“I would say ‘Gracias,’ but you haven’t done anything yet,” Quil teased him.
“Yeah, yeah! You’re just upset that I scared off tongue-ring girl.”
“You would be too if she’d kissed you like that,” Quillan scoffed.
“Is that black heart of yours softening, Hades?” Pax feigned shock.
“You know, Pax, as surprised as you’d be with my answer, there are things about married life that I do miss... and not just the sex.” Quil leaned back in his chair and looked over at him.
“Yeah, well, you go right ahead, man. I don’t want nothing to do with it. Brett and Trav are whipped, like totally and completely, and just wait til those babies get here. It’ll be even worse.”
Quil snorted. “Oh? You think so, huh? Let me tell you a little secret, playboy. When you hold the niño that you created in your arms for the first time, there’s nothing in the world that even comes close. Not even a hot stripper with a tongue ring French-kissing you.” Quil sighed heavily. “Remember I told you that!”
The man had to be crazy. As a scantily clad stripper in a red mask walked by and winked, Pax admired her tight body; he knew Quil’d just been too long without a woman.
Nothing beat the single life, nothing beat the quiet, nothing beat the freedom of being “unchained.”
And nothing would ever lead him to think otherwise!
***
And nothing will sweep him right off his feet come October 23rd in PASS INTERFERENCE.
PRE-ORDER IT HERE.
AFTERWORD
Thank you so much for reading FALSE START.
I hope you enjoyed this heartbreakingly lovable second book of the series. If so, please be sure to leave a review.
This book hurt a little to write. Killing off a character is never fun nor easy—unless of course it’s Troy Cameron ;-)
Even still, I was glad Brett and Madi got their happily ever after.
The next book up is PASS INTERFERENCE featuring Paxton’s story, a modern football twist on the classic Cinderella. It’s set for an October 23rd release date.
Pre-order your copy now.
BLURB:
The god of the seas, Poseidon, is known for unleashing the Kraken…
Paxton Guthrie, aka Poseidon, is in the prime of his young life. He’s one of the best linebackers in the league and has a carefree attitude that rivals his chosen profession.
When a charity date takes place and he’s the raffle prize for the lovely, diehard #52 fan and local historian, Rebecca Ryan, a promising night on the town ensues. But these two unsuspecting souls are in for the surprise of their lives after the media catches them red-handed in a compromising position!
All bets are off as they must fake an impromptu engagement, deal with their angry friends and families, and “play house” while the Gladiators’ reputation hangs in the balance… along with the real possibility of a Super Bowl.
But Poseidon never imagined he would find his Amphitrite before he was ready! And neither the sweet-spoken Irish lass nor the jealous god himself anticipated falling in love.
Their characters aren’t the only things at stake here. Family ties are perhaps sturdier than anything the Greek gods can invoke. PASS INTERFERENCE must be run in this instance—even if it’s from the defense.
Will Pax and Becca’s love be strong enough to withstand a raging ocean of mistrust or is the arrogance of the sea god enough to knock him off his pedestal on Mt. Olympus?
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many, many, many thanks go to my alphas, betas, and ARC readers.
To Jamie for being my first round, Jen for the endless edits (I know you combed the pages as thoroughly as I did) and all my supporters—Nicole, Rachel, Crystal, Sarah, Cat, and Emina to name a few.
Without your encouragement and love for these godly football players, I couldn’t have done it. So, thank you!
Thank you God for the gift of writing, I love it so much. No story is without its ah-ha moments and I’m still amazed when I go back through and find myself in awe that: “Yes, I wrote that!” It truly is a talent and a pleasure doing it.
To my husband—you are amazing, and don’t ever forget it! You keep me grounded and happy…and the house clean in my absence. (You also keep me fed. Otherwise, I would go hungry while writing LOL!) I love you, always and forever.
ALSO BY SHANNA SWENSON
~THE ABUNDANCE SERIES~
Abundance
Return to Abundance
Escape from Abundance
Stars over Abundance
Abundance Legacy
Starlight Valley: The prequel to Abundance (FREE ebook)
~THE GODS OF THE GRIDIRON SERIES~
PERSONAL FOUL: Prequel novella
UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT
FALSE START
PASS INTERFERENCE
(COMING IN OCTOBER)
ILLEGAL FORMATION
(COMING IN NOVEMBER)
~THE SIN AND SECRETS COLLECTION~
RISE: A Sin and Secrets Novella
(Coming November 2020)
~Aurora Rose Reynold’s HEA WORLD~
Until Kingston
(Coming 2021)
LEARN MORE AT WWW.SHANNASWENSON.COM
ABOUT SHANNA SWENSON
Shanna Swenson is a cardiac sonographer by day and a weaver of various fictional tales by night.
She’s been an avid reader all her life and began writing at the age of fourteen. She finally published her first novel, Abundance, after it sat patiently on her laptop for well over fifteen years and she hasn’t stopped writing since.
Shanna fits her zodiac sign of Cancer with a capital C and enjoys life’s simplest things—sunsets, rain, and coffee—to name a few.
When Shanna’s not supporting her fellow indies with her face buried in a book or writing her next novel/novella, she enjoys action and horror movies, pro football, hiking, working out, and traveling with her own “knight in shining armor”.
You can find her on the following social media platforms.
Her website is www.shannaswenson.com
