“I’m excited for you.”
“And maybe a new guy,” Greta smiled. “So if you don’t mind, I think Avery is giving me that look.”
Stella had noticed that her sister and Avery had been spending time together.
“Go ahead. And have some fun.”
Greta gave her a wink. “I intend to.”
A few hours later, the party wound down. They said their good-byes, and Greta informed her that she was going to go out with Avery for a while and may or may not be back later.
Which left her and Trick alone.
Trick was seeing the last of the guests out, so Stella stood at the window, marveling at how beautiful the city looked. The snow flurries had turned to actual snow now.
When she felt a warm set of arms surrounding her, she leaned against Trick’s chest.
“It’s going to be a white Christmas,” she said.
“I guess that means we’ll have to stay in tomorrow.”
“I’m sure we’ll figure out that whole ‘cooking a turkey’ thing.”
He turned her around to face him, then tipped her chin up with his fingers. “Babe, I’m a master at that turkey thing.”
“Yet something else I love about you.”
“What? My cooking skills?”
She wound her arms around his neck. “No. The fact you don’t panic about being snowbound on Christmas Day.”
“Well, I think your sister might end up snowbound with Avery, which means we’ll be snowbound alone together.”
“I like the sound of that.”
Trick kissed her, and it was as if the whole world fell away, and only she and Trick existed.
When he broke the kiss, he looked up at the clock on the wall. “Merry Christmas, Stella.”
Her lips curved. “Merry Christmas, Trick.”
“I have a gift for you.”
She cocked a brow. “Is that right?”
“Yes. It’ll require us to get naked.”
She looped her arm in his as they headed to the bedroom. “Is this gift something I’ve seen before?”
“Well . . . maybe. But this gift can always be used in new and unique ways.”
She tilted her head back and laughed. “Best. Gift. Ever.”
Keep reading for a sneak peek at the next Play-by-Play novel
QUARTERBACK DRAW
Available February 2015 from Headline Eternal
If there was one thing Grant Cassidy hated more than anything, it was PR. Doing commercial shoots was a necessary evil, and some he disliked more than others.
But right now he was in board shorts and bare feet, standing on a beach in Barbados, about to do a shoot for the annual swimsuit edition of a pretty damned famous sports magazine. There were about two dozen barely clad, tanned, gorgeous models who were going to take part in the shoot along with several athletes.
All in all? Not a bad gig.
“This I could get used to.”
Grant grinned as one of his best friends, Trevor Shay, stood next to him.
“Don’t get too used to it. Your girlfriend will kick your ass if you get too close to any of these models.”
Trevor crossed his arms. “Yeah. I really wish Haven could be here in Barbados with me. But she’s in school right now and couldn’t make it. She did tell me to behave myself. Trust me, none of these women is as beautiful as mine.”
Grant laughed. “You’re blinded by love, my man.”
“It’s true. I am. And perfectly happy to go back to my bungalow at night all by myself. How about you? You like dating models. Got one scoped out yet?”
“I wasn’t exactly looking. There are a lot of them here, though.”
Trevor slapped him on the back as the assistant director motioned for him. “Hey, I’m up. I’ll catch you at the bar later.”
“Okay.”
He stayed close and watched as Trevor was put into a shot on a hammock with a beautiful dark-skinned model. The model straddled Trevor, who Grant had to admit handled the whole thing professionally. As soon as it was over, Trevor shook the woman’s hand and wandered off in the direction of the pool.
“You’ll be up next, Grant,” the assistant said. “We’re pairing you up with Katrina Korsova.”
“Sure.” He knew who she was. Korsova was a big deal in the modeling world, one of those supermodels whose face and body were all over billboards, in magazines, and on television. She was a beauty and he was lucky to be doing the shoot with her. It would increase his profile, and he was all about exposure.
If he had to be here doing this shoot for the sports magazine, at least he was being paired up with one of the best in the business.
Once they readied the shot on the beach, he was called over and set up on his marks. He stood in the water up to his ankles. They’d already primped his hair, his face, and his skin. It all felt weird to him, but he’d done photo shoots before. They told him it was to combat shine and to make sure his hair would be gelled appropriately enough so it would behave.
Whatever. He was paid to do what he was told, just like in football. So he stood where they told him to stand.