Loved by the Linebacker Read online

  Loved By the Linebacker

  Lyssa Layne

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, places, or events is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  If you purchase this book without a cover you should be aware that this book may have been stolen property and reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher. In such case the author has not received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  Loved By the Linebacker

  Copyright © 2015 Lyssa Layne

  All rights reserved.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission. The copying, scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions, and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  OTHER BOOKS BY LYSSA LAYNE

  Everybody’s After Love

  My Favorite What If

  The Right Pitch

  Fear of Striking Out

  Until You Fall In Love

  ***

  Burning Lovesick Series:

  Love is a Fire

  Burst Into Flame

  Love Can’t Save You

  Chapter 1

  Evan

  When you’re six feet six inches, three-hundred pounds, and bald, it’s hard to blend in with the crowd, especially when you’re an NFL linebacker, but today it’s easy. Today, I’m crammed into the Arizona Lizards’ Football Stadium with eighty-thousand crazed fans for the football game of the year—the Super Bowl. Ahead of me, my brother, and fellow NFL linebacker, Blake, only three inches shorter and twenty-pounds lighter, waves his hand.

  “Come on, Ev! Keep up,” he yells back at me.

  I roll my eyes at his comment for two reasons. One, I’m heads above the crowd, as is he, so there’s no way I’m going to lose sight of him and two, it’s a little tough for a guy my size to barrel through a mob of people without leaving a few casualties in my wake. A few more twists and turns and I finally catch up to Blake, who is knocking on a suite door.

  The door swings open and in front of us stands our agent, Camila Lemos. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a Neanderthal and despise being represented by a woman sports agent, but Blake’s got four years in the NFL and swears she knows what she’s doing. I can’t complain too much about the nice signing bonus she managed to get out of the San Diego Seawolves for me last year and damn, she’s fine to stare at.

  “You boys coming in?” she asks, her long coffee colored hair hanging over her cream sweater. The shirt is a low V-neck and her dangly necklace hangs between her cleavage, which I can appreciate. Her shirt has large holes that display her camisole underneath, but still shows enough skin to let the mind wander. The sweater hangs over her nice ass in her skinny jeans and she stands only a few inches below me in her tan hooker boots.

  “Sorry, Cam, had to wait on this guy,” Blake says, pointing a finger at me and giving Camila a brief kiss on the cheek as he walks in. He swears nothing’s ever happened between the two of them, but the pair are practically inseparable that it makes me wonder.

  Camila holds the door open, her eyebrows lifted as she stares at me. “In or out, Evan?”

  I step past her, unsure how to greet her. I’ve only met the woman a handful of times, which kind of pisses me off. Word from her other clients is that they always see her at their games, she takes them out to dinner, sends their families birthday gifts, but me, I’m like the redheaded stepchild that she wants no part of. Like always, I’m sure it’s because I’m the “little” brother and never get the full attention I deserve.

  Surprising me, Camila kisses my cheek and with a smirk, says, “Too bad you boys couldn’t be playing today.”

  “Yeah,” I grunt, not exactly sure how to respond to that.

  Camila gives a light laugh and waves her arms around the room. It’s bigger than it looks from outside. There’s seating for about twenty-people, a buffet of food that smells amazing, and a fully-stocked bar with bartender. She leans in to me and speaks in a low whisper, “Help yourself and be sure to network. The owner and general manager from the Lancers are in our suite as well as some other special teams coaches.”

  I nod as she walks away, sliding her arm around the shoulders of the Lancers’ GM, her bracelets jangling while she introduces Blake. I scoff. Of course, he gets first dibs, but what do I care? The Lancers are in Chicago and it’s fuckin’ cold there. I’m happy with my team in San Diego, where it’s sunny and warm and the women wear hardly any clothes. I don’t need to waste my time schmoozing with any of them.

  I pile my plate high with chicken wings, sliders, and a few slices of pizza. I’m officially in the off season now so I can be lax in my eating habits for a couple weeks. Grabbing a beer from the bartender, I take my seat in the front of the box. It only takes a few minutes for my plate to be cleared and when I turn around, I see Blake’s hand resting on Camila’s back as the two fake laugh at some horrible joke the Lancers’ owner just told. I shake my head, I didn’t pick this career to be fake and stick my nose up people’s asses. I picked it to play football, my passion.

  Rolling my eyes, I stand to refill my plate. Before I am on my feet, a blonde in six inch stilettos and a ridiculously short dress places her hand on my shoulder. Seriously, who wears dresses like this to a football game? I take my time checking her out, letting my eyes drift from her heels all the way up her legs and over her obviously fake chest until I reach her face.

  Grinning, she flips her hair to the side. “You’re Evan Purser, right?”

  I nod and sit up a little straighter, finally someone’s giving me the time of day. “Yeah, I am. Who are you, sweetheart?”

  She giggles and takes a seat beside me. “I’m Maddie and I’m a huge fan!”

  She grabs my thigh when she says this and I smile, placing my hand over hers. “Well, Maddie, why don’t you tell me a little more about yourself?”

  The pitch of her laugh hurts my ear, but her hand slides higher up my leg and I figure I can handle a little earache since I have a good idea how this game is going to end.

  Camila

  “Mr. Feiser, you know Blake led the Seawolves in sacks this season and his contract is up for negotiation this spring,” I inform the owner of the Chicago Lancers. There’s no way in hell that I’ll let Blake go to Chicago, despite what he wishes. It would be a total career killer, but the more he’s wanted, then the more the Seawolves will offer.

  “Yes, Miss Lemos, I’m fully aware and hoping that Mr. Purser might be open to the idea of the Midwest,” the pot-bellied man says with a wink. His comb over is one of the worst hairstyles I’ve seen in a while and I have to force myself to stop staring at the cheese dip he dropped on his shirt during the first quarter.

  I pat Mr. Feiser’s arm and smile. “Blake always likes to leave his options open.” Blake’s hand tightens on my waist as he moves his head, agreeing with me.

  Mr. Feiser makes his way to the next crowd and I turn to Blake. “That went well. Now, we just need to get him to talk to Evan.”

  Blake lets out a laugh and his dark eyes sparkle as he shakes his head. “Cam, you might need to work with Evan a bit more before you actually let him talk to anyone like Mr. Feiser.”

  Blake is right, I didn’t spend nearly enough time with Evan last season to coach him so that he’ll be prepared come negotiation time. My boss at Netsports decided to take early retirement, therefore, dumping all of his clients on me as well as my own. Not to mention I had to do everything I could to ke
ep one of my clients’ reputation from going down the drain due to an attack on his wife’s ex-husband. Needless to say, it was a busy year and knowing Evan is Blake’s younger brother, I definitely dropped the ball on refining him.

  I sigh and pat Blake’s chest. “Alright, we’ll keep him away from Mr. Feiser tonight and I’ll make a point to work with him before Combine.” NFL Scouting Combine is the end of this month and every team will have a representative there. It’s primarily for undrafted and college players, but it’s also a chance for current players to make the rounds as well.

  Blake kisses my cheek. “Thank you, Cam.” He guides us to the bar where he orders for both of us as he always does.

  My relationship with Blake goes back years ago to when we were in college. He was an all-star trying to break into the big leagues, I was a business student with no idea what I wanted to do. When our paths crossed in biology class, we found out that we were a business, and friendship, match made in heaven. Later, we discovered that we were definitely not suited for anything more than that, but we’ve always been loyal to each other and had each other’s back through thick and thin.

  The bartender hands me a glass of Merlot, my drink of choice, and I glance around the room. Bringing the glass to my lips, I stop when I notice Evan is nowhere to be seen. I set the glass down and spin around, trying to find him.

  “What is it, Cam?” Blake asks, taking a long pull from his beer.

  Luckily, I spot Mr. Feiser in the front of the suite, chatting with a leggy redhead, but my stomach sinks as I still don’t see Evan. I turn to Blake. “Where is your brother?”

  As soon as our eyes meet, my question is answered by stifled moans coming from behind us. Blake is on my heels when I turn and make my way to the back of the suite. I fling open the bathroom door that wasn’t even locked and we’re greeted by the sight of a blonde with her dress around her waist while Evan pounds her from behind. The two glance over at us, the blonde not bothering to stop moaning while Evan grins proudly.

  I slam the door shut, leaning against it while Blake tries to hide his laughter. Shaking my head, I shove my finger in his chest. “This isn’t funny. Evan is mine for the next two days or he’ll never get signed.”

  Running my hands down my face, Blake lets his laughter go and pulls me to him. Giving me a kiss on the forehead, he says, “You’re the best, Camila. If anyone can tame Evan, it’ll be you.”

  And this is exactly why I don’t sign rookies.

  Chapter 2

  Camila

  Sitting on the balcony of our penthouse suite that we all shared the night before, luckily without the bathroom blondie, the Purser brothers and I eat our breakfast in silence. Other than Blake and I refusing to let her come back to the hotel with us, none of us have mentioned the restroom incident. Evan’s chair scrapes across the patio as he stands, forcing both Blake and I to look up at him.

  “I’m gonna grab a shower before we head back. Flight’s at noon, right?” Evan asks, walking away from us.

  Blake and I meet eyes, neither of us wanting to tell Evan about the change in plans. I lift my eyebrows high, my eyes getting big, and mouth, “Tell him.”

  Blake grumbles under his breath then calls to his brother’s back, “Ev, you and Camila are flying out tonight. Redeye back to L.A.”

  Evan spins around, confusion with a touch of anger is written all over his face. “Why?”

  Blake eyes me and I know it’s my turn. Taking a deep breath, I lean forward, placing my cup of coffee on the table. Slowly, I turn in Evan’s direction. “You and I need to work together to prepare you for negotiations.”

  Evan scoffs, his large shoulders moving up and down slowly and his t-shirt clinging to his muscles. “Whatever, I’m fine. As long as I sign with the Seawolves and get the same deal as last year, including the signing bonus, I’ll be good.”

  Blake and I exchange a look, neither of us speaking. The table shakes underneath Evan’s body as he slams his hands down. I jump at the sudden movement and my coffee slips over the top of my mug while our breakfast dishes clatter.

  “Quit the fuckin’ sideways glances. I know you two are tight, but if you have something to say, then just fuckin’ say it,” Evan growls at both of us.

  Blake stands up, pushing his brother back. “Chill out, Ev. There’s a lot more to this game than just football. Spend some time with Camila, listen to what she has to say, and it’ll better your deal when it comes time for contracts.”

  Evan balls his hands into fists and I can see his chest puffing from anger. I know this all too well as Blake used to have a short temper just like Evan. Quickly, I move between the two brothers, placing a hand on each of their chests.

  “It’s not a big deal. I just want to discuss some things that I should’ve gone over when we first started working together.” I speak calmly and look Evan in the eyes when I do, hoping he’ll see it as a sign to trust me.

  Above me, the brothers exchange a look and it’s like I’m watching a tennis match as my eyes dart back and forth between the two. Unable to handle the silence any longer, I push Blake toward the door.

  “We’ll see you back in L.A. Don’t worry about us, we’ll be fine. Right, Evan?”

  I look up into Evan’s dark eyes and notice the smallest hint of blue. He scratches his beard and runs his hand over his bald head. Muttering, he drops onto the loveseat on the patio. I turn back to Blake and nod, letting him know we’ll be fine. Taking a deep breath, I close the sliding doors and begin my lesson with Evan Purser.

  Evan

  For three hours, I’ve been listening to Camila drone on about every team in the league, who the coaches, managers, owners are, but I haven’t been paying attention. This Brazilian beauty has been pacing in front of me wearing the tightest jeans, a tank top that shows her midriff and lots of cleavage, and a small cardigan as if that hides any of her body that she’s flaunting. Her naturally tan skin is tempting me and I can’t keep myself from licking my lips, wondering what her skin tastes like.

  “Do you understand? Evan? Are you even listening?” Camila stops in front of me, her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed. Uh-oh, I’m busted.

  Reaching out to her, I place my hands on her hips, slowly sliding them to her backside and pulling her to me. Her hands grab my shoulders, trying to steady herself and I can feel my cock twitching as my thumbs rub up and down the bare skin between her jeans and tank top.

  “Cami, why do I need to know all this?”

  She takes a step back, but I hold her firmly in place. “It’s Camila, not Cami and it’s important because it’s who you know that makes all the difference in this world.”

  My thumbs press harder against her skin, her waist is small enough that I can almost make a circle with my hands all the way around her. Staring at my fingers on her skin, I shrug. “I want to be in San Diego with the Seawolves. Make that happen and fuck everyone else.”

  Her fingers move under my chin, lifting it to look at her. I sigh. I’d much rather stare at her taut tummy than in her eyes, but again, I’m a man and other than football, sex is the only other thing on my mind.

  “Evan, I understand you want to stay in San Diego, but first we need to explore other options. Let the Seawolves know there’s more than one team that wants you so that they’ll offer you a contract we’ll accept.”

  I can smell the ginger and floral of her perfume on her wrists. Moving my hand to hers, I lightly brush my lips across the back of her hand. This penthouse needs to see some action. I move my lips down to her wrist, inhaling her perfume, before kissing up her arm.

  “Fine, Cami, just tell me what to do. Let’s forget all this boring stuff and get on to something more fun,” I say softly, moving my hand across the shirt on her stomach.

  “It’s Camila,” she says firmly and grabs my hand, bending my fingers backward.

  Pain shoots down my wrist. “Fuck, Camila, what are you doing?”

  “Getting your paws off me. I’ll tell you once and we’ll
act like this never happened. I don’t have relations with my clients. Understand?” She drops my hand and steps back out of my reach, a smirk on her thin lips. Her wide nose flares slightly, yet she looks completely confident…and so fuckin’ sexy.

  I lean back on the loveseat, folding my hands behind my head. “So you’re telling me that you’ve never fucked my brother?”

  Ever so slightly she hesitates, but shakes her head. “Blake and I are friends.”

  I grin. “Really? It sure looks like more than that. If you aren’t sleeping with him, then who gets that pleasure?”

  Camila’s lips turn into a smile. “Evan, just because you don’t mind letting the world know who you stick it in, does not mean that we all do.”

  I purse my lips and fake a shocked look. “Oh, ouch, Cami. Got me right where it hurts. Maybe the truth is that you aren’t getting laid…” I raise an eyebrow at my insinuation.

  Her lips drop. “It’s Camila, not Cami. My love life is my business, just like yours is yours…until it gets you in trouble.”

  In a huff, she turns and walks toward the penthouse. Her tight ass and swaying hips make me want her so much more. Calling after her with a grin, I yell, “Okay, Cami. You know where I am when you need a good lay.”

  She pauses when I say her pet name then she slams the door behind her. Despite my growing hard on, I grin, because Camila Lemos has just offered me a challenge. The Brazilian She-Devil needs to get laid so she can lighten up.

  Chapter 3

  Evan

  Three-hundred and fifty pounds hovers above me. The first couple sets were easy, but now I’m on my third and my pecs are burning while my arms tremble under the weight of the bar. Grunting, my legs lift off the ground as I struggle with every muscle in my upper body to rack the weight.

  “Grr…Blake…” I grunt to my brother who is standing above me, supposedly being my spotter, but right now is just standing there like a statue.

  Finally, he leans over the bar, but doesn’t take it. “Camila said you came on to her.”