Blog Tour Featuring *Instacrush* by Kate Meader @kittymeader @XpressoTours #giveaway
Instacrush
Kate Meader
(Rookie Rebels #2)
Publication date: December 10th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Sports
Theo Kershaw is the luckiest guy alive.
Roaring back from a life-threatening injury, he has the world at his skates as defenseman for his new team, the Chicago Rebels. Everyone adores his big personality, his on-ice talent, and his killer smile. Everyone but his prickly neighbor โ or so he thinks. One chilly Christmas Eve, Theo will learn that maybe the girl next door isnโt such a hater after all โฆ
Elle Butler is the most embarrassing person on the planet.
How else can the ex-military-now-bartender explain her crush on the hot jock who lives across the hall? True, he has gorgeous green eyes and perfect cheekbones, but the filter between his brain and too-sexy mouth is permanently malfunctioning. Yet she canโt stop checking out his Instagram antics or sneaking looks at him when heโs in her bar. So. Mortifying. Running from a past filled with damning secrets, Elleโs determined that this guilty pleasure remains buried in her deepest fantasies.
Because she couldnโt possibly indulge with the Theo Kershaw or make a mistake that draws attention to her under-the-radar life. And she especially couldnโt be a mom to a pro-athleteโs baby โฆ could she?
โYes, Iโve seen those billboards for your underwear.โ
โFender bender when you did, right?โ
โOh, I have epic self-control. But seeing them made me realize that youโre a bit too pretty. I kind of like โem rougher.โ She placed a finger under his chin and tilted it for inspection. โYou ever get into a fight? And I donโt mean those phony ballets you perform on the ice for your fan base.โ
โIโm more a lover than a fighter.โ
She scoffed, reluctantly withdrawing her touch. โThought as much. Wouldnโt want to risk getting that perfect nose broken.โ
He didnโt take offense. She wondered what in the world would ever bother The Theo Kershaw.
โSo weโve established Iโm not manly enough for you. Any other comments?โ
โOh, Iโd never be one to criticize.โ
He waved a hand. โHelp me out, Elle-oh-Elle. Give me some pointers on how to win a real woman such as yourself.โ
She thought about it for a moment, her blood fizzing with the fun of sparring with him. โYouโd need to be a completely different person. But donโt fret, your current vapid personality is probably cleaning up so donโt change a thing, โkay?โ
He didnโt look put out, probably because her jab carried no heat. They both knew she wouldnโt be talking to him like this if she really believed he was dumb and vain.
โYeah, good thing Iโm doing okay. Itโs just youโre here and Iโm here โฆโ The implication being that only proximity would force him to lower his standards.
She patted his chest and suppressed a groan at how hard it felt under her fingertips. โI know you canโt help yourself. Youโve got a penis that seeks out the nearest vagina like a diving rod. Itโs really not your fault.โ
โTrue. I canโt be held accountable for my incorrigible flirting.โ
He grinned and she grinned back, and that fizz in her veins bubbled bright. Heโd figured out her game, matched her quip for quip. They understood each other and now they were โฆ friends?
How odd.
And surprisingly sweet.
Theo Kershaw was smarter than he looked. Confusion must have registered on her face because he seemed to be closer, more present. A rush of awareness overtook her, not just of him, but of them and the sparking connection being formed in this sizzling moment, more powerful than mere sexual attraction.
Author Bio:
Originally from Ireland, USA Today bestselling author Kate Meader cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Harlequins thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron, a fire hose, or a hockey stick, and she’s there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines who can match their men quip for quip.
