End Zone Heat

by Sienna Blake

  These days, he felt like he was under a huge amount of pressure, and he had no one to turn to. No one to talk to.

  No one he could trust.

  But it was time to stop whining about it. At least it was good to drive a little. He wasn’t one of those limo-type of guys. He liked to be behind the wheel. He liked to be in control.

  And he liked to go fast. He had the speeding tickets to prove it.

  Adam had to hand it to Dyson Drake, though. The guy never lost Adam’s Maserati GranTurismo, even following in his black Range Rover. Maybe Adam was a bit of a dick about it too, going a little too fast, weaving through traffic more than usual, putting his new “bodyguard” through the paces.

  He got lucky today. No cops pulled him over and slapped him with a ticket. That was a small miracle, considering how his day was going.

  Home and his hot tub were calling him. He owned a seven-million-dollar penthouse condo near uptown Dallas. Private parking. Great views of the city and downtown skyscrapers. Tons of amenities, including concierge service.

  He was spoiled. He knew it.

  So he wanted to see if he could impress this Dyson Drake. Put him up in the spare bedroom and let him live the high life for a while.

  Sure, Adam was sacrificing his privacy. He was still pissed about that. It was no small sacrifice. He valued it highly.

  But if Jerry Macklin was going to make this a team versus player thing—no, that wasn’t right. An owner versus player thing, then Adam wasn’t going to take it to the player’s union. He would make do as best he could.

  He didn’t have any other option at the moment.

  Besides, he had a little something to make up to Dyson. The guy was just trying to do his job, after all. Adam was sure he hadn’t made the best impression. So he would strive to be more of a team player and a little less of an ass…

  Starting right after he made it home.

  The gates to the private parking garage opened for him as he rolled up. The scanner cameras recognized his license plate on the Maserati. His Veyron was in the shop for repairs after the crazy fan—or crazy ex-girlfriend—had smashed it up. That left him an open slot for Dyson to park his Range Rover.

  He called security to let them know about Dyson and the black Range Rover he was driving. They let him through the gate. Dyson would have to get a swipe ID later so he could come and go as he pleased.

  Dyson backed the Range Rover into the parking slot. Then the big bodyguard got out, adjusted his tie, and nodded to Adam. “Thanks for waiting.”

  Adam jerked his chin at the bodyguard’s vehicle. “Why back into the parking spot? Habit?”

  “Quick escape. You don’t need to back out if you’re under the gun. Just pile in and go.”

  “I gotta tell you, man… All of this seems like ten tons of overkill.”

  “I get paid to be paranoid.”

  “Is that why you drive a Range Rover?”

  “Style and weight. Ballistic glass. Heavy frame. Big engine. Harder to run me off the road.”

  Damn. This guy was all kinds of serious. They were alone in the private underground parking garage filled with supercars and high-end luxury vehicles. Adam found himself curious about his new roommate. The ex-military hard-ass with the body ink and the deep voice. It was hard not to be impressed.

  Adam was around big, tough competitors all year long. A lot of them chased him all over the field, looking to take him out. But none of them quite compared to this guy and the focused intensity in those dark eyes.

  “I’m guessing you’re packing.”

  “That’s right, sir. Glock 22.”

  Adam considered that before shrugging his shoulders. “Is that a good one? I don’t know much about guns.”

  “It’s accurate. The rounds have stopping power. It’s popular with cops and military.” He paused, eyeing Adam speculatively. “I’m impressed.”

  Adam snorted. “Impressed by what? My ignorance? You’re an easy man to impress then.”

  “No, I’m impressed you’d admit to not knowing. Most guys would bluff their way through.”

  “Hey, I’m a simple man. A simple, handsome man with a head full of football plays.”

  Dyson looked amused. “Fair enough. You let me worry about the guns. I’ll let you worry about getting the team to the playoffs.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” He cocked his head to the side. “And no more of that ‘sir’ stuff. Adam is fine.”

  “That’s going to take some getting used to.”

  The tough bodyguard actually seemed a little uncomfortable at using his first name. “Don’t worry about it. Come on. I’ve been waiting to get into a hot tub for hours and soak away some of these bruises.”

  He led the way to the elevator. They didn’t talk as he hit the button for the top floor. It was a long ride to the top of the building. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the burled wood paneling, letting out a long breath. Honestly, he was too tired for conversation.

  It was a relief to punch in his code and let himself into his condo. He opened the door and stepped in, talking over his shoulder to Dyson. “I’ll show you around. You can do your bodyguard thing and check out the place for security breaches and all that.” He shrugged. “You can stay here for—”

  “What the hell is this?” Missy demanded. Her normally sweet voice seethed with outrage.

  Aw, hell. He hadn’t called the concierge or security to tell them to take her off the list of allowed visitors. She had the electronic lock code to the front door. Why the hell hadn’t he picked a better time to break things off with her?

  He turned and continued into the condo with Dyson close behind. He could almost feel the bodyguard looming there. It looked like he was safe if Missy had come to shoot him or poison his salt-water fish.

  “Missy,” he said coldly. “I hope you’re here for your toothbrush because there’s no other reason for you to be in my place. Unless you didn’t get my point when I told you we were done.”

  “I might be blonde, but I’m not a dumbass. I came here to get all my overnight stuff. I don’t trust you to send it to me.”

  “That hurts. Really.”

  She snorted and turned her ire on Dyson. “Who’s the chrome dome?”

  “Nice, Missy. Nice.” Adam glanced at Dyson and introduced Missy. “This is Missy Parks, my ex as of a couple hours ago. She’s upset.”

  “I am not upset. Don’t patronize me. You’re such an asshole.”

  He looked at Dyson solemnly. “That last part is definitely true. I’ll leave it to you to judge her level of upset for yourself.”

  Dyson’s expression was as stone-faced as an island idol statue. He didn’t seem impressed one way or another by Adam’s ex, no matter how Barbie-gorgeous she happened to be.

  “Should I step outside, Mr. Collins?” Dyson asked in his deep voice. His tone was as neutral as his expression.

  Maybe that’s what caught Missy’s attention.

  “Who is this?” she demanded. “You dump me, and now you’re letting this guy stay here? I heard you. You’re letting him live here. What is he, your new boyfriend?”

  Her words caught him off guard enough that he froze for a second before recovering. “Cute, Missy. Real cute. Dyson’s my new bodyguard.”

  She put both her fists on her hips and glared at him. “New bodyguard? Are you afraid I’ll kick your ass after all your bullshit?”

  Adam smirked. He did respect that Missy never stopped herself from speaking her mind, for good or for ill. As annoying as that was right now when she was standing in the middle of his condo, loudly speaking her mind in front of the new guy.

  The new guy that part of Adam was determined to impress.

  Oh well. At least Missy hadn’t trashed the place. Tipped over the salt-water fish tank. Chewed up the couch cushions. Lit something on fire. Poured maple syrup in his shoes. In other words, wreaked havoc.

  He was exaggerating right now…but not much. He’d been on the end of some
bad breakups. Breakups he’d always initiated and then felt terrible about stringing these women along.

  Something had to change.

  After Missy Parks, things were going to change in his life. They had to. He couldn’t keep doing this. Not anymore.

  “Look, Missy,” he said patiently. “You need to leave. Get whatever stuff you left here and go.”

  “I’m not leaving yet. I want to know why you think you need a bodyguard. And why does he get to live here when I had to beg just to stay the night?”

  He didn’t want the conversation to head into uncomfortable territory, and it was coming close. Dyson was still watching them with that same professional detachment. That “I’ve seen everything, and this is nothing new” look.

  “Dyson’s my bodyguard. He needs to be around to guard my body. Seems simple enough. It’s not like he’s going to be sleeping in my bed. There’s a guestroom.” He stopped, frowning. Why was he justifying this to her? The two of them were done. He raised an eyebrow, holding her angry gaze. “So, if there’s nothing else…?”

  She looked Dyson up and down. “He’s sexy enough,” she purred. Then she gave Adam an evil grin. “I bet he can keep a girl satisfied, not like some little boys around here.”

  Adam laughed. “Come on now. If you want to impress me, you’re going to need better insults. But since you’re a free woman, feel free to date him if you want. It’s not my problem anymore.”

  She didn’t bother to answer him. She only lifted her overnight bag and stalked toward the door. He could’ve made a big deal about searching her bag to make sure she wasn’t running off with valuable stuff, but why bother? He was rich. He could buy replacements easily enough. He just wanted her gone.

  But Missy wasn’t completely done. She paused with one hand on the front double doors in the condo’s big foyer. “By the way, Adam. I faked every single orgasm.”

  Then she wrenched open the door and slammed it hard behind her.

  For a moment, both men simply stood there in silence. They were staring at each other.

  “So,” Adam said loudly and with a wry smile on his lips. “That was Missy. She wasn’t at her best, but who can blame her?”

  “Bad breakup?”

  Dyson’s question was offhand and rhetorical, but Adam couldn’t help but feel that the man was more curious than he was letting on.

  “You could say that. Sorry you had to see that ugly drama.”

  “Do you think she’ll be a problem?”

  Missy? A problem? No. He’d pissed her off, maybe hurt her feelings, but she wasn’t a psycho.

  “I think she got the message,” Adam said quietly.

  “I don’t like taking chances. She was in here alone. And she surprised you.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling some chagrin. “Yeah. I’ll be calling security. I’ll have them change the codes and take her off my guest list.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I could make some kind of snide comment about women scorned right now, but I won’t. It was my fault.”

  “How so?” Dyson said and then paused. The expression on his rough face softened a little. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

  Adam shrugged. Part of him wished he’d kept his mouth shut. Still, he didn’t really mind talking about it. Girl problems were a constant thing with hetero guys, right? This was his own protective camouflage.

  Dyson would be living very close to him until the end of the season. Adam was going to be a big boy and put up with having a man shadow him, but he wasn’t going to let the man discover any real secrets about him.

  “Nah. It’s fine. I’ll tell you, but I don’t promise the story’s exciting. She had someone in security let her into the locker room when I was showering.” He rubbed his chin, smirking. “It was supposed to be a sexy surprise. It was a surprise. Because I ended up breaking things off with her. Things had been tense between us for weeks. Hell, things weren’t working out. It was over. I just made it official.”

  “In Mr. Macklin’s office, you said you thought your car was busted up by an angry ex-girlfriend. Why do you think that?”

  “Because I’ve dated a lot of women. Most of them have been great. Some of them have been a little intense.” He shrugged. “I’m usually the one breaking things off. It leaves bad feelings.”

  “Do you have any specific woman in mind?”

  “No. And I wouldn’t say if I did. It was someone getting her ya-yas out on a fancy car, not on me. Honestly, I probably deserved something like that.”

  That didn’t seem to please Dyson. Again, Adam had to keep the raw, lingering attraction he felt under control. Dyson was an impressive-looking guy. Not handsome so much as intense and unforgettable.

  “You might be right,” the bodyguard finally replied. “But I looked through all the threatening letters sent to the Razorbacks’ main office. The threats were pretty explicit and unbalanced. The police think the letters were sent by a man. I agree.” He tipped his head to the right, eyeing Adam speculatively. “Smashing up a supercar with a bat isn’t exactly something women are known for.”

  “I don’t know, man. That’s pretty sexist.”

  Dyson blinked at him, clearly caught off-guard by his words.

  Adam chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. The guy did have big shoulders with some serious muscle on them.

  Maybe Dyson could play a position on the offensive line and protect him where he really needed it. Couldn’t hurt. Especially since the Razorbacks’ offensive line had nearly cost the team the game.

  “I’m just busting your balls,” Adam told him. “I’ll believe it was some psycho guy who hates me and busted up my car if you want. Some fan for an opposing team who’s taking things a little too far. Better?”

  “Why the change of mind?”

  “About what? Trusting you?”

  “Yeah. Back at the stadium, you didn’t seem too keen on that.”

  “I don’t have the time or the energy to waste on fighting this any more than I already have. This isn’t about ego for me. Sure, I didn’t want a shadow, but Jerry put his foot down, and he’s right. I have a contract. I’m part of a team. Sometimes sacrifices need to be made.”

  Dyson nodded slowly. Adam realized he was talking a lot. Too much. He was practically babbling at this man. He probably sounded crazy himself, reversing positions like this so abruptly.

  Dyson didn’t say much. He was one of those guys who took things in, watching the world from behind a poker face.

  But Adam was used to talking to reporters. He was perfectly comfortable going on and on during late-night talk shows or speaking during news conferences. He was going to have to hold back a little to avoid blurting out something or tipping his hand. But Dyson’s quiet, reserved manner wouldn’t bother him. Hell, it might even be nice.

  Either way, he wanted to get into the hot tub and then get some food in his stomach. He’d had about enough of Dyson Drake for now.

  “Anyway,” he said, turning away. “Let me show you where you’ll stay if you want to sleep here. If you don’t want to stay at my condo, that’s fine too. I’ll get you a keycard to the elevator and the code to the front door.”

  Dyson glanced around the luxury condo, taking in the limestone and the marble. He looked at the huge fireplace, the raised ceilings, and the terrace views. His gaze lingered on the large windows with stunning views of the Dallas skyscrapers.

  “If you’re offering, I’d love to stay here,” Dyson finally said. “It’s more efficient and safer. Do you have a butler or anything like that?”

  The question surprised him. It seemed to come from out of the blue. “Not even close. There’s a cleaning service. Sometimes I have a cook come over and prepare meals.”

  “I’ll need her contact information for a background check.”

  Ah. Now Adam understood. Dyson was back in professional bodyguard mode.

  “The cook is a him. I’ll get you what you need, but he’s a great guy. If he wanted to kill me, he
could’ve poisoned me long ago.”

  “Just doing my job, Mr. Collins.”

  So they were back to “Mr. Collins” again. He was too tired to make a big deal about it.

  He led Dyson across the open-concept great room with its vaulted ceilings and wood beams, a contrast to the modern luxury of glass and sleek metal making up the rest of the condo. In the hallway, he pushed open the guest bedroom door.

  “Here’s where you’ll sleep,” he announced.

  Dyson glanced around the room. Then he looked down the hallway. “The master suite is down at the end?”

  “That’s right. There’s a bathroom you can use right off the hall and across from the office.”

  “That’s fine.”

  They both stared at each other. The silence grew a little tense.

  He might as well get this out of the way while they were here. It was time to be blunt. To lay down the law.

  “I want to get one thing straight,” he told Dyson. “This has been me being personable so far. But I’m not happy about this situation, even if it is necessary. I don’t know you. You don’t know me. But you already witnessed an ugly scene between my newest ex-girlfriend and me. That doesn’t make me happy either.”

  The other man didn’t get angry. His broad-featured face remained calm and neutral.

  “I’m just here to do a job, Mr. Collins. And that job is to keep you safe. Your private life will stay private as far as I’m concerned.”

  “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” He didn’t believe that crap about privacy at all. You couldn’t have a guy shadowing you twenty-four-seven without him learning an uncomfortable amount about you. And then selling it to the tabloids. “Then again, you don’t work for me, do you?”

  “That’s right. Mr. Macklin’s the client. You are the principal. The person that a bodyguard is supposed to protect.” He gave a slow shrug. “If this threat turns out to be nothing, then no one will be happier than me. But if you’re in danger… If some crazy fan for another team decides to do a Nancy Kerrigan on you and ruin the Razorbacks’ chances at a winning season, then you’re going to change your mind about wanting me around.”