Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway:
Bad Pucking Timing by Michele Lenard
Colorado Bulldogs, Book 1
The ice is my happy place. My sanctuary. The source of my happiest memories, and the promise of my future. It’s also the reason I’m living a lie.
As a kid you don’t think about the sacrifices you’ll have to make for your dreams. After all, dreams are supposed to be happy, so all you see is the finish line, not what you’ll have to give up to get there.
I surrendered a carefree childhood to hours upon hours of grueling practices. Abandoned life with my family in favor of a boarding school that would hone my skills to perfection. But my biggest sacrifice, the one I couldn’t predict I’d have to make as a little boy, is denying who I am.
To the world I’m the top rookie in this year’s NHL draft. The most promising defender the league has seen in years. For years that’s all I wanted to be, and now that I’m here…
I knew my career would intersect with my personal life at some point, I just didn’t expect it to happen before I played my first pro game.
That’s why he is so dangerous. My lifelong dream is within reach, and now there’s another I want to pursue. If only it weren’t such bad pucking timing.
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The game on the TV above the bar gives me an idea. “Pretend you could build your own basketball team. Who’d be on it?” I ask the dark stranger.
“I don’t know any basketball players.”
“I never said it had to be basketball players. Who would you pick?” I lick my lips, wondering if this is the world’s worst icebreaker. I think it might be, until I realize he’s looking at my mouth.
“How would picking different people make the game more interesting?” His gaze flicks to mine just briefly before traveling back to my mouth.
“Haven’t you ever heard of fantasy teams?” His eyes narrow slightly. “Okay, I’ll go first. Obi Wan Kenobi. The Ewan McGregor version.”
“That’s not a real person.”
“I never said it had to be.”
“Alright, why him?” The man purses his lips.
“He’s a Jedi. He can use the force to make shots go in.”
A pair of bottomless brown eyes sparkle. “Mister Fantastic.”
“Who’s that?”
“He’s in the Fantastic Four.”
Suddenly, my Star Wars references don’t seem so nerdy. “The stretchy guy?”
“Yup,” he says.
“Because he could dunk from anywhere on the court. Nice. I’m going Invisible Woman. No one would see her coming.”
“These are coed teams?” he asks.
“Sure.”
“Okay then, Jessica Rabbit.”
I barely disguise my snort. “Because?”
“Guys would be too busy drooling over her to play the game.”
“Not this guy,” I mutter under my breath.
“You aren’t on the team, though. Are you?”
My breath catches. “If I was?”
A smirk ghosts over his lips as he leans toward me. “Ryan Reynolds.”
I bark out a laugh. “If you want to distract me with a guy, you’d have better luck choosing one I could actually score with.”
“Isn’t this a fantasy game?” Those dark eyes gleam.
“Yeah.”
“Then why can’t you score with fantasy Ryan?”
“He’s not really my type.”
“Not your type?” The man arches a thick brow. “He’s everyone’s type.”
“Not mine. I like dark and mysterious.” My gaze meets his, resting there in charged silence. “I guess that means I should put fantasy Ryan on my team to distract you.”
“That’d be ineffective.” He swallows thickly.
“Are you saying he’s not your type?”
“Oh, he’s my type,” he rasps “But your dimples are sexier.”
About the Author
Michele is a tomboy who writes contemporary romance (usually sports themed) that is both sweet and steamy. Her goal is to make you fan your face as you wipe a tear from your eye. Her books are part of a series but there are no cliffhangers so each can be read as a standalone. When she isn’t reading or writing she enjoys the outdoors, something that pops up in her books from time to time.
Connect with Michele:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21706386.Michele_Lenard
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/michele-lenard
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