Sideline Submission

I've read this series more times than I'd like to admit, but the audio edition, by [a:Michael Pauley 1302332 Michael Pauley https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png], was the perfect excuse for a re-read/listen. It was everything I'd hoped for and more. Embarrassingly I realized I'd never left a review. Shame on me. [b:Loser Takes All 23166708 Loser Takes All (Up-Ending Tad A Journey of Erotic Discovery, #1) Kora Knight https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1410140125s/23166708.jpg 42712151] by [a:Kora Knight 8529860 Kora Knight https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1514682199p2/8529860.jpg] was the beginning of my love affair with this series and each successive episode amplifies and moves the story forward. You really should read in order, so I'm probably going to allude to things from the prior installments. It's been a month since Scott and Tad's last encounter, at the end of which, Tad was forced to admit, if only to himself, an attraction to Scott. Another man. Admit that it wasn't a one time fluke. Shaken by this realization, Tad has kept away from Scott hoping distance will clarify his thoughts and fade Scott in his memory. One out of two ain't bad. He's done some productive and honest soul searching but the jonesing for Scott isn't going away.“The frustrating truth of the matter was, his hopes to purge Scott from his brain via distance and time had failed bigger than shit. Even now, he'd yet to stop obsessing over the guy. In fact, his urge to see Scott had only become more persistent.”Luckily Scott is on hand to help his boy out by coming to see him, and what a good move that is because as it turns out Tad, even in his confusion, wants to be wooed. And he should be. The pretext Scott uses to get Tad to “hang out” is that he needs a spotter while he weight lifts. Tad needs no convincing. Of course once they get to the work-out the mutual lusting is as strong as ever, but Scott is holding true to his promise to not cross any lines and Tad is still working things out in his head. The spanner that kicks both of our guys off the safe and narrow trail is Max, Scott's room mate, and his request for “active” observers to his BDSM session with his sub Sean. BTW: once you're done with this series you need to go directly to the Dungeon Black Duology, Max & Sean's story. Awesome. Needless to say, the intense scene between Max & Sean, even at the distance of the viewing room and behind glass, gets the libido going and the inevitable happens. Scorching Perhaps my favorite thing, as usual in this series, is being in Tad's head. He's funny, scared, brave and daring all at once. That restless brain is always going a mile a minute, questioning and doubting but ultimately honest, if only with himself. For now.“But now, as Scott sat beside him, effortlessly looking straight into his soul, Tad knew it without a doubt. The guy got him. Really got him. And it was freeing in a way Tad couldn't describe. But now that he'd tasted it, he didn't want to let it go. Didn't want to let Scott go. But not just because of the dude's comfort card. Scott was like the whole damn package. Because not only did he enable Tad to relax in his skin, he showed him how to find pleasure through it in ways Tad hadn't known existed. Scott flat-out made him thrive.”The other absolute treat is seeing Scott lose it. His total craving for Tad cracking the veneer of cool that seems to be his trademark:“Scott cursed and kicked up the strength of his thrusts, as if intentionally trying to derail Tad's brain. Which worked surprisingly well. But the second Tad calmed, Scott slowed to a stop. ‘Don't go there,' he whispered, burying his face in Tad's neck. ‘Not back where you were. Not when I just got you out.' Tad could feel Scott's lashes against his skin, felt the moment they slowly closed. ‘Just ... say that you missed me ... like I missed you.'”As is the norm with Kora the sex is scorching but equally moving emotionally and shows something deeper about the characters and the story. It's not just prurience and [a:Michael Pauley 1302332 Michael Pauley https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] captures the emotions beautifully. By the end Tad has come to terms with quite a few things and is ready to go to the next level, but on a more even ground, and Scott agrees. “Taking a left at the stop sign, he acknowledged his aching body ... and smiled. He'd be sore for a week, and not just from weight lifting. Scott had left his mark again. Tad lingered on the memory, suspecting the guy truly enjoyed making sure Tad thought of him for days. Not that he wouldn't anyway. The choice was no longer Tad's to make. It was like Scott had tattooed himself deep beneath his skin. And for reasons that were still a bit hazy, Tad was cool with that. It seemed kind of appropriate, really. If Scott was going to be in his head, have his scent all over his body, then he might as well be in Tad's bloodstream, too.”

2.5 stars

I didn't enjoy this one as much as the others because the voyeuristic aspect distanced me too much from the action.