As a reader obsessed with sports-themed romances I'm thrilled to introduce you to this trio of delicious hockey players and the women who they'll do anything to win. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Dominic, Drake, and Karl and then add them to your bookshelf. In honor of the engaging Las Vegas Sidewinders series by Kat Mizera make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $20 Amazon GC too!
Las Vegas Sidewinders: Dominic Dom Gianni takes a lot of punishment in the hockey rink, but when he sees Molly McCarran getting beaten up by her husband, he’s ready to throw down his gloves and fight for her. But Molly isn’t about to trust another man—and Dom is already skating on thin ice with his NHL-mandated probation. Besides, how could a hotshot player like Dom really care about a woman so much older than him? Then a kidnapping changes everything. If Molly can’t believe in Dom, and if he can’t dig deep to save her, it might be the final buzzer for both of them.
EXCERPT:
"What did they say?" Dom asked, reaching for Molly and pulling her close.
She rested her head against his chest, breathing in his aftershave and snuggling close. "It doesn't matter," she said softly. "It was actually a backhanded compliment, that I'm prettier than she'd thought I'd be or something." She tried to chuckle but it sounded more like a sniffle. "I guess I didn't think they'd be gossiping about me before they even saw us together."
"Honey, people talk."
"If people are already talking, and the media gets hold of it. Tim is going to find me sooner rather than later."
"I don't think we've reached the media with our relationship yet," he gave her a small grin. "But if one of the wives heard about you, then Suze or Andra or Tiff told someone they thought they could trust, and the NHL wives' pipeline is better than the CIA."
"Great." She sat on the edge of the bed.
"Molly, don't you trust me?" He looked uncomfortable standing in front of her and she glanced up at him with a frown.
"What do you mean?"
"Someone hurt your feelings and you turned to Toli instead of me. Why?"
"I didn't turn to Toli!" She got up quickly and reached for him, hating that he would even consider that idea. "He saw me leave and followed me when I didn't come back down. I'm just trying to protect you--I don't want you to get into trouble because of me!"
"So you don't trust me not to lose my temper." He was hurt.
"No!" She sighed, taking a deep breath and then blowing it out. "I'm not explaining myself very well. It's just that you've done so much for me--I don't want you to see someone hurting me and get into trouble by standing up for me. You just got clearance from the NHL--the last thing you need is to pick a fight with another player because his wife is immature and doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut. You're too important to me."
He gazed at her steadily, his dark eyes boring into her bright green ones. He knew she wasn't afraid of him, but she was still afraid of what he might do to someone else. He didn't know why that bothered him so much, but it did. He'd made so much progress, yet even the woman he loved didn't trust him completely.
"Dom, what are you thinking?" She touched his face. "Tell me."
"You're afraid of what I might do." He spoke flatly, looking away.
"No! You're supposed to want to protect me, aren't you? Isn't that what you've been telling me? You've spent all summer telling me to trust you to protect me--and I do! But that should go both ways! I don't want you to get into trouble over something so trivial! If it was Tim trying to hurt me, that would be different, but you've worked so hard this summer--I don't want our love to be the reason you start off on the wrong foot with your new team." She paused, practically holding her breath as he looked back at her.
"Are we in love?" he asked.
"You have to ask?" She was taken aback. "I mean, I thought we were, but we never actually talked about it..." Her voice trailed off. "if that's not how you feel--"
"How I feel? I told you once, and have shown you repeatedly, but you've never said it! And you spend so much time with Toli..." He felt uncertain with a woman for the first time in his life. "I'm really not sure how you feel, Molly."
"You're not?" She asked in a tiny voice. She ran her hands up his chest and then wrapped them around his neck. "Really? You can't tell that I'm crazy about you? That I'm constantly terrified that I'm going to wake up and find out that you just want to be friends? That I'm too old for you? That I can't give you kids? I have nothing to offer you--but you're still here. How could I not love you?"
"Then tell me!" he nearly growled at her, pulling her up against him.
"What did they say?" Dom asked, reaching for Molly and pulling her close.
She rested her head against his chest, breathing in his aftershave and snuggling close. "It doesn't matter," she said softly. "It was actually a backhanded compliment, that I'm prettier than she'd thought I'd be or something." She tried to chuckle but it sounded more like a sniffle. "I guess I didn't think they'd be gossiping about me before they even saw us together."
"Honey, people talk."
"If people are already talking, and the media gets hold of it. Tim is going to find me sooner rather than later."
"I don't think we've reached the media with our relationship yet," he gave her a small grin. "But if one of the wives heard about you, then Suze or Andra or Tiff told someone they thought they could trust, and the NHL wives' pipeline is better than the CIA."
"Great." She sat on the edge of the bed.
"Molly, don't you trust me?" He looked uncomfortable standing in front of her and she glanced up at him with a frown.
"What do you mean?"
"Someone hurt your feelings and you turned to Toli instead of me. Why?"
"I didn't turn to Toli!" She got up quickly and reached for him, hating that he would even consider that idea. "He saw me leave and followed me when I didn't come back down. I'm just trying to protect you--I don't want you to get into trouble because of me!"
"So you don't trust me not to lose my temper." He was hurt.
"No!" She sighed, taking a deep breath and then blowing it out. "I'm not explaining myself very well. It's just that you've done so much for me--I don't want you to see someone hurting me and get into trouble by standing up for me. You just got clearance from the NHL--the last thing you need is to pick a fight with another player because his wife is immature and doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut. You're too important to me."
He gazed at her steadily, his dark eyes boring into her bright green ones. He knew she wasn't afraid of him, but she was still afraid of what he might do to someone else. He didn't know why that bothered him so much, but it did. He'd made so much progress, yet even the woman he loved didn't trust him completely.
"Dom, what are you thinking?" She touched his face. "Tell me."
"You're afraid of what I might do." He spoke flatly, looking away.
"No! You're supposed to want to protect me, aren't you? Isn't that what you've been telling me? You've spent all summer telling me to trust you to protect me--and I do! But that should go both ways! I don't want you to get into trouble over something so trivial! If it was Tim trying to hurt me, that would be different, but you've worked so hard this summer--I don't want our love to be the reason you start off on the wrong foot with your new team." She paused, practically holding her breath as he looked back at her.
"Are we in love?" he asked.
"You have to ask?" She was taken aback. "I mean, I thought we were, but we never actually talked about it..." Her voice trailed off. "if that's not how you feel--"
"How I feel? I told you once, and have shown you repeatedly, but you've never said it! And you spend so much time with Toli..." He felt uncertain with a woman for the first time in his life. "I'm really not sure how you feel, Molly."
"You're not?" She asked in a tiny voice. She ran her hands up his chest and then wrapped them around his neck. "Really? You can't tell that I'm crazy about you? That I'm constantly terrified that I'm going to wake up and find out that you just want to be friends? That I'm too old for you? That I can't give you kids? I have nothing to offer you--but you're still here. How could I not love you?"
"Then tell me!" he nearly growled at her, pulling her up against him.
Las Vegas Sidewinders: Drake Drake Riser is a tough guy on the ice, but deep down he just wants to settle down. Major Erin Gentry has physical and emotional scars from an IED explosion. When they meet at a masquerade ball, Drake thinks Erin is exactly what he needs, but she thinks she’s too damaged to get involved with the gorgeous hockey hunk. Erin is trying to figure out what happened two years ago and put her demons to rest, while someone from her past is trying to destroy her. Drake is ready to do anything to give them a shot at love, but will they be able to put the pieces together in time to win the face-off–and the game.
EXCERPT:
Her eyes were wide, filled with something akin to trepidation, but her gaze never left his.
“What do you want to do?” she whispered.
“Get to know you.” He moved over her, his skin warm against hers. He kissed her, his tongue meeting hers possessively, drawing her into him. If they were going to make this work, she had to let go of the insecurity and shyness; he knew there was a passionate, sexual woman buried inside her somewhere and he was determined to find her. “I need you to let me explore, okay?” He met her eyes again. “I need you to let me touch you—all of you. Let me see you. Let me know you. Let me do more than fuck you."
She swallowed hard but nodded. “O-okay."
“Don’t be afraid, baby. I already know about the ugly parts of your skin—let me show you how beautiful everything else about you is."
Honestly, if you looked beyond the scars, Erin’s body was beautiful, even more beautiful than his model ex-wife’s. The amount of time she spent working out was obvious in her flat, rippled stomach and toned shoulders and biceps. Her waist was trim and her hips perfectly rounded. Her left thigh was amazing, firm and muscular but still curvy and feminine. He knew the muscles in her calves were hard and defined, especially in a pair of heels and he looked forward to the day she would wear heels for him again like the night they met.
He trailed his fingers across her round, perky breasts. They weren’t big, probably a B cup, but they were perfect in his eyes. Cupping them in his hands, he gently squeezed before running his thumbs over the nipples. They came alive at his touch, making her shiver. He took his time, splaying his hands over her rib cage as he peppered kisses down her chest. Letting his tongue drift into her navel brought a sigh from her and he glanced up. Her eyes were closed, one hand resting on his shoulder while the other gripped the sheet beneath it. He reached out, taking her fingers and prying them from the cloth.
“Put both your hands on me,” he said softly.
She didn’t say anything, but he felt her dig her fingers into his shoulders.
Drake knew it was now or never, so he lifted her right leg, bending it at the knee and letting her foot rest on the bed. Staring at the rough, mottled skin, he could see places that had healed better than others, but they were the exception. Most of her thigh was destroyed; he had to force himself to focus on the places where the damage had gone all the way down to the bone, leaving the leg slightly misshapen, with indentions that would probably never look normal again. It was horrific, yet instead of seeing the ugly visual, all he could see in his mind’s eye was her pain. He now had no doubts about why she’d had so much trouble moving on with her life; healing from these burns had to have been the type of misery nightmares were made of.
Placing a gentle kiss on her knee, he swiped at his eyes, fighting emotions he couldn’t quite articulate. Thinking about how her body had become this scarred gutted him; he didn’t know if he would have been able to come as far as she had if he’d been the one who’d been hurt. All he could think about was taking this pain from her, and he’d never felt like that before. He’d thought showing her his acceptance of her body would be good for her; it never occurred to him it would change him too.
As he continued down her leg, he found the marbled hyperpigmentation wasn’t too bad on her calf, light brown and faded compared to the burns on her thigh. He ran his hands along the skin, his fingertips tracing lines along the marks as he wondered how she was feeling. Did she have any idea how much her broken body moved him? Knowing this had happened to her because she was proud enough to fight for her country meant more to him than he could express. He played sports for a living and complained when he pulled a muscle; he didn’t even deserve to share the same air as someone like Erin.
“Isn’t it terrible?” she whispered, startling him.
He shook his head abruptly, blinking up at her. The emotion running through him made it hard to talk and he licked his lips as he struggled to come up with an answer.
“Are you…okay?” Her eyes met his in surprise, her fingers traveling to his face.
“I’m, uh, I’m just…” He had to swallow before he could find his voice. “I’m sorry. I can’t even imagine how much this must have hurt, or how much you suffered.” He slid his hands up to her waist, pulling her closer. “I hurt for you, Erin. I don’t think it’s ugly at all; I think it’s a badge of honor."
Tears puddled in her eyes as she stared at the amazing human being on the bed with her. She reached for him, her hands shaking slightly as he pulled her into his arms. “I don’t want you to hurt,” she whispered. “I already hurt enough for both of us—I want you to make me feel alive again. I don’t feel better knowing I made you hurt too."
“I know, baby.” He kissed the side of her face, letting her curl into his body, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder. They fit together perfectly and he felt the misery draining out of him.
“Please don’t hurt for me, Drake.” A tear slid down her cheek and she swiped at it with the back of her hand.
He stroked her back. “I’m okay. I just can’t believe how much you’ve been through, and how much you’ve endured. You make me ashamed that I’m just an athlete."
Her head snapped up and she looked at him in surprise. “What happened to me didn’t happen because of you—or anyone, really. It happened because there are bad people in the world. That doesn’t make what you do frivolous."
“But you put yourself in the line of fire. You make the sacrifice so that I can play hockey and drive a nice car and take lavish vacations! Meanwhile, you’re in debt and dealing with injuries I can’t even imagine. It seems like I, or people like me, should do more."
“You are doing it,” she smiled faintly. “You’re here with me, making me forget about all that. When you make love to me, Drake, I forget all about my burns and Afghanistan and everything. You make me happy just the way you are—I don’t want you to feel guilty. I want you to keep on being you, because I really like you a lot."
“I like you a lot too.” He rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him. “And I’d like to show you how much."
She gave him a sweet smile. “That’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say.”
Las Vegas Sidewinders: Karl Las Vegas Sidewinders goalie Karl Martennson is 6’4” of Swedish hockey-playing deliciousness who wants something more than a different girl every night. Kate Lansing is a PR whiz with trust issues who has spent her whole life battling her weight. Their one-night-stand has the potential to be more, but Karl’s crazy ex-girlfriend is determined to stop them before they reach the goal. When Karl has to go home to Sweden for a family emergency, his ex makes her move. If Kate can’t find a way to trust him, she might find herself permanently benched.
EXCERPT:
“Karl, please…” she whimpered.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“You want me to fuck you?"
“Yes.” She was breathing heavily, her lips parted.
“Say it. Tell me what you want."
“I want you to fuck me."
“Open your eyes.” He was poised over her and she met his gaze without hesitation. “Now say it again."
“I want you to fuck me!” she gasped out the words and then sucked in her breath as he slammed into her with one long, hard thrust. He moved her legs up and she wrapped them around his waist.
“Like this?” he ground out, pulling out slowly and then thrusting back into her.
“More,” she pleaded.
He closed his eyes, doing exactly as she asked. He took his time at first, rocking his hips against hers before pushing himself so hard and deep he didn’t think he could stand it much longer. She moaned, lifting her body to meet his. He could feel her clenching around him and starting to shudder.
“Come on, baby, come with me,” he ground out, grabbing her ass and using his strength to leverage himself to the hilt.
AUTHOR INFO:
Kat Mizera is a South Florida native. Born in Miami Beach with a healthy dose of wanderlust, she's called Los Angeles, Long Island, upstate New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Atlanta home. She's never been able to pick which locale is her favorite, but if pressed, she’d probably choose the west coast.
Kat's a typical PTA mom with a wonderful and supportive husband (Kevin) and two amazing boys (Nick and Max). When she's not writing, she's either scrapbooking or indulging in her second love (after writing) – traveling. Greece is one of her favorite places in the world. She loves that Athens is a big city with a small-town feel. The food, beaches and culture keep her going back as often as possible. She hopes to retire there one day so she can spend her days writing books on the beach.
Kat has been a working freelance writer for nearly 30 years. She sold her first article--a review of a rock concert--for $10 in 1985. Since then she's been an entertainment journalist, waitress, bartender, legal assistant, food critic, magazine editor, substitute teacher, and sports writer. She also spent some time working at A & M Records in Los Angeles.
As you can guess from her first series, the Las Vegas Sidewinders, Kat loves hockey. She is also a freelance hockey writer, covering her favorite team, the Florida Panthers, and any other teams that have an interesting story. The rest of the time, she writes novels: sexy, romantic fiction that she hopes makes you as happy as it makes her. There's something enticing about hockey players and romance...
WEBSITE: http://www.katmizera.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/
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