by Toni Aleo
Fuck, this was going to be hard.
“Aynslee, listen, I’m sorry. When the Adlers asked me out to celebrate the deal, I didn’t expect to see you at dinner. I was going to invite you, but you had that thing. I wanted to tell you,” he said, as he walked toward her.
She shook her head, turning around and going up the porch stairs. There was no way she was having this conversation with him in the front yard, where the neighbors could hear them. Once inside, she kicked off her heels and went to the kitchen for a beer. Cracking the top as Jordan shut the door, she said, “It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change what is happening, Jordan.” She ran her hand over her face, wiping away her tears—then she slammed her beer down, causing it to spray everywhere. “It still means that you are leaving, that you are taking my heart and breaking it into pieces.”
“That’s not fair, Aynslee. I told you from the beginning that my life was up in the air.”
“I know, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt!”
“I understand that; it hurts me too, baby. I don’t want to leave you,” he said, reaching for her.
“Then don’t!” she said, stepping out of his reach. “Don’t leave me.”
He stopped, looking down at her as he ran his hand through his hair.
“Don’t you know that if I could stay here and be content with being some shit-ass backup goalie, I would? I’ve tried everything. I’ve tried to go to every team that was close to here, because I don’t want to leave you, but no one has a starting position. Please don’t make me choose between you and hockey. I’d pick you, Aynslee, I would, but I can’t guarantee I wouldn’t resent you later.”
She wished that it made her feel better that he would give up hockey for her, but it didn’t, and it wasn’t as if she’d let him do that anyway. She wanted him to ask her to go with him, but he wasn’t getting that! Shaking her head as tears rushed down her face, she said, “No, I’d never ask that of you.”
Silence filled the house as the tension gathered around them. “So you’ll leave after the playoffs?”
He nodded, his gaze piercing. “They want me to train with their goalie staff.”
“Oh,” she said sadly.
“It’s because of you that they offered me so much money to sign with them.”
She looked up at him, confused. “Me?”
“You know that guy you sat next to at the Buffalo game? He is my new boss.”
“Sean?”
“Yeah. He told my dad that after talking to you and seeing how much you believe in me, he couldn’t pass me up, and he offered me one hell of a contract,” he said, a small smile playing at his lips. But it fell as he reached for her. Threading his fingers through her hair, he tilted her head back and said, “Thank you.”
“I believe in you because you are the best. No thanks are needed.”
“No—thank you for being here and for everything. I’m back to being the guy I was before, and it’s all because of you.”
Her heart aching, she said, “That’s good for the next girl you meet.”
Jordan shook his head, moving his thumb along her cheek. “There will never be another girl,” he whispered, looking deep into her eyes.
“Sure there will.”
“No,” he said more sternly. “My heart is yours.”
He slowly laid his forehead against hers and kissed her nose. He then asked, “So what do you want to do?”
Aynslee closed her eyes, tears leaking out as she backed away, shrugging her shoulders. “I don’t know.”
He looked lost and broken, his hands limp at his sides as he said, “I don’t either.”
She couldn’t believe that this was going to happen like this. How could she let this end without knowing why he didn’t want to take her?
“Tell me why you haven’t asked me to go with you,” she demanded.
He paused, a confused expression on his face. He looked as if she wanted to know the cure for cancer. “You have a life here. A great job, friends, and you are happy. How is that fair to ask you to leave it for me? You’ll someday resent me.”
“Are you kidding me?” Her eyes wide, she said, “This life I have here doesn’t matter without you.”
“What?” he asked, and she could tell that he was flabbergasted.
“My life has been completely altered by you, and I’d rather move from the place I’ve been for only a year than lose you.”
His mouth slowly fell open. She couldn’t believe this: He thought she wouldn’t go and that’s why he didn’t ask? She should have just told him from the beginning that she would go with him; it would have saved her a month of stress.
God, they were a mess.
“Okay, let me get this straight,” he said, pointing at her. “You’ll come to Carolina with me?”
She smiled as her heart slammed into her chest. Running her hand over her face to wipe the tears away, she said, “Yes, Jordan. I love you. I’d follow you to the ends of the earth as long as you loved me and wanted me too.”
Jordan took a step toward her, his eyes locked on hers as he asked, “Really?”
“All you have to do is ask me, and I’ll go.”
The air crackled around them. This was the turning point. A wide grin came over his face, and he took her in his arms and kissed her hard on the lips.
Aynslee moved her arms around his neck, holding him tight as he deepened the kiss. She could feel his heart pounding in his chest, matching the rhythm of hers. She loved this man, with everything inside her, and would for the rest of her life.
He kissed the side of her mouth as she asked, “So we are doing this?”
“Oh, yeah, there is no backing out now. You’re mine, Aynslee Shaw. I want you there when I start in every game. I want to come home to you and make love to you every night. I want to marry you someday and have little blue-eyed redhead babies,” he said, making her laugh. Then he became serious as he leaned his head into hers and said, “But I swear I will make you the happiest woman on earth, because I’ll never love someone the way I love you.”
“You’ve already accomplished that,” she said, threading her fingers into his hair. She softly kissed his lips while her body tingled under his touch. He held her as if he would never let go. And she hoped he never did, because she sure as hell wasn’t going anywhere.
Pulling back, she looked up at his gorgeous face, excited for their future together. She didn’t know what it held, but she knew as long as she was with Jordan, it would be everything she wanted.
Moving her fingers down his face, loving the feel of his beard, she closed her eyes as she whispered, “I love you.”
Leaning his head against hers, Jordan said, “Not as much as I love you.”
And they lived happily ever after.…
Acknowledgments
Every day I have the love of two kids, OH, a lazy bulldog, and the most amazing man in the world. He supports me completely and loves me unconditionally. I love you, Michael; thank you for being the greatest love of my life. My little bits, Mikey and Alyssa: I love you two so much, and I am so blessed to have you both. Thanks for thinking Mommy is a rock star.
To my family: I love you and thank you for encouraging me to follow my dreams.
To all my friends: Thank you for all the support and love.
To my amazing agent, Alix: Thank you for taking a chance on this Southern girl who loves hockey!
To Sue and Random House: Thank you for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to make my dreams come true.
To Heidi, thank you for being there!
Again, thank you, readers, for everything. Y’all really rock.
TONI ALEO is the author of the Nashville Assassins series: Taking Shots, Trying to Score, Empty Net, and Blue Lines. When not rooting for her beloved Nashville Predators, she’s probably going to her husband’s and son’s hockey games and her daughter’s dance competitions, taking pictures, scrapbooking, or reading the latest romance novel. She lives in the Nashville area with
her husband, two children, and a bulldog.
THE EDITOR’S CORNER
Welcome to Loveswept!
Whether you’re on the beach, in the park, or sitting poolside, there’s nothing like spending a warm summer day reading a good book – especially one that has romance, sizzling passion, and deeply felt emotion. Luckily, we have just the thing to make your summer even more sweltering – in the very best way.
Samantha Kane’s captivating regency romance, TEMPTING THE DEVIL, is an erotic tale of secrets and temptation, and after reading it, you’ll be reaching for that fan for a whole ’nother reason! And we’re also incredibly excited about Mary Ann Rivers’s sexy debut contemporary romance novella, THE STORY GUY, where Wednesdays turn into a day of temptation and pleasure for a mild-mannered librarian who responds to the most intriguing personal ad.
We also have some classics that you won’t want to miss:
Sandra Chastain’s exceptional stories, SILVER BRACELETS and DANNY’S GIRL, Ruth Owen’s riveting AND BABIES MAKE FOUR, Jean Stone’s moving SINS OF INNOCENCE, Iris Johansen’s thrilling TIL THE END OF TIME, and Katie Rose’s irresistible A HINT OF MISCHIEF.
If you love romance … then you’re ready to be Loveswept!
Gina Wachtel
Associate Publisher
P.S. Watch for these terrific Loveswept titles coming soon: August heats up with three e-originals: Stacey Kennedy’s intoxicating CLAIMED, Elisabeth Barrett’s blazing SLOW SUMMER BURN, and Toni Aleo’s red-hot BLUE LINES, as well as Sandra Chastain’s stirring SURRENDER THE SHADOW, Katie Rose’s unforgettable COURTING TROUBLE, Adrienne Staff’s alluring CRESCENDO, Iris Johansen’s tantalizing YORK, THE RENEGADE and Ruth Owen’s ultra-sexy BODY HEAT. September arrives with more timeless stories for you – Three enticing stories from Sandra Chastain, THE JUDGE AND THE GYPSY, FIREBRAND, and THE LAST DANCE, beloved author Iris Johansen’s THE DELANEY’S OF KILLAROO, Fran Baker’s enchanting SEEING STARS, as well as two original stories: Lauren Layne’s seductive AFTER THE KISS, and Mira Lyn Kelly’s sexy and sweet TRUTH OR DARE. Don’t miss any of these extraordinary reads. I promise that you’ll fall in love and treasure these stories for years to come.…
Read on for an excerpt from Toni Aleo’s
Empty Net
Chapter 1
It figured that Audrey Parker would get dumped the day of her sister’s bachelorette party.
It was just her luck.
As Audrey stood outside of Wanna B’s bar with her cell phone to her ear, she couldn’t help but think how the day had started off so perfectly. She had spent the morning in bed with her boyfriend. Then she went for a day of pampering with her beautiful sister, Fallon, and all of Fallon’s friends. It was a wonderful afternoon and Audrey knew that tonight was going to be even better.
That was until the fireworks began.
Levi Moss was positively the most hardheaded, stubborn, gorgeous man Audrey had ever dated. He wasn’t much taller than her five-five frame, but that didn’t matter. He stood as if he were six feet tall, with large arms and an even larger neck. Levi wore his brown hair in a horrible buzz cut, which she didn’t care for, but his face more than made up for it. His eyes were bright green with flecks of gold. His face was sharply angled, with full lips, and she couldn’t help but smile when he did. She loved his smile, and since he only smiled at her every once in a while, it always took her breath away.
But even with his gorgeousness, he was a pain in her ass. She loved him. She did. But man, he bitched like a chick. If it wasn’t her cooking, it was her obsessive need to have everything clean. Just because he was a slob didn’t mean that she had to be. When he left stuff lying all over the place, it drove her crazy, but she loved him so much that she looked past it. She never complained and would clean up after him. Pathetic, she knew, but she loved him. Her sister and her sister’s soon-to-be husband, Lucas, had told her countless times to leave Levi, but she couldn’t lose the only man who ever really wanted her.
Looking around the outside of the bar, Audrey begged her tears to stay at bay as Levi screamed at her through the phone.
“You are probably out whoring yourself all over Broadway! It’s disgusting, but don’t worry, I won’t be here when you get home!”
Audrey rolled her eyes. “For one, I am not whoring myself all over the place, and second, weren’t you just out for Lucas’s bachelor party last night?”
“We didn’t do anything! We played hockey and drank beers while Lucas talked on the phone with Fallon all night!”
“And that’s my fault?”
“You didn’t cook dinner for me before you left and now you are out at some club, probably picking up guys,” he snapped.
Audrey pinched the bridge of her nose, “I am not picking up anyone. I am trying to enjoy my sister’s last weekend as a single woman. Everyone does this, and it doesn’t mean I’m gonna cheat.”
“I don’t care. We’re through. I’m done with you.”
Audrey shook her head as she looked up at the sky. How was he dumping her when, according to Levi, they weren’t really together, as he’d told her so many times before? The tears threatened to fall because she knew the real reason he was breaking up with her. He was messing around with someone else. Someone who apparently was better than her.
“If you leave, you aren’t coming back Levi, so make sure she is worth it,” she said as strong as she could.
Levi’s laughter made Audrey want to puke. “She is worth it,” he said. “She is way better than you’ll ever be, you fat whore.”
Then the line went dead.
Audrey’s hand fell to her side, her phone held loosely in it. She could have done without his exiting line, but she knew she’d brought it on herself. She should never have brought up the other girl. She had known about her for months. So why was she letting it bother her now? Levi was a wanderer, she’d known that when she started things with him. She also knew that in a couple weeks he would call her, apologizing, and she would be right back with him.
It was a vicious cycle.
Audrey knew it was wrong, and knew that if Fallon found out, her sister would probably kill her, but it didn’t stop her from taking the crap Levi handed out. He might be an ass and say the most awful things, but there were good times between them. Like when he would hold her in his arms and run his lips down her temple. Or the way he loved watching chick flicks with her. Or when he would trace hearts along her palm, or when she would come home and he would rub her feet.
She loved him. It was sad, but true.
Audrey shook her head sadly. She didn’t understand why she hadn’t met her Prince Charming. The man who would sweep her off her feet. The man who would love only her for the rest of their lives. The man who would think she was all that he needed. Audrey shook her head again and wiped away the stray tears that escaped as thoughts of never being able to find a man who would love only her ran through her head. She couldn’t think like that right now. There was no sense thinking about things she couldn’t change. She would be a ball of tears in no time if she did.
So she did what she did best.
Audrey stood tall in her Christian Louboutin black studded pumps and slid her hands down the tight black sparkly pencil skirt she had paired with a low-cut gray blouse. She couldn’t go inside looking as if Levi had just crushed her heart, not tonight. Tonight was Fallon’s night, and she generally had no difficulty hiding her distress.
She was the queen of hiding emotions. She had lots of practice.
She knew she looked hot tonight, and if Levi Moss didn’t want her, well, damn it, someone freaking did. She made her way back inside to the VIP area Lucas had rented for Fallon’s party. Audrey couldn’t help but be a little dreamy at the thought of her future brother-in-law. He was the perfect man and everything her sister could ever want. She only hoped that she would find a man even half as good as Lucas. He treated Fallon like a queen, was the best father imaginable to her son, Aiden, and he loved her, like a sister.
Yu
p. He was Prince Charming.
She had cheered for Fallon and Lucas since the day her sister told her about him, and would never forget meeting Lucas Brooks outside her family’s wine company. He looked like a lovesick fool, and she couldn’t help wanting to help him. Man, so much had changed since then. A small smile crossed Audrey’s face as she thought that within a week, Fallon and Lucas would be married. They had been through so much, and thank the sweet baby Jesus, Fallon finally got her head out of her ass and saw what was right in front of her.
The perfect man.
Sigh.
When Audrey’s eyes drifted over to where Elli Adler and Harper Titov sat, her envy grew. Elli and Harper were the epitome of happy women. Both were married to amazingly gorgeous, sweet hockey players … sigh … and both had perfect little children … another sigh. It wasn’t fair, they were like a club. An “I’m married to a sexy hockey player; have amazing children and life couldn’t be better, and oh! I look good while doing it all!” club.
It was sickening, really.
When she glanced over at Piper and Reese Allen, Harper’s twin sisters, she felt a little more in control. They looked as miserable as she felt, and that alone made her feel a tad bit better. She had heard about the twin sisters but hadn’t met them until recently. Reese was a gorgeous brunette with hair all the way down to her bottom. She had moss green eyes, full lips, and the sickest style imaginable. She actually looked more like her older sister, Harper, than her twin. Reese had just moved back from New York to open a dance studio in Nashville, and from what Audrey heard, she was good at getting what she wanted.
It was nice to meet Reese, but Audrey didn’t click with her the way she had with her twin sister. Piper was a hoot. When Audrey went to Tiffany’s to buy Fallon’s bridal gift, Piper was her sales clerk, and Audrey knew from that moment on that she would be her friend. Unlike Reese’s dark features, Piper’s were fair. Her hair was light brown and her eyes were an intense blue. She had the same full lips and a cute button nose as her sister, but hers were in a very petite package. Piper was shorter than Audrey, and that was saying something. But all in all she was a doll, and Audrey just adored her.