Blue Lines: The Assassins Series: A Loveswept Contemporary Romance Read online

  Blue Lines is a work of fiction. Names, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  A Loveswept eBook Original

  Copyright © 2013 by Toni Aleo

  Excerpt from Taking Shots by Toni Aleo copyright © 2013 by Toni Aleo

  Excerpt from Trying to Score by Toni Aleo copyright © 2013 by Toni Aleo

  Excerpt from Empty Net by Toni Aleo copyright © 2013 by Toni Aleo

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Loveswept, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, New York.

  LOVESWEPT is a registered trademark and the LOVESWEPT colophon is a trademark of Random House LLC.

  eBook ISBN 978-0-345-54733-0

  Cover design: Lynn Andreozzi

  Cover photograph: © Claudio Marinesco

  www.readloveswept.com

  v3.1

  BOOKS BY TONI ALEO

  Assassins

  Taking Shots

  Trying to Score

  Empty Net

  Falling for the Backup

  Blue Lines

  It has been 192 days since I’ve lost you.

  I am still so broken inside and the only thing that keeps me going is that this is what you wanted me to do.

  I work every day, create these stories, these worlds because you gave me the gift of reading and the talent of writing.

  I love you, Mom.

  So much.

  I miss you but I know that even in Heaven you are my biggest fan.

  Mom, this book and all the books I write are for you.

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Other Books by This Author

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue: Four weeks later …

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  The Editor’s Corner

  Excerpt from Taking Shots

  Excerpt from Trying to Score

  Excerpt from Empty Net

  Prologue

  “I heard you liked me.”

  Piper quickly turned from the bar at Wanna B’s to meet a pair of brown eyes, the same eyes that starred in her dreams ever since she first saw them. It wasn’t that she just liked the owner of the dark-as-night brown eyes; she was hopelessly in love with him.

  Erik Titov.

  Her sister’s brother-in-law. The man whom she’d been lusting over for the past two years. The man who could transform her into a puddle of goo with just one simple glance. Erik was everything she wanted in a guy, and she would do just about anything to be with him. Even in her current drunken state there was no denying she wanted him. All of him.

  Piper often dreamed of what their first time together would be like—when their lips would meet, when their bodies would touch. But unfortunately, that would never happen because he didn’t want her. That was why she couldn’t believe that at this moment he was talking to her. Wait a minute, what the hell did he say?

  Brushing the loose strands of hair from her face, she asked, “Excuse me?”

  Erik looked like he hadn’t shaved in a month, and it did nothing but make her quiver from the inside out. Her inner drunk slut screamed at her to climb up his hard body, wrap her legs around his waist, take hold of his thick broad shoulders, and ravish his mouth.

  “I heard you liked me.”

  Well that sure did sober her up.

  Piper gazed into Erik’s eyes. With the noise in the bar, there was no mistaking what he’d said.

  Masking her dismay with a sly grin, she said, “Who told you that nonsense?”

  “Nonsense? I think not; my source is very reliable.”

  As he looked off to the side Piper followed his gaze as it landed on her best friend Audrey. OMG, that slut. Audrey was in the middle of the dance floor grinding it with Tate Odder, the main goalie for the Assassins hockey team. Piper could not believe that her friend would’ve revealed that bit of information but if Audrey did she would totally have to rethink their BFF status. “That bitch,” she muttered.

  “But I thought it was all nonsense,” Erik said slowly, bringing her attention back to him.

  He took a step closer, resting his hand along her hip. Looking down at his hand she just wanted to laugh because she knew this was some crazy joke that God was playing on her, until she looked back up to his face and noticed lust swirling in his eyes.

  Hmmm, okay, maybe Audrey isn’t such a bitch.

  At that moment she was pretty sure Erik wanted her. But none of this was making any sense. Erik was a hot famous hockey player for the Nashville Assassins and could have his pick of any woman he wanted—something just wasn’t adding up.

  Surely, this was all a cruel joke, but what if it wasn’t? There was no way she could pass this moment up. “Maybe I lied,” she said breathlessly as she tried to flirt and desperately failed.

  He gave her a condescending smile before saying, “I know you did.”

  “Cocky much?”

  “Sweetheart, I’m not cocky,” he said, winking. “I’m confident. I know you want me.”

  “Wow. I’m speechless.”

  “I have that effect on women,” he said with a slow, teasing grin.

  He did have that effect on her, and Piper was feeling it all the way down to her toes.

  On wobbly legs, she raised up onto her tippy toes to whisper in his ear, “Well, I’m pretty sure you want me.”

  Erik asked, “What evidence do you have to support that statement?”

  She bit her lip as she glanced down to where his hand was resting at her waist. Her gaze then traveled to his groin, where an impressive outline of his hard-on was on display. She looked back up at him and said, “I’m pretty sure there isn’t much room in those tight jeans.”

  He ran his tongue along his bottom lip, his eyes holding hers for what seemed like forever. Was it the alcohol or was it him? She didn’t know, but before she could do anything or say anything, he announced, “I want to dance.”

  Well didn’t that just ruin the moment.

  Looking away, Piper was a little confused as she waved toward the floor. “Then, by all means, there’s the dance floor.”

  When he didn’t say anything, Piper looked back at him as he said, “I want to dance with you.”

  Before she knew what was happening she was being pulled onto the floor. “Lemme See,” by Usher blasted through the speakers of the club and Piper knew that she would never forget that song for the rest of her life. Erik brought her close, swallowing her body in his. Sexy tattoos covered his very muscular arms. She sighed as his hands started caressing her body. They traveled from her waist down to her bare thighs, where he held her tight as she began to move against him. He turned her around until he found the