Everyone please give a warm welcome to Brian Harrison from the Vasquez Inc series, including the latest installment A Shot at Perfect by Lou Sylvre. He’s graciously agreed to answer a few questions for us. Are you as excited as I am to find out more about Brian? *rubs hands together* Then let’s get to it!
Brian, thank you for joining us today!
Thanks for having me! It’s not often I get to speak to readers myself, so it’s a rare opportunity.
If there was one thing in your life you could change, what would it be?
Well, hmm. I don’t know if I should say this, because I don’t want to seem ungrateful, but I think I’d like to leave Los Angeles. I mean, Luki Vasquez—my boss—has been really good to me, and he offered me this position, managing the LA office of his security firm, Vasquez Inc. It’s good pay, we have an apartment to live in without having to shell out LA’s sky-high rents, and it’s never too cold out. But LA’s been crazy ever since we got here—Jackie and I—last year. We’ve been the target of some bad criminal stuff, and Jackie’s had a couple of accidents—bad enough to change our lives. Thing is, though, even saying I want to leave this city—I wouldn’t. Not yet. Not until we get the bad guys, as Luki would say. And first we have to find them.
Do you have any regrets when it comes to Jackie Vasquez?
Good question. You know, in a way I regret that he was out on his own in this city’s traffic, riding a bicycle, when he had his first accident. And I sort of regret not keeping closer tabs on him—I didn’t even know where he was when the second one happened. Shit, even before that, I regret leaving him alone so much of the time in London before we moved here—he almost got killed by a psychopath. But in reality, I can’t regret those things because they weren’t really under my control. I’m a Dom, but not the sort that wants to be a 24/7 Master, and Jackie’s not that kind of sub. We’re D/s mostly when we’re in the playroom. He doesn’t want someone taking control of his life, and I guess I wouldn’t do that if he did want it. So I guess I took the long way around to get to this answer, but my real regret? I lost myself for a while after Jackie got hurt. I didn’t give Jackie what he needed, because I couldn’t get over my own fears. That made it more of a battle to get through the tough times—worse for both of us, but I especially regret the way it hurt him. He deserves better.
And then, hell,, I also regret putting my marriage proposal in a fortune cookie. Word of advice—never do that.
When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a cop. I went through a time in my late teens when I really waffled about that—cops get a lot of bad press, and a lot of the time they deserve it. Abuse of power and such. But then I realized that’s all the more reason the world needs good cops, fair and honest cops who are really looking out for people, helping to keep them safe. So yeah, that’s what I wanted to do. And I did—twice. What I do now—private security—isn’t so different, but I’m pretty sure being a cop again is still in my future. We’ll see.
What is your favorite memory?
Oh! Wow. Did not expect this question. I have to say my favorite memory is pretty recent, and of course it involves Jackie. He’s… beautiful, you know. Not just his looks, but the way he carries himself, his sense of humor, and he’s brilliant. He’s also a stubborn, devil boy who likes to push buttons now and then, but even that’s wonderful when I look at the whole package. Uh… Sorry, got a little sidetracked there. So my favorite memory… well, this is my favorite moment from my favorite memory… but why don’t I just let Lou show you. She wrote about it (she doesn’t respect our privacy at all) in A Shot of J&B.
They walked out after all the guests who weren’t staying left, Jackie leading him by the hand through an oak-covered trail with moonlight shining toward them from the open sky of the river. They settled in, opened their bottle of wine, and shared it along with good-natured silence, quiet words from time to time, and a loose embrace. Brian’s arm and larger form sheltered Jackie from a cool breeze off the river, and it added up to more than a friendly hug, but less than sex.
With about two-thirds of the wine gone, Brian set it aside and stood, then reached a hand down to help Jackie to his feet. He was about to suggest they walk back to the house before the family feared they’d fallen in, but facing Jackie, he saw a look in his eyes he couldn’t quite interpret. He seemed neither to plead nor demand, not even to expect, but something in his direct gaze, his slightly open lips, the tilt of his head — they added up to a question, and though Brian’s mind didn’t seem to know the language, his lips and body did.
He leaned in and grazed his lips across Jackie’s once, twice. When he straightened, Jackie’s eyes narrowed slightly, Jackie’s breath rushed out quickly and hitched, Jackie’s fingers fidgeted against his palms — all signs of distress. Brian took a half step back, not letting go of Jackie’s eyes, and held both his hands out between them, palm up.
“Give me your hands,” he said.
Jackie placed elegant fingers in Brian’s broad, strong palms, and when Brian closed them in a tight grip, the younger man’s entire being seemed to relax. Brian
pulled Jackie’s hands toward him and around his back, holding them there as he stepped forward until there was no space between them at all.
Do you have a favorite movie or song? Do you know Jackie’s favorite movie or song?
Well, it’s a little embarrassing, but my favorite movie is Hot Fuzz. (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425112/)
Jackie’s a little more of a romantic than me—also more out there in his tastes. (Don’t tell him I said that.) I don’t know his favorite movie, but a wild guess, it’s something like Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar. (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114682/) I do know his favorite song—or at least one of them, and it’s kind of a sad commentary. I hope he doesn’t mind me sharing this with you, but if you know anything about his history, you’ll understand why he… sort of feels the lyrics. The song is one Shawn Mendes sings, “In My Blood”.
What was it like the first time you kissed Jackie?
Huh. I have to laugh a little. You maybe expect me to say it was like, fireworks or starry skies or hearts and cupids and symphonic strains. It wasn’t. It was sweet. It was refreshing. It was like waking up to something bright and surprising and intriguing in the best way. But you know what? All I could think of to say was, “Thank you, Jackie. That was lovely.”
What was your first impression of Jackie?
You see, we met when he was just a kid—sixteen. I met him at his uncles’ wedding in Hawaii. I knew right from the start there was something special about him. He was all natural grace and unusual beauty, and I felt like there was some unidentifiable kind of connection between us. But even though I was only in my early twenties, at that age I couldn’t think of him as a potential partner. I wouldn’t allow myself to, but really it was more than that. I couldn’t think of him that way, but I also couldn’t get him off my mind, couldn’t shake the idea we were more-or-less fated to meet. I didn’t see him again for six years, but when I did I felt exactly the same.
Does Jackie have a pet? Do you get along?
Actually my cat, a rescue named Marley, loves Jackie more than he loves me. Also, we have a dog named Soldier. I rescued him, too, but right now he’s living in Washington State with Luki and Sonny—lots of room to run for him there, none where we live in LA. Truth is, he likes Jackie better than me, too. Or maybe that’s not it. Maybe they both just take me for granted, and on the other hand they know Jackie’s something special.
Do you like to read? What’s your favorite book?
I’ve always liked to read fiction, but I don’t do it a whole lot any more—a matter of time and business. When I was a kid I read lots of books about pirates, of all things. More recently I read those books Lou Sylvre (our author) wrote about Luki and Sonny—the Vasquez and James series. Fun! Because you know, Luki’s such a badass, but reading those books I found out all about his insecurities and soft spots. (Oh, don’t let him find out I said that, okay?)
Hey, thanks again for interviewing me. Made me think about stuff, and it’s been kind of fun. I like the idea of readers getting to know me a little bit. I’m afraid Lou isn’t always real nice to me in the books… sometimes she makes me look a little… well, never mind.
And there you have it folks, straight from Brian’s mouth… Now you know more about our hero from A Shot at Perfect by Lou Sylvre. If you’d like to purchase a copy, you’ll find the buy links below.
Get the latest Vasquez Inc book HERE
— NeNe, Fallen Angel Reviews
Title: Winter Masquerade
