Read Online Heatstroke (extended version) by Taylor V. Donovan - Free Book Online

thrown off his team and he'll have to face
hundreds of enraged fans. He told me Manny could get killed by a mob like that.
Benjamin says both Manny and I are the best at what we do and have brilliant careers ahead of us. He said I need to think about that the next time I decide to be out in public with Manny. He says I should seriously consider
dating a girl.
I could not date a girl. I belong to Manny… I belong to him…
     
"Michael?" The soft knock on his bedroom door had him hiding the journal under the pillow and
     
scrambling out of bed within two seconds of hearing it.
     
"Yeah?" He opened the door and gave his father what he hoped was an expressionless look.
     
"What's up, Dad?"
     
"Charlie's on the phone."
     
"Thanks." He took the handset from his father and shifted from one foot to the other.
     
"Are you okay?" Dad frowned. "Why are you so fidgety?"
     
"There's something I have to do."
     
"What is it?"
     
"I can't tell you just yet."
     
"And why's that?"
     
"I know I'm grounded but… See, I have to leave here sooner than we thought."
     
"Leave to go where?" Dad asked. "You know we have two more days of medical appointments
     
before we can go back to California."
     
"I wasn't planning on leaving with you guys." Michael chewed on his lower lip, but held his
     
father's gaze. "It's important, Dad."
     
"What is this about?"
     
"I'll tell you later. For now, I just need you to promise you'll back me up if Mom refuses to let me
     
do this."
     
"I don't know, Michael." Dad took a deep breath and shook his head. "I can't agree to let you do something I don't know the first thing about."
     
"I promise it's nothing bad."
     
"Where are you going?" his dad insisted. "And with whom?"
     
"Dad, please," Michael begged. "This is the most important thing I've done in my life. I need you
     
to trust me. Can you please stand up to Mom if she says I can't leave the house? You've got to let
     
me go do what I have to do. Please ."
     
"First you need to tell me what's going on," Dad said as he studied Michael carefully.
     
"Tonight," Michael promised without looking away. "I'll explain it all tonight, okay?"
     
His dad didn't say anything else, but, after what felt like ages, he nodded, patted Michael on the
     
shoulder, and left the room.
     
Michael sighed in relief.
     
"Charlie?" he said on the phone, closing the door and going back to bed. "Did you find me a
     
flight?"
     
May 19, 1965
I knew something was wrong the moment I saw Manny tonight. His usually sparkling midnight eyes were serious
and dull, and his luscious lips were pinched. He didn't answer when I asked if something had happened. He just
kissed me out of words and air and took me to his bed.
Things there were different too. Manny has always been a very passionate lover, but tonight his embrace was more
intense, his kisses hungrier; and when he took me I felt him deeper than ever before. I felt consumed by him in the most
wonderful way. But I knew something was wrong.
Between the two of us, Manny is the quiet one. He talks through his actions, often leaving the words for me to
express. For the most part I don't have a problem with that. I have gotten to know him so well I have but to look at
him in the eyes in order to find out what he wants or what he is thinking. And he never had a problem letting me look to my heart's content. Tonight he was hiding from me, so I had to ask. He was stubborn, but I kept asking until he
had no choice to either answer me or throw me out, as I almost drove him crazy.
I listened carefully while he told me about a conversation he had with another player a few days ago. I made sure
the consternation that took a hold of my heart when he told me this player was not inviting him to his wedding
reception was not reflected on my face. I took a deep breath and rubbed his shoulders while he told me the reason why
he was not invited. I swallowed the fear that felt like a lump in my throat when Manny said that this