The Striker's Chance

by Rebecca Crowley

  The Striker’s Chance

  By Rebecca Crowley

  Landing the PR contract for North Carolina’s new soccer team could take Holly Taylor’s career to the next level. Her task? Make Kepler “Killer” de Klerk, an athlete with a party-hard reputation, a star. But revamping the sexy footballer’s image while battling her unwanted attraction to him is easier said than done.

  The car accident that derailed Kepler’s European career also gave him some much-needed perspective. He’s ready to give up on fame and focus on the game he loves. The last thing he needs is a headstrong brunette pushing him back into the spotlight, even if butting heads with her is the most fun he’s had in ages.

  The more time Holly spends with Kepler, the more she sees how different he is from his tabloid persona. But when she’s offered her dream job for a price, she finds herself torn between the career she’s spent years building and the man she doesn’t want to give up.

  55,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  Usually I begin these letters with some chatty information, but I’m departing from my norm this time to give you the opportunity to talk to me. At Carina, we’re always discussing our books and making sure we’re meeting your needs—not just with story and content, but also in the way they’re put together. This month, I’d like to reach out to you and ask your opinion on how the Carina Press books utilize the front and back matter. Do you like having the dear reader letter in the front? Would you prefer if it were in the back? Is there something more—excerpts, book lists or other information—we could be providing after the books? We welcome your comments and hope you will reach out to us with your thoughts at generalinqueries@carinapress.com.

  In the meantime, it’s business as usual here at Carina Press headquarters, and that means a lineup of excellent books (no bias here!) for the month of September. We welcome author Jael Wye to Carina Press with her science-fiction fairy-tale retelling, Ice Red, in which the tale of Snow White plays out on the deadly and beautiful planet Mars 300 years in the future. Joining her in launching a new series is return author Nico Rosso, who grabbed my attention the first time he pitched this series to me as “demon rock stars.” Misty is thrown into rock star and immortal demon Trevor Sand’s supernatural world of music, monsters and passion in Heavy Metal Heart.

  More unique voices this month include urban fantasy author R.L. Naquin’s newest Monster Haven novel, Fairies in My Fireplace, as well as Agamemnon Frost and the Hollow Ships, book two of Kim Knox’s male/male science-fiction trilogy.

  Sandy James wraps up her Alliance of the Amazons series with The Volatile Amazon. The Water Amazon leads the Alliance as they face their archenemy in their last and greatest fight. Veronica Scott joins Sandy in the paranormal category with Egypt-set Warrior of the Nile.

  We have multiple releases in the erotic romance genre this month, including Love Letters Volume 5: Exposed, in which the Love Letters ladies strip away everything but the hot truth, and four couples see each other in a tantalizingly revealing new light. Forbidden Obsessions by Jodie Griffin features Bondage & Breakfast owner Gabe McConnell, who finally gets his chance at love when he meets a novice submissive who touches a part of his dominant heart no one else ever has. In Lynda Aicher’s Bonds of Hope, former America’s sweetheart Quinn Andrews has an opportunity to revive her career by playing a sexual submissive in a highly anticipated new TV series. Quinn is ready to throw herself into the role, and sex club The Den is the ideal place for a crash course.

  Also in the erotic romance genre, we’re pleased to welcome author Lise Horton to Carina Press with Words of Lust. A career spent teaching erotic literature does not prepare brainy Professor Serafina Luca for NYC construction foreman Nick Stellato, but his lessons in lust promise to fulfill her wickedest desires, and his promise of love, her wildest dreams.

  For historical romance fans, Alyssa Everett offers up A Tryst with Trouble. The arrogant heir to a dukedom and a blunt-spoken spinster take an instant dislike to each other, but must join forces to solve a murder mystery in this clever regency romp.

  Kaylea Cross returns with another edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense novel, Lethal Pursuit. An air force pararescue jumper and a female security forces officer are locked in an intense battle of wills, but when they’re captured by an enemy warlord, it takes everything they have to survive and fight their way back to friendly lines together. Check out the other books in this series, Deadly Descent and Tactical Strike.

  We’re excited to present Corroded, the next book in Karina Cooper’s St. Croix Chronicles. Now fixated on revenge, bounty hunter Cherry St. Croix must bend all her intellect on catching a murderer—no matter whose help she must ask, and to whose demand she must submit.

  Last, I’m thrilled to announce the release of three debut authors this month. Rebecca Crowley’s contemporary sports romance, The Striker’s Chance, gives us passion on and off the pitch when ambitious PR manager Holly Taylor has to revamp the playboy image of sexy, stubborn professional soccer player Kepler de Klerk. Michelle Witvliet breaks onto the romantic suspense scene with Breaking Protocol. She can’t let go of a tragic past; he faces an uncertain future; so they live in the moment and discover all they really need is each other. And in our new adult lineup, debut author Melissa Guinn offers a new adult romance novel about first love, second chances and learning to let go in Headfirst Falling.

  I hope you enjoy this month’s releases as much as we have, and find them satisfying, remarkable and memorable!

  We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to generalinquiries@carinapress.com. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  www.carinapress.com

  www.twitter.com/carinapress

  www.facebook.com/carinapress

  Dedication

  To my endlessly supportive soon-to-be-husband, Kevin, who has forgotten more about the beautiful game than I’ll ever know.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Holly’s lip twitched in amusement as the tall blond dropped onto the bench beside her with a dazzling smile.

  “Nice weather we’re having,” he offered, the words crisp and clipped in his South African accent.

  Kepler de Klerk, once the brightest star in the world of international soccer, now a late-season signing to Charlotte’s bottom-of-the-league Championship Soccer team, Discovery, was flirting with her.

  And he had no idea who she was.

  His name, photo and biographical information filled the three-ring binder on her lap, along with her carefully devised PR strategy to revamp his image and boost the team’s finances. In fact, she’d only sat down in the park to review the file one last time before heading into the hotel across the street for their first meeting.

  Holly snorted. “Almost as nice as that line.”

  The hem of his running shorts slid a little higher as he stretched out his long, tanned legs. She swallowed hard. He was even better looking in person. No wonder he’d managed to rack up just as many inches in the British gossip colum
ns as in the sports pages.

  Kepler grinned, revealing a set of perfect white teeth. He extended his hand. “Chris de Klerk. I’ve just moved to Charlotte.”

  Chris? Holly fought to keep her expression neutral as Kepler’s bitter-chocolate-colored eyes regarded her intently. Was he waiting to see whether she recognized him? Although even the most famous players in the European soccer leagues could normally expect near anonymity in North Carolina, there had been a lot of local press coverage leading up to Kepler’s arrival—and she’d engineered most of it.

  Charlotte Discovery was her biggest client since leaving her PR agency a year earlier and going solo. They’d hired her specifically to launch their new star, having decided that their own internal press team didn’t have the celebrity expertise. In Kepler’s case, however, it wasn’t just a question of placing a fluffy promotional spot in the six o’clock news. His career with London-based Archway FC, one of the best soccer teams in the world, had come to a tragic end eighteen months earlier when a car accident severely injured his teammate and left Kepler in traction. He’d gone back to South Africa to recover, but the British press had launched a vicious finger-pointing campaign in his absence, and when it was time to renew his contract Archway had no choice but to sell the disgraced striker to Discovery for a bargain-basement price.

  Her job was not only to build interest in Kepler as a player, but to make sure his past didn’t catch up with him.

  She decided to play along. She shook his hand, and the firm press of his palm against hers sent an unexpected yet delicious shiver of desire dancing up her arm.

  She yanked her hand away as if she’d touched a flame. What on earth was that about? Okay, he was a good-looking guy—and a legendary playboy. Surely she hadn’t fallen for his well-practiced charm in less than a minute?

  This man could be the biggest break in your career. This was a chance to learn something useful, not gawk at him like a dreamy schoolgirl.

  “I’m Holly Taylor. What do you do for a living, Chris?”

  He hesitated. His gaze flicked sideways, and then his face relaxed into an easy smile. “I’m a cab driver.”

  Holly stole a glance over his shoulder, spotted the taxi rank outside the hotel and smothered a smirk. Very creative.

  Still, there was something endearing about Kepler’s average-Joe charade, and she pursed her lips to keep a smile at bay. Did he not realize that a South African accent was more than a little exotic in this part of the world?

  “Taking the morning off?” She indicated his workout clothes.

  “I was about to go for a run, but I got distracted.” He gave her the sort of approving onceover she normally found infuriating. But as his gaze swept from her peep-toe heels to her crisp blouse before leveling confidently with her own, her cheeks burned with a flattered blush. Kepler’s look was more I’ll-make-you-scream-in-ecstasy-and-you-know-it than come-hither, and Holly was a thin line of impulse control away from suggesting he prove it right there and then. That hard body against hers, the slats of the bench digging into the backs of her thighs, the shocked stares of jealous female onlookers...

  Her fingers tightened on the binder in her lap. She was being ridiculous. Her reaction to Kepler was just the natural result of a long sexual drought. She’d broken up with her last boyfriend—if one could even call him that—when he began to demand too much time away from her job, and she hadn’t been on a date since... Actually, she couldn’t remember the last time.

  She loved her job. The fast pace, being behind the scenes, knowing she was one of the best in the business. The Discovery assignment had the potential to finally bring her the national, not just local, exposure she craved. The lack of romance in her life had never been anything to worry about—at least, not until a few months earlier, when conversation at her twenty-ninth birthday celebration had focused almost exclusively on the engagements, weddings, pregnancies and new babies amongst her close circle of friends. She’d been working so hard, she felt as if she’d looked up from her desk to find that everyone else’s lives had moved on without her.

  But that didn’t matter now. She forced herself back into professional mode. What would Kepler tell a woman he was hitting on that he wouldn’t tell a corporate PR manager?

  “Have you ever been in love?”

  The words erupted from her subconscious and tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them. She cringed, her face burning with embarrassment. What had gotten into her? She braced herself for Kepler’s response.

  Except he didn’t laugh, or leer, or back away slowly from the crazy woman on the bench. He did arch one brow in bemused surprise, but when he spoke, his tone was sincere.

  “No, I haven’t. Have you?”

  Holly shook her head.

  Kepler slung his arm across the back of the bench, leaving his hand dangling over her shoulder. A cheesy move, but a welcome one, which combined with his playful grin to dispel the momentary seriousness between them.

  “Let me take you out tonight,” he said with the breezy assurance of a man who was rarely refused. “You can introduce me to the Charlotte nightlife.”

  “What makes you think I know anything about nightlife?”

  “Because it would be a waste for a woman as beautiful as you to spend all her time indoors.”

  She rolled her eyes, unable to stop herself. “Do these lines actually work on any of the women you ferry around in your cab?”

  “Of course.” He shifted his arm where it rested behind her shoulders, and in the next instant he cupped her chin, smoothing his thumb over her cheek. “Which is why I’d much rather spend an evening with you.”

  He leaned forward almost imperceptibly, and her heart whirred into panicked overdrive.

  He was going to kiss her. And she knew with absolute certainty that she was going to let him.

  “There’s something different about you,” he murmured, tracing her jaw with his index finger. “Something exciting.”

  Holly smiled, but her coy reply froze on her tongue when she caught sight of Sven Brock’s hulking form heading into the hotel across the street. Sven was Discovery’s manager, and a quick peek at her watch told her they were due to meet with him in five minutes.

  Kepler was watching her expectantly. She sighed inwardly. It had been fun while it lasted.

  “Kepler, I know who you are,” she said almost apologetically, jerking out of his reach. “I’m your PR manager. We have a meeting in a few minutes. Although I guess you weren’t planning to be on time,” she added, nodding to his running gear.

  His rakish grin vanished, replaced by a combination of shock and anger.

  And then it was like metal shutters slammed down behind his eyes. His jaw formed a hard line, and his expression locked up tight.

  He rose to his considerable height and gestured toward the hotel.

  “After you,” he said, his voice as cold as ice.

  * * *

  Kepler was a proficient swearer. Growing up in South Africa, he’d picked up a veritable encyclopedia of filthy, offensive words in Zulu, Xhosa and Swahili in addition to his native Afrikaans. Moving to Spain at the age of eighteen to play for his first European club and then relocating to the United Kingdom had added even more colorful phrases to his stash.

  Yet Holly’s revelation of her identity—and his realization that the beautiful brunette he thought he had a sudden but genuine connection with was just another corporate drone eager to suck his blood—left him speechless. No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn’t come up with a single word to express the mix of fury, humiliation and utter disappointment that engulfed him in that moment.

  He’d never felt more isolated than in the last year and a half. It wasn’t just his career that had crashed right along with the car on that freezing January night, it was his whole life. He’d been suspended from the team and effectively exiled from London by the press, which seemed intent on blaming him for his teammate’s injuries. Even after his flawless sobriety test
s from the scene were released to the public and the inquest ruled that the accident was due to icy road conditions, the British tabloids continued to splash cruel, accusatory headlines all over the gossip pages.

  Retreating to South Africa gave him a simultaneous sense of relief and failure. He’d spent more than a decade working his way to the top of his sport, yet it took barely a week for him to find himself back in his childhood room at his parents’ house staring at the faded soccer posters adorning the walls, as though the last ten years had been a dream.

  When the offer from Charlotte Discovery came through, he realized his career wasn’t over. The fledgling team was a long way to fall from the dizzy heights of the European leagues, but it gave him the chance to do things right—to calm down, to focus on the sport he loved and to start building a real, meaningful life for himself.

  He’d been sure that the gorgeous woman on the park bench—and the breath-stalling punch of need he’d felt when their eyes met—was another sign. He was immediately attracted to the intelligent sparkle in her bright blue eyes and her complete refusal to fall for his cheesy pickup lines. The total opposite of the image-obsessed, money-hungry women he was used to encountering—and ignoring—back in London.

  But apparently he still couldn’t escape his own fame, he thought ruefully as he followed her into the hotel’s grand lobby. In her mind, he was just another paycheck.

  They met with Sven and proceeded into one of the hotel’s meeting rooms, where a breakfast spread of juice and pastries had been laid out across the long, oval table. Faced with Sven’s khakis and blazer and Holly’s prim business clothes, Kepler felt ridiculous in his faded T-shirt and sneakers. He wanted to assure them both that he’d genuinely forgotten about the meeting and hadn’t been trying to give them the slip, that the combination of jet lag and living out of a suitcase in a new city meant he sometimes lost track of the week.

  As Holly started to pass out papers with ruthless efficiency, however, he decided he didn’t owe either of them an explanation. He was their meal ticket, after all. He could do what he damn well pleased.