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    Strike to the Heart: Champion Hearts, #1
    Strike to the Heart: Champion Hearts, #1
    Strike to the Heart: Champion Hearts, #1
    Ebook89 pages1 hour

    Strike to the Heart: Champion Hearts, #1

    By Malia Mallory

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    About this ebook

    Tonight wasn’t about love, it was about greedy desire.

    From NYT and USAT Bestselling Author Malia Mallory

    When tennis star Jo Parker-Barrow meets MMA fighter Zane Ryan at a US Open party, she has no idea who he is. She just knows he’s handsome and sexy. Throwing her usual caution to the wind, Jo allows herself one hot night with a stranger.

    But Zane doesn’t want to remain a stranger. He pursues Jo until she can’t say no, but neither can she say yes. She’s had her fill of men who take risks for a living, and Zane is a mixed martial arts fighter at the top of his sport. Can Jo love not only the man but the fighter as well?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMalia Mallory
    Release dateJan 9, 2015
    ISBN9781507009000
    Strike to the Heart: Champion Hearts, #1
    Author

    Malia Mallory

    Malia Mallory lives in Hawaii with her husband and daughter. She's been working with words since alphabet blocks rolled into her crib, not only writing her own work but copy editing and proofreading the work of others. She has loved to read about relationships since she first sneaked off with her mother's Harlequin. Malia Mallory is the best-selling author of the Dominating BDSM Billionaires series and The ABCs of Erotica series, which covers the erotic spectrum from BDSM to ménage and everything in between. She has also released the Mia's Cop Craving series and Santa's Backdoor Baby. Malia’s books have hit the bestselling erotica lists in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Her books are available in electronic format at major eBook retailers. For a free book, head to her website (www.maliamallory.com) and sign up for her newsletter. Connect with Malia on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads or her blog.

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      Book preview

      Strike to the Heart - Malia Mallory

      STRIKE TO THE HEART

      Champion Hearts Book 1

      by Malia Mallory

      Tonight wasn’t about love, it was about greedy desire.

      When tennis star Jo Parker-Barrow meets Zane Ryan at a US Open party, she has no idea who he is. She just knows he’s handsome and sexy. Throwing her usual caution to the wind, Jo allows herself one hot night with a stranger.

      But Zane doesn’t want to remain a stranger. He pursues Jo until she can’t say no, but neither can she say yes. She’s had her fill of men who take risks for a living, and Zane is a mixed martial arts fighter at the top of his sport. Can Jo love not only the man but the fighter as well?

      ——

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      Copyright 2014 by Malia Mallory

      LICENSE NOTES

      All rights reserved. This eBook is licensed for the personal enjoyment of the original purchaser only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this eBook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Even if you received this book free for promotional purposes, it does not grant a right of redistribution. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      DISCLAIMER

      The characters and events portrayed in this book are a work of fiction or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

      MATURE CONTENT

      This story contains sexually explicit material, and is intended only for persons over the age of 18. By downloading and opening this document, you are stating that you are of legal age to access and view this work of fiction. All of the characters involved in the sexual situations in this story are intended to be 18 years of age or older, whether they are explicitly described as such or not.

      SAFE SEXUAL PRACTICES

      This story is a work of fiction and depicts fantasy situations. Safe sex practices are not always referenced. Please always be sure to educate yourself about safe sex before engaging in physical intimacy. Please do not try any sexual practice without proper knowledge and guidance.

      Table of Contents

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 6

      Chapter 7

      Chapter 8

      Chapter 9

      Chapter 10

      Chapter 11

      Chapter 12

      Chapter 13

      Excerpt from Something True

      Complete List of Titles by Malia Mallory

      About the Author

      Connect with Malia Mallory

      Want to be the first to hear about new releases, giveaways and promotions? Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free ebook.

      Malia Mallory Newsletter Signup

      Strike to the Heart

      Chapter 1

      Jo

      As we stepped off the elevator, the pounding bass beat pulsed through the floor. The door at the end of the hall opened and music spilled out.

      Darcy put a little skip in her step. Looks like a rocking party.

      I grimaced. Darcy, I don’t think this is a good idea. It’s only days before the tournament. We need our rest.

      Darcy patted me on the shoulder reassuringly. Don’t be silly. You haven’t been knocked out of the opening round of a grand slam in how long? You don’t even have a match until Tuesday.

      I stopped. I need to work on my volley. I’m not used to the new rackets yet.

      Darcy grabbed my arm and pulled me along. That’s just an excuse and you know it.

      The music is so loud it’s damaging my hearing. I need to be able to hear the linesman call the ball out.

      Darcy laughed. What you need is a drink. She sashayed toward the bar, her hips moving in time with the beat.

      I rolled my eyes and hurried after her. Darcy was my closest friend. She had been for years. She was great at forcing me to be more sociable, and this was one of those times. Though I was reluctant now, I knew if I relaxed, I’d probably have a good time.

      Darcy bent over a plastic cooler, and more than one male gaze examined her wiggling ass. When she straightened, she had two bottles. She twisted off the caps and tossed them on the table. She handed one bottle to me and tapped hers to mine. Cheers! she shouted.

      There was a loud roar of noise from the corner and I turned my head. I couldn’t see what the commotion was.

      Darcy took my hand. Let’s dance. She dragged me to a tiny open spot within a mass of moving bodies.

      I took a swig from my bottle and allowed the music to roll over me. My body swayed and all thoughts of the US Open, tennis rackets, and line calls emptied from my mind.

      A song I liked boomed out from the speakers, and I threw myself into dancing. Arms over my head, I turned around in a circle, swinging my hips to the beat. When I got back to my original position, Darcy was gone. I stopped moving and my eyes searched the crowd. It didn’t take long to find her dancing energetically with someone tall, dark, and handsome. Tall, dark, and handsome was exactly Darcy’s type.

      I stopped dancing and squeezed between the undulating bodies, heading for the edge of the room. If I was going to be a wallflower, I should be standing along the wall. I lifted my bottle and took two big gulps. As the drink left my lips, my eyes fluttered across the room and landed on a specimen of male beauty I rarely saw. Tennis players are in good shape. I’m around them all the time and there are many attractive men on the tour. However, tennis players tend toward lean—muscled, but lean.

      This man was anything but lean. He was Mr. Muscle personified. He glowed as if he were under a spotlight instead of just a pendant light. His muscles

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