Dark Past by Laura Hunsaker is a book worth reading #romance #romanticsuspense #mustread #nnlbh
- N. N. Light
- Jun 24
- 5 min read
Title: Dark Past
Author: Laura Hunsaker
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Book Blurb:
The small town was supposed to be safe...
Kate Landry is tired of running. Thinking she's safe, she settles in the small logging town of Chester, California to manage a cafe. She may be keeping a low profile, but she's hoping to return to a normal life. When FBI agent Kyle Donovan visits Chester to stay with a friend, and to recover from his latest case, he never expects to meet sexy barista Kate.
But someone is following Kate...
Kyle worries he brought trouble to her door, while Kate worries her dark past is coming after her. With danger lurking around every corner, her safe haven isn't as safe as she'd thought. Kate will finally have to trust someone enough to tell him her secrets. Secrets that may just get them killed...
Excerpt:
"Kate, you didn't tell me you'd be bringing a date!"
"Will it be a problem?" Kate trailed off as Jenny grabbed her hand and towed her to the kitchen. Since her hand was still holding Kyle's arm, he was dragged along with her.
"What? No, no that won't be a problem, there's plenty." Jenny turned to Kyle. "Would you like a beer? I didn't catch your name."
"Oh! Where is my head? Jenny, this is Kyle. Kyle, my friend Jenny Travers."
They shook hands. "Nice to meet you, Jenny. Kate has said nothing but great things about you."
"Really? That's interesting because she hasn't mentioned you at all." The look Jenny gave her said that they'd be talking about that later. Yikes. She hadn't thought that far ahead when she'd asked Kyle to come with her.
Tyler had come up behind Jenny and slid his arms around her waist. "Hey babe, we need more potato salad. Hi Kat. Who's your date?"
Oh yeah, and he insisted on calling her Kat no matter how much she told him not to. Through gritted teeth, she said, "It's Kate. You know that. This is Kyle. Kyle this is Tyler Leavitt"
"Kyle Donovan." He stuck his hand out to shake as Tyler did the same.
Kate could tell that they were doing that macho hand squeeze handshake that men did when they felt like marking territory. Trying not to roll her eyes, she turned to Kyle.
"Let's go grab a drink."
Releasing Tyler's hand, Kyle turned to look at Kate and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.
"He's still looking," he murmured to her.
Kate went to look, but Kyle's hand was still against her cheek, preventing her from turning. "Don't look. Just look at me and smile."
"What are you doing?"
"My job. I'm here to make him jealous, right?"
"Oh," she whispered, feeling awful. "No, no that wasn't it at all."
"It's ok. I don't mind. Just smile, look at me like you want to kiss me."
She couldn't let that go unanswered. She had to let him know that wasn't why she'd brought him. "But really, I didn't bring you so he'd be jealous. He isn't someone I want to think of me that way."
Kyle slid his hand from her cheek to the back of her neck. He pulled her up to her toes so he could better meet her mouth with his. His lips barely brushed hers, but she felt it down to her core. All too soon it was over.
"There," Kyle said, looking behind her. Tyler had stomped off.
"If you were trying to make him jealous, why didn't you..." She stopped, unsure how to say it.
"Why didn't I kiss you like I want to devour your very breath?"
"Umm...yeah?"
"Because it would look awkward and fake. I kissed you like I have all the time in the world to kiss you. I kissed you like I know I can have you when we leave. I kissed you like I'm anticipating the night."
"Oh." Wow. Kate needed a cold drink. Now.
He dropped a kiss on her open mouth. "And that was just because I wanted to."
She knew she had a big dopey grin on her face, but she didn't care. So what if she'd only known him for a few hours, inviting him to come with her was the best decision she'd made in a long time.
Tyler walked back into her line of sight, and ooh, was he pissed. He took a long pull from his longneck beer and tried to keep her gaze. But Kate had no reason to look at Tyler with Kyle on her arm. Turning her attention back to the conversation, she listened to him charming Jenny with a story about a kitten up a tree and a team of Navy SEALs trying to get her down.
"So a ladder, a rope, 4 SEALs, and we still couldn’t get her out of that tree. She just kept climbing higher. She finally slipped off a branch—”
"No!" Jenny gasped, her hand at her mouth.
“—and one of the guys caught her. Once she realized she was safe, she curled up against his neck by his collar, and fell asleep. Obviously, he kept her. He named her Princess and spoiled her rotten”
"Aww, that's so sweet."
Kate leaned up to whisper in his ear. "Is any of that true?"
He pulled her close with an arm around her waist and murmured, "Every part, except that I didn't keep her; I gave her to my niece." He turned back to Jenny and said, "All that storytelling has made me thirsty. Mind if I grab another beer?"
Kyle was fun, entertaining, and she liked him more and more. More than once she caught herself thinking about taking him home.
But then reality would intrude. Kate didn’t do things like that. Kate played it safe. Kate was boring. Kate kept her impulses under control and didn't date dangerous men. Even if they were kitten-rescuing dangerous men with killer smiles.
But maybe tonight, she didn't feel like playing it safe. Tonight, she wanted to follow those crazy impulses. The next time he caught her eye, she let her intentions shine through.
Kyle glanced up, and when he caught Kate's eye and saw that look, he knew at that instant how the night would end. No way was he mistaking that look. And no power on earth would keep him from her right now. Murmuring his excuses, he made his way to Kate, never looking away.
Kate sipped her beer, and when her tongue darted out to catch a droplet on her lip, he hardened. Praying no one could tell, but not wanting to draw attention by adjusting, Kyle kept walking to Kate, noticing she stood her ground; she didn't retreat. Message received.
He ignored everything but her. Pulling her close, he pressed his lips to her neck and whispered, "Are you sure?"
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
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Author Biography:
Laura Hunsaker is an award-winning author who writes romance set in the Scottish Highlands, but with a twist. Somewhere in between Historical and Paranormal, she writes Scottish Time Travel Romance and Paranormal Romance. She's hard at work right now, writing adventures about protective men paired with strong women who knock them off their feet.
She is a hybrid author being both traditionally published and self-published, as well as a member of Romance Writers of America® Cactus Rose Chapter and the Celtic Hearts Romance Writers.
After earning degrees in English and German, with a specialty in British Literature, she taught for a few years. As of now, Laura has a full-time job day job, which leaves nights for traveling through the mists of Scotland.
Her latest adventure has been writing hockey romance as Kenzie MacLir with contemporary romance author Heather Lire. Join the New York Empires for romance and shenanigans now!
Social Media Links:
Twitter/X: https://x.com/laurahunsaker
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highland_hussy/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraHunsaker/
