Breakout (San Francisco Strikers Book 1)

by Stephanie Kay

  “Dammit,” Ethan grumbled, pressing a kiss to her forehead before lowering her feet back to the floor.

  Her chuckle was breathless, and her heart raced.

  “Meet me back here as soon as the game ends. Then we are going home,” he said, his eyes glittering with determination and lust.

  Holy hell, he was hot.

  “Only if you get a hat trick for me,” she teased.

  “Those aren’t easy, you know,” he said.

  ***

  A few hours later, she straddled his lap on the couch. They’d arrived home ten minutes ago. Home.

  He’d pressed a key into her hand and asked her to move in as soon as they’d walked in the door. Yes, it was way too early to live together, but part of her—a large part of her—wanted to say yes. She’d moved into her townhouse a week after coming home from Italy. She hadn’t turned it into a home yet, so moving was no hardship.

  “Move in, Penny,” he said between kisses. “I mean, I did get that hat trick for you tonight.”

  She grinned. Yes, he had. They’d trounced Tampa five to one and she was annoyed with herself for not being prepared with a hat in case he did follow through with her ridiculous request. She’d had nothing to toss onto the ice for him.

  “I’m thinking about it.” She leaned in, nibbling on his lower lip. “I mean, it would be good since I’m going to be unemployed in two weeks.”

  He pulled back. “What?”

  “Today’s been a big day for me. I finally told you that I love you, and I quit my job this morning.”

  “Back up. What happened?”

  “They promoted me, then Kevin made an ass of himself, and I knew that staying wasn’t an option. I don’t want the questions. I’ve proven myself time and again, and I wanted to start fresh. So in two weeks I’ll be unemployed.”

  “That sniveling little prick. Want me to kick his ass?”

  She laughed. “No. It’s not worth it.”

  “Did Robert panic?”

  “A little, but I hope it doesn’t make family functions weird. I mean, if I’m invited.” How was she still questioning that?

  “Of course you are. And you should definitely move in. You don’t even have to work. I signed that big deal, remember? And then you could follow the team around like a good luck groupie,” he said, grinning.

  “Not work? I’d be bored in an hour. And I’m not stowing away on the team plane to help you win.”

  “Fine, fine. How about I send every hockey player your way? I’m sure they need your accounting skills. You’re amazing at your job. You didn’t even make me review or sign anything,” he said, and then smiled.

  “I was your accountant for a split second, and tax season hadn’t ramped up yet, so you were safe. I wouldn’t say no to a client or two being sent my way, but I don’t want you to think I’m using you to start my business,” she said, keeping her tone serious. She would never take advantage of her connections. He had to know that.

  “Penny, relax. I know you aren’t looking for my help, but I’m offering it anyway,” he said, gripping her hands and pressing a kiss to her lips. “Now, if you’re done talking about work, I believe there are twenty-two ways you were planning to show me how much you love me? Should we start with number one and work our way through, or jump around?”

  “Obviously, we are going to start with the first one. I put them in a specific order,” she said, her voice calm while her belly fluttered with nerves and need and a love that she’d never felt before. It knocked her off balance, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Epilogue

  Two months later

  “How was your first day, dear?” Ethan asked, pressing a kiss to her cheek before dropping his hockey bag just inside the front door.

  She grinned. “Great. Someone sent me three amazing clients today. I wonder how I should repay him?”

  “I’m sure there’s something in the book that would do the trick,” he said, tugging her close and kissing her hard.

  She pulled away a few breathless minutes later. “You didn’t have to help. I’ve got feelers out for new clients.”

  “I didn’t force them. It came up in conversation.”

  “It came up? You typically discuss accounting at team meetings?” she asked, laughing at his innocent shrug.

  It’d been six weeks since she’d walked away from her stable job. Four weeks since she’d moved in with Ethan. And three weeks since she’d proudly introduced him to her parents. Her mother had politely said hello, and her father had shaken Ethan’s hand. Her father’s smile had been genuine and supportive and Penny had wondered just how much her father had truly pushed for her reconciliation with Michael. Families were a work in progress, and they were getting there.

  She’d found a small office space a few streets over from Knight and Welling so she could still grab lunch with Lexi, and Lexi could fill her in on any work drama that she was missing. They’d finally found out who started the rumors. Nosy Jessica had overheard Penny and Lexi talking about Ethan and Italy and then relayed the story to Kevin, who’d started the actual rumor.

  Penny almost felt bad for Alan. Almost.

  Robert had refused to keep Kevin on as an employee after that. She could hug the man, and now that he was no longer her boss but just her boyfriend’s uncle, she fully intended to do just that.

  Ethan guided her to the couch, tugging her down into his arms, and snuggled her close.

  “Now, about that book,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

  She laughed, and wrapped her arms around his neck, getting lost in the crooked smile that had captured her attention all those months ago in Italy.

  She shifted, straddling his lap, and bit back her smirk as he groaned, his hips rocking against her. Heat pooled in her belly. “I think we are up to number seven.” She leaned in, pressing a hard kiss to his lips. “It’s a dirty one.”

  His chuckle was strained. “I will never get enough of you.”

  “That’s the plan,” she said, then sealed her lips with his, grateful that what happened in Italy didn’t stay there.

  Author’s Note

  This note is going to be a long one, so sit back. I promise it’s funny.

  In late 2011, I convinced my husband to get married in Gretna Green, Scotland, home of the runaway weddings featured in the Regency romances I loved so much. I planned it perfectly. Ceremony in the original marriage room at the Blacksmith’s Shop, and a three-week honeymoon through Europe. Funny things happen when you think you’ve planned things perfectly…they’re never perfect.

  In early May 2012, one week before we left to go overseas, my friends threw me a bachelorette party. You know those nights when you just want to drink your face off and dance like a crazy lady? Yep, that’s what I did. Until my knee gave out on the dance floor. I’d had the same injury in college, dancing the night away in a London club during my semester abroad, so I knew exactly what had happened. Unfortunately, there was no hot guy to catch me this time, so I landed on my ass.

  And the line that Penny said about taking three shots because she went to college…yep, I said it. Still not sure why, but it made sense at the time, well, as much sense as anything can make when you’re wearing a veil in a bar.

  I did pick myself back up and hobble over to the bar, requesting another martini to numb the pain and a cup of ice to reduce the swelling. I tossed back that martini and urged my friends to keep dancing. Didn’t want to call it a night just yet. That was the booze talking.

  A week later, after daily physical therapy sessions, the swelling had slightly reduced and I was down to just one crutch, so I pulled on my compression sock for the plane ride and John and I headed to Scotland. That perfectly planned wedding was still on, even if I’d end up hobbling down the aisle instead of walking gracefully.

  I did leave that crutch in the honeymoon suite, for future injured brides. I like to pay it forward.

  We survived the wedding and started our honeymoon, traveling throug
h France and Italy, until an earthquake struck outside of Siena while we were on a train headed to Florence, and we ended up stuck on the tracks for a few hours, across from another American who was kayaking through Italy with friends.

  Yes, you thought that was crazy, didn’t you? Who would kayak through Italy? Well, it happens. You never know what you’re going to hear when you strike up a conversation with a stranger.

  After we made it to Siena, we spent the rest of our honeymoon wine tasting and walking through museums slowly. At the time, I had not plans to turn my injury-filled adventures into a book. Had I know, I probably would have asked the kayaker more questions.

  But a year later, on the anniversary of that ill-fated bachelorette party, I wrote a Facebook post:

  A year ago today, I was getting ready for my bachelorette party. Little did I know that by the end of the night I would have a dislocated kneecap from too much dancing—and too many cocktails—and that I would end up having to take crutches with me on my honeymoon. I learned many valuable lessons that night: never wear a veil in a bar, never take three shots in a row just “because you went to college,” and if you do find yourself flying overseas, crutches gets you through border control super-fast! Ahh memories!

  It was off the cuff. Just a funny post that I never expected would go anywhere, but my friend, Penny Watson, told me that this was the start of my contemporary romance. Pretty sure I told her to shut up because I wrote historicals. And how would I even turn this into a contemporary romance. I’d gotten married. No drama—aside from the knee.

  But the next day, I sat down with a notepad, and jotted down a few ideas. This wasn’t going to be a retelling of what actually happened on my honeymoon. Sorry kids, this isn’t a tell-all! It’s fiction, pure and simple. Now I had to figure out what happened with my heroine. Why would she still go to her bachelorette party if she was no longer getting married? And did I really want to leave the world of dukes and duchesses and ballroom dancing?

  But I love Penny and Ethan, and the characters that have popped up along the way. And I no longer have to deal with those pesky chaperones that kill the mood.

  And now I get to write about hot hockey players. Lumberjacks on skates. Seriously, if you haven’t looked up a few of these guys by now, what are you waiting for? I recommend Patrice Bergeron, Kris Letang, Tyler Seguin, and Jamie Benn to start. And join the Sin Bin Facebook group. The best place to satisfy your love for hockey and hockey romance.

  Happy Reading!

  About the Author

  Stephanie Kay has always loved a good romance. Reading them, writing them, and watching them on TV. She got hooked on the dirty ones at the tender age of 14, when she told her mother that if the cover wasn’t a bodice ripper, then there was no sex in the book. As an avid mystery reader, her mother never checked to see if Stephanie was lying. Twenty years later, Stephanie’s most prized possession is her Kindle, and she may have a Hallmark movie obsession.

  Stephanie loves strong, swoony heroes and independent heroines that go after their dreams. She married her own strong, swoony guy, and convinced him to get married over the anvil in Gretna Green, Scotland, so she could live out her historical romance dream. Since he agreed, she decided he’s a keeper.

  She has called California, Maryland, and Rhode Island her home, but now lives in New Hampshire with her husband where she asks him incessant questions until he escapes to go hiking in the mountains. That’s the only time she can get him out of the house so she can get her writing in. Married couples shouldn’t both work from home!

  Stephanie loves to hear from her readers. Please sign up for her newsletter for upcoming releases and exclusive excerpts. You can also email her at stephanie@stephkaybooks.com or find her on Twitter or Facebook. For more information, please visit her website, http://www.stephkaybooks.com.

  I hope you enjoyed Breakout and reviews are always welcome!

  Books by Stephanie Kay

  Unmatched

  Last Call

  Breakout

  Can’t get enough of those San Francisco Strikers?

  Ben and Amanda’s story will be out this summer!

  Are you curious about what really happened in Italy?

  Sign up for my newsletter for a bonus novella and find out just how much fun Penny and Ethan had on her non-honeymoon.