After Dark
Night Owl Trilogy – Book 3
By M. Pierce
Synopsis
In the final novel of the Night Owl Trilogy from bestselling author M. Pierce, can a passion that has withstood many ordeals become a love strong enough to last a lifetime?
Matt Sky is trying to return to normal, having faked his death and come back to life. He and Hannah move back in together, and Matt attempts to put his demons to rest as they strive to grow their relationship into something durable and honest. But as the two become more and more entangled, and the heat between them intensifies in all the best possible ways, Matt’s desire for Hannah ignites cravings he has kept at bay for a long, long time…
Hannah finally has the life she’s always wanted: she’s pursuing her career as a literary agent at Granite Wing Agency, she is writing her first novel, and she is living with her hot, passionate lover. But as Matt and Hannah explore a new intimacy, Hannah finds that there are parts of Matt–dark, wild, uncontrollable parts–that he has yet to show her…that he has yet to show anyone…Under the surface of Matt and Hannah’s domestic bliss, deeply buried secrets burn, and all of a sudden, the least foreseen obstacle threatens to shatter everything they’ve worked so hard for.
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Excerpt
We made out for a full quarter-hour before I noticed the tent in the living room.
“Matt!” I snickered. He’d moved the coffee table and couch to accommodate the tent. It was new, or new to me—a tall gray and orange dome.
“Aha, she finally sees it.” He stalked over to the tent. Yes, it was definitely new. Matt wore his distinct “Do you like my new toy?” expression, and he circled the tent and folded his arms and studied it, signaling that I should also take a moment to admire it. I did.
“Wow . . . it’s nice.” I touched one of the poles. “So big. So . . .” In our living room.
“Mm. I got it at REI. Had to throw it together, make sure nothing was missing.” He frowned at the mesh-and-polyester palace. “I thought we might take it for a spin this evening, but not in this weather.”
On cue, thunder crackled and boomed outside.
“Oh, babe.” I rubbed his back. “Lemme get into dry clothes and we’ll ‘take it for a spin’ right here, okay?” I kissed his cheek. “Happy Fourth.”
His eyes lit up like a child’s.
“Perfect,” he said, already halfway into the tent.
I peeled off my wet clothes and changed into my Shell Belle Couture chemise, an expensive little gift from Matt. I never bought such nice things for myself. The champagne silk complemented my pale skin and felt luxurious. The lace cups, well . . . I resisted the urge to grab a robe as I felt my nipples hardening. Matt liked the lace cups best of all.
In the bathroom, I untangled my hair with Moroccan oil and washed my face. On my skin, I left the scent of rainwater.
I returned to a living room devoid of pillows.
The tent flap was shut.
“Knock knock?” I said.
With a swift zinging sound, Matt unzipped the door from inside.
“Why, come in.” He was laughing. The tent was tall, but taller Matt stood stooped beneath the dome. All our pillows lay around his feet.
“Don’t mind if I do.” I took his hand and stepped inside.
He stared openly at my chest.
“Oh,” he said.
His expression grew somber. I wanted to burst out laughing.
God, his cuteness . . .
“Very swanky in here.” I sat cross-legged on a pillow and looked around. The tent was cozy, the inner flaps a vibrant orange, and adorable Matt had stocked a wall pouch with snacks and drinks: two cans of Coke and a bag of goldfish. In another flap, two books and a flashlight.
“I was just testing those pouches,” he mumbled, gesturing to the snacks. “Hi.” He shucked off his shirt—yum—and crawled to me. “Hi . . .”
“Hi,” I said, giggling. “Hello. Did I ruin storytime with lingerie?” I slid my fingers up his arms. Whisper of skin on skin. My hands curled over his shoulders.
“No.” He closed in on me, his body pressing mine back and down. He went for my neck with his teeth, like an animal. Bit the column of my throat. Licked away the hurt.
“Ah,” I gasped, arching under him. I pawed at his abs and pulled at the band of his lounge pants.
An electrical pop sounded in the condo and the room went dark.
Matt and I froze.
We laughed in unison, sitting up and holding one another.
Pure darkness. I clung to his torso.
“Well, this is a first,” I said. “Our first power outage.”
“Always be prepared.” Matt groped around until he found the flashlight. He turned it on and hung it from the top of the tent. A cone of light shone over us.
His erection tented the front of his pants. I reached for it, my hand drawn to it. I gripped his head through the fabric. God, I loved seeing him turned on.
“I’m glad that happened.” He flexed into my hand. “Slowed me down.”
“Baby, you don’t have to slow down.”
“I know. I want to.” He caressed the undersides of my breasts and my nipples. The intricate lace of the cups scratched gently at my skin. I twitched and moaned.
He reached up and turned off the flashlight.
Michel’s Review
After Dark is the conclusion to the highly addictive and somewhat disturbing Night Owl Trilogy. The Night Owl Trilogy is a different kind of romance. It is romance based upon sexual obsession, compulsive passion, and dark needs. The characters are not your normal kind of characters with your typical kind of issues. Their relationship is driven by mental illness and dysfunctional personality traits. One is somewhat normal and the other is a severe manic depressive. Their passion for one another is very real. Their love for one another is unquestionable. Their problems are based upon their perceptions of the world and their part in that world.
The Night Owl Trilogy is one of those kind of stories that you hate to love and love to hate. It is like waiting for the train wreck to happen and being one of those morbid bystanders. At the same time you are hoping that these victims are going to survive and live their life happily ever after.
This conclusion to the Night Owl Trilogy is outstanding and perfect for this couple’s journey. It will leave the readers satisfied. They will feel validated for the time they invested in the characters and their story. This review is going to be brief and spoiler free. I don’t want to ruin this reading experience for other readers.
After Dark is the final book. It picks up where Last Light left off. Matt and Hannah are facing the music for his faked death and actions while he was supposedly dead. They are dealing with the ramifications of the publication of Night Owl. They are dealing with Matt trying to integrate into normal society and become a functioning person. They are also dealing with Hannah’s marriage proposal. Are they ready to take their relationship to the ultimate kind of commitment? Can they have this kind of bond with Matt’s mental illness?
They are also dealing with the issues that hurt their relationship during Matt’s disappearance from the world. There are issues with his brother Seth. They are dealing with Matt and Hannah’s family. Matt is having to face the reality of how he broke Hannah’s ultimate trust in their relationship. Plus they will have to face issues that most normal couples face when embarking on marriage. Can Hannah deal with Matt’s mental issues for a lifetime? Can Matt get the help he needs to be a better partner to Hannah?
Matt’s brother Seth and Hannah’s sister will play major roles in this segment of the story. Matt’s older brother Nate , bless his heart, will once again be the pillar the Sky family needs.
I have to commend Hannah for her strength. Her strong sense of dedication and understanding are beyond expectations. Her fortitude helped her hang onto herself in the mad world that Matt creates.
I have to commend Matt for reaching deep within himself to seek the help he needs. He will never be well. He will never be normal. He has to learn to find his inner peace. He has to learn to manage his emotions. He has to learn to share himself. He has to learn to put others first. This is not easy for a self absorbed and mentally ill man.
I was quite satisfied with how this story ended. There was only one thing in the book that bothered me beyond exception. As we all know, Seth has issues, he has that middle child syndrome. The one time he needed to be the center of attention, he was denied. Matt once again took that away from Seth. The one time that Nate should of put Seth first he chose Matt.
I highly recommend the Night Owl Trilogy. The books have to be read in order. They cannot be read as a stand alone books. It is a dark and unpredictable journey that will take readers down the rabbit hole.
The Night Owl Trilogy
Night Owl – Book 1
“Tautly written, complex, and vibrating with a dark sensuality that will have you at once blushing and anxious. You’ll think you have this book pegged . . . but you’ll be wrong.”–Christina Lauren, New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling authors of The Beautiful Bastard series
From bestselling ebook author M. Pierce comes Night Owl, the first novel in a provocative erotic trilogy where an anonymous online writing partnership turns into an uncontrollable, passionate obsession
At twenty-eight, Matt Sky has the perfect life. He has a beautiful girlfriend, a massive inheritance, and four national bestsellers — all penned under his airtight alias, M. Pierce.
At twenty-seven, Hannah Catalano is a train wreck. Her boyfriend is a deadbeat and her job is abysmal.
Matt and Hannah meet online as writing partners. Their relationship is safe, anonymous, and innocent…
Until Matt sees a picture of Hannah. Hannah’s picture sparks an attraction Matt is powerless to ignore. When circumstance brings Matt and Hannah together, the strangers begin a love story that’s passionate, poignant, unforgettable, and unstoppable.
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Last Light – Book 2
Tensions rise, secrets grow bigger, and passions run deeper—and hotter—in Last Light, the second novel of the Night Owl Trilogy from bestselling author M. Pierce.
Matt Sky is missing. After a solo ascent of Longs Peak that left only a large blood stain, tatters of climbing clothing, and the tracks of an animal in the snow, he is presumed dead.
Hannah Catalano is guarding a secret: she knows Matt is alive. After Matt’s memorial service, she lingers on the East Coast with his family, but it soon becomes clear that his brothers’ motives are less than gracious. Nate Sky is bent on tracking down the author of Night Owl, a book that charts the last days of Matt’s life with uncanny and scandalous accuracy, and which appeared only after his death. Seth Sky is bent on getting Hannah into his bed.
Hidden away in the woods, Matt and Hannah strive desperately to maintain their ruse and their relationship—but their web of lies only tightens as Matt struggles with the consequences of his decision, and Hannah tries to escape Nate’s libel suit and fend off Seth’s advances…until Hannah is put in danger, and Matt must make a life or death choice.
Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Kobo
After Dark – Book 3
In the final novel of the Night Owl Trilogy from bestselling author M. Pierce, can a passion that has withstood many ordeals become a love strong enough to last a lifetime?
Matt Sky is trying to return to normal, having faked his death and come back to life. He and Hannah move back in together, and Matt attempts to put his demons to rest as they strive to grow their relationship into something durable and honest. But as the two become more and more entangled, and the heat between them intensifies in all the best possible ways, Matt’s desire for Hannah ignites cravings he has kept at bay for a long, long time…
Hannah finally has the life she’s always wanted: she’s pursuing her career as a literary agent at Granite Wing Agency, she is writing her first novel, and she is living with her hot, passionate lover. But as Matt and Hannah explore a new intimacy, Hannah finds that there are parts of Matt–dark, wild, uncontrollable parts–that he has yet to show her…that he has yet to show anyone…Under the surface of Matt and Hannah’s domestic bliss, deeply buried secrets burn, and all of a sudden, the least foreseen obstacle threatens to shatter everything they’ve worked so hard for.
Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Kobo
About M. Pierc
Pierce is the bestselling author of Night Owl, book one in the erotic Night Owl Trilogy. The author lives in Colorado and owns a rabbit named Laurence.
Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads
Giveaway
M. has a great giveaway going on for the release – twelve total prizes including:
- Two SIGNED Paperback Sets (Night Owl, Last Light, After Dark)
- 6 Sets of Signed Bookmarks (3 bookmarks per set – one from each book)
- Alex and Ani Ode to the Owl Charm Bangle (Silver or Gold Finish – winners choice – picture attached)
- Owl Campfire Tshirt (Color and size – winners choice – picture attached)
- Two $15 Amazon Gift Card
Brighton Walsh spent nearly a decade as a professional photographer before deciding to take her storytelling in a different direction and reconnect with writing. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children.
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