The Sugared Game Read online

“Kim—”

  “I’d like to be,” Kim said. “I don’t know if I can be, though you sometimes make me believe it possible. But I’ll do my best to find out, if you’re willing to give me the chance.”

  “We can just see how it goes,” Will said, through a dry mouth. “Work it out along the way.”

  “You are ever practical. And talking of practicality, it does occur to me you could use some assistance in the shop while your arm is out of commission. Boxes and shelving and suchlike.”

  That thought had occurred forcibly to him. “I was thinking of getting someone in for a bit.”

  “Well, I’m unemployed.” Kim had his eyes fixed on the road again. “I arrive on time and don’t drink on the job. And I doubt any of the letters or telephone calls I’m likely to receive at the flat in the next days will be pleasant, so I’d rather like an excuse to be elsewhere.”

  Will suspected that was one hell of an understatement, and it made his chest hurt. “I’ve got space. Hole up as long as you like.”

  “I’ll bring the whisky. For after hours, naturally.”

  “You owe me a bottle.”

  “I owe you more than that,” Kim said softly. “A great deal more. I do know it, Will.”

  “Make it a really good bottle, and we’ll call it a clean slate.”

  Kim’s breath shuddered out. “You have no idea how much I would like a clean slate.”

  “You’ve got one now, don’t you? All round.”

  “Hardly clean. Blank, perhaps. Ah, God, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I always had a purpose, before, a job that had to be done, one way and another. And now—”

  “You’ve been demobbed,” Will said. “I know the feeling. And you want an answer right away, but that won’t happen. It takes a while to get your head round, so give it time. Stay with me. Sort out the rare books: I need them priced up properly. And we can talk about whatever you want, important things or football—”

  “No.”

  “—and you can have a few days with nobody expecting anything from you. Except getting the rare books right. I expect that.”

  “Low standards, that’s your trouble.”

  “My standards are fine,” Will said. “You just need to live up to them.”

  “And we’ll see how it goes?”

  The road ahead was reasonably clear, no bends or twists or obstructively slow traffic for a while at least. Will put a hand on Kim’s leg for the warmth of contact, and met his eyes as he looked round. “We’ll see how it goes.”

  <<<<>>>>

  Kim Secretan and Will Darling return in SUBTLE BLOOD.

  The Will Darling Adventures

  A m/m romance trilogy in the spirit of Golden Age pulp fiction.

  It’s the 1920s and tensions are rising along with hemlines. Soldier-turned-bookseller Will Darling finds himself tangled up in spies and secret formulas, clubs and conspiracies, Bolsheviks, blackmail, and Bright Young Things. And dubious aristocrat Lord Arthur ‘Kim’ Secretan is right in the middle of it all: enigmatic, unreliable, and utterly irresistible.

  Slippery Creatures

  The Sugared Game

  Subtle Blood

  For more books by KJ Charles go to

  http://kjcharleswriter.com/books/

  Slippery Creatures

  (The Will Darling Adventures #1)

  Will Darling came back from the Great War with a few scars, a lot of medals, and no idea what to do next. Inheriting his uncle’s chaotic second-hand bookshop is a blessing...until strange visitors start making threats. First a criminal gang, then the War Office, both telling Will to give them the information they want, or else.

  Will has no idea what that information is, and nobody to turn to, until Kim Secretan—charming, cultured, oddly attractive—steps in to offer help. As Kim and Will try to find answers and outrun trouble, mutual desire grows along with the danger.

  And then Will discovers the truth about Kim. His identity, his past, his real intentions. Enraged and betrayed, Will never wants to see him again.

  But Will possesses knowledge that could cost thousands of lives. Enemies are closing in on him from all sides—and Kim is the only man who can help.

  “This romance has drama, intrigue, a thoroughly fed-up man who just wants to organise his bloody books, a secret plot, double-crossing, triple-crossing, knife fights, sexy looks of yearning, Noble Resistance to Physical Attraction, and excellent best friends. I could not recommend it more.”—Talia Hibbert

  “A terrific, perfectly-paced read with action, adventure, dastardly villains, a high-stakes plot and a pair of captivating protagonists. Slippery Creatures is fun, clever, sexy and utterly engrossing.”—All About Romance

  “I just read a spy thriller, a comedy of manners, an action-adventure joyride, a post-war 20s class novel and a very turbulent romance. They were all fantastic. It’s astounding to me that they were all the same book.”—Samit Basu

  Subtle Blood

  (The Will Darling Adventures #3)

  Will Darling is all right. His business is doing well, and so is his illicit relationship with Kim Secretan—disgraced aristocrat, sacked spy, amateur book-dealer. It’s starting to feel like he’s got his life under control.

  And then a brutal murder in a gentleman’s club plunges them back into the shadow world of crime, deception, and politics. Worse, it brings them up against Kim’s noble, hostile family, and his upper-class life where Will can never belong.

  With old and new enemies against them, and secrets on every side, Will and Kim have to fight for each other harder than ever—or be torn apart for good.

  Coming soon...

  About the Author

  KJ Charles lives in London with her husband, two kids, an out-of-control garden, and a cat with murder management issues.

  KJ writes mostly historical romance, mostly queer, sometimes with fantasy or horror in there. She is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan at Handspun Literary.

  For all the KJC news and occasional freebies, get my (infrequent) newsletter here or visit kjcharleswriter.com/newsletter to sign up.

  Find me on Twitter @kj_charles

  Pick up free reads on my website at kjcharleswriter.com

  Join my Facebook group, KJ Charles Chat, for book conversation, sneak peeks, and exclusive treats.

  Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this book, reviews are very welcome.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. Aside from brief quotations for media coverage and reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form without the author’s permission. Thank you for supporting authors and a diverse, creative culture by purchasing this book and complying with copyright laws.

  Published by KJC Books

  Copyright © 2020 by KJ Charles

  Edited by Veronica Vega

  Cover by Tiferet Design

  ISBN: 978-1-912688-17-3

  Also available in paperback