"4.5 Stars!...What I like about Pepper Espinoza's stories is that they're all about the characters and she has two delightful protagonists in Sam and Owen. They are not just on the opposite side of the political fence but everything else as well so there's a lot of internal conflict. However, there is one area where they definitely see eye to eye and that is in bed. The sex is emotional and hot and these two men don't need words to express what they want. The dialogue is fresh and smart and there is an exchange of power and vulnerability between Owen and Sam that makes the story even better....A terrific short story and I recommend it to any reader of the genre who likes a hot romance between two intelligent characters who are articulate and really likeable."--Jessewave, Reviews By Jessewave
"4 Angels!...Pepper Espinoza has always written well-developed characters and the insecurity and fear that both men felt...about their relationship was very well played out...I didn’t want it to end!"--Hayley, Fallen Angel Reviews
"5 Hearts!...Pepper Espinoza writes a timely book about two men from opposing campaigns who may both win on election night! Their personalities, though opposite in many ways, offset one another nicely. The dialogue between them as they debate, argue, look for ways to zing the other is a big part of the fun...This is a great read by one of my favorite authors."--Dee Dailey, The Romance Studio
"...A wonderful two-person dialogue story--it reads like a one-act play and I enjoyed it immensely. I am really in awe of Pepper Espinoza’s writing talent, and Elected is another superbly written story from her. Owen and Sam start off in the beginning of the story as political adversaries, but as the story progressed and through their conversations their history is slowly revealed. Elected is fantastic, and it’s obvious with these two strong-willed opinionated men their life will never be dull. Readers looking for a fun and interesting story Elected is great choice, and Ms. Espinoza fans will love it."--Ley, Joyfully Reviewed
"4.5 Stars!...Two strong attractive men, one NY loft apartment within walking distance, one dinner break on election night. This story will have you holding your breath, hoping for an answer to an insoluble problem..."--Carole, Rainbow Reviews
...The elevator dinged, the doors whisked open behind Sam, remained opened for several beats, then whisked shut, and the car plummeted back to the first floor. Sam didn’t lift his head. Neither did Owen. It had been forty-four days, eight hours, and approximately twenty-six minutes, give or a take a few minutes, since Sam had kissed him, and Owen didn’t know how hungry he had been for it until their mouths touched.
Sam was a good kisser. A good kisser. Owen admired everything about the way he kissed. The firmness of his lips, what he did with his tongue, the soft sounds he made in his throat. Kissing Sam was fun. Being kissed by Sam was an experience Owen could never replicate—could barely even comprehend. Sam poured himself into the caress, his fingers hard on Owen’s shoulders, his cock nudging Owen’s hip. The elevator opened again, and Owen heard somebody gasp, but even then, he couldn’t be bothered to look.
Sam devoured his mouth. His tongue swept past Owen’s lips, seeking out every inch, moving along every curve. His teeth clashed against Owen’s mouth, but the pain barely registered. The way Sam kissed him convinced Owen that he hadn’t been the only one counting the minutes since the last time they’d touched. That thought made his hunger surge, and he responded in kind, trying to satiate himself on the way Sam tasted, on the way his skin smelled.
“Sam…”
“What?”
“We’ve got…” A second kiss stole Owen’s breath, and his knees buckled. If he had to rank Sam among all his partners, he would put the man in the top three best kissers category. Maybe even the top two. There were so many clothes between them that he felt restricted, like his circulation was being cut off by his pants and shoes. The tightness in his slacks undoubtedly had something to do with his boner—his flesh was fully engorged.
“What?”
“Sam…we’ve got to get off this elevator.”
Sam lifted his head and blinked. His cheeks were red, though that could have been from the evening chill. “We’re on an elevator?”
Owen laughed. “Yes, and I think we’ve scandalized my neighbors.”
“Can’t we just stop the elevator and keep kissing?” Sam tilted his head and began gnawing on Owen’s throat. Chills began to gather at the base of his spine. “God, you make me feel like I’m going to explode.”
Owen understood. “It’ll be better if we get off the elevator. My apartment is…” Sam sucked his Adam’s apple between gentle teeth and Owen’s cock jerked. “More comfortable. Really.”
“What floor?”
“I don’t know.” He felt Sam’s chuckle, and that jarred his brain into working. “Twelve. Twelfth floor.”
Sam reached behind him and stabbed the correct button on the first attempt. Then he slammed his mouth to Owen’s again, and made him forget that he even had an apartment, much less what floor it was on, or what building it was in. Sam had a thing that he did with his tongue—a strange little technique Owen couldn’t mimic, no matter how hard he tried. But it always made the inside of his cheeks prickle, and the hair stand up on his arms. By the time the doors opened onto the twelfth floor again, Owen’s cock was throbbing...