His Game, Her Rules
Page 25
“Okay,” she says, pursing her lips, afraid she’ll cry. “I’m not good with good-byes.”
“Neither am I,” he says. “But it’s not really a good-bye. Is it? We’ll see each other soon and we can talk everyday if you want to.”
She nods.
“It’s not the same,” he says. “But it will help pass the time until we see each other again. Why don’t we plan on you visiting at the end of the month? It will be hot as hell, but they have air conditioning.” He grins, showing off his dimple. She’s going to miss those endearing looks.
“That might work,” she says, not wanting to make any promises.
He leans his head back and combs his fingers through his hair. “This is hard, Elle.” He lets out a big breath. “I’ll admit, I’ve never felt this way before.” He walks in close and takes her in his arms and holds her in a lasting hug. “I’m really going to miss you,” he says.
“I’ll miss you too,” she says.
“I miss you already,” he says in a rush.
“Just a few weeks. And when we see each other again, you might change your mind. You might get sick of me,” she teases.
“Never,” he says. “I can’t get enough of you. I’m counting the days until your visit.”
“I already am, two weeks and one day.”
“How do you figure?”
“Just a wild guess,” she says with a smile, trying to sound pleased with her decision. Ty leans in and kisses her on her forehead, “I love you,” he says.
Eileen can’t wipe the grin off her face. “I love you too,” she tells him.
Ty embraces her and kisses her hard on the mouth. It is exciting, yet emotional. Elle lets him kiss her neck and run his hand through her hair in a relaxed motion. Why did he make her feel so good? He is romantic and gentle, and knows how to make her happy. She wants him even more.
She lets him touch her freely, and as his hand slips down the side of her body, Eileen inhales. Tears prick her eyes as she realizes how much he cares for her and how safe she is in his arms.
Why did he have to be so damn good? He makes her feel beautiful and wanted. No one else makes her feel the way Ty Caldwell does. She didn’t want to get this far with him, but she couldn’t help it. There is a force that pulls her close and she lets herself fall into his arms.
Eileen smiles, looking into his eyes as though seeing love for the first time. She is really in love with him. Is she letting Ty Caldwell go? How easy would it be for her to move? It’s not like she cares about her job anyway. She remembers what Mario said about his fi-ancée: When the right person comes along, you can’t let them go. She has enough in savings to pay her own way. Then, without another thought, she blurts out, “I’m coming with you!”
His eyebrows furrow as though he didn’t hear her right.
“I’m coming with you,” she repeats. “Maybe not now, right at this moment, but I’ll move with you once you get settled.”
“What about your job?”
“I’ll see what I can do about hiring a replacement if I have to.”
“You’re really okay with that? Your job is what you are most proud of.”
“It’s a job. I can’t replace us.” She exhales, holding back from tearing up.
Ty takes her into his arms, and her head nestles his chest. “We’re going to have the time of our lives. I promise you.” He squeezes her.
Eileen looks up at him; she has never felt so sure and complete as she does that moment. Living without Ty, she knows, would be the biggest mistake of her life and she’s set to start a new life with the man she loves.
Dear Reader:
I started playing ice hockey when I was around ten. Growing up, I envied the girls who played with the boys and the women who played at the highest level. Their determination to be the best in the sport they loved resonated with me for years as I, too, only dreamed of being that good.
I still play ice hockey. I love the game and the excitement it brings to a city. I love a strong heroine, and I wanted to write about a female athlete who could play with the guys and be recognized for her talent.
In Canada, we pride ourselves on our ice hockey teams and their athletes are celebrities, so what better way than to add sex appeal between the hero and heroine? It was a story I was excited to write. There are many female athletes who play professional hockey, yet only a select few are heard of. I wanted my heroine to be feminine, yet hold her own and be a celebrity in her own right.
Once I wrote His Game, Her Rules, I couldn’t say good-bye to the Warriors. There were other characters that I needed to write about. I began to think about other strong female characters that would be a part of the team. I imagined other players and the lives they could potentially live. Look for the next installment, Cold as Ice, coming in December 2014.
Thank you for reading my story. It’s always fun writing about something you’re passionate about. I hope you enjoyed reading my book as much as I enjoyed writing it. You can visit me online at www.charlenegroome.com.
Happy reading,
Charlene Groome
Please turn the page for an exciting sneak peek of
Charlene Groome’s next Warriors novel,
COLD AS ICE,
coming in December 2014!
Carla Sinclair skims through her notes as the buzzer rings, indicating the end of the second period. The Dome is a loud and exciting place for Warriors fans. Eighteen thousand people erupt, cheering them on. Tonight they’re playing against Carolina, a team that isn’t doing so well, which makes Vancouver’s winning streak even longer.
Devin Miller, the Carolina defenseman who was on the ice for two of the four goals scored against his team, screened his goalie when Vancouver scored the first goal, and the second time he didn’t cover his man, which left the net wide open.
Tragic. He’s the best defenseman in the league.
Carla shakes her head. Some defenseman!
The Carolina players head off the ice and strut down the hallway, drawing their banter closer. She throws her notebook into her bag, drops it to the ground, and grabs her microphone from Randy, the cameraman. She arranged to meet with Devin in the corridor, where other interviews will be taking place.
Carla stands straighter, lifts the microphone under her chin, and wipes her other hand down the length of her pencil skirt. She waits and watches for Devin to walk around the corner. Her mind races with potential questions.
Carla sucks in a breath when a red and white jersey comes around the corner. He comes into view without a helmet or gloves on, no hockey stick in hand. A giant in skates—six-foot-two and two hundred pounds of muscle—Devin is even taller than she imagined. As he approaches, she realizes her five-foot-six-inch height—thanks to heels—only reaches his chest.
“Hi.” Carla flashes him her TV smile. Her stomach flits with butterflies and she warms all over. Why is she suddenly nervous? She’s used to speaking to male athletes, especially those as attractive as Devin. “You can have this.” She hands him a face towel displaying Channel Five’s logo.
He dabs his face, proceeding to run the towel over his short, black hair and down the back of his neck.
For a moment, she pictures him drying off after a shower as the water droplets slide over his tightly sculpted muscles. What would his hard body feel like against hers? “You, uh, can wear it.” She blinks to return to reality and remembers to close her mouth.
His face is clean shaven and from what she can see, his teeth are all intact.
“Y-you can wear it around your neck while we interview.”
“Thanks.” He gives her a sturdy glance that weakens her knees.
She turns to face Gary, the cameraman. “Ready?”
He gives her a nod, and she begins by bringing the microphone into position and making a quick introduction.
“The last two goals were unexpected.” She pauses, looking up to meet Devin’s cinnamon eyes. “Can you run us through what happened with the first one?”
Devin wipes his face again with the end of the towel and puts a hand on his padded hip. “One of those things.” He looks down. “I saw Keller with the puck. He faked a shot.... I tried to block it, but I was too far out and he managed to score on the other side.” He sniffs, wiping the bridge of his nose. “The net was open.”
“And the second goal?”
He shakes his head and takes a few seconds to answer. “Yeah, well, one of those things . . . the puck was loose, and we couldn’t get control of it.” He wipes his face again, holding the towel at his collarbone.
“I want to talk to you about your contract. You’ll be an unrestricted free agent.” She pauses to think of her question without the distraction of his wet lips. “With the end of the season approaching, are you planning on staying with Carolina or is a trade something you’re interested in?”
He looks at the rubber floor and shakes his head. “I don’t know.” He chuckles, wiping the sweat from the corner of his mouth.
She waits for him to expand on his answer. Those lips of his are widening as he laughs again. He rubs an eyebrow and looks at her patiently. Carla is sucked into his gaze, again. She has to get him talking. There’s one more minute left to kill before signing off. Carla wiggles her moist fingertips on the microphone, trying to air them. Her face heats. She gulps. Three seconds of silence wasted. Devin is looking at her now, urging her on with a stretch of his eyebrow. Her pulse intensifies as she scrambles to think of something to say. Anything. She doesn’t want to look like a fool in front of Devin, or her audience, but she fears the damage is already done.
“Well?” She keeps the microphone up to his face.
“I don’t know.”
She inhales, giving herself a chance to ramble out something, anything, so she’s not standing in front of him like the worst sports reporter he’s ever come across, but Devin is the big deal right now and probably knows it. She swallows to moisten her throat. “Have you been approached by any teams?” She wants to break the story first.
Devin wipes his face with the end of the towel, revealing an eagle tattoo on his forearm. “I can’t talk about it.”
“I’m sure you can tell us if a trade is possible.”
“I’ll talk about the game, but not my contract.”
She can’t let him get away without hinting about his future. She has to know. Wants to know about the best defenseman in the NHL. “I heard a rumor you may be traded to Vancouver. Is there any truth to that?”
He shakes his head. “You’re unbelievable, Carla.” He laughs. “What more can I say? I told you I’m not talking.”
“I’m sure you can tell me something.” She stares into his dreamy eyes.
“No.” He licks his bottom lip. “Are we done?” He steps away. “You’re pretty good, Carla. You’re pretty good.” He hangs his head as he walks back toward the dressing room.
Carla puckers her lips and drops the microphone to her side. I looked like an idiot.
Devin disappears around the corner.
He’s never gonna want me to interview him again. She pouts and blows out a breath while looking at her cameraman in dismay.
eKENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2014 by Charlene Groome
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
eKensington Books and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-1-6018-3344-0
First Print Edition: September 2014
ISBN-13: 978-1-60183-345-7
ISBN-10: 1-60183-345-8
Published in the United States of America