With: Naima Simone
Congratulations to "Cherisse", the winner in Naima's giveaway. Please contact JUST CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE to claim your prize. Thank you to everyone who participated!

****
“Since it’s close to Christmas, how about a holiday movie?”
Kim suggested. “What’ll it be? What’s your favorite movie?”
Ronin crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her,
daring her, beforehand, to laugh. “Love
Actually.”
She shrugged. “I’ve never seen it.”
He gasped. Yeah, he did. Her admission was gasp-worthy. “Who
hasn’t seen Love Actually? The movie
is connection, forgiveness, love, fate, serendipity… What?” He stared at her
wide-eyed gaze. “Shaddup. Well, let me have it. What’s your favorite holiday
movie?”
“That’s easy. Die Hard
2,” she declared. “And yes, it is
a Christmas movie.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
he muttered, aiming the remote at the TV screen. “We’ll watch your pick first,
then mine.”
Hours later, as the credits for Love Actually rolled, he turned to her, waiting for her to praise
one of the best movies of all time.
“Well?” he prodded when she remained quiet.
“Umm.” She scrunched up her nose. “The porn couple was
cute.”
“Porn c—” He snapped. “They were body doubles, not porn
stars. Seriously?” he demanded. “That’s all you liked about it?”
“Now ‘like’ is a stretch.” She did that scrunchy thing with
her nose again. “Okay, how is it romantic that the guy is hitting on his best
friend’s wife? And if I was Karen, I would’ve slapped the shit out of Harry
with that Joni Mitchell CD; I don’t care if he was Alan Rickman. God rest his
soul. And yeah, I wasn’t buying the British guy shacking up with the three
American women just because of his accent. That was a bit of a stretch.”
Ronin gaped at her, utterly speechless.
“How does it feel?” he finally asked, cocking his head to
the side.
“How does what feel?” she repeated.
“When your heart grows three sizes? I’ve always wondered.
Does it hurt or just tingle?”
Her face blanked, then she tossed back her head and burst
into laughter at his reference to the Grinch. He grinned. That laugh…God, it
was terrible and adorable.
“I have a heart. Take John McClane, for example. He blew up
a plane full of mercenaries and fired up a runway to save his wife’s life.
That’s true love.” She arched an eyebrow.
Damn it, he hated when she was right.
Time to fight dirty. He jumped off the bed, rounded it, and
knelt at her side, placing his palms across her slightly rounded stomach. The
almost imperceptible bump sent a thrill through him. As did touching her again.
Kim started, sitting straight up on the mattress, but he
gently shushed her, bending his head over her.
“Shh. This is a conversation between Peanut and me.” It
would be several more weeks before Kim felt the baby move, but he’d read on
several sites that babies could hear and recognize their parents’ voices. Maybe
not this early, but he liked the thought of it. “This is your dad. Your mom and
I can’t wait until you get here, but you have to hang in there and grow before
then, so don’t give her a lot of trouble, okay? Except when she says crazy
things like insulting my movie choices and T-shirt collection. Here’s a
promise: you stay healthy and happy in there, and when you’re finally here,
we’ll wear matching Transformers T-shirts to the strawberry festival where I
grew up. You’re going to love it. And we love you.”
He pressed a kiss to Kim’s belly then leaned back, glancing
up. She stared down at him, her dove gray eyes glistening with tears. Damn,
those eyes were going to break him. So lovely, so much emotion. Just. So much.
Rising, he sat on the mattress and pulled her into his arms,
onto his lap, and held her, brushing his lips across the top of her head.
Jesus, she made him feel. And he didn’t know how to handle it, what to do with
it. So he did what came naturally…
“Don’t worry, hala,”
he murmured. “I’ll get you a Transformers shirt, too.”
As her muffled chuckle reached his ears, the vise around his
chest loosened.
Laughter, he could deal with. The fist squeezing his heart?
Not so much.
****
SCORING THE PLAYER'S BABY
Giveaway:

After a divorce from her cheating football player ex, PR whiz Kim Matlock would rather drive a pine tree through her walled-off heart than work at the Seattle Wedding Expo. And the last thing she expects is to be grabbed and kissed breathless by a hot giant of a man looking to fend off a stalker. She doesn't want emotional entanglements, but she can't say no to one scorching night with the sexy stranger.
To her shock, she finds out afterward that a) he's a pro football player, aka her kryptonite, and b) she's pregnant.
But nothing could have prepared her for his response...
Each book in the WAGS series is STANDALONE:
* Scoring with the Wrong Twin
* Scoring Off the Field
* Scoring the Player's Baby
* Scoring with the Wrong Twin
* Scoring Off the Field
* Scoring the Player's Baby
I’m giving away a $5 Amazon gift card to celebrate the
release of Scoring the Player’s Baby! To enter to win, just tell me your fave
line from the excerpt!
Giveaway ends 11:59pm EST July 14th. Due to GDPR regulations you no longer need to submit your email address in the comments. If you have been selected as a winner your name will be posted at the top of the post. You may then contact maureen@JustContemporaryRomance.com to claim your prize. Your email address will be shared with the author/publicist providing the giveaway.
I didn't read the excerpt, as I want to be surprised when I read the whole story instead.
ReplyDeleteWhat DID catch my eye was where it said, "What follows is this fall into love that is bumpy but lovely." Now THAT is something to look forward to reading! Many thanks!
Hi, Laney! Don't you love a pitted, bumpy ride to the HEA? Makes it all worth it in the end! Thank you for visiting with me! <3
DeleteRight in the feels, Naima, that excerpt!! My favorite was:
ReplyDelete“When your heart grows three sizes? I’ve always wondered. Does it hurt or just tingle?”
Her face blanked, then she tossed back her head and burst into laughter at his reference to the Grinch. He grinned. That laugh…God, it was terrible and adorable.
hahaha Just love that! Can't wait to read this, it's already on my to-read list!
Yaay, Ada! I have to admit, I had feels writing it. LOL! And That's one of my fave lines, too. While writing it, I was thinking, If someone doesn't get this Grinch reference, we can't be friends. LMAO!! Thank you so much for adding Scoring the Player's Baby to your TBR list and for visiting with me! <3
DeleteMy favourite line is: “Don’t worry, hala,” he murmured. “I’ll get you a Transformers shirt, too.”
ReplyDeleteThe right combo of "aww" and funny. :)
Yaay! No lie, I want a Transformers shirt, too. LOL!
Delete“Don’t worry, hala,” he murmured. “I’ll get you a Transformers shirt, too.”
ReplyDeleteIt's one of mine, too! Made me laugh while I was writing it, even as I sighed. LOL!
DeleteI loved the whole except. My heart is actually sighing.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite scenes from the book! <3
Delete“Shh. This is a conversation between Peanut and me.” :)
ReplyDeleteLOL! I thought Peanut was a funny nickname for the baby because he/she looks like a peanut at that stage. :-D
Deletethe whole thing is great. I have to get this one.
ReplyDeleteOh yaay! Thank you, JCP! I hope you enjoy it! <3
Delete"I have a heart."
ReplyDeleteThat one line could be the theme of Kim's emotional journey for the book. Cool, that you picked it! <3
DeleteHere’s a promise: you stay healthy and happy in there, and when you’re finally here, we’ll wear matching Transformers T-shirts to the strawberry festival where I grew up.
ReplyDeleteThe cool thing? There really IS a Strawberry Festival on Vashon Island! I want to go! LOL!! Thank you, Taurus! ❤️
Delete“Shh. This is a conversation between Peanut and me.”
ReplyDeleteSo cute, fantastic excerpt!!
I love that line, too! LOL! Thank you for coming by and visiting with me, Anita!! ❤️
Delete