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Sterling smiled, a hollow expression that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I know, son. That passion is what drives this team. Think of this asquantifyingthat passion. You’ll come to see things my way.”
Right.
Marcus didn’t nod. He didn’t swallow or glance away or do anything to otherwise indicate compliance. He grabbed his gear and exited the room as he had entered—in command of his play, in command of his emotions. It wasn’t until he reached the darkened hallway near the abandoned weight room that he heaved every single bit of his gear against the cinder-block wall.
Grab your copy ofNo More Sidelines(Solomon Pro Athletes Book One)
Available December 22nd, 2022
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BLURB
Danger and desire go hand in hand…
Navy SEAL Logan Miller blew it with his girlfriend, Hope. Reeling from a botched mission, he turned to alcohol, and let his temper drive Hope away. Now, he just wants to make things right.
But when he finally goes to see her, he’s shocked to discover she’s pregnant… And he's the father. Logan knows he can’t win Hope back, but he still wants to do the right thing, for her and their child. But in this case, the right thing might be to leave them both behind…
Hope is fine with Logan re-enlisting and supporting their baby from afar. At least that’s what she tells herself. But their messy relationship is far from her biggest problem, when it becomes clear someone is trying to kill her. She’s been writing a book about a missing persons case, and she's close to solving the mystery. But someone doesn’t want the truth to come out…
Hope is scared to death, and having a sexy, strong Navy SEAL around for protection gives her peace of mind. But as danger and desire escalate, can she find the strength to tell Logan how she really feels?
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* * *
EXCERPT
Chapter 1
When Logan Miller first arrived at Hope Cabot’s place that Friday afternoon, he thought the most difficult thing he was going to have to handle was an apology to the woman he’d hurt during their breakup. That, on its own, would have been hard enough.
This? This was much harder.
“I’m sorry?” Logan said as Hope stood there staring at him. “I don’t think I heard that right.”
“You did.” Hope sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose, a sign he’d remembered from when they’d been together. One that meant she was upset. He also knew that when she got upset, she withdrew from him and that was the last thing he wanted right now. His gaze dropped to her left hand, where she clutched a set of keys. He’d interrupted her while she was on her way out, apparently. Logan’s eyes drifted back up the length of her, taking in details because that was what he did, especially when he was stressed. His SEAL training had taught him well. Hope looked basically the same as she had the last time he’d seen her two months prior—same long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, same wide hazel eyes, same wary expression letting him know she didn’t trust him anymore. She had on a loose-fitting hoodie thing over her tighter T-shirt, which was new, but otherwise she was the same Hope he’d remembered—maybe just a little curvier now, not that he’d ever mention it. At first, he’d figured she’d just put on a little weight, and it looked good on her. She was obviously healthy, with her rosy cheeks and bright eyes. Except now he knew there was more behind that special glow.
A baby.Hisbaby. Jesus.
“Oh…” He winced slightly at the wariness in her eyes. Logan couldn’t blame her for not trusting him.Shehadn’t changed over the past two months since the last time they’d spoken, buthehad. He was ashamed to think of the man that he had been—what he’d put her through before she’d finally decided enough was enough. The only good thing he could say about how things had ended between them was that getting dumped on his ass had been the wake-up call he’d needed to stop looking for solutions to his problems at the bottom of a bottle and to finally get some help.
After that, it had taken him a long time and more than a few therapy sessions to trust himself again. He hadn’t been addicted to alcohol, thankfully, but he’d gotten way too used to using it as a crutch to manage his anxiety and depression. Learning to deal with his problems in a healthier way had been a process. Even now, there were days and times when he struggled to make smart, thoughtful decisions, but thank God they were fewer and farther between.
He gave himself a mental shake and took the final step onto the porch, the nearly six-inch height difference between them more pronounced now that he was on level ground with her. His mind was whirling so fast he didn’t know what to say, so he let the first stupid thing that popped into his head come out. “Uh, when did it happen?”
Hope’s flat look made him wish he could kick his own ass.
He rushed on before she could say anything. “No. I mean, Iknowwhen it happened. I’m just stunned, that’s all.” His gaze fell to her abdomen, then returned to her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was going to.” The pink in her cheeks darkened, and she lowered her head. “But I wanted to wait until I knew it was going to be a viable pregnancy before I shook everything up. There’s a history of miscarriages in my family, so…”
His heart lurched and stared at the keys in her hand again. Five minutes ago, he hadn’t known that this baby existed—but now, just the thought of him or her not making it was enough to turn his stomach. “Everything is okay though, right?”
