Tuesday Tales - Prepare

It`s time for Tuesday Tales.

Today we have a snippet from my NaNoWriMo MF hockey romance book, Blueline, Venom #6. In this excerpt Helen and her friends/fellow Venom players are discussing wedding plans, dresses, and a certain Wildcat captain.

Our word prompt today is “Prepare.”

This story may have erotic scenes, strong social issues addressed and mature language. If those things offend now is the time to move onto another Tuesday Tales blog. Thanks for stopping by!

Morning skate was more like morning agony. The coaching staff was pushing us hard and while it was paying off in greater cohesion, overall, it was also kicking our asses. My left knee ached like a bad tooth. It had been iced immediately after skate, and now looked a bit swollen to me. The two previous sprains had weakened it, or so it felt. Maybe that was just my brain trying to get me to favor the twice torn MCL. Still, swelling or not, there was no way I was sitting out this run for the championship. I’d worked too hard, given up too much, to spend time on the bench with an ice bag on my leg.

“You up for something fun tomorrow?” Alicia asked after showers were completed.

“Like what?” I wiggled around trying to get my bra in place.

“Well, I was thinking maybe my bridesmaids could come out to the farm and we’d pick out patterns for your dresses. Since we don’t have a skate.”

Oh yeah. The wedding. I cringed a bit internally. I adore our captain and would lay down my body for her on the ice and off. I was also quite fond of my teammates. But it was a known fact that bridesmaid dresses were generally ugly. And I did not need yards of ugly hanging off me. It was hard enough finding clothes that fit me properly and were somewhat fashionable.

“That would be incredible!” Kate wiggled around me, beaming, hair still soaking wet. “I love your goats! Oh! Can I bring Bobby?”

“No,” I said but Kate just ran right over me.

“He loves goats too! And bees. Well, not so much bees. They kind of make him swell up and die, but he likes honey!” She paused. I tried to slip another ‘NO!” into the upcoming ramble but was too slow and bulky. Story of my life. “Maybe it was Mama who liked honey but not bee stings. Well, no matter! He can help Dale do farm work while we talk about dresses. I like geese too. They’re funny. One time I had this goose down pillow that was super soft, but sometimes the feathers escaped and would float around the room. Oh! There’s my phone. I bet it’s Bobby. I’ll tell him about tomorrow on the farm! Thanks for inviting us!”

Off she ran. Alicia smiled up at me. “I always feel like Dorothy Gale after her ride in the twister when I’m done talking with Kate.”

“That describes it pretty accurately. So, what color are these dresses going to be?” Please do not say pink. A woman my size in pink taffeta is not a pretty sight.

“Colors that will please the goddess,” Alicia dreamily replied then went off to meditate or align her chakras. That was helpful. Not at all. I was not prepared for this.

I went to the bus, wiggled myself across two seats, using one to keep my leg straight, plunked my ice bag onto my knee, and dug out my phone. Maybe I could get back into movie the on the way home. A sharp rap on the window behind me made me jump. I craned my head to look over my shoulder. There on the other side of the window, stood Bobby. Smiling and waving. Probably I should give him the cold shoulder, but that white rose in my bag had softened my brain or something. Instead of cutting him down as I normally did, I waved two fingers at him. His smile broke into a grin which kind of did odd and tingly things to my stomach.

“Aw, look at his love-sick face.”

I threw a dark look at Karrie peeking at me over the back of her seat. “Why aren’t you in the back stirring shit up?”

She gave me a sassy wink. “It’s more fun stirring you up.”

Copyright 2017 ©by V.L. Locey

*~*~*

Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the Tuesday Tales authors.

Tuesday Tales

Flow (Venom #5) Release Day!

Fans of my women's pro hockey team, the Philadelphia Venom, are going to be happy! Today the fifth book in my MF hockey romance series is live. Alice and Bruno's story is a powerful one between two mature people battling a serious medical condition. If you're all about hockey, strong women who play it and the men who love them, the Venom series is for you.

#MF #Erotic #Hockey #Romance

Buy Links:

Amazon US - http://tinyurl.com/y7dna2h7

Amazon UK - http://tinyurl.com/y8g923av

B&N - http://tinyurl.com/y9vvuq5b

Smashwords - http://tinyurl.com/yaoqaubx

Blurb:

Life hasn’t been easy for Venom goalie coach, Alice Dunlop. She battled her way out of childhood poverty to earn recognition as a medal winning player in her youth. After a terrible loss ended her first marriage, she vowed to never put down roots in one city ever again. Then the offer to coach in the pros came along and with that job, a move to the City of Brotherly Love was required. She never expected to meet Bruno “The Bruiser” Bonbano, the burly ex-Wildcats defenseman. Things were supposed to be all about the physical and not so much the emotional. Guess no one told Alice’s heart that. 

As her team scratched and clawed its way through a season filled with ups-and-downs, Alice found herself forming a true bond with the city, the players, and the other coaches. She also ended up falling in love with Bruno. As her team rolls into the playoffs, Alice and Bruno are about to come face to face with devastating news. Secrets decades old will be revealed that may bring the life she now has crashing down around her. In the face of a medical nightmare, will love, family, and hockey be enough?

Saturday Story Spotlight/Cover Reveal - Shot at Love (Renegades 8) by Melody Heck Gatto

#MF #Hockey #Romance

Shot at Love Universal Link

Everyone needs rules to live by, but are they worth giving up your one shot at love?

Luc didn’t mean to fall for his teammate’s little sister. He had no intention of breaking the guy code: sisters were strictly off limits. Luc knew that breaking the rule could not only destroy a friendship but derail his career. And he didn’t think her brother was bluffing.

As soon as Luc found out the gorgeous brunette he’d been eyeing turned out to be his goalie’s sister, he hit the brakes. But then she 

said those four little words: I don’t date athletes.

Challenge accepted.

Now Luc couldn’t get Kassie out of his mind. She was turning his world upside down. This girl was the Juliette to his Romeo, the jelly to his peanut butter, the queen to his king. 

But how could he prove to her that his reputation was a thing of the past? He was ready to do anything in his power to change her mind. He only hoped her brother didn’t kill him in the process.

Flow - Venom #5 Cover Reveal/ Preorder Links

#MF #Hockey #Romance

Buy Links:

Amazon US - http://tinyurl.com/y7dna2h7

Amazon UK - http://tinyurl.com/y8g923av

B&N - http://tinyurl.com/y9vvuq5b

Smashwords - http://tinyurl.com/yaoqaubx

Blurb:

Life hasn’t been easy for Venom goalie coach, Alice Dunlop. She battled her way out of childhood poverty to earn recognition as a medal winning player in her youth. After a terrible loss ended her first marriage, she vowed to never put down roots in one city ever again. Then the offer to coach in the pros came along and with that job, a move to the City of Brotherly Love was required. She never expected to meet Bruno “The Bruiser” Bonbano, the burly ex-Wildcats defenseman. Things were supposed to be all about the physical and not so much the emotional. Guess no one told Alice’s heart that. 

As her team scratched and clawed its way through a season filled with ups-and-downs, Alice found herself forming a true bond with the city, the players, and the other coaches. She also ended up falling in love with Bruno. As her team rolls into the playoffs, Alice and Bruno are about to come face to face with devastating news. Secrets decades old will be revealed that may bring the life she now has crashing down around her. In the face of a medical nightmare, will love, family, and hockey be enough?

R-Rated Excerpt:

There were two things I could count on every morning. One was waking up with a man who was roughly the same size, strength, length, soft downy furriness, and temperament as a grizzly bear. Two was Regimental Sergeant Major Bigglestrap would be at my door precisely at seven with breakfast, the Philadelphia Inquisitor, Philly’s biggest daily newspaper, and a proper dose of dry British commentary to go along with my muffin and coffee. If the resident manager of the Philadelphia Century Way was taller, stronger, hairier, and grumpier I’d set my cap for him.

Thing Number One had one massive arm resting on my hip as he huffed into the back of my head. The hair covering his chest, stomach, and thighs tickled my back and ass but it was a pleasant tickle, not the kind that made you shriek. Figuring that Bruno wouldn’t rouse unless I dropped a safe on him, I wiggled my ass back into him, keeping my eyes shut as I willed sleep to come back. His body heat radiated out and over me. I sighed and burrowed my face into my pillow, inhaling the scent of clean linen and hot man.

“You wiggling that ass against my dick for a reason?” my bed partner asked, his arm sliding forward to allow his hand to slip between my legs.

“I’m cold,” I replied.

“Uh-huh.” Bruno grunted, cupping my mound gently as his cock slowly plumped up. Generally morning sex wasn’t my thing. Grungy mouth, unwashed body, sleep dirt in my eyes, no lipstick. Something about Bruno Bonbano seemed to make me forget a lot of my hang-ups from time to time. I’d just parted my legs for his seeking fingers when two sharp, precise knocks fell on the door. “For fuck’s sake.” Bruno snarled into the back of my head.

“I can tell him to leave the food.” His hand slipped out from between my thighs as his lips fell to my shoulder. He nipped the skin lightly then patted my stomach.

“Nah, let him in. I have to meet Alain in an hour at the practice rink to help set up that summer league.”

Knowing the hoped-for tryst was not going to happen, I sat up, thumbed some hair from my face, and enjoyed the sight of my lover leaving my bed. Bruno was a large man. He stood six feet six inches and weighed probably two-fifty or two-sixty, all that still solid muscle. Wide shoulders and lean waist, he’d been a force to be reckoned with as a defenseman back when he played for the Wildcats. The rigors of professional hockey and several concussions had nudged him into retiring. Nudged might not be the right term. According to Alain Lessard, who has known Bruno since birth, the last concussion had body-checked the man out of the sport. To this day, he’s not quite right, and I have fears…

“Are he and Viviana staying here for the summer then?” I asked while kicking off the covers and burrowing around in the clothes piled in a nicely stuffed chair for my robe. Thank God for room service and hotel laundry. Bigglestrap knocked again. I hurried to pull the quilted belt attached to my robe from the mound of dirty clothing.

“Don’t know yet. Probably.” Bruno padded past the door, turned the knob, and flung it open. I spun around and shoved my arms into the robe, bitching at Bruno all the while. “Morning, Biggie.” Bruno grunted before closing the bathroom door behind his bare ass.

“Yes, well, good morning to you as well, Mr. Bonbano. Coach Dunlop, you’re a vision as always,” the resident manager said then stepped into my room. Rick, the bellhop who always brings my breakfast scurried into my suite, parked the trolley, tapped his hat, and then hustled out.

“And you, Sergeant Major, are full of shit. Thank you.” I took the neatly folded daily newspaper from him then lifted a few lids off the servers. Eggs, bacon, toast, coffee, and orange juice. “Looks delicious. Anything new in this?” I shook the paper before pouring myself a cup of coffee. The thin man in the black suit shook his neatly-combed head. Jane had once commented that you could plumb a house with Bigglestrap’s part, and she was right. I often wondered if he used a ruler to ensure his dark hair was parted correctly.

“No, nothing of great interest. The mayor is talking about a summer fest which could be rather refreshing. Let’s hope he doesn’t invite that tawdry chit who won that last talent show the radio station that employs Ms. West ran. I’ve heard more melodious tunes coming from my parrot, Joffrey.” He moved around the suite opening draperies as he chatted with an air of professional confidence. Why he – the resident manager – came to my room every day like this was anyone’s guess. Bruno said he thought Biggie, a nickname that Bruno had picked up from Jane, had a crush on me. I thought that was utter horseshit and had told Bruno that. Still, his coming here every morning was a bit odd but welcomed just the same. I liked him, and I loved his hotel. Renting a suite here was perfect. Month to month commitment. No roots to hold me in this city if the skyscrapers began to capture the dark memories of my lost son. “Oh! And there’s a lovely article about the Venom on the front of the sports page. Seems your women making it into the playoffs while the Wildcats didn’t is setting off the wagging tongues.”

“I figured that would twist a few panties.” I commented then took a sip of the hotel’s amazing coffee.

Book Spotlight - A Most Unlikely Countess, To Love a Wildcat #2

Painfully shy Liz Argon probably shouldn`t be dreaming of Veikko Aho, star goalie for the Philadelphia Wildcats. As she works side by side with 'The Count of the Crease' on his memoirs, she finds herself falling for the handsome goaltender. His tender ways with her and her mentally fragile mother are slowly claiming her heart. 

If only Veikko wasn`t already engaged to a woman far better suited to move in to 'The Count`s' world. In book two of the To Love a Wildcat series, we`ll see if a glass slipper can survive in the rough and tumble world of professional ice hockey.


KU Link

Here's a small snippet where Liz is searching for her escaped ferret in Veikko's mansion...



 Veikko cocked an eyebrow questioningly. I shook my head then pattered to the closet. I emerged fifteen minutes later with no ferret, but with an enormous amount of envy that his wardrobe was so much better than mine. As was the closet that held it. I headed for his private bath.

 “Elizabeth, perhaps if you didn`t chase him he`d come looking for you? We used to have a cat when I was a young boy that would mince right up to you, then, when you would reach for him to bring him in for the night, he would streak off. It was a game to him. Come, sit down beside me. We`ll wait for Gandalf to come to you.”

“It won`t work,” I said, my feet rather stuck to the spot I was in. Veikko lifted his upper body up to rest on his elbows. 

“You won`t know if you don`t try. Please, I beg of you, come sit down quietly and wait for him,” he implored, patting the empty spot to his left. “I`ll tell whatever you wish to know,” he added as an incentive.

“I should have my tablet,” I whispered, struck with a gasping seizure of terror. Heart thundering he shook his head.

“This is not for the book. This is just between friends.” He yawned so widely his jaw cracked. Okay, sure. Friends. Of course. Yippee for friendship.

“Piglet and Pooh,” I murmured forcing my cold feet to move me to the bed. I crawled up onto the mattress. Grabbing the discarded duvet I covered myself to my neck. Veikko`s head rolled left. A quirky look appeared.

“Please, relax, Elizabeth.” His hands came to rest on his flat stomach. I inhaled through my nose. Okay, that didn`t help one damned bit. “What would you like to know? We`ll play truth or dare, only I will not make you do something stupid like run down Fenimore Lane wearing a chicken suit.” 

“Do you own a chicken suit?” I asked. He chuckled and my muscles relaxed just a bit.

“Is that your question?” he slyly asked. I wiggled my toes as the bed`s warmth began to seep into my flesh.  

 “No. Well, sure, yeah, let`s start with that. Do you own a chicken suit?” I asked with utmost journalistic professionalism. The heater kicked on. Warm air circulated through the bedroom. 

“No, but I did once date a woman that owned a feather whip.” The scamp winked. Heat seared my neck and ears. Burying my face into the cover, I shook my head as I clucked like a schoolmarm. “My turn,” he said then yanked the covers down so he could see my eyes I reasoned. “How many piercings do you have?”

“Do you mean now, or ones that I let heal closed?”

“All that you`ve ever had done,” he said. I did a quick mental count, making sure I tallied all studs that at one time had lined my ears. 

“Twenty.” 

“Why so many?” he inquired, rolling to his side. I shrugged. “No, you can`t not answer.” 

“You already asked your question,” I informed him. He inclined his head graciously. “How old were you when you got your first kiss?” 

“Elizabeth, such racy things you ask!” he feigned a swoon then laughed heartily at the snort that got free. “I was six. It was from a terribly forward girl who lived next door to my grandparents. One day, I was out picking flowers for my mother when she appeared. She took the bouquet, said thank you then kissed me on the lips. I thought it was the nastiest thing I had ever experienced! She then told me if I brought her a bouquet the next day she would show me what was inside her panties.”

“No she did not!” I gasped, holding onto my ankles. He looked very sincere. 

“Oh, but she did! Of course, I had seen what girls have inside their panties. I had two little sisters who refused to wear pants or diapers for a solid year, but as I thought about it later, perhaps little Agda had something different? So, I gathered another bouquet and met her behind my grandparents’ tool shed. She showed me hers then I showed her mine. She seemed very fascinated by mine at the time but it must not have been too fascinating for she never asked for another peek or bouquet again.” 

“That`s too funny,” I chortled, stretching my legs out in front of me, the bottom of my feet just touching his left thigh. 

The man was a furnace. Within minutes my soles were glowing. That was how it started—with one story about a bouquet (pronounced boo-ket) for a curious girl. The night moved around us, time slipping past unknown and unseen as we talked about siblings, parents, music, and art, what makes us laugh hard and what makes us cry. I had never shared so much with another human being. Veikko pulled me close without ever touching me. We lay on our backs, all traces of unease gone from my body. I don`t remember dropping off. Sleep crept up on me on stealthy tippy-toes to tug me unknowingly into its embrace. I recall waking up a few minutes later though. 

My eyelids sluggishly crawled upward. Sky blue eyes enveloped me. We were lying facing each other, Veikko and I. I wanted to say something witty or erudite but nothing came. All I did was nod when he silently asked for permission with his eyes. He rose up on one elbow. His head dipped. Just as his lips brushed mine I closed my eyes. That soft brush of mouth on mouth sent my pulmonary system into a wild spiraling escalation. Using every sense but sight I emblazoned this moment onto my memory banks, because I knew, I just knew, nothing would ever top his mouth on mine. 

Roster Addition Release Day!

Today you can pick up your copy of Roster Addition, a new To Love a Wildcat novella! It's been some time since we touched base with the Wildcats and their lady loves. Veikko, Liz, Derrick, and Maggie all have key roles in the book, as does the newest member of the Wildcat family! If you're a fan of my M/F Wildcat series you'll love the unexpected twists and surprises that occur in this wonderful little read! Thank you for all your wonderful support. You'll never know how much it means to me. *hugs*

Buy Links:

Amazon-http://tinyurl.com/zwwxrug

B&N-http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/roster-addition-v-l-locey/1124779670?ean=2940153767611

Smashwords-https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/670272

Blurb: Veikko Aho, Wildcats star goalie, and his wife Liz are about to add a new player to their family roster. The open adoption of Maggie and Derrick’s granddaughter will help to heal the gaping hole infertility has left in the Aho’s life. Finally, that huge mansion on the Main Line will hear the sweet laughter of a child.

But the birth that the Aho’s are so looking forward too seems to be stirring up some anxiety and unspoken fears for the grandparents. As the seemingly endless night of labor drags on, power struggles that threaten to break up a long-standing friendship rise to the surface. Can both families put aside their petty differences or will this precious new Wildcat tear them apart?

Roster Addition - Sneak Peek #2!

Less than a week to go until a new member of the Wildcats family arrives on November 16th! It's been so much fun going back to visit with some of the 'Cats. They're like family to me, each and every one of them. Today we get a peek into Veikko Aho's head as he works through one of the most life-altering days of his life. What's running through the mind of the Wildcats elite goalie? You'll get a tiny look today in this blog exclusive snippet!

BUY LINKS-

Amazon

B&N

Smashwords

Goodreads

BLURB-

 Veikko Aho, Wildcats star goalie, and his wife Liz are about to add a new player to their family roster. The open adoption of Maggie and Derrick’s granddaughter will help to heal the gaping hole infertility has left in the Aho’s life. Finally, that huge mansion on the Main Line will hear the sweet laughter of a child. 

But the birth that the Aho’s are so looking forward too seems to be stirring up some anxiety and unspoken fears for the grandparents. As the seemingly endless night of labor drags on, power struggles that threaten to break up a long-standing friendship rise to the surface. Can both families put aside their petty differences or will this precious new Wildcat tear them apart?

EXCERPT-

I ambled off to find a men's room. The halls were quiet. I found that comforting. After the past forty-some hours of upheaval, stress, drama, and much screaming, it was pleasant to have some quietude. My body was as depleted as my mind.

I stopped to look down on the parking lot when I came across a window. A fresh snow had fallen, not much, just a few inches. It gave the January day a new feel, the ground all fresh and white, covering the grit and blacktop under the fluff. I lingered there for some time, just viewing the world below, the people coming into and leaving the hospital, the cars pulling in and parking. I wondered about many things. Where my tie was, would Elizabeth need help with Marja when I was gone, should I worry over my mother-in-law with the baby? And what about that damned ferret? I personally wished we could find a new home for it now that Marja was here. I did not trust the sneaky little bastard. If he leaped into the crib and bit or scratched that child I — well, I did not think I would be too kind about it. But, Elizabeth loved the animal so.

I reached up to place my left arm on the window casing. My shirtsleeves rested right below my elbow. The edge of the sleeve was stained with something. I thought it might be birthing fluid from when I had held Marja after her birth. I studied my forearm, tipping my head left then right, as I imagined how my daughter's name would look tattooed on the inside of that left arm. I had never entertained getting ink work before, but I planned to do so now that we had our first child and her name was set. Her name was set, wasn't it? I blew out a long breath and pushed away from the window. I needed to freshen up, locate some coffee, and begin working mentally on the short press announcement that I would make in a few days. I padded along until I found a washroom. 

Once inside I used a urinal, flushed, and then washed my hands and face. As I dried my face with some coarse white paper towels, I began putting things together inside my mind. Words, what I wished to say to the media, that sort of thing. I was not a man who liked to be caught short or unprepared. Perhaps that was due to being a goalie since I was five. Such things - mental things like preparation and focus - had been drilled into me from a young age. Or, maybe it was just how Veikko Aho was wired. I always thought it was a combination of the two. I stood staring at myself in the mirror and worked on my speech. My eyes were dull. I yawned widely when I thought of my bed at home. I tried to help my hair with some warm water but it was a losing cause. Pity, because the way it was now laying did not help to cover my father's high forehead that now resided on my head. I silently cursed the Aho males and their need to lose hair before forty. Tired of seeing my flaws, and I did not need a mirror in a hospital bathroom for that, I exited the men's room and walked down to the end of the hall.

The walls were cheery in this wing. Lots of soft yellow and pale green greeted me as I walked up to stand beside Jane Bratkowski. We exchanged smiles then we both stared through the glass to look at the new little ones inside the nursery.

"Your daughter is beautiful," Jane said after several silent but pleasant moments passed.

 "Thank you," I replied as I stared at Marja sleeping in her warm, safe bassinet. There were ten other infants behind the glass. 


"I almost didn't come last night," Jane said. I threw her a fast sideways look. Her hair was vibrant red, curled tightly and trying to break free of the bonds that held it. I would not say that Jane was a beautiful woman, not in the classic sense. Her profile was a strong one, her chin always high, her eyes sharp as daggers, and her attitude one that I admired greatly. She would whip her team into shape or she would die trying. That was hockey love and dedication. 

Roster Addition Sneak Peek!

The blessed event takes place in two weeks! Roster Addition, a To Love a Wildcat novella, arrives on November 16th but today you get a blog exclusive excerpt! If you enjoy this little snippet from the book make sure you preorder your copy so you won't miss any of the excitement.

Now it's time to hear from everyone's favorite teddy bear, Derrick Andersson. Next Thursday Veikko Aho, the 'Cats goalie and impending new father, will be featured in an excerpt. There's some mature language in the following excerpt. These are hockey players, after all. *wink*

Amazon

B&N

Smashwords


Goodreads

Blurb: Veikko Aho, Wildcats star goalie, and his wife Liz are about to add a new player to their family roster. The open adoption of Maggie and Derrick’s granddaughter will help to heal the gaping hole infertility has left in the Aho’s life. Finally, that huge mansion on the Main Line will hear the sweet laughter of a child. 

But the birth that the Aho’s are so looking forward too seems to be stirring up some anxiety and unspoken fears for the grandparents. As the seemingly endless night of labor drags on, power struggles that threaten to break up a long-standing friendship rise to the surface. Can both families put aside their petty differences or will this precious new Wildcat tear them apart?

Excerpt:

Inhaling the sour smell of train exhaust after breathing in all that frigid air was like a slap to the face with a goalie stick. My thoughts jumped to Veikko as I paid for a ticket to Wynnewood, where Veikko and Liz had insisted Elsa be born. Since Aho was paying for everything from the private birthing suite to the baby booties they'd slide onto Elsa's tiny toes, Maggie, the kids, and me went along with his wishes. 

Not that I couldn't cover the cost of this baby coming into the world. I'd have been happy to, and had offered, but the lawyers had squashed that idea, and a few others Maggie and me had put to them. I didn't have much time for lawyers either, especially the ones that Aho had who wore suits that cost more than my Silverado. 

My pay had dropped dramatically since I had retired, but I still made good money. Nothing like Veikko hauled in every year, but few of us in the league could touch the close to nine million dollars a year our goalie earned.

"Hope the 'Cats pull themselves out of this funk," the older black man behind the ticket window said to me. I slid my ticket under the pane of glass and nodded.

"Yah, me too, friend," I said, gave him a smile, and then turned to head to the trains. 

The lower you went, the more the stench of exhaust and people assaulted you. Being a big guy, I never really worried about crime or shit like that so I just moved with the crowds to find my train, my nerves getting tighter with each minute that passed. Thank God, the trip out to Wynnewood would only take maybe twenty minutes. The platform was packed. I glanced around, my eyes moving over the Philadelphia natives, kids, benches, trashcans, and finally, up to the walls. One corner had some sort of black mold growing on the concrete. "That there can't be good for human lungs." 

As much as I love the city, and I do because it had brung me some amazing years and incredible fans, there was times, like now, staring at that mold above our heads, that I wanted to run out of the city and not stop running until my big old feet were firmly planted in Minnesota. Next summer, I planned to take my gal and the kids, Elsa too if possible, and spend a couple months at my dad's old hunting cabin. 

I could almost see that crystal-clear lake and the loons that swim and fish on it. 

If I closed my ears, I could hear the splash of the yellow perch, bass, walleye, and Northern pike that live in the spring-fed waters. I could maybe teach Trevor, Maggie's boy, to fish. Hell, I'd be happy to teach the girls too if they had a mind. We could hike along the trails with Elsa in one of them little backpack things that you wear on your chest. Cookouts around the fire pit at night, making love to my woman under the stars. The rumble of my train shook me from the fantasy. People gathered on the edge of the platform. The doors of the train opened, and I was moved into the waiting train, no small trick that, since I ain't exactly no lightweight. 

People shoved and pushed, elbowed and mumbled curses, until everyone was on. I had my back against a silver pole. Some old Asian woman who smelled like dirty cat boxes was pressed into my chest. She reached up to grab hold of the same strap overhead that I was using. A guy behind me shouted something at someone. Kabekona Lake, take me away. The train lurched. The cat box lady rocked into me. I steadied her. She said something in reply that I didn't understand so I just nodded. The man behind us kept yelling. Guess that was just how he talked. A young white man in a Wildcat jacket wiggled under my raised arm as we rattled along to Wynnewood. 

"What the fuck is Derrick Andersson doing on the subway?" he asked and extended a hand.

The Asian woman spat something at the chubby man. I winced inside. My ma would have tanned me but good if I had ever used language like that in front of an elderly woman. Seemed like kids today just ain't got no respect for nothing.

"Heading to Penn Line Presbyterian to see my grandbaby be born." 

We shook hands and I bent down for the selfie he asked to take. All the while, the guy behind us yelled, and the Asian woman chattered at us in a language neither of us understood. 

"Oh wow, good for you, man. So hey, what you think about the 'Cats chances this year? And how about having chicks playing hockey? Man, that is some fucked up shit right there. Gashes playing a man's game. I bet they cry when they break a nail or something, right?" He nudged me in the ribs. 

"I ain't seen no tears yet," I told him matter-of-factly then gave him a long look. "Bet you wouldn't last five minutes on the ice with them gashes."

"Derrick, dude, why are you talking me down like that?" 

"I ain't talking you down; I'm just laying out the facts. You maybe shouldn't be running down the Venom players unless you can skate, check, and score better than they can. Judging by the way your gut hangs over your pants," I poked his flabby belly, "I figure you'd last about thirty seconds out there with the Venom before Helen Parat knocked you ass over tin cups."

"That was brutal, dude," the wanna-be punk replied then slid back under my arm and disappeared. 

"You tell that fuck wad," the tiny Asian woman said then cackled in glee. I had to smile.

Rj Scott's The Code Release Blitz with Giveaway!

RJ Scott writing as Rozenn Scott

The Code (Ice Dragons #1) 

Author: RJ Scott writing as Rozenn Scott

Release Date: October 26 2016

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

Length: 50,000 words

Blurb

Falling for his best friend’s sister seemed like a good idea at the time.

Defenceman Ryan Flynn’s life and career is defined by the codes of hockey; friendship, respect, leadership and protection. A call from his best friends sister ends up with him taking her home and it’s all he can do to remember that she’s off limits. Doesn’t matter that she’s too much of temptation for a man on the edge, he promised her brother he wouldn’t go anywhere near her.

Kathryn Lecour has been in lust with hockey player Ryan Flynn since she was first laid eyes on him. The problem? Ryan is her brother’s best friend, bound by a complicated code of chivalry both on and off the ice.

Will Ryan, the hard man of the Dragons ever see her as anything more than his best friend’s little sister? And will Kat be able to tame the Dragon with ice in his heart?

Excerpt

“You have to promise,” Loki had said to him.

They were nineteen years old and drunk on cheap beer. Kat’s prom date vanished into the darkness, and that was a good thing: the baseball captain and high achiever wasn’t good enough for her.

Not in her brother’s eyes, and not in his.

“Promise what?” Ryan had been worried that what he and Loki had done made Kat’s date leave and left her in tears. They’d only meant to intimidate him to playing nice, not get him to run away with his tail between his legs.

“Don’t ever let her near a jock,” Loki snapped. He didn’t appear to have any remorse at seeing the guy run, but then, he ’hadn’t seen his sister’s tears. “No one like us. Because all we are is hockey, and all we do is for the team.”

“I promise.”

“We fuck and leave, and nothing means anything.”

“Loki—”

“Don’t you ever let anyone hurt her.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

The smile slipped from his face when the enormity of what he’d promised sunk into his soul, and for a second he hesitated. He had to go in there and be her brother, be the friend she’d need. Not the idiot man who fancied himself in love with her.

He settled his breathing. And then he opened the door, slipped inside, and shut it behind him before he could second-guess why he was here.

The room was simple: sofas, a coffee table in the middle, a large roof window that would let in light in the daytime. At the moment, the room was lit by a soft lamp in the corner.

Sitting bolt upright in one corner of the largest sofa was Kat.

Ryan took one look at her face and couldn’t help himself; a curse fell from his lips without conscious thought. A vivid scarlet mark ran from her eye socket to her cheekbone, as if someone had deliberately slapped her; bruises ringed her neck and her lip was cut, evidenced by a butterfly bandage just below the left corner. She was so beautiful, and he couldn’t bear to see the marks on her soft skin.

She looked up at him, her green eyes bright. He stepped closer and she stared at him. Her lower lip trembled as though she was fighting tears; he wanted to hold her and stop her from crying.

God, all I want is to hold her.

“Take me home, Ryan,” she said, her voice broken. Then she added a much smaller, quieter “Please.”

Author Bio: 

RJ Scott is the bestselling gay romance author of over ninety MM romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn't with family either reading or writing. 

RJ also writes MF romance under the name Rozenn Scott.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn't like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.

mailto:rj@rjscott.co.uk

www.rjscott.co.uk/

www.facebook.com/author.rjscott?ref=ts&fref=ts

www.goodreads.com/author/show/3432558.R_J_Scott

twitter.com/Rjscott_author

www.librarything.com/author/scottrj

a Rafflecopter giveaway