by Debra Elise
Maverick was jumping right to the good part and she couldn’t keep up. He had a way of jumbling her thoughts when he stood too close. They needed to work things out, then he could have her just the way his eyes were undressing her—naked and ready.
“Kelsey, you can pretend you don’t feel anything for me besides what we’ve shared in the bedroom, but I know different. You’re different. Smarter, sexier, and kinder then any woman I’ve ever met. I knew it the first moment I laid eyes on you.”
“Maverick, I—”
“No, let me finish. I may have wanted you underneath me that night without getting to know you first, but something was telling me I needed you next to me more.”
She cried out softly, “Oh, Maverick,” and raised her hands and placed them on either side of his face.
“I’ve screwed up plenty in my life, but I have always been honest. I leave the game playing out on the diamond. If you take a good hard look at what we’ve been through in such a short time, how can you not see I love you?”
“Wha-what makes you think I should believe you now? After you pushed me away the other night? How can I trust that you’ve changed your ways and that I’m enough for you, Maverick?”
“When we met everything about me screamed lady-killer, commitment phobic, whatever you want to label it, and you were right. But since I met you, it’s been all about you. ‘What she’s thinking? Will she want to go to dinner here? Or can I get her to make that throaty little purr the next time I’m inside her?’”
He moved his hands onto her hips, pulled her into him, and placed his forehead on hers.
“Damn, Kelsey, you feed my soul, my heart, and my life. The last two days I’ve woken up and lectured myself on losing the one thing I truly wanted in my life, the only woman I’ve ever wanted to share my life with, be nagged by.” He grinned.
Staggered, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. Did she dare hope there could be a future for them?
“You want to walk away at the first, okay, maybe second obstacle thrown our way? Even if I’m that obstacle? Fine. You go on your merry way, and see if you can live your life without me. Because I know I got to you just as much as you got to me. I sure as hell know I’ve reached you more than any other man ever has.”
Mav crushed her to him, afraid she’d get away. He needed this woman more than he needed his contract with the Outlaws. And he was ready to prove it to her.
“There is no way I’m giving up on us, so prepare yourself right now. Because I’m coming for you. Every. Day. Whatever it takes to show you that you’re my priority now. Baseball, endorsement deals, everything else comes second.”
Maverick took a deep breath. He was laying himself bare. Emotions raw, he proved to her how real his feelings were—are. How could she not take that final leap with him?
“You’re an idiot, Maverick Jansen. How can you put your career second? And the endorsement deals? You need to think about your future, your family’s and your children’s future. College is expensive and our kids are going to be geniuses, so we need to start planning . . .”
“Kids? Uh, hold on. Who said anything about kids?”
“Well, you told me you loved me, right?”
“Right. So far I’ve been the only one who’s said it.”
She ignored his prodding and teased him a bit more.
“Well, you know the old saying?”
“What old saying?”
“You know the one, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage?”
“Quit messing around with me, Kelsey, I’m trying to be serious here,” Mav said.
“So am I, and you’re right.” She wound her hands up onto his shoulders and gave him an innocent look.
“Wait, what am I right about?”
“Everything.” She sighed.
“It’s about damn time.”
“Well, don’t get too used to me saying it all the time.”
“Fine. But you still haven’t said ‘it’ yet.” Maverick made air quotes.
“You mean I haven’t said what yet?” She loved him and she loved to tease him.
He growled. “Don’t make me tickle you.”
“Please, no.” Kelsey pleaded and tried to take a step back.
His arms tightened around her waist. He wasn’t about to let her go. “Kelsey Marie Sullivan, spill it.”
“I love you, Randall Maverick Jansen. Want me to say it again? I love you.” She sighed, stood on tiptoe, and kissed the man of her dreams. Out of breath and itching to get his clothes off, she ran her hands over his shoulders and down his powerful arms. The arms that would hold and keep her—forever.
In between kisses she said, “I’ll say it till you’re sick of me saying it.” “Never.”
“But don’t expect me to say the other thing very often.”
“What other thing?”
“The ‘you’re right’ thing.”
“Sure you will.”
“Wanna bet?” Kelsey’s smile lit up his world. She pressed her warm body further into him. A perfect fit.
He loved everything about her, but her smile was turning him on and he needed to focus a moment more. “Nope.”
“Why not?” She batted her eyelashes and made a pretty pout with her raspberry lips.
“Because I already won.”
“Maverick?”
“Yes, Doll Face?”
“Have you ever made love in a stadium before?” Thank goodness everyone was gone. The last thing they needed were more pictures on the Internet.
“Can’t say I’ve had the pleasure.”
Kelsey stepped out of his embrace and pulled the tie on the side of her dress. She shrugged her shoulders and it fell to the floor. Her nipples tightened again as she watched Maverick’s eyes darken to a stormy blue.
“Well, I think the least you can do is fulfill one of my fantasies after all that you’ve put me through. What do you say, bad boy? You up for a little naughtiness?” Kelsey tilted her head and gave Maverick a wink.
“My, my, how the ice princess has melted. Baby, anytime, anywhere.” He scooped her up and thanked his boss for having the foresight to put an extra-large, overstuffed couch in the owner’s skybox. He couldn’t wait to give him the news that he’d been the one to christen the room.
Kelsey ran her hands up Maverick’s back and sucked his earlobe and whispered, “Now that I’ve got you, I’m never going to let you go.”
She pulled her favorite baseball player into her and made one last demand. One she knew he wouldn’t mind following through on.
“Clothes. Off. Now.”
Acknowledgements
Unlike a majority of authors, I did not always want to be a writer. However, I’ve always been a voracious romance reader. My mother gave me my first Silhouette romance at fourteen and I was immediately hooked. It wasn’t until a chance meeting with author Rebecca Zanetti several years ago opened my eyes to the possibilities of becoming a published romance author. She encouraged me to write a book, “it’s fun!” Thank you Rebecca. You set the standard I aspire to reach in this industry.
And a HUGE thank you to my favorite ‘red hot romance’ author and friend, Cathryn Cade. If not for her, SAVING MAVERICK would not have been ready for prime time. Thank you as well to my RWA chapter-mates from the Inland Empire Chapter for cheering me on, especially when I received yet another rejection. I also want to thank Mary Buchman. An accomplished author herself, she gives back to the writing community as both an instructor and non-fiction author on the craft of writing and has been such an inspiration to me.
To my editor, Meredith Rich, and the team at Bloomsbury Spark for taking a chance on this debut author’s sports romance set in Idaho of all places!
And finally to Ed and Nancy Goodwin for their love, encouragement and hours of watching the grandkids so I could write.
About the Author
Debra Elise lives with her husband and their two sons in the beautiful Pacific No
rthwest. She loves to read, nap, write, watch too much reality TV, and daydreams how to make her characters come alive for her readers. She also enjoys hanging out with other author-type individuals and teasing her three ‘boys’ into displaying their killer smiles.
Most days find her carpooling, avoiding laundry and spending too much time on Facebook and Twitter, and Pinterest, and Instagram and Tumblr
Bloomsbury Publishing, London, New Delhi, New York, Oxford, and Sydney
Copyright © 2016 by Debra Elise
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All rights reserved.
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce, or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means, (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
First published in April 2016
by Bloomsbury Spark, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available upon request
ISBN 978-1-68119-191-1
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Cover design by Maggie E. Hall