Stealing Second
by Alison Packard
BLURB:
Katherine Whitton doesn’t purposely avoid men and
relationships, but she doesn’t mind that side effect of immersing herself in
her job with the San Francisco Blaze. Years ago she was betrayed by her one
true love, and she’s never fully recovered, though she’s tried by building a
new life in a city she loves.
It’s taken seventeen years for Tom Morgan to get over
Katie—Katherine now. Sober now and faced with the incredible opportunity to
manage the Blaze, he thinks he’ll finally be able to handle working with this
beautiful woman without falling to pieces…as long as she doesn’t get too close.
A crisis with the team's star pitcher forces Tom and
Katherine to put in long hours together. Years of animosity melt away as the
sexual tension between them ignites. But it’ll take more than scorching kisses
to avoid the wreckage of the past. And neither Tom nor Katie are sure they’re
ready to trust each other or risk their hearts for a second chance at happiness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
“Dance with me.” The low tone of
his voice sent a shiver up her spine.
For what seemed like forever she
couldn’t speak. She glanced at the couples swaying to the romantic music, and
her heart started to pound at the thought of Tom holding her in his arms, of
being that close to him after so many years.
“I don’t like to dance,” she
said, finding her voice.
His eyes glinted with something
resembling amusement. “That’s not how I remember it.”
She shrugged. “I don’t think it’s
a good idea, that’s all.”
“Scared?”
Yes. “No.”
“Prove it.” He extended his hand.
“Dance with me.”
“Fine,” she said. No one knew of
her prior relationship with Tom, and she didn’t want them to. Causing a scene
would only start rumors. And there were enough of those going around already.
With an exaggerated sigh, she
returned her phone to the table and ignored his hand as she rose to her feet.
He inclined his head, motioning her forward. Every nerve in her body tingled as
he followed her to where the other couples had congregated.
The second she turned and faced
him and he put his hand on her waist, her heart skipped a beat, then kicked
into full-on pounding mode. He reached for her hand, gloving it in the warmth
of his, and lifted it as he pulled her closer. Instinctively, she raised her
free hand and rested it on his shoulder.
Looking past him as they began to
dance, she held herself rigid and tried to distract herself from his
scent—clean with a hint of soap. How was it possible he smelled exactly the
same as he had seventeen years ago? And how was it possible she’d never
forgotten it?
To her right, she glimpsed Kelly
and Matt swaying to the music, gazing into each other’s eyes like no one else
existed. And next to them, Angie and J.T. were just as engrossed in each other.
All the love in the room was making her ill.
“Relax,” Tom said in a low voice.
Even in four-inch heels, she had
to lean her head slightly back to meet his gaze. “I am relaxed.”
His lips quirked with amusement.
“If this is relaxed I’d hate to see you when you’re tense.”
“If I’m tense it’s because you’re
crossing boundaries you have no business crossing.”
“It’s just a dance, Katie.”
Annoyed, she leaned toward him
and whispered, “Don’t call me that.” Too late, she realized her mistake. He
slipped his hand to her back, anchoring her against him. Now her body was in
direct contact with his, and it reacted accordingly. Slow heat unfurled in her
stomach and her nipples pebbled against the soft, satiny fabric of her bra.
“I saw you with Logan.”
He had lowered his head, his lips
grazing her earlobe. Pleasurable goose bumps rose on her skin. Her instincts
had definitely been on point. This dance was a bad idea. A really bad idea.
“Are you sleeping with him?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Does he know you like to be
touched like this?” Tom traced a finger up her spine. She let out a soft gasp
and trembled. He chuckled, his breath warming her ear. “And what about that
sensitive spot between your neck and your collarbone? Does he know about that?”
“What Adam knows about me, or my
body, is none of your concern.” She pulled back. Another bad idea. The heat
smoldering in his eyes sent the blood rushing to her ears, and for a moment all
she could hear was the pounding of her heart. Quickly, she regrouped. “And
furthermore, my sex life is perfectly adequate. Thank you very much.”
“Well, that’s a damn shame.” His
mouth tipped in a lazy, sexy smile as he settled his hand on the curve of her
lower back. Every nerve ending in her body went on instant alert as the warmth
of his fingers seemed to burn through the thin fabric of her dress, straight to
her skin. “’Cause I sure as hell don’t recollect you ever settling for
adequate.”
“We’re dropping this subject
right now,” she said in a stern voice.
“Whatever you say, darlin’.”
Originally
from the San Francisco Bay Area, Alison now lives in Southern Nevada where
she’s still getting used to the blistering summers and the slot machines in
every grocery store.
When not
working at the day job that pays the bills, keeps a roof over her head, and
supports her book and chocolate habits, Alison spends most of her free time
writing. But when she takes a break, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and
spending time with her family and friends.
Website:
http://alisonpackard.com/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Alleyfics
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and
RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Alison will be awarding a
$20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the
tour, and a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn host.
Thank you for spotlighting Stealing Second on your blog today! It's much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI love sports romance novels and this sounds like an awesome book - thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGreat post~ I agree with this statment: Years ago she was betrayed by her one true love, and she’s never fully recovered... I believe it would be hard to trust again! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDelete