Loved by the Linebacker (8 page)

Pacing back and forth, I stare at the clock, ready
for Camila to walk through the door. It’s after three when she does. She opens
the door quietly, probably thinking I’m asleep. She throws her jacket on the
back of the chair and slips out of her heels, but she doesn’t stop. I stop
walking and watch as she shimmies out of her pants and pulls her shirt over her
head. She stands before me in a black thong and strapless bra. My cock twitches
at her body, but I ignore it, more focused on the shitty offers she failed to
mention to me.

Camila’s grin is huge as she waltzes across the
room to me. Her arms slide around my neck and she draws me down, capturing my
lips with hers. She grinds her hips against me and my fuckin’ dick won’t stop
moving. It doesn’t take her long to realize I’m not kissing back and she pulls
away, slightly frowning.

“What’s wrong? You too tired?” she asks, her
bottom lip looking delicious as she pouts.

“When were you going to tell me about the offers?”
I do my best to sound calm, but my hands are shaking from the adrenaline
pumping through me.

Camila takes a step back, clearly shaken and she
knows she’s been busted. “What were you doing going through my email?”

“You left your computer open and when I went to
close it, I saw my name. I have the right to read about myself. Now, why the
hell didn’t you tell me and why does Chicago want me so bad? I’m not fuckin’
moving, Cami.” All trace of staying calm is gone and I’m on the verge of
yelling.

“They just came in this afternoon and I haven’t
responded. I plan on working through negotiations next week so there’s no
reason to get upset yet,” Camila yells back at me, her arms flailing and her
perky tits bouncing in her bra. My erection is a total traitor right now and I
have to push away the urge to throw her down on the bed in a fit of pissed off
sex right now, although I think we’d both enjoy it.

“What’s the deal with Chicago?”

“Chicago’s a great team. It’s definitely an option
to look into, I wouldn’t throw them out yet.”

And it clicks. Even at the Super Bowl, Camila was
shoving the Lancers down my throat. I scoff. “So that’s your plan to get rid of
me? Send me two-thousand miles away so you don’t have to date me? You’re a
fuckin’ tease, Camila. That’s all you fuckin’ are. You aren’t the best in the
field, you’re the sexiest and the easiest lay.”

Camila’s shoulders drop and she doesn’t say
anything. I pull on my clothes from earlier, grab my wallet and my phone and
march out of the room. I don’t fucking need Camila Lemos. Women are nothing but
a headache.

Chapter 12

Evan

Stupid Tom Petty plays through the speakers of
Blake’s Cadillac Escalade. I hate this song, but then again ever since the NFL
draft a couple weeks ago, I pretty much hate everything. I know I overreacted,
Blake’s told me a dozen times that I did. That it’s how the NFL works and I
need to get used to it, that I’m being a fuckin’ baby and that Camila will work
it all out.

Yeah, I’m pissed that my own team lowballed me and
that some team in the middle of the U.S. where it snows regularly during games
wants me, but honestly, more than anything, I’m just pissed that Camila didn’t
tell me about the offers upfront. I don’t know what kind of relationship we
had, or were about to, but I’m not down with one that’s doesn’t lay it all out,
telling the truth like it is. That’s why I walked out, that’s why I said fuck
it when everything I really wanted was standing right before me.

Leaning my head back, I close my eyes, trying to
block out the folksy tune and Blake’s awful singing. A few more miles down the
road and I can’t handle it anymore.

“Blake, shut the fuck up!” I yell, glaring in his
direction.

Of course, Blake grins and continues singing. Once
the song ends, he punches me in the thigh. “What’s your problem?”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I clench my jaw, fighting
the urge to punch him back. It’s been a couple months since I’ve really spent
any one-on-one time with my brother and I’m thinking this trip to L.A. over
Memorial Day weekend probably isn’t the best idea. Blake jabs me again and I
grab his fist, crushing it with all my might. Blake tightens his jaw before
finally giving in and pulling his hand away.

“Dude, what the hell is your problem? You not
getting any?” he asks, rubbing his knuckles while we sit at a stoplight.

“Gettin’ plenty,” I mumble and it’s the truth.
Ever since I walked out on Camila in her underwear, I’ve banged any woman
that’s been willing. Too bad I haven’t been able to get the last memory of
Camila out of my mind while I’m with them.

Blake chuckles. “Yeah, seems like it.”

Linking my fingers together, I crack my knuckles,
letting his comment slide. “What about you? You getting laid?”

His cocky grin gets even bigger. “Don’t worry
about me, little brother, I’m taken care of.”

The vein in my forehead pulses, but I scoff. “Of
course you are. I bet Camila is a good fuck,” I say, not even trying to hide my
disdain.

Blake glances over at me, his smile gone.
“Whatever, man, I’m not going to tell you again, I’m not sleeping with her.
What’s your deal with her anyway? Why do you care who she sleeps with?”

I turn my gaze out the window, staring at the cars
passing by on the freeway. “She can do whoever she wants, I don’t give two
shits about her. She’s just an easy lay who uses her sensuality to get ahead in
the business.” The words come out of my mouth even though I don’t really
believe them.

Blake sneers. “Sure, if you want to think that,
fine. Camila’s the best damn agent out there. She doesn’t treat her clients
like an investment like some of the assholes, she treats them like family.
She’ll bend over backward for any of us, including you.” I can tell from the
tone of his voice that he honestly believes every word he’s saying.

Internally, I fight the smile that wants to come across
my face thinking about Camila bent over backward, but hey, I’m sure she does
that often. I wonder how many clients she’s
really
slept with. Blake
finally shuts up and we drive in silence. Quickly, I go down her list of
clients, mentally making a list of who I think she’s been with.

A mile down the road and the list I’ve created is
pissing me off. Blake’s phone rings out a different Tom Petty song than the one
on the radio. I’m tempted to throw the fuckin’ thing out the window, but before
I am able to get my window rolled down, Blake answers. Guess it’s his lucky
day.

“Hello…Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down, Camila… Are
you alright?” At the sound of her name, I lean forward, elbows on my knees and
stare at Blake. I can make out her muffled voice on the other end of Blake’s
phone, but my heart is pounding in my ears, making it impossible to clearly
hear her words.

After what feels like an eternity, Blake speaks
into the phone again. “Okay, Cam, I’m a couple exits away. I’ll be there in a
few, just stay calm.”

Camila responds, her voice still sounding
hysterical, and then Blake simply hangs up. He puts on the blinker, glances
over his shoulder, and crosses into the other lane without saying a word. I’m
staring at him, waiting for him to say something, anything. My pulse is still
racing, wondering about what kind of danger Camila is in.

When he exits the freeway, still not having said a
word, I explode. “What the hell is going on? Is Cami in trouble?” My voice
booms through the SUV, finally drowning out the awful radio station Blake has
it tuned to.

My brother doesn’t even flinch at my voice or my
words. No, instead the asshole stares ahead at the road, a smug look taking
over his face and pissing me off even more. I ball my hands into fist to hide
the shaking and reach for my own phone. If Blake won’t tell me what’s going on
then I’ll just find out myself. My finger hovering over her phone number, Blake
chuckles before he speaks.

“Thought you didn’t give two shits about her?” he
asks, his eyebrows raised and a smirk on his face.

“Is she okay?” I repeat, not in the mood to play
his game.

The Escalade pulls up in front of a beach house
and if I wasn’t about to lose my mind not knowing if Camila is in trouble or
not, I would’ve recognized the house in front of me. Instead, my leg starts
bouncing and I’m about to crawl out of my skin. My finger lowers, almost on the
call icon when Blake cuts the engine.

“She’s fine, freaking out because the James’ dog
got out. You gonna help me look for the beast?”

I fall back in the seat, relieved the drama is
over a missing dog and nothing happened to Camila. My heart beats erratically,
still trying to go back to its normal rhythm. The last time this kind of fear
crept over me was when I found my mother’s front door open and I was certain
that I’d find her dead inside.

Holding out my hand, I shake my head. “Give me the
keys, I’m going to the hotel.”

Blake drops the keychain in my palm, shrugging his
shoulders. “Suit yourself, but don’t deny that you’re attracted to Camila Lemos.
You do a shitty job trying to hide it.”

“Fuck off,” I mutter, climbing out of the SUV and
walking around to the driver’s side.

Blake’s waiting for me with the door open.
Avoiding eye contact, I try to slide by him, but he pats my chest as I step
into the Escalade. “Trust her and everything will work out fine.”

I roll my eyes, trust is the last thing I want to
with her. I put the key in the engine and start the car. When I reach for the
door to close it, Blake is still standing in the way. “She won’t sleep with
you, Evan, get it out of your mind. She’s hot, you want a piece of it, but once
you accept that you’re just her client then it’ll make things so much easier.”

I sweep my arm, pushing him out of the way and
yanking the door shut. Maybe she was never going to sleep with me at all that
night. Maybe I’m just an idiot for falling for her…

Camila

“Blake, we have to find that dog! Toby will be
crushed if anything happens to him,” I explain, not even trying to hide the
panic in my voice as I pace back and forth across the James’ deck.

Blake grips my shoulders and gives me a firm
shake. “We’ll find him, Cam, don’t worry. What direction did Shadow take off
in?”

I point down the beach and Blake leads the way.
Both of us calling loudly for the feisty black lab. I try to block the images
of how Mia and Toby will react if that dog isn’t home when they get back in
town. Mia and the kids are in New York for Tate’s series against the Aces and
asked me to dog sit. I said no problem, thinking I would be able to enjoy a few
runs along the beach with the pup. It was a great idea until his leash snapped
while he barked at a passing lab and took off, darting in between houses. I
chased after him for twenty minutes before calling for reinforcement.

An hour later, I stop yelling, my voice hoarse and
sore. My shoulders drop and in my mind, I’m crafting exactly how I’ll explain
this to Shadow’s family. Tears threaten to spill down my cheeks, making my
vision blurry, but ahead of me, I swear I see a black dog and a large man jogging
toward me. Wiping my eyes, I recognize the view in front of me is actually
Shadow and Blake. I take off, sprinting toward them and dropping to my knees in
the sand when I reach the two of them.

“Oh, Shadow, where have you been?” I scratch
behind his ears while he gives me happy kisses, covering my cheeks with dog
slobber.

Blake points behind him. “He found himself a
girlfriend, cute little chocolate lab down there.”

I look up at Blake who is bare chested, his shirt
thrown over his shoulder and sweat glistening down his body. Jumping up, I hug
him quickly. “Thank you so much for finding him.”

Blake shrugs, acting as though it’s nothing, but I
know he loves being the hero. Once upon a time, I enjoyed it too and he was
handsomely rewarded for his acts of heroism. These days, he gets a hug, dinner,
and that’s it, a compromise that we’re both happy with.

Back at the James’ deck, I give Shadow a bowl of
water which he quickly laps up before finding the perfect shade spot on the
patio and plopping down. Behind me, there’s a giant splash and I’m sprayed with
water as Blake jumps in the pool wearing nothing but his boxers.

“Get in, Cam, the water feels great,” Blake calls
to me, treading water in the deep end.

I’ve been wandering the beach for almost two hours.
My skin is salty from my sweat with little beads of sand sticking to almost
every inch of my body. Without being asked twice, I dive head first into the
pool, wearing my UnderArmour running capris and matching red striped sports
bra. Blake is right, the water is cool and refreshing, washing away my stress
of the afternoon.

Blake walks across the shallow end of the pool
while I float beneath the water, only my head sticking out. Remembering Blake
was in L.A. with Evan for a photoshoot I booked him later in the week, curiosity
gets the best of me. “So…was Evan with you?”

Blake nods. “Yeah, jackass didn’t want to stick
around and help.”

I chew on my bottom lip, trying not to take it
personally that he didn’t stay. “He’s not a dog fan?”

Blake’s shoulders move up and down. “You should
know, you two have been spending a lot of time together.” And I know by the
tone of his voice that he’s not making a statement. No, he’s making an
accusation.

I roll my eyes, trying to play it off. “It’s his
off season, he’s bored and I’m just doing my job.”

Blake scoffs and I know he’s about to call my
bluff. “Bullshit, Camila. I hear you two on the phone, giddy and flirting. I’ve
noticed you haven’t seen Gregg since spring training AND you let him call you
Cami.” His eyes narrow because Blake’s the culprit that made me hate Cami.

Deflecting and hoping to not respond, I dunk
underwater and swim to the stairs. As soon as I surface, Blake’s voice calls
from behind me. “Cami, don’t do this, don’t go back on your rule.”

Halfway up the stairs, I turn to him, holding on
to the railing. “Blake, don’t be ridiculous.”

His cocky attitude pisses me off and he knows it.
“Who’s being ridiculous, Cam? You know you can’t turn down a Purser.”

A chill washes over my body and I take a step back
into the water. “Don’t even think about bringing up the past or telling Evan
anything about it.”

Blake smirks. “What’s it to you?”

I shake my head, laughing. In some ways, the
Purser brothers are exactly alike. I splash water in his direction, making a direct
hit in the face. Blake moves his hand quickly, splashing me as hard as he can
and grabbing my ankle before I can climb out of the water. When his attack is
over, he pulls me to him, my arm around his neck, and he looks down at me.

“Look, Cam, I know that we’re a thing of the past,
but you’re the one that pushed me away, saying it would ruin your reputation. I
respected your decision, have stuck by your side, and you know I’d do anything
in the world for you, but don’t make a mistake you’ll regret.”

I sigh and bring my other arm around his shoulder,
giving him a tight hug. A long time ago, my choice was something we both
regretted, but once it had been made, there was no turning back. I needed
Blake’s support as much as he needed mine and we couldn’t risk our careers on
the fallouts of a break-up so we’d both decided friendship was the path for us.