The Sweetest Seduction, Breakaway Hearts (40 page)

She laced up her skates and took one more deep breath before stepping out onto the ice.

Chapter Eighteen

February 7, 2014

Hailey’s heart wanted to burst out of her chest as she stepped into Fisht Olympic Stadium. Her breath froze in front of her mouth in a white cloud, forming a stark contrast to the sea of red jackets around her. This was the day she’d been waiting for her whole life, but after dreaming about it for so long, she needed to pinch herself to make sure it was real.

“Rookies,” Patrick groaned from behind her as he playfully nudged her. “Keep moving, Hailey. You’re holding up the rest of the team.”

A grin erupted on her face, and she stumbled forward, waving her Maple Leaf flag with pride. The parade of nations was well underway by now, Canada having been sorted into the Ks due to the Russian spelling. Her entire body buzzed with excitement. Today, she could finally say she was an Olympian.

She leaned over to Patrick. “I can’t believe I’m really here.”

“I can. Ben showed us that footage of you playing before you made the team, and I know the media has declared you to be their new darling.”

She laughed. Once she’d made the team, she’d blocked out everything but Ben and hockey. It wasn’t until a reporter had finally tracked her down after an exhibition game and asked for an interview that it had finally hit her she was someone they’d noticed. She agreed to the brief interview, choosing to follow Ben’s example of flying under the radar, but when the reporter had learned about her promise to Zach, the story had gone viral.

Now she had letters coming in daily from mothers who’d lost a child to illness, from fans who wished her the best, and from children who’d made her their idol. It was almost overwhelming, but she tried her best to keep up with all the letters and e-mails while still focusing on the game.

By the time they’d settled into their places for the rest of the opening ceremonies, the United States team was getting ready to enter. Hailey strained for a glimpse of Ben in the blur of red, white, and blue, but didn’t see him. He’d initially expressed some doubts about playing for Team USA again, but once she’d challenged him, he rose to the occasion again. “Do you see him?” she asked Patrick.

“Oh, yeah, just let me use my Superman vision for a second. Come on, Hailey. I know you two lovebirds can barely stand to be apart, but I think you can handle the next few hours without him. Besides, didn’t he say he’d call you when the torch came in?”

“He did.” She rubbed her hands together and let that thought warm her from the inside. Ben had promised to come with her to Sochi, but it was even better knowing he was here as an athlete, too.

Once the parade of nations was over and they’d all recited the Olympic Oath, Hailey pulled out the cell phone all the Olympic athletes had been given and waited for Ben’s call. He’d said he wanted to see her face when the cauldron was being lit, and she was more than happy to oblige.

The Olympic torch entered the stadium, and her phone buzzed. Hailey slipped off her mitten to accept the call, and an instant later, Ben’s face appeared on the screen.

“Hey, beautiful. Are you ready for this?”

“I’ve been ready.”

“Good, because it’s coming around to you.”

The athlete carrying the torch raced past her, and her skin tingled. This was real. She was here, and she’d always remember this moment.

Patrick leaned over to get inside her frame. “Hey, Kelly, I may love you during the regular season, but when I have this uniform on, all bets are off. You guys are going down.”

“Bring it,” Ben said with a cocky grin. “I’m looking forward to blocking your pucks.”

Hailey pushed Patrick out of the way. “Boys, I thought the Olympics were supposed to be about international good will and friendly competition.”

“I am being friendly,” Patrick pouted.

“Yeah, you should hear what he says on the ice,” Ben added.

“Shut up, you two. They’re about to light it.”

Hailey held her breath as the torch drew near the cauldron. A second later, what had started as a tiny flame turned into a roaring bonfire. Her chest swelled with pride, and she forgot about the bitter cold of the Russian winter. But she would never forget this moment.

“There aren’t words to describe it, are there?” Ben asked.

She shook her head.

“Well, maybe you can give me an answer to this question. Will you marry me?”

Her jaw dropped, and she stared down at Ben’s face on the screen, wondering if she’d heard him correctly. “What was that?”

“I know this is a little unconventional, but think of the story we can pass down to our children. I even got Patrick in on it.”

She turned her head to the side to find Patrick holding out a small velvet box. “Is that what I think it is?”

Ben nodded. “Are you going to say yes or not?”

“Yeah, the suspense is killing me,” Patrick added with a hint of dry sarcasm, “and I’m not even the one who’s proposing.”

She laughed, shaking loose a few tears from her eyes in the process, and nodded. “Yes, Ben, I will marry you, but only after the games.”

He smiled so brightly she could almost feel his joy. “Fair enough. I hope you like the ring. I had it custom made for you.”

“You did?” She opened the velvet box and gasped. Instead of a diamond solitaire, he’d had it made into a replica of the Olympic rings using different colored gemstones. She slipped it onto her finger and stared at it in awe. “I love it.”

“I thought you would. Enjoy the rest of the ceremonies, Hailey, and I’ll see you when they’re over. I’m sure our families can’t wait to hear the good news.”

The screen faded to black, but it did little to darken her spirits. Patrick was the first to congratulate her, followed by other members of the team. The rest of the night passed in a blur until the moment she was finally able to reunite with Ben. She leaned into him and threw her arms around his neck.

“I think this is a night neither one of us will forget,” he said as he pulled her closer and ran his finger along the single streak of blue she’d dyed in her hair as a reminder of the night they first met.

“Agreed.” Desire sizzled down her spine as he kissed her, and their bodies pressed together. She doubted she’d ever grow tired of being in his arms. “I love you, Ben.”

“And I love you, too, Hailey. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you, and I look forward to spending the rest of forever with you.”

“Then let’s start with now,” she replied before he lowered his lips to hers once again.

A Note to Readers

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for reading
The Sweetest Seduction
and
Breakaway Hearts
. I hope you enjoyed it and look forward to Caleb’s story,
Falling for the Wingman
. If you did, please leave a review on the site where you purchased this book or on Goodreads.

I love to hear from readers. You can find me on
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www.CristaMcHugh.com
.

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Also, please like
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for more excerpts and teasers from upcoming books. And, if you can’t get enough of the Kelly Brothers, please check out the series website,
www.thekellybrothers.cristamchugh.com
, for recipes, playlists, and other extras.

--Crista

Don’t miss the next book in the Kelly Brothers Series
,

Falling for the Wingman

Air Force pilot Caleb Kelly has come back home with one mission in mind—to propose to the woman whose letters and lucky charm helped him survive his deployment in Afghanistan. But when he finds their apartment empty with a note saying she’s left him, he arrives at her mother’s house in rural Alabama less than a week before Kourtney is about to marry another man. Now, he’s out to win her heart again and gets some unexpected assistance from her younger sister, Alex.

Alex Leadbetter has always thought Caleb was too good for her manipulative, social-climbing sister. She had assumed Kourtney’s identity to write letters to him and keep his spirits up until he returned home to the hard truth, never expecting to fall in love with him along the way. She convinces him that the best way to get Kourtney back is to make him think he’s fallen for someone new—her. But when a fake romance becomes all too real, her deception may leave them both grounded.

Coming March 3, 2014

Excerpt follows

Excerpt from
Falling for the Wingman

“She really has you wrapped around her little finger, doesn’t she?”

“Maybe,” Caleb said with a half smile and ran his hand over the good luck charm in his pocket. “Do you think you can help me win her back?”

Alex choked on her beer. “Me?”

“Yeah. After all, you said you know her better than anyone else.”

“I think you need your head examined.”

“Come on, Alex. Who would you rather have as a brother-in-law? Me or that prick?”

She banged her empty bottle on the table. “Holy crap! You weren’t thinking of marrying her, were you?”

“Should I show you the ring I bought her?”

“No, no, no, no!” Alex massaged her fingertips into her forehead. “Why are guys so fucking stupid?”

“And you were the one telling me to watch my language.” He took a sip of the raspberry-flavored beer, his mood lightening. He was wearing her down, and if he could get Alex on board, she’d help him find a way to get Kourtney back. “So, would you be willing to be my wingman?”

“Give me one good reason why you’re so head-over-heels stupid for my Barbie-doll sister.” She reached for the last bottle in the bucket.

“Are you going to be okay to drive?”

“I live two blocks down the road. I walked over here.” She opened the bottle, catching the edge of the top against the table and smacking it firmly with her hand. She draped her arm across the back of her chair and crossed her boot-clad legs, doubt written all over face. “If you want my help, you need to convince me that you love Kourtney for more than just her double-Ds.”

He raked his fingers through his hair, unsure how much he should reveal from those deeply personal letters. “Can’t you just take my word for it?”

“Nope.” She grinned before raising the fresh bottle to her lips.

“Fine, you win.” He took a drink to steel his courage before spilling his guts. “Afghanistan wasn’t a fun place to be, especially in the middle of a war.”

“No shit. My friend J.T. still has nightmares about that place.”

“Then you have some idea how it was over there. I saw things I never want to see again. But no matter how dark it got, your sister always had something to say to bring me back into the light. Whenever I felt like there was nothing good left in this world, I’d always find an email from her that reminded me that things weren’t as bleak as I imagined them to be. That’s why I fell in love with her.”

Alex’s face blanched, making her freckles stand out more than before. She finished off her bottle like a college student trying to set a funneling speed record and squeezed her eyes shut afterward. Her face tightened in pain, drawing her shoulders up toward her ears. A full minute ticked by before she finally said, “Damn it. I wish you hadn’t said that.”

“Now you know why I want her back.”

When Alex opened her eyes, a mixture of grief and pity shimmered from their brown depths. “But what if she doesn’t want you anymore?”

Caleb swallowed hard. It wasn’t something he was ready to consider. Not yet. “All I need is a chance to speak with her alone, to find out what changed while I was gone.”

Alex stared at the floor and chewed her bottom lip, the empty bottle in her hands rocking from side to side. “I think I’m going to need another drink.”

He eyed the collection of empty bottles on the table. “I think you’ve had enough, Alex.”

She shook her head. “If you’ve had the day I’ve had, you’d need a six pack, too.”

But she set the bottle on the table and smoothed her dress over her lap. “So, all you want is a chance to talk to Kourtney alone?”

“Are you agreeing to help me?”

She finally met his gaze, her eyes sharp and clever as though she hadn’t had a single drop of beer. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” he asked, arching a brow.

“I’ll need a favor from you in exchange, as well as your complete cooperation with my plan.”

He crossed his arms and leaned back. “What are your terms?”

A mischievous smile curled her lips. “First off, if I’m going to be your wingman, you will never, ever, refer to me as ‘Goose.’”