Tackled by the King: A Bad Boy Sports Romance Read online

  “Oh, I see, player.” Odell smirked, stroking his goatee. “You got a girl in there with you.”

  “Yep.”

  “You better get her outta here before coach sees.” Odell opened his locker and threw his duffel inside. “I can keep an eye out you for another 10, but when I hit the shower, you're on your own, man.”

  “Thanks, but she's gonna bounce soon.”

  “Who you got in there, anyway? Anyone I know?”

  “I might have mentioned her in passing.” I opened my locker and grabbed 2 fresh towels. “It's Farrah.”

  “Farrah... Where have I heard that name bef –” Odell cranked his neck back abruptly. “Wait, you mean that stalker chick?”

  “That's her.” I draped the towels over my shoulders. “Now, before you say anything, have you seen the fun bags on that chick?”

  “Oh, hell naw, brother.” Odell shook his head. “Haven't you ever heard of that age-old saying, 'Don't stick your dick in crazy'?”

  “I wasn't planning on it. She was waiting for me outside the locker room, wearing this tiny little gold number – I mean, you had to be there. What was I supposed to do?”

  “You turn around and run the fuck away, that's what you do!” Odell peeked over my shoulder, lowering his voice. “You're nuts, King. Isn't this the same chick who made you a necklace from her pubes?”

  “I get it – not my finest moment. And do me a favor, will ya? If she comes out here later, don't let it slip that I'm living up at Grosse Pointe now.” I reached for my phone on the top shelf to check my messages. “I had to move from Bloomfield last year – she kept breaking in to leave crystals and Ziplocs of her toenails on my front porch.”

  “Like I said, nuts –”

  “Shit.” I reread my only new text message, sent from an unknown number. My fingers shook as I read it out loud. “'I know what you did, you selfish sack of shit, and you're going to pay for this. I've alerted the press. Now your fans will know what a phony you really are.'”

  Odell's face clouded with fear, his voice sounding strangled.

  “Who is it?”

  “I don't – shit! My phone died.” I slid my phone back onto the top shelf and punted my locker door shut. “Check your phone.”

  Odell snatched his phone from his bag hastily. He unlocked his screen with both hands. I'd never seen the dude so shook in all the 8 years we've known each other.

  “Did you get a message, too?”

  “No.”

  “Okay, well get on that shit and Google me.” I wrapped a towel around my waist and stood behind him, looking over his shoulder.

  Odell tapped away at the search bar, his brows furrowed in concentration. But when the page of search results loaded, our shoulders relaxed. The “Breaking News” tags published just 4 hours ago boasted similar headlines: “Superstar Quarterback Kingsley Kelly Spotted With Banker's Wife.”

  “Damn, brother. I know you're young and just having fun, but you can't go around porking every rando's wife. You know you're one screw-up away from getting benched for the rest of the season.”

  “Yeah, well, not all of us fall in love and get hitched to our high school sweethearts. And in my defense, Wendy said they were separated.”

  “Maybe I should get Nellie to set you up with one of her –”

  “You dick weasels should really put a sock on the door if you're thinking of doing any of that faggot business around here.”

  Val Presley, the Wide Receiver, strutted through the door. He dropped his bag onto the bench closest to the door, chuckling at his own shitty remark. I opened my mouth to say something, but a wet and buck-naked Farrah came sauntering out of the shower from behind me, and did all the talking for me.

  “King? King, what's taking you so – oh. I didn't know you had company. Hey, fellas.”

  Val curled his lip and narrowed his eyes at the psychotic, but sexy woman cozying up to my side. I turned around and cloaked her with the towel hanging over my shoulder. As she snuck an arm around my waist, I could see Odell's I-told-you-so eyebrows climbing up his forehead from the corner of my eye.

  “Figures. The drains have been acting up lately,” said Val resentfully as he rummaged through his bag. “Should've known it was you clogging 'em up with your cock snot.”

  “That's not very nice –” Farrah started indignantly.

  “I see Coach, Abigail, and the rest of the guys coming up the field,” Odell warned from the door. “You better get her outta here.”

  Just as Odell warned me, one of the towel boys busted into the room with a squeaking laundry cart. I pried Farrah's arms off me, scooped her off the ground, and chucked her into the pile of dirty jockstraps and towels. Farrah pinched her nose, gagging.

  “Sorry, but you needed to leave 10 minutes ago.” I slipped the towel boy a 20 and jerked my head towards the door. “Get her outta here.”

  The towel boy threw a towel over Farrah's head and wheeled her out the door before she could object. Odell and I peered out the slitted window. We watched as the towel boy steered away from the approaching crowd and out of sight. That kid was the real MVP.

  Coach Abasi and the rest of the team poured in to the locker room with Abigail following closely behind.

  “Everyone here?” Coach thundered, looking around at us. “Alright, listen up. The Daily Dirt will be sending one of their journalists, Carrie Toussaint, to shadow the team for 2 months.”

  “Carrie starts this afternoon. She'll be observing you all at practice, attending your games, social events, and will be doing pieces on a couple of the players,” Abigail explained. “Our team could really use the good publicity –”

  “What she means is, you lot better get your shit straightened out. I don't give a damn what any of you do, just don't get caught. I'm talking to you, Kelly. Take it down a notch and stop screwing everything that moves.”

  “Will do, Coach,” I replied, acknowledging Val's snorts with a silent fuck-you behind my back.

  Coach glared at me before turning back to the team.

  “And I expect nothing but your best behavior when you're around this woman. You treat her with the utmost respect – no funny business, understood?”

  “Yes, Coach,” the team replied in lackluster unison.

  “Good. I want your asses out in the field in 5. Get those laps in and start off with some X-drills. I'll be back later.”

  When Coach and Abigail left the locker room, the team broke out in sleazy discourse over the chick reporter. I was halfway back to the shower when Louie Banks, our Tight End, called for everyone's attention. He waved his phone in the air, beckoning us towards him.

  “I'm on The Daily Dirt's staff page. Who wants to check out this Carrie chick?”

  I wandered back into the crowd gathering around Louie, who was scrolling across the different faces and bios on the page.

  “Toussaint – sounds like one of those sexy French babes,” Val piped up, rubbing his hands together.

  “Here she is – Carrie Toussaint.”

  The team griped in shared disappointment.

  I frowned at the picture, noting how outdated it looked compared to the rest. In fact, it appeared to be the senior portrait of a high school girl. The chubby girl wore old-fashioned glasses, and had unkempt black hair and a mouthful of colorful braces. Despite the cluster of acne on her forehead and cheeks, there was a glowing grin on her face as she posed in front of the starry backdrop. I wasn't sure why, but it was pretty refreshing, and I could feel the corners of my lips tugging back at the girl's unshakable confidence.

  “Of all the fine pieces of ass on this page – shit, this bitch looks like Ugly Betty's uglier sister.” Val sneered, waving a hand dismissively.

  I felt my fists balling up, but I caught myself and backed off instantly. Val had this extraordinary ability to rub me the wrong way, especially with the disrespectful diarrhea sharting out of his mouth 24/7. I cracked my neck and spun around, stalking back to t
he shower. Val and some random reporter weren't worth the suspension.

  Chapter Four: Carrie

  I leaned against the driver's door of my blue sedan in the clubhouse parking lot. My car had been parked for over 15 minutes now, and my fingers were pinched around my second cigarette. As a religious stress smoker, I've always needed the cool blast of menthol and nicotine to quell the nerves.

  This was far from my first “journalistic” piece, but my career was at stake here. And just maybe, even the promotion and pay raise I was robbed of. God knows I deserved it for prostituting myself to the public's warped idea of journalism for years. Having said that, there may have been another reason for the unyielding nerves. When I told Wattana I didn't know diddly squat about football, I wasn't lying, but this wouldn't exactly be my first run-in with footballers.

  Back in high school, 17-year-old me was kicking butt and taking names in the debate club and annihilating rival schools at Mathlete competitions. With my once unmanageable hair and angry teenage acne that attacked in droves, I was also typecast as the “hot girl's fat friend.” And as it is with high school politics, my presence was only remembered when someone needed last night's homework, or when groups of friends wanted their picture taken.

  Aching to find some kind of social acceptance, I took it upon myself to try out for baton twirling. The squad's routines were pure fire, kicking off the performances and cheers during halftime. What's more, the girls on the squad were everything I wanted to be – fit, beautiful, and talented, dazzling the whole school with their graceful skill and sequin leotards.

  On the day of the tryouts, I was ecstatic, arriving before anyone else did. I charged into the empty locker room and into the first stall to change. Highly self-conscious about my non-Size 2 figure, I wore a long-sleeved turtleneck under my stuffy velvet leotard. As I left the stall, feeling more confident than I'd ever been, the door of the locker room opened, and in came the entire high school football team. As a result of my enthusiasm, not only did I walk into the wrong locker room, I had to walk out of there with my chin held high as more than a dozen teenage boys called me “Cheese Butt.” Positively mortified, I never made it to the tryouts.

  Of course, that was almost 8 years ago, and I wasn't in high school anymore. These were grown men, and I, a grown woman. These testosterone-overloaded men tackled each other for a living, but I tackled real problems in my sleep. This really should be a walk in the park for me.

  “Ms. Toussaint?”

  I took one last puff from my cigarette and flicked it into the trash, blowing out the side of my mouth.

  An older black gentleman in a striped polo shirt and gray sports pants stepped out of the clubhouse entrance. He crossed the parking lot in my direction, raising a hand over his wide forehead to block out the blazing sun. I fished around in my purse for my mints and popped one into my mouth.

  “Present.” I smiled warmly at the man, extending a hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Abasi.”

  “Just Coach will do.” Abasi led me towards the clubhouse. “The boys are wrapping up at practice, and they'll be hitting the showers soon.”

  “No problem. Thanks.” I slipped into the lobby as Abasi held the door open for me. “I know I'm a little early.”

  “I'll take you to the lounge –”

  The stench of wet socks, sweat, and body odor pervaded the air. A mob of burly men in football gear and varying states of undress trickled into the hallway. I felt my shoulders tense up a little as I noticed several of them doing double-takes at me. But through the sea of curious faces, one starkly stood out above the rest.

  #33 was a little over 6 feet tall, with a thick crop of wavy, ashy-brown hair and playful, but startlingly blue-gray eyes. It was the same face splashed all over stadium billboards, sports ads, bobble heads, action figures, T-shirts, and a host of other memorabilia. It was also the same face linked with scandal, known for his well-known history of fiendish promiscuity and fast living.

  Yup, it was none other than the world-famous Kingsley Kelly. But as much as the overrated and overpaid footballer's name left a bad taste in my mouth, I couldn't deny it. Kingsley was even more gorgeous in person, with the kind of eyes that made your panties just a little damp.

  So when I felt his lingering eyes sweeping up my body from the ground up, I peeled my eyes off him and directed my gaze straight ahead.

  “What are you jackasses still standing around for?” Abasi hollered at his team. “I know y'all see Ms. Toussaint standing here. So git! You don't keep a lady waiting.”

  As the team filed into their locker room, Abasi ushered me towards the lounge.

  The lounge was designed with the team's colors in mind, the furniture in cohesive colors of nautical blue, royal red, fiery orange, and white. It was decked out with expensive leather sofas, armchairs, and a 152-inch plasma with surround sound in the center of the room. Display cases filled with glinting trophies lined the walls, along with tacked up jerseys, framed plaques, and team photographs. Finally, an old-timey wood paneled bar sat in the back of the room, which connected to a large kitchen.

  “Have a seat in the bar.” Abasi pulled up one of the stools for me. “Would you like something to drink?”

  “I'll just have a glass of water, thank you.”

  Abasi slid behind the bar and fixed me a beer mug of iced water.

  “I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you on your own while I make a few phone calls in the office.”

  “You go right ahead. Ms. Schwartz sent me the team's schedule earlier today. We'll be meeting again later tonight to go over some formalities. I can take it from here.”

  Abasi nodded, the crotchety look on his face softening.

  “They can get a little rowdy, sometimes, but they're harmless. They're good boys.” Abasi started towards the door, looking over his shoulder to make one last remark. “But boys will be boys. You let me know if any of these fools make you the least bit uncomfortable.”

  “I will, Coach. Thanks again for the hospitality.”

  When Abasi left the lounge, I whirled around in my chair to check my reflection on the bar wall. I adjusted my topknot and leaned in for another once-over of my makeup. Wanting to look professional but comfortable when I follow the athletes around, I'd opted for a black spaghetti-strap, a form-fitting aqua blazer, black jeans, and a pair of oxfords.

  As I was fiddling with the upturned strap of my top, the first wave of players wandered into the lounge.

  I hopped off the bar stool, straightening the hem of my blazer nervously. Some smiled at me politely, but they all made a beeline for the dining tables to refuel. Hearing the commotion, the staff rolled out individual platters of grilled chicken, salmon, and vegetables, as well as hearty tuna and spinach sandwiches.

  When the sound of high-pitched tittering floated into the room, my attention quickly snapped back to the doorway.

  I sucked in my top lip and crinkled my nose. Kingsley came out of the doorway, his arms snaked around 2 attractive young girls. The girls were clad in #33 jerseys, with one tied up to bare her flat stomach and the other with a ripped neckline to show off the girls. The women bounced alongside Kingsley in ultra-short spanks that barely covered their asses, rubbing his chest and stroking his arm.

  Just my luck. I looked back at the dining tables. #82, Kahale, was hovering over the table with his phone, sharing snapshots of a little girl in a Taekwondo uniform with the player opposite him. Why couldn't I do my main piece on him instead? I could never understand why the world was so concerned about Kingsley Kelly's tired antics. Then again, I completely understood why the Detroit Daggers management singled him out.

  I puffed out my chest and strode over to Kingsley and the girls, who were now seated at the opposite end of the bar. Walking up behind them, I waited for the 3 to fill in their drink orders before prodding Kingsley on the shoulder. Kingsley whirled around in his stool to face me. The airheads dropped the giggling abruptly. The girl to his left hook
ed a hand over his shoulder possessively, glowering at me.

  “Kingsley Kelly?”

  “Hey, look, it's the nark.” Kingsley winked at me, his eyes gleaming. The girls threw their heads back in laughter like it was the funniest thing they'd ever heard in their lives. “What can I do for ya?”

  “The name's Carrie. Carrie Toussaint.” I extracted my tablet from my purse and logged on to my organizer app. “We're going to have to schedule a couple of one-on-one interviews, so I was wondering –”

  “No can do, nark.” Kingsley shrugged, taking a swig of his blue sports drink. “As you can see, I'm a little preoccupied at the moment, and you know, I got things to do.”

  “Stop calling me that.” I gnashed my teeth together impatiently. This guy was a dick.

  “Relax. Just trying to get you to feel at home.”

  “Done. I feel like one of the gang already.”

  “I'm a very busy man.” Kingsley reclined on the back of his stool with a theatrical sigh.

  “Uh-huh, I can see that.” I replied dully, unamused. “So, Kingsley –”

  “Call me King. Everyone else does.”

  “No thanks. Kingsley's just fine.” I cleared my throat. “So? When can I pencil you in?”

  “Whatever, let's just get this over with. I mean, I gotta eat, right?” Kingsley finally relented. “Wednesday, lunch at Alberto's on Beechwood. I wanna say, noon-ish?”

  As I looked down at my tablet to enter a reminder for Wednesday, another player joined us. He was just as built as the rest of the team, but he looked more like a model, with facial features much too pretty to ever rough up. If I squinted my eyes, he reminded me of a walking, talking Ken doll from the 90s. He ran a hand through his flawlessly coiffed hair and shook my hand.

  “Carrie, right? Val Presley. I hope Kelly isn't giving you a hard time.”

  “No, no, nothing I can't handle,” I assured him. I wasn't sure whether or not I was imagining the tension between the players, noting all the signs of alpha male posturing.

  “Good, good,” said Val slowly. “Seeing as how you're gonna be here for the next 2 months, I'd love to take you for a tour around the clubhouse, show you what's what.”