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Star-Spangled Showdown

by Hank Edwards

A fireworks salesman intent on making his mark in his family’s business.
A twice divorced father in desperate need of a sale and a new love life.
A week-long town celebration that sparks their competitive natures.

Owen Gillespie is no stranger to competition. But his plan to spend Independence Day week at the Williamsville Inn before pitching his fireworks proposal is derailed when he meets a handsome and snarky man in the elevator.

Dom Mitchell has two marriages behind him and three kids he’s supporting. His bisexual awakening has opened him up to dating men for the first time, but he isn’t looking for a serious relationship; he’s in town to sell a fireworks package.

When both men realize they’re vying for the same business, they decide to turn it into a competition. But things slip out of their control when the mayor learns of their agreement and proposes some challenges of her own. These two corporate rivals will need to work together even as they’re competing against each other to woo the mayor and other city officials, all while keeping their mutual attraction a secret and their hearts in check.

At the end of the week, only one of them will be leaving town with a signed contract, but the sparks between them are undeniable, and their love life might just be the most dazzling display of all.

This funny, snarky, and steamy story about corporate rivals turned lovers with a slight age gap and a spanking fetish is set in the Williamsville Inn world but can be read as a standalone story.

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Publisher: Independently Published
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Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 5
Romantic Content: 5
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Protagonist 1 Age: 26-35
Protagonist 2 Age: 36-45
Tropes: Age Difference, The Bet, Enemies to Lovers, InstaLove / Love at First Sight, Meet Cute
Word Count: 72000
Setting: Small town upstate New York
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
Excerpt:

Suddenly, Dom stood before Owen, running shoes laced onto his feet, and a sexy half-smile curling up one corner of his mouth.

“Before we head out again, how about one more thing?”

Dom’s voice was soft, almost a whisper. He took off his Yankee hat and leaned in, stopping before his lips made contact. Owen sucked in a breath. His heart pounded and blood rushed through his body. A ringing started in his left ear. He could feel the brush of Dom’s dark, almost black whiskers mingling with his own ginger-colored beard.

“This okay?” Dom asked, his breath warm against Owen’s skin.

Owen drew in a breath, pulling Dom’s exhalation into his lungs. “Yes.”

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The kiss was soft and sweet. There was no tongue, not even a quick lick across Owen’s lips. Owen trembled, and when Dom pulled away, the warmth of his mouth lingered. Owen opened his eyes to see Dom smiling. He had no idea what to say. It felt like every circuit in his brain had been thrown, and all he could do was stare.

“You good?” Dom asked.

The circuits snapped back into place, and Owen smiled. “Yeah, I’m good.”

Dom cupped a hand against the side of Owen’s face and brushed his thumb along his cheek. “Good. I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now.”

“Thanks.”

Dom chuckled. “You’re welcome, I guess. Now, how about we go find that waterfall?”

“Um, yeah, sure. Okay. Let’s go.”

When Dom stepped back, Owen turned for the door and pulled it open, stepping out in the hall. What the hell had just happened? And what the hell was going to happen next? Over the course of a few hours, this typical sales trip had become completely upended.

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About the Author

Hank Edwards is a curious mix of practical realist and feral dreamer. He is a fan of absurd comedy, as evidenced in the sizzling and hilarious Charlie Heggensford Fluffers, Inc. series, as well as Plus Ones, his wacky rom-com and Murder Most Lovely: Lacetown Murder Mysteries Case One, the first book in a rom-com murder mystery series, co-written with Deanna Wadsworth. He also loves a good suspense story, which inspired his Up to Trouble series, featuring FBI Agent Aaron Pearce and his lover Mark Beecher who met during one case and have gone on to solve others. His love of chills and thrills prompted him to create the Venom Valley series, which combines vampires and zombies with Old West cowboys, as well as the humorous and spooky seven book Critter Catchers series, featuring a slow-burning out-for-you storyline. He has also written a number of standalone stories, such as the humorous murder mystery Repossession is 9/10ths of the Law, the sexy crime thriller Buried Secrets, the medieval time travel gay romance thriller Destiny's Bastard, as well as the chilling and spooky Wicked Reflection.