Flirting on Ice
Page 9
His thoughtfulness and generosity never failed to overwhelm her. Blinking away tears, she nodded. “I do. Your gift has the same theme.”
“You didn’t get me a bracelet, did you?”
Laughter tumbled out. “No.” She laced her fingers with his. “Come with me.”
Excitement energized her movements. She led the way down the hall and opened the door to the guest room, then pointed to the large box on the floor. “This was the reason my dad stepped out to take the phone call in between dinner and dessert.”
A series of high-pitched whines emitted from the box.
Brows winging up, Zac’s gaze darted from the box to her and back again, as he approached the noise. Heather followed him. It had been tough to keep the secret, but now she was glad she did.
He dropped to his knees. A smile spread across his face and crinkled his eyes. He reached in and lifted out a black Lab puppy decorated with a red bow. Surprise, disbelief, happiness—the emotions played across his face and her heart overflowed with love. A perfect gift for her perfect partner.
Heather knelt beside him and petted the furry head burrowing into Zac’s chest. “I thought we could name him Bomber. Or maybe Hustler, if you think your teammates would like that better.”
“The team has no say in my family.” Cradling the puppy, he wrapped his arm around Heather’s shoulders.
“I thought the team was your family?” She snuggled against his side and received kisses on her cheek from Bomber, and a more substantial kiss on her lips from Zac. Warmth and security and love flowed through her.
“They’re my temporary family.” Zac touched his lips to hers again. “You’re my forever.”
Did you love this Lovestruck? Check out more of our satisfying titles here!
And for exclusive sneak peeks at our upcoming books, excerpts, contests, chats with our authors and editors, and more…
Be sure to like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Acknowledgments
Writing is a lonely business, but we’ve been fortunate to have an amazing group of people around us as we pursue our writing goals.
Our families and friends provided us with love and support along the way. They’re our main cheerleaders and our biggest fans and for that we’re grateful.
A huge thank you to our critique partners Kate Forest and Betty Bolte. You challenged our words and helped kick the story up several levels with your insight and encouragement.
Our wonderful agent Michelle Grajkowski has been terrific both editing early drafts and giving us the best business advice possible.
Finally, a special thanks to everyone at Entangled Publishing for all the support and guidance, especially to Heather Howland for digging us out of the query pile, and to our amazing editor Candace Havens who challenged us to dig deeper to make our novella the best book possible. You guys rock.
About the Authors
Veronica Forand is an attorney and an award-winning writer of romantic suspense.
She’s lived in Boston, London, Paris, Geneva, and Washington, DC and currently resides near Philadelphia. An avid traveler, she loves to roam across continents with her husband and kids in pursuit of skiing, scuba diving, and finding the perfect piece of chocolate.
Susan Scott Shelley is an award-winning author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. She currently resides outside Philadelphia with her very own Superhero and spends her days writing about tough heroes, smart heroines, and love being the strongest magic there is.
In addition to writing romances, she is also a professional voiceover artist. Her favorite things include running, sports, hard rock and old Hollywood movies. An unapologetic optimist, she believes life should be lived with laughter and a sense of wonder.
Sign up for our Steals & Deals newsletter and be the first to hear about 99¢ releases from Veronica Forand and Susan Scott Shelley and other fantastic Entangled authors!
Reviews help other readers find books. We appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative. Thank you for reading!
Find love in unexpected places with these satisfying Lovestruck reads…
Eat, Play, Lust
a novella by Tawna Fenske
Yoga instructor Cami Pressman is the poster girl of healthy living…or so everyone thinks. When tasty-hot gourmet chef Paul Hammond signs up for a private session, she learns he’s hilarious and smart. A delicious combination. And when Paul moves things to the kitchen, Cami realizes there are some cravings her guilty pleasure can’t satisfy…
Flirting with the Competition
a novel by Kerri Carpenter
Lawyers Whitney March and Jordan Campbell are interviewing at a prestigious law firm. For the same job. And Jordan is determined to win, despite his sexy, capable, and fiery rival. But when the elevator they’re sharing comes to an abrupt stop, they’re stuck—together. The only thing they have in common is determination to get the job…and an unexpected and escalating attraction. And it’s only a matter of time before these competitors indulge in a very sexy little connection between floors.
Love Thy Neighbor
an Unexpected Love novel by Sophie Wintner
Interior designer Nikki Norris just lost her business and her fiancé. But something in her feng shui must be working, because her new neighbor across the hall is a sexy Brit fashion photographer. In fact, Dallas is exactly what Nikki needs to make her ex sick with jealousy. But just as they hatch their plan, the wicked chemistry between them—growing more irresistible by the second—starts complicating things. Have Nikki and Dallas found a perfect arrangement… or have they designed the perfect plan for disaster?
Fiancée for Hire
a Front and Center novel by Tawna Fenske
Former Marine MacArthur Patton is used to handling top-secret government contracts and black-ops missions, but his new assignment involves something more dangerous—marriage. Enter his little sister’s best friend Kelli Landers. She can’t wait to bring Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Detached to his knees, and her longtime crush on the commitment-phobe makes her plan to seduce him even sweeter. Love wasn’t part of the plan, but soon Mac and Kelli find that more than a weapons deal is on the line…
The Wedding Hoax
a novel by Heather Thurmeier
Wedding gown designer Daisy Willows is desperate for an influx of cash to cover her mother’s homecare bills. With subscriptions to his father’s wedding magazine plummeting, playboy Cole Benton needs to find a way to stimulate sales, and fast. But then a renowned bridal show expo owner offers to bail them out—if they rekindle their failed relationship and plan the fake wedding of the century. Except, with all the ring shopping and kissing upon request, they’re having a hard time remembering that their big white wedding is a big white lie…
Sleeping with the Boss
an Anderson Brothers novel by Marissa Clarke
Claire Maddox is off to see the world, but first, she needs quick cash. A temp job at Anderson Auctions seems perfect, especially with the unexpected benefit of the hottest man she’s ever laid eyes—or hands—on. William Anderson’s military training makes him the perfect man to flush out the spy undercutting his family business, but no amount of time in the Marines could prepare him for the suspicious—and sexy—new temp. Desire lands them in bed…but duty may cost him his heart.