by Jaci Burton
Copyright © 2015 Jaci Burton
Excerpt from Unexpected Rush copyright © 2015 Jaci Burton
Excerpt from Make Me Stay copyright © 2015 Jaci Burton
Cover images © Claudio Marinesco
The right of Jaci Burton to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Published by arrangement with Berkley,
A member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
A Penguin Random House Company.
First published in this Ebook edition in 2015
by HEADLINE ETERNAL
An imprint of HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP
Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library
eISBN 978 1 4722 2815 4
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
About the Author
Praise for Jaci Burton
By Jaci Burton
About the Book
Acknowledgments
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Eight
Twenty-Nine
Thirty
Thirty-One
Thirty-Two
Thirty-Three
Thirty-Four
Thirty-Five
Thirty-Six
Thirty-Seven
Thirty-Eight
Thirty-Nine
Sneak peek of Unexpected Rush
Bonus excerpt of Make Me Stay
Have you followed Jaci Burton’s Play-By-Play?
Visit a town called Hope
Find out more about Headline Eternal
About the Author
Jaci Burton is a New York Times bestselling author who lives in Oklahoma with her husband and dogs. She has three grown children, who are all scattered around the country having lives of their own. A lover of sports, Jaci can often tell what season it is by what sport is being played. She watches entirely too much television, including an unhealthy amount of reality TV. When she isn’t on deadline, Jaci can be found at her local casino, trying to become a millionaire (so far, no luck). She’s a total romantic and loves a story with a happily ever after, which you’ll find in all her books.
Find the latest news on Jaci’s books at www.jaciburton.com, and connect with her online at www.facebook.com/AuthorJaciBurton or via Twitter @jaciburton.
Praise for Jaci Burton:
‘It’s the perfect combination of heat and romance that makes this series a must-read’ Heroes and Heartbreakers
‘Plenty of emotion and conflict in a memorable relationship-driven story’ USA Today
‘Strong characters, an exhilarating plot, and scorching sex . . . You’ll be drawn so fully into her characters’ world that you won’t want to return to your own’ Romantic Times
‘A beautiful romance that is smooth as silk . . . leaves us begging for more’ Joyfully Reviewed
‘A strong plot, complex characters, sexy athletes, and nonstop passion make this book a must-read’ Fresh Fiction
‘Hot, hot, hot! . . . Romance at its best! Highly recommended!’ Coffee Table Reviews
‘Ms Burton has a way of writing intense scenes that are both sensual and raw . . . Plenty of romance, sexy men, hot steamy loving and humor’ Smexy Books
‘A wonderful contemporary erotic romance that I recommend!’ The Romance Dish
‘Spy the name Jaci Burton on the spine of a novel, and you’re guaranteed not just a sexy, get-the-body-humming read, but also one that melds the sensual with the all-important building of intimacy and relational dynamics between partners’ Romance: B(u)y the Book
‘The characters are incredible. They are human and complex and real and perfect’ Night Owl Reviews
‘One of the strongest sports romance series available’ Dear Author
‘As usual, Jaci Burton delivers flawed but endearing characters, a strong romance and an engaging plot all wrapped up in one sexy package’ Romance Novel News
By Jaci Burton
Play-by-Play Series
The Perfect Play
Changing The Game
Taking A Shot
Playing To Win
Thrown By A Curve
One Sweet Ride
Holiday Games (e-novella)
Melting The Ice
Straddling The Line
Holiday On Ice (e-novella)
Quarterback Draw
All Wound Up
Unexpected Rush
Hope Series
Hope Smoulders (e-novella)
Hope Flames
Hope Ignites
Hope Burns
Love After All
Make Me Stay
About the Book
In the tenth sexy novel in the Play-By-Play series from New York Times bestselling author Jaci Burton, a sexy baseball player is done striking out . . .
Baseball player Tucker Cassidy is experiencing a slump in his professional – and personal – game. After a painful altercation involving his ex-girlfriend’s knee, he’s convinced things couldn’t get worse . . . until a gorgeous doctor comes to the rescue at his most embarrassing moment.
Dr Aubry Ross’s father owns a baseball team and she’s been around players all her life. She’s not about to fall for Tucker, however funny and sexy he may be. She’s pleasantly surprised, though, to find he respects her job and, when he keeps appearing at her hospital, Aubry starts to think he’s getting injured just to see her. But with her father disapproving of their relationship, will they realise this game-changing love is worth the fight?
Want more sexy sporting romance? Don’t miss the rest of this steamy series which began with The Perfect Play. And check out Jaci’s gorgeously romantic Hope series beginning with Hope Flames.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are so many people who make a book shine and who help me behind the scenes so I have the time to write. So to Telisa and Kati, thank you for your pinpoint proofing and beta reading. You make my books better, and I’m so grateful. To Lillie, I couldn’t survive without you wrangling my incredibly unwieldy series bible and advising me when my timeline is off. And to Fatin, without you managing the day to day, I’d never finish a book.
I could not do this job without all your help. Thank you all so much.
IT WAS COOL, DARK AND—MOST IMPORTANTLY—private in Clyde Ross’s wine cellar, which was why Tucker Cassidy had brought Laura, his girlfriend, down here.
She’d had a lot to drink today, and when she drank, she got loud and obnoxious.
She was also pissed at him at the moment.
Laura angry, drunk and loud? Not a good combination, especially not while they were at the house of the owner of the St. Louis Rivers. Clyde Ross was Tucker’s boss, and the last thing he needed was his girlfriend making a scene. He had enough of a bad boy image without Laura making things worse by screaming at him in the middle of Clyde’s very nice, very fancy party.
“I don’t think there’s anything more to discuss, Tucker, about why you keep dragging your feet about the two of us moving in together.”
Yeah that so wasn’t happening. “We can talk about this when I take you home tonight, Laura.”
He’d brought her to the wine cellar in the hopes of cooling her down. Plus, they were alone here and no one could hear them. Okay, mainly no one could hear Laura, since she was the one who was doing all the talking. Loud talking. She was like a dog with a favorite bone once she got on a topic.
“We’ve been dating two whole months, Tucker. Don’t you think it’s time we make it official?”
It had been the most awful two whole months of his entire life. Okay, maybe not at the beginning. Laura was a knockout. Tall, with long dark hair, curves that just didn’t quit and the best ass he’d ever seen. She was a cocktail waitress and they’d met one night when he’d been having drinks in the bar where she worked. They hit it off right away and had gone out, had a night of hot sex and had started dating. She’d been fun, adventurous, great in the sack and they had a lot in common.
Plus, she liked baseball, and he played for the Rivers. Not that it was a deal breaker if a woman he dated wasn’t a baseball fan, but it didn’t hurt if she was. She’d come to watch him play and she actually knew the game, as opposed to other women he’d dated who claimed to but in fact didn’t know balls from strikes or a curve from a fastball. In his mind, that was a goddamned crime.
But as the weeks progressed, he’d noticed she didn’t hold her liquor well, and when she drank, she was not a fun drunk. She was loud, obnoxious and she insulted his friends. Whenever she allowed him to be around his friends. Which lately wasn’t often because she’d also grown more demanding of his time. Whenever they weren’t together, she wanted to know where he was and how soon he was coming over. In other words, when he wasn’t playing ball, she wanted him with her. Only with her. And she wanted him to account for every minute of his time.
He didn’t need a mother—he had a pretty great one already.
And now the past few times they’d been together she’d thrown down hints about the two of them moving in together. He was so not ready for that.
So now he had to redirect her and calm her down before things got out of hand.
“How about we check out Clyde’s awesome wine collection?”
She pushed at his chest. “I don’t give a shit about Clyde or his wine. I want you to make a commitment to me.”
He sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. He didn’t want to do this here, but she hadn’t left him much of a choice. “That’s not gonna happen. We’ve only been dating two months and I’m not ready to live together.”
She poked at his chest. “You know what? You’re a sonofabitch. I thought we were heading somewhere. You led me to believe—”
He was going to have to stop her there. “I never made promises to you, Laura.”
And now the tears. He’d seen a lot of those lately, too. Especially when she’d been drinking.
“I thought we were in love, Tucker.”
“I never said that, either.”
She broke down then and sobbed.
Well, shit. He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry my ass. You’re not sorry at all.”
He didn’t know how a woman could be so drunk, yet so accurate, but her knee hit his crotch at just the right angle, and he went down like a fighter who’d just been blasted by a perfect punch.
Lights out. Only instead of a hit to his jaw, she’d KO’d him right in the balls.
He vaguely registered her slurred words. “You’re a prick. We’re done, Tucker. I’m calling a taxi to take me home.”
He heard the click of her heels on the stone floor as she walked away.
He couldn’t even breathe, let alone care that she’d just fucking left him on the ground.
Jesus Christ, that had hurt. His balls throbbed like someone had—
Well, someone had shoved a knee into them.
He lay there for what seemed like hours, but he knew it was only minutes before he managed to stagger to his knees. He found the wall, still struggling to catch his breath.
In a minute. He’d be able to stand in just a minute.
“Oh, my God. Are you okay?”
He heard a female voice.
Great. Just what he needed. A witness to his humiliation.
Then cool, soft hands swept across his forehead.
“Are you hurt? Did you fall?”
He shook his head. “I’m fine.”
“You are not fine. You’re sweating and practically hyperventilating. Tell me what happened.”
His eyes were still closed and he concentrated all his effort on trying to determine if his balls were still attached to his body. He did not want some woman being nice to him.
Actually, he wanted nothing to do with any female. Possibly ever again.
He managed to stand—with the woman’s help, unfortunately.
“Tell me where you’re hurt,” she said.
He shook his head. “I’m not hurt. Just go away.”
“I am not going to go away. I’m a doctor and I can help you.”
Awesome. This night was getting worse by the second. “I don’t need a doctor.”
“How about you let me be the judge of that?”
He opened his eyes and looked over at his unwanted savior.
She was, of course, gorgeous. Which made her immediately untrustworthy, since he’d just vowed to never again fall for a beautiful woman.
She was average height, with short blond hair and the most intense blue eyes he’d ever seen. She also had the most perfect mouth—
Not that he was ever going to think about a woman in a sexual way again. Thoughts like that only led to trouble, and crushed testicles.
He leaned against the cool wall and tried to think about anything but this humiliating situation.
She slipped her fingers around his wrist.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Shhh.”
Fine with him. Maybe if he didn’t say anything, or look at her, she’d disappear.
But she didn’t. She kept holding on to him.
“Your pulse rate is a little high.”
He opened his eyes and looked down at her. “Not surprising since I just got kicked in the balls.”
She pursed her lips as she met his gaze. “Literally or figuratively?”
“Literally.”
“Ouch. I can’t speak from experience, of course, but that must have been painful. What did you do to deserve that?”
Figures she’d think he was deserving of a knee to the groin. “Nothing. I had a drunk girlfriend who had it in her head we were supposed to move in together. When I tried to let her down easy, that was her response.”
“Ouch again. Sorry.”
He shrugged. “Not your fault.”
She rubbed her hands together. “I should examine you.”
He let out a laugh. “Honey, no offense, but the last thing I want is any woman near my balls tonight. Or possibly ever again.”
She smiled. “You say that now. You’ll change your mind once they feel better. And you need to let me take a look and feel them to make sure your girlfriend—”
“Ex-girlfriend.”
“Okay. To make sure your ex-girlfriend didn’t seriously injure you.”
“Uh, no. I’m okay.”
She put her h
ands on her hips. She had nice hips, showcased in a white lacy sundress, which was attached to one very cute figure. Not that he was into noticing that kind of thing at the moment. “Who’s the doctor here? Me or you?”
“You. Or so you say. This could be some conspiracy. You could be a friend of Laura’s setting me up for round two of let’s-destroy-Tucker-Cassidy’s-manhood night.”
Now it was her turn to laugh. “I can assure you I have no idea who your girlfriend—”
“Ex-girlfriend.”
“Right. I can assure you I am not in league with your nefarious ex-girlfriend.”
“I like that.” He finally had something to smile about.
“Like what?”
“Nefarious. It fits her. But you’re still not getting in my pants.”
“Playing hard to get, Tucker?”
He looked her over. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”
“I see you’re starting to feel better. That’s a very good sign. But no, I’m not showing you mine. I am going to look at yours, though. And in your weakened condition, I’m pretty sure I can get into your pants.”
His balls still throbbed. What if Laura had broken them? What if he was unable to have kids? Not that he wanted any—right now. But someday . . .
“Okay. Fine. You’re really a doctor?”
“I really am. So drop ’em and let’s take a look at the goods.”
He reached for the zipper of his pants. “If I had a dollar for every time a woman said that to me . . .”
She snickered, moved in closer, and he caught a light citrusy scent. He breathed it in, the best thing he’d smelled all night. It smelled like renewal, like starting over.
Which was ridiculous because he didn’t even know the doctor’s name. But if she fixed him, she’d be his savior.
She cradled his ball sac in her hand, then examined his dick. There was something about having a woman so close to his goods that should be exciting as hell. But he wasn’t getting hard. He hurt too damn bad.
“It’s inflamed, but she didn’t break your penis.”
“Well, hallelujah.”
She tilted her head to the side and gave him a wry smile. “Right? She hit you pretty hard, though. Your testicles are swollen and red.”
She took a step back. “You can pull your pants up now. You’ll be sore for a couple of days, but you’re going to be fine.”
