GENRE: Contemporary, Erotica, Romance, Superhero
LENGTH: 15,462 words
This story is included in the anthology, V: A Vic and Matt Series

BLURB: Book 2 in the Vic and Matt: V Series

Picking up where The V in Valor left off, The V in Vengeance finds Vic and Matt slowly adjusting to life with a new addition to their little family -- Sadie, the mutt Vic rescued from bullying kids. As they settle into a routine, Matt finds himself dwelling on a more outward way to show the world how he feels for Vic. Though living with a superhero isn't always easy, Matt wouldn't have it any other way.

Especially when his car is vandalized late one night ...


EXCERPT:

At the curb in front of his apartment building, Vic had a panicky moment when his heart stuttered in his chest because Matt's black Jaguar wasn't there. But it wasn't even six thirty yet, and Vic didn't know how long it usually took his lover to get home. Had he worked late? Did he manage to pick up Sadie before the daycare closed?

Another scary thought struck. Was the dog all right?

Vic shook his head as he climbed out of the car. Matt was fine, the dog, too. It was Vic who was thrown off with this wacky new schedule. And, as if to prove it, a sleek Jag slid into the spot behind Vic's battered old Corolla before he even made it to the front steps. Pounding hip hop music blared from the stereo, vibrating the very air around Vic. He stopped, turned, and saw Sadie lunge out at him through the passenger side window, her mouth open to bark but the sound lost in Matt's music. When Matt cut off the car, silencing the beat, she barked again, happy to see Vic. The moment Matt unbuckled her seat belt, she scrambled through the open window.

"Watch the paint!" Matt cried.

Sadie ignored him. Racing across the sidewalk, she launched herself at Vic's legs, tongue lolling as she snuffled into his palm. When she found he held no treats, she worked her way under his hand, forcing him to pet her ears. Her tail slapped against the steps, Vic's legs, the azaleas Mrs. K had planted in front of the building. The dog wasn't just pleased to see him -- she was ecstatic, as if it hadn't been this morning when he dropped her off at daycare but years ago, and she'd been pining away for him ever since.

When Vic heard Matt set the alarm on his car, he looked up to find his lover struggling to carry a large bag of dog food in both arms. Plastic bags swung from his wrists, each marked PetsMart. So they'd been shopping, had they? And from the looks of those bags, Sadie made out like a bandit. "A little help here," Matt muttered from behind the bag of dog food.

With little effort, Vic plucked the bag from Matt's embrace and tucked it under one arm. Fifty pounds of kibble was nothing compared to the thousand pounds of steel and iron he lifted on a daily basis. Matt stepped up, eyes closed, mouth puckered. "Kiss me," he demanded.

Vic didn't need to be told. What began as a quick peck devolved into something slow and sensuous as Matt chased the first kiss with another, and another, and a third. He stood on tiptoe, reaching for Vic, who wrapped his free arm around Matt's waist and held him close, raising him off the ground an inch or two as they kissed.

REVIEWS:

Rainbow Reviews: 4 out of 5.

"Another enjoyable story in the Vic and Matt series. This series in particular is taking an even closer look at the depth of emotion in the relationship between these two men, and how they handle the powers that are an unavoidable side effect for Vic. I enjoy all of the characters in this world, especially Roxie who we get to see here antagonizing Matt yet again, and Sadie is a wonderful new addition. There have been many stories about these characters, and here I notice a distinctive shift in the love scenes. They are still filled with emotion, but there is less focus on the explicit descriptions of positions and climax, and more on the emotional connection and deep love between them."