The Sport of Romance: A Multi-Author Box Set Read online

  The Sport of Romance

  Crista McHugh • Cari Quinn • Jami Davenport • Violet Vaughn • Suzan Butler • CM Doporto • Bianca Sommerland • Morgan Kearns • Cassandra Carr • Liz Matis

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  Breakaway Hearts

  Copyright © 2014 Crista McHugh

  Shadowboxer

  Copyright © 2014 Cari Quinn

  Crashing the Boards

  Copyright © 2014 Cedrona Enterprises

  Crave

  Copyright © 2014 Violet Vaughn

  Off Her Game

  Copyright © 2013 Suzan Butler

  Opposing Sides

  Copyright © 2014 CM Doporto

  Blind Pass

  Copyright © 2014 Bianca Sommerland

  Out of Left Field

  Copyright © 2012 Morgan Kearns

  Should’ve Known Better

  Copyright © 2015 Cassandra Carr

  Huddle Up

  Copyright © 2014 Liz Matis

  Kindle Edition

  No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form including but not limited to printing, scanning, and photocopying without permission from Violet Vaughn. However, brief quotes in reviews are allowed.

  Box Set Contents

  Breakaway Hearts – Crista McHugh

  Shadowboxer – Cari Quinn

  Crashing the Boards – Jami Davenport

  Crave – Violet Vaughn

  Off Her Game – Suzan Butler

  Opposing Sides – CM Doporto

  Blind Pass – Bianca Sommerland

  Out of Left Field – Morgan Kearns

  Should’ve Known Better – Cassandra Carr

  Huddle Up – Liz Matis

  Breakaway Hearts

  The Kelly Brothers, Book 2

  Crista McHugh

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  Breakaway Hearts

  Can he melt her frozen heart?

  Hockey star Ben Kelly has retreated to his mountain cabin in the ski town of Cascade, BC, to recuperate from a season-ending knee injury and contemplate his future in the NHL. He never expects to run into the one woman who got away. Nine years may have passed, but nothing has dulled the explosive chemistry between them. Now he wants more than just one night.

  Hailey Eriksson had Olympic-sized dreams until an accidental pregnancy from a one-night stand halted her ambitions. Her life was shattered when her son died. Nothing will keep her from fulfilling her promise to him to make the Olympic team, especially not the charming Ben Kelly. Unfortunately, he’s out to sweep her off her feet this time, and she finds him harder and harder to resist with each passionate kiss. But when he learns about the child he never knew, will their rekindled romance be on thin ice?

  Warning: Contains two hockey stars with ice in their blood, a hero who is willing to battle his fears for a second chance, a heroine with a mean slap shot who lays it on the line in a bet, a small town full of busybodies, and a meatloaf that should be served with a four alarm warning. This story may also bring tears to your eyes (and not just because of Cindy’s cooking).

  Breakaway Hearts

  Copyright 2014 by Crista McHugh

  Edited by Gwen Hayes

  Copyedits by Victory Editing

  Cover Art by Sweet N’Spicy Designs

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.

  ISBN-13: 978-1-940559-92-6

  Chapter One

  Ben Kelly had been slammed against the boards many times during his hockey career, but never quite like this.

  Hailey, the woman he’d met at the Vancouver Whales game hours ago, was giving him a full body check he welcomed. She threaded her fingers through his hair, holding him close while her lips devoured his during the glass elevator ride up to his hotel room.

  He made no attempt to push her away. He dug his thumbs into the back pockets of her jeans, his hands cupping her perfectly rounded ass as he bore the brunt of her assault and followed with one of his own. A moan rose from her throat as his tongue delved into her mouth. The subtle strawberry taste of Red Vines still lingered there, only adding to the sweetness of her. She’d been eating them when the Kiss Cam had zeroed in on them during the game, and she’d lured him closer using one, Lady and the Tramp style. When their lips met, what had started out as an odd spark of attraction had exploded into full-blown desire. By the end of the game, he knew he needed to get her to his hotel room, pronto.

  She wiggled ever so slightly against his hard-on.

  Now it was his turn to moan. Can this damn elevator move any faster?

  Finally the ding announcing their floor sounded, and Hailey pulled away, laughter filling her bright blue eyes as she placed one final nip on his bottom lip. A dimple cut into her left cheek as she gave him a playful grin.

  Ben dug into his pocket for his room key, his hand brushing against the condom Caleb had blatantly shoved into it when he’d pulled his brother aside after the game and asked if he wouldn’t mind sleeping in another room. Normally it was his younger brother who was picking up the girls and dragging them away for a quick romp, not him. Ben preferred to take things slowly, to observe and act once he’d ruled out other alternatives. Spontaneity was not part of his nature.

  Which made tonight so strange.

  Well, that, and the woman he was taking back to his hotel room for what had the potential to be the most mind-blowing sex in his life had hair that matched her eyes. Not his usual type. He tended to prefer women who were quiet like him, demure with conservative hair and makeup. When she’d sat down next to him, he’d been all too ready to dismiss her as some alternative puck bunny until she’d started rattling off hockey stats like Don Cherry. The girl knew the game almost as well as he did. The next thing he knew, she had him completely roped into the conversation. By the time they ended up on the JumboTron, he’d completely fallen for the girl with Smurf-colored hair.

  Hailey took his free hand and pulled him out of the elevator. “Where’s your room?”

  “That way.” He led her down the hall, his heart racing, and waited for warning bells to go off. Instead, his doubts grew smaller with each step he took. He’d never imagined that a one-night stand could feel so right.

  His hand shook when he slid the key into the card-reader, but he couldn’t tell if it was from performance anxiety or the fact Hailey had wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and was already unfastening his belt.

  “I can’t wait to get you naked,” she whispered in his ear.

  The ache in his dick tripled. “The feeling is mutual.”

  The door banged open, and it was his turn to pull her along. She kicked it shut behind her and immediately locked lips with him again. The hunger of her kiss stole his breath away. He navigated the narrow hallway blindly, too focused on trying to get her formfitting Vancouver Whales T-shirt over her head. By the time they tumbled onto the nearest double bed, they’d both managed to strip down to their underwear.

  By God, she was gorgeous. Tall and slender with lean muscles rippling under her flawless pale skin,
she was built like an athlete, with only a hint of feminine curves. Her blue hair spilled out around her head like a pool of water, and that dimple in her left cheek practically dared him to kiss it.

  “Are you coming?” Her gaze fell to the bulge in his boxers, and a matching dimple appeared in her other cheek.

  All the blood rushed from his head to his groin. If luck was on his side, he’d be coming in a few minutes. He found his jeans on the floor and pulled out the condom, placing it on the nightstand. It was his unspoken question to her. Did she want to continue? Or did she want him to stop?

  She picked up the foil packet. “Thank God you have one of these. I’m on the pill, but it never hurts to take extra precautions.”

  The last bit of his hesitation vanished. He was going to get laid tonight, and he was free to enjoy every minute of it.

  She tossed it back on the nightstand and yanked him down so his body covered hers. The silkiness of her skin reminded him she was all woman. Her long, slim legs wrapped around his hips and pressed him against the heat of her core, feeding the need welling up inside him. Even though she still had her panties on, he could feel how wet and ready she was for him every time she ground against him.

  After what felt like an eternity of thirty seconds, he managed to unhook her bra and fling it across the room. Her breasts were small, easily covered by his hands, with the most delicate pink nipples. He ran his thumb over one of them, and she shivered.

  Her response intrigued him. He repeated the movement, watching the almost imperceptible tremble flow through her body. In his nineteen years, he’d only been with two other women, and neither of them had responded to his touch like Hailey did.

  But then again, neither of them awakened the same level of all-consuming lust in him like she did. He wanted all of her. He couldn’t wait to get inside her, to experience how tight she’d be around him as he slid into her, to hear her scream his name as he made her come. But first he needed to know how she’d react if he took one those pretty pink nipples in his mouth.

  She gasped when his tongue grazed it, and she arched her back, pressing her breast further into his mouth. A moment later, a moan followed as his teeth grazed the sensitive peak.

  Now it was his turn to shiver. Every sound she made, every miniscule movement, took on an erotic level. The ache from his dick spread into his balls, a warning sign that he was getting close to coming, but he couldn’t tear himself away from her breasts and the seductive murmurs she gave with each nip and flick on his tongue.

  Her low moans rose into sharp cries. Her hips bucked under him, grinding even harder against his cock, but still he kept on. He couldn’t get enough of her.

  Then, in one swift movement, she flipped him onto his back and straddled his waist. “Enough,” she said in a shaky voice, her breath coming in short bursts. “I need you in me now.”

  He grinned while she slipped his boxers off with one swift pull, followed by her own panties. Another first for him. Usually he was the one begging and pleading to get naked, waiting patiently for his partner to give consent. Hailey didn’t ask—she acted.

  That dimple reappeared as she stared at his fully erect cock, her eyes widening. “My God, you’re huge.”

  His moment of pride faded into pure bliss the second she took him into her mouth. So hot. So wet. He couldn’t fight back the groan that rose from his chest. This was what a blow job should feel like. He dug his fingers into the covers while her tongue swirled along his shaft all the way up to the tip and back down again. The tightness in his balls increased with every bob of her head. A whimper formed in his throat, and he found himself begging, “Stop, please, stop.”

  She released him and leveled her gaze with his. A look of worry flashed across her face. “Was I doing something wrong?”

  “No, not at all.” His lungs bellowed as quickly as hers had when she’d stopped him earlier. “But if you keep that up, I’ll be coming way too soon for you to enjoy it.”

  A laugh of relief brought that dimpled grin back. “We can’t have that, now, can we?” She grabbed the condom from the nightstand. “Ready for this?”

  He’d been ready since the moment their lips touched.

  He sat up to take it from her, taking a moment to sneak in one more kiss. The taste of her desire was even stronger than before, and yet it tempered his enough to where he wasn’t worried about coming the moment he got inside her. He wanted to last as long as possible, to draw this out as much as he could, and to savor every second with her.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair as she deepened the kiss. Gone was the “give me a quick fuck” vibe. Her tongue followed his slower tempo in a sensual dance that spread fire through his veins.

  Ben closed his eyes and drew in her clean scent. She smelled like soap and snow, like ice and Red Vines. No heavy flowery or girly, fruity perfumes on her. Just a fragrance that was uniquely hers.

  She ended the kiss, gulping for air, her eyes downcast and her bottom lip quivering. “Ben, what do you want from me?”

  More than one night.

  The thought ambushed him and squeezed his chest tight. He’d just met Hailey. He hardly knew anything about her other than she was Canadian and loved hockey as much as he did. And yet he wanted more. He wanted to hang out with her, to watch more games with her, to sit next her at dinner, and hold her hand while he got to know her better.

  But he dared not mention that to her. The last thing he wanted was to scare her away when he was this close to finding his release. Maybe he could bring it up afterward and ask for her number, see where things went. But right now, he needed her as much as she said she needed him.

  He opened the wrapper and rolled the condom on with reckless abandon.

  She nodded as though she understood what he was thinking and pulled him down to the mattress with her, guiding his cock toward the entrance of her sex.

  He eased into her and sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. Being inside her was even better than he’d imagined.

  “You feel like heaven,” she said softly.

  His voice broke. “So do you.”

  “More, Ben.” She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper into her. “I need more.”

  And he’d gladly give it to her. He started slowly, intent on drawing out the exquisite friction like he had with their kiss. He pulled out until just the tip was inside her before sliding back in as far as he could. The base of his spine tingled, and sweat beaded along his forehead. Even taking it slow, it was almost too much.

  He stilled, trying to focus his mind on anything other than how wonderful she felt so he didn’t come right there.

  She gave him an impatient roll of her hips. “Faster, Ben.”

  Oh, fuck it!

  He gave up on trying to outlast every guy she might have been with before. If he didn’t start moving soon, neither of them would come. He pumped his hips up and down, finding a rhythm they both could enjoy, and was rewarded by a brilliant smile.

  “Yes, Ben, there, right there.”

  Her praise encouraged him. He picked up the pace, going deeper with each thrust, his pulse quickening with every sigh of pleasure.

  Hailey arched her neck back, inviting him to taste its delicate hollows while her body rose to meet him. Her legs tightened around his waist. Her fingers ran up his spine and curled in his hair, her breath sharp and shallow. Her words became incomprehensible, yet they continued to flow from her lips.

  The ache at the base of his cock returned with a vengeance that signaled the point of no return. He bit his bottom lip and moved harder, faster, determined to make her come before he did.

  She locked her gaze with his. “So close, Ben, I’m so—”

  Her words broke off in a strangled cry, and her inner walls clenched around him, squeezing him until he could no longer hold back his orgasm. He plunged into her one more time and cried out her name as he came.

  Time seemed to stop. The throbbing of his heart
vibrated all the way through his cock, reminding him he was still alive, even as the rest of his body refused to obey his commands. His muscles stiffened, paralyzing him until he was helpless to do anything but stare down at her and enjoy the waves of bliss that rolled though him.

  Then his arms gave out on him, and he collapsed on top of her. “That was awesome,” he said, his voice raw and exhausted.

  “You took the words right out of my mouth.” She continued to run her hands up and down his spine in a leisurely manner that threatened to lull him to sleep. “You wouldn’t happen to have another condom in your pocket, would you?”

  He gave a snort of laughter. The only reason he’d had the first one was because his brother supplied it. He wasn’t the type who kept a condom in his pocket “just in case.” “I’m afraid not.”

  She gave him a sigh. “Too bad. I was hoping we could have another go at it once you’d recovered.”

  It was tempting. Very tempting. And she’d mentioned she was on the pill, so the risk was low.

  He lifted his head and gave her a sleepy smile. “It’s up to you.”

  She grinned and brushed his hair back from his face. “You look like you’re ready to pass out on me.”

  “You were the one ordering me to go harder and faster.”

  She chuckled and looked away. “You know, this is not something I usually do, but I’m glad I came back with you tonight.”

  His gut clenched when she lifted her eyes to him and waited for his response. “Yeah, me, too.”

  He wanted to say more, to follow up with his plan to ask for her number and suggest they stay in touch, but his tongue felt as floppy and heavy as the rest of his body. He rolled over to the side, taking her with him.

  She stretched out alongside him and rested her head on his shoulder. “Get some sleep while you can, Ben.”

  He took a deep breath, inhaling her scent, and closed his eyes.