Cursed: Smoke

A Gay Billionaire Short Story

By: X. Aratare

Narrated by: Michael Pauley

Length: 2 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Cursed: Smoke is a 20,000 word sexy side story related to the Cursed series. It is an alternate retelling of how Nick and Bane meet and is not part of the main Cursed timeline.

Nick Fairfax needs a sugar daddy to pay for his last year of art school. After being disinherited and kicked out of his house for pursuing his dream of becoming a photographer, Nick heads to the exclusive club, Smoke, where young men sell themselves to the highest bidder.

Nick gets in trouble with a man who won't take "no" for an answer. Lord Bane Dunsaney comes to his rescue. But does the mysterious billionaire pose a greater danger to Nick than the one he saved him from?

©2016 Catherine N Tetzlaff (P)2016 Catherine N Tetzlaff

Alternate Beginning to the Cursed Series

This is an alternate beginning to the Cursed Series and is not a complete story, but it's damn good! I highly recommend reading this series in order, it's one of my favorite series ever! Highly recommend!

"thanks for listen,I'm Michael Pauley fox news."

this was a good story although the narrator sounded like a news reporter at times I appreciated the effort, like when the story said a character laughed...he laughed, but this was a good short story and it made me want to get the actual book.

smoking hot!

if your not sure about the main trilogy get this, and try it out. it's very good 😊

it is so good

i loved this story so much it is so worth it you will not be disappointed i love it so much,!

So much love

I cannot find words enough to say how very much I love this story and these characters. I have read the retelling and this side story was like a druggie getting their fix until the other story gets finished. Sooooo looking forward to that but this is a good fix and not to be missed. Enjoy the story it's worth it and then some.

where there's smoke...

the gymnastics of the Micheal's voice along with X. Aratare's writing bring me right into the story. the emotions, thoughts, and actions come to life with such vibrant clarity. it was an absolute pleasure and I look forward to listening again.

Satisfying and Cute

As expected from X. Aratare, another wonderful, cute, and never shy story. I read the original Cursed and loved it very much and to hear this one was amazing.
Michael Pauley is an amazing narrator too! Oh, I enjoyed listening to him unfold the story. I love how his voice changes. I especially love it when he reads Bane's part, it was believable!
There are some parts where it got kind of awkward with the narrating, but I still enjoyed the story very much.
Thank you for existing X. Aratare and Michael Pauley!

Ends on a cliffhanger...

Any additional comments?

Note, this ends on a cliffhanger, and because it is apparently "an alternate retelling of how Nick and Bane meet and is not part of the main Cursed timeline" there is not a follow up to continue the story.

Not that I'm sure I would want to, personally.

There were a lot of my personal pet peeves in this (purple prose, and a lot of "older man", "bigger man", "younger man"), as well as very little character development.

I haven't read the Cursed series, so I didn't understand much of what was happening, and the author didn't seem to take any time to try to explain to new readers what was going on. (i.e.: Did Bane own Smoke? Why was he "cat-like"?) and the "romance" was far too insta-loveish without really benefiting from an explanation of why Nick or Bane fell for each other, other than one erotically sexual night together.

I got this under the Whispersync deal, and Michael Pauley was at least entertaining to listen to, but I wouldn't recommend the story.