Rekindled (9 page)

Eight months later…

Bright sunlight glittered on the waves of the Pacific and baked
the sunbathers lying on colorful towels. Gulls screech overhead. Gemma raised
her gaze to the clear sky and watched them soar. She wiggled her toes in the
warm sand and turned toward Adam. "I love it out here."

"Ready?" He reached out his hand, and the sunlight
flashed off his wedding band. A thrill zipped through her when she slipped her
hand in his. Like her ring, a perfect fit.

"Ready." They waded into the water. Cool. Refreshing.
Waves crashed around them. She skimmed her fingers through the water and jumped
the incoming swell. "I'm glad we took the day off to play. I needed a
break from packing and studying my script."

Next week, they'd head into Canada to begin her next project. By
choosing roles that would be filmed in the off-season, she’d been able to
follow Adam on the road during baseball season. Spending time together mattered
more than anything else. Nothing was better than falling asleep in his arms, or
waking the same way, or the thousands of other, special moments that made up
sharing their lives.

"You’ve been working hard. I'm so proud of you." He
linked their fingers together and brought them to his lips. "Two movies
filmed and three more projects lined up. You are on fire."

Bear ran along the sand and then charged into the water, splashing
a course straight toward them. Adam turned her in his arms, protecting her from
the force of the dog's greeting. He took the baseball out of Bear’s mouth and
hurled it toward the shore. With an excited bark, the black and white bundle of
fur took off after his treasure.

Gemma pressed close to Adam and brushed her lips over his cheek.
"Not to be outdone by you, Mr. Comeback Player of the Year."

He grinned. Although he downplayed his achievement, she was still
riding high from the previous evening's major league award ceremony. He
deserved the accolades. No player worked harder than him. “I love being part of
the Riptide. I owe Domingo for helping me get a meeting with the front office.”

“You thanked him when you received your award. His grin was so
wide, I thought his face would split.”

“And when you grabbed him in a hug, I was sure it would.” Adam
nudged her shoulder.

“Hey, I was excited.” She stretched and sighed and stared at the
wide expanse of ocean and shore. "I know you like the beach, but are you
sure you didn't want to celebrate in another way?"

"Any excuse to see you in a bikini works for me. Besides, it
reminds me of the first time we met."

"Only it's a lot warmer now." The heat felt good against
her skin. And even better when she snuggled closer to Adam. Frigid lake or warm
beach, anywhere with him was perfect.

His hands slid in a slow path from her shoulders to her wrists.
"You're an actress. You could pretend you're cold and let me warm you
up."

She grinned. "I'm f-f-freezing. Can't you tell?"

Strong arms wrapped around her waist. He dipped his head and his
lips hovered an inch from hers. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She closed the distance. Happiness
bubbled up and overflowed, leaving her giddy. Nothing felt better than being in
his arms and tasting his kiss.

Adam's fingers traced a pattern on her back. He lifted his head
and his dark brown eyes grew serious. "I know I told the world last night,
but I need to say it again now, here, with just the two of us. Thank you.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Everyone wrote me off—the coaches, the media, myself. But you
didn't. You believed in me. You inspire me, every day. None of this would have
happened without you. You’ll always be my MVP."

Her heart swelled and she blinked to quell the tears threatening
to form. “Last night, the league’s most valuable player received a trophy.”

A grin spread across his face. “Want one?”

She shook her head. “As long as I have you by my side, I have
everything I need.”

"I’ll always be there. No matter what life pitches to us,
we’ll face it together."

“I like those odds.” She tilted her head to accept his kiss.

THE END

Thank you for reading Rekindled! I hope
you enjoyed reading Adam and Gemma’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Time for one of my favorite things—giving thanks. Special thanks
to my fabulous critique partners Kate F. and Deb. As always, you rock. Thanks
and fireworks and sparkles to my amazing beta readers Tina, Heather, Kate H.,
and Beth. I owe you all a bottle of wine and a box of chocolate. Thanks also to
my Facebook group, Susan’s All-Stars. You guys are the best. And most of all,
thank you to my wonderful and supportive husband who inspires me, offers plot
ideas, and makes every day an exciting adventure. I’m very lucky and extremely
grateful for all of you.

Flirting on Ice

Professional hockey player Zac Elliott is in top form. He’s having
the best season of his career, the local fans can’t get enough of him, and he’s
in the middle of the most successful contract negotiations of his career. When
the sexy little spark between Zac and the team owner’s daughter blazes to life,
no matter how forbidden, he can’t resist.

Philanthropist Heather Ryan can’t keep her hands off of Zac. If
her father finds out, it could end Zac’s career and ruin her reputation. What
they share is deeply passionate and intensely private…until the press exposes
their illicit relationship.

Now the fans have viciously turned against Heather, Zac’s game is
faltering, and even his team has deserted him. The only way out of the penalty
box is for Zac to play hockey like life—and love—depends on it…

Excerpt:

Chapter One

The soothing ocean and the bustle of the seaside businesses on the
boardwalk contrasted perfectly with each other. The setting calmed Zac. He
strolled along and watched families and tourists enjoying the cool fall
weather. A little boy in an Atlantic City Hustlers hockey sweatshirt ran by him
with an ice cream, never noticing the team captain only a few feet away. Zac
preferred the anonymity. He needed this day to relax and clear his mind. He
hopped off the boardwalk, his movements hindered by the large slice of pizza in
his hand, and continued his walk on the beach.

A woman wearing jeans, an oversize Princeton sweatshirt, and a
baseball hat that covered her hair and shadowed her face caught his attention.
She was yanking a leash attached to a very large golden retriever.

The dog sat with its paws wedged into the sand, refusing to move
no matter how hard the woman pulled. It leaned away from her, adding to the
tension in the leash.

“Brindy, let’s go. We can’t stay here all day.” She tugged the
leash again, and the dog reacted by lying down. She threw up her hands and sat
next to the animal.

Zac strolled over. He’d never owned a dog, although they always
seemed to like him. Perhaps he wouldn’t be much help, other than to carry it up
to the woman’s car.

“Is your dog okay?”

 “Besides being lazy and stubborn, she’s fine.” Laughter
tinged her words, and she remained in the sand, arms draped over her knees. Her
long fingers rubbed the dog’s head, where the fur faded from golden blond to
snow white around its eyes and nose.

“Zac?”

Fantastic, another hockey fan.
 Being one of the
top scorers for the Hustlers, he was used to the attention, but today, he
wanted to blend in and be just another guy out for a walk on the beach. The
animal glanced up from her position on the sand to look at Zac, but didn’t
budge.

The woman also turned her face toward him. Her sculpted eyebrows
lifted as though surprised by his presence.  

He almost did a double take. The incredible woman he’d been
thinking about for months was standing in front of him like a dream. “Heather.”

Her face ignited into a smile, the same smile she wore when she
skated around the arena helping out with the youth hockey program. Week after
week, she spent time helping the kids learn to skate and cheered them on as
they began to appreciate the game of hockey. Although her family foundation
funded the program, she had no obligation to be there, but damn he was glad she
always showed up. He’d managed to become closer to her during their time
together, but wanted to know her on a more personal level.

“It’s strange seeing you here on sand instead of on the ice.” Her
voice sounded amused and confident and comfortable.

“I agree.” Typically, she wore a Hustlers jacket and tight jeans
that formed her figure perfectly. He’d also never seen her long dark hair tucked
into a baseball hat before.

She stood up. The dog didn’t. Heather held her hand out to him. He
went to shake it, but she dropped the leash in his hand instead.

“Brindy doesn’t want to listen to me. Maybe you can convince her
to move.”

Brindy remained on her side in the sand, her near-death act given
away by the occasional thumping of her tail when Zac scratched her neck. “I’ve
never owned a dog, but I bet I can entice her to move. Can she eat pizza?”

“At this point, you can offer her a beer and a night out on the
town, and I’d be okay with it.”

Click here
 to buy Flirting on Ice
now!

Tackled by the Girl Next Door

Jason Black is a newly retired professional football player.
Forced off the playing field due to an injury, he returns to his hometown to
contemplate his future and finds solace in his relationship with his best
friend, Samantha O’Brien. 

Sam has spent the past five years caring for her younger brother.
Home from college for Thanksgiving break, he parties hard and bullies his
sister. When Jason comes to her defense, protecting her from a crowd of drunken
college kids, Sam begins seeing him as more than a friend. Yet, she fears
acting on their attraction could ruin the friendship she’s grown to depend
upon. 

Just one kiss changes everything for Jason. Sam is no longer the
girl next door but the woman of his dreams. Now, he just has to convince her
that his feelings are real. But when the football world comes calling again and
career decisions are on the line, both sacrifice all to put the other’s needs
first. They must decide whether to follow their hearts and make the catch of a
lifetime. 

Excerpt

Chapter
One

Jacket collar turned up against the chill, Samantha O’Brien
inhaled the crisp air and raked more leaves into the large pile by her side.
Her brother’s chore, but with his friends lounging on her couch and sprawled
over her rug, Kevin’s promise of “later” was as empty as the beer cans
littering her kitchen table. His hostility toward her role as his guardian had
only intensified since he’d gone away to college and begun to ignore every
request she’d given him.

College kids had to blow off some steam after midterms, but only
two weeks into being twenty-one, Kevin was overdoing it.

Music blaring from the open door competed with the voices of the
four guys walking from the house and into the front yard.

Kevin swaggered toward her. “Sam, I’ll be back in a few. I need to
take a drive to the liquor store.”

God, more alcohol? Lips briefly pressing together, Sam gripped the
rake. “You’re not in any condition to drive.”

“I’m fine.” With keys dangling from his fingers, he lumbered
closer. Three of his football teammates flanked his sides.

“No way.” She tossed the rake aside, snatched the keys, and
stuffed them into her jacket’s inside pocket.

“Hey, what the hell?” Kevin’s hand reached for the keys, then
formed a fist. Built like a linebacker, he towered over her—a large, imposing
giant. He’d inherited her share of height along with his.

“I said no.” She craned her neck to keep their gazes connected.

His eyes narrowed. “You can’t tell me what to do. I’m not a kid
anymore. Hand ’em over.” Enough. She pointed toward the street. “Party’s over.
Everybody needs to walk home now.” “You can’t kick my friends out of here.”

“I can, and I did.” Heat spiked through her limbs and tightened
her stomach. Being ten years older and the person who paid all the bills and
Kevin’s tuition, she not only had the right, but the responsibility to shut the
party down. After all, he was the only reason she’d abandoned her dream career
at a wealth management firm in New York City, returned home, and settled for a
job with the local accounting company.

Kevin wrapped his hand around her elbow. “Give me my keys.”

She jerked her arm away, and her nail scraped her neck. “Damn it.
Kev, back off.”

A kid as tall and wide as a refrigerator stood at her back. “Come
on, Sam, lighten up.”

She glared at him before she focused on her brother. “The keys are
to my car, and you’re not allowed to drive it right now. Go inside and drink
some water or coffee to sober up.”

Large, meaty hands grabbed her arms from behind and manacled her
wrists. “Don’t be such a killjoy, sweetie.”

She twisted against the iron grip. Her pulse pounded like a
jackhammer in her chest. “Go home, all of you.”

Kevin grabbed her jacket. His knuckles whitened, and he tugged her
toward him, knocking her off balance. His aggression sent tremors up her spine.

With adrenaline coursing through her system, she kicked out. Her
knee connected with his thigh. “Get off me.”

“Let her go.” A deep, rich baritone barked out the order. Large
hands gripped the collar of Kevin’s coat and pulled him away.

Jason Black, Sam’s best friend and six feet four inches of
chiseled perfection, filled her view, blocking her from Kevin, and facing down
the goon holding her wrists. His leather jacket outlined shoulders as wide as
cinder blocks. Hazel eyes sparked a warning at the group of guys huddled around
them. “Go home. Now.”

Click here
 to buy Tackled by the
Girl Next Door now!