Christian hesitated a moment longer, then started in the direction of the cottage. He’d come this far, he reasoned. Might as well see it through.
By the time he made his way across the sidewalk, driveway, and grass and pavers leading to the charming cottage, he had worked up a sweat despite the chill in the early December night air. Maybe looking pale and sweaty would gain him some sympathy like Shane had said, he thought as he paused outside the door to the cottage and rapped on it with two knuckles.
He listened for any sound within the cottage and didn’t hear anything, but the flickering paused. A few seconds later, the door opened.
Despite the time and distance that lay between them, seeing Paige O’Connell again struck him like a physical blow. He watched the brief flash of surprise cross her features, followed by the cool, blank stare she gave him. Much as her twin had done earlier, she crossed her arms and leaned against her doorjamb.
“Well, well, well,” she drawled. “If it isn’t Christian ‘The Golden Boy’ Reinhardt. What the hell do you want? Because I sure as hell know you’re not here to ask for a second chance.”
# # #
For Nancy, whose insistence that she needed more hockey book boyfriends nudged me into developing this series. Thanks for giving me another reason to watch hot hockey players (for inspiration, of course), my friend!
Acknowledgements
First, I’d like to thank my readers. Yes, YOU. I am so fortunate to have support from my friends and family, but the support I get from you, my reader friend, simply can’t be matched. You’re the primary reason I write! Thanks so much for giving me that motivation and for giving the Atlanta Siege a try.
Next, big thanks go to my husband, Kevin, and my daughter, Faith. You two have been such a huge help throughout the development of this series, from helping me choose the team’s name to creating The Siege’s logo and providing the initial feedback on A Heart So Wild. On top of all that, you’ve given me the time and space I need to actually write. You two are my world, and I love you dearly! (Also, I know it wasn’t a hardship for you to watch all that hockey while I was doing my research, Hubs!)
Last but never least, I owe a ton of thanks to my All-Star alpha reader, Debbie Prins, who helped me fine-tune Roxy and Callan’s story to get it ready for my amazing beta readers, Jessica Lind-Wentz, Marilyn Jeulin, Bethany Lopez, and Nancy Byers (the incredible woman to whom this book is dedicated.) I couldn’t have published A Heart So Wild without all of your valuable input, ladies!
This series took me over a year to develop, but it was worth every minute. I am so enjoying writing the stories for the players on the Atlanta Siege, and I look forward to sharing them all with you!
This book is an original publication of Iambe Books, LLC.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2021 Raine Thomas.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, without the express written permission of the publisher. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials.
Visit the author’s website: http://www.RaineThomas.com