This is a spin off story from a previous book by the same author, The Elf and the Shoemaker. Robert is the customer who bough the little bottle of passion oil in Logan's shop, but Passion is not a fantasy tale like the other one.

Robert is a forty successful business man who starts to realize that he has nothing of really serious in his life. Truth, he has his multi-millionaire business, a beautiful home and a sporty car, but he is alone. He even tried to make a pass on Logan, but we read in the previous book that the man had just started his relationship with the elf, and so he brushed off Robert, even if in a gentle manner. Actually I was quite sad for Robert since he was a really sweet guy. One of the most interesting scene in the book, is reading the same scene again, this time from Robert's point of view. Robert bought also one of the magic bottle of Passion oil, and after using a bit of it on himself, he goes to his usual friday pub, and as always he is pining after Jesse, the handsome bartender. Jesse has never left Robert believe that he could be interested, and actually Robert thinks the man to be straight. But this night the weather helps him and conjures to make them spend more time together.

Robert confirms to be a sweet guy, not at all the cold businessman; there is no actually any drama in his past life if not unfortunately the usual rejection from a too strict family, but probably Robert spent too time building his firm and not enough caring for his personal life. Now he is in that moment of his life when, if he doesn't do something really soon, he could end with a lonely, even if comfortable, old age... and he doesn't want that. But Robert is not desperate, he is not willing to pick up the first man only to fill a void in his life.

On the other hand Jesse is recovering from a tragic past and from a sense of guilty that is eating him alive. But he has eyes, and he saw Robert from the first time he entered the pub; and now months after maybe his sense of guilty is a little dumped down, and he is ready to let the man nearer than before. But Jesse, even if obviously the stronger in body, and probably the leading man in the relationship, is also skittish like a wild horse, and maybe Robert, with his quite aplomb and his serene behavior is the right man to approach him.

I like the story, even if it's not so long, neither in page or time: it spans only some hours in Robert and Jesse's life, but they are intense hours, and overall, it's a real romantic story.

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/53...