Page 3 of Protecting Player #73
Last week, I confirmed 23,000 new followers and was told that this week would either make or break me. I was given a probationary period along with dozens of rules, signed NDAs, and other contracts for each player. I won’t lie, my hand was cramping by the end of the day. Now, the real job begins because tomorrow, I’ll be on the field with the team, and I’m more nervous than I was when I started college.
As Alex talks on the phone, I walk along the corridors, snapping a few selfies in front of popular spots adorned with team logos or photos. One of the food stands is open, so I grab a burger and a watermelon refresher, taking a photo of it with the caption, “Gameday goodies. What’s your go-to snack?”
Checking the stats of my short live, I’m pleased with the response and the questions flooding in from a mixture of men and women. Smiling as I read each one, I continue to eat and chug the refresher that clearly has a hole in the bottom of the cup because it’s gone way too soon for my liking.
“Well, that was interesting.” Alex plops down across the table from me and snags a bite of my burger, knowing I won’t eat it all.
“Good interesting or bad interesting?” I ask around the bite I’m chewing.
“Good.” She pauses. “I think.” Rolling my hand for her to elaborate, she blows out a breath. “I got a call from the Westerners. They have a couple of guys looking for a new sports agent.”
I grin at her. “Well, how is that shocking exactly? You are the best in the west!” It’s the slogan I made up for her when she first hit the scene because I knew she would be.
“You always say that.” Her smirk tells me she still loves it. “How’s the video going?”
“Strong.”
Grabbing the notebook from my purse, I jot down some of the more interesting questions. I’m not a fan of the ones asking whether they’re looking for a booty call or some other sexual thing, so I leave them out. Depending on the vibe I get from the players who are more private about their lives, I will ask about their future relationship goals, but the last thing I want to do is make any of them feel pressured.
I’ve worked way too long and hard for a chance like this right out of college to screw it up by getting overzealous because of a couple of fan questions. This is the beginning of a bright future and proving to my parents that I can make it on my own.
Chapter 3
T.K
Typically, on days like today, I’m the first guy out of the locker room, ready to warm up and work my ass off. I love football; it’s been the cornerstone of my life for as long as I can remember, but this week has been one giant fucking clusterfuck, and the more I discover, the angrier I become.
I’ve had to hire a private investigator to locate the woman who released that video because no matter how much I’ve been searching, I can’t find her, and I was too fucking drunk to remember her name. Coach and Alex were right, I’m a fucking screw up.
Slamming my locker door shut, I get to my feet when I hear a feminine voice, and that anger boils over into a rage as she continues speaking. “Well, here we are, as promised. The Portland Settlers’ locker room. Where secrets are confessed, plans are made, and the guys get personal.”
“What the fuck.”Is this chick off her rocker?Stalking through the lockers, I stealthily move in behind her to find that she’s recording on her phone as she speaks. “What the fuck areyou doing?” She jumps at my barbed tone, nearly dropping her phone before spinning around.
“I’m so sorry; I thought the team had already cleared out. I never meant to interrupt anyone. I’ll leave.”
She tries to move past me, but I slam a hand against the metal door and trap her in here. It’s an asshole move, but as I get a good look at her crystalline eyes, I’m fucking lost.
“Why the fuck are you in here at all?”
Her slender blonde eyebrows pull together, creating the cutest damn wrinkles between her eyes as she scrutinizes me. Her pearly white teeth bite into her plump lower lip, and I get the sense she wants to rip me a new one, but, surprisingly, keeps her cool.
On an exasperated breath, she lifts her phone to show me the video she was taking and explains, “I work for the team. I was doing a locker room tour for the fans so they could get a more personal look behind the veneer of the team they see on the field.” She grumbles on about how now she’ll have to do some major editing before posting.
“You?” I scoff. “Work for the team. In what capacity, and why didn’t we know this would be happening?”
Her tiny hands ball into tight fists as she slams them onto curvy hips that make my mouth water.
Fuck.
I can feel it, the obsession crawling along my spine and sinking deep into the belly of the beast that perpetually lurks inside me. Claws gripping my heart, strangling my peace of mind until all I see is this beautiful little pup laid out beneath my body in all her naked glory. Bite marks mar her skin. Bruises from my fingers glow like beacons of ownership and possession, and my scent assaults her pores so no one is confused about who she belongs to.
Son of a bitch.
This is the exact kind of shit I’m supposed to be avoiding right now, so I do the only thing I can think of…
I lash out.
“Seriously, whoever let you in is getting fucking fired, and you are going to be banned from the stadium for life.” Tears well in her eyes as her cheeks bloom red with her own anger. My craving for her amps up, as does my nastiness. “Unless, of course, you want to make it up to me so I keep quiet.” My eyes drift down her body, watering for a taste I’ll never have after this. I just fucked up royally in so many damn ways.
