Valentine Found: Gay Romance E-Book

Trina Solet

• Herausgeber: Trina Solet
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

A New Year's kiss at a masked ball has Bruce falling for Hugh before he even knows his name or sees him without his mask. Then a misunderstanding at midnight splits them up. Now it's up to Hugh to track down Bruce using a single clue.
With his three-year-old daughter, Josie, as his lucky charm, Hugh finds Bruce. But when Bruce doesn't recognize him, Hugh doesn't tell him they already met. Will that be a mistake that tears them apart again or will Bruce realize that he can't resist Hugh and has to have him no matter what?

Leseprobe

Valentine Found: Gay Romance by Trina Solet

Copyright © 2025 by Trina Solet

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locales or actual events is entirely coincidental.

All sexual activity takes place between persons eighteen years of age or older.

This novel contains material intended for mature readers.

Cover image is only for illustrative purposes. Any person depicted is a model.

Valentine Found

Gay Romance

Trina Solet

Chapter 1

Bruce arrived in front of the Le Floris Hotel alone. He looked up at the facade of the beautiful old building lit up against a starry sky. He could already hear music and see people moving behind the tall windows, gliding across the floor as they danced. Bruce was about to be one of them.

The ticket to the masked New Year's ball was a gift from his sister. The other ticket was going to waste. Vince got back together with his ex-boyfriend just in time for the holidays. Happy New Year to them.

Bruce figured he could still have fun. Going through the lobby decorated in silver and gold, he put his mask on at the door to the ballroom and went in. Looking around, he saw beautifully dressed people, all of them behind masks, and way too many couples.

The place had an Art Deco flair. The white marble floors were inlaid with diamond cutouts in black. Black diamond shapes were all over the place, catching Bruce's eye. A mirrored wall had a harlequin pattern as it reflected the party-goers, catching the glimmer of their jewelry and clothes.

Getting himself some Champagne, Bruce went over to one of the huge windows. The window reflected the lights and glare of the ballroom, but once he went close, he could see out. This one didn't face the front of the hotel. It looked out at a garden where every tree and bush had fairy lights strung over it. Bruce was tempted to go out there, but he resisted his anti-social impulses and turned away from the window to check out the other guests, see if he could find someone he wanted to dance with.

Right away he noticed a guy who was standing near one of the other windows. He divided his time between looking out at the garden and glancing toward Bruce. OK. That was promising.

The guy was nicely built, with broad shoulders. He wore a black and silver mask framed by light brown hair. Not wanting to miss his chance, Bruce went straight over to him.

"I think we were supposed to exchange more flirtatious glances, but I didn't want someone to snatch you away," Bruce admitted and the guy chuckled. A waltz started and they both looked toward the dance floor. "I don't know if I can dance to that, but I'm willing to try."

"Then I will too," the guy said. That sounded like they were on the same level when it came to dancing to this kind of music. Good. They should be able to keep up with each other.

They went over to the dance floor, put their arms around each other, and Bruce didn't even care about dancing any more. Holding this masked stranger felt electric. Behind the mask, his eyes were blue and they were locked on Bruce's.

Bruce didn't want to look away from those blue eyes either, but he did want to know the name of the man he was dancing with. The question was on the tip of his tongue, but asking would mean breaking the mood. It might remind this guy there were other guys there and he might start looking around for someone else to dance with.

Bruce didn't need to know his name right now. They didn't need to talk. They could find out all about each other when they got tired of dancing. With their bodies pressed together and the music guiding their movements, that wasn't happening. Neither one of them wanted to stop, to let go.

Bruce was intensely aware of the other man's hand low on his back, the way their hands clasped, fitting together perfectly. What he wasn't aware of was time passing. He noticed people moving toward the windows and realized fireworks were going off.

They were somewhere in the distance. Others were supposed to start exactly at midnight. "Want to go watch the fireworks?" asked the man whose name Bruce still didn't know.

"Out in the garden?" Bruce said.

"Sounds good."

The cold hit them as soon as they stepped outside, but it didn't stop them. Walking along garden paths, between trees glowing with fairy lights, they found a quiet spot and looked up. The fireworks were still far away and now the other man said, "Now I'm kicking myself for not putting some sparklers in my pocket."

"That's funny. A coworker offered me some and I didn't take them," Bruce said.

"Ah, a missed opportunity. Where do you work?"

"I manage a shoe store at the mall," Bruce said feeling kind of embarrassed. Would saying he was also a college student help his case?

"They still have those?" the guy said.

"Shoe stores or malls?" Bruce asked but it didn't matter. "They have both. For now. That's why I still have a job."

"Sounds interesting," the guy said.

"Aha, and what's your fascinating job?" Bruce asked and kind of hoped it was just as lame as his.

"Actually I'm in the beverage industry," he said.

Bruce was going to ask him if that meant he was a bartender or if he worked at a brewery. It was more important to get his name and his number. But that was when the sound of chanting voices reached them. Inside the ballroom a chorus of voices was counting down to midnight.

The two of them looked toward the hotel then into each other's eyes. They still wore their masks, but Bruce was about to take off the one the other man wore. As he reached for his face, he expected the other man to take his off too.

Then midnight struck, fireworks burst overhead, and the masks stayed on as their mouths collided in a kiss. The kiss was hot, the other guy's hair was just long enough to grab hold of as he moaned. Their tongues danced and Bruce was insatiable for more, but the other man broke the kiss and looked up.

Fireworks fanned out above them, cascaded down the sky before starting to vanish and overlap with the next. The lights of the fireworks shone down on them with alternating colors. Bruce didn't want to stare at them as much as he wanted to see the face of the man he just kissed. He never got the chance.

"You made this an amazing night," the other man said, smiling. "I'll have to go soon though. I promised the rest of the night to someone else. I have some commitments to live up to."

"Oh," Bruce said. This guy wasn't available. He was committed to someone else and just looking for anyone to pass the time with, to kiss at midnight. The crushing disappointment made Bruce's chest feel like it was caving in. He had to push past the pain to speak. "Go ahead. We had our midnight kiss. No need to make a big deal out of it." His voice sounded rough even though he was determined to hide that he was hurt.

The other guy opened his mouth like he wanted to say something but then a group of people went by, not one of them sober, leaning on each other, laughing. Bruce almost felt like they were laughing at him for getting carried away by some dancing and a single kiss.

But they were doing him a favor. As they stumbled by drunkenly, Bruce took the opportunity to end the painful moment and escape.

How did he get stuck with another guy who wasn't actually interested in him, just like Vince? At least for a while there, Vince wasn't even a fleeting thought in his mind. He was replaced by this masked stranger.

Thanks to him, Bruce got to start the new year with a kiss. A great kiss that turned into a heartbreaking kiss.

Chapter 2

Hugh felt like he never left that New Year's masked ball. It kept replaying in his head. The dark eyes behind the mask, the kiss that almost made him forget that he promised to be back to relieve Crystal. She had been staying with Josie so Hugh could go to the party, but Crystal's boyfriend got off work after midnight. She was meeting him to celebrate New Year's according to a different time zone.

Hugh couldn't fail her, but he wanted to know the man's name, get his number. Why the hell did he wait until then? When Hugh told the guy he had to go, he lost him, he walked away. The guy seemed hurt and Hugh wanted to go after him. Did he think Hugh was going to meet a guy? Some noisy people were passing and Hugh couldn't tell where he went. Since he had to get back to Josie, he couldn't look for his mystery man. He lost his chance.

Now that guy was all Hugh could think about. He was sitting at his desk while Josie, his three-year-old daughter flitted up and down the hallway and his assistant, Sharona, was pushing a tablet at him. "You wanted to see this," she said. "And Ryan used to play basketball, so you know he's tall."

"And who is Ryan?" Hugh asked as he wondered if they were having a conversation that he bailed on so he could replay New Year's Eve in his head.

"Umm, your Valentine's date," she said.

Hugh shook his head and pointed a warning finger at her. "No matchmaking. You know better."

"I can't let it be New Year's all over again," she said. She didn't know about his masked stranger. "You need a date for Valentine's Day."

"I can get my own Valentine's date," Hugh told her.

She was skeptical. "Can you? You're running out of time."

"What are you talking about, Sharona? Valentine's is weeks and weeks away," he pointed out to her. She was still skeptical so he made her a deal. "OK, if I don't have a Valentine's date the week before, you can set me up."

That didn't satisfy her though. "By then everyone good will be taken."

"I already met someone," he blurted out.

"And you didn't tell me!" she gasped as she grabbed his arm and her long, red fingernails dug in a little. They matched her long red hair which Josie was in love with.

"Easy," Hugh told her and pulled his arm free.

"Tell me everything," she demanded and sat on the edge of his desk.

"I will tell you nothing. We are supposed to be working," he told her and tried to nudge her off his desk.

"It's about time you take a break for lunch," she said, but she wasn't going to get him that easy.

"Actually I'm taking Josie to lunch," he said and stood up.

Sharona accepted that as a good reason for him to make his escape, but it wasn't strictly speaking true. He made no plans for lunch until just now. Under the threat of her matchmaking, he decided that finding his New Year's Eve mystery man wasn't impossible. Hugh knew that he managed a shoe store at some mall, that was where he would start. He would take Josie to lunch at the same time and maybe she would be his lucky charm.

"You sure are taking Josie out to lunch a lot. And to malls," Sharona noticed as Hugh was about to do just that for the third time this week.

"I'm looking for shoes. I just can't find these particular shoes in my size, not even online, so... Anyway. We better go," Hugh said and went to get Josie ready.

She didn't care why they were going to the mall. She was excited, jumping in place so that her blond hair bounced. "Let's go, daddy," she said.

"Let's get the coat on you," Hugh said.

"Yellow!" she said. That was her favorite coat and she wiggled as he put it on her. "I'm dancing."

"While I'm putting the coat on you," Hugh said.

Once he had her ready and his jacket was on, he looked back to see Sharona watching them from the doorway to the office, squinting at them suspiciously, or just at Hugh.

"Bye, Sharona!" Josie called out and skipped out the door.

As soon as they were in front of their house, Josie looked around for pets and kids she could say hi to before Hugh loaded her into the car. It was cold out and they didn't see anyone, but as they drove away, she did get to wave to two dogs that were being walked.

As they parked in a mall parking lot, Josie asked, "What are we gonna buy, Daddy?"

"I don't know, we're mostly sleuthing," Hugh told her.

"OK," she said agreeably though she had no idea what that meant. They were going to the mall so it wasn't like she was going to object whatever their mission was.

Hugh had his doubts though. What if his New Year's guy had been visiting from out of town? Then that mall and that shoe store he managed could be anywhere.

Inside the mall, Hugh noticed that there was a lot of Valentine's stuff being set out, so he gave Josie an assignment. "Look for something cute with hearts on it, Josie."

Josie tugged at his hand and pointed at a banner with pink hearts on it. "Over there."

"I meant something we can buy," Hugh told her. There was already so much stuff with hearts on it being displayed, and Josie kept pointing out every single thing, but so far she didn't ask him to buy her anything, which made him wonder what crazy thing she was going to ask for in the end.

What really worried him though was that he didn't see the shoe store. This mall had only one and it was in the next section. Or maybe it wasn't. Hugh double checked the mall map on his phone. They were in the right place, but there was no shoe store there. Josie liked what was there instead though. It was a Valentine's merchandise store with so many heart shaped things including boxes of candy and balloons, two things she loved.

Hugh saw a lady working on a display outside a bedding and linens store. Going over, he asked her, "There is supposed to be a shoe store in this mall. Did it move?"

"Oh, it closed down right after New Year's. That Valentine's boutique popped up in its place," she said.

"Valentine's!" Josie said.

"You're three, what do you know about Valentine's?" Hugh asked her.

"Valentine's!" she said again like no further explanation was needed for her love of all things Valentine's.

Next Hugh asked the lady if she knew the people who worked at that store, in particular a good looking manager with dark hair. "Oh, him. I think his name was Bryce or something. Or maybe Dennis."

Hugh wasn't going to find out anything useful from her. He wasn't even sure if they were talking about the same guy. He went looking for someone who knew the actual name of the manager of the shoe store, but ended up being distracted by a fashion show going on at the other end of the mall.

It got Josie's attention so they went closer to watch. Though the audience wasn't huge, Hugh picked her up so she could see better and explained what a fashion show was. He kept it simple.

"People wear clothes and walk back and forth so people can look at the clothes."

"OK," she said with a nod and watched the show.

Once it was over and the crowd thinned out, they both noticed a young guy with a sketchbook who was putting final touches on some drawings of the clothes. "He's drawing," Josie said, wanting to go closer.

Hugh was rooted to the spot though. The guy had dark hair, he was tall and good looking with dark eyes. Those eyes, that jawline. He was the guy from New Year's. "Daddy, I can't see the drawing," Josie complained.

That got the attention of the guy doing the sketching and he turned and smiled at them. It was him, without a doubt, and all Hugh could do was stare while Josie looked up at him wondering why her dad was frozen in place.

Chapter 3

While Hugh was stunned, the guy with the sketchbook didn't show any sign that he recognized him. His smile was steady and his gorgeous dark eyes only lingered on Hugh for a second before he turned his sketch pad so Josie could have a better look.

Hugh took her closer and waited for the guy to say something, to give a sign that he recognized him, but there was nothing. That made Hugh wonder if he looked that different. Did having a kid with him make him unrecognizable? Or it might have been the haircut.

His hair was quite a bit longer on New Year's Eve, and then he got a haircut right after. Josie wasn't happy about it, but she was only three, and if he listened to her, his hair would be pink.

While Hugh was preoccupied with that, Josie had other concerns. "You're drawing the ladies wrong. Where are their heads, Mister?" she asked as she peered at the sketches the guy made.

"I'm only drawing the dresses," he told her.

"You're doing it wrong," Josie insisted. "Draw the whole lady, Mister."

"Are you in the fashion business," Hugh asked to make conversation and so Josie would stop pestering him.

"No. One of the store owners sponsoring the show wants the drawings for her social media," he said. Noticing how Josie was still pouting at his sketches, he offered her a sketchpad that only had a few pages left and some colored pencils. "Here. Show me how it's done."

"Thanks, Mister," Josie said taking the drawing stuff.

That was nice of the guy, but Hugh had to get stern. "Josie, you don't take things from strangers without asking me if it's OK."

"Oh, sorry, I wasn't thinking," the guys said.

Josie looked up at Hugh. "He said he's sorry, Daddy. Don't be mad."

"He's not the one in trouble. You are," Hugh told her. Now she looked like she might cry and the guy looked panicked. Hugh couldn't back down though. "Josie, you don't take things from strangers without asking me if it's OK. Now go ahead and ask."

"Can I, Daddy," she said still looking heartbroken.

"Yes, you can."

"And I'm not in trouble any more?" she asked with the tragic expression starting to turn hopeful.

"No. Not any more."

"OK," she said then she turned to the guy. "Thank you, Mister. You almost got me in trouble."

"Josie," Hugh sad but she had no idea why she was being reprimanded this time. He decided to finally introduce himself. "I'm Hugh Wesser, and as you may have figured out, this is Josie."

"My name is Josephina, but everybody calls me Josie," she said and made the guy smile.

"Nice to meet you, Josie," he said. "I'm Bruce Dennison." That was why that lady thought his name was either Bryce or Dennis.

The important thing was he finally knew the name of his New Year's guy, but Hugh again wondered what made him unrecognizable to Bruce. Maybe he looked shabby, going to the mall in the middle of his day in his dad clothes. "I'm taking a break from work so I thought I'd bring Josie here," he said, leaving out what he was really up to.

"What do you do?" Bruce asked.

"I design water purification systems," he said. He was pretty sure they talked about that on New Year's Eve. "What about you?"

"I'm getting my business management degree," Bruce said.

It was like they were having the same conversation again but it sounded completely different. On New Year's Eve, Hugh had jokingly said something about being in the beverage industry. Maybe Bruce took him at his word.

Looking at Bruce, he was younger than he looked under the mask. He was still in college. "The mall should have some business management opportunities," Hugh said trying to confirm that this was the same guy. If he said he managed a shoe store...

"I used to manage the shoe store that was back there. It closed out of the blue. We didn't even get notified. We showed up to work and then got sent home with our last paychecks and that was it."

So it was him. Hugh was absolutely sure now and so happy, but he had to remind himself that happy was not the right reaction to a guy losing his job. "Oh, sorry."

"I get a little freelance work," he said and held up the sketch pad.

"So you're an artist too," Hugh said but Josie was pouting at his sketch then showing him what was on the almost used up sketch pad he gave her. She had been busy drawing for about a minute.

"See. Like this," she said because she had drawn some circles on her sketch pad.

"That's how you draw heads," Bruce said. "That means you're better at drawing than me."

Josie almost agreed with that then looked at his sketch and hers. "No. You just have to draw the heads, Mister."

"Thank you for your help," Bruce said. He was putting his drawing supplies into a backpack. He was about to leave.

"What's good for lunch around here? I need to feed this one," Hugh said quickly and nodded toward Josie. He didn't want Bruce to get away from him again.

"The food court is OK, but a friend of mine works at Hibiscus, a cafe that just opened, I told him I would try it," Bruce said like a guy who wouldn't mind some company.

"That sounds good. We might want to try it too. Hey, Josie, you want to eat at a place that's named after a flower?" Hugh asked.

"I like flowers," she said.

Hugh was looking up the cafe on his phone then he asked. "Will we see you there? Do you need a ride?" That might have sounded too eager, but he couldn't help it. He found Bruce. It couldn't end with that.

"Yeah, I'll meet you there," Bruce said and Hugh was elated.

Josie leaned toward him and said, "We can draw flowers together, Mister."

Hibiscus Cafe was a mix of tropical and modern and the menu was like that too. Bruce's friend turned out to be way too good-looking for Hugh's liking. His name was Palmer and he was one of the sous-chefs. He came out to say hi to Bruce.

"Finally, and you didn't come alone," Palmer said as he eyed Hugh then focused on Josie. "And who is this cutie?"

Josie told him all about her name and her nickname and Palmer recommended mango rice for her, guaranteeing that she would love it. He had recommendations for Bruce and Hugh too, not that he was waiting for them to agree before giving his order to their server.

Once Palmer went off, Hugh turned to Bruce. "He's..."

"A lot," Bruce said. "But he's not usually wrong about food."

That proved to be true. Hugh's Caribbean shrimp curry was wonderful, and Josie ate all of her mango rice. "This place was a great idea," Hugh said. "And Josie got to draw her flowers."

Bruce had drawn some hibiscus flowers for her and she was coloring them. "I'm making them pretty," she said though her coloring was all over the place and kind of ruining the nice flowers Bruce drew for her.

"Thanks for the drawings," Hugh told him.

"No problem," Bruce said.

"I can't let you work for free though, so lunch is on me," Hugh said.

"This is because I told you I lost my job," Bruce guessed.

It was more than that to Hugh, but he couldn't admit it. "You made Josie happy so I want to thank you."

"Then I guess I can't refuse," Bruce said with a smile. "Thank you."

"Everybody's happy," Josie said kicking her feet under the table.