by B. B. Hamel
I could still remember the first time I saw him. It was during the summer training session. Owen came into the locker room like he owned the place. He grinned at me as I walked up to him.
“You here to stretch me out? Maybe we could go do that in the shower.”
Those were the first words he spoke to me. The other guys had all laughed, and I wanted to slap that cocky smile from his face.
Owen was handsome, so damn handsome. He was tall for a running back and covered in muscles. He was known for his aggressive running style, where he’d try to run guys over as he burst down the field with incredible sped.
That meant he was injured a lot. The man’s body went through more punishment than most professional athletes, and yet he didn’t seem to mind it one bit. In fact, Owen got hit, got up, and begged for more. I’d never met someone who seemed to love pain as much as Owen Rack.
It was supposed to be strictly professional between the two of us, but there was nothing professional about Owen. He was a dirty talking asshole, covered in tattoos and down to party. I hated him the second I saw him.
But that didn’t matter. I’d gone to the University of Pennsylvania and gotten my degree in sports medicine because I loved working with people. I was just an apprentice in the physical therapy department of the Eagles organization when he joined, but because my boss got pregnant and took her maternity leave, I was quickly given some very important assignments.
His muscular body after practice, sweating and tense. He smiled at me, his eyes knowing exactly what I was thinking.
Maybe I wanted him. Maybe I wanted to give him what he wanted when he whispered in my ear. “Go ahead,” he said. “Slide my shorts a little lower. Let me show you how fucking hard you make me.”
It was my job to touch him. It was my job to take care of his body.
But he wanted me to take care of so much more.
That was before I found out about his secret. Owen Rack was a cocky asshole, and he had a darkness that followed him around. I hadn’t seen it at first, because I was too busy staring at his muscular body.
But I’d find it soon enough.
There was a shadow that followed him around. I didn’t want to touch it, but I needed to reach out, let my fingers fall through its dark film. He smiled at me, encouraging me to feel it.
I didn’t know how I got involved with a man like Owen Rack. His dark green eyes flashed as he smiled at me.
“We’re doing this together,” he whispered. “We’re going hard or else.”
I didn’t know if I wanted it. I didn’t know if I could handle it.
Owen Rack was more than he seemed, and I was afraid I’d never get away.
1
Taylor
I never thought I’d work for an NFL team right out of college, but my dream came true faster than I could have guessed.
It was complete and total luck. One of my professors at school happened to know Lucy Strang, the head of the physical therapy department for the Eagles. Lucy just so happened to be looking for an apprentice, and I just so happened to be looking for a job. One thing led to another, and somehow she hired me.
I’d never forget the first time I saw the facilities. They were huge and modern, the sort of place I’d always dreamed about working. Professional football teams had state-of-the-art technology, like imagining devices, plus cutting-edge medical theory and knowledge. I knew I was going to learn a lot, and I couldn’t wait.
That first month was amazing. Lucy was kind and welcoming, and she went out of her way to introduce me to everyone around me. She started training me immediately, giving me a crash course on how everything worked and what it would be like to be an actual physical therapist for the athletes.
At the time, I thought she was just a good boss. In retrospect, she knew something was going to happen. The thing was, at the time Lucy was eight months pregnant.
She was huge, and getting ready to burst.
That never really occurred to me. I never really thought much about what would happen when she actually had her baby. I figured she’d go on maternity leave and they’d find a replacement in the short term for her, or something like that.
I just never thought about it. Maybe I was a little naïve, or maybe I was just overwhelmed. Lucy was teaching me a lot, but it was intense.
I’d never forget the morning my life changed.
I got to the sports medicine offices at eight in the morning, the usual time, and dropped my stuff at my desk. I was relegated to a little corner of the physical therapy department, which was fine by me. It wasn’t like I was working with any athletes directly; I was mostly just following Lucy around and soaking in everything that I could.
But Lucy wasn’t in that morning. She was normally in her office, door open, looking to have a little morning chat before we started the day. But that morning she was nowhere to be found.
I sat at my desk and waited. Two hours went by, and finally I sent her an email, wondering where she was. I actually felt a little bit worried, and I had no clue what I was supposed to be doing in the meantime.
A couple more hours slowly crawled past. I was bored and a little anxious, but at least I had my computer to mess around with. I spent my morning catching up on all the new stats I’d missed in the last month because I’d been too busy learning and working hard.
That was when I got the call. My phone rang for the first time since I joined the department, and I almost jumped out of my seat. I wasn’t used to someone wanting to actually contact me.
I picked it up. “Hello?”
“Yes, hello. Is this Taylor Jones?”
“This is her,” I said.
“Hi, Taylor. This is Jeff Waters, the head of the sports medicine department. How are you?”
I was taken aback. Jeff was an important person in the department. Actually, he was the most important person in the department, and he was everyone’s boss.
“Oh, hello, Mister Waters,” I said.
“Call me Jeff. Listen, Taylor, can you come down to my office? I need to discuss something with you.”
I frowned at my computer screen. Did he know that I’d been reading about Justin Bieber for the last ten minutes?
“Of course,” I said. “When do you want me?”
“Right now, if you can. It’s about Lucy.”
I paused. “Is she okay?”
“She’s very okay. Don’t worry. Just come on down and we’ll talk more.”
He hung up. I hung my phone up and stood, a nervous energy biting at the pit of my stomach.
I headed out into the hallway and walked toward his office. I had no clue what this was about, but I could tell something had happened. Lucy was always in her office and never late. If the big boss in the department wanted to talk to me about her, that meant something was going on.
But I had no clue what it could possibly be.
Jeff’s office was on the second floor at the very end of the hall. His receptionist smiled at motioned for me to head right inside.
He was sitting behind his desk, reading something on his computer. Jeff was in his mid-fifties with full, graying hair. He was in good shape, which made sense for the director of a sports medicine department. He smiled as I sat down in the chair in front of his desk.
“Hi, Taylor,” he said. “How are you?”
“I’m doing fine. How are you?”
“Great. How has your first month been?”
“Really amazing. Lucy has been really helpful.”
“Good. She has a lot of positive things to say about you.”
That made me feel good. Lucy was incredibly kind and generous, but sometimes I couldn’t tell if she thought I was doing a good job or not.
“I’m happy to hear that,” I said, laughing.
“Here’s the thing: Lucy went into labor this morning, as I’m sure you already guessed.”
Of course she did. Why else would the head of the department want to talk to me? I felt myself relax slightly. This wasn’
t about my poor choice of current event news reading, but instead about what was going to happen with the department.
“Is she doing okay?” I asked.
“She’s fine, baby is fine, everything’s great. But obviously she’ll be going on maternity leave pretty soon.”
I nodded. “Of course. That’s really good news.”
“It is, but it’s bad timing. The season is coming up, and Lucy was a really valuable asset to us.”
I nodded. “Of course. She’s really great.”
He frowned, looking down at his desk. “Here’s the thing, Taylor: Our organization recently made some big moves in the draft, as I’m sure you’re aware.”
I nodded. I was very aware. The Eagles had traded money and a player to move up in the draft, and they had managed to snag the top running back, Owen Rack. I’d seen Rack play, and he was absolutely incredible. He played like an animal, running right up the middle and trying to steamroll men. He was big and strong and mean as hell, and he had a bad-boy reputation already.
I felt a little worried, though, based on his tone. Clearly something bad was going on, and not just the loss of an important figure in the department.
“Of course,” I said. “Owen Rack is going to be a huge asset to the team.”
“He really is. But he’s also very, very expensive, and that means every department has to make sure that it’s running as lean as possible.”
I felt my heart skip a beat.
Was I getting fired already? I’d only been here for a month. If they were cutting people, it made sense to cut the new girl. I wasn’t worth anything to anyone, and I wasn’t even working with any players.
“I understand,” I said softly.
“Which is why we’re not going to be hiring a replacement at this time for Lucy. We’ll be rotating some people around to pick up her players, and we’re going to give you an assignment.”
I felt surprised. “You’re going to assign me a player?”
He nodded. “Like I said, Lucy is very impressed with you. We’re only assigning you one person, but he’s very important. We’ll want you to give him every ounce of attention you can.”
I could feel my heart racing in my chest. I never thought I’d actually be working with players this soon, let alone have someone important assigned to me already. It was unusual for an apprentice to get involved in the treatment rotation so early, but it was not entirely unheard of in tight situations like this one.
“Who?” I asked.
“Owen Rack himself,” Jeff said, smiling.
I blinked. “Really?”
“Really. Like I said, Lucy thinks you can handle it. We also suspect that Mister Rack won’t be taking on the full starting position just yet, at least not while Raylon is still available.”
Raylon Rogers was the veteran running back, and he had been with the Eagles for years. He was clearly going to be the main back, and Owen was meant to act as an understudy for a year or two until he was ready to take over.
But still, getting assigned Owen was massive. I couldn’t imagine what Lucy had said to Jeff about me, but it must have been incredibly positive if they were going to trust me with him. Rack was supposed to be the future of the team.
“Do you think you can handle this responsibility?” Jeff asked me. “Please, tell me no if you’re not ready. I won’t hold it against you. There are other players we can assign you to.”
“I can handle it,” I said quickly, though I wasn’t totally sure I could. “I’m really grateful for this opportunity.”
“Good,” he said. “I’m glad to hear that. We’re hoping you and Owen will have a long working relationship together.”
I smiled. “Me too. Thank you again. I can’t express how excited I am to help the team.”
“We’re excited too. I’ll send you an email with more information soon, but for now, head on back to your department.”
“Thank you again,” I said, standing. We shook hands and I quickly left, walking back toward my desk before he could change his mind.
I couldn’t believe this was happening. I’d seen Owen Rack on TV countless times, and I’d always been really impressed with him. The man was a monster, a hulking presence on the field. He was handsome, muscular, and covered in tattoos, exactly the kind of guy I’d always stayed away from.
But now I’d be working with him up close and personal. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was excited to find out.
This was an enormous opportunity. If things went well between Owen and me, I’d be with the team for as long as he was. This could make my career.
All I had to do was remain professional and not screw anything up.
How hard could that be?
2
Owen
I was never nervous on the football field. I never needed to feel nervous. When I ran through the offensive lineman and burst out into the open lanes, I felt more fucking alive than I ever could anywhere else.
Then there was the crunch of body against body, the smash of pads, the bruising burst. I loved getting tackled, and I loved breaking through tackles even more. I loved the taste of grass as my face got smashed into the turf, and I loved the sound of men grunting as they were unable to pull me down.
I’d had a damn good college career. Broke a few records, led my team to a championship my senior year, and even won the damn Heisman.
But none of that compared to getting picked in the first round of the draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
I was a Texas boy. I’d gone to the University of Texas and I grew up in Texas. I didn’t know a damn thing about fucking Philadelphia, but I didn’t give a shit. All I wanted was to get out of Texas and join the big show.
I didn’t have it easy in Texas. Sure, I was a fucking football star and girls threw themselves at me, but before all that, I worked my ass off to get any recognition. My parents died when I was young, my mom in a car crash when she drove drunk, and my dad from an overdose of heroin. My grandmother raised me, helped me to become the man I am. Without her, I’d be rotting in the foster system, probably out stealing cars or part of a gang or some shit.
Instead, I’d gone to high school, joined the football team, and never looked back. Getting on that field gave me the outlet for my aggression that I fucking needed. I was angry at the world for giving me a shit situation, for making my life harder than it had to be, and I wanted to take that anger out on someone. Football was the right place for that.
So I smashed bodies and broke bones. I loved it, and I was damn good at it.
I wasn’t perfect. I drank and smoked and fucked as much as I wanted, and I got away with it because I was so damn good. Nobody said shit to me, because I was their star fucking running back. But my body had problems; my knees were a constant source of worry, and I hadn’t woken up without a backache in years.
That was fine with me. The game took a toll on your body, and that was the price you paid. I got money and fame in exchange, and that was good with me.
There were other things in my past I wasn’t proud of. I didn’t have money growing up and never had any real opportunities. I’d had to do things I wasn’t fucking proud of, things that were still following me around.
The sort of shit that could destroy my career.
I wasn’t perfect. But I was good at football, and so far that’d been enough.
I was drenched in sweat, my knees aching like fuck the first time I saw her.
She was standing on the sidelines of the practice field, looking uncomfortable. I didn’t normally notice the medicine staff standing around, since there were so fucking many of them and they all wore the same damn outfit, but she stood out. I couldn’t say what it was about her that drew my eye, but as I walked over to the sidelines to grab some water, I couldn’t help but stare.
She was fucking gorgeous. I realized it immediately. She wasn’t like the other frumpy therapists. She had thick, long dark hair, full red lips, beautiful, smooth skin, and deep green eyes. I wanted to drag h
er back into the fucking locker room and slowly strip that polo shirt from her body.
She looked at me, and I smiled. She smiled back, a little uncomfortable, and I felt my cock stir. As I grabbed my water and downed it, someone came up beside me.
“Owen,” the man said. I looked over. The head of the medicine people, some guy named Jeff, smiled at me. “How’s it going?”
“Fine,” I grunted.
“Listen, I want you to meet someone.”
I nodded. “Sure.” I was exhausted, but these people were important. They kept my fucking knees from giving out every damn day.
Jeff steered me over to the side and we stopped right in front of her. She gave me this shy smile before reaching out to shake my hand.
“Owen, this is Taylor Jones. She’s going to be your personal therapist for the remainder of the season.”
I took her hand, soft but firm, and grinned at her. “Nice to meet you, Taylor,” I said.
“Same. I look forward to working with you.”
“I look forward to working you, too,” I said, still grinning.
There was a pause, and I knew she’d heard what I had said.
“Well,” Jeff said, “since Lucy is on her maternity leave, I’m giving you to Taylor. She’s young, but she’s very, very good. I think you’re in great hands.”
“I’m sure I am,” I said.
“Well, I’ll let you get back to it.” Jeff gave me his best smile, but I was too busy staring at Taylor to give a shit.
“I’ll see you after practice,” she said.
I nodded. “You will.” I turned and headed back onto the field, feeling pretty damn good.
I couldn’t get her out of my mind the remainder of the day. Despite the heat and the hard work, I just kept thinking about her standing over there on the sidelines, watching me. She was staring at my body, my sweating body, and all I wanted to do was to make her sweat along with me.
Maybe that was stupid. She was supposed to be my physical trainer after all. People always liked to say that you shouldn’t get involved with someone you worked with.