Meet Denver and Adam

 

Thanks so much for having me today! I’m here to celebrate the re-release of Dirty Laundry at Dreamspinner Press and to talk a bit more about the two protagonists of this story.

 

Denver Rogers is a sweetheart of a guy in a tough package: basically he’s a big old bear in every way. He loves to work out and finds taking care of his body therapeutic and centering, in part because as he says, he didn’t come born into the world this way. Body-building and strength training makes him feel in control in a way that soothes him. Plus he gets to look great at the end of the process.

 

Denver has always liked a little wicked in his sexual play, and he loves a good hardcore scene with his partners if that works out. He’s an attentive, intuitive lover who pays attention and knows how to give pleasure to the man he’s with. It’s just that he’s liked to keep those encounters one-time-only so his life doesn’t get too complicated. Then one night he runs into Adam Ellery at a laundromat…

Adam Ellery looks like your average adorable geeky grad student on the surface, but get to know him and you’ll learn he’s a lot more complicated than a stereotype. He deals with clinical OCD and anxiety, but he’s got a good grip on this aspect of himself, and mostly he’s just head down, eyes on his entomology projects. He’s also avoiding his ex as much as possible, because it wasn’t any kind of an ideal breakup.

Unfortunately Adam hasn’t had time or spoons for relationships, and a casual sex life isn’t as easy for him as it is for others. Handy for him he meets Denver, who’s understanding about Adam’s needs and innovation in sexual adventures is a match made in heaven. Suddenly the guy with no time to date and the guy who doesn’t date, period, are more than willing to accommodate their lives for each other.

 

Have you read Dirty Laundry’s first edition? Which character is your favorite, or is it too difficult to choose?

 

Read more about Dirty Laundry! First chapter excerpt, buy links, and reviews.

 

Dirty Laundry is book three in the Tucker Springs series, a collaborative project between three authors. Find other books in the series at Dreamspinner Press and wherever books are sold.

Blurb

Sometimes you have to get dirty to come clean.

When muscle-bound Denver Rogers effortlessly dispatches the frat boys harassing grad student Adam Ellery at the Tucker Springs laundromat, Adam’s thank-you turns into impromptu sex over the laundry table. The problem comes when they exchange numbers. What if Adam wants to meet again and discovers Denver is a high school dropout with a learning disability who works as a bouncer at a local gay bar? Or what if Denver calls Adam only to learn while he might be brilliant in the lab, outside of it he has crippling social anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Either way, neither of them can shake the memory of their laundromat encounter. Despite their fears of what the other might think, they can only remember how good the other one feels. The more they get together, the kinkier things become. They’re both a little bent, but in just the right ways.

Maybe the secret to staying together isn’t to keep things clean and proper. Maybe it’s best to keep their laundry just a little bit dirty.

Reissuing March 29, 2019 by Dreamspinner Press. Title is revised with some significance and expanded from original release.

Buy Links:

Goodreads • Publisher (ebook/paper) • Audible (First Edition version) • Barnes & Noble • Kobo (US) • Amazon (US) • Amazon (UK) • Find on Overdrive

Adam closed his eyes, head lolled back onto Denver’s shoulder, and when he spoke, his voice was so subdued he almost slurred. “It’s not that I don’t want you.”

“I figured that one out.” Denver cupped Adam’s erection, teasing his fly undone with his thumb.

“It’s just not… safe to be alone with someone like that. That alone and vulnerable.”

Had something happened to Adam? Was that why he was so nervous, bopping around like a rabbit? The idea made Denver hot to find whoever had hurt Adam, made him so afraid, and pound them into oblivion. He pulled Adam in tighter, turning his fondling of Adam’s cock into a caress. “You tell me what you want, baby. Tell me what is safe, and I’ll give it to you.”

“This.” Adam’s hands rose up and back to clutch at Denver’s head, knocking at his hat and rubbing against the bristles of his cheeks. “God, this.”

“In the hallway, right by the door?”

“Yeah. Against the wall, you behind me. They can see me, but they can’t touch me, because you’re here. Like with the laundry. You won’t let anyone fuck with me.”

The words rushed through Denver, making his whole body swell with pleasure, pride. “Just me.” He pulled Adam’s cock out of his pants and stroked him meaningfully. “I’m going to fuck with you, though. Fuck you, baby. Right into the wall.”

“Yes.” Adam’s hands clutched harder at Denver. He was so lost he was barely there. High on mineral water and Denver. Denver fucking loved it.

“I want to fuck your mouth.” Denver growled this into Adam’s ear, stroking him harder. “I want you on your knees in front of me, looking up while I fuck that sweet mouth.”

Fingernails cut into Denver’s neck. “Yes.”

God help him, he almost did it right there. It wouldn’t be the first time someone had fucked on the main floor, maybe even at the front door. He could have whipped it out and rutted fast, burying into Adam like he was asking for, knocking some good moans out of him so enough people heard to look and admire. The very idea of it filled him with such a rush it made his teeth ache, made him want to turn animal and just do it. But even if Jase wouldn’t hang him for it, or the cops, who felt the need to nip in and make sure the world wasn’t coming to an end via public exposure, he didn’t want people seeing Adam that way. He got the feeling this wasn’t something Adam did on a regular basis, and he wasn’t sure Adam understood that if Denver fucked him against the wall, others would try to repeat the performance when Denver wasn’t around—they’d ask, but again, he just had this feeling that Adam didn’t quite know how to play this game.

Adam had decided Denver would protect him, so Denver would. Resisting the urge to fuck him into the wall, at least right here, seemed to fit into that scenario.

He kept Adam snug against him as he walked into the bar, waving at Kevin to get his attention. Taking a break, he mouthed, jerking his head at the storeroom.

Kevin paused in midpull of a draft, looked meaningfully at Adam, who was breathing hard with his cock hanging out of his undone pants. Kevin rolled his eyes. But he nodded too, which was all Denver needed. Pushing aside drunken patrons and a few who made approving or jealous sounds as they got a good look at what Denver was doing, Denver covered the distance to the storeroom door.

The harsh fluorescent lights cast Adam in a sickly, pearlescent glow. His hair had been done in that carefully mussed style, but now it was simply mussed. His lips weren’t swollen, but they were damp and parted. His eyes weren’t bloodshot, but they were unfocused and drunk with lust. No terror, though. Not a drop of fear lit those pretty brown eyes.

Denver ran his thumb over Adam’s lip, soaking in the image. Then he placed one of his huge hands on the top of Adam’s head, pushed him onto his knees, and gripped his hair, drawing his head back as he pulled out his cock and ran it over those sweet, parted lips.

This was a pretty damn good image too.

Author of over thirty novels, Midwest-native Heidi Cullinan writes positive-outcome romances for LGBT characters struggling against insurmountable odds because she believes there’s no such thing as too much happy ever after. Heidi is a two-time RITA® finalist and her books have been recommended by Library Journal, USA Today, RT Magazine, and Publisher’s Weekly. When Heidi isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, reading novels and manga, playing with her cats, and watching too much anime. Find out more at heidicullinan.com.