Throwing Heat
Diamonds
and Dugouts #3
By: Jennifer Seasons
Blurb:
Nightclub
manager Leslie Cutter has never been one to back down from a bet. So when Peter
Kowalskin, pitcher for the Denver Rush baseball team, bets her that she can’t
keep her hands off of him, she’s not about to let the arrogant, sexy playboy
win. Especially when the prize could put her business on the map. She’s got
this in the bag, just so long as she can stay out of his arms…and his bed.
Peter
struck out once before with Leslie, but this bet is sure to be the second
chance he’s been waiting for. Determined to stoke the passion he knows is
there, he’ll do anything to win - even if it means playing a little dirty.
But as
things heat up, this combustible pair will have to decide just how much they’re
willing to wager on one another…and on a future that just might last forever.
Thank you
so much for having me! I’m thrilled to
be here today talking about my new release THROWING HEAT. I knew when I wrote this novel that it was
one of those stories that didn’t have much wiggle room or sloppy pacing—it was
tight. And I was right. During edits there was only one big scene
that got cut from the entire manuscript.
Although it was fun, it didn’t help move the story along.
But,
because it is fun I thought I’d share
the deleted scene with you all here today.
I think you’ll like it. J
THROWING
HEAT Deleted Scene:
A few days
later, Leslie beckoned to Lorelei through the front door of Peter’s house and
grinned conspiratorially.
“Hey
darlin’, thanks for coming. I can’t wait
for you to see what I found at a thrift shop in Boulder with Sonny last
week. It is the perfect Halloween costume.”
She couldn’t believe her luck over it
too. On a whim she’d called up Sonny to
see if the Secondhand Queen could recommend any good consignment or thrift
stores, thinking they might be an undiscovered haven for cool costumes. Rather than send her alone, Sonny had gone
with her. It had been a really fun time
and Leslie had discovered her gem in the very back of a funny little thrift
store on the edge of Pearl Street.
“No worries. It was a great excuse to take a break from
unpacking. I need the breather.” The
brunette didn’t even try to cover her yawn.
“Turns out this whole pregnancy thing is exhausting. Who knew?” she finished with a sparkle in her
eyes.
Leslie shut the door and ushered her
upstairs. “You’re loving it and you know
it.”
“I so am.” Lorelei said emphatically.
Laughing, Leslie led the way to her room
and pushed it wide, “Have a seat on the bed and relax. I’ll put my costume on and be out in a
minute.” She went to the walk-in closet and flipped on the light, saying over
her shoulder. “I appreciate the second
opinion before I wear it to the club on Halloween tonight.” She wanted to hear from someone else that it
was lethal.
Her sister-in-law flopped on the bed and
shifted, propping herself up on her elbows.
“Sure thing.”
Poking her head back out of the closet,
Leslie said, “The Rush are in the World Series!
How are we not talking more about this?”
Lorelei rolled onto her side and sat up. “Because it’s awesome, but Mark’s spent the
past few days talking of little else.”
She ran her hand over the grey comforter and made a face of surprise,
changing the topic. “This is really
soft!”
Leslie disappeared back into the closet,
saying, “Peter doesn’t do things halfway.”
She wasn’t really sure if that a compliment. But then again, if he could throw himself
into loving someone the same way, then maybe it was a good thing. Not that it mattered to her one way or the
other.
It totally didn’t. At all.
“Guess not.” There was a moment of silence and then, “Hey,
where’s the kitten?”
Grabbing her costume and pulling it from
the hanger, she slipped it on and called out, “She’s probably asleep in Peter’s
closet. For some reason that’s where I
keep finding her. It makes me wonder if
she has a thing for smelly socks.”
Peter’s footwear was her favorite resting place. That or the dirty clothes pile.
Just then they both heard a small, feline
cry and Leslie poked her head out again in time to see Missy saunter into the
room, fluffy tail straight in the air like a sail. When she caught sight of somebody on the bed,
the furry baby tried to climb the comforter like drapes to get up.
Lorelei helped her up and gave her a good
pet, making the kitten fall on her side purring loudly. “I bet she just likes his boy hormones and
that’s why she’s always in there.”
The kitten wasn’t the only one.
Leslie worked the last button on her
costume and stood tall, ran a hand down her body to smooth the fabric and
ignored the tremors in her heart that just the thought of him caused. “Okay, are you ready?”
Lorelei called back, “Whenever you are.”
Taking a deep breath, she stepped out from
the closet and did a big, slow, twirl.
“What do you think?”
She looked up to find the brunette’s jaw
slightly agape. For a minute she just
floundered there and then sputtered, “It’s perfect!”
Leslie spun around, feeling the fabric
twirl around her ankles. She was so
happy. Just putting the thing on
transported her. “You think?”
Lorelei leaned forward and nodded,
“Absolutely. The color is stunning with
your complexion.” Then her smile turned wicked.
“Men are going to die.”
That’s what she’d thought too. Or more specifically, that’s what she’d
thought about one particular man.
Giving her sister-in-law another runway
twirl, she smiled to herself, already seeing the victory. Only a few more days and it was over. She had this bet in the bag. And as a bonus this costume was going to
drive Peter absolutely crazy. Knowing
that made her feel a little better about falling for him.
Oh, how she loved Halloween.
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Author Info:
Jennifer
Seasons is a Colorado transplant. She lives with her husband and four children
along the Front Range, where she enjoys breathtaking views of the mighty Rocky
Mountains every day. A dog and two cats keep them company. When she's not
writing, she loves spending time with her family outdoors, exploring her
beautiful adopted home state.
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