Las Palmas Fencing Club Series by L.A. Witt

Dr. Mikhail “Misha” Budnikov takes one look at fellow fencer Ryan O’Connor and instantly knows his type. The undisciplined hothead is all ego with no finesse and even less control. In short, Misha’s pet peeves personified. To put the arrogant kid in check, Misha challenges him to a sparring match, which he predictably wins.Not so predictably, Ryan asks him to be a mentor and show him how to fence. Startled by the moment of humility, Misha agrees... moreDr. Mikhail “Misha” Budnikov takes one look at fellow fencer Ryan O’Connor and instantly knows his type. The undisciplined hothead is all ego with no finesse and even less control. In short, Misha’s pet peeves personified. To put the arrogant kid in check, Misha challenges him to a sparring match, which he predictably wins.Not so predictably, Ryan asks him to be a mentor and show him how to fence. Startled by the moment of humility, Misha agrees.What begins as fencing lessons becomes something much hotter, and before they know it, Misha is giving Ryan an entirely different kind of education. Dominance, submission, pain, pleasure—at the hands of an older, experienced man, a whole new world is opening up for Ryan.As the trust deepens and their bond strengthens, though, Ryan retreats because that sham called love left him jaded long ago. Cynical beyond his years, he’s not letting his guard down, least of all for a thrice-divorced man twice his age.Now Misha has to find a way to crack through those defenses…or accept defeat and walk away from the submissive who might just be the love of his life. less

Gene Caldwell has given up on love. After two messy divorces and countless failed relationships, he’s sixty-one, he’s single, and he’s done trying. Terry Hanson still believes in love, but after burying two partners in thirty years, he’s prepared to spend the rest of his life alone. Even if the nights get cold, he refuses to go through that heartbreak a third time. At a mutual friend’s wedding reception, the two men bond over their loneliness and cynicism... moreGene Caldwell has given up on love. After two messy divorces and countless failed relationships, he’s sixty-one, he’s single, and he’s done trying. Terry Hanson still believes in love, but after burying two partners in thirty years, he’s prepared to spend the rest of his life alone. Even if the nights get cold, he refuses to go through that heartbreak a third time. At a mutual friend’s wedding reception, the two men bond over their loneliness and cynicism. They spend the evening commiserating… and the rest of the night pretending they’ll be able to walk away from each other in the morning. Neither can help coming back for more. They can't get enough of each other’s touch, the affection they’ve both been starving for, and the companionship they both crave and fear. If they lower their decades-old defenses, they’ll risk more heartbreak. If they don’t lower those defenses, though, they’ll miss out on love that was worth waiting half a century to find. This 97,000 word Las Palmas Fencing Club novel is the sequel to The Master Will Appear, and can be read as a standalone. less