The Game: A Contemporary Sports Romance Read online

  The Game

  A Contemporary Sports Romance

  Alexia Chase

  The Game

  A Contemporary Sports Romance

  Copyright 2020 Alexia Chase

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover Design by Designrans

  Proofreading by The Word Fairy

  Copyright 2020 Alexia Chase

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical, or other means, is forbidden without written permission from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locations are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity and are used fictitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialog, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.

  Please do not participate in encouraging piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Book Excerpt

  Dani

  Several minutes later, I hit ‘print’ for the trainers’ schedules and roll over to the printer.

  “You’re here early.”

  “What?” I squeak and jerk around to stare at Gunner. Holy shit. He’s even bigger up close. Stop drooling. Inhale. Get your head out of your ass.

  He chuckles. “Sorry about that.”

  The deep rumble of his laugh causes my breath to hitch and butterflies to jump inside my stomach. Heat radiates up my neck and over my cheeks. “I didn’t expect anyone to talk to me.”

  He leans against the doorframe and crosses his arms. “Why wouldn’t anyone talk to you?” Then, his eyes narrow into little slits. “Have the guys been pricks to you?”

  “No.” Stop putting your foot in your mouth. I swallow around my dry tongue and wish for a water bottle or a pool where I could dive into the deep end. “Nothing like that. I saw you in here and didn’t expect you to talk to me.”

  “That makes me sound like an asshole.” He steps forward and thrusts out his hand. “I’m Gunner Sinclair. And despite what you’ve heard, I’m not an ass.”

  I smile weakly and push out of my chair. “No one said anything bad about you.” I clasp his hand firmly and ignore the jolt of electricity shooting up my arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. “I’m Dani Vaughn.”

  “Nice to meet you, Dani.” He nods and releases my hand. “I don’t remember seeing you before this year.”

  “I graduated in May. This is my first big girl job.”

  “Congratulations.” He presses his lips together and studies me.

  My entire body hums in response. Am I nipping out? My eyes widen, and I throw my arms over my spandex top, willing my nipples to retract.

  Shit. Did he notice? I’m not willing to swear on a stack of Bibles a spandex shirt and sports bra are enough to keep my body from displaying its attraction to the athletic God standing in front of me.

  His fucking thighs are huge. Stop staring at his legs. Fuck. Don’t stare at his dick, either. What’s wrong with me?

  Contents

  Book Excerpt

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Epilogue

  Free Book

  Other Books by the Author

  About the Author

  Book Review

  Chapter One

  Dani

  The only illumination in the gym is the security lights above the doorways. Everything else is cast in shadows. The squeak from my tennis shoes sounds loud in the quiet space.

  I cringe. God, I hate that sound. Why didn’t I put some powder on the bottoms of the soles? The neon green and blue striped sneakers are my favorites, but until they’re broken in, they’re going to drive me crazy.

  I dig my office keys out of the front of my tote and unlock the door. As I step into my space, the light snaps on and showcases my desk, high-backed roll chair, and an assortment of team memorabilia.

  This is my first day back in the office after three weeks at our sister facility for training camp. My office sure beats sharing a place with three other trainers.

  I boot up my computer and scan through my schedule for the day. As the newest personal trainer for a professional football team, I’m low man on the totem pole, or woman, in this case. Not that I mind. This is a dream come true.

  From the main gym, the clanging of metal causes me to jump. Shit. I clutch my chest. Who’s in here? After shoving my chair back, I stand and move to the doorway. When I came in, I didn’t see or hear anyone

  The sound of banging reverberates rhythmically as I stand at the entrance to the gym. Why didn’t they switch on the lights? As I weave through the exercise equipment, I scan for the culprit.

  On one side of the room are a row of weight benches and ellipticals, the next section is filled with workout benches, weight benches, and assorted free weights. I don’t see anyone in any of the areas.

  I flip on the lights and quickly scan all corners of the room until I see Gunner Sinclair operating one of the Smith Cages. His eyelids are closed as he uses his leg muscles to push up on the weights and his upper arms to pull down the restraints in front of him.

  Dangling from his ears are white wires that lead to the pocket of his drenched gray t-shirt. The muscles in his arms ripple with each movement, and my heart skips a beat.

  The man is beauty in motion. Not that I’m the first girl to notice. He’s the quarterback for our football team. There isn’t a woman in the city between the ages of seven and sixty-five that doesn’t think he’s kissable.

  With his next upward thrust, his thick thighs bulge under his black jogging shorts. Holy moly. Fuck. Stop it. You’ve already gone down the hot football player route and gotten burned. Not going to go there again.

  I snort. Gunner Sinclair is not a college QB like Theodore Ramsey was. He’s all man, and I wouldn’t stand a chance with him. I’ll be lucky if he speaks to me one time this year for anything more than a ‘Here, take my towel and toss it on top of the rest of the laundry.’

  I rotate on my heel and meander back to my office. Focus on what’s important – doing a damn good job and not getting fired.

  Several minutes later, I hit ‘print’ for the trainers’ schedules and roll over to the printer.

  “You’re here early.”

  “What?” I squeak and jerk around to stare at Gunner. Holy shit. He’s even bigger up close. Stop drooling. Inhale
. Get your head out of your ass.

  He chuckles. “Sorry about that.”

  The deep rumble of his laugh causes my breath to hitch and butterflies to jump inside my stomach. Heat radiates up my neck and over my cheeks. “I didn’t expect anyone to talk to me.”

  He leans against the doorframe and crosses his arms. “Why wouldn’t anyone talk to you?” Then, his eyes narrow into little slits. “Have the guys been pricks to you?”

  “No.” Stop putting your foot in your mouth. I swallow around my dry tongue and wish for a water bottle or a pool where I could dive into the deep end. “Nothing like that. I saw you in here and didn’t expect you to talk to me.”

  “That makes me sound like an asshole.” He steps forward and thrusts out his hand. “I’m Gunner Sinclair. And despite what you’ve heard, I’m not an ass.”

  I smile weakly and push out of my chair. “No one said anything bad about you.” I clasp his hand firmly and ignore the jolt of electricity shooting up my arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. “I’m Dani Vaughn.”

  “Nice to meet you, Dani.” He nods and releases my hand. “I don’t remember seeing you before this year.”

  “I graduated in May. This is my first big girl job.”

  “Congratulations.” He presses his lips together and studies me.

  My entire body hums in response. Am I nipping out? My eyes widen, and I throw my arms over my spandex top, willing my nipples to retract.

  Shit. Did he notice? I’m not willing to swear on a stack of Bibles a spandex shirt and sports bra are enough to keep my body from displaying its attraction to the athletic God standing in front of me.

  His fucking thighs are huge. Stop staring at his legs. Fuck. Don’t stare at his dick, either. What’s wrong with me?

  “How do you like it?” he asks.

  How do I like what? Your perfectly sculpted body? Your enormous hands? ‘All the better to grip the football with Little Red Riding Hood.’ I stifle a giggle. Damn it, he means my job.

  My face floods with heat. “It’s been great so far. Everyone has been super helpful.”

  “Good.” He licks his lips, and I stifle a moan. A moan. For the love of God, he’s only a man.

  “It was nice to meet you, Dani...” He cocks his head, and his brow furrows. “Dani Vaughn?”

  “Yes?” Surely, I didn’t fuck up my name?

  “Are you Daniel Vaughn’s daughter?”

  “Yes.” Crap. So much for living under the cloak of anonymity.

  He smiles. “He was the best quarterback in the game. My dad talked about him all the time when I was growing up.” He turns and glances behind him. When he twists back around, he leans in a few inches and whispers, “I even had a poster of him in my room. Don’t tell anyone. The guys would give me shit for having a guy up on my wall instead of a super model.”

  I bust out laughing. “I won’t tell anyone. Cross my heart.”

  “Thank God, it’s our little secret.” He winks and waves goodbye.

  I would like to say I’m a good person and didn’t stare at his ass as he walked away, but I’m not. I watched until he was too far away to make it out. Next time, I might even grab a pair of binoculars. He’s fucking sexy as hell.

  Chapter Two

  Gunner

  “Are you about out of here for tonight?” Anthony Timmerman leans against the locker next to mine. Most of our teammates skated hours ago. Even my backup, Stuart Hubbard, left hours ago. Hell, I put in more time than anyone else on the team.

  I grab my gym bag and loop it over my shoulder. “Yeah, I’m out. Got here at six o’clock this morning.”

  “Fuck.” Tony shudders. “That’s crazy talk. I bet Coach wasn’t even here that early.”

  “I think he was. I didn’t go by his office, but his light was on in the window when I pulled up.” The weight of the bag pulls down on my shoulder. “In four years, I haven’t made it in before him yet.”

  “With the two of you on our team, we’re set this year.” He smacks me in the upper arm.

  “I hope so.” Last year, we were one game away from the big one. My entire focus over the off-season has been getting one step better. No distractions. That includes women.

  Generally, I don’t date during the season, but at this point, it’s been well over a year since I’ve gotten laid. Even the lady giving out shower tokens at the truck stop would interest me at this point.

  I rotate my shoulders and glare at him. The fucker is probably going home to make love to his smoking hot wife. What am I doing? Going home and eating chicken and broccoli that tastes like it’s made from cardboard. All the sacrifice had better be worth it.

  “Do you want to come over tonight and watch game film?”

  “Shit, man. I’m not barging in on your lady time in the middle of the week.” I shove the door of the locker room open with my elbow.

  “It’s fine. Jenna is pregnant and dealing with morning sickness again. Let’s just say it’s not confined to the mornings, and I’m currently public enemy number one.”

  “That’s awesome.” I pat him on the back.

  “You’re only saying that because I’m not getting any either, right now.”

  “You’re not wrong.” I grin and hate to admit I’m secretly glad someone else is sexually frustrated.

  He shakes his head. “I don’t know why you don’t date during the season. When Jenna and I got together last year, I became a more controlled player.” The corridor is quiet as everyone else has left for the day.

  “But you knew Jenna since you were kids. It wasn’t like you had to invest hours of your time getting to know her. Not to mention, she knew the score. A player’s life is not what the average citizen expects it to be. I’m here before dawn, and I don’t leave until after dark.”

  “The right woman would understand.”

  “Women think the life of dating a professional player is everyone screaming your name and partying. I haven’t gone to a party in two years.” The scent of cleaner invades my nose. Even the janitors are done for the night.

  “You aren’t looking in the right places.” Tony stops in the middle of the hallway.

  The image of Dani slams into my brain. She’s a gorgeous woman but doesn’t do anything to accentuate her femininity – athletic wear, pulled back hair, and no make-up.

  Of course, she’s living in a man’s world. She doesn’t need to do anything to grab the attention of the opposite sex. Would she understand the life of a player? Why wouldn’t she? She’s a trainer for a football team, and her father was a professional player. If anyone would, it would be her.

  Don’t be a dumbass. You have one goal for this year. Win the big one. After that, you can think about your dick.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to come over tonight? Jenna’s making one of the recipes that Ashley, the new dietitian, proposed.”

  I curl my lip. “I think I’ll pass.” I haven’t been brave enough to ask Ashley to provide me with any meal plans. Not that I cook. Sure, I can grill and steam some vegetables, but that’s about it. My sister cooks some, but she’s not a chef either.

  He shrugs. “Your loss. Most of the stuff is good. You should have her go over her meal planning package with you. She comes up with individualized strategies for each of the players and their nutritional goals.” He frowns and glances inside the gym. “Damn, that new trainer is still here. She’s more of a workaholic than you are.”

  “Yeah. She was here about thirty minutes after I got in.” My heart skips a beat. Dani’s wiping down the machine I used this morning. Her ass wiggles as she stretches and swipes the arm pads. Fuck. I tilt my head and watch every move.

  As she steps back, her chest heaves from exertion. Not that she’s got enormous tits or anything, but my cock doesn’t seem to care at all.

  “Dude.” He whistles. “That’s some dedication. I’ve heard her and the new nutritionist are girlfriends.”

  “Oh.” I cough. Motherfucker. Of course, my dick would pick
the one woman who’s not into men to lust after. Holy hell. My radar’s off. Granted, she hadn’t flirted with me, which should have been a dead giveaway. I generally need to pull women off me.

  “They both went to the university together and got hired the same day. If I remember right, Ashley told Jenna they live together.”

  Dani glances over at the door and clutches her chest when she sees us staring at her. Tony grins and waves at her. Of course, he does. Always the charmer. Dani gives him a half-hearted wave and scurries out of view.

  “I’ve got to go.” I shake my head and march down the hallway. Tony follows behind me a couple of steps.

  From behind us, a door slams against the wall. “Gunner!”

  Dani. My entire body stills, and Tony runs into the back of me.

  “Shit, man. Watch what you’re doing.”

  “Sorry.” My face burns and I stare at Dani as she jogs down the hallway.

  “I have your headphones. You must have left them on the machine this morning.” She waves the white wires in her hand.

  “Crap. Thanks.” I reach out and grab it from her. When her fingers brush against mine, my dick twitches.

  God, I’m such an idiot. Did I leave them behind like Cinderella’s glass slipper in hopes I’d get another chance to talk to her?

  Sadly, that’s a strong possibility. My subconscious seems to be doing stupid things right now. Lord, this is why I don’t date during the season.

  “Hey, Dani.” Tony nods. “We were just talking about you.”

  “Yeah?” Her face scrunches as if she’s trying to figure out what in the world, we’d be doing taking about her.

  “I was telling Gunner about Ashley’s recipes. She and my wife, Jenna, hit it off.”

  “Ashely’s a great cook.” Dani cringes. “I’m horrible. Thank God, we live together, or I’d starve to death.”

  “You’re lucky.” Tony crosses his arms over his chest and glances back and forth between the two of us. “Hey, we should all get together some time. You girls are new to the team, so you probably don’t know a lot of the wives and girlfriends.”

  What in the hell? I don’t want to get together with Dani and her girlfriend. God, that sounds like zero percent fun.