Willow James, athletic trainer for the Miami Thunder football team, knows abandonment and hurt. A child of foster care, she’s been moved around and left behind more times than she cares to count. Just when she was starting to let her guard down with Braden Prescott, he left for a two year stint with Doctors Without Borders. Now he’s back.

Dr. Braden Prescott always felt like an outsider in his family of professional sports players. He’s traveled the world and is better for it, but now he’s home with a job for the Miami Thunder. When he comes face to face with the woman he left behind, their chemistry still smolders. She’ll give him her body again but not her heart.

He knows leaving her once was the biggest mistake of his life. Can Willow learn to trust him not to leave, especially when adventure comes calling again?

When Braden left to join Doctors without Borders or MSF as it was known, Médicins Sans Frontières two years ago, Willow didn’t give him a chance to explain just wished him good luck with his life and left. Now Ian is about to announce he’s the new head general doctor for the Thunder. Ian hasn’t made an internal announcement so everyone will hear this at the same time, including Willow.

Braden is a bit nervous, not because of the job, but because of Willow. He still loves her and never meant for his stint with MSF to be the end of their relationship. He knows he has his work cut out for him when it comes to Willow. He’s going to have to win her trust and that’s not going to be easy.

Willow is shocked when she sees him but knows she has to shield herself, he left her once what would stop him from doing it again. There’s also another complication, she’s been dating another team physician Cole.

This is just one of my favorite scenes.

He wasn’t about to let her get away that easily. “Sure.” He walked to the entrance of the gym and pushed the door open for her, following her out. His plan was to invite her to dinner so they could catch up and, he hoped, dig deeper than the surface conversation she’d allowed today.

They stepped back into her office, and once again he was in close quarters with Willow, surrounded by the delicious scent of coconut, his favorite smell since she’d always favored that in shower gel and shampoo. All he had to do was inhale and his cock stood at attention, which gave him a reason to shrug his jacket back on and cover the evidence of his arousal.

Had he been with other women in the last two years? Yes. Did he remember faces or names? No. And he’d always thought of Willow and wished it was her he was with.

“So I was wondering,” he began, intending to ask her if they could get together, as a knock sounded on the open door.

Not ready to share her yet, Braden turned to see who needed her attention. A man he didn’t recognize stood in the doorway. A blond-haired, brown-eyed, well-groomed guy wearing khakis and a short-sleeve Polo shirt.

“Am I interrupting?” the man asked.

Willow blinked, a flush on her cheeks. “No, of course not. Braden Prescott, this is Cole Walsh, one of the team physicians. You’ll be working together.”

Stepping forward, Braden extended his arm and they shook hands.

“My new boss.” The man took Braden in, obviously sizing him up, and Braden did the same.

“Good to meet you and looking forward to working with you,” Cole said at last.

“Same here. I’ll be announcing an official meeting in the morning, after I’ve been introduced to everyone this afternoon,” Braden said.

“Great.” Cole smiled and turned to Willow. “Are you ready for lunch? I know we don’t have much time, but I made a reservation at your favorite place.” His expression as he turned to her was of a man smitten.

That flush in her cheeks deepened as she looked at Braden beneath lowered lashes before glancing at Cole. “Sounds perfect. We’re finished here, right, Braden?” Without waiting for a reply, she opened a drawer in her desk and picked up her handbag.

Shit. She was with another man, one he’d be working with. That was a hiccup he hadn’t anticipated, and jealousy rose fast and furious inside him.

“Have fun,” he said as she walked past him without meeting his gaze.

Son of a bitch. Now what?
Carly Phillips. Dare To Stay (Kindle Locations 259-279). CP Publishing.

Cole has no idea of her history with Braden and she really doesn’t want to tell him. That ship sails when they are preparing for a weekend out of town game and Braden outs the fact the had dinner together. However it’s not until she kisses Braden at the hotel that she knows she has to break off with Cole.

Braden isn’t the only one hired for the team, Ian also hired Braden’s friend Hudson who had been with Braden in MSF. As they both find their niche in the team they also find work outside at a clinic. It’s here that Braden meets Aurora, a pregnant young woman in living difficult conditions. This comes in handy when he wants Willow to come to his family’s Thanksgiving dinner. He decides to have Willow help convince her to come to the festivities as well.

Now a lot happens with Braden and Willow as she tries to trust him again. There’s also a bunch of surprises for Aurora, which helps lead in to a new series by Carly.

Plenty of ups and downs in this one, and it’s a simmer to sizzle second chance for Braden and Willow.

5 Contented Purrs for Carly!

Carly Phillips

Carly Phillips is the N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over 50 sexy contemporary romance novels featuring hot men, strong women and the emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love.

Carly’s career spans over a decade and a half with various New York publishing houses, and she is now an Indie author who runs her own business and loves every exciting minute of her publishing journey. Carly is happily married to her college sweetheart, the mother of two nearly adult daughters and three crazy dogs (two wheaten terriers and one mutant Havanese) who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. Carly loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers.