Slam Dunk

By Mari Carr

Who says you can only score on the court?

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary erotic romance Mari Carr delivers a sizzling romance in Slam Dunk, Book 2 in her Love Lessons series. The clock is ticking! Find out if Trey Donovan and Ellie Hunter can make the perfect match in a game called happily-ever-after!

Trey Donovan is mourning the end of summer with fellow teachers when Ellie Hunter walks into Tully’s Bar. Better yet, she’s now a former rival basketball coach and the newest science teacher at his high school. He can’t think of anyone better to fill the vacant assistant coach job. In fact, if he plays his cards right, she might end up his perfect match off the court, too.

If she stops holding him at arm’s length long enough to give him a chance.

Coming off a year of bad decisions that not only broke her heart, but cost her a job, Ellie has good reason to swear off workplace romances. Her undeniable—and undeniably mutual—attraction to Trey is a serious threat to her resolve. Especially since Trey’s too-easy capitulation to her boundaries stings just a little too much.

Funny thing, though. When she sees Trey dancing with someone else, the edges of her vision turn decidedly green. And when another man tries to kiss Ellie, Trey sees red.

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to fudge the rules. Just a little. After all, casual sex doesn’t count. Right?

This contemporary erotic ménage romance contains comedy, dating, friendship and is a passion filled romance. Slam Dunk is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Previously Published: (2011) Samhain Publishing

• Language: English
• Publisher: Book Boutiques
• Release date: Jun 29, 2017
• ISBN: 9781946363565

Book preview

Hoppe

Excerpt

Ellie fidgeted in the stands and tried to enjoy the sunshine. Preston was playing against Harper’s Ridge and she and Trey had come to cheer on Jamie’s softball team. It was unseasonably warm for late April. She should be soaking up the rays and relaxing. Instead she felt wound up tighter than a spring.

Her mind kept flashing back to that morning. She’d woken up with Trey just like she had a hundred times in the past few months.

I’m pretty sure there’s nothing I hate worse than alarm clocks, Trey had mumbled, his voice husky from sleep. His comment forced her to stir. She’d been trying to ignore the annoying buzzing.

We’re going to have to get a handle on these impromptu mid-week sleepovers, she joked. We could both sleep in an extra half hour if I didn’t have to drive home to get ready for work.

Or you could just move in here. The words flowed smoothly from his lips, but the impact of them left her reeling in the wake.

She pushed herself upright and rubbed her eyes. It’s almost summer. Soon we won’t be a slave to the alarm.

Nice dodge.

She shot him a dirty look. I need to leave. I have to get a shower and some fresh clothes before I go to work.

And now the escape.

His sarcasm tweaked her temper…and her conscience. Aren’t you just a ray of sunshine in the morning?

I want you to move in with me, Ellie.

She’d continued to skirt the issue and avoid answering. Trey’s face told her he wasn’t happy about her evasion. He’d simply gotten out of bed and stormed to the shower. She hadn’t seen him since then.

She knew he was upset, but she didn’t know how to solve that. She couldn’t live with him. Christ, for months she’d convinced herself their relationship was simple, easy. She’d chalked up his profession of love to the romance of Valentine’s Day and mercifully he hadn’t offered those words again.

For months, she’d dismissed them, convincing herself Trey was a player. What the hell did he know about love? She’d been a hundred times the fool and now she was right back where she’d started from. How could she have fucked up so badly?

Why couldn’t Trey leave well enough alone? They had a good thing going. She’d learned from her painful experience that moving in together was only one step away from definite heartbreak. She refused to let herself get sucked into another relationship with a man well known for his inability to commit. The familiar saying Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…came to mind.

She wasn’t going to play the fool for another man. Wasn’t going to start dreaming of white weddings and babies and forever only to come home one day to find some skanky bitch in Trey’s bed.

Slam Dunk

Love Lessons, Book 2

Mari Carr

Published 2017 by Book Boutiques.

ISBN: 978-1-946363-56-5

Copyright © 2017, Mari Carr.

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Book Boutiques.

This book is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, locales, or events is wholly coincidental. The names, characters, dialogue, and events in this book are from the author’s imagination and should not to be construed as real.

Manufactured in the USA.

Email [e-mail] with questions, or inquiries about Book Boutiques.

Blurb

Who says you can only score on the court?

Trey Donovan is mourning the end of summer with fellow teachers when Ellie Hunter walks into Tully’s Bar. Better yet, she’s now a former rival basketball coach and the newest science teacher at his high school. He can’t think of anyone better to fill the vacant assistant coach job. In fact, if he plays his cards right, she might end up his perfect match off the court, too.

If she stops holding him at arm’s length long enough to give him a chance.

Coming off a year of bad decisions that not only broke her heart, but cost her a job, Ellie has good reason to swear off workplace romances. Her undeniable—and undeniably mutual—attraction to Trey is a serious threat to her resolve. Especially since Trey’s too-easy capitulation to her boundaries stings just a little too much.

Funny thing, though. When she sees Trey dancing with someone else, the edges of her vision turn decidedly green. And when another man tries to kiss Ellie, Trey sees red.

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to fudge the rules. Just a little. After all, casual sex doesn’t count. Right?

Previously Published

(2011) Samhain Publishing

Dedication

To my cougar club. You guys inspire me more than you know!

Acknowledgements

Cover Artist: Valerie Tibbs, Tibbs Design

Chapter 1

The Warm-Up

"Hey! Welcome back, bro."

Trey Donovan laughed as his best friend, Jamie, entered Tully’s Bar and slapped him on the shoulder.

Thanks for getting the table. Grace, Jamie’s girlfriend, bent down and kissed Trey on the cheek as she and Jamie claimed their usual places.

He and his friends had been holding happy hours at this bar for years. As teachers at a local high school, it wasn’t unusual for them to meet on Fridays to unwind after a long week or to celebrate special occasions—birthdays and big high school sports wins. Today, they were mourning the loss of summer. Come Monday, they’d be back in school, suffering through seven days’ worth of meetings, and the following week would bring two thousand students back to Preston High School for another year.

Where are Cheryl and Lucas? Trey asked.

Grace glanced over her shoulder. They should be here any minute. Cheryl texted me as we pulled in the parking lot. Lucas had picked her up and, of course, he was running late.

Trey shook his head, grinning. That idiot will be late to his own funeral.

True that, Jamie concurred. How was the basketball conference?

Trey picked up the pitcher he’d ordered upon arriving and poured a glass of beer for Jamie and Grace. Same old, same old. Little meetin’, lot of eatin’ and shitload of drinkin’. My kind of conference.

Grace rolled her eyes. Jeez. I keep waiting for the school system to figure out these so-called basketball conferences are little more than extended bachelor parties.

Trey laughed. We have actual meetings during the day. And we let girls come.

Grace leaned across the table and lightly tapped Trey on the cheek a couple of times. That’s big of you.

Speaking of girls… Jamie leaned closer. Was Hottie Hunter there?

Grace turned to Jamie and blasted him with a laser stare. Trey watched with amusement. The couple had been dating for over a year and they were absolutely perfect for each other. Trey took quite a bit of pride in the role he’d played in helping his two best friends hook up.

You guys are going to have to give up that nickname for her, Grace said.

Why? Trey asked. We’ve called her that for years.

Grace attempted to give him an innocent look that missed the mark by about a mile. Oh, I don’t know. I just think you might want to break the habit. Soon.

Trey gave Grace a funny look. It was clear she knew something. One glance at Jamie proved his best friend didn’t have a clue what was up either.

Unfortunately, Hottie, um, I mean Ellie wasn’t at the conference. Rumor is she’s not coaching at Harper’s Ridge this year.

Get out, Jamie said. She was really good. Hell, she was the only coach in the district whose team consistently gave your team any competition. Why would she quit?

Trey shrugged and tried not to let it show how much Ellie’s absence at the conference bothered him. He’d always enjoyed discussing techniques and engaging in some good-natured trash-talking with her. Plus, he respected her talent as a coach. He was going to miss matching his skills against hers across the court. Nobody seemed to know. It was all pretty hush-hush. Speaking of last minute, I’m out an assistant coach this year. You interested, Jamie?

Jamie scoffed. Hell no. I enjoy our friendship too much. There’s no way I could play second banana to you all season. We’d be at each other’s throats during the first warm-up. I’ll stick to softball.

Grace leaned forward. What happened to Carol? You guys have coached together forever.

You know she’s expecting a baby, right?

Grace nodded. She’s not due until early March. I thought she’d decided to stick it out and coach another season.

Turns out she’s having twins. Doctor didn’t think she’d want to spend the last few months of her pregnancy courtside. Carol agreed.

Grace’s smile grew. Well, how about that? Twins.

Trey grumbled. Yeah, great. Now I need to find a new assistant. One who won’t drive me insane the whole season.

Hey, guys, Cheryl called out as she walked into Tully’s. Look who I found in the parking lot.

Trey glanced up and, for a moment, he felt as if he’d been sucker punched. Ellie Hunter followed Cheryl and Lucas to the table.

Then Trey’s grin grew and he stood. Take a wrong turn, Coach Hunter? Harper’s Ridge is on the other side of town.

Ellie smiled, but before she could speak, Grace answered. I invited her. We ran into each other at school today.

Trey frowned, looking at Ellie. Why were you at Preston?

I had a new teacher meeting to attend. I was checking out my classroom when I ran into Grace.

Jamie looked at Grace. Why the hell would you go to school on the last day of summer?

Grace blushed slightly. I wanted to work on my bulletin board.

Lucas laughed. Nerd.

Grace threw a pretzel at Lucas’s head while the others laughed. Ordinarily Trey would have been amused by their antics, but he was too busy trying to wrap his head around the idea that Ellie Hottie Hunter was now his colleague rather than his competition. She looked smokin’ hot in short shorts and a T-shirt that showcased her perfect curves. Trey felt his cock stir.

Here, Trey said, grabbing a chair from an empty table nearby and placing it next to his. He suddenly felt the need to have Ellie in his space, close to him. Have a seat.

Ellie acknowledged his friendly gesture with a quick nod of thanks and sexy smile as they sat.

Lucas grabbed an empty glass and filled it, passing it over to Ellie. So you left Harper’s Ridge, huh? Finally decide you wanted to teach at a good school with a winning athletics program?

Ellie rolled her eyes. You must be Lucas. Grace warned me about you.

Lucas wiggled his eyebrows. Oh yeah? You like bad boys?

Trey narrowed his eyes at his friend, annoyed. While they were both known as being flirts—and players—Trey didn’t like the idea of Lucas hitting on Ellie.

Bad boy? Trey scoffed. Jesus, Lucas. You’re as much a bad boy as Justin Bieber.

They all laughed as Lucas playfully punched Trey on the arm.

Ellie took a sip of the beer. I needed a change of scenery, she replied in response to Lucas’s earlier question. Preston had an opening in the science department, so I took it.

What about coaching? Trey asked, surprised she would give up something she’d so obviously loved.

She shrugged. There wasn’t an opening to coach basketball at Preston. I mean, that is unless you wanna quit and hand the reins over to someone who actually knows a bit about the sport.

He grinned. Oh yeah, suddenly Trey wasn’t dreading the end of summer. This school year was looking to be his best yet. It wouldn’t be hard going to work if Ellie was there providing the eye candy. Not likely. Besides, considering the fact I took my girls’ team to the state championship a couple of years ago, I’d say I know plenty about the game.

Ellie wasn’t daunted. She leaned closer and Trey caught the light scent of her perfume. Damn, she smelled good. Word on the street is you’re not going to see that much success this year. Four of your starters graduated in June, which leaves you with a young bench. Anybody can coach naturally talented players. You think you’re up for teaching a bunch of newbies?

This was what Trey had missed at the basketball conference. Nobody kept both his feet firmly planted on the ground like Ellie Hunter. Oh, I’m up for it, sweetheart. You don’t have to worry about that. Actually, at the moment, he was up for quite a bit. He hoped Ellie didn’t look down or she’d see exactly how much he enjoyed sparring with her. His cock was rock hard and threatening to bust a few seams in his pants.

Where the hell did that summer go? Cheryl said, waving to the waitress to set them up with another pitcher. I’m warning y’all now. I’m drinking and dancing my ass off tonight. I’m fucking depressed.

Trey topped up Cheryl’s glass. You say the same thing every year at this happy hour.

Cheryl shrugged. Why do you think I had Lucas pick me up? I came prepared. DD and all.

Speaking of dancing, Trey said, when the sound of Usher filled the room, I lined up a few classics in the jukebox for us.

Jamie groaned. Christ, man. You picked all black music, didn’t you? Bet you didn’t fire up one single country song.

Trey stood and gave Jamie a shit-eating grin. They constantly waged this friendly battle over music. My dollar, my picks.

He was surprised when Ellie rose quickly. I love this song. She grabbed Trey’s hand and led him to the bar’s tiny dance floor. Cheryl and Lucas were hot on their heels and Trey noticed Grace leading an only somewhat reluctant Jamie as well.

He started to move to the music, watching as Ellie lost herself to the song. Holy fuck. She could dance.

After years of Grace’s and Cheryl’s hilarious attempts at keeping up with him on the dance floor, he was blown away by Ellie’s natural grace and rhythm. She had some sexy-as-hell moves for a white girl. On top of that, she knew all the words to the song. When she mouthed along with Ludacris about wanting a freak in the bed, he resigned himself to the fact that he wasn’t going to make it through this night without jerking off to relieve his hard-on.

Ellie turned around and moved against him. For a second, he tried to hold her away, knowing there was no way she wouldn’t be able to feel his erection. Then, he figured what the hell. There was nothing he wanted more than to feel her tight ass rubbing against him. He reached for her waist and pressed her closer. If she was surprised by his actions—as well as his cock rubbing against her lower back—she didn’t show it. In fact, she moved slower, more sinuously.

Trey gritted his teeth and tried to ignore how good her body felt against his. Her long brown hair was pulled back in her usual ponytail and he wondered what her hair would look like down, loose around her shoulders. Or better yet, he could wrap that ponytail around his hand and use it to direct her mouth to his cock as she sucked him off. A myriad of red-hot images