Skating on Thin Ice: Seattle Sockeyes (Game On in Seattle Book 1) (25 page)

Unable to bear their polite conversation any longer, he wrapped her in his arms and crushed her to him. She hugged him back and pulled his head down for a scorching kiss which kicked time on its ass and froze the world around them.

Heaven only knew how long they stood there, kissing.

Finally he set her back at arm’s length. “Come inside. Let’s talk.”

And more than that, because now that he’d gotten her back, he wasn’t letting her go.

* * * *

Lauren followed Ethan inside a cavernous, historical mansion that should’ve been cold and foreboding but was decorated in country colors that gave it a warm, cozy feel despite its size.

They walked into a kitchen big enough to serve dinner for the entire team. She took the glass of wine he offered as he grasped her free hand and led her outside to a patio that ran the width of the house with views as breathtaking as a house like this deserved.

“This is incredible. This entire place. How long have you lived here?”

“Forever. My great, great, great grandfather built it. When my parents decided to downsize a few years ago, I snatched it up.”

“You live here all by yourself?” She stared around in amazement at the manicured lawns and proud, old trees, framing a scenic view of Puget Sound, glittering in fading orange glow from a sunset over the distant Olympic Mountains. She hadn’t known God made views like this. Obviously, He did.

Ethan raised one eyebrow as if she’d asked a silly question.

“I know, you have people who take care of everything,” she teased. “This view is epic, beyond anything I could ever imagine.”

He nodded. “I don’t want to talk about this house, except to ask when you’re moving in.”

“What
do
you want to talk about?” She skirted around his remark.

“You saying yes.” Straight and to the point. He didn’t make her suffer just to watch her squirm.

She considered yanking his chain for sheer orneriness, but didn’t have the heart. “Yes.”

“What did you say?” His blue eyes grew troubled, as if he were waiting for a ‘but.’

“I said yes,” she repeated, unable to stop the smile spreading across her face.

“Yes? You’re saying yes?”

She nodded and held her wine glass up for a toast. He clinked his to hers and a second later smothered her in his arms, while wine drizzled down their backsides to puddle on the patio.

“I love you, Lauren,” he whispered against her lips. His sexy grin melted any residual doubt of the truth behind his words.

She drew back, needing to see the look on his face, a powerful combination of love and passion. “I love you, too.”

“Do you think we can make it?”

“Do you think the Sockeyes can?” she shot back.

He blinked a few times, as if not getting the connection. “Uh, yeah, absolutely. How can they miss with the two of us guiding the way?”

“Exactly. And how can we miss?”

“We can’t. I just hope you can learn to trust me.” Concern filled his gaze.

“I already do, honey. I do. I know about the gag order.”

“Who told you that?” His eyes narrowed for a moment, but he was obviously too happy to stay annoyed for too long. His grin came back full force, lighting up his eyes from his heart outward.

“A most unlikely supporter.”

“Your dad?”

She nodded. “With a hockey legend like him on our side, how can we go wrong?”

“We can’t go wrong even without him on our side.”

She hugged him close, buried her face in his chest, and breathed in his scent, looking forward to her future—their future. It wouldn’t be easy, not with the team resistance led by Cooper, the staff thinking she’d seduced Ethan, and the challenge of living with a stubborn man, but hell she was one stubborn woman.

Besides, they had love on their side.

Together they’d conquer any challenge on the ice or off, raise little hockey players who were also good citizens, hoist the Cup a time or two, hopefully more, and make a lifetime of memories together in a beautiful city which was now her home.

~ THE END ~

Thank you for spending time in my
Game On in Seattle
world. I hope you enjoyed reading
Skating on Thin Ice
. If you did, please help other readers discover this book by leaving a review.

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CRASHING THE BOARDS EXCERPT

Please enjoy the following excerpt from Jami’s next Sockeye book (Game On in Seattle 2), “Crashing the Boards” which is currently available as part of “Seduced by the Game” and “Playing for Passion.” It will be released separately on November 1.

Cooper Black skidded across the ice on his ass and slammed into the boards behind the net, taking the puck with him. Stevich, the Boston defenseman, was on the puck like Coop’s old tabby cat attacking the neighbors’ chickenshit dog. Cooper scrambled to his feet, digging the blades of his skates into the ice, trying to get his balance, only to fall again. Stevich fought like a crazed man, gaining control of the puck, and executing a perfect pass to his center.

If Cooper hadn’t been so preoccupied with keeping one eye on the clock winding down and the other on the puck, he might’ve seen the Russian coming on his blind side. He might have had one more chance on goal, one last desperation shot for a tie to send game seven of the semifinals into overtime.

Only he didn’t get that chance.

The final buzzer sounded.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to end with Boston celebrating on the Giants’ home ice. His five-year-old nephew skated better than he had tonight. Struggling to his feet, Cooper skated around the victors and headed for the locker room with his head down. Boston moved on to the Finals, and his team moved on to prepare for next season. Always next season.

He couldn’t avoid the press blocking his exit. Too weary to put up a good fight—he’d left all his fight out on the ice—he patiently answered their inane questions.

How do you feel after coming so close but coming up short?

“How do you think I feel?”

What are your plans for the off-season?

“Take a few weeks off for my body to heal and go back at it.”

How many more seasons do you plan on skating?

“Heck if I know.”

And so it went, he’d just managed to extricate himself from the bloodsuckers when the Giants’ PR guy pulled him off to the side. “There’s a group of kids from Make-A-Wish anxious to meet you for pics and autographs.”

Cooper almost said no. He was that tired, but he never said no to kids, especially kids with disabilities. He’d never forget his childhood hero walking right past Cooper and his little brother as if they didn’t exist despite their pleas for an autograph. They’d waited outside the visiting locker room shivering from the cold for what seemed hours, and the jerk couldn’t take one minute to make two small boys’ dreams come true, completely destroying Cooper’s image of the man. Cooper would never be that guy. As long as a kid wanted a moment of his time, he’d give it.

Several minutes later, he put on his best team captain face and yanked open the locker room door. Despite how miserable he might be inside, he’d never let the guys see him defeated or discouraged. Cooper paused in the doorway and swung his gaze around the solemn locker room. He’d attended funerals more cheerful than this.

“What the fuck is going on? Who died?” Cooper faked a grin he didn’t feel and strode into the room, the picture of upbeat confidence. There were too many young guys on this team to let this setback get them down.

No one even looked up at him.

“Hey, guys, we'll get ’em next year. We were that close.” He held up his hand using his thumb and forefinger to illustrate just how fucking damn close they'd been to winning that last game and making it to the Finals—the dream that had eluded him for ten years.

Finally, Cedric, his best buddy on the team, lifted up his head and rubbed his beefy, scarred hands over his face. Heaving a deep sigh, he turned toward Cooper. Cedric’s stricken expression struck fear deep in Cooper’s gut. “They fired Coach.”

“They? Who the fuck is they?”

“Our new ownership.”

Cooper stared at his friend, certain he’d heard wrong. “New ownership? I've been gone from the locker room thirty minutes, and we lost a coach and gained new owners? You guys are playing me.”

Ced just stared at him.

“Right? You're bullshitting me. Isn’t he, Crandall?”

Crandall glanced up and then buried his head in his hands again. He turned to the others. The young guys wouldn’t even look at him.

A cold shiver sliced through him. They weren’t shitting him.

“What new owners?” Sure, there’d been all sorts of rumors, but there’d always been rumors. He’d been with this organization since he’d come up from the minors, thirteen years ago. And he’d heard every rumor known to man until he quit listening.

“The Puget Sound Hockey Alliance.”

“That Seattle group that's been stalking every team with a shaky fan base and money-starved owners?”

“The very one.”

“They do have deep pockets, so that’s a good thing.” Cooper forced himself to remain positive. The team’s now former owners had been douches that bled the team dry.

“Sure, if you like rain.”

Cooper sank onto the bench. “No.”

“We’re moving to Seattle.” Cedric confirmed his worst nightmare.

Cooper’s future turned as dismal as a gray Seattle sky. He knew all about Seattle weather. As a kid, he’d been forced to spend a few weeks there every summer with a crotchety old aunt. He hated it there, swore it was one place on earth he’d never live.

He looked at all the down faces in turn, and the truth was reflected in each one. “We’re going to Seattle.” He said the words with such despair, a guy would think he’d been sentenced to death row. In his mind, he was.

As captain of this team, he should be singing Seattle’s praises, waxing poetic over the billionaire owner, and convincing the team this was the best thing that had ever happened to them.

He wasn't that noble. In fact, he was fucking pissed.

Excerpt from Crashing the Boards by Jami Davenport ©2014.

COMPLETE BOOKLIST

The following Jami Davenport titles are available in electronic and some are available in trade paperback format.

Madrona Island Series

Madrona Sunset

Evergreen Dynasty Series

Save the Last Dance

Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed?

The Gift Horse

Game On in Seattle—Seattle Sockeyes Hockey

Skating on Thin Ice

Crashing the Boards

Crashing the Net (Coming Soon)

Seattle Lumberjacks Football Series

Fourth and Goal

Forward Passes

Down by Contact

Backfield in Motion

Time of Possession

Roughing the Passer

Standalone Books

Christmas Break

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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An advocate of happy endings, Jami Davenport writes sexy contemporary and sports romances, including her two new indie endeavors: the Game On in Seattle Series and the Madrona Island Series.

Jami lives on a small farm near Puget Sound with her Green Beret-turned-plumber husband, a Newfoundland cross with a tennis ball fetish, a prince disguised as an orange tabby cat, and an opinionated Hanoverian mare.

Jami works in IT for her day job and is a former high school business teacher. In her spare time, Jami rides dressage and grows roses. She's a lifetime Seahawks fan. An avid boater, Jami has spent countless hours in the San Juan Islands, a common setting in her books. In her opinion, it is the most beautiful place on earth.

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