They believe love conquers
all. Until it doesn't.
THIS PIECE OF MY SOUL
Clearing the Ice #2
Robyn M. Ryan
Releasing Jan 24th, 2017
They believe love conquers all.
One of
pro-hockey’s golden couples, Andrew and Caryn Chadwick live in the limelight
reserved for elite professional athletes. On their second anniversary, Andrew
receives an unexpected contract offer to join the Tampa Suns. As they look
forward to a new adventure, neither foresees an event that challenges their
love and threatens their marriage.
Until it doesn’t.
A sudden
and senseless accident threatens Andrew’s life and inexplicably drives a wedge
between the couple. Shattered by the incident, paralyzed by fear that it could
happen again, Caryn finds herself at odds with her husband and unable to
provide the support he needs—at the time he is most vulnerable.
As their
perfect world crumbles, each makes choices that take Andrew and Caryn further
apart.
Distrust, fears, and secrets construct walls. This Piece of My Soul
follows the joint and separate paths the couple navigate as each hopes to rediscover
the love that can conquer all.
Although This Piece of My Soul is
the second book in the Clearing the Ice Series, it can be read as a standalone
novel.
*Release Week Special*
$1.99 through January 31, 2017
Get This Piece of My Heart, the first book in the series
for just .99 sale (reg. $2.99) through Jan 31, 2017.
His lead nurse had just completed taking Andrew’s vital signs when
Caryn turned the corner into the room. She saw his eyes brighten as he waited
for the nurse to take the thermometer from his mouth, and he nodded in
appreciation as his eyes swept over her. Caryn felt the warmth creep up her
neck when he winked at her. She set the duffle bag on the floor near one of the
chairs, then took the containers of food and set them on the counter. She stole
a glance over her shoulder. His bright blue eyes still had the power to make
her stomach flutter, even four years later, and the heat that radiated from
them at that moment stirred intense longings. She leaned against the counter as
her legs threatened to buckle, and as soon as the nurse removed the
thermometer, a knowing grin spread slowly across his face.
The nurse glanced at Caryn, then at Andrew and held her hand up with
a soft chuckle. “Just another minute and I’ll be out of your way.”
Caryn felt her cheeks burn, and watched as Andrew shifted on the
bed, patting the space beside him as the nurse entered information into his
electronic chart. She wracked her brain for the nurse’s name, but Andrew’s gaze
left her incapable of thinking.
“And I’m done and on my way out.”
“Thanks, Julie,” Andrew said. The woman pulled the curtain shut as
she left, and Andrew laughed softly as he beckoned Caryn to his side. He
grasped her hand and pulled her toward him until she perched on the side of the
bed. “Have I told you how… delicious… you look?” Careful of the various wires
that connected him to monitors, as well as the IV, he pulled her against him,
his mouth finally claiming hers.
It was a kiss unlike any they’d exchanged since the accident,
sweeping Caryn into a world she never wanted to leave. She shifted, so she
could pull her legs up on the bed. Andrew’s hands tangled in her hair, urging
her closer, and Caryn clutched his shoulders as his lips traveled to that
special spot beneath her ear.
She could barely whisper his name as she slipped her arms around his
neck, avoiding the bandaged area. She reclaimed his lips, shivering as he ran
his fingers over the skin left bare by her top. His arms held her against his
chest, and she relished the warmth of his body pressed against hers, his
fingers dancing on her skin. He brushed his hand along the hem of her dress,
and Caryn could not contain the low moan that escaped her lips.
“Drew,” she managed as he found her inner thigh, sending sparks of
electricity racing to her core. She felt his desire, wanted to shed her
inhibitions, right here in the room with only a curtain separating them from
the bustling activity on the other side.
Reluctantly, she pulled back, saw her desire reflected in his
darkened eyes, and shook her head with a small smile. “You do realize what
you’re doing to me?”
“Same thing you’re doing to me.” His voice was raspy, as he
playfully pushed her skirt further up her thigh. “You know what that dress does
to me when you wear it.”
“Just making sure you remembered,” Caryn whispered as she kissed him
softly. She looked over her shoulder toward the curtain. “Anyone could just walk
in.”
“They could.” Caryn saw the devilish gleam in his eyes. “Remember
our flight to Paris?”
“As if I could ever forget.” She felt her face flush as she saw the
unspoken challenge in his eyes. “Is it even safe for you physically?”
He shrugged with a grin, while at the same moment one of the
monitors began beeping. “Busted.”
Caryn managed to stand on shaky legs, doing her best to straighten
her dress and pull the skirt back over her hips. Her eyes on the curtain, she
ran her hand through her tousled hair. “What monitor is it?”
She turned as Andrew pointed to a machine displaying a string of
numbers. “I think you got my heart beating a tad too fast. No doubt the blood
pressure’s higher than usual.”
“Hey, don’t put that on me!” Caryn laughed as she tried again to
smooth her hair. She cringed as she heard the curtain open, stepping back to
get out of the way.
“You’re fine. Don’t move.” It was Julie. Their eyes met and Caryn
saw the amusement in the nurse’s expression. She quickly muted the beeps, and
then checked the various wires connected to the machine. “Looks like a false
reading to me. Your numbers are normal now, Andrew.”
His not-so-subtle wink caused Caryn’s cheeks to burn in
embarrassment. Julie pretended not to notice, and Andrew asked, “So, at what point
do I get a door with a lock?”
“That would be up to your doctor. If he’d seen the numbers that
machine was blaring, he’d probably have you back in ICU. Can I get either of
you anything? Dinner should be here shortly.”
************
By the
time she was an eight-year-old tomboy growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Robyn
M. Ryan definitely knew what she wanted to do when she grew up—play major
league baseball or write. She wrote throughout elementary and high school,
first composing novels featuring favorite TV and music personalities, and then
venturing into sports writing.
Attending
UGA’s journalism school launched her career in public relations, which included
an internship with the Atlanta Flames NHL hockey team. With the encouragement
of a writers group on twitter—WritersThatChat—This Piece of My Heart, a hockey
romance, and the first book in Robyn’s series Clearing the Ice was published
May 2016. The second book in the series, This Piece of My Soul, introduces the
Tampa Suns professional hockey team.
Besides
writing, Robyn’s passions include following the New York Rangers, NASCAR, and
the Atlanta Braves; splitting time between homes in Atlanta and Palm Coast, and
visiting Paris as often as possible. Two brilliant Westies rule both homes.
As do
many writers, Robyn chooses to write using a pseudonym—hers is a combination of
her sons’ names, a contribution from her youngest nephew.
$25
Amazon Gift Card
Thanks so much for featuring This Piece of My Soul!
ReplyDelete~ Robyn