Catching the Pass (Football Fantasies)

Jennings Ashby had played football since peewee leagues in elementary school, but a college knee injury shattered his dreams of the NFL—until his sister found a new surgery that would give him a chance at reaching for that dream once again.  Almost thirty and not having touched a football in nearly a decade, he has a lot of hard work ahead of him if he wants a chance at the big show.

Maggie Anders is one of the best rehab therapists around.  She’s tapped to work with Jennings and agrees to come live in his Dixon, Texas home to administer the intensive training and therapy he needs—especially since it’ll get her away from the drama her NFL fiancé has created in her life.  Running away is much easier than facing the man she wasn’t really sure she wanted to marry in the first place.  She swears off athletes for good.  Then she meets Jennings and she has to rethink that vow.

Jennings knows he wants Maggie from the moment she knocks on his door, but he needs to focus on getting ready for the tryout his friend Rhett obtains for him more than he needs to focus on getting Maggie into his bed—no matter how tempting the latter sounds.

Catching the Pass

by

Alexandra O’Hurley

M/F,
ORAL, ANAL PLAY

Twisted
Erotica Publishing, Inc.

www.twistederoticapublishing.com

A TWISTED EROTICA PUBLISHING BOOK

Catching the Pass

Copyright © 2014 by Alexandra O’Hurley

Edited by Marie Medina

First E-book Publication: March 2014

Cover design by K Designs

All cover art and logo copyright © 201
4, Twisted Erotica Publishing.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

DEDICATION

To Jennings – for screaming so loud in the last book!

Catching the Pass

Chapter One

Knock-knock-knock.

Margaret “Maggie” Anders dragged herself out of bed, sleepily rubbing her eyes and heading for the door.  She mentally ranted at whoever was making her get up.  Didn’t they know it was the weekend?

Knock-knock-knock-knock.

“Okay, okay!  I’m coming!”  Maggie yelled, tripping over her own two feet.  She brushed a hand through her long hair to make sure it wasn’t sticking up in every direction before tightening the sash on her robe.  As soon as she got to the door, she peeked through the spyhole and saw it was her best friend.  She pulled it open and glared at Kelsie.  “Why are you waking me up at seven in the morning on a Saturday?”

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Kelsie said, a frown marring her pretty face.

“Okay?  Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

Kelsie’s face softened a moment, the look reminiscent of pity.  “You haven’t seen it, have you?”

“Seen what?” Maggie asked, as restlessness coupled with a sense of impending doom.

Kelsie brushed past and walked into Maggie’s apartment, heading straight for the living room.  Maggie closed the front door and followed her, hearing the click of the television coming on.  As Maggie entered the room, Kelsie was flipping channels and finally landed on one.

“When did you start watching Sportscenter?” Maggie asked. 

“As soon as they shared a story with TMZ,” Kelsie said, staring at the screen.  “Just wait a minute.”

Maggie watched, her eyes still slightly blurry.  All the words on the scrolling side weren’t in complete focus yet.  She needed coffee for her brain to work properly this early in the morning.  Dropping onto the couch, she waited to see what it was that had Kelsie up in arms.

Rhett Banes is having the season of his career and is taking his team into the playoffs undefeated.  What a change since his last season, when he didn’t make it into the playoff
s for the first time since coming to the NFL.  Many said it was the beginning of the end, but in true Banes fashion, he didn’t let his naysayers bring him down.  He has shown that he is one of the elite quarterbacks of the game, able to come back from tragedy and show his true talent and wisdom on the field.  His trade to Houston seems to have done him good after his very public divorce, which many say contributed to his off season last year.

And speaking of the NFL and personal scandal, we’ve got more details on the Brian Brooks fiasco. 
The hits keep on coming for the Baltimore defensive back, and if they continue to mount, there’s a chance he might have to say goodbye to professional football.  As many of you know, he crashed his Lamborghini last night after a wild night of partying—

Maggie sat up straighter.  What had happened to Brian?

—but new reports coming in are saying that the young woman in the front seat of the car had been performing a particular act on Brooks that more than likely contributed to the accident.  And wait—it gets better.  We’ve just gotten reports that the young lady is underage.  Brooks has had numerous problems over the years, but had seemed to be back on track in recent years.  His true colors are once again showing, and I can’t imagine he’ll have much of a career left after this debacle.

Kelsie hit the Off button and silence filled the room.

“I’m so sorry, Mags.  I really didn’t want to be the one to tell you this.  I figured you’d already heard.  That he’d called, your brothers had called, or you’d seen it on the news.  I saw it this morning and came straight here.”

Maggie stared at the television screen and then glanced down at the diamond on her finger, numbness filling her.  She’d been hesitant in her “
yes
” when Brian had dropped to one knee three months ago, but her family had been so happy when he’d popped the question right in front of them.  Maggie had felt pressured to give him the answer he’d expected.  Here she was heading toward thirty, unmarried with no children, which seemed to be a constant part of the family conversation.  Her mother had literally squealed with excitement, tears glittering in her eyes when Brian had proposed.

Seeing the news was almost a relief.  She had a good reason to back out of the whole situation without having to admit she hadn’t wanted to marry him in the first place.

“Mags?  Are you okay?”

Maggie pulled the diamond off her finger and stared at it a moment longer.  “I’m okay.”

“Want me to make some coffee?  Are you hungry?  Can I do anything?”

Maggie smiled up at Kelsie, tears coming to her eyes.  She wasn’t crying about Brian.  She wouldn’t cry over Brian.  No, she was more touched by Kelsie’s caring nature.  Her best friend since third grade, they were more sisters than friends.  After growing up in a household with five rowdy boys, she had needed a sister more than anything.

“I love you, Kelsie,” Maggie said.

Kelsie’s shoulders dropped and tears shone in her eyes.  “Don’t make me get all mushy on you,” she said as she shrugged out of her coat and climbed onto the couch beside Maggie.  “I know you need time to let this register.  If you want to talk, talk.  If you want to scream, scream.  I’m here to listen.”

Maggie handed Kelsie the diamond.  “Just take that away so I don’t have to look at it anymore.”

Kelsie closed her hand over the ring and shoved it in her jeans pocket.  “Your mom is going to freak.”

“I’m amazed I haven’t gotten a call yet.”

Kelsie nodded.  “I think she was more in love with the idea of you getting married than she was about Brian.”

Maggie smiled.  “Nail meet head.  Sad part is, I think I said yes just to make her happy.  I’ve been doubting this marriage from the moment he proposed.  Now I have a legitimate way to back out.”

Kelsie let out a long breath.  “I’m so glad to hear you say that, Mags.  I’ve been doubting it, too.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” Maggie asked, shocked the normally outspoken Kelsie had kept something back.

“If he made you happy, then it wasn’t my place to interfere.  And you seemed happy.  I wasn’t going to ruin that for you.”

Maggie scrubbed her hands over her face. “He
did
make me happy.  He’s a blast to be around, and he’s a lot of fun.  But that’s all it ever was.  Fun.  There was absolutely no responsibility anywhere in his DNA, which is exactly what led him into the mess he seems to be in now.  He wasn’t the kind of guy I saw myself settling down with.”

“Agreed,” Kelsie said.  “I didn’t see it either, but as long as you had a smile on your face, I wasn’t butting in.  Now there’s no longer a smile and he has me to answer to.”

Maggie chuckled.  Brian was definitely in for it now. 

“I need caffeine.  You want a cup?” Kelsie asked, getting up.

“Yeah, sure,” Maggie said as her phone rang.  She got up and fished it out of her purse, then checked the Caller ID.  Her mom.  Right on time.  She clicked the Talk button and put it to her ear.  “Mom, I really don’t want to talk about this right now.  Kelsie’s here, and I’m fine.”

“That rat bastard.  You better not marry him, young lady.  That’s all I’m going to say,” her mother spat.  “Just know your father and I love you and if you need anything, we’ll be right there.  He’s messed with the wrong family.”

Relief filled Maggie’s body and she leaned into the wall.  Then the laughter came.  Hysterical laughter.  She wasn’t sure if it was because her mother had cursed, as rat bastard was about the worst thing to ever come out of her mother’s mouth, or if it was pure nerves coming out the only way it knew how.

As the laughter finally died away, she ended the call and fell into a dining room chair.  “No more, Kels.  This is the last athlete I date.  Period.  I’m over their self-absorbed, maniacal selves.  I can’t deal with this crap again.”

“Your brothers are athletes and they’re good guys.”

Maggie sighed.  “That’s because my father beat sportsmanship and honor into their heads from the moment they could walk and talk.  There aren’t many men that are stand up guys like my brothers.”

Kelsie got a dreamy look on her face.  She’d had a crush on Maggie’s eldest brother since she’d been in middle school.  “Yeah, there aren’t many men out there like the Anders boys.”

“Especially one Anders boy?” Maggie asked.

Red filled Kelsie’s face.  “Drop it, already.  I’m not going there.”

Maggie chuckled.  “I’d rather talk about you than me at the moment.”

Kelsie poured two cups of coffee and brought them over to the table, along with the sugar and creamer.  She settled into the chair opposite Maggie and fixed her cup.  “I know it’s probably not settled in yet, but what are you going to do?”

Maggie stirred her creamer in and watched the swirling liquid, her mind muddled.  “I have no idea.  I’ve got a job coming up, a guy in Texas with a bum knee who needs some major rehab and training.  Big plans to get into the NFL although he’s almost thirty and hasn’t played in about a decade.  I’ll be moving in with him temporarily, so at least I won’t be home and can get away from all this and think.  Three or four months away should do the trick.”

“Another jock.  Great.”

Maggie shook her head and smiled, although she didn’t feel like smiling anymore.  “Nope.  I’m done with men like that.”