by Sophie Oak
What the hell was he thinking? Tess Proffit was trouble. She called up all those instincts he should be burying. He needed to stay away from her. He just didn’t think he could.
“This totally blows. I had plans for the weekend. I had appointments and everything.” Randy pulled out his cell and tapped its screen. He held the useless iPhone like it was a lifeline. Too bad he didn’t handle a football with the same care, or maybe they wouldn’t be in this position. Of course, then he wouldn’t have met Tess. Curt didn’t like that thought. It wasn’t smart to be so attracted to her.
“How many times are you going to look at that thing? Can’t you get it through your skull? There’s no service out here,” Curt barked.
Randy sent him a middle finger salute and then went back to fruitlessly trying to connect a call.
“Randy, you might try out back.” Marcus shot a broad smile at the receiver. “I got a bar this morning.”
“Thanks, buddy.”
“I can’t stand another cold sandwich.” Kevin stood up and scratched at his stomach. He glared down at the tray of sandwiches Tess had offered up as lunch. “If we’re stuck here, I need some real food. Maybe if I ask nice, teacher will send for some provisions. Does anyone know if we can get pizza delivered out here?”
“All you think about is your gut, Best.” Curt shook his head. Kevin was like an enormous puppy. Suddenly the thought of food did nothing for him. He needed something physical, and since Tess was out of the question, he had to figure something else out. “Screw lunch. I’ve gotta blow off some steam.”
“How you plan on doing that? You can’t go anywhere. She’s got all our balls in her hands.” Mike held the football that was his constant companion.
Curt joked about Mike and his previous no-go soccer career, but he had to admit the asshole was committed to football. Despite the fact that he was just a kicker, he trained as hard as the rest of them and seemed to have a real heart for the game. He was a perpetual presence at the touch games they played from time to time. If he’d had a bit more height, he might have made a decent wideout. Curt didn’t really have a problem with the guy. He was nice enough, but he didn’t like the way he or Kevin watched Tess. Curt’s fingers twitched. Something nasty was building inside, and he had to let it out. He’d prefer to take out his aggression on Tess Proffit’s perfect ass. That wasn’t happening. He grabbed the football out of Mike’s hands. “I’m going to toss the football around outside. Who’s in?”
“I’m in.” Mike stood up and headed to the front door.
“How about you, Hall? A little practice might do you some good.”
Randy glared at him. “I’m not the one who needs the practice, old man.”
“Who the fuck you calling old?” He wasn’t old. He was in his prime.
Marcus got between them. “Cool it, Curt. We’ve all been shanghaied by Tess. Hell, we’re all in the same boat. We have to figure a way out of this, or we might be stuck here until training camp. I, for one, do not want to spend my off-season on this ranch. I don’t know about you guys, but I do my best thinking on the field. Let’s have a friendly game of touch.”
Kevin snorted. “Friendly? I fucking doubt it’ll be a friendly game, but what the hell. Beats a cold sandwich.”
The idiot actually said that while eating a sandwich. It was a freaking miracle the guy didn’t weigh four hundred pounds. Curt shook his head. Maybe Tess was right about a few things. She was constantly telling him he had to take the younger guys in hand. Fine. He’d start now.
“We have a problem.” Mike stared at the rest of the men.
“What?” Curt did not want to hear about Mike’s problems. They were numerous and often involved his extensive family.
“There’s five of us. An uneven number. How do we choose sides?”
“I’m on Marcus’s team,” Randy offered, shuffling closer to his buddy.
Curt snorted. He’d heard a lot about how those two liked to play team sports. There were several female members of staff who’d been double-teamed by that duo. The only pair who were freakier than Marcus and Randy were Kevin and Mike. Their predilection for sharing had reportedly started in college and become legendary as they progressed through the pros. Sharing. He didn’t understand that at all. “Fine. I’ll be quarterback for both teams. You and Marcus versus Mike and Kevin.”
“Sweet.” Marcus smiled, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
Twenty minutes later, Curt’s anger hadn’t faded, even as sweat poured down his back. The game had started friendly enough, but it wasn’t long before all of them were pushing themselves. Sure, this was supposed to be just touch football, but Mike’s elbow was bleeding, and Marcus’s pretty face was covered in dirt. Somewhere along the way, they’d given up the illusion of a friendly game and started hitting hard. It went against all the rules and insurance policies the team took out on their players. It was gritty and nasty, just the way Curt liked it.
Kevin grumbled as he checked the fresh cut on his elbow. “If the owner and coach knew what we were doing, they’d have our hides. Their insurance premiums on us would definitely be going up.”
Curt snarled. This was what he hated about being a pro. There was always someone watching him. He was nothing but an investment to them. “Fuck them. They’re the reason we’re in this predicament in the first place. I’m ready to call it quits. Screw it all. I don’t need this shit.” He especially didn’t need little Miss Tess trying to peel back his layers and peer into his psyche. That was usually his role, damn it.
Mike stepped up to him. There was an earnest look on his face that had Curt groaning inwardly. He was like something out of a fucking Dickens novel. “Please, Curt. See it through. My family is depending on me. I really need this money.”
The growl started low in his throat. Any way he went, he was the asshole. If he stayed, he had to deal with Tess, and he knew that would inevitably end with him in her bed. If he thought he could keep it casual, it might be fine. But he wanted Tess in a way that went beyond sex. She was dangerous.
However, if he left this ranch, Mike’s family would get thrown out on the street or some shit. Randy’s mom was sick. Marcus just bought his first house. And God only knew how much money it took to feed Kevin. He wanted to walk away, to be the asshole everyone thought he was, but really, that wasn’t his speed. He might not show it, but he gave a damn about them. In the end, they were his team. “I know. But I can’t take much more of this.”
A grateful expression briefly crossed Mike’s face, to be immediately replaced with a sarcastic leer. “Don’t you mean you can’t take much more of Tess?”
Kevin was right beside him. “I’m surprised that you don’t want more of that sexy dish.”
“In other circumstances, I would.” He’d want more. He’d want to own her. Curt envisioned Tess on the spanking bench in his play room, working her over with one of his favorite floggers. The image only added to his frustration.
“In other circumstances we all would,” Randy said with a sigh. “She’s one gorgeous lady, but she’s holding all the cards in this game we’re playing.”
“True, but what if we turned the tables on her?” Kevin rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“What do you mean?” Marcus asked.
“I think I know what he means, and I’m definitely in.” Mike high-fived Kevin.
Mike and Kevin had shared the bed of more than one fan last season, he knew. Hell, almost everyone knew. Those guys were insatiable. They had been lucky, though. Their kink hadn’t been talked about in the tabloids. Curt wished he could say the same.
“Look, let’s face facts. We’re all crazy about Tess. Don’t try to deny it. All our tongues hang out the minute she walks in the room. I’m just saying that it’s best for all of us if we pick a couple of guys to make sure she’s happy. Maybe if we take care of her, she’ll go easier on us.” Kevin grinned, his eyes going back to the house where Tess was surely hiding.
Randy shook his head. “
Guys, I don’t want to be here any more than the rest of you, but Tess is a person. I want her as much as the rest of you, but she’s going to get hurt if you go about it like this. She’s just doing her job.”
Kevin shrugged. “And I’m just a person doing my job. I consider it my personal responsibility to fuck anything that hot. If, by pleasing her on a level most women never achieve, I also happen to get us out of this mess, hey, that’s just a bonus.”
“Listen to yourself. You sound like a moron. She’s not going to fall for your shit. She’s smart and stuff,” Marcus said. “I’m with Randy on this.”
Mike rolled his eyes. “No one asked you, my friend.”
Randy continued. “Let’s all suck it up, finish whatever Tess wants us to do, then we can all go home a cool million richer. After we get out of here, she’s fair game. I know Marcus and I intend to ask her out.”
“I’m not giving you the chance to do that. You guys can wait, but me and Mike are going for the prize.” Kevin smirked. “Believe me, you will thank us when we get out of this place. And Tess will, too. When we’re done, she’ll be crazy about us. We’re going to treat her right.”
Randy wasn’t having it. “You have no idea what Tess will respond to.”
Curt did. He’d sensed it from the moment he’d met her. He would even bet that she’d frequented some BDSM clubs in the past. He’d been a Dom for a very long time, and when an experienced sub came around, he knew it. Maybe that was what was bothering him the most about this situation. She was pushing him with every look, every word. She’d made it painfully clear that she’d done her homework before their sessions had begun, so she must’ve seen the YouTube video. It had been posted by the ex-girlfriend of the owner of Curt’s favorite BDSM haunt. It showed Curt disciplining a sub. He’d caught hell for that damn video. If he didn’t get his shit together this season, he might never make the Hall of Fame, and his greatest achievement would be getting the nickname the Spanking QB.
“Just leave it to me and Mike, big shot. We’ll figure out what she will respond to.” An arrogant grin split Kevin’s face.
“No. You won’t. Randy is right,” Curt said. “You two should leave her alone and let her do her job.”
But Kevin’s plan had Curt thinking. Maybe he should throw caution to the wind and make his move on Tess. He’d planned a long-drawn-out seduction, but maybe a quick strike was called for. Earning her submission would be a flat-out thrill. And, they just might be right that sex was the way to get to her. They were simply planning to use the wrong bait. If he got Tess to submit to him, he could surely get her to let up on this idiotic therapy shit. He would get them all out of here and get the girl.
Kevin frowned and ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t stay here until she gives the word I can leave. Sorry. Not happening. I’m going stir crazy in here.”
Weren’t they all? Curt briefly thought about hammering the side of Kevin’s head with the football. It had briefly shut him up the day before. It also could have given him a mild concussion, but that was none of Curt’s concern. “Can you think straight for two minutes? Mike needs the money for his family. Hell, we all need something. Kevin, are you willing to risk that with some fumbling attempt at seduction?”
There was that wide, arrogant grin again. “Believe me, Curt, when I set my mind to something, I don’t fail. You’ll see. It’s going to work. Mike and I will have her humming sweetly in the morning. Besides, I don’t mind taking one for the team. I really like her. And not just because she’s hot. I like the non-hot parts of her, too.”
“I like her, too.” Mike and Kevin exchanged a quick glance, some sort of shorthand only the two of them knew.
Damn it, Kevin wouldn’t let go of his plan. He was like a bulldog with a bone. It made him a great fullback, though his performance last season had been less than stellar, but it didn’t make him easy to convince. And with Mike just as ready as Kevin to take Tess to bed, Curt felt his blood pressure rise. If anyone was bedding Tess, it was going to be him. From the moment he saw her, he’d wanted to strip her, bind her, and get her hot and writhing until she begged him to fuck her. It was more than just her delectable curves. There was a softness underneath that tough façade that just begged to be released. She fascinated him.
Randy’s dark gaze narrowed on Kevin. “If you really like her, you need to think about what you’re doing. You’re acting like an asshole, and she’s going to find out.”
Kevin moved toward the wide receiver. “What are you trying to say, Randy? You going to rat us out to Tess?”
Marcus bristled. “He’s not saying that. We just don’t want her to get hurt.”
Curt quickly moved between them. The last thing he needed was a fistfight. He had a photo shoot in a couple of days, damn it. “Cool it, guys. If the boss found out one of us made a move on Ms. Proffit, we’d all be toast. Mike, are you willing to risk the bonus for a long shot at sleeping with Tess?”
“She might be worth the risk.” Mike’s arms crossed stubbornly over his chest.
Curt knew he would take whatever risk to get a chance to nip, lick, and bite her soft flesh. He’d make her scream his name over and over. Once he had her submission, maybe he’d be free of her. Maybe he could get her out of his head and move on. Or keep her. That thought was beyond tantalizing. God, she confused him. “Use your heads. She’s on the boss’s payroll because of our losing post-season. He wants to go to the championship, just like we do. If we fuck this up, he can make all our lives hell.”
“Not yours.” Mike stared at him. “Your twenty-million-dollar contract assures that.”
“You need money. I get it. We all get it. I’m willing to stay to make sure you get the million for your family. Don’t fuck this up, Mike.” He willed Mike to agree and fucking back off.
Mike shrugged. “I got it.”
Curt looked at Kevin. “What about you?”
“Whatever. We should go. I’m starving, and teacher doesn’t like us being late. Here she comes now.” Kevin nodded toward the wide patio door where Tess was waving them in.
Kevin took off running after her. She immediately gasped and started checking him for wounds. Her hands brushed across Kevin’s skin, seeking out the places he was hurt. Kevin took it all in like a sponge soaking up affection.
Curt swallowed back a groan of frustration. He had to believe that Mike would rein the guy in. Randy and Marcus, he didn’t have to worry about. They were reasonable.
Tess concerned him more. The restlessness eating away at him had her name all over it. He had to get her under him, or he might never get her out from under his skin.
Chapter Three
Tess poured the golden liquid into the shot glass, pleased that she only spilled a little. She licked the salt off her wrist and slammed back the purloined tequila. It burned as it went down her throat and into her belly, where it would do the most good.
God, she needed it.
She thought about the vibrator sitting in the drawer of her nightstand. She needed that, too.
Tess flicked off the television. She couldn’t concentrate on it. Her brain was working overtime, thinking about the events of the day. The morning had been more of the same. Sullen glances, snarky comments, absolutely no interest in participating. She’d gone to eat her crappy microwavable lunch without much hope.
But the afternoon session was like walking onto the set of a completely different movie. When she went to look for her charges, she’d found them tossing a football around and speaking civilly to one another. They’d even exchanged some form of male congratulatory communication in the form of chest bumping and hand slapping.
And they had all taken their shirts off.
Tess slammed another shot, thinking about all those muscles glistening with sweat. She’d been grateful when the shirts went back on and all she had to worry about were gorgeous faces and broad shoulders. All through the afternoon session, the atmosphere had been strange. The men actually seemed to listen.
&nbs
p; Tess didn’t believe it for a second. Those assholes were up to something.
She sat down on the edge of her bed. How had her life come to this? She stared down at the book on the nightstand. Finding Your Inner Strength by Tess Proffit. Her hand caressed the book’s jacket. It had been her baby. It had been her “skip the line and move to the front” ticket to fame. It was a self-help book about finding love and staying true to oneself in the process. Her agent had been thrilled and planned a ton of publicity around the book’s release, coinciding with Tess’s wedding day. It would have been a made-for-TV success story. Together, they’d planned the headline, “Self-help Guru Takes Own Advice and Finds True Love.”
How had her reality turned out to be “Self-Help Guru Loses Fiancé to Bimbo Sister”?
Now her book release and the tour were on hold. Her whole damn life was on hold, unless she could turn the Bandits around and they won the next championship. From where she sat? Fat chance of that now.
Tess felt a tear slip from her eyes and roll down her cheeks. What the hell was she doing here, except setting herself up to fail again?
Tess took a deep breath. No, she was starting over. That’s what she was doing here. She was jump-starting her career. She was taking her own damn advice and not allowing the world and its opinions to get in the way of her success. To make it in this world, you had to be a little ruthless. That’s why she’d cut those boys off at the knees. They were going to work together as a team. There was no other option.
Her eyes caught sight of the cream-colored envelope that had found its way to her earlier today. She hadn’t opened it. She didn’t need to. It was the invitation to her sister’s wedding. From what Tess understood, they hadn’t bothered to change much about the wedding—just the bride.
Another tear slipped down her cheek. Tess wiped it away. She couldn’t change the past. She couldn’t change the fact that Roger had preferred pretty, slender Janie over her. She could hear his complaints. She was too ambitious in the outside world and not aggressive enough in bed. Janie was the opposite, he’d explained. She didn’t question him in public, but she actively sought out her own pleasure.