Novels by Moondraft

Ethan“Mr Hayes and I have revisions to finish before the end of the day,” Ethan said before he’d fully decided to say anything at all. The words flew out of his mouth before he’d thought and weighed them through, and it wasn’t until both Lena’s and both men’s attention swung toward him that he registered what he’d actually just done. Interrupting out loud, an ordinary invitation for lunch in front of Lena and a member of his own distribution team that had absolutely nothing to do with him. He didn't like sharing. He hadn't known that about himself until now watching Richard Harrington stand there with his easy smile and unbothered demeanor, waiting for Julian's answer with all the confidence in the world. Something had immediately risen up in Ethan’s chest when Richard had said “unless you're busy” with that smug look and the words had practically taken that as a cue to jump right out of his mouth. Richard's eyebrows lifted slightly, amusement flickering behind his eyes in a way

Julian“We should leave separately,” Ethan murmured, once they’d both managed to make themselves look presentable again, straightening ties and collars in the low light of the conference room. “It’s late enough that no one should still be—”“I know.” Julian reached out and smoothed Ethan’s collar back into place, an easy, unthinking gesture that felt, in the moment, like the most natural thing in the world. “We have to be careful. Got it.”Ethan caught his hand before he could pull it back, squeezed it briefly, and looked at him with an expression Julian hadn’t seen on him before, something slightly dazed, like a man still working out whether what had just happened had actually happened. “Goodnight, Julian.”“Goodnight, Mr. Cross.”He made it exactly as far as the lobby before he pulled out his phone.Julian: MAYA. MAYA I NEED YOU TO PUT DOWN WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING.The reply came within seconds.Maya: ok you’re typing in all caps this better be good.Julian: WE KISSED!!, more than t

EthanHe made it two steps into the hallway before Julian caught his wrist.“Stop, wait please” Julian’s voice wasn’t loud, but there was something in it Ethan hadn’t heard before, it was something bolder, something that had apparently decided it was done being careful.“Julian—”“No.” Julian didn’t let go of his wrist. If anything his grip tightened, and when Ethan turned to face him, he found none of the uncertainty he’d braced for, only Julian, chin up, eyes bright mixed with a great deal like want with nowhere left to hide. “I am so tired Ethan, I’m not asking you to explain whatever’s going on in your head right now. I’m asking you to stop pretending you don’t want this. Because I know you do. I’ve known about it since the hotel. I think you’ve known it a lot longer than that.”Ethan opened his mouth, already reaching for something that would put a little space back between them and make this easier to carry.Nothing came.Julian was still holding his wrist. And the hallway was

JulianJulian woke to curtains he didn't recognize, he looked around and the bed wasn't his as well. An arm slung loosely across his waist. It took him a confused second to remember where he was and who he was with; Richard, in his apartment. The skyline was still visible past the curtains Richard never bothered closing. A faint expensive smell of a candle burning on the dresser awakened him even more. He reached for his phone on the nightstand, squinting against the light, the time sent a small jolt of panic through his body.The time was 9:47. He was supposed to be at his desk by nine.He sat up fast, removing Richard's arm from the process, and was always scanning for his clothes when he saw the message notification sitting below the time.A message from Ethan.He went very still.What I said to you wasn't about anything you did. I apologize for my rudeness and erratic behavior. It read.Julian read it twice and immediately felt an unwelcome twist, low in his chest. Relief came f

EthanA ping from his phone jolted him up from his sleep. He looked around and realized he had dozed off in his office. He walked to the door and sighed with relief, seeing it locked from inside. He felt extremely disoriented as he walked back to his desk, he didn't like it when he was losing any bit of control.He searched around for his phone, seeing it glow faintly on his desk sent a shiver up his spine. He wavered before picking it up.It was a new message.From the same unknown number.It read: “How do you feel going home to an empty penthouse while your subordinates live your dreams openly? I guess you like being in the closet that much.”He didn’t sleep in his own bed that night. He ended up, sometime past one in the morning, in the small private study two floors above his home office, a room that Ethan almost never used, mostly because using it required walking past the oil portrait that hung just inside the door, Alistair Cross, silver-haired and unsmiling, painted the yea

JulianMaya was already at the table when Julian arrived, two menus untouched in front of her, sunglasses pushed up into her hair even though they were sitting inside. She had that particular look she got when she’d been holding something in all morning and was about thirty seconds from letting it out whether or not anyone asked.“Okay,” she said, before he’d even sat down. “I need to vent, and then I promise I’ll ask about your disaster, because I know you have one. You always have one lately.”“Charming greeting.” Julian slid into the booth across from her, dropping his bag beside him. “Go ahead. Vent.”Maya had been his closest friend since college. Since a mandatory freshman class had somehow turned into years of unending late night phone calls venting to each other about anything, terrible foods and apartments and enough shared trauma bonding that Julain genuinely wasn’t sure who he’d have been without her in his life. She worked for nonprofit fundraising meaning she mostly spent