“Marry me.”
“Yes.”
Really?
With Nicki, I expected hesitation, but that isn’t what she gives me. I look her right in the eyes. She’s certain about her answer, and tears are starting to drip down her face as she nods.
Her hands shake as I slide the ring onto her finger, and then finally stand, pulling her into my arms. She wraps her arms around my neck again, the weight of my helmet heavy against my back as she squeezes tight.
“I love you.” Is barely out of my mouth before a cold sensation wraps around me, drenching me – and Nicki – to the bone. I realize then that the crowd has congregated around us, cheering. Instead of dousing the coach in Gatorade in celebration, my teammates have chosen to shower the newly-engaged couple. Suddenly, the smacks to my shoulders, the congratulations, are two-fold.
I help Nicki wipe the Gatorade from her eyes and face, and she grins as someone drapes a blanket around her shoulders. She’s happy. I’m happy. She’s going to be my wife, and we won the damn Super Bowl.
What a glorious fucking day.
Hey! Looking for more? If you haven’t yet, check out Jade and Trent’s story in Love in the Red Zone, book 1 of the Connecticut Kings Series!
“Red Zone” is a perfect complement to “Highlight Reel”, and keeps you immersed in the world of the Connecticut Kings for another journey.
Please consider leaving reviews for both books when you’re done, to let us know what you think!
Can you tell the difference between a distraction and a blessing? It should be simple, but sometimes what we think is a distraction can actually be a turning of the tide required to bring life full circle, to a place of blessing.
Meet Trent Bailey, who is fighting for the right to continue his stellar professional football career after enduring striking legal woes in the recent past. Trent cannot and will not blow his second chance for anyone; after all, this is the blessing he’s been praying for. After receiving confirmation that staying focused is all he needs, it’s what he aims to do. No distractions. That’s until he bumps into two unexpected overnight guests.
Jade Matthews is doing everything she can for herself and her young son, Kyree. After journeying through her own bumps in the road, she’s finally getting it together. She’s doing what she has to do to make sure her family of two stays afloat. Life’s setbacks won’t stop Jade from providing for her little one, even though she fumbles each pass thrown at her.
What starts out as a temporary favor turns into rapid passion. There’s one agenda here, but getting to the same meeting point has never been more difficult. Fighting their way through trust and self-esteem issues, the two must meet in the right zone; the red zone, where you may think you’re safe, but life has a way of intercepting blessings and…turning the tide.
Love Belvin and Christina C. Jones collaborate on a series of football romance, staring two football greats who so happen to be in for the biggest play of their lives: for their hearts. Quarterback, Trent Bailey, and wide receiver, Jordan Johnson, give their all out on the green. But what happens when the two friends encounter true love?
Take on Connecticut Kings’ finest and journey through their discovery of developing themselves as men, and exploring love.
Acknowledgements
I’m really, really bad at this part. Once I’ve gone through getting all the words down to tell the story, it’s almost like I’ve used up my supply, and don’t really know what to say.
So I’ll keep it short.
Thank you, God, for what I feel is a gift of storytelling and a vivid, perhaps overactive, imagination. I’m honored to be used in a way that gives people a little reprieve, some light in what can often be a very dark world.
Thank you to my bae, Love Belvin, for being an absolute joy to work with on this project. I think that the genuine depth of our friendship allowed the parts that overlapped to a breeze, and your support and feedback and commentary and listening ear has been so, so appreciated throughout this project. I’m excited to see what develops next!
To my family – my wonderful husband, my kids, my friends – thank you for being patient and understanding with me. Making sure I got out of the house, and ate, and just for loving on me, and keeping me tethered to the real world while I was drowning in this fictional one.
To my amazing friends and beta readers, who have provided excellent feedback throughout the creation and development of this project, thank you for your eagle eyes and strong opinions and king words along the way. Your input helps me know that I’m on the right track, and keeps me from believing it too much when the voice of negativity tries to convince me this is gonna be the book everybody hates.
To my readers, I can’t say thank you enough. In a world that consistently tries to persuade us that black lives, love, and romance don’t matter, YOU are the force that stamps that down. Every page read, every download, every review says that you care. Says that this story, these characters, their relationship, matters.
For me, that holds unlimited value.
Thank you.
~
If you enjoyed this book (or even if you didn’t!) please consider leaving a review/rating on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Not only does it help others decide if they’d like to meet these characters, it’s how I know you’re out there, and I would love to know what you thought about the book!
You can also visit me at my website http://www.BeingMrsJones.com/ (you can email me there from the contact page), like my Facebook page, at https://www.Facebook.com/BeingMrsJones or connect with me on Twitter, at @BeingMrsJones.
Team CCJ – Love in Warm Hues –https://www.facebook.com/groups/1608119356136737
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Christina C. Jones is a modern romance novelist who has penned more than 20 books. She has earned a reputation as a storyteller who seamlessly weaves the complexities of modern life into captivating tales of black romance.
Prior to her work as a full time writer, Christina successfully ran Visual Luxe, a digital creative design studio. Coupling a burning passion to write and the drive to hone her craft, Christina made the transition to writing full-time in 2014.
With more than 17,000 books sold or borrowed, Christina has attracted a community of enthusiastic readers across the globe who continue to read and share her sweet, sexy, and sometimes scandalous stories.
Most recently, two of Christina’s book series have been optioned for film and television projects and are currently in development.
Other titles by Christina Jones
Love and Other Things
Haunted (paranormal)
Mine Tonight (erotica)
Friends & Lovers:
Finding Forever
Chasing Commitment
Strictly Professional:
Strictly Professional
Unfinished Business
Serendipitous Love:
A Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Didn’t Mean To Love You
Fall In Love Again
The Way Love Goes
Love You Forever
Trouble:
The Trouble With Love
The Trouble With Us
The Right Kind Of Trouble
If You Can (Romantic Suspense):
Catch Me If You Can
Release Me If You Can
Save Me If You Can
Inevitable Love:
Inevitable Conclusions
Inevitable Seductions
The Wright Brothers:
Getting Schooled – Jason & Reese
Pulling Doubles – Joseph & Devyn
Bending The Rules (Fall 2016) – Justin & Toni
Connecticut Kings:
CK #1 Love in the Red Zone – Love Belvin
CK #2 Love on the Highlight Reel
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Love on the Highlight Reel (Connecticut Kings Book 2) Page 31