A First Time for Everything (Phoenician Short #1.1)

William Harrington is the Man in Charge—literally. He’s been the Director of the Centre since he founded the office and he’s been Acting Administrator, presiding over the entire World Council, ever since Joshua Andrew Caine’s health took a downturn. Will’s the most powerful man on this alien planet but when it comes to relationships, he’s not comfortable taking the lead. Drew had liked to be in charge and Drew had been Will’s first and only love. Now Will’s wandering aimlessly through infrequent casual lovers, and none has lasted more than a night or two—none until Jared Crenshaw. Completely outside Will’s social circle and with sexual tastes beyond Will’s vanilla experiences, Jared might be the one who can finally force the last traces of Drew from Will’s body, mind and soul.

Jared Crenshaw is used to being responsible for other people’s welfare. He’s a MedTech, so he literally holds another person’s life in his hands on a daily basis. That kind of awesome responsibility has made him comfortable playing the Dom in the bedroom—and he’s made a habit of playing often and with a wide variety of partners. He’s confident he can Master just about any Slave Boy out there until the world’s most-powerful man walks into his life. Jared’s fantasized about William Harrington for five years but never imagined the man would actually be standing shirtless and barefoot in his bedroom. Jared surprises even himself with how intimidated he is—and worse, how real his feelings are once things heat up. Jared Crenshaw doesn’t get attached. He gets laid and moves on—or that’s how it usually goes but nothing is usual about the William Harrington and there’s a first time for everything.

A First Time for Everything is a novella in The Phoenician Series. It is a Gay SciFi Romance, with milder sex than typical BDSM erotica but edgier than in a typical mainstream SFR (heterosexual Science Fiction Romances). Some readers may find it too much or too little. This story is intended to be as much a part of the larger series as it is intended to be a standalone romance. Both men in this story are major characters in the other stories of The Phoenician Series. The events in this story occur about one month after the events at the end of the series novel, Man Made Man, the story in which William and Jared first meet.