks mean an endless supply of men, both groupies and celebrities alike, which suits Gray just fine. He's smart enough to know that his 5 minutes in the spotlight will be just that and he plans to enjoy every moment. Until he gets the devastating news that threatens to steal everything away...Army Ranger Luke Monroe lives and breathes the military. They're the family he never had and a life without his brothers-in-arms is unfathomable. But the ultimate betrayal has Luke on the run and a twist of fate leads him to the small town of Dare, Montana to seek help from the foster brother who saved him once before. Only the brother he's searching for isn't the man he finds and he has no choice but to keep running. Until an encounter on the side of the road with a stranger changes everything.The last thing Gray wants when he seeks refuge at his cabin in the secluded Montana mountains is company but a run-in with the mysterious and very straight Luke has Gray offering the damaged soldier a place to regroup. And since a physical relationship isn't even on the table, Gray finds himself enjoying something he hasn't had in a long time...a real friend.But what happens when friendship just isn't enough? When a man who's only been with women begins to crave more?With one man running from his past and the other running from his future, will finding each other be enough to bring them peace?

Three men brought together by circumstance who found something none of them knew they needed...Ren Barretti has finally come home after a year of being held captive by the terrorists who slaughtered his entire Special Forces team. But he can't escape the nightmares that torment him or the guilt that he was the only one to walk away. The life his older brothers have brought him home to doesn't exist for him anymore and to keep them and their loved ones safe from the rage and pain that consume him, Ren needs to disappear.Police Detective Declan Hale has felt an undeniable pull towards the very straight Ren Barretti since the day Ren's brother married Declan's younger sister almost a dozen years earlier. But even though the Ren who has come home isn't the one who left, all of Declan's feelings come rushing back to the surface and he steps in to help the only man he's ever truly wanted. And even though there's no future for them, keeping Ren safe is all that matters and Declan will risk anything to make that happen.Tough as nails former soldier and mercenary Jagger Varos has returned to Seattle after years of running from his past and he's hoping that joining Barretti Security Group will help him finally call the city he left behind home. But within weeks, his new beginning is tested after multiple run-ins with the gruff, infuriating Detective Hale. When he inadvertently discovers that Declan is hiding Ren from the very brothers offering Jagger a new start, Jagger finds himself torn between his newfound loyalty to Vin and Dom Barretti and the need to protect the young man he himself helped rescue from his captors.For Declan and Jagger, it's hate at first sight but they soon realize that they will need each other if they have any hope of saving Ren from himself. And neither of them expects their mutual distrust in one another to grow into something else entirely or that Ren himself will find in both of them what he needs to rebuild his life and come to terms with who he really is.Can the fierce attraction between three men become something more or will the demands of the real world tear them apart?Note: This book contains explicit M/M/M content and is intended for mature audiencesAlthough this book is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. No cliffhangers.Barretti Security SeriesBook 1 - Loving Vin (M/F)Book 2 - Redeeming Rafe (M/M)Book 3 - Saving Ren (M/M/M)The Barretti Security Series is a spin-off of The Escort Series and some of the characters from that series appear in this one so if you want to read the books in order, start with this series: The Escort SeriesBook 1 - Gabriel's Rule (M/F) Gabe & RileyBook 2 - Shane's Fall (M/F) Shane & SavannahBook 3 - Logan's Need (M/M) Logan & Do

He wants revenge against the brothers who betrayed him but first he has to get past the one man he can't resist...At the tender age of eight, Rafe Barretti lost everything. His parents, his childhood, his innocence. And the brothers who were supposed to protect him let him go instead. Twenty years later and he's finally ready to exact his revenge by taking away everything they hold dear - their company, their reputations, their futures. But even that isn't enough - their loved ones will have to pay too and all their precious secrets are fair game.Former mercenary Cade Gamble's only job is to take down the hacker stealing sensitive, private information from Barretti Security Group and Cade is damn good at his job. But there's more at stake because the co-founders of BSG, Dom and Vin Barretti, are like family and no one touches Cade's family. The fact that the vengeful young man turns out to be the youngest of the Barretti clan doesn't matter. But when their tumultuous encounters turn into something more, Cade will have to decide between protecting the only family he has and giving in to his need to save Rafe from himself.Can Cade help Rafe find redemption so he can forgive the sins of the past or will Rafe's quest for vengeance destroy them both?Note: This book contains explicit M/M content and is intended for mature audiencesAlthough this book is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. No cliffhangers.***Special Note: I've decided to make Book 1 in this series, Loving Vin (M/F) free but only available through my website sometime in the near future. Check out sloanekennedy.com for more information.***

"Ich habe alles falsch gemacht, Finn. Vom ersten Tag an. Ich dachte, es wäre der einzige Weg, mit dir zusammen zu sein und deiner noch würdig zu sein. Aber jetzt erkenne ich, dass ich das nie war." - Callan. Rache. Das ist alles, woran der Ex-Cop Rhys Tellar denken kann, und er hat jeden einzelnen Tag seiner zweijährigen Gefängnisstrafe damit verbracht, einen Plan auszuhecken, um seinen früheren Geliebten und Partner zur Strecke zu bringen. Der hat ihn betrogen und dabei den Tod von vier Menschen verursacht. Seine sechsmonatige Bewährungszeit auf der CB Bar Ranch im Südwesten von Montana zu verbringen hätte ganz einfach sein sollen, doch Rhys hat nicht mit den Gefühlen gerechnet, die er für den charismatischen Ranchhelfer, mit dem er sich anfreundet, und den verschlossenen Vorarbeiter, der vorgibt, etwas zu sein, das er nicht ist, entwickelt.Eine Zukunft. Das ist, was Finn Stewart will, aber dafür muss er den einen Mann verlassen, den er mehr als jeden anderen begehrt: seinen völlig heterosexuellen Boss und besten Freund, Callan Bale. Als der einzige offen schwule Mann in einer kleinen, homophoben Gemeinde, muss Finn jeden Tag kämpfen, um sein zu können, wer er ist. Einfach alles hinter sich zu lassen scheint allmählich die beste Entscheidung zu sein - jedenfalls bis Rhys Tellar auftaucht und alles verändert.Eine Lüge. Callan Bale hat sein ganzes Leben lang versteckt, wer er wirklich ist, und das wird ihn die einzige Person kosten, der es gelungen ist, sich einen Weg durch die Mauern zu bahnen, die Callan jahrelang um sein Herz herum errichtet hat. Doch sich für Finn zu entscheiden würde bedeuten, alles aufzugeben, für das er gearbeitet hat, und sein Versprechen zu brechen. Finn an Rhys zu verlieren würde aber zumindest bedeuten, dass der junge Mann das Leben führen kann, das er verdient.Drei Männer. Drei Entscheidungen. Eine Chance, ein Zuhause zu finden.

He wanted a new beginning. What he got was a glimpse of a life he could never have...Widower Dane Winters just wanted a new beginning for himself and his six month old daughter after his estranged husband's cold-blooded murder and moving to a small town in Southwest Montana seemed like a good place to start. But he never expected a favor for a friend to turn into a deadly encounter that puts him on a collision course with a mysterious stranger passing through town.Former FBI agent Jaxon Reid stopped in Dare, Montana to right a wrong, not get caught up in the life of an uptight, country vet with a holier-than-thou attitude. But he soon finds himself drawn to the quiet, insecure single father who's trying to leave behind a life of pain and heartbreak.Dane can't deny his attraction to Jax, but he knows that pursuing a relationship with the gorgeous, younger man will only end in heartbreak and turn him into someone he swore he would never be again. But when danger looms, he's forced to accept Jax into his life and home, along with the emotional vulnerability that being around Jax brings to the surface.As their connection deepens, can Dane find the trust Jax needs from him in order to build a life together or will he let his past destroy his one chance at a real future?

I've been drowning for a long time. I never thought I'd find someone who knows what that's like...Self-proclaimed playboy, Aiden Vale, has it all - good looks, successful career, plenty of cash in the bank and an endless supply of men who know the score... that one night is just that. So the last thing he wants, or needs, is to forge a connection that might mean revealing more of himself than he's ready to. But when fate intervenes, putting Aiden in the path of someone who threatens to knock down his carefully constructed walls, he's quick to realize the young man he's become infatuated with is hiding a painful secret.I finally have a shot at freedom. I'll never let anyone take that from me ever again...Ash Valentine is just looking for a way out, and the last thing he wants or needs is another man controlling every aspect of his life. Desperate for the cash that will help him flee his abusive boyfriend, Ash accepts what is supposed to be a temporary job at a local coffee shop. But nothing prepares him for the gorgeous and enigmatic Aiden Vale, and the small acts of kindness the charming coffee shop regular bestows on him or the new friends he begins to make along the way.Terrified of once again becoming too reliant on someone else to take care of him, Ash refuses Aiden's repeated offers of help in any form. But when it becomes clear that there's something more behind Aiden's need to save him, Ash begins to wonder if he's found someone who needs saving just as badly.I know he wants to save me, but what if he's the one who needs saving...As their tentative friendship turns into something more, long buried secrets begin to surface. When Aiden's need to protect Ash clashes with the younger man's desire for independence, memories of the one he couldn't save begin to tear at the fragile cords of Aiden's soul, and he's forced to face a truth he's been hiding from for a long time.Threatened with losing what they've only just found, will Aiden and Ash find a way to accept their pasts or will they let the pain drag them below the surface for good?

JacksonEveryone says what a lucky guy I am. I've got a great kid, an amicable relationship with my ex, and a job working cattle on one of the largest ranches in Eden, Wyoming. Only problem is that "everyone" has no clue that I'm living a half-life.Because the other half is a closeted gay man who's got it bad for the young ranch hand he works with day in and day out.But the very straight Travis isn't an option. And even if he were, my sexy co-worker isn't exactly committed to commitment.So it's time for a change and since gay guys aren't exactly falling off trees in Eden, I'm going to need a little help...TravisIt was supposed to be a Friday night like any other. Me and my best friend heading into town to find some female company for a few hours. And even though Jackson usually goes home alone, he's still a great wingman.Unfortunately, between my impatience to get the night started and my bad habit of snooping, I've learned two things about Jackson in the space of five minutes that have left me all kinds of confused.Jackson's gay.And he's placed a classified ad to try and hook up with some guy he can't get his mind off after a brief run-in at a hardware store in the city.Now I can't get my mind off Jackson.Don't get me wrong, I like the ladies, but why can't I stop thinking about my good-looking best friend and the faceless stranger he's ready to start something new with? Jackson doesn't need some random guy right now. Not when he has me...Oh hell.

"I've done everything wrong, Finn. From day one. It was the only way I knew how to be with you and still be worthy of you. But I see now that I never really was." --CallanVengeance. It's the one thing on ex-cop Rhys Tellar's mind and he's spent every day of his two year prison sentence planning how he'll bring down the former lover and partner who sold him out and cost four people their lives. A six month parole stint working at the CB Bar Ranch in Southwestern Montana should be the easiest thing he's ever done. But the last thing he expects is to feel something for both the charismatic ranch hand who befriends him and the enigmatic foreman who's pretending to be something he's not.A future. That's what Finn Stewart wants, but to have it he must leave behind the man he wants above all others, his very straight boss and best friend, Callan Bale. As the only openly gay man in a small, homophobic community, Finn has to fight every day to be who he is and walking away is starting to seem like the easier path. Until Rhys Tellar shows up and changes everything.A Lie. Callan Bale's entire life has been about hiding the man he really is and it's about to cost him the one person who's managed to worm his way past the walls he's spent years putting up. But choosing Finn would mean giving up everything he's worked for and breaking the promises he's made. At least losing the younger man to Rhys means Finn can have the life he deserves.Three men. Three choices. One chance at finding home.

She was the daughter of a serial killer and she was living in his house...After years of searching war torn Afghanistan for his MIA brother, Vincenzo Barretti has finally come home and now he's ready to settle back into life as co-founder of Barretti Security Group. But his home is no longer cold and empty the way he likes it.Mia Hamilton needs a quiet place to hide from the press to try to rebuild her life. Being the daughter of a notorious serial killer is bad enough, but being the one who killed him has made her a target for every news agency in the world. She wants nothing more than to be left alone, but the reporters are relentless and will stop at nothing to get their story. With no place to go, she accepts an offer from Dominic Barretti to stay at his older brother's home until she can figure out what to do next. But she didn't expect the homeowner to return so soon or to feel something she's never felt when he's around.Vin doesn't need or want a woman in his life and certainly not one that comes with so much baggage. So what if Mia evokes feelings in him he thought were long dead? She's a liability and he wants her gone. But forcing the quiet, strong-willed young woman from his life turns out to be a lot harder than he thought...

LEXEven if I wasn't losing my sight, I never would have seen him coming...I've known my fate for years, but I wasn't willing to accept it. But as the light in my eyes dims a little more each day, I have no choice but to adapt.Or not.The secluded cabin in the north woods of Maine is supposed to be an escape... a place where I can figure out how to move forward with my life... to find out if I even can.But then he shows up and suddenly I'm facing a new fight...GIDEONHe wants to be left alone? Fine by me. But I'm not going to watch him just give up...Wanting to be left alone, that's something the guy and I have in common. But that's about it. As far as I'm concerned, he's just another rich city boy playing at living off the grid for a while. He's got no idea what it really means to be alone.My job is to take care of the cabin he's staying in and that's it. It doesn't matter that I can't stop thinking about why he looks so damn broken or wondering why he stirs something inside of me I thought long dead.But try as I might, I can't stay away from him, just like I can't watch him give up on himself. He may be losing his sight, but I won't let him lose himself.I won't let him become like me...***Although this book is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone***

It's the holidays for a group of very special men who've managed to become a family in the last year and while all the guys are coming together to celebrate Hawke and Tate's upcoming wedding, a few of them have big plans of their own...A change of plans...Newlyweds Ronan and Seth are settling into married life as Ronan considers his return to medicine and Seth starts dreaming of a future that may include the pitter patter of little feet a lot sooner rather than later.Building a future...Knee deep in wedding preparations, Hawke and Tate are celebrating something even more important - Matty's final round of chemotherapy treatment. As they anxiously await confirmation that their son is finally in remission, both men strive to give their little boy a normal life including a new house, playdates with Matty's new best friend, Leo, and a new support system of men and women who are starting to seem a lot like family.An important question to ask...Meanwhile, Mav is looking to make things official with Eli despite the young man's busy schedule with medical school. But before he can ask the man of his dreams that very important question, he has to get past Eli's family first, including a posse of two overprotective fathers, several intrusive uncles and a little girl who just wants to brush Mav's hair!Figuring it all out...With Memphis, Brennan and Tristan settling into their newfound relationship and our favorite threesome from New York visiting for the wedding, there are plenty of chances for old friends to connect and new bonds to be formed. The best kind of chaos...And of course, what wedding wouldn't be complete without a little drama including some white hot sexual tension between a not so old grandfather and a certain cocky bodyguard? Add in some more Barrettis, a couple of precocious kids, several dogs, one spoiled cat and a gaggle of new, hot alpha men and you've got the perfect storm for a holiday that only the Protectors could pull off!

After Logan Bradshaw's dreams go up in smoke, he's left broken and haunted by a cruel betrayal from his former business partner, a man he once thought of as a friend. His life as a professional escort helped pay for his future once, so maybe a few more jobs can give him back what he's lost. And if that means being a third for one night for a wealthy couple living out a ménage fantasy, then so be it. It might just be the final payout he needs to get his life back on track. Dominic Barretti has everything money can buy, but it can't save his beautiful young wife as cancer steals her away from him. He also can't deny her one last request - a ménage encounter with another man. It's the perfect excuse to meet the man who's been haunting his dreams. On paper, Logan is the perfect choice to give his wife what she needs, but he doesn't expect his own fierce desires to flare up when the young man enters their lives. Dom and Logan don't know it, but Sylvie Barretti has decided to play matchmaker from beyond the grave. Unfortunately, getting two broken men to find each other makes dying seem like the easy part. Logan can't deny his attraction to Dom, but the surprise desire for another man has left him reeling and questioning everything he's ever known about himself. But when a threat from the past surfaces, will Logan be able to let go of the life he knew and embrace the one he needs? Note: This book contains M/M sexual content and is intended for mature audiences ***This is Book 3 in the series, but can be read as a stand-alone story - no cliffhangers. However, more enjoyment can be gained by reading the series in order: Book 1 - Gabriel's Rule Book 2 - Shane's Fall (Note: Logan's Need DOES contain spoilers for events first presented in Books 1 & 2)***

***PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AS PART OF AN ANTHOLOGY***This SHORT STORY (15k words) was previously published as part of the Heart2Heart Anthology but is now being offered as a single title since the anthology is no longer available. Please make sure you haven't already purchased this story as part of that anthology unless your intent is to own two copies of the story. There is no new content.RyanDressed appropriately for quiet night at home? Check.Spoiled, needy cat present? Check.Gorgeous, mysterious stranger randomly showing up at my door claiming to have a date with me? Wait... what?Knox is exactly the kind of guy my ugly past has taught me to avoid, but when the heavily tattooed biker shows up at my door with flowers and a gentle touch, I'm kind of a goner. But agreeing to the blind date I knew nothing about is just the start of a crazy night of ogres, onions, wine and dangly bits.Way too many dangly bits.KnoxI knew letting myself get set up on a blind date was a bad idea, but I can't deny that there's a little part of me that really wants to find Mr. Right. Especially after having been with Mr. Wrong for so long. And everything about Orion "Ryan" Abernathy screams right. But when the cute, young social worker has no idea who I am or what I'm talking about, I know we've both been set up.I fully expect my chance at finding out if Ryan is my Mr. Right to go up in smoke, but when he agrees to go out with me, I'm certain not even the hint of a haunted past can come between us.Problem is, it's not his past that comes between us, but a whole lot of naked old man.Leave it to me to manage to finally find Mr. Right only to scare him off when our first date goes oh so wrong.Or does it?Please note that this story was previously part of an anthology so it was intended (and required) to be a certain length. Although it is a complete story with an HEA, if you don't care for short stories, Ryan and Knox's tale may not be for you.This story was formerly titled "Atlanta" and was part of the Heart 2 Heart Vol. 2 Charity Anthology. There have been no changes to the content of the story.