Stadium of Lights: A Second Chance Sports Romance
Tia Lewis
Publication date: September 19th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Sports
He can’t help claiming her. But can he love her?
Max Anderson enjoys all the perks of being a star NFL quarterback―including the women. He has no intention of changing his carefree, hard-loving lifestyle … until a twist of fate reunites him with the girl he knew growing up.
Abby Morrison has worked hard to become a physical therapist. She knows she needs to keep things professional with Max — but the truth is, she’s always loved him. Back then, she hid it. Now, it’s not so easy.
As they rekindle their friendship, the heat between them is impossible to ignore. Soon it flares out of control, and the fallout threatens to ruin everything. Can they salvage a future together … or will the consequences wreck their lives?
Excerpt
I thought back to all the times she had stood by and watched me with my many girlfriends and hookups. Whenever I had a problem with any of them, I’d ask her what to do since she was a girl. I never once thought of her the way I thought of them, not once. And when I met her again, that same old image was in my head. The dorky, geeky girl with glasses who always bumped into things and knocked them over, who didn’t have any friends except for me. When the other kids would ask why I was friends with her, I could never explain why. It was probably because of that early friendship, back when we were little kids. I couldn’t just drop her because she wasn’t cool. She was my little sis.
My little sis had grown up, but I made her cry when I reminded her of the girl she used to be. How stupid! I finally understood why she had cried the day before. I kept thinking of her as the old girl, who she obviously hated. I wouldn’t let her be the new person she’d become. I was so blind.
It was actually sort of funny, watching the guys trade places just so they could sit with her. When Trey got up for another plate, Joe took his place. Brett took Randy’s place. On and on, and Abby just kept drinking her wine and laughing and having fun. I just kept watching to see who would ask to take her home.
The time came around nine o’clock when we’d all stuffed ourselves. Abby stood up from the table, a little wobbly. I swooped in, waiting for her to decide it was time to go.
“Come on. I’ll take you home,” I murmured, taking her by the elbow. She looked up at me.
“No,” she murmured.
“What?”
“No. I don’t want you to take me home. Now will you move?”
“Wait. Slow down.”
“I want somebody else, Max. Now move.”
“Who?”
“Anybody. It doesn’t matter. Just not you.” She shook me off—thank God we’d both been whispering, or practically, because it didn’t seem like anybody else noticed. I followed her out the door to the restaurant’s entrance.
“You can’t drive in this condition,” I warned her.
“Then I’ll get a cab. You can leave now.” She glared at me, her cheeks flushed.
“What?”
“You ruined it. You always ruin it.”
“How the hell did I ruin anything?”
She looked back into the restaurant, frowning. “I was having fun. People were talking to me, seeing me, liking me. And you had to take over like you always do.”
My car pulled up in front of us, and I took the keys from the valet. “Come on. I’ll drive you home, and we can talk about it on the way.” I practically threw her into the car before she could curse me out, then got in myself. Once I locked the doors from my side, she couldn’t open them.
“What the fuck Max!” She slapped the dashboard, then sank into her seat with a groan. “I was having fun. I was about to get laid, damn it!”
I bit my tongue until I calmed down. “By whom?”
“I don’t know! What did it matter? I was gonna get some for me, for once. And you won’t let me. I have to always be there for you, but you can never be there for me. You couldn’t just let me enjoy myself. No, you probably wanted to tell me all about your stupid fucking cheerleader girlfriend and ask me what you should do about her!” There was so much venom in her voice. She hated me.
I pulled over to the shoulder of the road. “What are you doing?” she asked. I unbuckled my belt without saying a word, then turned to her.
“You wanna know why I wanted to take you home?” I reached out, grabbing her by the shoulders. I pulled her to me before she could push me away and crushed my mouth against hers.
She only fought me for a split second before giving in. She sighed, relaxing, and I wrapped my arms around her. Her lips were so sweet, soft and yielding. When I slid my tongue between them, they opened to give me better access. I tasted the inside of her mouth, taking my time. This girl who had been my friend for so long, and she was right—I’d used her in a way. This girl who was always there for me without asking anything in return. This sexy, incredible girl.
The kiss deepened, with her tongue dancing alongside mine. She wrapped her arms around my neck, almost growling. Sounding hungry, desperate. I ran one of my hands over her body, listening to the way the breath caught in her throat. She whined a little, pressing against me, and when I made contact with her tits she moaned into my mouth.
By the time the kiss ended, we were both breathless. Her eyes were wide, stunned.
“That’s why,” I whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
I thought back to all the times she had stood by and watched me with my many girlfriends and hookups. Whenever I had a problem with any of them, I’d ask her what to do since she was a girl. I never once thought of her the way I thought of them, not once. And when I met her again, that same old image was in my head. The dorky, geeky girl with glasses who always bumped into things and knocked them over, who didn’t have any friends except for me. When the other kids would ask why I was friends with her, I could never explain why. It was probably because of that early friendship, back when we were little kids. I couldn’t just drop her because she wasn’t cool. She was my little sis.
My little sis had grown up, but I made her cry when I reminded her of the girl she used to be. How stupid! I finally understood why she had cried the day before. I kept thinking of her as the old girl, who she obviously hated. I wouldn’t let her be the new person she’d become. I was so blind.
It was actually sort of funny, watching the guys trade places just so they could sit with her. When Trey got up for another plate, Joe took his place. Brett took Randy’s place. On and on, and Abby just kept drinking her wine and laughing and having fun. I just kept watching to see who would ask to take her home.
It was actually sort of funny, watching the guys trade places just so they could sit with her. When Trey got up for another plate, Joe took his place. Brett took Randy’s place. On and on, and Abby just kept drinking her wine and laughing and having fun. I just kept watching to see who would ask to take her home.
The time came around nine o’clock when we’d all stuffed ourselves. Abby stood up from the table, a little wobbly. I swooped in, waiting for her to decide it was time to go.
“Come on. I’ll take you home,” I murmured, taking her by the elbow. She looked up at me.
“No,” she murmured.
“What?”
“No. I don’t want you to take me home. Now will you move?”
“Wait. Slow down.”
“I want somebody else, Max. Now move.”
“Who?”
“Anybody. It doesn’t matter. Just not you.” She shook me off—thank God we’d both been whispering, or practically, because it didn’t seem like anybody else noticed. I followed her out the door to the restaurant’s entrance.
“You can’t drive in this condition,” I warned her.
“Then I’ll get a cab. You can leave now.” She glared at me, her cheeks flushed.
“What?”
“You ruined it. You always ruin it.”
“How the hell did I ruin anything?”
She looked back into the restaurant, frowning. “I was having fun. People were talking to me, seeing me, liking me. And you had to take over like you always do.”
My car pulled up in front of us, and I took the keys from the valet. “Come on. I’ll drive you home, and we can talk about it on the way.” I practically threw her into the car before she could curse me out, then got in myself. Once I locked the doors from my side, she couldn’t open them.
“What the fuck Max!” She slapped the dashboard, then sank into her seat with a groan. “I was having fun. I was about to get laid, damn it!”
I bit my tongue until I calmed down. “By whom?”
“I don’t know! What did it matter? I was gonna get some for me, for once. And you won’t let me. I have to always be there for you, but you can never be there for me. You couldn’t just let me enjoy myself. No, you probably wanted to tell me all about your stupid fucking cheerleader girlfriend and ask me what you should do about her!” There was so much venom in her voice. She hated me.
I pulled over to the shoulder of the road. “What are you doing?” she asked. I unbuckled my belt without saying a word, then turned to her.
“You wanna know why I wanted to take you home?” I reached out, grabbing her by the shoulders. I pulled her to me before she could push me away and crushed my mouth against hers.
She only fought me for a split second before giving in. She sighed, relaxing, and I wrapped my arms around her. Her lips were so sweet, soft and yielding. When I slid my tongue between them, they opened to give me better access. I tasted the inside of her mouth, taking my time. This girl who had been my friend for so long, and she was right—I’d used her in a way. This girl who was always there for me without asking anything in return. This sexy, incredible girl.
The kiss deepened, with her tongue dancing alongside mine. She wrapped her arms around my neck, almost growling. Sounding hungry, desperate. I ran one of my hands over her body, listening to the way the breath caught in her throat. She whined a little, pressing against me, and when I made contact with her tits she moaned into my mouth.
By the time the kiss ended, we were both breathless. Her eyes were wide, stunned.
“That’s why,” I whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Author Bio:
Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text LEWIS to 31996 or go to: www.NextBookRelease.com
Tia Lewis is a romance author from the Midwest who writes about smart, sexy, sassy women and hot, possessive alpha males. Her favorite bad boys to write about include sports players, mafia, bikers, billionaires and the bad-ass next door. You can find her cooking, reading, or traveling when she’s not busy working on her next release.
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