The Striker's Chance

by Rebecca Crowley

Overview

Landing the PR contract for North Carolina's new soccer team could take Holly Taylor's career to the next level. Her task? Make Kepler "Killer" de Klerk, an athlete with a party-hard reputation, a star. But revamping the sexy footballer's image while battling her unwanted attraction to him is easier said than done.

The car accident that derailed Kepler's European career also gave him some much-needed perspective. He's ready to give up on fame and focus on the game he loves. The last thing he needs is a headstrong brunette pushing him back into the spotlight, even if butting heads with her is the most fun he's had in ages.

The more time Holly spends with Kepler, the more she sees how different he is from his tabloid persona. But when she's offered her dream job for a price, she finds herself torn between the career she's spent years building and the man she doesn't want to give up.

55,000 words

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781426896255
Publisher:	Carina Press
Publication date:	09/02/2013
Sold by:	HARLEQUIN
Format:	eBook
Pages:	222
Sales rank:	800,949
File size:	247 KB

About the Author

Rebecca Crowley inherited her love of romance from her mom, who taught her to at least partially judge a book by the steaminess of its cover. She writes contemporary romance with smart heroines and swoon-worthy heroes, and never tires of the happily-ever-after.  Having pulled up her Kansas roots to live in New York City and London, Rebecca recently moved to Johannesburg, South Africa. Find her at rebeccacrowley.net and on Twitter at @rachelmaybe.

Read an Excerpt

Holly's lip twitched in amusement as the tall blond dropped onto the bench beside her with a dazzling smile.

"Nice weather we're having," he offered, the words crisp and clipped in his South African accent.

Kepler de Klerk, once the brightest star in the world of international soccer, now a late-season signing to Charlotte's bottom-of-the-league Championship Soccer team, Discovery, was flirting with her.

And he had no idea who she was.

His name, photo and biographical information filled the three-ring binder on her lap, along with her carefully devised PR strategy to revamp his image and boost the team's finances. In fact, she'd only sat down in the park to review the file one last time before heading into the hotel across the street for their first meeting.

Holly snorted. "Almost as nice as that line."

The hem of his running shorts slid a little higher as he stretched out his long, tanned legs. She swallowed hard. He was even better looking in person. No wonder he'd managed to rack up just as many inches in the British gossip columns as in the sports pages.

Kepler grinned, revealing a set of perfect white teeth. He extended his hand. "Chris de Klerk. I've just moved to Charlotte."

Chris? Holly fought to keep her expression neutral as Kepler's bitter-chocolate-colored eyes regarded her intently. Was he waiting to see whether she recognized him? Although even the most famous players in the European soccer leagues could normally expect near anonymity in North Carolina, there had been a lot of local press coverage leading up to Kepler's arrival—and she'd engineered most of it.

Charlotte Discovery was her biggest client since leaving her PR agency a year earlier and going solo. They'd hired her specifically to launch their new star, having decided that their own internal press team didn't have the celebrity expertise. In Kepler's case, however, it wasn't just a question of placing a fluffy promotional spot in the six o'clock news. His career with London-based Archway FC, one of the best soccer teams in the world, had come to a tragic end eighteen months earlier when a car accident severely injured his teammate and left Kepler in traction. He'd gone back to South Africa to recover, but the British press had launched a vicious finger-pointing campaign in his absence, and when it was time to renew his contract Archway had no choice but to sell the disgraced striker to Discovery for a bargain-basement price.

Her job was not only to build interest in Kepler as a player, but to make sure his past didn't catch up with him.

She decided to play along. She shook his hand, and the firm press of his palm against hers sent an unexpected yet delicious shiver of desire dancing up her arm.

She yanked her hand away as if she'd touched a flame. What on earth was that about? Okay, he was a good-looking guy—and a legendary playboy. Surely she hadn't fallen for his well-practiced charm in less than a minute?

This man could be the biggest break in your career. This was a chance to learn something useful, not gawk at him like a dreamy schoolgirl.

"I'm Holly Taylor. What do you do for a living, Chris?"

He hesitated. His gaze flicked sideways, and then his face relaxed into an easy smile. "I'm a cab driver."

Holly stole a glance over his shoulder, spotted the taxi rank outside the hotel and smothered a smirk. Very creative.