Playing with Fire: Florida Glaze, #0.5

By ME Carter

Sometimes the burn is worth it...

After shooting the winning point in his first professional hockey game, Tucker Hayes is looking to blow off some steam. A swanky night club in the team's fancy hotel is the perfect place to do that. When he catches sight of a beautiful bombshell who seems just as interested in him, it seems he might be able to score for the second time tonight.

Finally doing life on her own terms, Lacy Hawkins is ready to take a break from the college books and have a night of sexy fun. Being able to let her hair down and act on her impulses is all she's ever wanted, so it's a no brainer to approach the huge, sexy man that's caught her eye.

All Lacy and Tucker are looking for is one night together. One night to scratch an itch.

As their attraction sparks and their chemistry ignites, they'll soon find out they're playing with fire….

 

Playing with Fire is a 9,000 word introduction to how Tucker and Lacy met.  It leads into Under Fire, set five years later when their paths cross again…

• Language: English
• Publisher: ME Carter
• Release date: May 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9781948852371

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

TUCKER

Man, what a game! I holler as I drop down on the bus seat.

I’m having a hard time containing my excitement. My first professional hockey game as a member of the San Antonio Slingers and it couldn’t have gone better.

We were down 2-0 at the beginning of the third period when everything started to come together. Our first line seemed to barrel through the Florida Glaze’s defensive line and just like that, we were tied 2-2.

But it wasn’t until the final two minutes of the game that everything fell into place like I was in a dream. It felt like slow motion. I ended up with the puck and as clear as day, the path opened up right in front of me—a direct line to the net.

Within seconds, I was in position just inches from my target. A quick flick of my wrist and the puck sailed past their goalie giving us the winning point.

Not bad, Rookie. Not bad at all, Liam Tremblay, one of our veterans and possibly the nicest guy on the team says with a smile, adding an obnoxious ruffle to my hair.

I scoff and bat at his hand. The bus pulls away from the stadium, heading toward our destination. It was magical and you know it.

Liam laughs like a man who’s been around a while and seen a few things. He’s happy about the outcome of the game, that much is obvious. But he’s definitely much more reserved about it than I am.

Just make sure you bring your brand of magic to the next game. Having the home field advantage can make even the best of them get too cocky for their own good. Look what just happened to the Glaze. Liam shakes his head. That Maksim Ivanov is a fucking amazing forward. But his arrogance killed him tonight.

Liam sounds like the wise old man he kind of is. He’s been with the Slingers for a couple of years and has the battle scars to prove it. He’s still one good looking son of a gun, though, and I can’t help wondering if I can get him to be my wingman tonight. After that amazing game, we deserve to see what the Tampa Bay party scene offers and maybe get laid.

So did that gorgeous slap shot you sailed right past him, am I right? I say with a smile and a clap of our hands together in an awkward version of a high five. It was a thing of beauty.

You got that right.

The ride back to the hotel only takes a few more minutes but the buzz of pride and excitement makes it feel even shorter than that.

As we pull up into the circular driveway in front of the sliding glass door, Coach stands up in front of the bus, puts his fingers to his lips, and lets out a shrill whistle that rivals my mother’s, who was raising four boys and had no other way to get our attention as we wrestled for control of, well, everything.

Listen up, Slingers, Coach shouts across the bus which goes mostly silent. We’ve got an early flight tomorrow. I don’t care what you do tonight as long as you’re safe and you don’t create any PR nightmares I’m gonna get an earful about when we get home.

Yeah, no public nudity, Gomez! someone shouts, making the whole team laugh except for Coach.