Holiday Games (A Play-By-Play Novella)

by Burton, Jaci

  “Excuse me?”

  “You’re pregnant? How did I not know this?” Jenna looked affronted.

  And Liz knew she’d never be able to hide this from the women she held so dear. She gave them all a smile. “Actually, I just took a test this morning, and it said I was pregnant.”

  “Seriously? That’s awesome,” Alicia said. “Congratulations!”

  Then she was surrounded by everyone and hugged. She couldn’t help but smile and laugh and shed a few tears.

  “Dammit, you’re all making me weepy and emotional, and you know I hate that shit.”

  “Well, get used to it. It’ll get worse before it gets better,” Tara said. “I was a water faucet and an emotional basket case when I was pregnant with Sam.”

  “I’m going to get a grip here very soon. I don’t intend to let hormones get the best of me.”

  Kathleen laughed. “Good luck with that, sweetheart. I don’t think you get to control your hormones when you’re pregnant.”

  She lifted her chin. “I refuse to let my body take over. It’s bad enough I’m throwing up.”

  “It’s only the first trimester,” Alicia said. “After that, you’ll be back to normal again.”

  She didn’t think anything would ever be normal again. Her life—hers and Gavin’s lives, were about to change forever.

  Surprisingly, and considering it was late December, the day had turned out beautifully. No snow, and it was in the fifties, so the guys went outside to shoot baskets. After that, everyone came inside for dessert.

  Kathleen’s coconut cream pie was a big hit. Liz had made pecan pie, which everyone loved, and Savannah had made a peach pie that was to die for. Though she wasn’t hungry, Liz had to sample everything.

  “And now I’m so full I think I’m going to explode,” she said.

  “Think how awesome it’s going to be not to have to suck in your stomach anymore,” Jenna said.

  Liz laughed. “You’re right. That’s the most awesome thing ever.” She rubbed her belly. “Thanks, baby. My diet is officially over for at least the next, I don’t know, seven months or so.”

  They all opened gifts, and then everyone left early in the evening, which suited her just fine. She loved Gavin’s family—her family—but it had been one hell of a long day and she was utterly exhausted. Plus, after finding out she was pregnant, she wanted some time alone with her husband.

  After they said good-bye to the last of the family, she and Gavin shut and locked the door. He slipped his arm around her waist and tugged her close, then brushed his lips against hers. She melted into him and took the moment to breathe in his scent, then laid her head against his chest.

  “Thank you,” she said, wrapping her arms around him.

  “For what?”

  “For loving me. For marrying me. For giving me a baby.”

  He tipped her chin up with his fingers, forcing her to meet his gaze. “How about I thank you? I was watching you when you fell asleep on my lap last night, thinking about how much my life has changed since I fell in love with you. And how much I want to make you happy.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. Gavin swiped them from her cheeks and kissed her again.

  “You’ve already made all my dreams come true.”

  He laid his hand on her belly. “This is it, babe. You and me—parents. Think we can handle it?”

  “I know you’ll make a wonderful father. Now me as a mom? The poor kid.”

  “I don’t know if I’ve ever known anyone with a deeper capacity to love than you. Our child is very lucky to have you as a mother.”

  All those years she’d fought so hard to become just as successful as her male counterparts in the sports world. She’d won that battle, but she’d never thought she’d have the man of her dreams.

  She’d made so many mistakes along the way, and she’d almost lost Gavin. But he’d been there for her when she’d needed him the most, and he’d seen through all her bullshit and had wanted her anyway. She’d be forever grateful to him for busting through her walls and getting to her heart.

  They spent some time sitting together around the Christmas tree, enjoying the quiet of the house and the twinkling lights.

  “It’s been a perfect day,” Gavin said.

  “A rough start to it, yet a happy one.”

  “You ready for bed?” he asked.

  She nodded, and they turned off the lights and started up the stairs.

  “You’re off the hook now, you know,” she said as they got into the bedroom.

  He frowned. “Huh?”

  “Well, now that I’m pregnant, I won’t be after you to have sex with me every day.”

  “So now that you’ve used me for my baby-making abilities, you’re casting me aside like a used condom?”

  She laughed. “Yeah, it was good while it lasted, but we’re through.”

  He picked her up and set her on the bed. “Nice try, Elizabeth.” He loomed over her and tugged at her pants. “But I’m nowhere near through with you.”

  She reached for him to pull him against her. “And that’s why I love you, Gavin.”

  Because she knew no matter how long they were together, every time would be as fresh, new and exciting as the first time.

  And the best was yet to come.

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed a reunion with the Riley family in Holiday Games. The next Play-by-Play book, Melting the Ice, will be released in February 2014.

  In Melting the Ice, Carolina Preston is on the cusp of career success. She’s launching her own fashion line, and she needs a strong advertising campaign, along with some high profile models. She has her brother, race car driver Gray, on board. When Gray suggests his best friend and hockey player, Drew Hogan, Carolina balks. She and Drew shared a sexy, romantic past in college, and she’d prefer to leave the past where it is. But Drew accepts, and suddenly he’s very much present in her life again, dredging up old feelings and desires she thought long buried.

  Drew knows he hurt Carolina all those years ago, and he’s determined to make amends, not only by participating in her fashion line, but by showing her that he’s not the callous boy he once was. Now he’s a man, a fact Carolina is all too aware of as they spend days—and nights—together. But can she put the pain of the past aside and give Drew a shot at what could be an incredible future?

  In addition, the debut of my new Hope contemporary romance series is releasing in January 2014 with Hope Flames.

  Emma Burnett has struggled with a difficult past that delayed her education and the launch of her professional life. But now she’s finally starting up her own veterinary practice, and it’s the only thing on her mind.

  Until smoking hot cop Luke McCormack enters her clinic one night with his injured police dog. There’s chemistry between Emma and Luke, but Emma tries her best to deny her feelings. She’s gone down that road before, and it ended in disaster. She won’t ever let a man get in the way of her wants and needs again.

  Luke is very attracted to the sweet, gentle Emma, but a bad marriage turned him off any romantic entanglements. He only dates casually these days, at least, until he meets Emma. Then there’s nothing casual about their relationship.

  When Emma’s clinic is broken into and a string of burglaries put her front and center as a witness, Luke’s protective instincts kick in, and he realizes Emma matters more than he thought. And with Emma’s feelings for Luke growing stronger each day, she must decide whether to risk her heart once again.

  Happy reading!

  Jaci

  Keep reading for a preview of the latest book in the Play-by-Play series from Jaci Burton

  MELTING THE ICE

  Available February 2014 from Berkley

  Carolina Preston’s pencil glided over the paper like an Olympic figure skater performing an arabesque. Light, easy stro
kes, the effort behind the task not showing as she created her art, because it was all in her head. But soon, elegant lines appeared, shapes forming on the blank canvas as what she’d visualized became a flowing, sleeveless silk top, followed by a sequined mini. She added a cropped leather jacket to mix hard with soft, sketched in some killer high heels to complete the look, then paused to peruse the finished product, so out of breath her heart pounded.

  Nice. Not perfect yet, but as she took a sip of chai tea, she cocked her head to the side and made a few adjustments to the sketch, exhilarated to create her own line of clothing.

  It had taken several years of working for someone else, of feeling like a prisoner, unable to stretch her wings. But finally, this fashion season—she was going to fly.

  As she worked on her next design, the figure morphed into a man. Tall, lean, his hands slid into his pockets as he modeled a pair of slacks and a body-hugging shirt. No jacket necessary as the clothes would speak for the body.

  She loved menswear, and it would be part of her signature line. She could already picture it on the runway, worn by some chiseled model with raven-dark hair, steely gray eyes and—

  No. She wasn’t going to go there. She stood, stretched her back, and looked out the window of her Manhattan apartment. For November, it was ridiculously warm. She should take a walk before the weather changed.

  Her cell rang and she smiled as her brother’s name came up.

  “Hi, Gray.”

  “Hey, we’re in town. Are you busy?”

  “Extremely. I’m so glad you called. Come on over. I’d love to see you and Evelyn.”

  She spent the next hour picking up the disaster in her apartment. She had drawings strewn around her work space, so she picked up as much as she could in there, then closed the door and concentrated on the living area. When the buzzer sounded, she let them in.

  She threw her arms around her brother and squeezed him tight.

  “You look great,” she said to him, then hugged Gray’s fiancée, Evelyn.

  “Have you two been celebrating Gray’s win in the championship?”

  Her brother didn’t even try to fight his grin. “Overly celebrating, I think.”

  “It was a big turnaround from how he ended up last year,” Evelyn said as they took a seat in Carolina’s living room. “I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

  “She’s just happy I didn’t crash into a wall.”

  “Or go flying through the air, like last year.”

  Carolina nodded. “Yes. I think you took at least five years off my life on that crash last year.”

  “No injuries this year. We raced clean and won a lot, including the championship. Even better, bringing Alex on the team this year was the best move I could have made. He and Donny both ended up in the top twelve. I couldn’t ask for more.”

  The pride in his voice was evident. Her brother had made a success out of Preston Racing.

  “You’re doing so well,” Carolina said. “You must be thrilled.”

  “I never thought it would turn out like this. When I started out, I just wanted to race.”

  “I don’t know about that. You’ve always had ambition. And now you have Evelyn at your side, and she’s as ambitious as you. Maybe even more.”

  Evelyn laughed. “That’s so true.”

  “And how about you?” Carolina asked. “Staying busy with my dad?”

  Evelyn smiled. “Incredibly. Living the dream here. And so is your father. He’s doing a remarkable job as the vice president of the United States, just as I knew he would.”

  Carolina loved that Evelyn was so dedicated to her father. And so in love with her brother. “How’s the separation working out for the two of you?”

  Evelyn’s gaze shifted to Gray. “Actually, much better than I ever thought it would. We make time for each other, no matter how difficult it is.”

  “It helps that Dad lets us use the family private jet a lot,” Gray said with a smile.

  “I’m glad you two reconciled.”

  “Me, too,” Gray said. “Speaking of, will you be coming to Washington for Thanksgiving this week?”

  Carolina blew out a breath, thinking about everything she had to do to get ready for Fashion Week in February. The event was the biggest opportunity for designers to show off their lines, and something Carolina had spent the last year getting ready for. “I don’t know. I have so much to do now that I’ve plunged into designing this line. And not a lot of time to do it before Fashion Week. It’s kind of mind-boggling.”

  “I’m so happy for you,” Evelyn said. “I want to know everything, and I want to see it all.”

  “Not much to see right now, I’m afraid. I’ve got a few things in production, but I’m still trying to decide what’s going to go into the line and what’s not, and selecting models.”

  “Can you tell us the focus?” Evelyn asked.

  “Right now I’m concentrating on mainly casual fashion for both men and women. I want to keep it along the lines of my own style. Fussy has never worked for me, and I don’t think it works for the average woman or man, and that’s who I want to clothe. I like movement and ease, and the way clothes make a person look and feel.”

  She stared out the window, her mind whirling with the possibilities. “With a man, his body has always intrigued me.” She turned her attention to Gray. “Since you’ve played baseball and you race cars, I’ve watched you over the years. It’s helped me gain a keen understanding of movement.”

  Gray laughed. “So, I’ve been your study guide for men’s fashion.”

  Her lips curved. “Sort of. I’ve studied all types of men in various fields. Sometimes I’ll just go outside and sit on a park bench and watch men go by. But I keep going back to the sports angle. Surprisingly, I watch a lot of sports.”

  “Why is that surprising?” Evelyn asked.

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe I just surprised myself. At first I did it to watch the angles. All the sports are different, but the way a man moves is always the same. I think a man’s body is inherently sexy, and I want to showcase that in my fashion, especially from a sports angle, because I believe that will appeal to a lot of men.”

  “I think that’s a great idea,” Gray said. “So where are you on your models?”

  She looked at him. “Well . . . if I could get you, that would be a definite plus.”

  He laughed. “You want me to model for you.”

  “Sure. You’d be perfect. You’re popular, and that will have a certain appeal.”

  Gray wrinkled his nose.

  Evelyn leaned back against the sofa. “Oh, this should be fun.”

  “I also have a couple models on hold on the female side, but I need a few more guys, and I want to plug in to the sports angle.”

  “Okay, I could see how that would work.”

  Carolina grinned. “Great. So you’ll do it?”

  “I’ll walk the runway for you if it’s just a onetime thing.”

  “It will be.”

  Gray nodded. “You could also ask Drew.”

  Just hearing his name caused Carolina’s pulse to jump. For precisely that reason—and about a hundred others, she said, “No.”

  “Why not? He plays here in New York, so he’d be the perfect sports figure to tap into. You’d have access to him, and you already know him.”

  “Gray’s right. Drew would be ideal,” Evelyn said. “He’s good-looking, sexy, and immensely popular. He has a huge fan base. I can’t think of anyone who would be better to help launch your line.”

  The problem was, neither could Carolina. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  But Gray was already pulling out his phone. She tried to think of reasons to have Gray stop the call. But apparently Drew had already answered.

  “Hey, guess where I am?” He laughed. “No, not a
t a strip club.”

  Evelyn shook her head.

  “I’m at Carolina’s apartment in Manhattan.” Gray lifted his gaze to hers. “No, she’s not saying bad things about you. Not yet, anyway. We’re actually talking about her new fashion line and your name came up. She wanted to know if you’d be interested in being a model for her.”

  No, she did not want him to be a model for her. Anyone but Drew. In fact, he was the last person she wanted in her head, or to see in person. He’d distract her in so many ways.

  “You are? Great. Why don’t you come over?” Gray shot her an innocent smile, then gave Drew Carolina’s address. “We’ll see you soon, buddy.”

  He hung up. “He laughed and said he’d model, but only if you promise he doesn’t have to go naked.”

  She rolled her eyes and tried not to think about Drew showing up. “How about something to drink?”

  She headed to the bar and fixed everyone cocktails. She sure needed one. By the time she served the drinks, her door bell sounded, so she went over to the door and buzzed Drew up.

  When he knocked, she opened the door, abruptly wondering if her hair was combed and how long ago it had been that she’d put her makeup on.

  And immediately felt ridiculous for even thinking those things. Why would she even care?

  Suddenly, there he was, looking cool and casual in faded jeans that hugged his muscular legs, his light jacket hiding what she knew to be a spectacular torso.

  “Hello, Drew.”

  He smiled at her. “Hi, gorgeous.” He kissed her cheek before she could create distance. “You look stunning, as always.”

  She swallowed, her heart picking up a fast rhythm she had no hope of tamping down. “Thank you. Won’t you come in?”

  “Hey,” Gray said as he came into the foyer. “I’m glad we got a chance to meet up before Evelyn and I have to leave the city.”

  They shook hands. “Me, too,” Drew said. “Congratulations on the championship. You kicked serious ass, especially on that last race.”

  “Thanks.”

  Drew took a seat.