The narrowing of her hazel eyes as I link my hand with hers tells me what she thinks of my delay, but I’m one of the few people who can get away with pushing her buttons without consequence—well, without much of one anyway.
Both the gas fireplace and the Christmas tree are lit up when we enter the living room; this was all part of my plans for the evening.
Choosing a spot on the side of the tree closest to the fireplace, I lower myself down and sit cross-legged on the floor, pulling Jordan down to sit in the cradle of my legs, her back resting against my front.
With a kiss on her temple, I stretch forward and grab the long skinny box wrapped in Transformers paper. Again her eyes light up upon seeing I used one of our private jokes.
“Bumblebee, not Optimus?” Her lips kick up in a smirk at the mention of the leader of the famous franchise.
“I consider all the Autobots my wingmen since one of the first things we bonded over was our mutual love of alien robots.” It was random, but I shamelessly used the fact that she has an Autobot emblem on her Corvette and my goalie mask is painted to look like Optimus Prime as evidence that we were meant to be together.
Thank God I don’t know how to quit, because my girl was stubborn as hell about handing me her heart.
“I didn’t bring your present with me.” She hesitates, her thumbnail under the edge of the wrapping.
“Doesn’t matter.” I cup her elbow and jiggle her arm. “Now stop stalling and open it.”
With one last glance over her shoulder, she rips off the paper. I hold my breath, the sound of the lid snapping open amplified by the nerves jumping in my gut.
There’s a gasp, and then Jordan is spinning around, her knees falling to either side of my hips as she shifts to straddle me, open jewelry box in one hand.
“Jake”—her eyes flit to the box then back to me—“this is…”
I watch her throat work with a swallow. It’s so rare to see her struggle to find words, and this reaction alone tells me how well I did with my gift.
I look down at the duel braided black leather bands: one with a rhinestone-encrusted #30, the other with a set of crossed sterling silver hockey sticks bookended by jeweled hearts. It’s simple yet classic with a hint of edge—perfect for Jordan.
“I know, baby.” I lift the bracelet out of the crushed velvet it’s resting on and pull the strings to tighten it around her wrist. I love the way she looks wearing my number, even in this girly manner.
“I love it.” Her beautiful face is lit up like the lights inside the Titans' arena.
“And I love you.” Her body melts into me, her arms looping around my neck, mouth covering mine.
“Merry Christmas, hotshot,” she says, never breaking the kiss.
“Merry Christmas, babe.”
Books By Alley Ciz
BTU Alumni Series
Power Play (Jake and Jordan)
Tap Out (Gage and Rocky)
Sweet Victory (Vince and Holly)
Puck Performance (Jase and Melody)
Writing Dirty (Maddey and Dex)
BTU6- Coming 2021
#UofJ Series
Looking To Score
Game Changer
Playing For Keeps- Preorder, Releasing December 3, 2020
*An Untitled Royalty Crew U of J Spin-Off Novel*- Preorder, Releasing March/April 2021
About the Author
Alley Ciz is an indie author of Contemporary/New Adult, Rom-Com, Sports Romances.
She's a stay at home mom to 3 amazing and crazy mini royals, a 95lb lab, and let's face it on some days her hubby is her 4th kid... But to be fair she totally loves him a a lot.
When she's not corralling her crazy mini royals she can be found writing the stories the voices in her head tell her. Caffeine is a staple in her daily diet since she does most of her writing late at night when the rest of her house is asleep, usually with her trusty dog Buke (short for Beukeboom reluctantly named after a NY Ranger even though she's a NJ Devils fan all the way) Is it any surprise she writes sports romances?
Pizza and mac-n-cheese are major food groups and she is a proud Potterhead and superhero buff.
She is a complete romance junkie and can always be found reading or listening to a book.
Reader Group | Newsletter | Book Playlists
Christmas Beneath the Stars
A The Stars Duet Holiday Story
Amie Knight
Chapter One
Adam
I frowned as I loaded the tent and all of my supplies into the back of my Tesla. I couldn’t believe how cloudy tonight was. Liv and I needed the stars and moon like you wouldn’t believe and you could hardly see them at all. It sucked, big time.
“Hey, Nova,” Liv said, coming down the steps of our house, looking beyond adorable bundled up in all of her winter gear. The cute beanie on her head with the big ball on the top really sealed the deal. She was fucking precious. “Turn that frown upside down. It’s Christmas Eve. We’re supposed to be jolly.”
I was trying. I really was, but I was hoping to make tonight so very special for her. After the year we had, we really needed it.
“Sorry,” I breathed as she walked up to me and leaned up, placing a kiss right to the rose tattoo on my neck. Her tattoo for my Livingston Rose.
“It’s no big deal,” she placated. “Where are you taking me anyway?” She grinned and her brown eyes shined up at me with years of love reflected in them. And I was reminded once again that she was all mine. I was her first and only. We were childhood sweethearts, turned lovers, turned husband and wife, and she made me the happiest man on earth. And I wanted to give her everything. Especially a family. Children. I wanted to give her that more than anything in the world.
At the moment, the last year rushed through my mind like a comet flying across the sky. We’d been trying so hard to make a baby, only to no avail. We were both incredibly busy with our jobs at the planetarium and the community center. But still, we'd been trying to have a baby in every spare moment we could. And while it was definitely no hardship laying my tongue and hands all over her gorgeous body, I was terrified.
But over the last year, Liv never wavered in her optimism. She was still the girl I fell in love with all of those years ago in a field beneath the stars. She was forever a dreamer, but I was more of a realist and I was beyond worried we’d never have a family.
I looked up at the sky again, pissed off about the cloud cover and our circumstances, but trying to make the best of it. So I mustered up the best smile I could, given the circumstances. “It’s a surprise. Come on, let’s get going.”
She gave me an excited smile. “Eeep. I love surprises.”
She was so fucking adorable, I could have eaten her up right there in the car in our driveway and I wanted to. Instead, I opened her car door and got her settled before going over to the driver’s side and getting in.
It was a short drive to the community center since we lived only a few miles away and Liv looked around confused as hell as we pulled into the parking lot. “You taking me to work, Nova?”
This time I gave her a genuine smile. “Nope, Livvy. We aren’t going inside tonight.” I got out of the car and went around to her side to help her out before opening the trunk of the car. Liv stood next to me, bouncing on her toes in excitement. I grinned harder knowing she’d probably figured out my surprise for tonight. It sucked the stars wouldn’t be out, but I’d make the best of it. For her.