Skating the Line (San Francisco Strikers Book 2)

by Stephanie Kay

  “If they insist,” Amanda said softly.

  He tugged her close and pressed his lips to hers. Hell. He’d missed this. He missed her. But he wouldn’t give everything to the public, so he pulled back and tugged her through the bar and down the narrow hall to Oscar’s office.

  The door shut behind him, and he turned, dropping their joined hands, and clenched the back of his neck with one hand to center himself. He didn’t know where to start, so he just dove in.

  “I’m sorry for assuming that everything that has gone wrong recently was your fault. And that you were working with Tara.”

  “Ben. I had no idea who she was. If I could find a way to get her fired, I would.”

  He couldn’t stop his look of triumph. “You haven’t been to your office today, right?”

  “No,” she said, eyeing him warily.

  “I think I got her fired, or at least sternly reprimanded by that dragon boss of yours.”

  “What? How? You were at my office?”

  “Yes, and I ran into Tara and she couldn’t wait to gloat about everything she’d done. She also told me exactly how she felt about being an assistant at the magazine, and your boss heard every word. She’d ordered Tara into her office. Tara’s a mean and spiteful woman, and you are nothing like her. You never were. My stupid pride fought me at every turn, and I cannot apologize enough for not trusting you.”

  “Wow. Karma does work eventually,” she said.

  “Let’s hope. So, tell me about New York. Did you take the job? Are you moving? I didn’t even know you had an interview. I mean, I knew you were looking, but…” he trailed off. They were just figuring everything out, and he was here at least eight months of the year, if not more. She couldn’t—fuck—she couldn’t move now.

  “I did take the job. It’s four to five months of travel each year.”

  “That’s amazing. And what you wanted, right? It’s a staff writer position?” he took her hands, linking her fingers in his.

  “Yes, and they want me to move to New York.”

  His heart sank. “I’m not going to let you pass this up. We can figure something out.”

  She tugged him close, staring directly into his eyes. “This is the job I’ve always wanted, but I also want you—this—and I’m not ready to walk away from what we have for this job.”

  “I could buy a house in New York. Spend the off-season there and you could spend time here when you aren’t travelling.”

  “Whoa. Don’t buy any new properties yet. I might not have to move. I thought we were over, so I agreed without question, but they seemed flexible, so maybe I can stay here and make a few trips to New York throughout the year. My new boss was out of the office today, so I emailed her with that very question.”

  He read the hope in her eyes, and he needed to give her everything she ever wanted. He brushed away her tears with the pad of his thumb. “We are going to make this work. You’re what I’ve waited for.” He chuckled, remembering her grandfather. “Tommy was right.”

  “What? Oscar said something similar when I came in tonight.”

  “I never told you this, but your grandfather used to give me a hard time. Told me I was too serious and that he had a granddaughter who would drive me crazy but would be exactly what I needed.”

  She gasped. “No way.”

  He grinned, and then leaned in to kiss her tear-stained cheeks as she started to cry again. But this time she was smiling, and he tugged her close.

  She shook her head against his chest. “He tried to matchmake when I wasn’t even in the country.”

  “He said you’d come home eventually. But he knew. He knew that we would work. That you were just what I needed.”

  “Smartest man I’ve ever known,” she said, biting her lip, her eyes twinkling.

  “I guess I did need to loosen up.”

  “Maybe just a little,” she teased.

  He chuckled, shaking his head. “I can’t believe I sang on stage. I’ve never done that before. But I’d do it again for you.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her up, molding his body to hers. “You are only allowed to sing for me in private.”

  “That bad, huh?” he asked, brushing a kiss across her nose.

  “That good. Want to get out of here?”

  He chuckled. “More than anything. Should we head to your place? I’m craving pancakes.”

  “No. We are going to yours. Maybe this weekend Mom can make us pancakes, but I’m not in the mood to share you with anyone tonight.”

  “But she sleeps through everything.” He couldn’t stop his bark of laughter when Amanda blushed.

  “Oh God, could you not? Stop teasing me. I think I’ve created a monster.”

  “No, you’ve just brought me to life. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said, and then leaned down to kiss her.

  Her hands gripped his hair, and he deepened the kiss. She might drive him crazy, and he never saw her coming, but they fit. Perfectly.

  Tommy must be laughing his ass off.

  Epilogue – One month later

  I walk up the stone steps that countless people have climbed over the centuries. I reach the top and take in the views around me. I’m up in the clouds with not a care in the world, as long as my feet stay anchored to the solid stones of Machu Picchu.

  ~ Adventurous Amanda, October 2011

  They were currently working through the list from one of her old blog posts, “Twenty things to do in Peru, but don’t forget Machu Picchu.” Hockey season was officially over and Amanda had convinced Ben to join her on her first trip for The Savvy Traveler. It’d taken very little convincing for Charlotte to allow Amanda to stay in San Francisco, as long as Amanda agreed to at least three trips a year to New York. They’d even try to work it around Ben’s game schedule since he was in New York at least twice a year.

  The difference between how Charlotte and company ran their business in comparison to San Francisco Life was laughable. No more orders for kale smoothies and coffee with miniscule amounts of perfectly counted Splenda. And all of Amanda’s travel suggestions had been approved. Her blog traffic was picking up as well, and she was able to tie it in nicely with two travel pieces she’d already done for The Savvy Traveler stateside.

  Giving her notice the Monday after she’d flown back from New York had been glorious. Tara had been suspiciously absent from the office, and Amanda had heard the rumors of Betsy’s tirade before she’d given Tara the boot. Karma was a beautiful thing. Betsy had balked at Amanda’s resignation, trying to convince Amanda to stay—telling her that they wanted to move her into the travel department.

  Amanda hadn’t been able to hold back her laugh at Betsy’s claim, knowing that it would never amount to actually moving into a staff writer position. She’d put in her two weeks and left with a smile.

  “So, what’s next on the list?” Ben said, pulling her back to the present. They’d just finished a five-mile hike over easy terrain. They were headed to Machu Picchu tomorrow, and she couldn’t wait to walk in the clouds with Ben. She always felt like she was floating around him anyway.

  She pulled up her notepad and scanned the list. This post had always been Penny’s favorite. That woman loved a good list. Amanda was planning a group trip in the near future.

  “Play with the local band,” she said, grinning at Ben.

  He looked extra delectable today in his hiking gear. He’d probably had to get those hiking shorts tailored. She leaned around him, and he growled.

  “Light colors make it look bigger,” he grumbled. He wasn’t a fan of khaki, but it was so hot that dark colors would’ve made the heat unbearable. Summer wasn’t the best time to visit, but his options were limited, and training camp would be upon them in no time. Did these guys ever take a break?

  She laughed. “I approve. And yes, the list says play with a local band.”

  “Did you play with a band when you were here?”

  “Of course. It was painful. But t
onight, it’s your turn.” She rubbed her hands together.

  “I don’t believe you played with a local band. You can’t carry a tune.”

  “That’s harsh, Cheese.”

  “What did I tell you about that name?” He pulled her in tight.

  “Oh, am I in trouble?” She quirked a brow, and he laughed.

  “You’re always trouble.”

  “Pretty sure you’re on board with my brand of trouble.”

  “Absolutely. In fact, I think we should get in trouble in our hotel room.”

  “Only if you promise to volunteer to play guitar tonight. They like it when you join in.”

  “I’m not sure if I believe you.”

  “Don’t you trust me, Ben?” she batted her eyelashes at him, and he laughed again.

  “With all that I am,” he said, and she gasped as he ducked his head to kiss her. “I love you and your special brand of crazy.”

  She grinned. “I love you. Especially when you play guitar. It’s super hot.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. But right now, I think I’m up for a nap. I’ll make it worth your while.”

  “Promises, promises,” she whispered, pressing her lips to his again. He pulled her up, her feet leaving the ground. They didn’t need to climb Machu Picchu tomorrow, she was already up in the clouds whenever he was around, and there was no place she’d rather be.

  And don’t miss the first book in the San Francisco Strikers series, Breakout.

  Penny Connor is putting the pieces of her life back in logical order. At least that’s the plan. Six months ago, her world imploded when she walked in on her fiancé with another woman. After calling off her wedding, she spent a week acting completely out of character in the Tuscan countryside with a scorchingly hot man. They didn’t even exchange last names.

  Ethan Hartnell has grudgingly returned home. He’s got an image to fix after being traded to the San Francisco Strikers, due to some questionable behavior. He plans to keep his nose to the ice, focusing on the career he loves. Everything is going according to plan, until he walks into a friend’s bar and sees her. She’d left him in her bed in Italy, with a note, and run.

  Which is exactly what the does when they see each other again.

  It should be a sign.

  So why does he keep chasing her?

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Breakout.

  Chapter 1

  Crawling around on her hands and knees in her office was never a good way to start the day. If anyone walked in, they would see her ass up in the air, and her shoes kicked off next to her desk. Definitely not office appropriate. Penny’s hair slipped from her clip as she crawled toward her credenza, the uncooperative curls at it again.

  She bit back her frustrated laughter, and blew a wayward blonde strand out of her eyes.

  “Where is that damn clicker?”

  She’d already dug through the files on her normally immaculate desk. Nothing. Her lack of organization caused her cheek to tick. She had a presentation in an hour for a new and extremely important client, and instead of going over her notes one last time, she was on the floor looking for her damn PowerPoint remote.

  She peeked under the cabinet.

  Lots of dust—gross. And the clicker.

  She felt a twinge as she shifted on her right knee. Six months ago, she’d wiped out at her drunken bachelorette party. The bachelorette party that never should’ve happened. But after surprising her fiancé at his office, the morning of the party, and getting her own surprise when she’d walked in on his boss gyrating in Michael’s lap–the woman’s moans reminiscent of an episode of Wild Kingdom on Animal Planet–Penny had needed to numb the pain with martinis. A lot of martinis. And shots. She couldn’t forget the shots.

  Damn cheating bastard.

  That night, she hadn’t confessed to her friends that she’d called the wedding off. She couldn’t dwell on a cancelled wedding, a cancelled future, when she was tossing back shots and dancing until her knee gave out.

  She’d learned many valuable lessons that evening.

  Never wear a veil in a bar.

  Never take three shots in a row, just “because you went to college.”

  And “dropping it like it’s hot,” isn’t that hot when you end up sprawled out on the dance floor in pain.

  She’d put a serious dent in her pride that night. At least from what she could recall.

  She shook off her memories. It was over, and she had to stop thinking about the plans they’d made. Plans she’d counted on.

  Her ex-fiancé was a forgotten memory. Not totally forgotten. But she was working on that.

  Her honeymoon—well, that was another story.

  Stop it.

  She was completely distracted, but she was nervous about today, and her brain was flitting off in random directions. Hence, the messy desk and disappearing clicker. She stuck her hand under the credenza, grasped the offending clicker, and sat back on her heels.

  The less time on her knees the better. She always feared it would dislocate on her again. And she did not have time for that right now.

  She stood up and sank down into her chair, grabbing the Alexander file. She was prepared, but one more run-through would make her feel better.

  She crossed clicker off her list and scanned her notes. Robert, her boss, was looking to promote someone to Accounting Manager, and she’d been with the company for five years. The position should’ve been hers last year, and she hoped she hadn’t been overlooked because she’d been in wedding mode. Another way Michael had screwed her while he was screwing someone else.

  She was determined to land this account and that promotion. She’d done a detailed review of everything she could find on Mr. Alexander and his company, since she would be handling his personal and business accounts. She read through everything one last time, making notes in the presentation so she didn’t forget anything.

  Today had to be perfect.

  ***

  “To Penny, may she finally get the promotion she deserves,” Amanda said as she toasted with her lemon drop martini later that night at Byrne’s grand opening.

  Lexi lifted her glass. “Yes, to Penny. It’s about time.”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Today was just an initial meeting. I’m hoping the guy signs on, but even with that account, I might not get promoted,” Penny said to both of her friends. Today couldn’t have gone better. Well, that was a lie. Mr. Alexander could’ve signed the contract instead of informing her that he was meeting with two other firms and she’d hear back in a week or two.

  “We should celebrate with a cookie bomb, too,” Lexi said, and Penny chuckled.

  “You and that freaking dessert,” Amanda said.

  “Adam promised to keep it on the menu,” Lexi said, glancing toward the bar where her boyfriend, Grant, sat talking to his best friend and the bar owner, Adam Byrne.

  “I don’t have the promotion yet, you guys. I don’t even technically have the client yet.”

  Lexi took a sip of wine. “But you will. Mr. Knight can’t keep holding you back or he’ll eventually lose you.”

  “Damn straight,” Amanda stated, with a fist pump. “You could always go out on your own.”

  “Too many risks in that,” Penny said. Not that she hadn’t thought about it. She’d weighed the pros and cons multiple times—every time someone else was promoted.

  “I’m sure you have the checklists to confirm it, but you could take a chance. It could work,” Amanda said.

  “Or it could be a disaster. I’m sure I’ll get promoted eventually,” Penny muttered, ignoring her friend’s checklist dig. Making lists was important. How else could she make sure she examined every option and didn’t miss anything?

  “Well, I still say you’re going to get it. I think this calls for a round of shots,” Amanda said, her gray eyes twinkling.

  Penny knew that look. It’d gotten her into way too much trouble over the years, especially six months ago. Well, not the look
exactly, more like the line of shots that followed.

  “Definitely no shots for me tonight. It’s a work night,” Penny said.

  “Fine. I’ll go grab another round of drinks.” Amanda slipped off her stool and practically floated to the bar, her hips swaying as she walked.

  So unfair. Perfect hair, petite body. If Amanda wasn’t one of Penny’s best friends, she’d be tempted to trip her. But Amanda was also graceful, so she’d probably stand back up as if nothing happened.

  Penny, on the other hand, had the grace of a newborn gazelle. No, not a gazelle. They were typically agile. She was like the gazelle for the first few seconds after birth. All arms and legs. No coordination. Not that a gazelle actually had arms…

  “I’m glad the meeting went well. I know that Robert has been hinting around that he’s ready to promote, and you’re the obvious choice. We all know he doesn’t want the hassle of looking for someone outside of the company.” Lexi was the office manager and took care of all HR at Knight and Welling, so she would know.

  “I really hope that I get it. I’ve been feeling stuck, like he was never planning to move me up.” She fiddled with the stem of her glass. It was so damn frustrating.

  “You deserve this, and Robert should recognize that. How many accounts have you brought in this year?” Lexi asked.

  “At least four large accounts, and a handful of individual accounts. He even mentioned positive changes coming soon when I spoke with him after my meeting today. And this would be our biggest client.” But she hated getting her hopes up, only to have them crushed.

  “The job should be yours,” Lexi said.

  “I hope so.”

  “I have a good feeling about this.”

  Amanda came back with more martinis in hand. “What did I miss?”

  “Just talking about work stuff.”

  “Boring. How about we talk about the hot guys in this bar? I think the pickings are even better than usual. Adam mentioned hockey players. Lexi, you’re here all the time. Point them out,” Amanda said.