“You’ll be fine. You have Beck.” Carrie’s smile was warm.
“That’s not the same. You’re my best friend.” Hayden reached for her friend’s hand and gripped it. “This is an amazing opportunity for you. But I’m going to miss you!”
“I’m going to miss you too.”
“When do you leave?”
“Not for a few months. The term starts in October.”
“Oh.” Hayden drew in a breath. “Okay.”
“I can teach you to speak Spanish,” Marco said to Carrie.
Carrie gave him a dismissive look. “They don’t speak the same kind of Spanish in Spain.”
Marco frowned. “Well, the way Spanish people speak is stupid.”
Carrie lifted an eyebrow. “Uh, no. You know who’s stupid? Y—”
“It’s going to be amazing in Spain!” Hayden broke in hurriedly. What the fuck? What was with Carrie and Marco?
“I have work to do,” Marco muttered, and moved away.
Carrie watched him walk away with a scowl.
Hayden met Beck’s eyes and they both made a face. “He’s been kinda pissy lately,” Beck said with a shrug. “Don’t know what’s up with that.”
“Let’s try some of the new chipotle chicken wings,” Carrie said brightly.
“Sure. I’ll put an order in.” Beck moved away.
“What is with you and Marco?” Hayden rounded on Carrie. “Why are you so rude to him all the time?”
“He’s an asshole.”
“No, he isn’t!”
“ ‘The way Spanish people speak is stupid’?” Carrie rolled her eyes. “He’s stupid.”
“No, he’s not! He’s a great guy.”
“Whatever.”
Hayden sighed. “Okay, tell me more about this school in Madrid.”
An hour later, they had talked about Carrie’s scholarship and moving to Spain and had consumed some not-bad chicken wings and a couple more cocktails. Marco was staying away from them, and Hayden was still trying to come to terms with Carrie moving across the world. Sure, she had Beck, but Carrie was her best friend. God! What would she do without her? The idea made a panicky band tighten around her chest.
“Hey.” Beck stood across the bar from her. Carrie was talking to Dussen. “I have something special for you to taste back in the office.”
Hayden gave him a slow smile. “Oh, really.”
“Yeah.” Their eye contact was sizzling. “Come on.” He jerked his head.
She slid off her stool and touched Carrie’s back. “Be right back,” she murmured.
She followed Beck down the hall to the office. Where this had all started, in a blaze of fiery sexual chemistry.
He closed the door to the office and she smiled, sauntering across the room to hop up and sit on a desk. “So. What is it you want me to taste?” She licked her lips. “Is it big and hard?”
“I’ve taught you so well. And yet, you’re the professor.” He grinned. “And yeah, it’s getting big and hard.” He glanced down at his crotch and she giggled. “No, wait. That’s not it.” He produced a bottle of Veuve Clicquot.
Her head tipped to one side. “Champagne? Not tequila?”
“Nope. Not tonight.”
“Are we celebrating something?”
“I hope so.”
Curiosity had her eyes widening.
“Did you know you can make diamonds out of tequila?” Beck moved closer and set the champagne on the desk.
She smiled back. “I’ve heard of that.”
“Oh yeah? So you believe it?”
“It’s science. Sure, I believe it.”
“Do you believe I made this out of tequila?” He held out his hand and she dropped her gaze there. And went very, very still.
In the middle of his palm, a gold ring with an enormous diamond gleamed and glittered in the office light. Her mouth dropped open and she stared at it, then slowly lifted her eyes to meet his. “Beck?”
His warm gaze fastened on her, a hint of tension tightening his eyes and mouth, he said quietly, “I love you, Hayden. Will you marry me?”
Her heart contracted, then expanded in her chest so fast she couldn’t breathe, then tripped into a rapid, unsteady beat. She swallowed. “Oh my God.”
He waited patiently for her response. She drew in a shaky breath and let it out. “Yes!”
Relief eased his features and he flashed a grin that probably was trying for cocky but came across as vulnerable and sweet. He picked up the ring with his other hand and reached for her left one. Her fingers trembled as he slid the ring onto her fourth finger. It fit.
Vibrating with excitement and joy, she held her hand out and gaped at the ring. “Holy shit, Beck.”
He laughed. “Do you like it?”
“I love it.” The diamond was massive, but it was a simple, elegant ring. Something all blingy and fancy wouldn’t have suited her. “I love it so much. I love you so much.” She launched herself into his arms and their mouths met in a long, clinging kiss of mutual adoration.
“I love you too,” he whispered. “So much, baby.” He kissed her again and she gave herself over to it and pressed herself against him. “Okay,” he panted a moment later. “Let’s crack open that champagne.”
He expertly popped the cork and poured some bubbly into two champagne flutes he retrieved from the desk against the wall. He handed her one, and they gently clinked the glasses together, eyes on each other as they took a sip. She let the bubbles tingle over her tongue and down her throat, savoring the crisp taste and the sensation, a fizzy, warm feeling like the one in her chest.
Beck’s love for her shone on his face. This whole relationship thing had been scary for both of them, letting themselves care so much about someone. They’d both felt like they didn’t fit in, weren’t good enough, but somehow from the very beginning they’d seen inside each other to the real person…and they’d fallen in love.
He’d wanted her to experience physical pleasure, to not think but just feel, to free her from living in her head and hiding from life. She’d been terrified, but it had all been worth it, and in the end, he’d made her feel so much more than just physical pleasure…he’d made her feel the utter joy and satisfaction of love.
Conquistadors’ Drink Recipes
Paloma
Kosher salt
Grapefruit wedge
2 oz tequila blanco
1 oz fresh lime juice
3 oz fresh grapefruit juice
1 tsp sugar
3 oz club soda
Pour kosher salt on a plate. Rub rim of a highball glass with a grapefruit wedge; dip rim of glass in salt. Combine grapefruit juice, lime juice, and sugar in a glass; stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in tequila, add ice, and top off with club soda. Garnish with grapefruit wedge.
El Diablo Picante
For the rim
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cayenne
½ tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
For the cocktail
¾ oz tamarind concentrate
2 oz reposado tequila
½ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ oz Triple Sec
1 ¼ oz freshly squeezed lime juice
½ oz simple syrup
cinnamon stick
Mix sugar, salt, cayenne, and cinnamon on a saucer. Pour 2 tablespoons lime juice onto a second saucer. Turn over an old-fashioned glass in lime juice to moisten the rim, then spin glass in the cayenne mixture to coat the rim.
Add tamarind concentrate, tequila, lime juice, simple syrup, lemon juice, and Triple Sec to shaker. Fill with ice and shake well, about 30 seconds. Strain into serving glass. Garnish with cinnamon stick.
Sangrita
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
4 tsp grenadine syrup
¼ cup tomato juice
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp salsa picante o
r bottled hot sauce to taste
Mix all the ingredients in a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, allowing the flavors to meld. Serve with a shot of tequila on the side.
To PG Forte—thank you for tasting tequila with me in the name of research, and thank you, thank you, thank you for diamonds raining on Jupiter.
Acknowledgments
I have to thank the amazing team of people I work with—my agent, Emily Sylvan Kim; the wonderful people at Penguin Random House/Loveswept, including Sue Grimshaw, Gina Wachtel, Ashleigh, and Erika; and everyone who helps get my stories out into the world. I could not do this without all of you!
BY KELLY JAMIESON
Aces Hockey
Major Misconduct
Off Limits
Icing
Back Check (coming soon)
Bayard Hockey
Shut Out
Last Shot
Body Shot
Hot Shot (coming soon)
PHOTO: LANCE THOMSON PHOTOGRAPHIC
KELLY JAMIESON is a USA Today bestselling author of over thirty-five romance novels and novellas. Her writing has been described as “emotionally complex,” “sweet and satisfying,” and “blisteringly sexy.” She likes coffee (black), wine (mostly white), shoes (high), and, of course, watching hockey.
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Read on for an excerpt from
Hot Shot
A Last Shot Novel
by Kelly Jamieson
Coming soon from Loveswept
“Okay, why the hell did you make me come to a bar at the ass crack of dawn on a Saturday morning?” Carrie demanded of Marco.
The handsome Latino man grinned, sitting on a tall stool at the bar at Conquistadors. The bar that was closed and empty at this hour. A cup of coffee sat near his elbow. He wore a pair of well-worn jeans that sat low on his hips and a blue plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up. “It’s a secret. We needed to do this at a time when Beck’s not around.”
“Secret.” She pursed her lips. “Do you plan to enlighten me?”
“Of course.” He patted the stool next to him. “Have a seat.”
“How long is this going to take?”
His jaw tightened.
She climbed onto the stool with a huff and set her purse on the bar. “You know, there’s this thing called email. Or a phone which you can use to text or call. If you wanted to tell me about something, all of those communication methods are quick and private and I could have gotten another hour of sleep.”
Marco sighed. “Would you stop being such a pain in the ass? We’re trying to do something nice here.”
Carrie clenched her teeth. “Pain in the ass? Really? Well, you can just kiss my ass.”
“It would be my pleasure, belleza, as you have a very fine ass.” He gave her a brief wink along with that smile that popped cute dimples into his cheeks. Ugh.
“You’ve never seen my ass. And you never will.”
“I’ve never seen your naked ass,” he corrected. “I have seen you wearing tight jeans, however. And I did see a picture of it…in a tiny bikini bottom…and I maintain my claim that it is sweet.”
Oh yeah. That would be the ad she’d done for Newport Swimsuits. Carrie repressed a growl of frustration. “Oh my God. I can’t believe we’re talking about my ass.”
“You’re the one who invited me to kiss it. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
She’d kill for caffeine. Her teeth ground even more. “Sure. Thanks,” she said grudgingly.
He slid off the stool and strolled around behind the bar, his stride long-legged and confident, his shoulders broad, his hips narrow. She couldn’t stop her gaze from dropping to his ass, which was…She closed her eyes. No. She was not checking out his ass.
He reached for a mug under the bar, and the muscles and tendons in his lean forearm flexed as he poured from the pot of coffee. He pushed it across the bar toward her. “Cream? Milk? Sugar?”
“A little milk, please.”
He surprised her by opening a fridge and removing a carton, rather than giving her a little plastic container. He did a quick pour. “White enough?”
“Yes.” It was perfect. She picked up the spoon he laid beside the mug and gave it a stir. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He returned to the stool next to her, sitting with one foot on a rung, knee bent, the other foot on the floor in a relaxed, masculine pose. “Now…the reason I asked you to come here is to see if you’ll help plan an engagement party for Hayden and Beck.”
Carrie blinked at him. “An engagement party?”
“Yes.” He reached out and swiveled a laptop computer on the polished wood bar of Conquistadors. “I found this site called The Knot. They tell you everything about weddings and engagements.”
“That’s where you got the idea to host an engagement party for Hayden and Beck?”
“Yeah. See…it says here engagement parties are usually hosted by the bride’s parents. But Hayden’s parents are gone and I don’t think her aunt and uncle are up to it.”
Carrie’s heart thawed minutely. “True.”
“The groom’s parents could also do it, but…well, Beck and his folks aren’t exactly close.”
She nodded, sadly aware of that fact too.
“So I thought their closest friends should do it.” His smile was gorgeous and white in the scruff of beard that darkened his face. “Namely, us.”
Too bad we hate each other.
Okay, that wasn’t strictly true. Marco annoyed her, and part of that was because he kept flirting with her even though she made it abundantly clear that she was not interested. Not even a little. Not even if everyone else on the planet died and they were the last hope of continuing the human race.
But damn, it was kind of cute how he’d looked up this wedding website, and it was actually sort of thoughtful that he wanted to plan a party to help their friends celebrate their engagement. Actually, it was something she should have thought of.
“We’re thinking of Sunday, August tenth,” he continued. “We can do it here. Close down the bar for the evening.”
That did sound like a fun idea.
“We need some help from you to plan the guest list,” he said. “Obviously, we’ll invite Hayden’s aunt and uncle. But who else? Some of her coworkers? Other friends?”
Carrie bit her lip. “Yeah, I know who to invite.” She paused. “What about invitations?”
“Yeah, we’d need those. And maybe you can handle the decorations? Cade and I will look after the food and drinks.”
“Decorations?” She bit her lip and peered at the computer screen. “How do you decorate for an engagement party?”
“It says to plan a theme that’s different from the wedding.”
She shot him a smirk. “You’re really into this, aren’t you? Doesn’t this go against your man card, or something?”
“My man card is secure,” he said casually. “But I’m willing to prove it to you any time you want.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, thanks, but no.” She read the text on the website. “Okay, well, Hayden and Beck haven’t even started planning their wedding yet, so who knows what style it will be. If it’s up to Hayden, they’ll get married at City Hall one day on her lunch break.”
“We won’t let that happen,” Marco said. “She deserves to be a beautiful bride for one special day.”
She turned her head and gave him a long look. “You sure about that man card, Mr. Romance?”
He gave a tiny movement of his lips and chin, a nod and a smile that were so subtle yet oozed confidence and masculinity. “Keep questioning me and I�
��ll think you really do want me to prove it to you.”
“Ugh.” She picked up her coffee and sipped. “Okay. I’ll do the decorations, the invitations, and the guest list.”
Marco reached out to touch the track pad, his arm brushing hers. She jerked back, nearly spilling her coffee. “Also, we can play some games.”
For a moment, Carrie thought he was talking about them…her and Marco. Her jaw dropped.
Then she realized he meant party games. “No. No games. Hayden would not go for that.”
“Hey, Beck’s little professor is loosening up. Sure, she’ll play some games. Plus, since this is a chance to introduce people to each other—friends and family of the bride and groom—games are a good way to get people talking and break the ice.”
She stared at him.
Unconcerned, he clicked to bring up a new screen. “I like this one where we get pictures of Beck and Hayden, cut them in half, and give everyone half a picture when they arrive. Then they have to mingle and talk to people to find the other half.”
“Oh my God.”
“It’s better than bingo,” he said dryly.
“I’ll give you that, Mr. Romance.”
“But I also like the newlywed game. Or in this case, almost wed. We can ask them questions about their sexual preferences to see how well they know each other.” He chuckled.
Carrie stared at him. Then she pressed her lips together. She couldn’t quite stop the smile though, and it broke free. “Actually, I kind of like that one.”
He grinned. “See? We’re having fun doing something nice for our friends. It’s not so bad.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, but her smile lingered.
“One of the questions could be how long after they met was it before they had, ahem, intimate relations.”
Carrie choked. “We can’t ask that! It was, like, five minutes.”
Body Shot (Last Shot) Page 26
