. .
Callum Kennedy
I should have known behind that deep sexy southern drawl, and beautiful face lived the world’s biggest asshole.
I’ve tried my damnedest to put him behind me. But it was hard to do when I saw his face every night in my dreams and couldn’t forget how he worked my body over.
It was okay. I had my work as a vet, my equine rescue to manage, and my friends. I’d forget him or work myself to death trying.
Except there’s one problem.
Turns out he’s the new free-agent running back who just signed a one-year deal with the Portland Pirates. The infamous Declan Miller has turned my world upside down and reinserted his unforgettable self back into my life for the next year.
Declan’s the last person I want help from, but it looks like I don’t have a choice.
Declan Miller
When I walked into Alejandro’s Bar that night in late July, I never expected to meet someone my first night in town.
But the sexy guy with wavy dark blond hair and hazel-green eyes sitting alone at the bar caught my attention immediately. Or maybe it was the way he was sniffing his own shirt.
After a night of the best sex of my life, I knew I had to push him away. I wasn’t doing relationships anymore, and this gorgeous, funny man had the power to break me.
But when I find out my unforgettable hookup is part of my new friend group, Dr. Callum Kennedy wants nothing to do with me until he has no choice but to let me help.
Illegal Motion is an MM sports romance and the fourth book in The Package Deal Series about the hot single dads of the Portland Pirates football team.
Tropes: enemies to lovers, close proximity, found family, one-night stand to forever, sports romance.
Title: Illegal Motion
Authors: Rheland Richmond & Emerson Beckett
Length: 90k
Series: The Package Deal, Book 4
Genre: Contemporary, Sports Romance
Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions
Goodreads
I was gonna be sick. Declan was here and with some girl at the bar. Jesse was talking to me, and I hadn’t heard a word. My eyes wouldn’t leave Declan, and the pain that shot through me had nothing to do with my arm. It was my heart. And now it felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer and busted it into tiny pieces.
Evidently, he’d moved on from me and what we’d shared — more like what I thought we’d shared—at the stable. Why I thought he ever cared about me proves how stupid I’ve been.
Jesse was pretty sharp and knew me well. When he threw his arm around my shoulder and leaned in to whisper, I knew he’d figured it out.
“I’m guessing that’s Declan.” He squeezed me tighter. I think he actually held me together.
I nodded, mute from the pain. I refused to show him he’d again taken a battering ram to my heart. So I steeled my expression and acted as if I hated him. And right now, I did.
“Let’s go.” Jesse unhooked his arm from around my shoulder, took me by the hand, and led me to a booth in the back, out of sight from the bar. I couldn’t see him from where we finally sat, which was a good thing.
I slid into the booth, and Jesse slid in beside me. “Are you okay?” The concern on his face was worn by my best friend for as long as I could remember. His concern was genuine.
I shook my head. “No, not one part of me is okay. I need a drink. And something to break or throw. Do they have darts?” I looked around.
“Damn, Callum. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you react this way to anyone.”
I shrugged and laughed to cover up my misery. “I’ve never loved anyone the way I love that asshole.” I laughed bitterly. “I’ve got to find a way to get over him. It’s been almost a year, and then the two weeks at the stables. God damn!” I shut my eyes, rubbing my chest over my heart. It was literally breaking in my chest.
“I told you how to forget him,” he said. “I’d fuck you, but I don’t think it would hold the same appeal.”
I looked at him and scrunched up my face. “Gross, dude! You’re like my brother!”
This is book 4 in the Package Deal series by these authors, and it was definitely a different feel than the others, to me. It was a lot about learning to communicate, even as it’s something you’ve never done well before. And finding forgiveness, so much forgiveness.
Let’s face it, Declan was an a-hole after their one night stand. Rather than acknowledging how it felt for both of them, he just basically told Callum “yeah, you were one night, and I’m done”, without even learning his name. This comes back to haunt him months later, despite him having thought of Callum the entire time. In his defense, Declan’s ex-wife was a piece of work, and caused him to feel that he was the one who effed up their relationship.
Callum, a sweet vet, with a lot of steel in his spine. He didn’t put up with crap from Declan. Even when Declan declared their one night stand meant nothing, Callum didn’t hesitate to tell him to get out. Their interactions when they were still enemies were hilarious to me though. Callum declaring they were not sleeping together again (for a third time) and Declan basically laughing and saying “you go ahead and think that”.
Declan kept trying to apologize in his own way, but honestly didn’t really understand well enough how to communicate to do it well, and figure out that what he wanted was what Callum was looking for. Emotional intelligence, thy name is NOT Declan. He learned, but what a hard head. 🙂 I did love though how he was able to recognize Callum being stretched too thin, and jumped in where he could, with a specialty that Callum wasn’t quite as good at. Declan took time to come around, but when he did, he still had to figure out how to bring Callum back around.
I’ll leave some of the surprises, but it is an enjoyable book, and I always love a book that has a good sports theme. This one is a little spare on the football part, but it is still a big part of the background for the MC’s and all their friends.
4 pieces of eye candy 
For as long as she can remember, Rheland’s had her nose stuck in a book, getting lost in the world of someone else’s creation (She still does). Her love for writing came from her love for reading. She could never have one without the other.
Writing has always been a hobby and a cathartic experience for her. There are many stories lost to the never to be completed or published pile but needed to be written at the time.
She’s just a girl that loved stories so much she decided to write hers.
Rheland would love to hear from her readers and learn more about y’all. So if you get a chance… Get in touch.
Connect with Rheland:
www.rhelandrichmond.com
https://www.tiktok.com/@rhelandrichmondmmauthor
https://www.instagram.com/rhelandrichmond/
https://www.facebook.com/rhelandrichmond.author.58
https://www.facebook.com/groups/RichmondsRiders/
Emerson Beckett is new to the publishing world. As an avid sports fan and lover of well-written M/M romance books, Emerson loves her new career as an author of gay romance. It’s even more fulfilling for her when she can combine the two.
The journey to becoming an author started with an idea while reading on the sofa. That idea became an email that ultimately resulted in Emerson using those teacher skills to edit novels for three phenomenal MM romance authors. The third referral led to an opportunity to co-write a book series with one of the most genuine and kindest people she’s ever had the pleasure of knowing- Rheland Richmond.
Emerson is the co-author of The Package Deal Series, which includes The Quarterback Keeper, Pass Interference, Unnecessary Roughness, Two-Point Conversion, and three more upcoming books in the series. She will release her first solo novel in late spring 2023.
Besides being a retired teacher and author, Emerson lives in North Carolina and has been married to the same man for 32 years. She is the mother of three beautiful adults, one of whom is proudly part of the LGBTQ Community and completely responsible for her addiction to MM Romance. Even though the kids no longer live at home, they filled the empty nest with an Australian Shepherd, three cats, and a cute bunny rabbit.
Emerson would love to hear from her readers. So if you get a chance… Get in touch.
Connect with Emerson:
www.emersonbeckett.com
https://www.instagram.com/mm.author.emerson.beckett/
https://www.tiktok.com/@mmauthoremersonbeckett
https://www.facebook.com/author.emerson.beckett
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