by Ellie Hall
Swooning Over the Football Billionaire Groom
Sweet, Christian Football Bad Boy Romance Series
Book 1
by
Ellie Hall
Swooning Over the Football Billionaire Groom
Copyright© 2020 Ellie Hall
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the author/publisher except where permitted by law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover art: Covers by Juliet
Website: http://www.elliehallauthor.com
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Contents
Reader note
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 1
Let's Connect
More Books by Ellie Hall
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Reader note
I want to offer a special thanks to author Taylor Hart for the inspiration and collaboration on the Bachelor Second Chance Cowboy Romance collaboration. I wrote book number three, Her Football Star Billionaire Groom, featuring quarterback Ryan Kelly. The football bad boys you’ll meet in the Boston Bruisers Romance series are his teammates, who play, or rather sing, during a very important scene in that original book. This is the spin-off series and I think you’ll enjoy all of the stories.
Not only do I want to thank Taylor for inspiring the original second chance-married by Christmas series, but I also have major gratitude for her positivity, insight, and friendship. She’s an amazing author, mother, and woman of faith.
Additionally, readers of the Only Us Billionaire Romance series might recognize Concordia, a fictional European country that is featured in Only a Night with a Billionaire and Only Love with a Billionaire.
I hope you enjoy these four books where jocks become gentlemen, women get treated like royalty, and all the sass and spark in between.
♥Ellie
Prologue
“We could glue his hands together while he’s sleeping,” Declan suggested with a mischievous smile.
“Dude, he’s our new center. We kind of need him to have use of his hands,” Grey said, ever the practical one.
“Yeah. Coach Hammer said his hands are gold.” Wolf grunted as though that remained to be seen.
“The comish said he’s like the rising sun and any team would be lucky to have him.” Chase lifted and lowered one shoulder.
“Luck has little to do with it. I say he’s in it for the paycheck.” Wolf cut his eyes in Chase’s direction.
Grey sniffed.
“Now, now. Let’s give him a chance,” Chase said. “You felt the same about me.” He lifted an eyebrow, referring to his start on the team as a legacy player.
“You proved yourself,” Wolf said.
“So will Brandon.”
“Brandon Nash will have to do more than prove himself. He’ll have to endure our killer practices, show that he’s a team player, and not a showboating—” Wolf went on to use what the coach referred to as locker room words.
Brandon Nash, the newest player for the Boston Bruisers, would have to prove himself for sure. First, he’d be initiated.
“How about we replace his toothpaste with mayonnaise?” Declan wrinkled his nose as though even speaking the idea out loud grossed him out.
Chase tilted his head from side to side. “We could always use the old standby.”
“No. We’re not covering the toilet seats with plastic wrap. Coach Hammer made me clean it up last time. Never again, man.”
“Doughnuts filled with mayo? Mayo in Oreos?” Declan suggested, his slight Irish accent coming through.
“What’s with you and mayo?” Chase asked.
“I know what we’re going to do.” Wolf’s lip curled.
“Oh, boy. He has that look.” Grey shook his head. “Whatever it is, I’m not sure I want to take part.”
Declan cuffed him. “No, you’re not backing out. With Ryan off on his honeymoon, we need all the manpower we can get.”
Wolf leaned in and told them his plan.
“Brandon Nash is not going to be impressed.”
“Sure he will,” Wolf said with a wink. “Let’s see. Gemma, Stacy, Allison, Keisha... They all seemed impressed by my—”
Grey held up his hand. “We do not need to hear about your latest conquests.”
Chase shifted uncomfortably.
“I think Ryan would approve,” Declan said.
Only Wolf laughed.
The four players for the Boston Bruisers hashed out the plan, threw their hands into the center of their tightknit circle and hollered, “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’”—the team slogan.
They convinced Chase, the most amiable of the crew, to send Brandon a text, inviting him to hang out in the team lounge at the Bruiser’s training facility in Boston.
Chase’s phone pinged with a reply a moment later. “Brandon said that he’s on his way.”
Wolf grinned. “Perfect.”
Grey rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why I let you guys talk me into this.”
Wolf stopped short and shot Grey a glare. To an outsider, they’d think the two men were going to get into a fight, but it was just one football brother to another, reminding him of who he was. Grey needed that.
“Who started the newbie initiation, Grey?” Wolf asked a moment later.
Grey Adams was the oldest player on the team, arguably the best because the guy could practically play with his eyes closed. The game was knit into the fibers of his muscles. The linebacker didn’t answer but held his ground.
“Who was the mastermind behind all the pranks?” Wolf asked.
Grey’s lips formed a thin line and the muscles in his jaw twitched.
“Don’t forget who you are. Don’t let it get you. He wouldn’t want that.” Wolf turned back to the room.
Grey exhaled and then nodded. No more needed to be said for him to glean the meaning behind the reminder.
They assumed their positions while waiting for Brandon. Footsteps echoed from down the hall.
Declan leaned in. “On the count of three...”
The guys adjusted their stances, preparing, and then as the door opened, Declan said, “Now.”
...And at that moment, whoever stood in the doorway got an eyeful of the Boston Bruiser star players’ backsides.
“It’s a full moon in Boston,” Declan shouted.
Someone gasped.
A camera flashed.
A low voice groaned.
As the four men turned around, it wasn’t only Brandon in the doorway. Looming over the heads of the incoming group, the pro league Commissioner Starkowsky and his daughter Elyse along with several other team officials stood with their mouths agape.
The comish, shielding his daughter’s eyes, started yelling.
The guys made their apologies.
Elyse wiggled out from her father’s grasp. “Dad, I’ve been in and out of locker rooms for almost thirty years. I’ve seen—”
Starky’s face turned purple. “You are excused,” he blustered to the boys.
It all happened in a split second, but the guys fled from the lounge, dispersing like kids caught ringing the neighbor’s doorbell and running.
None of the Boston Bruiser players lost sleep over the incident as the actual full moon hung high in the sky over the city, but the papers and press churned out headlines, images, and articles.
The next day, Declan, Wolf, Chase, and Connor shuffled into the coach’s office. He was on a call and gave them the one-minute signal with his pointer finger along with the hairy eyeball.
Grey grumbled.
“Don’t you dare say, ‘I told you so,’” Wolf warned.
“Come on, we’ve done worse.” Declan shrugged.
“Guys, Elyse was there.” Chase referred to Starkowsky’s daughter who was a grown woman and had certainly seen her share of football players in various stages of dress, having been around the teams her entire life. In fact, she was a reporter and spent a lot of time in the locker rooms pre and post-game. “It’s the principle. Would you want your daughter to see our backsides?”
“He has a point,” Grey said.
“We don’t have daughters,” Wolf said.
“You know what I mean,” Chase hissed.
Declan laughed as if any of them were anywhere close to settling down and having kids.
Coach Hammer got off the phone. They each prepared to apologize, but Hammer held up his massive hand, indicating they save it. He got to his feet and started pacing along the bank of windows overlooking the practice field. “I understand the pranks are part of the game, the comradery, and the glue that holds the team together in some ways. But you went too far. I’ve had a lot of heat coming down from up high lately about your—” He turned his hand in a circle. “About your antics.”
Wolf lifted and lowered his shoulders. “Oh come on, we were just having fun. We thought it was just going to be Brandon, not the comish.”
“Elyse was mortified.”
“More like the comish was mortified,” Wolf said.
Hammer tilted his head at a shut up angle. “Connor.” All he needed to do was use Wolf’s given name to quiet him down.
Wolf stepped back and clasped his right hand over left, standing at respectful attention. Coach Hammer was the only one who seemed slightly capable of taming the wild in him.
“I need you to understand what is appropriate and what goes over the line,” Hammer said.
Chase nodded.
“Filling someone’s car with balloons? Harmless. Coating the inside of a locker with molasses? Amusing. Stealing all the toilet paper rolls and removing them from the building?” Hammer winced. “Mooning the commissioner, his daughter, our newest player, and a bunch of officials?”
“Hilarious,” Wolf said only loud enough so the others could hear.
“Boys there are consequences.”
“A fine?” Wolf asked. “I’ll pay for it. Whatever.”
“Penalty?” Declan said.
“Community service?” Chase suggested.
Grey remained quiet as though he knew it would be worse.
“No, you’re going to finishing school,” Hammer said.
All at once, there was a flurry of questions and confusion, namely that it was some kind of joke. One of them barked a laugh.
“I think Coach is saying that he has to make an example of us,” Grey said.
“Not me. This is coming directly from the commissioner.” Hammer plopped into his seat and then tossed a newspaper down on the desk between him and the guys so they could see the headline. Full moon over Boston.
Declan and Wolf chuckled. Chase cracked a smile. Grey was as stony as ever.
“You guys are terrible with the press.”
“They say any kind of press is good press.”
“The problem is we’re lacking in actual good press. You’re all cocky. Not at all humble.”
“Oh come on, it’s all hype,” Chase said.
“The fans love to see us getting rowdy,” Declan added.
“We’re the Bruisers. We have a reputation to uphold,” Wolf said, elbowing Grey who’d been on the team the longest. “Tell him.”
The coach shrugged. “Starky wants you to clean up, learn some manners, and prove that you’re well-behaved gentlemen.”
Grey snorted like that was the most hilarious thing he’d ever heard.
“Think of it like reform camp. You’ll be there a month.”
The room fell silent.
Hammer cleared his throat. “You’ll attend several classes for your betterment. I hope I’ve made my point and you’ve learned your lesson. No mooning the commissioner’s daughter or anyone else for that matter.”
The silence erupted with protests.
“What about training camp?”
“OTAs?”
“The program you’ll be attending is the only organized team activity you’ll be completing if you want to go to training in August.” Hammer, ever the picture of calm, gritted his teeth.
“So if we want to go to training camp, first we have to attend this camp?” Chase asked.
“That’s right. Your midpoint and final reviews will determine whether you hit the field with the rest of the team before the season starts.”
All at once, they each came up with objections and tried to talk him out of it.
Hammer seemed to only hear one word among the chatter. “Unfair? Poor Elyse cannot wipe the sight of four pasty rear ends from her mind—neither can the rest of the country.” Hammer pointed at the newspaper, which featured the photo, blurred in select areas. One of the officials must’ve snapped it with their phone.
“Hey, my rear end is not pasty. It’s muscular and tan,” Declan said.
“For an Irishman,” Grey muttered.
“Listen, my hands are tied. It’s this or walk, boys.” Hammer started shuffling folders around on his desk.
“This team is my life,” Grey said softly.
“All of our lives,” Declan echoed.
“Consider this probation.”
“Walk as in leave the team?” Chase asked. “Considering the only thing I know how to do is play football, I’ll do it.”
“Can’t you have your father talk to the commissioner?” Wolf asked Chase.
“You know the answer to that.” Grey sighed.
“Which is—?” Wolf asked.
“If he did, whatever the deal, would be worse, much worse.” Declan gazed toward the ceiling as though asking for help.
“You’ll each be assigned a personal etiquette coach. And if you, uh, screw up, you’re off the team.”
It was a group case of whiplash as all four of the guys reacted.
“All of you,” Hammer said as though that was final.
“What do you mean? If one of us screws up we’ll all be let go?”
“Starky’s rules. He wants to see you all cleaned up and to revamp your reputations. You can settle down and make honest men of yourselves, but no fooling around, if you catch my meaning.” He cleared his throat. Most of the guys on the team had a reputation for being players—off the field as well as on.
“You mean we can settle down as in get married?” Chase asked.
“Absolutely. The Boston Bruisers used to be more family-oriented.”
Grey stiffened.
“I’m not telling you that you have to get married, but Marsha was the best thing that ever happened to me. She taught me what matters in life. And look at one of our own—Ryan was taught that lesson too. There’s something special about finding that special someone instead of playing the field. There’s security, comfort, fun, love...”
“Ah, look. Hammer is getting all mushy on us.” Bitterness laced Wolf’s voice.
The coach nailed Wolf with a hard look. “A real man isn’t afraid to love, Connor.” He turned his gaze to the rest of the group. “During this monthlong period there aren’t going to be any pranks, bad press, and not one of you, as you call it, will be players—with women. Do you understand? Bonus points if you can settle down. Now, get out of here. I have work to do.”
Various sounds of affirmation came from the guys as they exited the office.
“Oh and one more thing,” Coach said. “At the end of the month, there will be a ball.”
“A what?” Grey asked.
“A football—”
Hammer chuckled. “Something like that.” Then he made a phone call, dismissing them.
In the hallway, they convened for a moment and started complaining.
Grey leveled them all with his gaze. “Listen, you know what this team means to me. We’re going to follow orders.”
“Good luck keeping Wolf away from women,” Declan said.
“You heard him. If one of us screws up, we’re all off the team. We’re going to approach this like we would a game. We need a playbook...of rules.”
Wolf shifted away, never a fan of rules.
Chase tugged him back to their huddle. “This is serious. I’ll repeat what Hammer said. If one of us screws up. We’re all out.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re waiting to get married.”
Chase shrugged. It may not have been a popular lifestyle choice, especially among the football team, but he honored his faith.
Declan shrugged and tugged at the chain on his neck that held a cross. “It’s just a month.”
“The playbook rules: No kissing, eyes up, hands off, no dating...” Grey started.