Excerpt!
Liv
I didn’t want to be there. Or found there. Or have to—ugh, I darted across the hall and pressed my back against the wall. Waited a couple of breaths. I peeked around the corner just in time to see him lean down and—nope. Time to go. I shoved open the exit door, ready to leap through it, intent on my escape. It came to a jarring stop. “Ow! Fuck.”
I collided with the door and almost fell into Breslin, er, Coop. Oh hell, Coop. I cringed. “Did I hit you?”
“Milline.” He flipped up his sunglasses. I found myself caught in blue eyes with those long, dark lashes. They looked brighter. He was freshly shaved; a small sprinkle of very light freckles dotted one side of his nose. My insides warmed, and still he stared—at me, through me, good God he was beautiful. I swallowed and stepped back.
“Why are you here? You can’t practice. You’re supposed to be on rest, remember? Three days and I know you were counting Sunday but I don’t think you should.”
“Gotta report in. Trainer.”
I blinked. Pinched my arm, nope not asleep. “Wait, you said words to me other than ‘no comment.’ Do we need to go back to the ER? Did you forget who I am, again?”
He grinned that smirky, confident half smile. “Can’t forget my girlfriend. Did you come to cheer me up?”
Wait, what? “You can’t be serious.”
“Never was that good at lying.” He moved through the doorway. I stepped back as he approached.
“Wouldn’t make sense that I’d lie to my coach.”
My insides went from toasty-melty warm to unbearably hot. “No.”
“And you can’t break up with me so soon after we went the distance in the bedroom . . . all weekend long.” My back hit the wall. He leaned close to my ear. “No one would believe you.”
“Nooo.” Stars sparked in front of my eyes and I had to remember to breathe. “Oh my God . . .” I grabbed his arm. “How long are we going to have to do this?”
“Do what?”
“Ugh, seriously, how long do we have to pretend to like each other?”
He tipped his head to one side and shot me a dark look. “You mean ‘date.’”
“Yes, fine, whatever. How long does it have to be . . . before we can break up?”
His lips pursed together, and then twitched. He covered his mouth with one hand.
“What?”
Heavy-lidded eyes met mine. He put his hand on my waist and leaned closer. My whole body tingled and trembled.
“You’re on the clock, Coop. Say bye to your girlfriend. She’ll still be here when you’re done.” Eberhardt crunched into an apple as he walked by.
Coop bent at the knee and met my gaze. I was no doubt turning strawberry-pink. My stomach wobbled as he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.
“Two minutes, Cooper!” Coach shouted an instant before the locker room door clattered shut.
“Seriously, how long?” I said with a gasp.
“So, you’re asking me how long before a couple can break up after having sex?”
And I was a tomato. “Yeah.”
“So you’ve never broken up with someone after having sex?”
They’re chasing the same dream… Too bad they’re not on the same team.
When Breslin Cooper’s major league dreams go up in flames, he’s left with his backup plan: college baseball at Texas State Tech in Vanquer, Texas. But his public altercation with a reporter saddles him with mandated community service, therapy–and a toxic “Storm Cooper” reputation that no professional baseball scout will touch.
Liv Milline’s family name is practically synonymous with IML baseball. Yet despite her love for the game (the tight pants aren’t bad, either) and her dreams of becoming a baseball scout–her father holds one, ironclad rule: No baseball for Olivia (the corollary: no baseball players for Olivia is just downright mean).
Her one loophole? Playing baseball beat reporter for Texas State Tech.
Chasing similar dreams, Liv attempts to befriend Breslin. But the amazingly talented, pain in her aperture has only two words to say whenever she’s around: “No comment”.
Still, she can’t help but notice the troubled ballplayer’s running on overload. Emotionally wounded and reeling from his mother’s death, the only time Breslin seems close to “ok” is on the ballfield. Liv and his new teammates can’t seem to get through.
When a lapse in judgment catches Breslin in a real-world rundown, jeopardizing his probation and his baseball scholarship, his only choice may be to rely on Liv–the aggravating, attractive, and utterly relentless reporter, chasing her latest headline.
Author bio:
J. Rose Black weaves stories about obsession, redemption, and the transcendental power of love. From her early days writing fanfiction for a passionate following of international readers, to crafting novels with her own characters, Rose has always been drawn to broody protectors and plucky, no-nonsense women ready to fight for what they believe in.
When Rose isn’t deeply immersed in her latest manuscript, she’s working in cyber security and thwarting the next generation of internet bad guys. Out of the office, she’s #Shipping with friends over her favorite, swoon-worthy couples, heading to the gym to battle the great evil that is Unmovable Baby Weight, or complaining about her husband’s addiction to 3D printing. Also: nagging her children to eat something other than cheese.
