Burning Bright (30 page)
Authors: A. Catherine Noon
Tags: #Gay & Lesbian, #Literature & Fiction, #Fiction, #Gay, #Erotica, #Romantic, #Romance, #Gay Romance, #Genre Fiction, #Lgbt, #Gay Fiction
Holy shit.
The suite is, well…
When I hear the word suite, I just assume big bedroom, seeing as Mom tends to watch a lot of HGTV and that’s the only place I hear the word used with any frequency. Instead I walk into an apartment that is far nicer and a fair bit bigger than mine. The bellhop gives a tour, but I really only register words here and there. Kitchen, balcony, Jacuzzi, California king (whatever the hell that means). The TV is huge, with a big couch, there’s a dining table and I can see Tolon Park from most of the windows. Seriously. Damn.
The bellhop says something, probably fishing for a tip. I manage to pull one of the hundreds from the wallet and hand it to him absentmindedly. The door closes behind him before I realize I just tipped somebody three weeks’ grocery money. Best to put the rest in my pocket before I spend it on tiny bottles of soda.
“Quite impressive, isn’t it?”
I freeze, not wanting to look behind me. Managing a wince and a self-reproachful look, I turn to find Rourke, slightly sweaty, his arms folded, foot tapping. Meekly, I hold the wallet in front of him, and he snatches it from my hand.
“You stole from me, Spencer.”
I think he’s pissed.
“Uh, you told me to find a way into a room, right?” I chuckle nervously and try a playful shrug.
“You stole from
me.
Do you have any
idea
who I am, boy?” He takes a step closer, and I step back. Undeterred, he continues to back me off while he’s speaking. “I am Redmond O Fucking Rourke. Riordan to the Summerswords. King of the Gods-damned Phouka and you
dare
to steal from me.”
My back hits a wall, and he places his hand on my chest, keeping me still, his eyes smoldering.
Burning Bright
A. Catherine Noon and Rachel Wilder
Curiosity never killed this cat, but love could have deadly consequences.
Sasha Soskoff has two reasons for moving to Chicago: secure a tenured position in veterinary research medicine, and widen his horizons. After a night at the city’s hottest new club, though, a wrong turn down a dark alley narrows his focus to surviving three muggers. As consciousness fades, he catches a glimpse of his rescuer, whose mere appearance is enough to chase the attackers off.
Neal Harrison doesn’t often have to call on his skills as an ex-Marine to maintain control at his club. But with Sasha, he can’t seem to keep his hands to himself. Yet there’s danger in allowing any close relationships, particularly with a naïve young newcomer. The safety of his business depends on the iron-clad secret he and his ex-Marine buddies all hide.
While Neal seems happy to satisfy Sasha’s insatiable curiosity about the erotic scenes played out in the club’s private rooms, Sasha senses his new lover is holding something back.
When the truth claws its way out amid a night of tribal blood and violence, Neal discovers his lover has a secret of his own. And that the forces arrayed against them all could make a mugging look like a walk in the park…
Warning: Contains explicit, adult situations: male on male, more males on several more males, no-holds-barred erotic scenes, no-claws-barred violence, and love forged in the heat of desire.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B
Cincinnati OH 45249
Burning Bright
Copyright © 2011 by A. Catherine Noon and Rachel Wilder
ISBN: 978-1-60928-526-5
Edited by Tera Kleinfelter
Cover by Kanaxa
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
electronic publication: August 2011