Hard Love_A BWWM Sports Romance

by Peyton Banks

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  A Note From the Author

  About the Author

  Also by Peyton Banks

  Copyright © 2018 by Peyton Banks

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  Editor: Emmy Ellis with Studioenp

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  Cover Design by Covers by Combs.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, businesses, events, and incidents are a figment of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any similarities to real people, businesses, locations, history, and events are a coincidence.

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  All rights reserved.

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  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Love has no color.

  -Unknown

  “Their defense crushed us last year,” Coach Robert Farrell announced to the room.

  Reiner nodded in agreement as he took in the game on the massive flat-screen television before him. He sighed and ran a hand through his thick hair. He watched his head coach rewind the film to show Reiner getting sacked by the defensive end who’d slammed into him. He winced remembering that hit. It had taken him two days to be able to sit up in bed without cringing.

  “They blew right through our offensive line,” Reiner noted. He assessed the play with the precision of an experienced quarterback. The leader of the team. The playmaker.

  Reiner Strickland was legendary. He didn’t come by his nickname ‘The General’ for no reason. Over his years of playing professional football, it was a name given to him by his teammates. He was a strong leader and he knew his teammates depended on him. If they were to make the playoffs again for the fifth straight season, it would be up to him to lead his team, like a general leading his men to battle.

  It was getting late, and he and his coaches had been poring over old game films from the previous seasons. Even though their team was the best in the league, it didn’t keep them from finding ways to improve the organization and to ensure they remained so.

  “Me and my team will make sure hits like that don’t happen this year,” Shawn Bird, the team’s offensive coordinator, assured Reiner from his position in the film room.

  Reiner was the star quarterback for the Knights football organization. Under his leadership, the team had won three of the four recent Super Bowl championships.

  He shook his head. “I can’t keep taking hits like that. I’m getting too old, and my body can’t recover like it used to.”

  By standards of the football league, he was one of the most seasoned vets, but in calendar years, he was still young. At the ripe old age of thirty-two, he was considered an aging athlete. It was getting extremely hard to compete with players who were ranging in their mid-twenties. Football players’ bodies were abused year after year from the sport.

  “Let’s call it a night.” Coach Farrell turned off the television. “We got some good prospects from the draft last month.”

  Reiner stood as the coaches continued to chat about the upcoming season. He waved to them all before leaving the film room. He glanced down at his watch and shook his head. He hadn’t realized that nine hours had passed since he’d arrived at the team’s training facility.

  The dark night sky met him when he exited the building. His pickup truck sat in the parking lot along with the coaching staff’s vehicles. It was an oversized cab and stood out amongst the smaller vehicles and SUVs that lined the lot. It was his pride and joy. Some of the guys in the league loved the small and fast cars, but not him. He was too big for some of those expensive wheels.

  Matter of fact, he was much larger than the average quarterback. At six-foot-four-inches and two hundred and thirty-five pounds, he was massive for the position he played. But it was his speed and intelligence that made him the perfect man to lead in his position.

  He pulled out onto the road and flipped on the radio. His favorite country song was on, and he attempted to sing along with it at full blast. He may live in the city and play for one of the top football teams in the nation, but he was a country boy at heart, growing up in Texas.

  He sped through the city, heading home. Tomorrow he would be back at the training facility for workouts. Just because the season had ended months ago, didn’t mean he got to be lazy during the spring and summer. This was the time where he trained to stay in top shape and work his arm before the season.

  “Shit,” he muttered as fat rain drops began to fall fast and hard. He had just picked his truck up this morning from getting it detailed and waxed.

  He glanced up, officially noticing the dark storm clouds moving in. Within minutes the downpour commenced, making it difficult for him to see. The windshield wipers flew across the glass, but it didn’t really do much for him with the heavy rain.

  Reiner knew from his surroundings that he was about a quarter of a mile away from his turn-off to his street. Flashing lights ahead of him caused him to slow down. He passed the stalled car, and a female was standing outside it, with a jacket draped over her head, leaning under the opened hood.

  There was no way that he could bypass and leave a female stranded. His father, Karl Strickland, would string him up by the balls if he knew that his son passed a damsel in distress. He pulled his truck over in front of hers and backed it up close.

  Ice-cold water met him as he jogged back to her piece-of-shit car. It was certainly a car that had seen better days.

  “Need some help?” he yelled over the rain and wind.

  She turned toward him and squinted at him through the rain. Her long dark hair was matted to her smooth brown skin. He didn’t want to be the one to tell her that her jacket was doing nothing to keep the water off her.

  “I think it finally died,” she shouted.

  He leaned over to take a look and was met by a burst of smoke rising from the overheated engine. “Have you called for a tow?”

  “No. Not yet,” she admitted.

  He glanced over at her, and even in the darkness, it was clear that defeat was written on her face.

  “I had just hooked my phone up to the charger when my car died. My phone is just as dead as my car.”

  “If you want, you can use my cell. It’s in my truck.” He stood up.

  Apprehension marked her face. He’d be willing to wait out a tow truck with her from the dry cab of his pickup truck.

  “You can wait in my truck until help comes.”

  Her eyes widened at his offer. The slight hint of fear was etched on her face as she took in his size. She was a small thing. The top of her head barely came to the middle of his chest. Even soaked from the rain, she was attractive. A stirring below his waist let him know that his cock agreed. He’d love to see what she looked like when either of them were dry and not resembling drowned rats.

  She weighed her options, trying to hide from the wind and rain.

  It hit him.

  She didn’t know who he was.

  He was used to people recognizing him the moment he went anywhere.

  She bit her lip and glanced around the empty street. He di
dn’t recognize her, and by the shape of her car, she didn’t live in this neighborhood.

  “Umm.” She hesitated before turning to him. A hint of a small smile tipped her lips up in the corner. “I was always told not to get in cars with strangers.”

  He barked a laugh, holding his hand out to her. “I’m Reiner.”

  * * *

  After gathering her purse and phone from her car, Jada Dalton hopped up in the monstrous-sized pickup truck. Her knight in shiny armor shut the door behind her. She watched him jog around the front of the truck. He climbed into the vehicle and closing the door, sealing them off from the monsoon rainfall that had come from nowhere.

  “Thank you,” she said, wiping her forehead to keep the water from running from her hair into her eyes.

  “No problem. Nothing like rescuing damsels in distress on a Thursday night.” He laughed as he flicked the light on in the cab.

  Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of her rescuer.

  Reiner.

  His name was different, but that wasn’t what caught her attention. She was drawn to his dark hair that was plastered to his head. His gray eyes were a shade that she had never seen before. A single dimple winked at her from his right cheek.

  He was the epitome of a Greek god.

  With a low country drawl.

  Oh, my.

  She swallowed hard as she reached inside her purse to search for her charging cord. She needed a distraction to keep herself from appearing like a drooling fool over Reiner’s good looks. The sheer size of him seemed to consume the oversized cab.

  When the truck had first pulled in front of her car, she had joked to herself that someone with that size cab was clearly overcompensating for something. What she hadn’t expected was this mammoth of a human sex god to get out of the vehicle. His dark t-shirt and jeans were molded to him in a way that put his strong muscular physique on display.

  “If you know the number you can just use my phone,” he said, taking the cord from her and plugging it up.

  “Who really remembers phone numbers nowadays?” she asked, trying her best not to flirt with him, but for some odd reason, her body wanted him to notice her.

  “Ah, you’re right. If it wasn’t for my parents having the same phone number for the last thirty years, I wouldn’t know the number,” he joked.

  Her heart did a weird pitter patter dance at his smile. She was fascinated by the dimple that grew deeper as they shared a good laugh.

  “It shouldn’t take long. I’m sorry to hold you up. I’m sure your wife will be worried,” she said.

  Dammit, she did it again.

  This was just not like her. Usually she didn’t warm up to strangers this fast or even openly flirt. She couldn’t blame it on alcohol. Maybe it was her body’s way of telling her that it was time to end the drought and go find a man.

  “No wife. No girlfriend,” he murmured, his smile fading.

  His eyes held hers for a brief moment, and she knew she was in over her head. She grew self-conscious as he took her in. She knew she must have made a sight. The rain had caught her off-guard, and she probably looked horrid.

  A light flashed from her hands, signaling that the phone had enough power to turn on.

  She danced in her chair watching the home screen on her phone appear. She quickly went through her contacts for roadside assistance and placed her call. She could feel Reiner’s eyes on her as she spoke to the man who answered the call. She gave him their location while he assured her that the tow truck should be there within the next two hours.

  “Two hours!” she exclaimed.

  “It may or may not be that long, but we have to give a window.” The man’s voice was void of any emotion, as if he were reading straight from a script.

  “Fine,” she mumbled before disconnecting the call. She closed her eyes tight and pushed her offending hair away from her eyes. “I’m so sorry. It’s going to be a while. I really don’t want to keep you from wherever you are going. I’ll just go wait in my car until the tow gets here.”

  “Not happening. I was just on my way home. I don’t mind waiting.”

  Her body shivered uncontrollably from the chill. Her clothes were soaked, and from the heat in his eyes when he turned to her, her nipples decided at that moment to push their way through as if to beckon him to look at them.

  “I don’t want to be an inconvenience to you,” she murmured, bringing her drenched coat in front of her to hide her reaction to him.

  “It’s not an inconvenience. How many times does a man get to say that he rescued a beautiful woman from the side of the road?”

  Jada parked her rental behind her salon in the parking lot. She couldn’t keep the smile from forming on her lips. Even though her car had died, she still felt as if she were walking on cloud nine. It had taken the tow truck a little over two hours to come get her car. Once it had arrived, she had called for an Uber to come take her home.

  The two hours of waiting had been spent laughing and conversing with Reiner. They had shared tales of growing up with each other that had her grinning even now. Her smile slowly faded as she thought that she would never see Reiner again. They hadn’t exchanged numbers or anything. As much as she wanted to ask for his, the fear of rejection kept her lips closed.

  The company had been good, but she doubted that someone like him, who was in such great shape and had money, would be interested in a woman like her. Not that he bragged about being wealthy, she could just tell. His truck was top-of-the-line, and if he lived in the neighborhood where her car had stalled, it was a given that he was loaded.

  No, Reiner wouldn’t be interested in her. She sighed, thinking of the dreams that had plagued her last night. Reiner had been the star of each and every one. It had been a long time since she could remember that she’d had such X-rated fantasies. They were so hot that she woke up painfully aroused and needing to get herself off. A few swipes of her fingers against her swollen clit, and her body had exploded.

  “No more thinking of Mr. Sex God,” she muttered, exiting the rental. She grabbed her messenger bag from the back seat before heading into her salon.

  The Dalton Design Team was her baby. She’d opened it three years ago. She had been a licensed cosmetologist since graduating from high school. Her school had a cosmetology school built into it, so when she’d graduated with her diploma, she’d also got a diploma in cosmetology. A month after high school, she’d sat for her boards and passed.

  Her parents, Ollie and Clare Dalton, were determined blue-collar workers who stressed the importance of education. They couldn’t afford to send her to college, so after securing her first job as a hair stylist, she’d taken night classes at the local junior college and earned an associate’s degree in business management. After much hard work and scraping to get by, she was finally able to open The Dalton Design Team.

  Because of having to go get a rental that morning, her best friend and lead stylist, Trissa Morris, had ensured the salon had opened on time.

  “I’m here,” she called out as she let herself in through the back door. The salon opened early every day to accommodate clients who would need morning appointments.

  “Finally! Betsy finally died, huh?” Trissa asked, coming into the back where Jada’s office was located.

  Her and Trissa’s friendship dated back to Jada’s first salon job. They both had been green behind the ears then. Over the years, their friendship grew, and when Jada mentioned wanting to open her own salon, Trissa was right by her side.

  “I’m not sure. I’m sure all the smoke that came from underneath the hood was not good.” She groaned, flopping down in her leather chair.

  “Why didn’t you call me?” Trissa asked, concern lining her face as she leaned against the doorjamb.

  “Phone died. Car died.” She couldn’t fight the smile from spreading across her face. Thoughts of her time in the truck with Reiner came to mind.

  “Well, it if was that bad, why are you smiling?”


  “No reason. Just thinking of the hot guy who stopped to help me.” She exhaled.

  “Oh, do tell.” Trissa flew to the chair that sat in front of her small desk.

  Jada laughed at the expression on her friend’s face while she bounced in her chair. “Not much to tell. He was tall with a perfect body. The rain caused his shirt to be plastered against his broad chest.” She sighed, getting lost in her daydream of Reiner. “He even had dimples when he smiled.”

  “Girl, you getting me all hot and bothered. Please tell me you exchanged numbers with him.”

  “Nope.” Jada’s smile disappeared, and she thought of what he must have seen when he’d observed her. An overweight, drowned-looking little brown girl. Definitely someone who would not catch the eye of someone who belonged on the cover of the top fashion sports magazines. His muscles were too bulky to be model-worthy. No, he had those muscles that professional athletes flaunted.

  “Why not?” Trissa slammed her hand on the desk, causing Jada to jump. “Well, if he didn’t ask for your number then he is an idiot and not worthy of the sexy Jada Dalton.”

  “What’s up?” she asked, changing the subject.

  “I have two tickets to the Knights charity auction next weekend and was wondering if you wanted to go with me.”

  “The Knights?” she asked, appearing to be confused.

  “You know, the professional football team. Only the best football team ever. Our city’s team!” Trissa rolled her eyes and slapped her forehead.

  “Oh, yeah.” Jada ducked her head and chuckled. She knew Trissa was a football fanatic, while Jada only watched the games because of Trissa. She did have fun getting dragged out to the sports bars to watch the games. Had it not been for Trissa, Jada wouldn’t know the name of their local football team. “What type of function is it?”