Hate to Love You

By Ava Olsen

He loves me...

Oliver Gaston loves his job as lead bodyguard with Spartan Security, taking every available assignment to keep his mind from ruminating on his haunted past. Now if only he could forget Jon Thackery, a mouthy but sexy private investigator he was paired with on a recent case, a man he loves to hate.

He loves me not...

Jon Thackery is a hard-working PI with absolutely no filter. His blunt manner provokes the temper of many, including the grumpy but gorgeous Oliver. But underneath their heated sparring lies an attraction neither man is prepared for.

He hates to love me. Even better.

Thrown together on a new case, one revealing moment sparks their fiery chemistry and with it, an unexpected depth of emotion they find only in each other’s arms. If love is the flip side of hate, Jon and Oliver are in for a powerful reckoning.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evernight
• Release date: Jul 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9780369506467

Book preview

Published by EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ® at Smashwords

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2022 Ava Olsen

ISBN: 978-0-3695-0646-7

Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Editor: Jessica Ruth

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

Love me or hate me, both are in my favor. If you love me, I’ll always be in your heart. If you hate me, I’ll always be in your mind.

—William Shakespeare

HATE TO LOVE YOU

NY Nights: Bodyguard Edition, 1

Ava Olsen

Copyright © 2022

Chapter One

Oliver

Have a seat, Oliver. I’ve got an urgent assignment that requires your handling.

Oliver sat down in the plush leather chair opposite his boss and tapped a nervous finger on his thigh. As lead bodyguard at Spartan Security Services, Oliver was used to last-minute gigs.

Sounds good, Mason, I’m ready for a new job.

Oliver was ready for a new distraction. Anything to keep his mind occupied and away from the dark thoughts that insidiously wound their way back into his nightly dreams during the past six months. He would never admit how exhausted he was, working six days a week and volunteering every other spare hour. Work was the one place he could momentarily forget about his past and focus on the present. Even if the present meant potentially lethal situations.

Do you know who Dax Martin is? his boss, Mason, asked in his booming voice. Mason Naylor, CEO and founder of Spartan, was built like a tank and scary looking to boot, his dark eyebrows permanently furrowed over a penetrating blue stare. He was dressed similarly to Oliver, in a tight black t-shirt and jeans, the numerous tattoos on his muscled arms prominently displayed. The only thing Oliver knew about Mason was that he had served in the army, just like him, and had scars, visible and likely otherwise, to prove it. He was a good boss, tough but direct, and he’d built Spartan into one of the most in-demand personal protection agencies in the northeast. Oliver considered it a privilege to work as a bodyguard for such an elite operation.

Oliver nodded. Dax is a twenty-seven-year-old Broadway star who recently landed a movie role that starts filming in New York next week. He’s openly gay. There are rumors about him dating several well-known actors, and he’s set to perform at the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square.

Mason’s thick eyebrows lifted in what looked to be an expression of surprise, a big departure from his usual perma-scowl.

Oliver sighed. My cousin Billie designed the costumes for Dax’s last gig. He told me about him, and I half listened.

Sounds like you listened very well. Mason nodded. And yes, Dax is a big star, but he’s a very unassuming, down-to-earth person. Not your usual attention-seeking celebrity. Offstage, he’s funny, kind, and well-read. He also happens to be the nephew of my closest buddy.

This time, it was Oliver’s turn to raise his eyebrows. Mason had a life outside of this place? Mind blown.

You may have read in the news that a year ago, Dax filed a restraining order against his ex-boyfriend, Devon Gains. What you didn’t read, and what I’m telling you in confidence now, was that Dax had been in an abusive relationship with this man for almost two years. The verbal abuse was ongoing and insidious. Dax told me Devon only hit him once, and that was when Dax made the decision to leave. He kept this abuse hidden from everyone until last year. Devon is not happy that Dax has moved on with his life, and now he’s harassing him with e-mails, calls, and texts. The obsession is escalating. I need you to be Dax’s shadow for the foreseeable future and will assign Elijah and Luis as secondaries. He isn’t used to round the clock security, so he may balk at first, but don’t let him out of your sight. I’m not letting anything happen to him. He’s been through enough.

Oliver had never heard Mason speak with such intensity before. The phone on his desk rang. Oliver made to get up, but Mason’s hand gesture said otherwise. Oliver waited.

Yes, Mason replied tersely. Good, send him in. He hung up and looked at Oliver again. There’s one more thing. I’ve called in someone to help investigate this piece of shit Devon, who happens to be a fellow actor, so we can nail his ass to the wall. And I need you to help in any way you can.

Makes sense, Oliver replied. I’m happy to work with this person so we can resolve the situation and Dax can get his life back.

I’m glad you feel that way, Oliver, because... A knock at the door interrupted Mason. Come in! he barked out.

Oliver rose to greet the investigator with a smile on his face until the man stepped into view and all but strutted into the room. He was tall and lean, dressed in slim black jeans, biker boots, a tight leather jacket, and a yellow scarf. Oliver would recognize the cocky strut and that smirking pout anywhere. Jon Thackery. A smart and successful private investigator and a man with absolutely no filter. The man Oliver had worked a case with months ago. The man who pushed Oliver’s patience to the limit. Their arguments were well known to anyone who worked with them. Jon drove him crazy with his smart mouth, sparking angry, hot emotions inside Oliver like a match to gasoline.

You? No way, Mason, you can’t be serious about me working with this guy again! Oliver yelled.

Mason held up his hand, and the glare he gave Oliver made him shut up. Both of you, have a seat.

Jon sauntered over to the seat beside him and sat down, and an edible earthy scent wafted over Oliver and settled in his chest. The PI was irritating as hell, but he smelled fucking amazing. Oliver noticed that Jon’s brown hair was longer now, and artfully messy, falling down around his sharp cheekbones, the trademark yellow scarf wrapped around his neck. His face looked thinner and, conversely, his heart-shaped lips more pronounced. Don’t stare at his mouth. Oliver quickly looked away before he got caught ogling the man. He’d never let me hear the end of that. Oliver’s heart kicked double time, blood pulsing through his veins, like he was preparing to fight or fuck. Taking a deep breath, he willed himself to calm down. It’s Jon. We don’t like him, remember?

That wasn’t completely true. Mason was right. Jon was an excellent investigator—thorough, smart, and quick on his feet. Oliver respected his work, if not his style. And their heated banter may have pushed Oliver’s temper to the limit, but it was more stimulating than any interaction he’d had with anyone in a very long time. It was probably best to keep that information to himself.

Lovely to see you again, Mason. You’re looking ferocious as always, Jon replied, a smirk on his face. He turned his big brown eyes to Oliver and winked. And you as well, Oliver. I can see your blood pressure is still high given your flushed cheeks and the steam coming out of your nose like a prize bull. Or maybe you’re just really excited to see me again?

Look, you piece of—

Shut it, both of you! Mason growled. Now, I know you two don’t get along but…

"Don’t get along? Jon

Reviews for Hate to Love You

[Deaneara Brown · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I struggled to finish this. The story was a nice twist on the bodyguard trope, but the writing was stilited and never drew me in