The Playbook Read online

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  The Playbook

  Copyright © 2016 by Kelly Elliott

  All rights reserved.

  Published by K. Elliott Enterprises INC

  Visit my website http://www.kellyelliottauthor.com

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  Cover photo and design by Sara Eirew Photographer

  Editing and Proofing by Erin Noelle

  Proofing by Holly Malgieri with Holly's Red Hot Reviews – Proofing

  Interior design and formatting by JT Formatting

  ISBN-13: 978-1-943633-20-3

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products, bands, and/or restaurants referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Title Page

  Prologue

  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

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Other Books

  “WHAT PLAY COACH?”

  Forcing myself to look away from the brown-haired beauty standing next to Joe Evans, I turned to my quarterback. “X22OE.”

  Mitch nodded and pulled his helmet back on. Pulling the mic closer to my mouth, I glanced over to her again. When my stare caught hers, she grinned and it felt like the ground shook. Returning the smile, I watched as her face blushed. I could feel the heat of Joe’s stare but I didn’t give two shits. It was probably his fucking girlfriend. Pinching my eyebrows together at the thought, I tried to look away again. Something about her drew me in and caused me to lose all focus. She was the one who finally broke the stare-down when she looked away.

  Fucking hell. Get it together Owens. You don’t lose focus.

  Ever.

  With my attention back on the game, I watched as Mitch called out the play and then executed it perfectly.

  First down. Fuck yes!

  I followed the chains as I watched her walk. Lord almighty, she has a nice ass.

  Clearing my throat, I tried to keep my dick from growing hard during a fucking game.

  Covering my mouth with my paper, I asked one of the coaches in the box, “Pete, who’s the girl with Joe Evans?”

  Hearing his sigh, I couldn’t help but chuckle as I pushed up the sleeves on my University of Austin shirt.

  “Jesus Christ, Owens. We’re in the middle of the fucking championship game, and you want to know who the broad is next to Evans?”

  With a chuckle, I replied, “That’s what I asked.”

  Troy was yelling another offensive play to Mitch as I made my way next to him.

  Turning my head to the side, I probed Troy. “Who’s the chick with dickhead Evans?”

  “You didn’t even give me a chance to find out!” Pete responded in my ears.

  “You’re too fucking slow,” I replied as I covered my mouth

  Troy glanced around, trying to find where Joe was. Once he saw them, he smiled.

  “Ah yes … Aubrey Cain. She works for ESPN as an analyst. Works under Joe.”

  Lifting my brow. “Under him, huh?”

  Shooting me a look, Troy shook his head. “From what I hear, she’s not that type of girl.”

  With a smirk, I replied, “That sucks for me.”

  “Focus on the damn game, guys. Owens, you can have your pick of women to fuck in a few hours.” Pete grunts from up in the booth.

  That was the truth. I would have my pick of women. But I wanted the one standing next to her boss. The one dressed in the white top and dress slacks that hugged her body in all the right ways. The one who smiled and made me lose complete focus.

  I watched as my top-ranked quarterback ran down the field for a touchdown. The extra point was good and we had this championship nailed with less than two minutes to go.

  Smiling, I slapped all my guys and congratulated them as they came off the field. With another chance look, I caught her eye-fucking the hell out of me. My dick pressed against my cotton pants, leaving no doubt in my mind that this woman would rock my world in bed. I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to have her under me. Naked and screaming out my name.

  With a hard slap on the back, I turned to see Pat Stevenson, the athletic director and one of my dearest friends, standing there with one hell of a smile on his face.

  “You did it again, Owens.”

  I returned the gesture with a slap of my own on the side of his arm and laughed. “Took the whole team, but I never doubted we couldn’t do it.”

  As we headed out across the field, I looked back through the crowd for another glimpse of Ms. Cain. The way she was drawing my attention to her caught me off guard. I loved a beautiful woman, but she was different. I’d never had a woman pull my focus from a game.

  Never.

  My heart dropped when I couldn’t see her anymore, and if I hadn’t known any better, I would have sworn I felt a slight ache in my chest.

  What in the fuck is that feeling?

  Snapping my head back to the front, I shook my head. The quicker I forgot about her the better.

  Pat leaned in and yelled into my ear, “You okay?”

  With a quick nod, I answered, “Yep. Perfectly fine.”

  Little did I know that one simple exchange would rock my entire world.

  PLACING THE GLASS to my lips, I took a sip of wine and gazed around the room. My parents had gone all-out hiring caterers and servers. When it came to their kids, they spared
no expense.

  “So where’s the dick?”

  Turning to my sister, Nelly, I sighed. “That seems to be the million-dollar question. If one more person asks me where Cliff is, I’m going to jump off one.”

  Nelly giggled then licked her lips and gave the waiter her practiced seductive stare as she took a wine glass. “Damn, what I wouldn’t do to crawl on top of that.”

  Rolling my eyes, I made a gagging motion. “You’re disgusting, do you know that?”

  With a shrug, she kept her focus on the poor guy’s retreating ass. “Why? Because I like to look at men?”

  “No, because you like them between your legs every chance you get,” I whispered while leaning in closer to her.

  She gave me a befuddled look. “And, what’s the point you’re trying to make with that statement?”

  “Ugh, never mind,” I replied, waving her off with my hand. My once quiet-as-a-mouse sister was now hell-bent on proving to her ex-husband that she could get any guy she wanted. After five years of marriage, the bastard told her he was having an affair with his secretary. Nelly broke down and went off to some yoga resort with one of our other sisters, Marie. When she came back, she was totally different. She ate right, exercised every day, and dropped fifty pounds. She looked amazing.

  “You know, you don’t have to prove to anyone you’re sexy as hell, Nelly.”

  Her head snapped over and the look she wore on her face should have dropped me to my knees. “I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone.”

  Marie, the second to oldest out of all four of us, walked up and draped her arms around both our shoulders. “Don’t fight. It’s your special day, Bree. You got the job you’ve been working so hard for! Sideline reporter in the house!” She called out while doing some weird movement that looked like something close to the chicken dance.

  “What are you doing?” Nelly questioned while attempting to hide her grim.

  Marie stopped and smirked. “I’m dancing in celebration of Bree’s new job! She is finally on the sideline like she’s always wanted.”

  “Let’s not forget she also turned thirty today,” Nelly said with a smirk.

  Curling my lip up at her, I went to say something sarcastic when our mother walked up.

  “Aubrey, darling, where is Cliff?”

  Hearing his name filled me with anger. “I guess he’s not coming, Mom.”

  Her smile faded as she laced her arm with mine and dragged me off to the side. Heaven forbid we cause an unnecessary scene. “What do you mean he isn’t coming? Why in the world not? How could he miss such an important day in your life?”

  Taking another sip of wine, this time a much longer one, I swallowed the heavenly delight and replied, “Oh, I don’t know, Mom. Maybe because he thinks my job is stupid. That women don’t belong in sports, let alone on the sideline of football games.”

  “Nonsense, he’s an asshole then.”

  Covering my mouth to hide my giggle, I felt my face burn hot. It was rare for my mother to swear, but when she did, it tickled me so. My father on the other hand, he could drop the F-bomb at least once in every sentence if he thought he could get away with it. Six years of being groomed to be the husband of a US senator and to always be on his best behavior took some of the fun out of him. It was hard for him at times, but he supported mom one hundred percent.

  My mother gave me a wink. “Don’t let him ruin your evening. And don’t look so sad. You got what you wanted.”

  My head pulled back in shock as a part of me burned on the inside. I got what I wanted? What the hell?

  I could feel my body begin to tremble as I set my wine glass down and looked directly into my mother’s eyes. “Is that what you think, really? Because let me tell you something, Mom.”

  She grabbed my arm and dragged me into her office, shutting the door behind her. “Oh, Aubrey, you know I didn’t—”

  The threat of tears was strong, but I wouldn’t let them win. My shoulders slumped while I walked over to the chair. Making a very dramatic sigh, I flopped down.

  Holding up her hands, my mother said, “Stop. That is not what I meant, and you know it. You’re angry, Aubrey Cain, and don’t you dare take it out on me.”

  “Mom, why do I have to keep proving myself over and over?”

  “Because you’re a woman, and that’s what we have to do.”

  Dropping my head back, I let out a gruff laugh. “I’m so ready for the NFL, but Joe thinks my knowledge of college football is too great to let slip by. Just a couple of years sidelining college games and then, maybe the NFL he said.”

  The couch moved as my mother sat next to me. Taking my hand in hers, I felt that familiar calming effect. “I know you expected yourself to be further along in your career, sweetheart, but you knew what this was going to be like. Take a deep breath and look at this opportunity to prove to Joe that you have more than what it takes. Go out there and show him you’re ready for the NFL.”

  Turning to face her, a weak smile formed at my mouth. “I feel like I’m starting completely over and trying to prove my worth all over again. I figured by now, I’d have been on the sidelines for a few years. I’d be talking marriage. Maybe thinking of kids.” A frustrated sigh pushed from my mouth as a memory hit me.

  My father’s fork stopped right at his mouth while his eyes bulged out in shock. “Bree, did I hear you right?”

  With a slow nod, I cleared my throat and sat up taller. “You did, Daddy. I’ve accepted an internship with ESPN as a research-assistant. It’s for their … um … for their college football program.”

  I was sure his head was about to explode. “You can’t be serious. Sports? You want to work in sports?”

  Why was that so hard to understand? I was athletic all through high school. From running cross-country, to going to state in golf.

  “You know how much I love sports. This is like a dream opportunity for me.”

  He pushed the pasta-wrapped fork into his mouth and chewed while staring at me. I took the moment of silence to glance around the restaurant. It was lunchtime and mostly businessmen and women surrounded us. Like clockwork, my father ate at the club twice a week—Monday and Thursday. It never failed; he was here at twelve sharp.

  Dabbing the corner of his mouth with his napkin, I held my breath and waited for him to speak.

  First, he nodded. I grabbed my napkin and wrung it in my sweaty hands under the table.

  “Yes, Aubrey, I know how much you love sports. We couldn’t seem to keep you out of them.”

  “Here I thought it was because it kept me busy and out of your hair,” I joked with a smirk.

  Pinching his brows, he gave me that look that said he didn’t find my joke funny.

  Inhaling deeply, he slowly let it out and asked, “What about law school?”

  “That was your dream, Daddy. Not mine. I’m doing what I want to do, not what you want me to do.”

  The muscle in his neck jumped, causing me to fidget in my seat like a small child getting ready to be punished. I knew better, though. My father didn’t have a mean bone in his body.

  He tossed the napkin onto the table. “Last I checked, I was paying for your college.”

  My brow lifted. “I’ll pay for it myself. It might take me longer to get through because I’ll have to get a job, but I’m sure I can manage on my own. Mother did it.” There was no way I was going to let my father strong-arm me into doing something I didn’t want to do.

  I couldn’t help the small smile that spread across my face. My mother was smart, beautiful, full of life, and one of the best lawyers in the state of Connecticut. Of course, now she was running for senator, which meant all attention would be on everything we did as a family. Probably why my father was pushing hard for law school.

  “Your mother was different, Aubrey. She came from nothing. Worked her tail off to get through college.”

  My blood boiled as I dropped back against my chair and folded my arms across my chest.

  Rolling his ey
es, my father sighed and whispered, “Oh, here we go.”

  “You’re saying I don’t work my tail off? Is that what you’re saying? Last time I checked, I had a job at fourteen, bought my own car at seventeen, all the while managing to keep straight A’s and grace the honor roll each semester. Oh, and excelled at sports along the way.”

  “You’re the most stubborn child of the bunch. I want you to be able to do what you want to do, darling. Even if that means no law school. What in the world are you hoping to get out of this, though?”

  A wide grin grew across my face. “Sideline reporter for the NFL.”

  His face fell. “Wh-what?”

  With a confident nod, I sat up even straighter. “I know I can do it, Daddy.”

  He continued to stare at me like I’d grown two heads. “You do realize that most men mute the TV when the women start talking.”

  “Daddy! I can’t believe you of all people would say that. You have four girls!” I gasped as he started laughing.

  Holding up his hands, he shook his head. “I’m kidding! My goodness, take it easy. Give me a moment to let this soak in. First you tell me no law school, and now you hit me with sideline reporting.” His face fell as he gave me a serious look. “I need you to know this isn’t going to be an easy career. You know that, right?”

  The waiter walked over and asked if we needed anything. My father lifted his gaze to him. “No, thank you, we’re good. If you’ll put this on my tab please.”

  With a quick glance in my direction, the waiter winked before excusing himself. If my father had seen him do that, he’d rip him a new one.

  Ugh. Men.

  “Back to what I was saying. This is going to be hard work, Bree. You’re going to have to work a hundred times harder to prove you belong on the sidelines. Being a woman in this field is not going to be easy.”

  I nodded. “I know I can do this, Daddy. This is what I want.”

  He reached for my hand and kissed the back of it. “Then you know your mother and I will support your decision.”

  With a sly grin, I inquired, “Does this mean you’re still paying for college?”

  Throwing his head back, he laughed like I had said the funniest thing in the world. We both stood and my father motioned for me to lead the way. “Yes. Even though you’ll be changing your mind about this career decision in a year. I guarantee it.”