Tag Archives: Sports Romance

by | April 18, 2018 · 5:00 am

MANAGING BLAKE – Release Blitz

What happens when the right person shows up at the wrong time?
Managing Blake Tour Graphic
MANAGING BLAKE
Debra Elise
Managing Blake cover
Series: The Outlaws of Baseball Book 5
Genre: Contemporary, Sports Romance
Publisher: HEA Productions, LLC
Publication Date: April 17, 2018
Opposites attract, but do they last?
Former all-star player, Blake Anderson manages the Idaho Outlaws. He has one goal–win the league championship by the time he’s forty. A wife and kids? He can wait. He’s lived his life under the motto, ‘one night is enough’. Then the woman who he’s been lusting after from afar is available and one kiss is not going to be enough.
What happens when the right person shows up at the wrong time?
Caris Sloane needs to have a baby-now. Her well laid plans of career, marriage, and baby become flipped. Her ex, who she thought was finally Mr. Right turned into Mr. Wrong–six months ago. A lab failure destroys her frozen eggs–six days ago. She crashes a bachelor party and kisses Blake–six hours ago. Definitely wrong time. She needs a vacation and a new plan.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

Managing Blake Teaser

Excerpt

Wolf whistles and cat calls filled the room. Caris began to laugh and lost herself in the moment. She’d never crashed any party, let alone a bachelor party. She scanned the pub to make sure there weren’t any strippers hiding among the packed room of the best-looking group of men she’d ever seen in person. But it was the man standing in the entryway who captured her immediate attention.
The manager of the Outlaws, Blake Anderson, was looking her up and down. His ocean-blue gaze captured hers. He’d caught her looking, which she didn’t have a problem with. Any woman she knew who enjoyed a finely sculpted man would have done the same thing. She appreciated his wide shoulders and long legs encased in jeans that fit him in all the right places. His dark hair brushed the collar of his white button-down shirt. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing his sun-kissed skin and muscled forearms.
She was a sucker for a man with well-defined shoulders and arms. And a muscled back. But she had no way of knowing if his back matched his front; she could only guess and dream. Because the dream she had of him the last time she saw him came rushing back and warmed her cheeks. They may have never spoken more than polite hellos, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t thought about him a time or two. Well, maybe more than that, but it was a fantasy she’d never thought would happen. She never thought their paths would cross again. Tonight, it had. He was looking at her similar to how he did in her dreams.
But she didn’t appreciate the knowing grin on his face. She gave herself a shake and broke eye contact. She was not here to hook up. Not with Blake or anyone else Lara had plans to put in her path. She had enough drama going on in her life, thank you very much. She just wanted to have another drink and have a good time with her friends. And maybe window shop the group of well put together baseball players who dominated the room.
Maverick and Kelsey had ended their epic kiss, and she was helping him remove the cornucopia of bras he’d acquired. She found Noel at a table sipping a drink while Lara and Luke seemed to be in deep discussion. Their wedding was next month, but at the moment neither one was putting off the vibes Kelsey and Mav were transmitting. Caris walked over to the table and sat down.
“So, what’s everyone drinking?”
Noel waved her off and mouthed, ‘not good’. Caris looked back at the arguing couple and cringed. Dammit. She hated seeing people she cared about argue. It brought back too many memories of her own parents and the constant turmoil they seemed to thrive on.
A glass of wine appeared in front of her on the table. It was attached to the arm she had just been ogling moments ago. Without asking, Blake pulled out a chair, sat and ignored her.

Other Books by Debra Elise

THE OUTLAWS OF BASEBALL –
A baseball team full of bad boys find the women who give them what they never thought they wanted; a happily ever after.
 

Saving Maverick
BOOK ONE

 

  

Catching Luke
BOOK TWO

 

  

Claiming Connor
BOOK THREE

 

  

Mistletoe and Scrooge
BOOK FOUR

 

About Debra Elise

Debra Elise

Debra Elise lives with her husband and their two sons in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She is an Autism advocate, stay-at-home-mom, full time writer, and is always on the lookout for inspiration in all its forms. The final book in the Outlaws of Baseball series, CHASING NOEL, will release in 2018. She is also writing in the paranormal romance genre. Stay tuned for more book info on this project.
Sharing what motivates her is a life passion (a close second to writing romance of course). A self-proclaimed extroverted introvert, when not writing or procrastinating, she enjoys hanging out with other author-type individuals and teasing her three ‘boys’ into displaying their killer smiles. Visit Debra at https://www.debraelise.com
Official Website: https://www.debraelise.com
Debra Elise’s FB Reader & Review Group: https://bit.ly/2z5lp4A

Giveaway

WIN $25 GIFT CARD
Managing Blake Giveaway Graphic
Prizes up for grabs:
Winner’s Choice of $25 Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes Gift Card
Contest runs from April 18 – 24, 2018.
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by | March 12, 2018 · 5:00 am

Scoring off the Field -Blitz

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Scoring off the Field

by Naima Simone
WAGS, #2
Publication Date: March 12, 2018
Genres: Adult, Entangled: Brazen, Contemporary, Romance, Sports Romance, Standalone

Scoring off the Field cover

AVAILABLE NOW!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2HvGDK8
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2FeywRn
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2CyDIMU
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2EG5mJM
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2EEtZ9O
iTunes: https://apple.co/2ESTBDn
Google Play: https://bit.ly/2HwLtqL
Scoring off the Field small cover

SYNOPSIS:

Tennyson Clark is getting a life. First step: quitting her job as assistant to Dominic Anderson, star quarterback for the Washington Warriors, her best friend … and the man she’s been secretly in love with for years. But since the gorgeous, if overprotective playboy has only ever seen her as his BFF, she’s finally ready to relinquish her tattered fantasy and move on. Enter steps two and three: new job and new man.

Football is Dominic’s life, and with his contract soon up for renewal, all his focus needs to be on the game. But Tennyson—dependable, logical Tennyson— is making that next to impossible with her mysterious new job and her sudden interest in online dating. He doesn’t do relationships. But the thought of another man touching her sexier-than-hell curves has him suddenly wanting more from his best friend.

Indulging in hot, dirty, what’s-my-name sex with no strings and lots of benefits is simple, uncomplicated…until it’s not.

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Scoring off the Field teaser

EXCERPT

“What the hell are you talking about now?” Dom barked. “Paying for your college tuition, getting you a job and apartment—I did all that because we’re family, not to control or manage you.”

“We are not family,” Tennyson replied, voice sharp. And those four words jabbed him in the chest, expelling all the air from his lungs. “I’m not the broken little girl from the foster home who you took under your wing anymore. No matter how much you still think I am.”

“Goddamn it,” he growled, getting up in her space. Anger shoved at him, ate at him. The hell he wanted her to be that eleven year-old with the wounded eyes and heart. It’d been his life’s mission to make her forget what betrayal, pain, and hunger felt like. And here she stood, accusing him of… “If you think I want that for you, then you don’t know me at all, Tennyson.”

“No, you don’t want me to be her, but you see me as that girl. You’re still trying to be my hero, my protector, my big brother. I don’t need to be protected, and I damn sure don’t want you as my brother. My life has revolved around yours for the last fourteen years. I’m tired of it,” she stormed. “You don’t respect me as an adult capable of making her own decisions—”

“Could you please stop for a minute?”

She complied, blinking up at him, probably shocked at his asking her to be quiet or the “please”—maybe both.

Anger licked at him, burning him in its flames. Anger, frustration…hurt. They all propelled him forward. Before he could question himself—reason with himself—he was moving, pinning her to the wall, thrusting his fingers through her thick, nearly black curls. Pressing his chest to hers, grinding his cock into the soft give of her stomach. She didn’t utter a word, just stared up at him, shock darkening her eyes, parting her lush lips.

“We’re not family? You don’t want me to protect you?” He hurled her words back at her, tightening his grip on her hair, pulling her head back just a little farther. Her lashes fluttered, and her breath caught, the soft gasp of air brushing his mouth. Oh hell. She liked that. Eyes narrowing on the flush that lightly colored her cheekbones, he tugged on her hair again, a little firmer than the last time. Once more, she gave another of those almost imperceptible pants, a small, hungry sound accompanying it. Her fingers curled into his shirt, her nails barely scraping his chest through the material. But he felt the light scratch all the way in his dick as if she’d drawn them down his already throbbing erection.

Fuck.

“Dom,” she whispered, her lashes lifting. Confusion shadowed her eyes. But so did arousal. And it was the heat there that had him pressing closer until she raised on her toes, another of those whimpers escaping her. Hell, he could make dragging that sound from her another career.

What are you doing? the rational side of his brain scolded. But he barely paid it any heed. The primal side of his psyche had taken hold. And screw it, he let it take over.

“Let me show you what I do to women who aren’t family,” he rasped.

Scoring off the Field teaser 2

ABOUT NAIMA SIMONE

USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone’s love of romance was first stirred by Johanna Lindsey, Sandra Brown and Linda Howard many years ago. Well not that many. She is only eighteen…ish. Though her first attempt at a romance novel starring Ralph Tresvant from New Edition never saw the light of day, her love of romance, reading and writing has endured. Published since 2009, she spends her days—and nights— writing sizzling romances with a touch of humor and snark.

She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bullet proof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter | Street Team | Amazon Author Profile

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by | February 21, 2018 · 10:26 am

Scoring off the Field – Reveal

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Scoring off the Field

by Naima Simone
WAGS, #2
Publication Date: March 12, 2018
Genres: Adult, Entangled: Brazen, Contemporary, Romance, Sports Romance, Standalone

Scoring off the Field cover

#PREORDER YOUR COPY NOW!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2HvGDK8
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2FeywRn
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2CyDIMU
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2EG5mJM
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2EEtZ9O
Google Play: https://bit.ly/2HwLtqL
Scoring off the Field cover 2

SYNOPSIS:

Tennyson Clark is getting a life. First step: quitting her job as assistant to Dominic Anderson, star quarterback for the Washington Warriors, her best friend … and the man she’s been secretly in love with for years. But since the gorgeous, if overprotective playboy has only ever seen her as his BFF, she’s finally ready to relinquish her tattered fantasy and move on. Enter steps two and three: new job and new man.

Football is Dominic’s life, and with his contract soon up for renewal, all his focus needs to be on the game. But Tennyson—dependable, logical Tennyson— is making that next to impossible with her mysterious new job and her sudden interest in online dating. He doesn’t do relationships. But the thought of another man touching her sexier-than-hell curves has him suddenly wanting more from his best friend.

Indulging in hot, dirty, what’s-my-name sex with no strings and lots of benefits is simple, uncomplicated…until it’s not.

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Scoring off the Field teaser

EXCERPT

What the hell is this?” Dom leaned closer to the computer, scowling.

Tennyson glanced at the screen. And silently groaned. Fuck a duck, where was a mudslide, earthquake, or the Rapture when you needed them?

“Tennyson,” he growled, and she shifted her attention from the smiling profile picture of Adam Rutheridge, the guy she’d been communicating with online for the past several days, to Dom.

“What?” she asked, opting to go with innocence. Not that she had to explain her decision to give online dating a try. This whole thing fell under the heading of “Not Dom’s Business.” Heaving a heavy, much aggrieved sigh, she shook her head. “You act like millions of people don’t frequent dating sites every day.”

“You’re not millions of people,” he pointed out. “And what do you need this,” he waved a hand at the screen, “for?”

“Well, unlike you, I don’t have the opposite sex throwing themselves at me in droves,” she pointed out.

“That’s bullshit,” he countered. “You’re beautiful. Any man would want to date you.”

Except him. To him she was beautiful like the little sister who would be pretty even with braces, pigtails, and bad acne. The platitude was nice but empty. “Right,” she scoffed. “I don’t know why you’re so upset. It’s not like this is a new thing.”

“These sites are filled with nuts and perverts who like to make lampshades out of women’s skin.”

She blinked, her lips falling open. “Um, wow. You might want to cut back on Homicide Hunter.”

“This isn’t a joke.” He jabbed a finger at Adam’s cute blue bowtie dotted with miniature gold poodles. “His user ID is HappilyEverAdam for fuck’s sake,” he snarled.

She lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “I thought it was clever and sweet.” When his growl rolled through the room like a foreboding clap of thunder, she held her hands out, palms up. “Give me some credit. It’s not like I’m going to meet him at midnight in an abandoned warehouse. I know the rules. Public place which I’m driving to and from. He can’t exactly skin me alive in a crowded restaurant, can he?” she drawled.

But her sarcasm bounced against him like a medicine ball…filled with lead.

“Tell me you don’t actually plan on meeting this guy,” he said, his voice even, calm. Ominous.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes.”

“Forget it. Not happening,” he ordered in the same tone he used to snap out plays on the football field. Hard. Quick. With a full expectation of being obeyed.

Oh hell no. A matching fury surged within her, hot, swift, and with thorns.

“As much as you like to believe you’re my brother, you’re not. I don’t need to ask your permission to date or consult you on how to go about it. When you start letting me veto or approve your hit-it-and-quit-its, then we can talk. But until then? Back. Off,” she snapped.

Those storm-filled eyes narrowed on her, his full lips flattening into a grim line. Silence, thick and alive with tension, thrummed between them. Intensity seemed to emanate from his powerful body, and he studied her with that same penetrating, concentrated focus. The weight of it touched her face with a pressure that was almost tactile. As if his gaze had transformed into a hand that gripped her face between large, calloused fingers, holding her in a firm, implacable grasp.

His scrutiny dropped to her breasts, and the air in her throat sizzled and evaporated. The black, V-neck top she wore seemed too skimpy and too stifling at once. She couldn’t force a word past her suddenly too-tight esophagus as he frowned and returned his gaze to her face.

Too afraid of herself, of her body’s reaction to him, to remain seated on the couch, she launched to her feet. The heels of her ankle boots clicked against the hardwood floors as she crossed the room toward the desk.

And safety.

Scoring off the Field teaser 2

ABOUT NAIMA SIMONE

USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone’s love of romance was first stirred by Johanna Lindsey, Sandra Brown and Linda Howard many years ago. Well not that many. She is only eighteen…ish. Though her first attempt at a romance novel starring Ralph Tresvant from New Edition never saw the light of day, her love of romance, reading and writing has endured. Published since 2009, she spends her days—and nights— writing sizzling romances with a touch of humor and snark.

She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bullet proof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter | Street Team | Amazon Author Profile

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by | January 11, 2018 · 5:00 am

The Off Season – Cover Reveal

Today we have the gorgeous cover reveal of The Off Season by Megan Green! Check it out and sign up for her newsletter to get release alerts!

The Off Season cover

Title: The Off Season

Author: Megan Green

Genre: Sports Romance

Release Date: February 1st

 

 

About The Off Season:

He had it all…

The day Ian “Tag” Taggart’s world comes crashing down around him, he’s sitting in a fast food drive-thru, waiting for an order of fries. Golden boy of the MLB and shortstop for the Washington Rampage, Tag quickly finds himself losing grip on his superstar life with the use of two awful words: sexual assault.

The only problem? He’s innocent.

Tag’s willing to do anything to prove to the world he’d never commit the crime he’s been accused of. So when his agent suggests taking a break from the spotlight, he listens. The quiet town on Maple Lake is everything Seattle isn’t. And Lexi Barnes is everything he wasn’t expecting to find.

Running from a past she can never escape, Lexi wants nothing to do with her new neighbor. But fixing up an old house takes more work than anticipated, and the new guy in town happens to have quite the set of carpentry skills. She won’t let herself fall for him though. She has no room in her life for love.

If only someone would tell her heart that.

He’s funny and charming. She’s closed off and rude.

Together, they’re like fire and ice.

Prepare to get burned this Off-Season.

The Off Season teaser

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Exclusive Excerpt:

I’ll never forget where I was the day my world came crashing down around me.

I wish I had a better story. Something like, I was volunteering at a hospital, visiting sick children, when the news first hit. Or, I had just finished saving an old woman and her forty-two cats from a burning building when my agent called.

But no. I was sitting in the fucking drive-through at McDonald’s, waiting for my daily fix of salty goodness, when the radio newscaster interrupted coverage of the Seahawks game to drop what would turn out to be the most defining moment of my life thus far.

“Charges have been filed against MLB star Ian Taggart, better known as Tag Taggart, of the Washington Rampage. Our sources say a young woman has come forward with allegations that Taggart sexually assaulted her after their division win last season.”

I didn’t hear what he said after that, my Bluetooth kicking on in my truck as I answered the call from Ray, my agent.

What had started as a simple stop through a pick-up window ended up being the catalyst to the worst period of my entire life. And, now, six months and hours and hours of turmoil, frustration, and a hell of a lot of anger later, it all comes down to this moment.

My career.

My life.

My future.

Coach Peters is sitting across from me with James Shelton, the Rampage’s GM, to his left.

Lucky for me, Mr. Lane couldn’t be here today. As the owner of the team, he generally tries to stay abreast of anything involving his players. He’s a little too involved, if you ask me. I’ve had far more meetings with the man in the past few months than I ever cared to have in my life. Add in the fact that he’s a class-A douche canoe, and…well, let’s just say, there are times when I’ve had to wonder if this is my punishment for the crime I didn’t even commit. Having to deal with Tyler Lane on the regular has to be worse than any prison cell could ever be.

And that’s right; you heard me correctly. I know that’s the standard answer all assholes give when they’re hit with a rape charge. And I know, ninety percent of the time, they’re lying through their teeth. Being a professional athlete seems to make some guys think they’re untouchable—a fact I can attest to from the hundreds, if not thousands, of times I’ve witnessed unwanted advances, unpaid tabs, drugs, and dozens of other less than savory activities. But I digress.

The fact is, I am not that guy. I love women. I respect women. Fuck, if I could build a shrine to women and worship at the altar of femininity, I would. Because, if there’s one thing in this world I love more than baseball, it’s the female body. But I would never touch a woman in any way that was unwanted or untoward.

The night I met Angela Hancock was the best night of my life.

We’d just won our division championship—a first in my seven years with the Rampage—and I was riding high. And I could think of no better way to celebrate than a night out with my teammates, a few bottles of Jack split between us, and a couple of willing females to keep us company.

I set my sights on Angela the moment I spotted her on the dance floor, her short black skirt and low-cut red top too mouthwatering to resist. When she took a break from her friends and headed to the bar to refresh her drink, I made my move.

Now, I’m not going to lie and say I had to work to get her attention. To be totally honest, I’ve never had any trouble finding a woman to warm my bed. With my muscular build, tan skin, and fucking adorable smile—you try to tell me dimples aren’t cute—I know I fit the mold of what women consider hot. And, before you start to think I’m a cocky asshole, let me stop you right there. There’s a difference between conceit and confidence. My teammate Simon Weaver is an arrogant fuckwit. Me, on the other hand? I radiate a smooth assurance that women can’t help but be attracted to.

To say getting Angela back to my room was easy would be an understatement. After one quick dance—if you could even call it that—we basically just dry-humped the shit out of each other for three minutes. And, with another shot of Jack for the road, we were on our way.

I might have had a few drinks, but I wasn’t drunk. And I can say with absolute certainty that everything that happened that night was completely consensual.

Angela slammed the door behind us and had my shirt off and her hand down my pants faster than you could say, Do you have a condom? I’ve always been a sucker for a girl who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to take control.

But, even in my lust-fueled state, I wasn’t too far gone to stop for protection and to make sure she understood what this was.

“This is only for tonight. You got that, right?”

Not exactly the most romantic thing in the world to hear two seconds before some dude shoves his cock inside you, but as I said, I like to make sure a woman knows exactly what she’s getting with me.

She made no bones about my declaration, and the next few hours were pretty fucking amazing, if I do say so myself.

In fact, the only reason I remembered who she was when Ray called me to give me the deets on the woman pressing charges was because of what a fantastic lay she had been. Normally, I’m a love-’em-and-leave-’em kinda guy—all their faces sort of blurring together into one giant blob of sexy times.

Hey, I said I wasn’t a rapist. I never said I wasn’t a whore.

The Off Season teaser 2

 

About the Author:

megan green photo

Megan lives in Northern Utah with her handsome hubby, Adam. When not writing, chances are you’ll find her curled up with her Kindle. Besides reading and writing, she loves movies, animals, chocolate, and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. She loves hearing from readers, so drop her a line! You can find her here:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Email | Reader Group

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by | July 11, 2017 · 5:00 am

CLEARING THE ICE – SERIES BLITZ

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Sports Romance
Midsummer Madness Sale—or Sunstroke creates crazy ideas! For the first time, you can buy the first two books in Robyn M. Ryan’s Clearing the Ice trilogy for just $1.98 (or $.99 each). This offer is good only July 10-14. Regular price for the set is $6.98 ($2.99 and $3.99). Grab this red hot deal and add some semi-sweet romance to your beach reads!
this piece of my heart cover

This Piece of My Heart
Published: May, 2016
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She wasn’t looking for love.
 
Struggling to live up to the high expectations of overprotective parents and a hefty family name, Caryn Stevens only wants one Summer of Fun before focusing on finishing her college degree. She knows her destiny: to follow her dad as CEO of his multi-million dollar business. But that plan changes forever one day when she runs into—literally—sexy and single major league hockey player, Andrew Chadwick.
But love came looking for her.
 
Sparks instantly fly between the two, and Caryn can’t resist his charms as she discovers that Andrew has a reputation of winning – both on and off the ice. One of the most eligible singles in Toronto, Andrew could have any woman he wants, and he’s got Caryn in sights. But, when Caryn’s parents disapprove of the match and threaten to disinherit her and his hockey team trades him to a new city, it make take more than love for the couple to survive this penalty play.
This piece of my soul cover

This Piece of My Soul
Published: January 24, 2017
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They believe love conquers all.
 
One of pro-hockey’s golden couples, Andrew and Caryn Chadwick live in the limelight reserved for elite professional athletes. On their second anniversary, Andrew receives an unexpected contract offer to join the Tampa Suns. As they look forward to a new adventure, neither foresees an event that challenges their love and threatens their marriage.
Until it doesn’t. 
 
A sudden and senseless accident threatens Andrew’s life and inexplicably drives a wedge between the couple. Shattered by the incident, paralyzed by fear that it could happen again, Caryn finds herself at odds with her husband and unable to provide the support he needs—at the time he is most vulnerable.
As their perfect world crumbles, each makes choices that take Andrew and Caryn further apart. Distrust, fears, and secrets construct walls. This Piece of My Soul follows the joint and separate paths the couple navigate as each hopes to rediscover the love that can conquer all.
This Piece of My Soul ends in a cliffhanger. The trilogy will conclude in This Piece of Our Being, anticipated release date Fall 2017
Excerpt from This Piece of My Soul

 

After a freak accident nearly takes Andrew’s life, he faces months of rehab. His goal—a complete recovery that will enable him to rejoin the Suns and compete at an elite level again. Caryn, however, fears that this accident wasn’t just a fluke. If it happened once…
Caryn decided to surprise Andrew one day when she visited. She’d gotten in the habit of pulling on the same old pair of jeans and whatever shirt was handy. She looked through her closet, finally selecting a brightly flowered dress that matched her mood. She took a little extra care with her makeup and hair, and even added a touch of perfume behind her ears.
Andrew’s surprised expression quickly turned into a warm smile when she entered the room, and he set aside his iPad and held his hand out to her as she walked toward the chair.
“Hello, gorgeous.” He grasped her hand and pulled her toward him. “You look sensational.” She perched on the arm of the chair, the warmth in his eyes spreading through her.
“Good day so far?” She kissed him, a brush across the lips.
“Right now I’d say freaking fantastic. Unless you’re wearing that dress just to torment me.”
“Not my intent.”
Andrew pulled her onto his lap, his fingers tracing the edge of the bodice. “My favorite dress, you know.”
“I thought you liked it.” Caryn’s stomach contracted expectantly at his touch. Her skin tingled beneath his fingers, and she kissed him gently. His arms closed around her, and Andrew held her tightly as his lips accepted her kiss, quickly deepening it. His hands grazed her skin, and tenderness quickly yielded to passion in a seemingly endless kiss.
Caryn knew her cheeks were flushed when she pulled back to catch her breath. Andrew touched her chin gently, his darkened eyes casting a spell she didn’t want to resist. He started to speak, then changed his mind, and guided her lips toward his again.
They might have forgotten they were in the hospital and allowed their emotions to lead them, finally given in to the desire Caryn knew raged within both of them, but Andrew unexpectedly pulled back. Caryn murmured a protest. He placed a finger gently against her lips, and then looked over her shoulder. She followed his gaze, feeling her cheeks burn when she saw Dan Forster.
“Doctor, your timing is incredible.” Andrew smiled wryly.
“Sorry to interrupt, Chadwick,” Forster retorted. “Busy day or I’d come back later.”
Caryn stood awkwardly and moved away from the chair, noticing that Andrew’s eyes followed her every movement. She shivered slightly, suddenly cold without his arms around her, every nerve in her body alive to his touch. She couldn’t take her eyes off him, even after he turned his attention to the doctor’s questions. She tried to concentrate on their conversation, but only a few words penetrated the haze of desire.
“I suppose you’ll be asking about putting a lock on that door,” Forster commented as he completed his entry on Andrew’s electronic chart.
Caryn blushed, but Andrew laughed. “Sounds like a good idea to me. When do I get some R&R with my wife?”
“Negotiate that at your own risk. You know the comings and goings of the staff better than I do. You’re making good progress, Andrew. You will move to the Rehab Center in the not-so-distant future.”
“Other than a relocation, how will that change anything?”
“More types of therapy than you are receiving now. We’ll focus on all your sensory systems, push you beyond your comfort zone. I’ll remain your primary doctor.”
“So we could incorporate the plan Pettit outlined?”
“That would serve as the center of your PT program.”
“And to move there, I have to…?”
“Andrew, I need to see significant improvement with your balance, the ability to walk with a cane, and no assistance with your personal needs.”
Caryn watched as Andrew processed this, then nodded with a smile. “I like goals.”
“Yes, I’ve noticed.”
“I especially like goals when I’m scoring them during a game.”
Forster laughed. “Patience, Chadwick.”
Scoring goals in a game. The words literally knocked the wind out of Caryn as her mind flashed back to that night. Andrew diving to block the puck… the instant she knew he’d misjudged the angle, the puck crashing against the side of his head. Caryn turned her head, her heart racing and reached inside her purse. She grabbed the container for her anti-anxiety medicine, and fingered one into her hand while Andrew continued to chat with Forster. Neither appeared to notice as she swallowed it dry, and then Caryn concentrated on taking deep calming breaths. As soon as Dan walked from the room, Caryn stepped to the counter and opened a Diet Coke.
“Can I get you anything, Drew?”
“I’m good. Headache?”
Caryn looked over her shoulder at him and shrugged. “Just trying to avoid one.” She felt his eyes searching hers, and then he beckoned her to his side. He grasped her waist and pulled her onto his lap.
“You got so pale all of a sudden. Are you okay?”
Caryn shrugged. “Skipped breakfast again. You know how that affects me.” She managed a quiet laugh. I can’t keep burdening him with my fears. He needs positive support, not a whiny, frightened, unsupportive wife. I can deal with my fears later.
“So do I need to send you a text each morning to remind you?” His eyes teased her.
Caryn looked at him with a light laugh. “If you don’t forget.”
“I’ll do my best.” He slipped his hand to her neck and gently massaged her shoulder. If he noticed the tense muscles he didn’t mention it. “Today, you looked so beautiful when you walked in. I just wanted to get up and carry you away.”
She touched his cheek. “You will soon, Andrew.”
“It’s taking forever,” he complained. “I’m tired of this hospital. I can’t even remember what ‘normal’ is anymore.”
“Maybe you could come home for a weekend?” Caryn ventured tentatively.
“Yeah, maybe when Dan releases me to the Rehab Center.”
“How was therapy today? I never had a chance to ask you.”
“For the most part I’m done with the parallel bars. Now I’m working with weights to strengthen my legs and arms, and of course, balance activities.”
Caryn rested her hand on his bicep. “This feels plenty strong to me.” A smile crossed her face. “So you’re going to come home even more ripped than you are now?”
Andrew laughed. “I’m hardly ‘ripped’ as you put it. I’m losing muscle tone and strength every day.”
Caryn ran her hand against his chest, and then playfully lifted his shirt to peer at his abs. “If you say so, Drew.” She lightly outlined the muscles with her fingers. “Enough to get my heart racing. You just keep that shirt on during therapy, understand?”
“How about when I get a massage?”
She knew by his tone that Andrew was teasing. “Just keep it on.” She tried to maintain a straight face, but the look in his eyes caused her to break into giggles. “I love you, Drew,” she managed. “And I don’t want any other woman’s hands on you.”

 

About the AuthorBy the time she was an eight-year-old tomboy growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Robyn M. Ryan definitely knew what she wanted to do when she grew up—play major league baseball or write. She wrote throughout elementary and high school, first composing novels featuring favorite TV and music personalities, and then venturing into sports writing.

Attending UGA’s journalism school launched her career in public relations, which included an internship with the Atlanta Flames NHL hockey team. With the encouragement of a writers group on twitter—WritersThatChat—This Piece of My Heart, a hockey romance, and the first book in Robyn’s series Clearing the Ice was published May 2016. This Piece of My Soul, published January, 2017, continues the series and introduces the Tampa Suns professional hockey team.
Besides writing, Robyn’s passions include following the New York Rangers, NASCAR, and the Atlanta Braves; splitting time between homes in Atlanta and Palm Coast, and visiting Paris as often as possible. Two brilliant Westies rule both homes.
As do many writers, Robyn chooses to write using a pseudonym—hers is a combination of her sons’ names, a contribution from her youngest nephew.
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