The Playbook

  “You ready or do you need to take it easy today?”

  I glared at him. “Fuck off.”

  Letting out a roar of laughter, he punched me on the arm. “Dude, why the hell are you in such a bad mood?”

  “No sleep. I already told you. It’s been a fucked-up last few days.”

  Troy glanced over my shoulder. “Well it’s fixin’ to either get better or worse. And from the way you were ignoring her yesterday, I’m betting worse.”

  I looked at him like he was crazy. “What in the hell are you going on about?”

  Motioning with his head, he looked over my shoulder. I turned and felt my heart slam against my chest and my stomach dipped.

  What. In. The. Fuck. Was. That?

  I don’t react to women like that. The only part of my body that should be reacting is my cock. And even he is too tired.

  “Aubrey?” I asked as I watched her make her way over to us.

  “Good morning, gentleman. Patty told me what time you start your morning run. I myself am a morning runner, so this works out great.”

  Why? Why is she doing this to me?

  “Is this my life for the next month?” I questioned, making sure to not look at the way her tits looked in the University of Austin T-shirt she had on.

  Aubrey gave me an innocent smile that had my stomach feeling like I hit a high-ass-roller-coaster dip going ninety miles an hour.

  She has a boyfriend.

  Off limits.

  “Oh, come on. You surely can’t be bothered by me running with you, Owens. That is, unless you guys have some secret thing going on.”

  Troy and I instantly stepped further away from each other. “Fuck no!” Troy replied before I had the chance to. “I like girls! Lots of girls. I’m a dad for Christ’s sake.”

  Aubrey held up her hands and laughed. “I’m kidding. My gosh. I already know the history. Teammates in college.”

  Troy and I looked at each other. “She has a whole fucking notebook of shit about me. It’s kind of creepy.”

  Aubrey placed her hands on her hips and grinned even bigger. “I even know what kind of underwear you buy.”

  My eyes widened in shock. “What?”

  She nodded and said, “Yep,” popping the p.

  “How?” Troy asked for me since I was still in a somewhat state of utter shock.

  Aubrey did a few stretches and took off jogging backward while she called out, “I have my sources!”

  With an evil laugh, she turned and started running.

  Troy and I stood there watching her as I tried to figure out ways to send her back to Connecticut.

  Troy chuckled as he hit me on the back. “I’d be very afraid of that girl.”

  “Oh, trust me, I am.”

  In more ways than one.

  The heat was getting to me for some reason today. Bob Strikes, my defensive line coach, happened to be the unlucky person to get the brunt of my foul mood.

  “Son-of-a-bitch, Bob. Can you not coach your line? Get them the hell in there or I’m taking over.”

  Bob nodded like he was taking me serious, but we both knew I had a bug up my ass and I wasn’t acting myself. It had been two weeks since Aubrey showed up and her fucked-up boss told her a month wasn’t long enough. He wanted her here during spring training and three weeks after that.

  Fucking asshole. I knew it was because of her telling him off that night. Now I was being punished.

  I chanced a quick look over my shoulder and saw her talking to Michelle Brown. Another fucking female reporter, just what I needed.

  Another ten minutes went by and I yelled and screamed some more.

  “Long time no see, Owens. Something crawl up in your ass and die this morning or have you really become that much of an asshole.”

  Closing my eyes, I counted to five before turning around. “Hey, Michelle. How are you?”

  Both Michelle and Aubrey seemed surprised by my lack of attitude back.

  The two of them stood there and made a comment or two about a few of the players. I tried like hell to tune them out.

  “He’s fast,” Michelle said.

  Aubrey agreed. “First round draft pick for sure.”

  Michelle sighed as the tight end dropped the ball. “He can’t handle the ball worth shit.”

  I spun around and glared at them. “Do you mind taking your commentary and moving it down the field?”

  Michelle lifted her hands up in a defensive manner. “Sorry, Coach.”

  When they started walking off, Michelle kept on talking.

  “So, have you gotten some Texas dick since you’ve been here?”

  My stomach dropped as I focused back on the two of them walking way.

  “Shut up, Michelle. Geesh.”

  I followed them as they kept on.

  “Well, I figured since you’ve been single for over a month and all, you might have encountered some interested parties. Dust the cobwebs off the va-jay-jay. Oil the rusty can.”

  “Ugh. You talk like a guy do you know that?”

  Stopping in my tracks, I tried like hell to keep my anger in.

  She lied to me. She fucking lied to me about having a boyfriend.

  Turning back to the field, I stole another look at Aubrey. Her brown hair was blowing lightly in the wind as she laughed. So she thought she could hold me off by telling me she had a boyfriend.

  I can’t stand liars.

  The next hour had me growing more and more angry. I finally called it a day and headed to my office, letting Troy take over.

  When I walked and sat at my desk, there was a letter addressed to me.

  I picked it up and held it while looking out the window. I had no idea how to handle the situation with Aubrey, but I knew for sure I had to figure out a way. And soon. I wouldn’t have someone I couldn’t trust following my every fucking move.

  The knock on the door caused me to yell out, “I came in here for a fucking reason!”

  “Brett?”

  Her voice made me both angry and happy.

  “What is it, Aubrey?”

  “Um, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something.”

  I sighed as I looked at the letter in my hand. “Can it wait?”

  “Not really. After talking to Michelle, I realized I did something that I need to ask your forgiveness on.”

  I let out a small chuckle. She must know I overheard the two of them.

  Spinning the chair around, I took every inch of her in. I wanted her, there was no denying it. Even if I could get a small taste of her. That’s all I wanted. One taste.

  “Why?”

  She looked confused. “Why what?”

  “Why did you lie to me?”

  She shook her head. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

  Now I was confused. “What did you need my forgiveness for?”

  “The way the two of us stood there going over your players like that. It was unprofessional, and I apologize. If that’s the reason you were so angry, then I’m truly sorry. I’d never want you to leave a practice on account of me.”

  She doesn’t know I know.

  Standing, I walked over to her slowly. “Do you want to know why I’m angry, Aubrey?”

  Taking a step back, she stared at me. “Is that a trick question?”

  “Shut the door.”

  Hesitating at first, Aubrey turned and slowly shut the door. When she spun back around, I was practically on top of her.

  “Shit!” she gasped and fell back against the door. “I take it I’m the reason you’re angry?”

  I nodded my head as I traced her jawline with my fingers ever so lightly. Her body trembled under my touch. “Do you know how much I want to kiss you right now?”

  She swallowed hard. “Kiss… kiss me?”

  “So fucking bad. But I can’t.”

  Her gaze dropped to my lips before looking back up at me. “Because, we have a um… a working relationship?”

  “No.”

&nb
sp; Those beautiful brown eyes burned with desire. The gold flecks sparkled and I knew she wanted me as much as I wanted her.

  “No?”

  I lifted my hand and pushed a piece of her hair back that had fallen from her ponytail. “No. It’s because you have a boyfriend. There are two things I can’t stomach. A cheater and a liar.”

  Her lips parted and my heartbeat picked up.

  Just. One. Taste.

  Aubrey closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before opening them again. “Brett, I need you to take a couple of steps back please. I can’t think straight with you this close to me.”

  “What’s there to think about?”

  “The only way I knew to keep you from hitting on me was to say I had a boyfriend.” She shook her head and I watched as water pooled in her eyes. “My job is my everything. My entire life and the way you affect me scares me. If I thought I would be able to handle it, I’d ignore you and your advances, but I can’t.”

  The tightness in my chest grew more and more as she spoke. “Why not?”

  Her chin trembled and my knees about buckled.

  “Because I’m attracted to you, Brett. And the way you make me feel when I’m around you is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before, and it has shaken me to the core. So yes, I lied to you and if you can’t forgive me, I understand.”

  A tear slipped from her eye and slowly rolled down her face, making my gut feel like someone had punched it about fifty times in a row.

  I leaned in closer, holding my breath as Aubrey did the same. I kissed the tear away and whispered, “Please don’t cry. I can’t bear the thought of knowing I made you cry.”

  Her hand came up between us as she covered her mouth. Leaning my forehead against hers, she dropped her hand.

  “I’d never do anything to put your career at risk, Aubrey.”

  The sob that slipped from her lips ripped through my body. The last thing I would ever want to do is put her job on the line. Stepping back, I went to turn away when she grabbed my arm.

  “Please kiss me. Just once.”

  I would never forget how those words made me feel. Like the first time I saw her and she smiled at me.

  Cupping her beautiful face within my hands, I brushed her tears away with my thumbs.

  “Once,” I whispered as I ran my lips over hers. Aubrey’s hands came up to my waist as she held on.

  I was scared to death if I kissed her, I wouldn’t be able to stop. What I wanted to do was rip her clothes off and fuck her hard against the damn door, and I wouldn’t give a shit who heard us.

  My right hand slipped behind her neck, drawing her mouth closer to mine. Everything inside of me screamed to stop, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to stop no matter how wrong I knew it was.

  Smashing my lips to hers, it didn’t take long for her to open up to me. I moaned as my cock throbbed in my pants. She tasted sweeter than honey.

  Instead of pulling back, I deepened the kiss while our tongues danced in perfect harmony. I could only imagine what her pussy would taste like. It took everything out of me not to drop to my knees and take what I so desperately wanted.

  The knock on the door jolted us both out of the kiss. I quickly took about ten steps away from her.

  Aubrey’s chest was heaving, and I knew the kiss affected her as much as it did me.

  She quickly stepped aside and made her way over to the conference table and sat.

  The door opened and Pat walked in. “Brett, what in the hell is going on with you?”

  I looked over at Aubrey. Where in the hell did she find the pad of paper?

  Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled. “Oh, hey Pat. How are you today?”

  Only I could hear the shake in her voice as she tried to play off what had happened.

  “Yeah, sorry, Pat. I haven’t been getting very much sleep. This whole starting quarterback thing has been keeping me up.”

  Pat grinned and slapped me on the side of the arm. “You’ll work it out. You always do. Don’t forget that benefit dinner is tonight.”

  Facing Aubrey, Pat continued, “Aubrey, you should accompany Brett. You could get a look at a different side of him. The kinder gentler side.”

  My chest felt like it was clamping down as panic set in. “No. I’m sure Aubrey has plans and couldn’t be bothered by something like this. It’s Friday night, after all.”

  When her brown eyes pierced my blue, I knew I was fucked. Her smile spread from ear to ear. “Nope. I have no plans at all. Is it formal?”

  “Yes, and I’m sure you didn’t bring anything expecting to go to a formal dinner, so no worries if you have to decline.”

  With a smirk, she replied, “Nonsense.” She looked back at Pat. “What time does the dinner start?”

  “Eight,” Pat answered with a triumphant look.

  “That’s perfect. I’d love to accompany Brett. I’m curious to see this other side of him he’s been keeping a secret.”

  I rubbed my hand along the back of my neck. There was no way of getting out of this one.

  MY HEAD WAS going in a million different directions when I opened the door to my condo and walked in. Michelle was sitting in the middle of the living room on the floor in some weird yoga pose.

  “I’m so screwed.”

  She scrunched her nose and stood up. “What happened? Your face is flushed.”

  I shook my head. “I need a formal dress for a benefit tonight that is honoring Brett.”

  Pulling her head back with a shocked expression, she asked, “Pussy hound, Brett? He’s being honored for something? What? The most women to be fucked in his sexy Hell Cat this year?”

  With a groan, I hit her on the arm. “I’m serious. I need a dress. How am I going to find a formal gown that will fit me within the next few hours?”

  Michelle took out her phone. “I have a friend who owns a shop here. Matter of fact, she’s in walking distance. Her place is right down on Second Street.”

  There was no way this would fall into place so easily. “Great. Can you call her?”

  “I’m on it.”

  Heading into the kitchen, I grabbed a bottle of wine out of the refrigerator and opened it. I poured a glass and drank the whole thing in one gulp.

  “You kissed him, didn’t you?”

  My heart jumped and I let out a small scream.

  “Jesus, Michelle. You scared the piss out of me.”

  Her brows lifted and she crossed her arms. The stance she was in almost creeped me out. Like she was trying to read my mind. She looked pissed too.

  “Did you get a hold of your friend?”

  Damn! My voice is all over the place. I never was good at this kind of stuff.

  “You broke.” Shaking her head, she made a tsk-ing sound. “I thought you were stronger than that?”

  My lips tingled thinking back to the kiss. It was the most amazing kiss of my life. Like something from Brett poured into my body and it was still on fire. My breathing picked up thinking about it.

  Shit. Get it together, Aubrey.

  “Yes. He kissed me.”

  Michelle’s entire body sunk as she leaned against the wall. “No! Bree! Why? You went to the dark side, and now there is no coming back. Oh, what if Joe finds out?”

  I frantically shook my head. The ramifications of what Brett and I did hit me like I had run into a brick wall.

  “He won’t find out because it’s never happening again. We got it out of our system and now we can work without the tension there.”

  I smiled, but Michelle stood there staring at me like I had grown two heads. Ugh. I knew what just came out of my mouth was total bullshit. The moment he drew his lips away I wanted to beg for more.

  “Oh, it’s far from over, and I know you realize that.”

  “Brett said he would never do anything to put my job at risk.”

  “He’s a pussy hound!” Michelle cried out.

  Hearing that now caused a pain in my chest. The thought of Brett sleeping with other
women after we shared that earth-shattering kiss did things to me that I wasn’t sure I liked. I was feeling… jealousy. I don’t get jealous. Ever.

  My hands came up over my mouth as I sucked in a deep breath. “Oh, God. What did I do?”

  “You have to make sure you don’t do it again. If you do, you might not be able to stop at the kiss. By the way, how was the kiss?”

  Dropping my hands to my side, I stared at her. “You told me I had to make sure I didn’t do it again. If I talk about it, I’m going to want to do it again!”

  She wiggled her brows and giggled. “That good huh? Can you imagine what else he could do with that mouth?”

  “Stop!” I shouted, slamming my hands over my ears and singing, “La! La! La! I don’t hear you!”

  Michelle reached for my hands and yanked them to my side. “Stop acting like a three-year-old. How was the kiss?”

  Exhaling a breath, I barely smiled. “Unlike any kiss I’ve ever experienced before.”

  The grin that spread over Michelle’s face made me giggle. “I knew it! His lips look so soft.”

  My fingers automatically touched my lips. “They are. And I would bet your right when you say that mouth is magical. I was practically melting on the spot.”

  “But you had the sense to stop it.”

  My chest tightened. If Pat hadn’t knocked on the door, how far would Brett and I gone? I was internally begging him to touch my body.

  “You were the one who stopped it… right?”

  Lifting my shoulders, I gave her an indecisive expression. “Not really.”

  Her left eye narrowed and the look she gave me felt as if my mother was getting ready to scold me. “What do you mean, ‘not really’?”

  “Well, you see,” I explained with a nervous laugh. “Pat knocked on the door and that broke the kiss.”

  Michelle gasped and took a few steps back while covering her mouth in total shock. “Oh, no! A third-party interruption? This is not good!”

  Furrowing my brows, I leaned my head some as if I hadn’t heard her right. “Where in the hell do you come up with this shit? Did you make that up just now?”

  Her head shook frantically. “This is bad. This is really bad.”

  I wrung my hands together. “It’s not that bad. I mean, it’s not like I was begging him to rip my clothes off and take me right there on the spot.” The thought made my insides quiver.