Jett nodded, then glanced around the crowded bar. When he turned his gaze back
on her, a person would be hard pressed to describe his eyes as anything sweet or
candy like. “I was hoping you’d be up for a little game of nine-ball.”
Nikki took a sip from her beer and raised her brow in question. Nine-ball was
the hustler’s game. It was short and quick, without all the rules of straight
pool.
He nodded his head toward the tables in the back. “I heard you played.”
“Then you heard wrong.” She took another sip, eying him the whole time. “I’ve
given it up for Lent.”
The corner of his mouth hinted at a smile. “Found God, have you?”
“Among other things.”
Jett glanced to the tables, then back to her. “One game. No money.”
Nikki shook her head. “I don’t play for fun. No thrill in it.”
He swallowed, and she could see his jaw work. “Then we’ll play for a favor. A
debt. You up for a little more red in your ledger?”
She didn’t want to ask, not really, but gambling was too deep in her blood not
to hear the stakes. “What’s the favor?”
He smiled, not the golden boy smile she’d come to know, but instead one that
lacked any charm at all. “Well, Texas, that’s the thrill part. You don’t know
until the end. Anything goes. No boundaries.”
Her heart did a funky jump-start in her chest at the possibilities, but her game
face was ice-cold. “No limits?”
“None. Unless that’s too much heat for you? We could place some ground rules if
you want to play it safe.”
Nikki knew what Jett was doing. It was so obvious, and yet, there was that
achingly familiar thrill that zipped up her spine and buzzed in her blood. Some
families were predisposed toward red hair or near-sightedness. The Logans were
addicts. Throw a dart at the family tree and you’d hit a vice—drinking, smoking,
shopping. You name it, and the Logans could turn anything into a compulsion. But
really, under all the addictions, there was only one. One vice that was as
indicative of a Logan as dark hair, brown skin, and blue eyes.
It was very basic, really. The Logans were gamblers.
There were stories as far back as her grandfather, if stories in the Logan
family could be believed, who won his first car—a 1950 Cadillac—on the toss of a
coin. Then there was her father, Dakota, who’d bet on every sports game
invented, and even ones that hadn’t, like golf without clubs. Her father had
once bet a hundred dollars on his ability to throw a golf ball through the
eighteen holes. Legend had it, he’d won that hundred, but lost the money in the
same night in an “I can piss into a can from the second story” contest.
So Jett knew what he was doing. And Nikki was smart enough to know this was more
than a simple favor and way more than a simple game of pool. She also knew
something else. Jett was no match for her in this game.
She hid her smile with a sip of her drink. The thrill of a “sure thing” was
headier than any shot of tequila, more exciting than a leather-jacketed man on a
motorcycle.
“Oh, I can take the heat,” she said.
“But can you handle this much heat?”
“Oh, I can handle it. Because we both know I can beat you with one hand tied
behind my back and blindfolded.”
His eyebrows arched. “Then you’d best start figuring out what your favor will
be.”
Nikki put down her bottle, no longer needing the buzz. “Already have.” Her car
fixed…for starters. “You really think you can beat me at pool?”
God, he was so cocky. It was almost tragic.
His eyes narrowed and there was absolutely no humor in his voice when he spoke.
“Oh, I’m betting on it.”
KC Klein has
lived most of her life with her head in the clouds and her nose buried in a
book. She did stop reading long enough to make a home with a real life hero, her
husband, for over sixteen years. A mother of two children, she spends her time
slaying dragons, saving princesses, and championing the belief in the
happily-ever-after. Her debut novel, Dark Future, is a finalist in the 2012
Prism contest and has been honored with a reviewer’s choice award. Her other
titles include a sci-fi, 2012 RONE award winning romance anthology, Hotter on
the Edge, and the first two books in her Texas Fever contemporary romance
series, Texas Wide Open,
and Hustlin’ Texas. KC loves to hear from readers and can be found desperately
pounding away on her laptop in yoga pants and leopard slippers or more
conveniently at website. Sign for her quarterly newsletter for
updates on her latest releases, sales, and free giveaways.
This Texas gal would like to read this one! (Melanie Backus 1:09am December 4, 2013)
this sounds really good would love to read this (Denise Smith 2:50am December 4, 2013)
Oh I have to have this. Jett already has me in his corner. (Patti Paonessa 5:34am December 4, 2013)
I love Fresh fiction , love cowboy stories and finding authors new to me. Hustlin Texas is one I have to read. Thanks for the giveaway! (Barbara Wells 7:41am December 4, 2013)
Sounds like a wonderful read on the long snowy winter days ahead. (Robyn Roberts 8:20am December 4, 2013)
I love cowboy romance stories and love the cover. Anything with sports has me and love that cover. (Pat Lieberman 8:40am December 4, 2013)
Thanks for the giveaway! (Linda Townsend 8:43am December 4, 2013)
I really hate this!! You put such a great lead-in, and now I have to wait in suspense to find out the rest of the story!! It's as bad as staring at the hot guy on the cover!! You have a masterful way with words, but after reading your bio, it makes sense. That's why you got those awards for 2 of your books!! Congratulations on your latest book, which I'm sure is going to fly off the shelves, and I hope I'll be able to get a copy!! Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!! (Peggy Roberson 9:44am December 4, 2013)
Let me make a correction. I take back what I said about the hot guy on the cover, but meant what I said about the other parts!! I just kept thinking about the excerpt, and happened to look down at another book that I was reading. That was my mistake. You have a really awesome cover on the book, though. It doesn't take a hot guy on the cover to sell a book. People know who you are, and just seeing your name, the excerpts on the back, and a quick glance are enough to sell it!! Congratulations again!! (Peggy Roberson 9:49am December 4, 2013)
The book sounds great. Thanks for the clip (Pam Howell 10:10am December 4, 2013)
Hustlin' Texas is on my to-read list. (Wendy Jensen 10:33am December 4, 2013)
I love this type of story, I'd love to read it. (Wilma Frana 10:52am December 4, 2013)
Ah--a bad girl--what fun. I must put this on my TBR list. (Sue Farrell 11:10am December 4, 2013)
I love the cover! The story line sounds great too. Thanks for running the contest. (Vennie Martinisi 11:59am December 4, 2013)
This book sounds great! Thanks for sharing this snippet with us! (Colleen Conklin 12:03pm December 4, 2013)
Sounds like a great read! (Pamela Jaenke 12:10pm December 4, 2013)
Sounds terrific! would love to read it! (May Pau 12:19pm December 4, 2013)
Thanks for the sneak peek. (Tina Lechuga 1:14pm December 4, 2013)
Love cowboys reads! Recently moved to south TX and hubby wants to start a hobby farm- guess he wants to be a cowboy too! (Michelle Schafer 2:15pm December 4, 2013)
I was raised in Dallas. I love horses and miss all the green fields. Texas is so beautiful! What a wonderful setting for a book! (Sandy Fielder 3:34pm December 4, 2013)
sounds like a great book to read on a snowy night (Ann Unger 3:56pm December 4, 2013)
I would LOVE to read this book...it is now on my list!!! Thanks (Bonnie Capuano 5:13pm December 4, 2013)
I liked the excerpt. It looks like a fun story. (Maureen Emmons 5:15pm December 4, 2013)
I really enjoyed the excerpt. Thanks for a chance to win a copy of this book. (Marcy Shuler 6:00pm December 4, 2013)
I love all cowboy romance stories (they're my weakness)! This one sounds like a fun story that I want to read!! My brother is a big pool player and enters a lot of tournaments. He's really good. So if I win, I most definitely will pass this book along to him to read too. I'm glad to find another new author in my favorite genre! (Linda Luinstra 6:12pm December 4, 2013)
Looking forward to reading your book. Hope I win. (Carol Woodruff 6:30pm December 4, 2013)
HUSTLIN' TEXAS sounds like a terrific cowboy read. Enjoyed reading the excerpt, and want the book now! (Rich Cook 6:33pm December 4, 2013)
Wow, Congrats on your new book: HUSTLIN'TEXAS. I love the book cover too! I am a cowgirl from Kansas but living in Austin, TX since 1985 and I would love to win and read your new exciting book this Christmas. I signed up on your website for the newsletter too. Thank You very much. Cecilia CECE (Cecilia Dunbar Hernandez 8:34pm December 4, 2013)
Wow! Thanks, for wet'en our whistles, can't wait to read your book KC...my kind of author. Enjoy the Holidays!!! (Lois Imel 8:38pm December 4, 2013)
i love books about texas i lived in ralls tx (Jennifer Beck 8:48pm December 4, 2013)
Book sounds great . Love cowboy stories. Thanks for a chance to win your book. (Linda Hall 10:04pm December 4, 2013)
This one sounds really good! I'd love to win and read it. Thanks for the chance. (Martha Lawson 10:30pm December 4, 2013)
It sounds like a fun book. I like family "legends". (Laura Gullickson 10:53pm December 4, 2013)
I would like to have an opportunity to read your book. (Yaritza Santana 10:56pm December 4, 2013)
I am looking forward to reading your book! It sounds great (Lucinda Schmaltz 11:49pm December 4, 2013)
I love a good pool hustling story especially if it is in a small town and the heroine is the winner. (Kai Wong 12:05pm December 5, 2013)
Thank you and Fresh Fiction for having such wonderful contests and blogs. This is how we learn about all the great stories and authors who have new books for us to read. Have a wonderful Texas Christmas! (C Culp 10:44am December 5, 2013)
This sounds fantastic. (Mary Preston 7:44pm December 7, 2013)
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