Every inch of my skin stretched tight as I strolled across my small office, in no rush to greet Lily and her fiancé Levi.
Grasping the door knob, I paused.
God help me. Give me the strength to deal with this little vixen.
I pulled the door inward, and the scent of vanilla swept over me, turning on my drool factory along with the rest of my body.
Dark, flashing eyes, a sexy smirk—
“Hi,” she purred, popping her jean-clad hip out and toying with the ends of her long, dirty-blonde locks falling over her shoulder.
I cleared my throat and stepped back, motioning her in even though I wished I could yank her into my arms and devour her mouth instead. “Good afternoon, Lily.”
She moved into my office on a cloud of sweet-scented temptation, holding my gaze. “Zeke, this is Levi my fiancé,” she said, her husky voice making my semi twitch. “Levi, Zeke.”
I’d forgotten all about the damn man coming along with her.
Forcing a pleasant smile, I tore my focus off her for the man approaching in my periphery to fill the doorway.
Pale green eyes stared at me as though caught in a goddamn spotlight, snagging my breath like a kick to the groin.
Him.
My stranger from Nashville.
A rush of blood pounded in my head, drowning out the curses ringing between my ears. I fought to exhale, to make it sound steady lest my staggered insides’ reaction rose across my face for Lily to see.
Levi stood unmoved in front of me at almost eye level, frozen, his face void of expression.
Stunned as fuck just like me.
Every inch of me buzzed like a live wire ready to explode—the exact same energy that had zapped between us as real as the sooty lashes around his gorgeous eyes. My fingers stretched at my sides, tingling to reach out to grab hold of his wide shoulders and yank him against me, but I didn’t move.
Should I admit to knowing him or pretend we’d never met?
Did Lily know how he’d kissed a stranger eight months earlier? Had Levi—the man who flooded my entire body with a deep yearning to sin—admitted to his fiancé his lust for the same sex?
Even if he had, she couldn’t have known I’d been the one since he and I hadn’t exchanged a single word let alone names on that night.
Levi blinked first, dropping his focus to the floor in such an act of submission I wanted to tip his clean-shaven chin up, and…I didn’t know. Kiss him? Fucking devour his luscious mouth, his beautiful fiancée be damned?
Fuck.
With no answers to my dilemma brightening above my head like a cartoon light bulb, I did the only thing I could in the situation.
“Come on in,” I rasped out and forced myself to take my focus off his clean-shaven jaw to shut the door. My hands shook, and every breath I drew remained shallow as fuck.
The sound of feet shuffling on carpet met my ears, and I quickly closed my eyes, shooting off a silent prayer along with a half-dozen more curses before turning to face the affianced couple I was to counsel before they married.
© Lynn Burke 2022
“A Heartbreaking and Strengthening Read”
Unholy Yearning, by Lynn Burke, is a deeply thought provoking and emotional story filled with spiritual beliefs and a deep-seeded need to live truthfully and peacefully. The story, as the title implies, is a story with an ever-present palpable craving and desire for love and comfort despite long-standing directional teachings. It is not to be considered a hearts and flowers type-of-read. It was very often difficult to read as the seemingly ever-present indescribable heartache and triggered pain was mountainous. I craved sunshine and happiness within this storyline despite tossing my kindle a few times.
Wow. Unholy Yearning was quite the read. It is in this reader’s opinion that it leans more towards a predominantly M/F story, with the ramifications of wanting to live a truthful M/M lifestyle. This story had plenty of inner conflict and reflection, a constant presence as a result of years of faith-based teachings and an emotionally abusive upbringing. Inner musings, sexual greed, sacrifice and an incessant heartache which lead to desperation and triggered darkness, had this reader screaming internally and skimming through some of the unspeakable moments.
To say I crazy loved Levi, would be an understatement. If I wasn’t whisper-yelling at him to find more of his strength, I was cheering for him when he found some of his light. Both he and Zeke were two lost souls, both fighting for their own survival very differently, and, it was a heart-rending journey. I could not get enough of Levi, and Zeke was tolerated. Even though I haven’t read the previous book of the series, I thoroughly enjoyed the cameos of Malachi and Isaac and am already keen on Aaron. Many of the other secondary characters got on my last nerve and had me giddy for those who were happiness and humor personified.
However. I needed so much more of Levi and Zeke’s actual relationship. Their journey was painfully long and heartbreaking and with that added development to their relationship, it would have been more complete and well-rounded rather than within the last quarter of the story. As the story was on the darker side, any kind of familial bond would have been a breath of fresh air, but appearing at the end, made it a challenge to fully experience.
Unholy Yearning, by Lynn Burke, was a deep and lengthy read with beautiful and worthy main characters who were at war with their beliefs and their hearts. The main characters were realistically written as the dire need to live one’s true life is certainly a reality for many. Free and open….
*star rating: 4.40 ‘I liked this story” stars*
Lynn Burke is a full time mother, voracious gardener, and scribbler of hot romance books. A country bumpkin turned Bay Stater, she enjoys her chowdah and Dunkin Donuts when not trying to escape the reality of city life.
