CROSSING THE LINE
RELEASE DATE: August 18, 2015
Cover designer: Michele Shriver
Official genre of book: Contemporary romance (sports)
SYNOPSIS
The bestselling Men of the Ice
series, featuring the players of the San Antonio Generals hockey team,
continues with Crossing the Line.
Nikolai Brantov left his homeland
of Russia at the age of nineteen to pursue his dream of playing in the NHL. As
the first-ever draft pick of the San Antonio Generals, Nik wants to justify the
team’s faith in him Adapting to a new country and culture and learning a new
language take up most of his off-ice time, and he doesn’t needed any added
complications, especially from the team owner’s beautiful daughter.
Hailing from one of the
wealthiest families in Texas, Meryl Johnson should have everything she wants.
But money doesn’t buy happiness or her father’s affection. Even though she’s
been warned that the player’s on the team are off limits, a new community
project puts Meryl in regular contact with the budding Russian superstar, and
that’s exactly the way she likes it.
When sparks fly between Nik and
Meryl, her father sets out to remind them who is in charge—of both the hockey
team and his family. Can the young couple triumph over his manipulations, or
will falling in love spell the end of Nik’s time in San Antonio?
EXCERPT
Chapter One
Nikolai Brantov knotted his tie
and ran his fingers through his damp hair, trying to spike the top exactly the
way he liked it. When he first moved to the United States from his native
Russia five months before to realize his dream of playing in the National
Hockey League, he not only had to learn a new language—one he still struggled with—he
had to learn new customs and traditions too. Among those were the expectations
of being a player in the NHL, including the team dress code which left Nik
primping more in front of a mirror as he prepared to leave the arena after a
game than he might to get ready for a date. Not that he had any time for
dating. Practice, games and English lessons filled most of his days, and that
suited Nik fine. He’d left his family and his homeland at the age of nineteen
to move to North America to play hockey, not meet women.
“Great game tonight, Nik,” the
team captain, Colton Tremblay, said as he came up beside Nik.
Nik nodded at Colton. “Thanks.
You too.” The San Antonio Generals beat the Winnipeg Jets three to two in
overtime, and Nik scored the winning goal. His first season in the NHL, and the
expansion Generals’ first season in the league, were both going well. The
country might be unfamiliar, and the rink sizes a little different, but hockey
was still hockey, and on the ice was where Nik felt most at home.
“You’re going to stop by the
foundation table to see how the toy drive went, right?” Colton asked.
“Yes.” Nik would because he knew
it was expected of him. It was almost Christmas, and the Generals’ charity
foundation sponsored a drive to collect toys for needy children. Many of his
teammates, included Colton, were excited about the event because their girlfriends
and wives had helped organize it. Being single, it was less of a big deal to
Nik. Still, as much as he would feel completely out of place, it was an
important team event and Nik was expected to show up, even if only briefly.
“I’ll head over there with you,”
Colton said. “I want to see my girl.”
Nik nodded and they left the
locker room together. Of course, Colton was anxious to see his girlfriend
again. With no one there waiting for Nik to greet him with a kiss and
congratulate him on a good game, he planned to make a quick appearance—the
minimum expected of him—and head home. Such that it was. ‘Home’ to Nik right
now meant staying with a host family in San Antonio while he acclimated to his
new city and new country.
Sure enough, as they approached
the Generals Foundation charity table, Colton’s girlfriend came over gave him a
kiss on the cheek. “Nice game, as usual,” she said, then nodded in Nik’s
direction. “You too.”
“Thanks.”
“The toy drive was a huge
success,” Maya continued. “Come see everything we collected.” She led the way
to the boxes of children’s toys. She wore a maroon and silver Generals jersey
with Colton’s name and number on the back. A group of women surrounded the
table, similarly dressed to support their player.
“Hey Nik, is there something
you’re not telling us?” Colton asked, as his eyes darted to a young woman in
the group.
Nik recognized her as Meryl
Johnson, the daughter of the Generals team owner. They’d never formally met
before, although Nik had seen her at a couple of team events. His impression of
her was that she was spoiled and liked to get her way, but that probably wasn’t
unusual from the daughter of a billionaire. And maybe it wasn’t fair to judge
someone he’d never so much as exchanged a word with. She was attractive, that
was for sure, and he liked her casual style, with her long brown hair pulled
back in a ponytail and tucked through a ball cap sporting the Generals logo.
which featured the team name in a circle around the Alamo facade, with three
stars underneath. She, too, wore a team jersey, and it took Nik a moment to
realize what Colton referred to. The jersey Meryl wore was Nik’s.
Before he could answer Colton
that he had no idea what it was about, Meryl approached him. “Hi there. I don’t
think we’ve ever been introduced,” she said, extending a hand. “I’m Meryl
Johnson.”
“Yes. Mr. Johnson’s daughter.”
Nik shook her hand. “Nikolai Brantov.”
***
He said it as if he thought she
might not know his name, and Meryl appreciated his unassuming nature. So many
of the athletes she’d encountered had big egos, and Nikolai had every reason to
as well. The hockey season might be only a few months old, but the young
Russian had already made an impression on the league. Sports reporters remarked
every day that Nik was a superstar in the making.
Meryl smiled at him. “I know who
you are.” After all, her father owned the team, and Meryl made it her business
to know about the players he employed. And why shouldn’t she? Hockey players
were hot, and in Meryl’s estimation, none more so than Nikolai Brantov, with
his gray eyes and spiked brown hair that Meryl longed to run her fingers
through.
She’d noticed him during the
summer’s NHL draft, when he became the first-ever draft choice of the San
Antonio Generals. He appeared awkward in his early interviews, and a little
overwhelmed, immediately intriguing Meryl. Was that his true personality, or a
byproduct of the circumstances he found himself in? It couldn’t be easy moving
to a new country and having to learn a new language at the age of nineteen.
From that moment, Meryl wanted to
learn as much about him as possible, so she sought out all the information she
could. She knew Nik hailed from the Siberian city of Irkutsk, that his favorite
color was orange, and he liked to eat steak and baked potatoes. He listed the
Pittsburgh Penguins as his favorite NHL team and his countryman, Evgeni Malkin,
as his favorite player. And even knowing all of that, Nik remained an enigma to
Meryl.
“I’m wearing your jersey, after
all,” she said, and did a little twirl so he could see his name and number,
forty-four, on the back. Her choice of attire had raised a few eyebrows among
the wives and girlfriends’ who’d put together the event, and who proudly
sported their man’s jerseys, but Meryl didn’t care. Her father owned the team,
she could wear whatever she wanted.
“Yes,” Nik said, nodding.
“It’s...what is the word?” He frowned a little. “Bold of you?”
He was so cute in his
uncertainty. Meryl knew he had a tutor working with him on his English, a job
she would have gladly volunteered for. In fact, she had, only half-jokingly.
Not surprisingly, Daddy had vetoed that idea and warned her that Nik, and
everyone else on the team, was off-limits to Meryl. “That’s me. Bold,” Meryl
said.
“It looks nice on you,” Nik said,
causing Meryl’s heart to flutter a little.
“Better on you, I think.
Especially when you scored the winning goal.”
Nik shrugged. “I was in the right
place and got a good pass from Colton.”
Definitely unassuming, Meryl
decided. And hot. She kept going back to that one. Damn her father and his
silly prohibitions. He never wanted her to have any fun. “What are you doing
tonight?” she asked. “I have to help put this stuff away,” she gestured to the
boxes of toys they’d collected during the charity drive, “then my dad is having
a little party up in his box, if you want to join me.” He’d already called her
bold. Meryl figured she might as well live up to it.
Nik hesitated before answering,
giving Meryl hope that perhaps he’d seriously consider the offer, but the hope
was dashed when he shook his head. “No, thank you. I need to go home.”
Meryl knew ‘home’ to Nik was a
family of strangers hosting him in their house, and she questioned his need—or
desire—to rush back there, but she didn’t press the issue. “Have a good night,
then. It was nice to meet you.”
“You as well, Miss Johnson,” he
said.
She watched him walk away,
admiring how his perfectly-tailored suit fit his body. Okay, he hadn’t accepted
her invitation. Meryl hadn’t really expected him to. At least they’d shared a
few words, finally. The rest would happen in due time. Meryl was accustomed to
getting everything she wanted, and she’d already decided she wanted Nik
Brantov.
BOOK LINKS
AMAZON KINDLE US
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YYHC5I0
Kobo
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/crossing-the-line-80
iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1028408001
Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crossing-the-line-michele-shriver/1122480224
AUTHOR BIO
Michele Shriver writes women’s
fiction and contemporary romance. Her books feature flawed-but-likeable
characters in real-life settings. She’s not afraid to break the rules, but
never stops believing in happily ever after. Michele counts among her favorite
things a good glass of wine, a hockey game, and a sweet and sexy book
boyfriend, not necessarily in that order.
AUTHOR LINKS
WEBSITE www.micheleshriver.com
TWITTER
www.twitter.com/micheleshriver
FACEBOOK PAGE
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMicheleShriver
STREET TEAM https://www.facebook.com/groups/721292531291721/
BLOG http://www.micheleshriver.com/
AMAZON http://www.amazon.com/Michele-Shriver/e/B009RQ19B2
SAN ANTONIO
GENERALS
The official website (https://menoftheice.wordpress.com)
of the San Antonio Generals. The Generals are a fictional NHL expansion
franchise based out of San Antonio, Texas and featured in the Men of the Ice
series by author Michele Shriver.
The Men of the Ice books are
contemporary romance novellas about the Generals players and the women who love
them.
More information about the books,
as well the team, organization, and news and events can be found on this site.
Visit the official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MenoftheIce)
of the San Antonio Generals. The Generals are a fictional NHL expansion
franchise based out of San Antonio, Texas and featured in the Men of the Ice
series by author Michele Shriver.
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