Blog Tour & Giveaway: Brian [Los Angeles Quakes Hockey 04] by Alisa Jean!

Excerpt!

   The whistle blows, and the game is on. I’ll give Alexis this, she stays more or less on the side where I am, so the challenge is at least on a level playing field, so to speak. The first round, I focus on the girls who are the whole reason we’re here, tagging a few and making an exaggerated motion of just missing a few more. By round three, there are a lot of minnows in the middle with us sharks and the remaining runners, including Alexis, are getting winded as much from shrieks of laughter as from dashing back.

   Round four is when I decide to make my move. Alexis has to work extra hard, dodging around the minnows in the neutral zone as well as other sharks, but I don’t strike when she’s distracted. I wait until our eyes meet, and then the game is on. She’s quick, I knew that from watching her skate, but I’m no slouch. She zigs and zags, trying to juke around me, but in the end, my grab for her is successful. I only meant to snag her by the arm, but my hand finds her waist instead, and her momentum reels her to my side. Both of us are breathless as our gazes meet, and I’m not one hundred percent sure it’s from running.

   “I win, I win, I win,” shrieks a tiny girl with pigtails as she jumps up and down, as excited as if she’d scored her first goal. Sadly, her triumph pulls Alexis out of our moment. She steps back, stumbles a bit, then smiles briefly at me as she rejoins the other minnows, giving high-fives to the excited girls.

Sweet heat. Sharp skates. One perfect shot at forever.

Brian Anderson has always been the good guy—center for the Los Angeles Quakes, team peacemaker, and top scorer. He’s watched his teammates fall in love one by one, but he’s stayed far from the line of fire—until a fierce left winger blindsides him in a no-holds-barred charity game. Alexis Barlowe doesn’t care about NHL fame. She’s too busy raising her daughter and guarding her heart after one betrayal too many.

Brian is determined in his pursuit, and Alexis eventually lets him in. He’s everything Peter, her ex, wasn’t—kind, dependable, crazy about her and her daughter. But when a woman from Brian’s past shows up five months pregnant and claiming he’s the father, Alexis’s walls come crashing back down.

The test says the baby is his. But Brian swears it’s not true. As secrets unravel and old wounds reopen, both must decide if love is worth the risk—or if their happily ever after is just another story cut short.

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Author bio:

Alisa Jean is the pseudonym for award-winning authors Marla A. White and C J Bahr. They first teamed up over thirty years ago over a bottle of Zima (don’t ask) while polishing their gear for a horse show. They’ve since moved on to better beverages and writing novels. Separately, Marla prefers to murder characters in the usual way, while C J uses paranormal means. The long-time best friends joined together as a writing team through their mutual love of hockey. Wonder twin powers activated! Their hockey romances examine flawed characters with heart, humor, and sexy sizzle.

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Giveaway!

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