Guarding the Gods Series by Ann Lister

Zac Mulligan is a former Marine now providing personal security for the infamous rock band, Black Ice. Seeing all the guys around him in committed relationships reminds him of his childhood best friend . . . the only person Zac has never managed to get out of his head or his heart. Ben Holland is an artist. Falling deeply in love with his best friend in his teens, Ben is left alone when Zac leaves him for the military... moreZac Mulligan is a former Marine now providing personal security for the infamous rock band, Black Ice. Seeing all the guys around him in committed relationships reminds him of his childhood best friend . . . the only person Zac has never managed to get out of his head or his heart. Ben Holland is an artist. Falling deeply in love with his best friend in his teens, Ben is left alone when Zac leaves him for the military. Ben heads off to college and lives his life “out and proud” as a gay man and creates a brand name for himself with his artwork. Throughout all the years that pass, Ben never forgets his childhood friend, Zac, or the feelings they once shared. Zac realizes a decade is too long for Ben not to have a presence in his life and finds Ben living on Cape Cod where they spent their summers as kids. Meeting each other as adults stirs up a lot of memories for both of them. Zac is looking for a mulligan, a “do over,” with his childhood best friend. The question is: Can Ben find a way to put aside his old hurts and fully open his heart to Zac for a second time? Or maybe the past is something better left buried on the beach where it all began. less

* * * TRIGGER WARNING * * * The story line within this book deals with the topic of college hazing, which could be a trigger for some readers. Please consider this a warning as this may not be a book you’d be comfortable reading. * * * Fizzbo is used to taking care of people. He’s the one in charge of the personal and professional security needs for both world-famous rock bands, Ivory Tower and Black Ice... more* * * TRIGGER WARNING * * * The story line within this book deals with the topic of college hazing, which could be a trigger for some readers. Please consider this a warning as this may not be a book you’d be comfortable reading. * * * Fizzbo is used to taking care of people. He’s the one in charge of the personal and professional security needs for both world-famous rock bands, Ivory Tower and Black Ice. Having their backs is what he does best, and he takes pride in that, both on and off the job. When he’s called into action to save the man he loves, all of his skills are put to the test. Suddenly, he isn't so sure his training will be enough, but saving Kensey is personal, and he’s willing do anything to keep him safe. Kensey Pride is the man who rocked Fizzbo's world when they met during the European tour with Ivory Tower and Black Ice. Kensey's passion for his job, making people look and feel beautiful in their own skin, is something he lacks in his own life until the magnetism of a certain security guard comes along and breaks down the walls he's built around his heart to keep him safe. For the first time in his life, Kensey discovers he likes who he sees looking back at him in the mirror. Without the safety of those walls and his heart left unprotected, Kensey becomes an easy target for those who can't let go of the past. Will Fizzbo's strength and love be enough to bring Kensey home, or will old truths be too much for the guard to handle? less

Mason Foxworth has spent the last several months recovering from injuries he received doing personal security while on tour during the horrific fire in Germany. He'd been hitting his stride professionally when he fell through the floor that night, and now his life had been reduced to weekly appointments with physical therapists and various doctors while everyone else around him seemed to have moved on... moreMason Foxworth has spent the last several months recovering from injuries he received doing personal security while on tour during the horrific fire in Germany. He'd been hitting his stride professionally when he fell through the floor that night, and now his life had been reduced to weekly appointments with physical therapists and various doctors while everyone else around him seemed to have moved on. He felt useless and alone, and the worst part of it, the physical scarring left behind on his legs from the burns had ruined his self-esteem. Who would want him now, when he was so damaged inside and out and he had nothing much to contribute? He didn't have a lot of friends and his co-workers felt it was safer to keep Mason at a desk in the office doing paperwork, rather than out in the field doing security. Mason wanted to get that status changed before he lost the last threads of his sanity, and the main obstacle in his way was a bum leg that was taking far too long to heal. Tessler is an enigma in the sci-fi literary world. A young, reclusive author, known for the mystery swirling around him, he realizes he's lost any real joy in his life when he suddenly starts to feel the strange emotion pumping through his veins. Barely beyond the age of twenty-five and he's already made more money than most see in a lifetime, but Tessler feels empty within himself and also inside his two-story, meticulously renovated warehouse in the burbs of Los Angeles. What made him this way must remain the mystery it is, or he feels he'll lose the empire he's created. But meeting a man he feels could bring all his pieces together is challenging his reasons for anonymity and Tessler suddely finds himself wanting more from life and from himself. Mason wants his life back and Tessler is just looking to have a real life. Can two vastly different men find a way to smooth out their hard edges and blend their lives to offer the one ingredient neither has: love? Personal growth comes in many different shapes and Mason and Tessler have a mountain of it to climb in order to find their HEA. less