Cross-Checked (Boston Rebels, #3)

by Julia Connors

For a split second, I wish Abby was my baby, because I’d love to be the one to normalize women in sports bringing their babies to work. But that ship sailed a long time ago.

a truth I will never reveal to a single living soul—is that I couldn’t stop looking at her holding my baby.

“AJ told me that when a woman is beautiful, strong, and successful, she’s a triple threat. And that weak men don’t like to be threatened, so they’ll find any way to undermine and invalidate you—to make you feel small, like you’re nothing without them. But a strong man will encourage and support you, will want to see you shine and be successful in all aspects of your life, not just where it relates to him.”

I’ve never felt as needed or needy as I do right now.

I’m fascinated by how much you can learn about others when you simply shut your fucking mouth and listen.

“What is it you don’t want me to see?” Me, I want to scream.

With my eyes closed and my forehead resting against the hollow space at the base of his neck, secure and warm, wrapped in his arms, I feel like a weight has been lifted. I feel like I can breathe again.

“I want to make sure that there’s no miscommunication at all. Because once is an accident, but if I stay here with you again tonight, it’s not an accident, and it’s not a mistake. It’s a choice.”

She’s always beautiful. But a laughing Alessandra Jones? She’s unbelievably gorgeous.

“Oh, Sunshine, I’ve been waiting for you for a fucking decade. I could wait longer . . . I would wait longer, if I had to.”

“My plan is to ruin you for every other man, forever. You just have to ask.”

the way he’s cradled my entire body in his embrace—the only thing I feel . . . is safe.

Oh, fuck me. Is there anything in the world hotter than the most powerful woman in hockey calling me sir? I think not.

Us together is a challenge. Us sneaking around and potentially getting caught is a problem.”

I never, ever thought I’d be the kind of person who could barely make it twelve hours without being railed by a well-endowed hockey player. Yet here I am.

Under all that armor, there’s a soft heart, and I’m embracing the glimpses of her true self that she shares every once in a while.

This fucking scene is just so domestic, so perfect. And it hits me then that this is what I want for Abby and me—and I want it with AJ.

McCabe came in with his hair all disheveled from sleep and that dreamy look on his face as he stood there in nothing but his grey sweats . . . looking at me like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I've never wanted anything more in my entire life.

“Just because it’s easy, doesn’t mean it’s right.” Even as I say the words, I know they’re a lie. It might be wrong for me to date one of my players, but nothing about us together is wrong. In fact, nothing has ever felt so right.

I could spend forever with this man.

“I once thought that raising a daughter by myself would be the hardest thing I’d ever do in my life. Turns out, pretending I don’t have feelings for you is, by far, the hardest thing I’ve ever done. And I don’t want to pretend anymore.”

I want to respect you at

“Oh my god,” I say with a laugh. “The world’s grumpiest cat has found the world’s grumpiest man, and it’s a match made in heaven.”

We stand there, with a child and a cat pressed between our bodies, and it feels like we’re a family. It feels like everything I ever wanted . . . which both thrills and terrifies me.

“Maybe this was meant to be. We met at the wrong time, under the wrong circumstances. We should never have ended up here, together.” He presses another kiss to my clit. “And yet we did. Because this is where we were always meant to be.”

No matter how good it is, I could live without the sex. But I’m not sure I could live without him.

I want this for her more than anything. I want her here in my house every single day. I want her to be Abby’s mom. I want her to be my wife.

“Maybe not, but I wanted to. Not because I didn’t think you could handle that by yourself, but because I didn’t want you to have to.”

“I never questioned how you felt.” I curl my fingers into her hips, and press a kiss to the top of her head before saying, “And I’ll make sure you never do.”

The world is stronger when women work together instead of against one another, and I’m working hard to surround myself with these types of women, in my personal life and at work as well.