jl_merrow | Pricks and Pragmatism is out!

Pricks and Pragmatism is available NOW from Samhain Publishing!

Here's a teaser:

I looked up from my Uni notes on Rakes and Libertines as Sebastian walked into the flat. He was a vision in Armani, as always, his sleek black hair allowed to grey artfully just at the temples and no further. He’d said once he thought it gave him gravitas; I’d told him I’d grab his arse any time he wanted.

I was lying on the rug in front of the mock fireplace wearing nothing but the Calvin Kleins he’d bought me. On the rug, because Sebastian would have thrown a hissy fit if I’d taken pens on the sofa; in my underwear, because there’s nothing wrong with giving a bloke something nice to look at after a hard day at the office.

I flashed him my best smile over my bare shoulder. “Hey, handsome.”

He didn’t smile back. There was a strange tension around his eyes that made me think that, if it hadn’t been for the Botox, he’d have been frowning. His gaze travelled down my body and stopped at my arse, and for a moment there was something almost like regret in his eyes. That was when I realised what was coming, before he even opened his mouth. “Luke, I need you to move out by the weekend.”

They always said it like that. Never “I want you to move out,” because if it was only something they wanted, maybe I’d try and talk them out of it. Safer to say they needed me to go, like it was out of their hands. Sometimes they added a bit, dressed it up with “It’s been fun”, or “Sorry”, but the bottom line was always the same. I never made a scene. After all, chances were whoever they were chucking me out for wasn’t going to last, and I might want to come back one day.

So I didn’t say what bloody awful timing this was. I didn’t remind Sebastian I’d got Finals in three weeks, and I certainly didn’t ask him where the hell I was supposed to go. I just smiled and said, “No problem. So you’ve met someone, then?” and I pretended to listen to Sebastian gushing on about this merchant banker who he swore was The One.

Not like me. I was never The One. I was just a friend with benefits and a cash flow problem. Maybe I couldn’t pay my share of the rent, but hey, I made up for it in other ways, didn’t I?

So while Sebastian was rabbiting on, I smiled and nodded and went through my mental list of places to stay. Trouble was, this end of term no one at Uni was looking for an extra lodger. Not that most students have got enough money to carry a passenger anyway. I needed a bloke with a job. Patrick (tall, built, had his own import/export business, but a tiny little willy) was back with Mark again—it wouldn’t last, but a break-up in the next week was probably too much to hope for. Calum (lawyer, gorgeous, mean streak a mile wide) was still single, but last time I was with him I got a bit tired of pretending I was into the rough stuff. Put him down as a last resort. Tom… God, when was the last time I saw Tom? Maybe I should look him up. Tonight, perhaps.

“So, anyway, you’ll be all right, won’t you?” Sebastian asked finally. I was almost touched he’d asked. Most of them don’t bother—probably worried I might say no.

“I’ll be fine, you know me.” I was smiling so widely my jaw was starting to ache. “Got a bloke in every port, I have.”

Sebastian laughed. “Well, it’s been fun, hasn’t it?”

Yeah, Sebastian. It’s been fun.

I got on the phone straight away.