Choking Hazards

The annual Fourth of July festival is more than just a holiday—it’s a battlefield. For top-tier EMS supervisor Garth and his legendary, broad-shouldered firefighter rival Victor, the rivalry between the medical tent and the fire station isn't just professional; it’s personal. Years ago, Garth and Victor shared more than just a cramped college apartment—they shared a burning, explosive passion that vanished the day Victor failed his paramedic exams. Since then, they’ve lived as rivals, each dominating their respective fields while secretly nursing the wounds of an unresolved past. When their professional posturing culminates in a high-stakes, public hot-dog-eating contest, everything goes sideways. A mid-contest emergency turns into a terrifying medical crisis, and a split-second, oxygen-deprived reaction leaves Victor with a shattered nose and Garth with a heavy weight of guilt. This spicy, masculine, and humorous M/M novella proves that sometimes the hardest lessons are learned in the heat of the moment—and the best stress relief is found in the arms of the one man you never should have walked away from.