London with a Dare

By Jennifer Conner and Angela Ford

Chapple Palmer is the captain of one of the top soccer teams in the world, the London Lions. He should get more respect, but due to bad press, he has a bad boy reputation in the British tabloids that he can't seem to shake.

Elisha Sheppard is fairly new at being the Dare's scheduling assistant. She knows how important it is to stay professional and detail oriented at every moment. So why is Elisha letting herself be distracted by Chapple Palmer who she can guess is nothing but trouble, not to mention a heart-breaker?

After a disastrous sexual encounter with Elisha, Chapple realizes that he's proved the truth in all the tabloid rumors. Why would Elisha even talk to him? How can he make it up to her?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Books To Go Now
• Release date: Jul 11, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386055389

Jennifer Conner

Jennifer Conner is a best-selling Northwest author who has seventy short stories, books, and audiobooks. She writes in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, Historical Romance, and      Erotica. She has hit Amazon’s top fifty authors ranking and her books have been #1 in sales. Her novel Shot in the Dark was a finalist in the Emerald City Opener, Cleveland, and Toronto RWA contests. Jennifer is an Associate Publisher for the indie traditional publisher, Books to Go Now who resides in the Seattle area. They pride themselves in helping new authors get their foot in the door with well-edited manuscripts, professional covers, and platforms uploads. She lives in a hundred-year-old house that she grew up in. Her semi-small town holds an interesting mix of resident hillbillies, yuppies and Navy Seals. And of course, Seattle, only a few miles away, is the birthplace of Starbucks so coffee is always on the check list. She blows glass beads with a blowtorch, (which relieves a lot of stress and people don’t bother you) and is a huge fan of musicals. She loves to hear from her readers. Please email her at [e-mail] For Updates about new releases as well as exclusive promotions, visit Jennifer’s website and sign up for the VIP mailing list. https://jenniferconnerwriter.wordpress.com/

Book preview

Excerpt from London with a Dare

No regrets, no regrets , Elisha whispered silently to herself.

He closed the gap between them and wrapped his arm around her waist. He pushed his other hand through her hair and drew her closer. Elisha was aware of every detail of the kiss as it started. The sweet taste of the red wine on his tongue, the way his mouth opened against hers to deepen the pull and then the rest of the desire spearing through her.

She imagined his mouth on her everywhere—her breasts, her stomach and then between her legs. Elisha sighed against his mouth.

He walked her backward until her calves hit the leather of the couch. He gave a little push and she sat solidly on the black lounge.

Chapple grabbed the collar of his t-shirt and drew it over his head. His chest was everything she imagined. Smooth, fine, and tightly muscled. He was less bulky than the American football players were, but that was just fine. Perfect actually.

Copyright

London with a Dare

Formally Published as a Kindle Worlds Book

Books to Go Now Publication

Copyright © Angela Ford & Jennifer Conner 2017

Books to Go Now

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Cover Design by Romance Novel Covers Now

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Second Edition eBook Edition June 2017

Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, any place, events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and storylines are created from the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously.

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DEDICATION FROM JENNIFER

If it hadn’t been for soccer/football I may have never met my husband of 38 years.

You see, when I was 16, I was a HUGE fan Elton John fan and I was going to marry him. At the time, Elton was a part owner in the LA Aztecs NASL team and his England team, Watford.

I wondered, what is this ‘soccer thing’. I went to my first Seattle Sounders match in 1977 and fell in love with all of it. Riding up on a team supporter bus in 1979, I met Bill another fan. We were married in 1980.

I have been to hundreds of soccer and football matches in the U.S., England, and Scotland. I have watched many different levels of professional ball from the top tier to lower 4th division. These young men bleed for their sport with dedication and passion. At the lower levels, they will park cars and pass out Taco Bell coupons before the match if it means getting a spot to play.

I have celebrated with them through championships but also cried with them through broken fingers, broken legs, and unfilled promises by their teams.

Chapple is just one the hundreds mashed together into the boys I have known over the years.

Soccer boys are usually smart, sweet, and always happy that you have come to watch their match.

This book is for all of them... though it is all fiction 😊.

Thanks for the memories.

Chapter One

Chapple Palmer settled on the high bar stool. He tapped his foot and tried not to come across as annoyed as he felt. He was the team captain for one of the top football clubs in the world and worth millions. He’d proved himself to the ownership and to the fans by bringing home two championship cups.

Why am I having to play nanny to a bunch of Americans? I deserve better than this.

Glancing at his Rolex, he guessed by the way the event was going that he would only need to be stuck with this daft lot for a few more hours. Then he could go to his favorite bar, pick up a woman for the night, fuck her brains out, and be asleep by midnight. The thought soothed him. This was his favorite kind of night and he followed through with the plan often.

A fraction of the tension he held slipped out of his shoulders and he relaxed slightly. Maybe he would talk the woman of the evening into giving him a neck and back rub along with a blowjob. Then he wouldn’t have to get up earlier than he normally did to go into the training center.

Chapple took a sip of his Guinness and looked around the room at the movers and shakers of London’s youthful and wealthy. Everyone was here for this ‘new trend’ of the moment. His team game football, or soccer as the American’s would refer to it. The London Lion’s stadium hosted an American ‘football’ team. A completely different game. But what would he know since his team had only been established one-hundred and forty years ago.

He shook his head. England had their national sport and it was not American football.

But Chapple understood his duties as team captain and it brought a lot of revenue into the area. Tonight, his duties included smiling and representing the city and his team. Even though he grumbled, he finally had to admit to himself that it never grew old. He bled blue for his team in more ways than one.

This was a younger crowd than usual at these meet and greet functions. Even though he was only thirty-five, most of the men and women around him were in their twenties. How can you be old in your thirties? Sports years were like dog years and Chapple knew he was toward the end of his career. The team had just signed a fourteen-year-old. Not to the starting eleven, but to the youth team. But fourteen?

He looked at the time on his watch again surprised that the hands had only moved forward two minutes. This was going to be a long evening.

The blue and white team colors of the London Lions were traded to decorate the room in the Miami Thunder’s colors of black and gold. Swatches of gold lame material hung in creative swoops around the room and the normal clear champagne glasses were changed out for metallic ones. The room glowed along with the view of London’s glittering lights outside the darkened windows. Since the team was from Miami, even though he’d never been, he imagined it took on the look of all the sun they had. Very different than all the rain in London. He’d decided early on that too much sun baked people’s brains.

When Ian Dare came into the room, Chapple knew right away who he was. Dare oozed power and wealth out of every pore of his skin under the five-thousand-dollar suit. He’d read up on him before this meeting and as his mother always said, he now knew that he had more money than God. Dare was married not too long ago to the lovely brunette who was on his arm. She looked up at her at her husband with crystal blue eyes and smiled. All the money in the world and a woman who loved him. Chapple felt like he’d had that once, but that was a few years ago.

Sappy bullshit. Love. It wouldn’t last. All women were after one thing. Money, fame, or both. He knew better than most the cost of love.

As Chapple strode across the room, people looked up, recognized him, and then moved to the side. Was it because of his fame or because of his badass reputation? They were lucky, tonight he felt like being a lover and not a brawler.

Mr. Dare. He extended his hand. It’s very nice to meet you.

Please, call me Ian. The man smiled, as he shook his hand. Chapple. I watched you in your game last weekend. You saved the ball off your goalkeeper’s line to keep the lead for your team. Very impressive.

He was surprised. Do you watch football...I mean soccer, often?

I do. Soccer is the world’s sport and just because I own a football team doesn’t mean I don’t like other sports. Ian took the arm of the woman next to him. This is my wife, Riley.

He shook the woman’s hand.

London is beautiful at night. I’ve only been here once before, and I feel that there is still so much to see. Riley gave him a warm and genuine smile.

I was born and raised in the city, Chapple said. There are many things to see at night and during the day.

With the big game coming up, there will be a lot on our activity calendar, so I hope that there will be time to see a few things I want to. Riley turned. The woman behind her looked at the screen of her cell phone. This is our events and travel secretary, Elisha Shepard.

Elisha took her eyes off her phone and locked her gaze to his, as she took a step forward and extended her hand. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name. I must have been distracted. I’m very sorry.

"Chapple Palmer. I’m the