Hunter by A.M. Salinger
Series: Twilight Falls #3
Publication date: June 22nd, 2020
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
Can a business rival bring one of Twilight Falls' most notorious bad boys to his knees?
Twilight Falls' resident bad boy Hunter Thomson knows he hasn't quite lived up to his reputation of late and is determined to have some fun while on a rare night out in L.A. But after a torrid encounter with a captivating stranger results in one of the best sexual experiences of his life, Hunter flees to his hometown, scared by his intense feelings and convinced he is about to commit the same mistake he once made in the past.
Theo Miller can't get the gorgeous man he hooked up with one night in L.A. out of his mind. When he moves to Twilight Falls for the opening of his new store, he is shocked to discover than his business rival is none other than the stranger who ran away from him and their fiery connection.
Sparks fly as the two men engage in a game of cat and mouse. But when an accident makes Theo dependent on Hunter, the game becomes something neither men could have anticipated.
Will Hunter finally overcome his deep-seated fears and succumb to Theo's passionate attention? And can Theo win the heart of the one man he wants to belong to?
Join Hunter and Theo in this hot and sweet third installment in Twilight Falls, the new series by the author of the bestselling, contemporary romance series Nights.
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Excerpt
The music thumped in Hunter Thomson's ears and throbbed pleasantly against his skin. He drummed a hand lightly against his arm as he waited for his order, his fingers matching the beat of the pop song blaring from the club's speakers. He flashed a smile at the girl who brought him his beer, turned, and leaned his back against the bar.
His gaze roamed the dance floor a few feet from where he stood. It was packed with hot, writhing men. A dry smile curved his lips as he brought the bottle to his mouth and took a sip of the cold beverage.
Well, hot writhing men is what I came here for.
His eyes found the couple on the far left of the sunken stage. Hunter's smile turned into a full-blown grin.
Irritation danced briefly on Tristan Hart's face when he met Hunter's amused stare. The man working up a sweat against Tristan seemed oblivious to their exchange; Dan Flynn was already on his fourth drink and focused on his mission for the night. Which was apparently to get in Tristan's pants and ride him till the cows came home.
Hunter could tell from the subtle way Tristan was avoiding full body contact with Dan that he wasn't interested. He knew Tristan would never have accepted Dan's invitation had he known the guy would start hitting on him the moment they walked through the doors of the hottest new gay club in L.A. The fact that Dan had told him to bring a friend to the opening night had evidently lured Tristan into thinking his client wasn't interested in him.
Hunter could hardly blame the poor man.
With his quiet brown eyes, rugged good looks, and muscular, tattooed body, Tristan was a picture of understated masculinity. Not only was he hot, his ability to fix any motorbike and sports cars that landed in his garage made him one of the most sought-after mechanics in the state. It also regularly brought a line of men and women to his door who wanted to get his hands on more than just their hoods.
All evidence pointed to the fact that Tristan's latest client was one much man. Unfortunately for Dan, the sexy mechanic made it a rule never to mix business with pleasure.
Had Hunter not known Tristan since they were practically in diapers, he might have been tempted to have a taste of the guy himself.
Except we're both tops, so that would definitely not have worked out.
Hunter let his gaze wander over the crowded club. It wasn't everyday he came to L.A. for a night on the town and he was determined to make the most of it.
Having two of his close friends recently get shacked up had made him antsy. It had also been a few months since he'd hooked up with anyone and he very much wanted to come somewhere other than his own hand tonight.
Besides, I have a reputation to keep up. I can't be Twilight Falls' most notorious bad boy when I haven't seen any action other than my own fingers lately.
A man caught Hunter's interest a moment later. Blond, blue eyes. A body that showed he liked to work out. The stranger's mouth curved up as he studied Hunter from where he stood amidst a large group, his expression telling Hunter he liked what he was seeing too. Hunter's lips tilted in an answering smile.
Someone stepped in his line of sight.
Hunter shifted to try and catch the blond's attention. The man blocking his view moved too.
Irritation darted through Hunter.
The guy loomed over him was wearing neatly pressed cream chinos, a navy shirt with a red-rimmed collar that matched his two tone dress shoes, and a dark blue blazer. The top three buttons of the shirt were open, exposing an expanse of toned, tanned flesh.
"Can I get through?"
Hunter blinked.
The man's voice was like whisky poured over rough velvet.
He looked up and met a pair of arresting hazel eyes set in a chiseled face blessed by the gods.
The man arched an elegant eyebrow, his expression patient and seemingly heedless of the interested stares he was drawing. He had a good couple of inches on Hunter's own six foot-two.
"The bar?" the stranger added slowly, as if addressing a dimwit.
Hunter flushed and stepped away from the counter. "Er, sure."
The man's cologne filled Hunter's nose as he slipped past and took his place. He smelled of pine and evergreens, like the forests of Twilight Falls.
Hunter stared at the stranger's wide back. It was clear from his charismatic appearance and expensive clothes that he was loaded.
A hand landed on Hunter's shoulder, startling him. He looked around.
It was the blond he'd been eyeing up.
"Hey," the guy said warmly.
"Hey, yourself," Hunter replied with a smile, firmly squashing his burgeoning interest for the man at the bar.
He's not my type, anyway.
The blond indicated the sunken stage. "Wanna dance?"
A teasing grin lit up Hunter's. "I gotta warn you. I have killer moves. Think you can keep up?"
The blond chuckled. He leaned in and whispered hotly in Hunter's left ear.
"I've got some killer moves on my own."
Hunter's dick perked with interest as the blond's breath washed across his skin. The guy took his hand and led him to the dance floor.
Three songs and another beer later and Hunter was feeling buzzed. He and the blond had definite sexual chemistry; he could tell he would be coming in the guy's hand, mouth, or ass tonight.
"Wanna go somewhere quieter?"
Hunter followed the blond's gaze.
He was looking at a dimly-lit corridor leading to the restrooms.
Hunter masked a frown. He'd hoped they'd be going back to the hotel he and Tristan had booked for the night. A quickie in a public toilet wasn't really his thing.
"It's not what you're thinking," the blond said mysteriously, as if he'd guessed Hunter's thoughts.
Hunter arched an eyebrow. "It's not?"
The blond grabbed his arm. "Come on."
Hunter scanned the club for Tristan as he headed for the restrooms with the blond. He found his best friend with his inebriated client at the bar on the other side of the floor.
Tristan caught his eyes. "Everything okay?" he mouthed.
Hunter nodded and gave him a reassuring wave.
The club's washrooms were stark and clean. They were also thankfully empty bar a handful of men.
One of them was the blond's friend, a guy with dark hair and eyes.
"You brought him," the man said with a grin.
A sinking feeling blossomed in the pit of Hunter's stomach at his expression.
"What's going on?" Hunter asked the blond guardedly.
Blondie smiled at him, his face relaxed despite Hunter's cool tone.
"We thought you'd be a good fit for us."
Hunter suppressed a grimace. Great.
He studied the dark-haired guy. "Are you his partner?"
"I am."
"I'm sorry, but I'm not into threesomes," Hunter said gruffly.
Blondie trailed a teasing hand down Hunter's chest all the way to the buckle of his jeans and beyond. "Are you sure? 'Cause you look pretty turned on to me."
Hunter grabbed Blondie's wrist as he stroked his way back up his erection.
"I was, when I thought it'd be just you."
The door to the restrooms opened. Hunter swallowed a curse when he saw the guy who entered.
It was Hazel Eyes from the bar.
The man stopped and looked at them curiously. "Am I interrupting?"
Hunter recovered his senses first. "No, you aren't." He turned to Blondie and his partner. "Like I said, I'm not interested."
Blondie pouted. "That's a shame. I was really looking forward to having a sex sandwich with you."
Hunter stared, not certain he'd heard right. "Excuse me?"
Hazel Eyes turned away and started washing his hands at the sink, but not before Hunter caught the sparkle of amusement in his gaze.
"You know, where one of us fucks your mouth while the other pounds your ass," Blondie explained blithely.
Hunter's jaw dropped open. He caught a glimpse of Hazel Eyes's reflection in the mirror above the row of sinks. The guy's lips were pinched tight and his shoulders were shaking slightly. Outrage shot through Hunter.
Is that asshole laughing at me?!
"I'm sorry to disappoint you," he told Blondie and his partner icily once he'd regained his composure, "again. But I'm a top, so nobody is going anywhere near my ass."
Blondie's eyes widened. "Oh, wow." He paused, a moue twisting his mouth. "Are you sure? 'Cause you kinda give off a bottom feel."
"Positive," Hunter growled.
"Oh well, your loss, I suppose," Blondie murmured. "Come on, Jeff, let's get out of here."
Hunter watched wordlessly as the pair exited the restrooms. He blew out a sigh, raked a hand through his hair, and headed for the door.
"You sure you should be going out like that?"
His gaze roamed the dance floor a few feet from where he stood. It was packed with hot, writhing men. A dry smile curved his lips as he brought the bottle to his mouth and took a sip of the cold beverage.
Well, hot writhing men is what I came here for.
His eyes found the couple on the far left of the sunken stage. Hunter's smile turned into a full-blown grin.
Irritation danced briefly on Tristan Hart's face when he met Hunter's amused stare. The man working up a sweat against Tristan seemed oblivious to their exchange; Dan Flynn was already on his fourth drink and focused on his mission for the night. Which was apparently to get in Tristan's pants and ride him till the cows came home.
Hunter could tell from the subtle way Tristan was avoiding full body contact with Dan that he wasn't interested. He knew Tristan would never have accepted Dan's invitation had he known the guy would start hitting on him the moment they walked through the doors of the hottest new gay club in L.A. The fact that Dan had told him to bring a friend to the opening night had evidently lured Tristan into thinking his client wasn't interested in him.
Hunter could hardly blame the poor man.
With his quiet brown eyes, rugged good looks, and muscular, tattooed body, Tristan was a picture of understated masculinity. Not only was he hot, his ability to fix any motorbike and sports cars that landed in his garage made him one of the most sought-after mechanics in the state. It also regularly brought a line of men and women to his door who wanted to get his hands on more than just their hoods.
All evidence pointed to the fact that Tristan's latest client was one much man. Unfortunately for Dan, the sexy mechanic made it a rule never to mix business with pleasure.
Had Hunter not known Tristan since they were practically in diapers, he might have been tempted to have a taste of the guy himself.
Except we're both tops, so that would definitely not have worked out.
Hunter let his gaze wander over the crowded club. It wasn't everyday he came to L.A. for a night on the town and he was determined to make the most of it.
Having two of his close friends recently get shacked up had made him antsy. It had also been a few months since he'd hooked up with anyone and he very much wanted to come somewhere other than his own hand tonight.
Besides, I have a reputation to keep up. I can't be Twilight Falls' most notorious bad boy when I haven't seen any action other than my own fingers lately.
A man caught Hunter's interest a moment later. Blond, blue eyes. A body that showed he liked to work out. The stranger's mouth curved up as he studied Hunter from where he stood amidst a large group, his expression telling Hunter he liked what he was seeing too. Hunter's lips tilted in an answering smile.
Someone stepped in his line of sight.
Hunter shifted to try and catch the blond's attention. The man blocking his view moved too.
Irritation darted through Hunter.
The guy loomed over him was wearing neatly pressed cream chinos, a navy shirt with a red-rimmed collar that matched his two tone dress shoes, and a dark blue blazer. The top three buttons of the shirt were open, exposing an expanse of toned, tanned flesh.
"Can I get through?"
Hunter blinked.
The man's voice was like whisky poured over rough velvet.
He looked up and met a pair of arresting hazel eyes set in a chiseled face blessed by the gods.
The man arched an elegant eyebrow, his expression patient and seemingly heedless of the interested stares he was drawing. He had a good couple of inches on Hunter's own six foot-two.
"The bar?" the stranger added slowly, as if addressing a dimwit.
Hunter flushed and stepped away from the counter. "Er, sure."
The man's cologne filled Hunter's nose as he slipped past and took his place. He smelled of pine and evergreens, like the forests of Twilight Falls.
Hunter stared at the stranger's wide back. It was clear from his charismatic appearance and expensive clothes that he was loaded.
A hand landed on Hunter's shoulder, startling him. He looked around.
It was the blond he'd been eyeing up.
"Hey," the guy said warmly.
"Hey, yourself," Hunter replied with a smile, firmly squashing his burgeoning interest for the man at the bar.
He's not my type, anyway.
The blond indicated the sunken stage. "Wanna dance?"
A teasing grin lit up Hunter's. "I gotta warn you. I have killer moves. Think you can keep up?"
The blond chuckled. He leaned in and whispered hotly in Hunter's left ear.
"I've got some killer moves on my own."
Hunter's dick perked with interest as the blond's breath washed across his skin. The guy took his hand and led him to the dance floor.
Three songs and another beer later and Hunter was feeling buzzed. He and the blond had definite sexual chemistry; he could tell he would be coming in the guy's hand, mouth, or ass tonight.
"Wanna go somewhere quieter?"
Hunter followed the blond's gaze.
He was looking at a dimly-lit corridor leading to the restrooms.
Hunter masked a frown. He'd hoped they'd be going back to the hotel he and Tristan had booked for the night. A quickie in a public toilet wasn't really his thing.
"It's not what you're thinking," the blond said mysteriously, as if he'd guessed Hunter's thoughts.
Hunter arched an eyebrow. "It's not?"
The blond grabbed his arm. "Come on."
Hunter scanned the club for Tristan as he headed for the restrooms with the blond. He found his best friend with his inebriated client at the bar on the other side of the floor.
Tristan caught his eyes. "Everything okay?" he mouthed.
Hunter nodded and gave him a reassuring wave.
The club's washrooms were stark and clean. They were also thankfully empty bar a handful of men.
One of them was the blond's friend, a guy with dark hair and eyes.
"You brought him," the man said with a grin.
A sinking feeling blossomed in the pit of Hunter's stomach at his expression.
"What's going on?" Hunter asked the blond guardedly.
Blondie smiled at him, his face relaxed despite Hunter's cool tone.
"We thought you'd be a good fit for us."
Hunter suppressed a grimace. Great.
He studied the dark-haired guy. "Are you his partner?"
"I am."
"I'm sorry, but I'm not into threesomes," Hunter said gruffly.
Blondie trailed a teasing hand down Hunter's chest all the way to the buckle of his jeans and beyond. "Are you sure? 'Cause you look pretty turned on to me."
Hunter grabbed Blondie's wrist as he stroked his way back up his erection.
"I was, when I thought it'd be just you."
The door to the restrooms opened. Hunter swallowed a curse when he saw the guy who entered.
It was Hazel Eyes from the bar.
The man stopped and looked at them curiously. "Am I interrupting?"
Hunter recovered his senses first. "No, you aren't." He turned to Blondie and his partner. "Like I said, I'm not interested."
Blondie pouted. "That's a shame. I was really looking forward to having a sex sandwich with you."
Hunter stared, not certain he'd heard right. "Excuse me?"
Hazel Eyes turned away and started washing his hands at the sink, but not before Hunter caught the sparkle of amusement in his gaze.
"You know, where one of us fucks your mouth while the other pounds your ass," Blondie explained blithely.
Hunter's jaw dropped open. He caught a glimpse of Hazel Eyes's reflection in the mirror above the row of sinks. The guy's lips were pinched tight and his shoulders were shaking slightly. Outrage shot through Hunter.
Is that asshole laughing at me?!
"I'm sorry to disappoint you," he told Blondie and his partner icily once he'd regained his composure, "again. But I'm a top, so nobody is going anywhere near my ass."
Blondie's eyes widened. "Oh, wow." He paused, a moue twisting his mouth. "Are you sure? 'Cause you kinda give off a bottom feel."
"Positive," Hunter growled.
"Oh well, your loss, I suppose," Blondie murmured. "Come on, Jeff, let's get out of here."
Hunter watched wordlessly as the pair exited the restrooms. He blew out a sigh, raked a hand through his hair, and headed for the door.
"You sure you should be going out like that?"
About the Author:
Ava Marie Salinger is the pen name of an Amazon bestselling author who has always wanted to write scorching hot contemporary romance. In 2018, she finally decided to venture to the steamy side. NIGHTS is the first of several sizzling series featuring sweet, sexy men with dark pasts and a whole lot of love to give to the ones brave enough to fight for their hearts. When she's not dreaming up hotties to write about, you'll find Ava creating kickass music playlists to write to, spying on the wildlife in her garden, drooling over gadgets, and eating Chinese.
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