The romance line love an.., p.38
The Romance Line (Love and Hockey Book 2),
p.38
Max drags a hand through his hair, like all this romance stuff is too complicated. “Sometimes you just have to screw all that stuff and go after what you want.”
“True,” I say.
He runs a hand down my back, sending shivers through my whole body. “Because it’s worth it.”
I smile. “Yes, it is,” I say, as we head to the bar.
We quickly find Sophie and her date.
Lucas.
After a warm hello, Max clears his throat and says to my former physical therapist, “I need to apologize for my behavior when we first met—”
Lucas waves him off. “No need. That date played out perfectly.” Then he kisses Sophie’s cheek.
Sophie looks at him with genuine affection and says, “It sure did.”
We join the new couple for a drink.
After, we head to our room. When the door closes, shutting out the world, Max picks me up and carries me to the king-size bed. He sets me down and holds my face, his eyes filled with both a love and lust that I hope never ends, especially when he says, “And now I’m going to undress my future wife and kiss her everywhere all night long.”
I run a hand along his arm. “Get to it, future husband.”
And he does.
Binge the rest of this series of standalones!!
Curious about Wes and Josie’s romance? Go grab The Boyfriend Goal, available to download now, and experience their roommates-to-lovers, he-falls-first, teammate’s little sister romance FREE in KU!
Turn the page for a sneak peek of My Favorite Holidate, Fable and Wilder’s fake dating the billionaire boss romance that’s coming to you in Kindle Unlimited this fall. Asher and Maeve’s best friends-to-lovers hockey romance is coming to you early next year in The Proposal Play!
For more Max and Everly, click here for an extended epilogue or scan the QR code!
Bonus Scene The Romance Line
If you’ve already read The Boyfriend Goal and The Romance Line, be sure to grab the spicy, friends-to-lovers, fake dating sports romance Plays Well With Others! Available to download for FREE in KU!
EXCERPT - MY FAVORITE HOLIDATE
Wilder
She grabs the wreath from the bag and hangs it on the hook. It’s made with burlap and colorful ribbons. She adjusts it so Santa’s ass, stuck in a chimney, is sticking out of my door.
But I’m still stuck on the last thing she said. “You made this? For the contest?”
She gives me a soft smile. “Yes. Well, it’s really for you,” she says, a flash of nervousness in her eyes, but hope too. “I wanted your office to look the best. And you’ve been so generous with your gifts. The least I could do was make you something from scratch.”
I stare at the wreath, even more astonished. “This is incredible.”
“You think so?” she asks, beaming.
“I do.” I roam my eyes up and down the door, then turn my gaze to my designer. The woman who enjoys making homemade items. The woman who went all out for me. The woman I can’t stop thinking about. Decorating might not be my thing, but I could decorate all day with her. “It’s not fine,” I say, correcting my earlier statement. “It’s the finest.”
“Thank you.” Her smile is its own reward. It’s wide and joyful, and I want to swipe my thumb along her bottom lip, kiss the corner of her mouth, taste her.
Which brings me to a vital topic in the do’s and don’ts. I’ve been tiptoeing around the main attraction. Avoiding it. But I can’t any longer. Since this topic is best addressed behind closed doors, I motion to my office. “Let’s finish in here,” I say.
“Perfect. Because I brought lights for your desk.”
I stare at her, a little amazed. She goes above and beyond in her creativity. “You did?”
“Yes. But will it cramp your style if some corporate bigwig comes into a meeting and sees the flashing lights on your desk? I don’t want to ruin the big bad wolf vibe you’ve got going on.”
I lift a brow. “Is that how you see me?”
Her lips curve up the slightest bit. “I don’t know, Wilder. Do big bad wolves send mint ice cream?”
Two can play at her game. “Perhaps they send them to little red riding hood,” I say as we head into my office.
“Well then, little red riding hood approves.”
“So does the wolf,” I say, and I am so fucked. Five minutes after telling myself to follow some rules for self-protection, I already know that I won’t stop sending her gifts. I won’t stop texting. This has been the most fun I’ve had in a while and I’m…addicted—and I’m allowed to be. Nothing can come of this ruse, of course. How could anything come of a romance that started as a lie? But I’ll enjoy it while I can.
I shut the door behind us.
She beelines for my desk, fishing around in her bag of tricks for lights, presumably. In no time, she gets to work on stringing them around my desk. Yes, this is the moment. She’s occupied with a task, so I say as coolly as I can, “And what about a kiss?”
She spins around, a string of lights in her hand, question marks in her eyes. “Now?”
What? Now? Before I can even answer—and I’m too stunned to answer—she adds, “Sure. A practice kiss couldn’t hurt.”
I can’t think. I can’t breathe. She keeps surprising me left and right, and I barely know what to do. I’m a man who prides himself on control, on strategy, on knowing what cards to play at all times. With her, I’m knocked senseless, especially as she sets the lights down on the desk, then closes the distance to me a few feet away.
I still haven’t said a word. I really need to say something. Anything. She tips up her chin, offering her pretty lips to me. Questions rattle in my head. Should I do this? Is this crossing a line? Is this wrong?
Finally, I manage to ask, “Are you sure?” It comes out like it scrapes my throat.
A tilt of her head. A curve of her lips. “You don’t bite, do you? Like the big bad wolf?”
A bolt of lust shoots down my spine. I try to ignore it, to resist it when all I can think is the better to eat you with. “Only if you want me to.”
Her eyes flicker with something that looks a lot like lust. “I’ll take a rain check on the biting. But it’s a yes on the practice,” she says, then parts her lips the slightest bit.
I didn’t plan this meeting as a dress rehearsal for a kiss. But I also know how to spot an opportunity and how to seize one. I step closer, run a finger along some silky strands of auburn hair, taking my time to sweep them across her face and tuck them behind her ear. Her breath hitches. I let go of those strands of hair, then brush the back of my fingers along her jaw. Her chest rises and falls. Her eyes track me the whole time, watching my face, then my hand. I'm drawing out this moment, stretching it like elastic till my fingers reach her chin, holding her.
Preorder Fable and Wilder’s holiday romance coming this fall to Kindle Unlimited in My Favorite Holidate!
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you to KA Linde for the pole insight! You are a goddess and a dog lover and I adore you! You helped the story immensely and your guidance shaped it in beautiful ways. In amazing ways. In ALL THE WAYS! THANK YOU!
Thank you to Jill for her insight into trauma, grounding exercises and PTSD. Thank you to Lo for her guidance too on the details of Everly’s injuries, as well as her overall guidance on the whole dang thing! Thank you Kayti and never leave me. Thank you KP for, well, everything.
I am so appreciative of Sharon for checking all the hockey and guiding me through the sport. Thank you to Rae and Kim for helping me fine tune details.
With gratitude to my author friends who I rely on daily — Corinne, Laura, AL, Natasha, Lili, Laurelin, CD, K, Helena, and Nadia, among others.
Thank you to my family for putting up with me and my wild hours and need for sandwiches and cookies.
Most of all, I am so amazingly grateful to you — the readers — for picking this up! I hope you love Max and Everly like I do!
MORE BOOKS BY LAUREN
I’ve written more than 100 books! All of these titles below are FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
The Love and Hockey Series
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Double Pucked
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How To Date Series (New and ongoing)
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The Virgin Replay
The Virgin Scorecard
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Thanks for Last Night
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Always Satisfied Series
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Instant Gratification
PS It’s Always Been You
The Gift Series
An after dark series of standalones! Explore your fantasies!
The Engagement Gift
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The Heartbreakers Series
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Once Upon a Real Good Time
Once Upon a Sure Thing
Once Upon a Wild Fling
Sinful Men
A high-stakes, high-octane, sexy-as-sin romantic suspense series!
My Sinful Nights
My Sinful Desire
My Sinful Longing
My Sinful Love
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A group of friends in New York falls in love one by one in this sexy rom-com series!
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A group of friends finds love!
The Pretending Plot
The Dating Proposal
The Second Chance Plan
The Private Rehearsal
Seductive Nights Series
A high heat series full of danger and spice!
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After This Night
One More Night
A Wildly Seductive Night
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Nights With Him
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Good Love Series of sexy rom-coms co-written with Lili Valente!
I also write MM romance under the name L. Blakely!
Hopelessly Bromantic Duet (MM)
Roomies to lovers to enemies to fake boyfriends
Hopelessly Bromantic
Here Comes My Man
Men of Summer Series (MM)
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Scoring With Him
Winning With Him
All In With Him
MM Standalone Novels
A Guy Walks Into My Bar
The Bromance Zone
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Winner Takes All Series (MM)
A series of emotionally-charged and irresistibly sexy standalone MM sports romances!
The Boyfriend Comeback
Turn Me On
A Very Filthy Game
Limited Edition Husband
Manhandled
If you want a personalized recommendation, email me at laurenblakelybooks@gmail.com!
CONTACT
I love hearing from readers! You can find me on TikTok at LaurenBlakelyBooks, Instagram at LaurenBlakelyBooks, Facebook at LaurenBlakelyBooks, or online at LaurenBlakely.com. You can also email me at laurenblakelybooks@gmail.com
Lauren Blakely, The Romance Line (Love and Hockey Book 2)
