You can call me Mike—or Diva Michelle on the weekends when I perform at the Icon, a bar I own with my good friend Cameron (Cameron told his story in The First Real Thing). But just because I strut onstage in an evening gown and high heels doesn’t make me a sissy. I’ve still got a man’s body, feelings and desires. I’m also a man who knows what he wants—and that would be Ryan.
One look at our new employee with his hot physique and boy-next-door face and I was lost—falling hard and fast. It broke my heart each time he rejected me…Until the night he finally fell into my arms, desperate for the comfort only I could provide.
Each night our passion burns up the sheets, but Ryan’s holding something back. He’s been hurt in the past, leaving him scarred both inside and out. He won’t let me reach that secret part of him. I’d be willing to give him anything, but if he can’t trust me with the pain of his past, is there hope for a future?
Read an Excerpt
Ryan spent Saturday afternoon dropping off flyers for that night’s show at every shop and restaurant within a five-block radius, then rushed back to help Cameron with final preparations behind the bar. Business started to pick up around seven. By eight thirty, there was a line trailing out the door. He and Cam could barely keep up with all the drink orders.
“What the hell happened?” he wondered aloud, shooting Cam a bewildered glance as he topped off the fifth pitcher of beer he’d sold in as many minutes. “I didn’t think we’d get this kind of a turnout.”
“Word’s probably gotten out about last night’s floor show. I’ll bet they’re hoping for a repeat performance.”
“Something tells me they’re gonna be disappointed.”
Cameron grinned. “Not when they see what Mike’s wearing tonight. It might just cause another riot.”
His curiosity now cranked into overdrive, Ryan slipped away a few minutes before show time and poked his head in the office door. He couldn’t see Mike’s face from this angle, but he caught a glimpse of something white and billowy in the bathroom mirror. Something making a soft, rustling sound.
It was too damn tantalizing. He couldn’t resist. Ducking inside, he tiptoed a few steps closer until the mirror came into view. One peek, then he’d go.
But he hadn’t counted on his breath being stolen away. He had no idea who that was standing not five feet away from him, but it wasn’t Mike. It couldn’t be. It was a woman. The most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen.
She wore a white halter dress and strappy white sandals with bright red polish on her toes. Matching lipstick. Platinum blonde wig. The dress ended right below the knee, showing off nice, shapely calves. Really nice. So nice Ryan couldn’t stop staring.
The skirt flared out as she twirled from side to side, inspecting herself. She adjusted a bra strap, smoothed down an imaginary bulge. Then she swung all the way around-and stopped short the moment she saw Ryan, letting out a gasp.
“God, sugar, don’t sneak up on me like that! You just took five years off my life!”
“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to-” Jesus, now he was out of breath-or rather, he was still out of breath. It was starting to make him light-headed. “I-I just wanted to get a sneak preview of your new outfit.”
“You like it?” She did a pirouette, giving him the full effect. Once Ryan came closer, he could see she’d dabbed makeup on her arms to cover all the scratches left over from last night’s brawl. The bruise on her jaw was barely detectable under a skillful application of foundation and blush. The audience would never even know it was there.
“You look amazing. But what made you decide to go blonde all of a sudden?”
“Oh, I figured it was time to trade in my Rita Hayworth for something a little more Marilyn Monroe. I’ve had this dress in my closet for ages. High time for it to come out, no pun intended.” She turned back to the mirror to fuss with her hair and give her makeup the once-over. “It’s as perfect as it’s gonna get, I’m afraid. Better go give our customers their money’s worth.”
Ryan had just turned toward the door when her red-nailed fingers closed over his wrist. A hot little zing! surged through him. “You might want to wait a couple minutes before you go back out there, sweetheart.” Then her gaze dropped to his crotch, and he realized why.
“O-Oh.” Immediate, crushing humiliation washed over him, making him sway on his feet. He stared at the floor, wishing it would swallow him up. What the hell was the matter with him? “Sorry, I-I don’t know what-”
“No need for apologies, sugar. In fact, I consider it a compliment.” She reached out to stroke his cheek, tipping his face up to meet her eyes. No, Mike’s eyes. This was Mike, and yet it wasn’t. A change took place when he put on the wig and the dress. Ryan’s brain understood the distinction, even if his body was still struggling to catch up.
“You really are too adorable,” she murmured, leaning in closer, those ripe red lips barely an inch from his. She was going to kiss him-and surprisingly, he actually wanted her to. He closed his eyes and waited for it.
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Reviews
- "This is a pretty complex story with many layers and characters whose lives depended on each other. … Above all I loved Mike, or Diva Michelle, who I thought was an outstanding protagonist and the heart of the book. Even though Mike dressed up as a woman on Friday nights for his performances he was definitely all man, and anyone who forgot that paid the price.
Appearing Nightly is a very enjoyable book, high on angst but really funny, with great characters.
Highly recommended: 4.5 stars out of 5"
- Reviews by Jessewave
"Not only do the characters in Appearing Nightly pull at the heartstrings, they are humanly-flawed and written in a way that makes it easy to become enthralled by the story that they tell. [...] I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from Ms. Grant. Appearing Nightly has earned a spot on my keeper shelf and I’m looking forward to revisiting it and these wonderful characters again in the future.Score: 4.50 / 5 – Reviewer Top Pick!"
- – Daisiemae at Night Owl Reviews
- "The tension between Mike and Ryan, Mike and Cameron and even Cameron and Mike, will have you racing through the pages to find out what happens next. In between laughing out loud and flipping back to make sure that I read a certain paragraph correctly, I found my mouth dropping open as each secret was slowly revealed.
Oh and did I say that the sex between Mike and Ryan is crazy hot? It is, trust me on this.
I simply loved it and I definitely recommend this story as a must read.5 Tea Cups and a Recommended Read!"
- – Ren at Happily Ever After Reviews
- "I liked the pace of this book, it had the making of insta-love production but it wasn’t as I thought there was a pretty decent build up and gaining of confidences before any of the relationship sort of stuff got in the way.
…
I have always liked Ms Grant style of incorporating more of the everyday struggles into her books and it was no different in this one. From Ryan’s fall from grace from his lucrative hotel job to showing his decline into the hell that he now finds himself in – I do know and see how that could easily happen and it was all realistically describe and also showed a whole lot more to Ryan’s character." - — E.H. at erotic horizon
