“No!” She’d stared at me with big eyes and an open mouth. “No, don’t do that! I can live here in Chicago.” And she’d told me how she’d been planning to record her album in Chicago before I messed things up. How she’d been thinking about how she could live in Chicago. So then I’d asked her to move in with me—so we’d be together as much as we could.
Today she’d found my stash of pictures of her. We’d had a laugh over them.
I set down my wineglass. “I had such a crush on you,” I admitted, pushing her hair off her face with both hands, eyes fixed on hers. “For a long time before we even met. Before we even tweeted. Jesus, that day you replied to my tweet I was totally jacked.”
“Really?”
“Is a frog’s asshole watertight?”
She laughed. “Is that why you bet me a date?”
“Yeah. I mean, I didn’t plan to do that. It just happened.”
Her smile reached deep inside me.
“But I didn’t even really know you,” I added. “I knew you were beautiful and sexy and talented. But now I know you better…and I know you’re a bit of a drama queen with a love of chocolate cherry chunk ice cream and a fear of fire, and you’d lose your head if it wasn’t attached to your body, and you like butting into people’s lives, but it’s only because you care with that great big heart of yours.”
She rolled her eyes, but still smiled.
“Every time we were together, I couldn’t believe I was with Jordyn Banks. I felt so goddamn lucky.”
“Well, I felt lucky too. And especially when I got another chance after turning you down for a second date. That was a mistake.”
“It really was.”
Her lips twitched. “I felt bad about it, because I did want to see you again. That first date…I had so much fun, and you made me feel so relaxed and…safe.”
“Safe?” I blinked.
“Yeah. Safe to just be myself.”
“Ah.” I nodded.
“I don’t feel that way with many people. Also, you made me, um, thirsty.”
I chuckled. “Oh hell yeah, me too, song girl. In fact, we should be celebrating in bed right now.” I pulled her into my arms and kissed her. The sparks were still there. In fact every day they got hotter, and having her love and trust and support only made me want her tight little body more. All the time. Always. Now.
I picked her up in my arms and she held on to me, smiling at me as I strode into our bedroom. I paused beside the bed with her in my arms. “When I said I felt lucky to be with you…I still do.”
Our eyes met and held. “I still do too.”
We’d both been playing hurt, and we were both comeback kids, determined to succeed, but now we were rooting for each other…even more than we were for ourselves.
Acknowledgments
I always have to thank the team that helps me get my books out there—Emily Sylvan Kim, Stacey Price, everyone at Loveswept—Sue Grimshaw, Gina Wachtel, Madeleine, Kristin, Matthew…but this time I have to add exxxxxtra thanks to Sue Grimshaw for knowing just how this book could be so much better. Thank you!
BY KELLY JAMIESON
Aces Hockey
Major Misconduct
Off Limits
Icing
Top Shelf
Back Check
Slap Shot
Playing Hurt
Big Stick (coming soon)
Bayard Hockey
Shut Out
Cross Check
Last Shot
Body Shot
Hot Shot
Long Shot
Other Books
Dancing in the Rain
PHOTO: LANCE THOMSON PHOTOGRAPHIC
USA Today bestselling author KELLY JAMIESON is the author of more than forty contemporary romance novels. She writes the kind of books she loves to read—sexy romances with heat, humor, and emotion. She likes coffee (black), wine (mostly white), and shoes (high!). She also loves watching hockey.
kellyjamieson.com
Twitter: @KellyJamieson
Read on for an excerpt from
Big Stick
An Aces Hockey Novel
by Kelly Jamieson
Available from Loveswept
Nick would rather be having his back, sack, and crack waxed than be going to a party, but it was his best buddy Hallsy’s birthday, and Hallsy had been through a rough time the last couple of years. Actually, so had he; they were a sad pair. Anyway, after what they’d been through he could at least do this. One little birthday party with all their teammates. He’d managed to get out of the Super Bowl party a few weeks ago at Rosser’s place, but he couldn’t turn down this.
Hallsy totally deserved this bash his new girlfriend, Kendra, was throwing him.
Seeing his friend happy and in love again was great, but it was February, which was almost March, which was a bad month for Nick. He knew he should just get over it, but it wasn’t that easy.
Kendra opened the door to him, a big smile on her face. He’d gotten to know her somewhat better over the last months, and she was…fantastic. He wasn’t one to get all excited about things, and he was irritated about having to be here, but even he didn’t have it in him to be an asshole to Kendra.
Her smile glowed, her long red-gold hair flowing back over her shoulders. “Hi, Nick!” And she went up on her toes and hugged him.
He wasn’t a huggy person. His body stiffened, and he circled his arms around her body without really touching her. Shit. He was being an asshole. He couldn’t help himself.
She drew back, still smiling, like she hadn’t even noticed his awkwardness. “This must be for Max.”
“Yeah.” He handed over the parcel, an expensive single malt Scotch collection that included some Scotch stones and a tumbler, which thankfully had come gift wrapped in glossy black and white paper, because he was good with his hands but not when it came to flimsy paper and sticky goddamn tape.
“We said no gifts,” she admonished him.
“I know, I know, but it’s not much, really.”
She shook her head, but smiled. “Come in, I’ll go put this away. What can we get you to drink? Beer? Scotch?”
“Scotch would be great.”
Kendra bustled ahead of him carrying the gift, and Nick followed her into the spacious living room of the condo Hallsy had bought last year. He’d been there plenty of times but this was the first time he’d seen it like this—filled with people talking and laughing, music playing, the atmosphere warm and vibrant.
What a difference.
It was good, though, really good for Hallsy.
He exchanged bro handshakes, hugs, and backslaps with some of his teammates and their wives, forcing smiles for them. “Hey, Benny. Jenna. Hi, Dupe. Army. Good to see you, Lovey. Amber.”
All three women were pregnant. They looked huge. Okay that was exaggerating, but pregnancy scared the crap out of Nick. Where was that drink?
He wandered farther, greeting more of the guys, spying Kendra in the dining room at the buffet that had been set up as a bar. He headed that way and accepted the glass she handed him. “Thanks. Cheers.” He held up the glass.
An arm hooked around his neck and yanked him. Hallsy.
Nick shook his head, smiling. This time the hug was easy. “Happy birthday, old man.”
“Thanks, bro. Glad you came.”
Hallsy said it lightly, but Nick heard the serious undertone in his voice. Nick had been blowing off invitations all month, and Hallsy knew it and he knew why. He’d taken to dropping in at Nick’s new house at random times, just for a beer or coffee or to hang out. Nick knew he was checking up on him. It bugged him and made him roll his eyes and…he’d never in a million years admit that it struck him square in the heart.
“Wouldn’t miss the birthday party. Big three-oh. Dude. You’re practically retirement age.”
Hallsy snorted.
This was an exaggeration, but not by that much. The average age in the NHL was now something like twenty-seven, which was Nick’s age. Sure there were guys who were older than that still playing, but it seemed like the league was getting younger and younger.