Pairing
Off
Red Hot Russians # 1
Red Hot Russians # 1
By: Elizabeth Harmon
Releasing February 2, 2015
Carina Press
Blurb:
A scandal-plagued American figure
skater's last chance at gold means pairing up with Russia's sexiest male
skater...who happens to be the first man she ever loved.
"The Cutting Edge" with a
Russian twist.
American
pairs figure skater Carrie Parker’s Winter Games dreams were dashed when her
philandering partner caused one of the greatest scandals in skating history.
Blacklisted from competing in America, her career is over…until she receives a
mysterious invitation and is reunited with the most infuriating, talented—and
handsome—skater she’s ever met.
Russian
champion Anton Belikov knows sacrifice. He gave up a normal life and any hope
of a meaningful relationship to pursue his dream. And he’s come close—with a
silver medal already under his belt, the next stop is the gold. All he needs is
a partner. While he’s never forgotten the young American skater he seduced one
long-ago night in Amsterdam, he never expected to see her again…never mind
skate with her.
When
what starts as a publicity stunt grows into something real between them, Carrie
and Anton’s partnership will test their loyalties to family, country, and each
other. With only a few months to train for the competition of a lifetime, can
they master technique and their emotions, or will they lose their footing and
fall victim to the heartaches of their pasts?
Excerpt:
“Speaking of Lake
Placid…we ought to consider a new costume designer. That yellow thing you wore
at Cup of China?” Carrie grimaced.
Anton looked up and grinned. “Is
that why you didn’t want anything to do with me that night? Because of my ugly
outfit?”
“It’s hard to take a man seriously
when he’s dressed like a giant flower.”
He glared in mock offense. “I was not flower.
We were birds.”
“Well that makes all the difference,
doesn’t it? Anyway, the guy Cody and I used did nice classic looks. No
feathers. No sequins. I could see you in something dark and simple, maybe open
in the front. Definitely short-sleeved to show off your…” Her eyes feasted on
his gorgeous upper arms. What the man did to a faded T-shirt ought to be against
the law. He grinned as he caught her looking. Again. Her face burned and she
gave a guilty smile. “…hard work.”
Anton shook his head. “For
competition, no short sleeve, no low cut. I would have to get waxed. I hate
wax.” He pouted like a little kid about to get a booster shot. “It hurts.”
“You’re such a baby! I can’t believe
you’re afraid of a little manscaping.”
“Do you like it?”
Well. Obviously she wasn’t the only
one who’d been checking out their partner that day in the pool. Then again,
he’d been involved with a skater for years. It wasn’t like he’d never seen a
Brazilian before. Her cheeks flushed again. “Only in pair skating would I have
a conversation like this with a straight guy I hardly know.”
“What do you mean, hardly know? You know about
my family, where I grew up, what music I like, what sports I like, what I
studied at university. And now you know how I feel about man-wax.”
“Fine, you win. No man-wax.”
He leaned back, his arms crossed,
regarding her with narrowed eyes. “Seems I’m the one who hardly knows you.
Every time I ask something, you turn around and ask me instead. Why do you do
that? Why do you want to be so much a mystery?”
She rested her chin on her hand and
smiled across the table. “What difference does it make?”
He started to answer, then stopped.
Shaking his head, he laughed. “God, you are aggravating!”
*************
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23440537-pairing-off?from_search=true
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/141555-red-hot-russians
Author Info:
I love stories that give a fresh
take on classic themes, and feature characters and locations not often seen in
romance. Give me a lovable, if less-than-perfect heroine, a gorgeous hero with
a heart of gold, take them a little off the beaten path and I'm a happy girl.
I read a variety of genres--
romance to horror and just about everything in between. I am a member of
Romance Writers of America. I have worked as a freelance journalist for a
number of local publications and am a contributing writer to Romance Writers
Report.
When I'm not writing, I love to
ice skate, bike ride, hang out at the beach or on my front porch. I love
vintage homes, adventurous cooking, spending time with my family and traveling.
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Hi Sue, Thanks for hosting me and I hope everyone enjoys reading Pairing Off.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read, added to my wishlist
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting PAIRING OFF!
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