{"product_id":"rules-of-contact-isbn-9780425276822","title":"Rules of Contact","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn the new Play-By-Play novel by the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eUnexpected Rush\u003c\/i\u003e, a\u003cb\u003e football player who knows how to win on the field needs a better game plan for his love life.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A defensive end for the San Francisco Sabers, Flynn Cassidy is used to being in the spotlight—he just doesn’t enjoy it. But if getting in front of the cameras will help his new restaurant succeed, he’s willing. Now if he could just meet a woman who loved him and not his fame…\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e After her divorce, Amelia Lawrence is thrilled to start over as head chef at Ninety-Two. It’s just the opportunity she needs to heat up her career—if only she wasn’t wildly attracted to her sexy new boss. Their chemistry might be sizzling hot, but Amelia has no intention of being burned again. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003eFlynn can’t get enough of Amelia, and Amelia loves every second she spends with the tough yet tender Flynn. But trust is a hard-fought battle for both. Breaking the rules of contact and surrendering to their passion was the easy part. Are they willing to risk their hearts to win at the game of love?\"Jaci Burton's stories are full of heat and heart.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eMaya Banks\u003c\/b\u003e, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Jaci Burton’s books are always sexy, romantic, and charming!”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eJill Shalvis\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Jaci Burton is a stalwart in the romance genre.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A wild ride.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eLora Leigh\u003c\/b\u003e, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author, on \u003ci\u003eRiding the Edge\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"One to pick up and savor.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, on\u003ci\u003e Surviving Demon Island\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Jaci Burton delivers.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eCherry Adair\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e “Captures everything I love about a small-town romance.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eFresh Fiction\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, on \u003ci\u003eHope Burns\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eJaci Burton \u003c\/b\u003eis a \u003ci\u003eUSA Today \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of the Play-by-Play series, including\u003ci\u003e Unexpected Rush\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e All Wound Up\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eQuarterback Draw\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eStraddling the Line\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eMelting the Ice\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eOne Sweet Ride\u003c\/i\u003e, and the Hope series, including \u003ci\u003eDon’t Let Go\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eMake Me Stay\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLove After All\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHope Burns\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHope Ignites\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eHope Flames\u003c\/i\u003e.one\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Of all the things on Flynn Cassidy's bucket list, opening a      restaurant hadn't been anywhere even close to his top ten. Yet      here he was, sitting at one of the corner tables of Ninety-Two,      his new restaurant in San Francisco. He marveled that at some      point in his life, cooking had joined playing football on the list      of things he loved the most.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If someone had told him five years ago he was going to open his      own restaurant, he'd have told them they were full of shit. But      look at him now, owner of his own place.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Ninety-Two was shiny and new-sort of. He'd had the old building      renovated after he'd bought the property, so it still felt like it      belonged in this neighborhood. He made sure it didn't look too      trendy, keeping a lot of the original details intact both inside      and out. He was more in favor of restaurants that felt      comfortable-like home. He wanted his customers to feel as if they      could come in, sit down, and feel at ease.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e They'd been filled to capacity since they opened two weeks ago and      so far things were going well. He took that as a sign that his      inclination to keep it simple appealed to others as well. Besides,      it was damn good food, he'd made sure of that. But still, opening      a restaurant was a risky proposition and he didn't want to get too      cocky. He knew Ninety-Two needed all the good press and attention      it could get. Which was why he was sitting here. Right now one of      the major entertainment media outlets was doing a feature on the      restaurant. Great for publicity, but it meant camera crews, bright      lights and a lot of damn people in the way of regular business. He      had already wandered around and apologized to his patrons, who      seemed to take it all in stride. He hoped the crews would grab all      the film and sound bites they wanted and get the hell out shortly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"This is so thrilling, Flynn.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He dragged his gaze away from the camera crews and onto Natalie,      the woman he'd been dating the past few weeks. She was a looker,      for sure, with beautiful auburn brown hair that teased her      shoulders and the most incredible green eyes he'd ever seen.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Yeah, thrilling isn't the first thing that popped into my head      when the crews showed up today.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Natalie grabbed his hand. \"Oh, come on. Who doesn't want to be on      TV?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Him, for one. As a defensive end for the San Francisco Sabers      football team, he'd had plenty of cameras and microphones shoved      in his face over the years. It was the last thing he wanted now,      when his fledgling restaurant was just getting off the ground. But      since the restaurant was new, he wouldn't turn down some publicity      for it. So he'd done the interview and now he just wanted to stay      out of the way while the film crew got their overview shots.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Do you think they'll want to get some film of the two of us      together?\" Natalie asked. \"You know, kind of get some background      on your personal life, like what you do on your off time away from      football and the restaurant, who you're seeing, stuff like that?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Warning bells clanged loud and hard in Flynn's head. He'd gone      down this road with more than one woman, and had ended      relationships because of women who were way more interested in the      limelight than in him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Lately he'd been careful to steer clear of any woman who had an      entertainment background. No models, no actresses, no one he could      suspect of chasing face time in front of a camera. He figured      since Natalie was a financial analyst, he was safe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But seeing her gaze track those cameras like a vampire craving      blood, he wasn't sure career choice had much to do with someone      hungering to get their fifteen minutes of fame.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He didn't understand it. Not at all.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Maybe we should move to one of the more prominent tables, Flynn,\"      Natalie said. \"You know, that way we might be in one of the camera      shots.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He forced back a sigh. \"I don't think so.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She pushed back her chair and stood, ignoring him. \"I'm going to      go to the bar and get a drink. You know, all casual like, and see      if maybe they notice me.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He leaned back in his chair. \"Sure. You do that.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This relationship was doomed. Just one of the many Flynn had seen      go down in flames in the past couple of years. He bit back the      rising anger over having yet another woman use him to get her time      in the spotlight.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e What the hell was wrong with him that women craved camera time      instead of just being with him? Yeah, he was a football player,      and maybe that held some appeal, but he was also a nice guy who      had something to offer besides photo ops. He was getting damn      tired of playing this game with every woman he dated.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Maybe there wasn't a woman out there who was interested in him.      Just him. Not Flynn the football player. Just Flynn the guy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He shook his head, mentally notched up another failure and took a      long swallow of his beer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Since orders had slowed down and she had the kitchen under      control, Amelia Lawrence washed her hands in the sink and tried to      hide, avoiding the cameras. The last thing she wanted was to be on      television. She was head chef at Ninety-Two. This whole publicity      thing was on Flynn, and she didnÕt need to be interviewed, filmed      or in any way noticed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But as she did her best game of hide and not be sought, she also      spotted Flynn's new girlfriend doing her best job to try to be      seen by any of the camera crew.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Oh, no. Not another one of those kind of women.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She'd worked with Flynn the past couple of months, even before      Ninety-Two had opened. And in that time period she'd seen him go      through no less than three women, all of whom seemed to be way      more interested in his prowess as camera fodder than anything      else.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She felt bad for him, and nothing but disdain for the women who      couldn't appreciate what a fine man Flynn Cassidy was.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He was supremely tall and ridiculously well built, with a thick      mane of black hair and amazing blue eyes. She could spend at least      a full day doing nothing but ogling his tattoos. And who didn't      love football? Plus, the man had fine culinary taste. When he'd      hired her, they'd spent several weeks designing the menu for the      restaurant. She had to admit, he had good ideas.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e So did she, and she appreciated that he listened to hers, and had      been willing to blend their ideas for the final menu. She loved      the way it had turned out and her estimation of Flynn had risen.      In the past she'd worked for her share of egomaniacs who insisted      it was their way or the highway, but Flynn wasn't like that. He      was willing to collaborate. He also liked to crack jokes, was kind      to the employees and seemed like a nice guy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e So why couldn't the man find a decent girlfriend? He kind of      sucked at it, actually. If she had been a native of San Francisco      maybe she could have help him out, but she'd only moved here      recently from Portland. Her only ties in the city were her best      friend from college and her friend's husband. Otherwise, she was      pretty much alone. She'd rented a house not too far from the      restaurant, and she was getting out in the neighborhood and      meeting people there.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She knew it would take time to form a circle of close friends, but      even with her limited contacts she guessed she could find better      women for Flynn to date than the ones he'd been parading in and      out of the restaurant lately. She could spot posers a mile away.      Maybe she could offer her services to Flynn.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Orders up.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Pulling her focus away from Flynn, she put her attention on the      incoming orders, on directing her staff, on minding her own      business, and not on Flynn's girlfriend who was currently preening      for the cameras as if she was auditioning for the next blockbuster      movie.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e With an eye roll, she dismissed the woman and set about making      scallops.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Because Flynn Cassidy was decidedly not her problem. And no matter      how sorry she felt for him, she wasn't going to get involved in      his personal life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e two\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Flynn showed up for practice early, just like he always did. He      liked to get a run in to warm up before hitting the weight room.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e After logging his three miles, he made his way to the weight room.      As usual, he wasn't the first one in there. His defensive      teammates-the guys he counted on-were up and at it early today,      too.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He spotted Junior Malone, Alfonso Labelle, Hank \"Hey Man\"      Henderson and Chris Smith. These guys were his rocks, the ones he      depended on to be at the line of scrimmage with him and prevent      the offense from moving forward. He'd worked with most of these      guys ever since the San Francisco Sabers had drafted him. The only      one to join the team after him had been Junior Malone, but he'd      been a perfect fit to the line. They were fierce, ass-kicking      defenders, and the reason the Sabers had one of their best years      defensively last year. They were clicking on all cylinders and      even though they were only five games into the season so far,      their numbers were solid.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You're late,\" Hey Man said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Flynn laid his towel on the bench. \"I'm the only one out there      running three miles before workouts. You're all welcome to join me      if you want to burn some of that fat off.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hey Man looked down at his stomach. \"This is all muscle, man.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Flynn let out a snort. \"It looks a lot more like too much fried      chicken.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hey Man glared at him. \"Don't mess with my fried chicken. You know      it's my weakness.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"We all know what your weakness is, Hey Man,\" Chris said. \"Food.      All of it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Flynn grinned, then lay on his back and started light with the      bench press. Soon enough, he added more weight and the trainers      had showed up to spot him. There was nothing like a pounding,      sweat-pouring workout to get the blood pumping and prepare him for      practice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He finished off with an energy drink, jawing with the rest of the      guys, then they headed out to the field where Mick Riley, the      Sabers quarterback, was leading the offense in practice drills.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Since they weren't ready for the defense to come in yet, Flynn      took a minute to watch the offense play. Defense could keep the      opposing team from putting points up on the board, which was key.      But if your offense failed to score, your team was sunk. Mick had      been leading the Sabers offense for ten years now. He'd won two      championships and didn't appear to be slowing down any time soon.      At thirty-five, the man looked to be in the prime of his life,      which was unusual for a quarterback.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Still, when it was time for the defense to take the field, Flynn      had to take a shot at him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"How's it going, old man?\" Flynn asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Hey, fuck off, Cassidy.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Flynn took his position with a grin at Mick.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You know if you give shit to my quarterback, I'll lay you flat.\"      Oscar Taylor, the left offensive guard, joined the fray.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Flynn crouched down in front of him. \"You could try, Oscar, but      you know I'm just going to run right past you.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Oscar growled. \"We'll see about that, Flynn.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Flynn grinned. Shit talking was a normal part of practice. It got      them fired up and ready to play. So when the ball was snapped, he      and Oscar went at it, though not as fiercely as they would in a      game situation. The last thing you wanted to do was hurt someone      on your own team.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Practice lasted two hours. After general drills, they worked with      their position coaches and went over plays for this Sunday's game      against Detroit. When they were finished he and Mick headed back      to the locker room together.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"How's the new restaurant?\" Mick asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e As was typical, all the trash talk ended once practice was over.      \"It's good, thanks. You and Tara should come for dinner.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Yeah, she asked me about it the other day. She's eager to try it      out. But it'll be a couple of weeks before she can fly out here.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e As they walked down the long hallway toward the locker room, Flynn      turned to him. \"Well, actually, Irvin's assistant has booked the      team party at the restaurant two weeks from now. Is Tara coming      for that?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Mick nodded. \"Yeah, she is. So, your first big gig at the      restaurant and the whole team will be there. Make you nervous?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Flynn laughed. \"Not really. I think the restaurant can handle it.      And I'm grateful Irvin is giving the restaurant some business.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I'll definitely let Tara know about the party being at your      place. She'll be excited, since she's wanted to eat at Ninety-Two      ever since she heard you were opening it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Good. I can't wait to see her.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Flynn knew that Mick and Tara made their off-season home in St.      Louis, where the entire Riley clan lived. Mick also had a place      here in San Francisco and Tara often came and stayed during the      season, since she owned an event planning business here, along      with another office in St. Louis.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Lots of juggling there, as well as their four-year-old son, Sam,      and another son in college.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He didn't know how they managed. Family support, he supposed. The      Rileys were a big clan, so he knew they all pitched in and helped      rally around Tara and Mick and their kids.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He stripped down and headed to the shower, letting the hot steam      rain down over him. Damn, that felt good. As he lost himself under      the water, he thought about family.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Yeah, he knew all about family support. The Cassidys were a big      family, too. And with Flynn, Barrett and Grant all playing pro      football, plus Tucker playing pro baseball, it was one crazy      sports-minded family. He had their dad, Easton, to thank for the      guys' love of sports. Their younger sister, Mia, was the only one      to escape the sports bug. She was the brains of the family.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He smiled thinking about his sister. He hadn't talked to her in a      while. He needed to give her a call and check up on her. As the      oldest sibling, he often felt like it was his responsibility to      look after the others. Rowdy bunch, all of them.","brand":"Berkley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46304816136421,"sku":"NP9780425276822","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780425276822.jpg?v=1767735963","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/rules-of-contact-isbn-9780425276822","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}