Page 2 of Running Back

When the news had quickly come down the pike, Rocky had jumped on the first flight to Minnesota. The adrenaline of the race had worn off and the exhaustion hit. Rocky did his best to power through. He was always tired. It was just another day. He had work to do.

“I’ve lived here for nearly six years now and I didn’t know this restaurant existed.”

Rocky glanced around at the observation. He spent a lot of time traveling all over America and Canada. Rocky was almost an expert at finding quiet places where stars wouldn’t be bombarded. After all, that was who was always in his company, and his meals were always about business. “Yeah. I found this place a few years back when I signed Chipper Brown. It’s a good spot for an uninterrupted meal.”

Jakk leaned forward. His expression screamed excitement. “You’re Chipper Brown’s agent? I love that guy. He’s the whole reason I watch MMA.”

A smile tugged at Rocky’s lips. He loved that stars still got star struck over other stars. “Yeah. I have an extensive client list.”

“That must be exhausting.”

Jakk’s observation caught Rocky off guard. Most people never considered his comfort at all. He worked for them. They were the celebrities. It took a big ego to make it to the top. Rocky found himself smiling for real. “Yeah, a bit. It’s worth it to me, though. I have a very particular talent. I know how to keep athletes exactly like you on top.”

“Like me?”

Rocky nodded and tried to move on before Jakk could ask what he meant. He pulled out a folded piece of paper he’d kept in his pocket. Rocky unfolded it and read. “Since I’m not your agent.” He paused for effect. “Yet. I don’t have access to your contracts, so everything I know is what I gathered from research and public records. You’ve still got two years left on your contract with the team, so you’re still good there. As long as you don’t let this throw you off your game, they have no legitimate reason to release you. Unfortunately, your commercial deals and sponsorships aren’t under any obligation to keep you.” Rocky could tell by Jakk’s expression, he hadn’t considered any of this.

Rocky pressed on. It was best to rip the bandage off quick. “Like I said, I don’t have access to your contracts, so I don’t know if I have the full list. I also don’t know the verbiage of what you signed. What I know from experience is, they almost always have the same legal language. You have to fall in line with their moral code. That becomes a gray area in this situation. My advice is to let it go if you get dropped. You don’t want your name associated with a homophobic company anyway, so just don’t sweat it.” He glanced at his list and started with the worst.“With that said, Johnson Hardware will drop you. I’ve seen it. Each and every time, they will drop you. Greenway Cellular is a wildcard. They are known to change their logo to pride colors in June. Otherwise, they’re pretty middling. They give donations to both sides of the aisle, so it’s hard to judge. On the other side of things, Treadlong Tires will keep you. They love it. They’re very well known for sponsoring Pride events all over the country. You’re good there. Other things, such as uniform sponsors, won’t get involved at all. They have too many athletes and are way too big to split hairs. It matters not at all to them.”

“It shouldn’t matter to anyone.”

Jakk’s quietly spoken words broke Rocky’s heart. This part always devastated him. He set the paper aside. “Agreed, but until it doesn’t, it does. It’s not fair. None of this is right. You deserve to only be judged by your actions on the field, but that’s not how it works. I can’t promise any of this will be easy, but I can swear to you—if you sign with me—I will keep your career safe.”

A sweet smile touched Jakk’s lips. He was truly a gorgeous man. Rocky wasn’t immune. It was no wonder some guy had tried to force him to go public with him. No doubt being kept a secret by this heart-stopping man was hell, but no one deserved what Jakk currently suffered. “I was ready to sign when we shook hands earlier. You didn’t have to treat me to dinner.”

A bark of laughter burst from Rocky. “Never be too eager to sign with anyone for anything. They’ll fuck you every time.”

Jakk’s sexy, light brown gaze moved over Rocky’s face. “Will you fuck me?”

Goddamn. Rocky knew what he meant, but still his mouth went dry. His nipples hardened as his stomach muscles clenched. Rocky never let athletes tempt him. Not anymore. He had never been more on board than he was then. Rocky hated to stay on topic. “You’ll get a fair contract.” There. He would be damned if said no to fucking him. That, Rocky very much wanted to do. He wouldn’t, but the temptation was fully there.

Chapter Two

Shadows moved across theceiling. Jakk stared at each one. He assumed it was trees getting whipped by the high winds. His mind was a mess. He tried thinking about anything at all but his life. Unfortunately, his brain wouldn’t stop and let him sleep. It was strange knowing he would never talk to Eric again. Truthfully, they had been over for a while. Jakk just hadn’t wanted to accept it. They had been together for so long. He had honestly thought of Eric as his best friend. No one else knew him. Not really. That was why his betrayal cut so deep. He didn’t hate him. Jakk understood Eric’s actions were the last desperate attempt at saving them. Eric wanted what Jakk couldn’t give him. He supposed Eric thought all that stood between them was Jakk’s hiding. It wasn’t.

For at least a year now, they had been limping along. Their fights had been epic for months, and then they had turned cold. The silence had set in and conversations stopped. Jakk had been holding his breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. It finally had, and he felt oddly relieved. Obviously, he was enraged by Eric’s actions, but he no longer walked on eggshells. Still, the room felt devoid of something that let him sleep at night. He supposed the feeling would pass.

A loud buzz brought his gaze toward the bedside table. His phone was lit. Jakk snagged it and checked the face. He smiled at the sight of Rocky’s name.

Rocky: You probably won’t get this until morning, but I’ve put some feelers out for deals to replace the sponsors you lose. I’ve already gotten two bites. From my research, they look to be good choices.

For a moment, Jakk simply stared at the message. He didn’t answer right away. Jakk wanted to savor the feeling of not being alone. He also was a little stunned by his immediate reaction to hearing from Rocky. The guy was his agent, but that was not what he had felt like when Jakk saw his name. His first thought wasmine. He had never been so instantly attracted to anyone. Obviously, he had been ready to fuck a lot of people in a heartbeat. This was different. He couldn’t explain it. He liked Rocky. There had been a spark lit inside him at dinner. He felt seen.

Jakk:Why are you still up working on my issues? I don’t want you losing sleep over me.

Rocky:I went to bed and dozed for about ten minutes. Then the people in the hotel room next door obviously came back from partying. They have music blaring, and I’m pretty sure an orgy is happening over there.

A smile exploded across Jakk’s face.

Jakk:That sucks. You could’ve stayed with me. I have plenty of room. It didn’t occur to me to ask where you live. If I had realized you were stuck in a hotel, I would’ve offered earlier. There’s a music festival in town. I’m surprised you even got a room, and you definitely won’t be sleeping anytime in the next three days.

A thought hit Jakk.

Jakk:I mean, if you plan to stay that long.

Rocky: It had been my intention to hang around while we pan things out. I mean, I have something else I have to do for a few days, but I’ll be back. I didn’t know about the festival.

For a moment, Jakk chewed his bottom lip. He didn’t want to sound desperate. The house just felt so goddamn empty.

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