Backfield in Motion Read Online Free Page A

dirt and mowed grass,
not expensive perfume. She cut her own hair when it got too long.
She didn’t own a dress or makeup beyond an old tube of pink
lipstick and grocery store mascara. Yeah, guys like these didn’t
take out girls like her, even as a favor. Even worse, only one guy
in this room interested her, and he’d never offer. Not the pretty
boy who only did what benefitted Bruiser.
    “Bruiser, Veronica thinks you’re God’s gift
to the fucking NFL. It’d be a big advantage to Mac if you took
her.” Brett had read Mac’s mind. Oh, lord, not Bruiser. No, no,
no .
    “Yeah, Bruise, that’s perfect. Veronica
salivates every time you get near her just thinking about the
different ways she can use you to promote the team.” Derek winked
at Mac, but she didn’t wink back. She was too busy resurrecting her
pride, yet none of these assholes seemed to give a shit about her
discomfort.
    “Yeah, like the Men of the NFL Calendar. What were you, Mr. July?”
    “August,” Bruiser growled, as if irritated
that he even remembered the month. “Just for the record, my
relationship with Veronica is purely business.”
    “Nobody’s saying it isn’t,” Zach pointed
out.
    “So it’s a done deal. You’ll take Mac.”
Tyler lifted his beer in a toast.
    Bruiser hesitated for a brief moment, just
long enough to telegraph to Mac that he didn’t really want to take
her. “I’d love to take you, honey.” His mouth tipped up in that
sexy smile of his. This was no big deal to him, while it was
everything to Mac, on so many levels.
    Mac slipped her hands under the table and
clenched them together to cover up the shaking. Invisible fingers
wrapped around her throat, rendering her unable to speak. Hell,
breathing was a big enough chore.
    Her and Bruiser? On a date? Even if it was a
fake one. A pity date. She knew her mouth was opening and closing
like a newscaster with a broken teleprompter. Tyler’s mouth kicked
up in a knowing smile. When the jerk nudged his cousin, she kicked
her vocal cords into operation. “I—I don’t think—”
    “It’s settled.” Tyler smirked at her, as if
she weren’t fooling him one damn bit, and reached for the pitcher
of beer, draining it. “Who’s buying the next round?”
    Mac sat back in her chair and resisted the
urge to bite off what was left of her fingernails. Everything was
far from settled, especially her wildly beating heart. She shot a
glance at Bruiser, who wasn’t even paying any attention to her.
Taking her to the barbecue was the equivalent of a mercy date.
Bruiser could flirt with her, but she didn’t even register on his
radar as a woman. Unless Kelsie and company could work a major
miracle.
    But did she want to register on his radar?
Where the hell would that get her?
    Most likely nowhere good.
    * * * * *
    Bruiser hated being played, and the guys had
just played him. Big time. He waited until Mac and the rest of his
jerk-off teammates left the bar then he turned on his former—as of
a few minutes ago—best friend. “Why the fuck did you suggest I take
Mac?”
    “You didn’t have to say yes.”
    “Yeah, you pricks backed me into a corner. I
couldn’t turn her down without hurting her feelings.”
    “Do you care? About her feelings, that
is?”
    “Yeah, I do. Surprised? I like Mac.” Bruiser
was pissed and out of sorts, which probably had something to do
with his recurrent fantasies about Mac riding him for all he was
worth into one mind-altering orgasm after another. Shit, he’d been
trying to squelch those particular visions for the past week by
dating a different woman every night. And each night, instead of
taking Ms. Anonymous home and banging her brains out, he dropped
them off and left. Visions of Mac’s pretty brown eyes and toned,
athletic body moving underneath his had driven away his desire for
anyone else.
    God, he needed to get a grip. Bruiser rubbed
his eyes with his fists.
    “Everyone likes Mac.” Brett ground his teeth
together, obviously