To Love and Protect

Hank Bartlett dreams of something more than his sleepy Ohio hometown, where the work is back-breaking and the money he makes goes straight to his family. He's only 25—way too young to end up stuck in the same tiny town for the rest of his life... Especially when he's the only gay guy in a 100-mile radius.

When he walks into The Spike on his first night in San Diego, a gorgeous older man catches his eye across the bar. But Ben turns out to be more than just a handsome stranger—he's also kind, generous, and inspiring. And soon enough, Hank is head over heels.

Now if they could just figure out what to do about those pesky death threats...

"Get married and you're a dead man..."

When Bennett's father disowned him for being gay, Ben turned his back on his family's wealth. He relied on his intelligence and drive to build a business and a life that he's proud of. Ben refuses to be told what to do by an old bigot, and he's definitely not interested in fulfilling a ridiculous marriage requirement just to inherit money he doesn't want anyway.

So why the hell is he getting threats designed to keep him from the altar?

It was easier to ignore the threats when he was single and reeling from a nasty breakup. But that was before Ben fell for Hank—sweet, open-hearted, optimistic Hank who tugs at parts of Ben's heart he didn't even know existed. Suddenly, Ben isn't quite so sour on romance after all. But the closer he gets to Hank, the worse the intimidation gets.

Whoever's sending the threats will stop at nothing to break the two men up. Will Ben and Hank find a love to have and told hold, or will death do them part before they can even get started?

Love and Protect is a 75,000 word May-December gay romance set in urban California with hurt/comfort themes.