“So where are you headed from here?” Tyler asked him as they stood next to the luggage carousel, waiting for their bags to come out.
Oh, the number of ways Cam could answer that question—most of them some variation of Who the fuck knows? But that wasn’t what Tyler was referring to. “I’m crashing with my sister for tonight, and then we’re driving up to my parents’ house for the weekend.”
Tyler nodded. “Where does your sister live?”
“SoHo somewhere.”
“Ah right, you mentioned she was a fashion photographer,” Tyler said.
Being stuck in close quarters for eight hours and unable to sleep had unlocked Cam’s sharing side, or maybe it was Tyler and his constant barrage of questions, pulling personal information out of Cam that he would never have thought to divulge.
“Yeah, she’s a bit of a diva.”
“Is she coming to pick you up?” Tyler asked.
“No, she’s got a shoot scheduled or something. Besides, she doesn’t have a car, so we’d be cabbing it anyway.”
Cam jumped when the light on top of the carousel flashed and the loud horn blared, the metal conveyor belt groaning to life. Fuck. He clenched his jaw and balled up his fists as he waited for his heart rate to normalize. From the way Tyler eyed him, he was pretty sure his reaction had not gone unnoticed.
“I’m not far from SoHo. Over in Tribeca. You want to share a cab?” Tyler carried on, and Cam gave small thanks that he hadn’t pressed the issue.
“Um.” It was a simple question, but his brain was still preoccupied with that blaring horn, and it took him a moment to formulate the answer he wanted. “Yeah, sure.”
Bags started sliding out from the mysterious belly of the airport, and passengers rushed forward to grab their belongings. Cam kept one eye on the conveyor belt and the other on Tyler, standing next to him with a sleek leather satchel slung over his shoulder and a navy sports coat tucked over an arm. He stood tall and straight-backed, almost regal with his coifed hair and crisp clothing.
He looked like he belonged in New York.
Cam’s hair was falling out of its ponytail, and his raggedy clothes hung on his body. His rundown backpack lay at his feet, heavy with his banged-up laptop. Who was he kidding? He was a field guy—what made him think he could cut it at a desk job in New York?
A silver hard-backed luggage case slid out onto the conveyor belt, and Tyler moved forward to pull it out. As he bent over, Cam couldn’t help but notice the way his jeans hugged his thighs, the curve of his buttocks. By habit, Cam flicked his eyes away, scanning the crowd for anyone who might have caught his indiscretion, but no one was paying any attention.
This was why he’d come home. So he could be himself without constantly looking over his shoulder or feeling like he was putting the safety of everyone around him at risk.
Tyler dragged his suitcase toward him with a grin, and for the first time, Cam let himself stare. The memory of Tyler’s lips under his, the smoothness of his skin under Cam’s hands—he might be allowed to look now, but Cam doubted he’d ever get to feel Tyler’s body the way he’d felt it that night.
Pushing the idea out of his head, he caught sight of his bag as it dropped onto the metal conveyer belt. He jogged to grab it and drag it back to where Tyler waited, again with a sting of embarrassment when he placed his bag next to Tyler’s. His wasn’t even a suitcase; it was an oversized military-grade nylon duffel bag with handles barely attached and covered in duct tape.
“Ready?” Tyler asked.
“Yeah.”
*****
Welcome to the blog tour for Inside Darkness! I’m Hudson Lin and I’m here to share some behind the scenes sneak peaks about my debut novel, available June 11th. Leave a comment on the tour posts for a chance to win a $10 gift card from Amazon!
About Inside Darkness
He’s come in from the field, but the darkness has followed him home.
After a decade as an aid worker, Cameron Donnelly returns home jaded, tired, and with more than just a minor case of PTSD. Plagued by recurring nightmares but refusing to admit he has a problem, Cam quickly spirals into an alcohol-infused depression, and everyone around him is at a loss for how to help.
Journalist Tyler Ang met Cam on a reporting assignment in Kenya, and their first encounters were rife with hostility and sexual tension. Back in New York, their paths continually cross, and each time, Cam’s brokenness reminds Ty more and more of his own difficult childhood. Letting Cam in goes against Ty’s instinct to live life autonomously, but the damaged aid worker manages to sneak past his guard.
Their relationship is all sharp corners and rough edges, and just as they’re figuring out how to fit together, a life-threatening accident puts it all in jeopardy. If they want a future together, both will have to set aside their egos and learn to carry each other’s burdens.
*****
About Hudson Lin
Hudson Lin was raised by conservative immigrant parents and grew up straddling two cultures with often-times conflicting perspectives on life. Instead of conforming to either, she has sought to find a third way that brings together the positive elements of both.
Having spent much of her life on the outside looking in, Hudson likes to write about outsiders who fight to carve out their place in society, and overcome everyday challenges to find love and happily ever afters.
When not engrossed in a story, Hudson knits, drinks tea, and works the nine-to-five in the beautiful city of Toronto, Canada.
Connect with Hudson:
Website: www.hudsonlin.com
Twitter: @hudsonlinwrites
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hudsonlinwrites
*****
Giveaway
To celebrate the release of Inside Darkness, Hudson is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on June 16, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!