Sunday Snippet: Straddling the Line by Jaci Burton -

If you’ve never read a book in this series you need to correct that now and read this book. If you only ever read one sports hero book then you need to read this one. I’m not going to tell you why, I’m just going to tell you that it’s probably one of the bravest books an author has written because of the hero.

She stood and started up the steps. “I think that’s enough playtime. How about we get back to work?”

He’d started this with his conversation about her dad. She’d been relaxed and having fun, and now she was hurting again. Time to change the mood.

“I don’t know. You look like you might need to get dunked.”

Before she could object, he stood, swooped her up into his arms, and dunked them both underwater.

She came up sputtering, parting her hair that had fallen in front of her face.

“Goddammit, Trevor. Talk about a blindside.”

He laughed and shook his head back and forth to clear the water from his eyes and his hair from his face.

Haven pushed away, shoving her palm over the surface of the water to splash at him. She swam to the stairs and climbed out.

“Oh, come on, Haven.”

“Whatever. You need to find my sunglasses, which are no doubt in the bottom of the pool somewhere thanks to you dunking me.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He dove down and searched, finding her glasses resting on the bottom of the pool. When he came up, he only had a second to blink before Haven cannonballed into the pool next to him. Water catapulted over his head like a tsunami. Now it was his turn to sputter.

He swiped his face and turned to see her grinning at him. She took her sunglasses from him and slid them on. “Just a little payback,” she said, before swimming away.

“Oh, I don’t think so. He took off after her.

She laughed, then shrieked when he grasped her ankle and pulled her back. He tugged her against him, cradling her in his arms so she couldn’t escape, though she tried.

“Hey, you started it,” she said.

“And you volleyed back. That means we’re at war.”

Her body felt good against his. He liked holding her, liked seeing her breasts up close. And okay, so he was a little voyeuristic. Who could blame him, since Haven was beautiful, had a great body, and he liked to hear her laugh.

“War, huh? I do like a challenge.”

“Not much you can do about it in your current position.”

“You wouldn’t think so, would you?” Until she tugged at a few of his chest hairs, causing him to yelp and let go of her. Then she dove under the water and did the unthinkable. She jerked his board shorts down, then swam away in a hurry. By the time he’d tugged them back up, she was already out of the pool, offering up a smug smile as she reached for her towel.

“Oh, now it’s on,” he said, climbing out of the pool and coming out after her with deliberate intent.

She backed away. “Hey. It was a means to an end, Trevor. I was trying to get free.”

He came closer, and she ran.

But he was a lot faster, and caught up to her, pulling her against him and flinging them both into the deep end. He heard her shriek of laughter as they both went under, and this time, he untied the top of her bikini, keeping hold of her as they came up. Treading water, he caught the back of her strapless top and pulled it away, holding it above the water like a trophy.

“Trevor,” she said, her eyes widening as she looked at her top in his hands. “I’ll take that back.”

“Hey, I told you it was on. And I always win.” He couldn’t see anything because she was under the water, but at least she wasn’t mad.

In fact, she shrugged. “Have it your way.” She swam to the shallow end and calmly walked up the steps, her lush, ample bare breasts visible. She went to the chaise and grabbed her towel. “Enjoy your trophy. I’m going to take a shower, then it’s back to work for both of us.”

He couldn’t help but admire the sleek line of her back as she walked away.

Trevor Shay has it all—a successful football and baseball career, and any woman he wants. But when he finds out his college mentor’s daughter is in trouble, he drops everything to come to her aid.

Haven Briscoe has finally landed a dream job as a sportscaster for a major network. But she hasn’t been able to move past the recent death of her beloved father, and it’s affecting her career. A plum assignment following the daily life of sports superstar Trevor Shay might be just the inspiration she needs…

Trevor will do anything to spark life back into Haven, including letting her into every aspect of his world. The chemistry between them flames higher than one of Trevor’s home runs and faster than his dashes to the end zone. But as they grow closer, Haven stumbles onto Trevor’s closely guarded secret, one he’s hidden his entire life. And despite his protests, now it’s Haven’s turn to put everything on hold to help Trevor. Will he let her in and trust her with a secret that could blow his professional and personal world apart?