The Running Back's Baby: Dirty Players, #2

By Stephanie Brother

I loved playing dirty on the field and in the bedroom. 

Life was too short to play by the rules, but soon enough, my bad reputation caught up with me, and no team wanted to touch me.
It didn't matter how fast I ran on the field or how many times I ran for a touchdown; my past had caught up with me and it all but ruined my career. 
I needed a fresh start. 
A new team. 
And I'd thought I'd found it. 
Especially when I caught sight of the coach's daughter, Zoe, she drew me to her like a magnet. I couldn't look away, even after I'd made her mine. She'd throw me away, but like a boomerang, I kept coming back for more. Playing for the Southern Eagles and getting my reputation back in good standing should have been enough for me, especially when our parents started dating. 
The problem began, when I realized I was hooked, and I couldn't say no to her. But I had to start learning to play by the rules, and stop thinking with the one thing that always got me in trouble…

Author's Note:
Part 1 is a sneak preview into this standalone novel with a HEA and NO cheating!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stephanie Brother
• Release date: May 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393470953

Book preview

The Running Back’s Baby

Part 2

By 

Stephanie Brother

© 2019 Stephanie Brother

All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental. The characters are all productions of the author's imagination.

Please note that this work is intended only for adults over the age of 18 and all characters represented as 18 or over.

About Stephanie Brother

Thanks for checking out my new release. This is book one and is a short teaser for the Dirty Players series:

Book #1 - Dirty Players

Book #2 - The Running Back Baby

Book #3 - The Quarterback’s Child - Coming soon!

They are all standalone novels(apart from book 1), which can be read in any order.

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Here's what reviewers are saying about The Dirty Players series:

Glimpses of characters!

It’s really just a quick look at the characters in some of this authors upcoming and past works. It does however, do a great job of enticing you. It stops at critical points in which you’re left frantic to find out what happens next. Perfect way to get the reader involved and invested in these books.

Looking forward to more!

This is the perfect tease of Howard and Zoe's story!! It's full of heat and I'm looking forward to seeing how their connection grows.

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

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About The Running Back’s Baby...

I loved playing dirty on the field and in the bedroom. 

Life was too short to play by the rules, but soon enough, my bad reputation caught up with me, and no team wanted to touch me.

It didn't matter how fast I ran on the field or how many times I ran for a touchdown; my past had caught up with me and it all but ruined my career. 

I needed a fresh start. 

A new team. 

And I'd thought I'd found it. 

Especially when I caught sight of the coach's daughter, Zoe, she drew me to her like a magnet. I couldn't look away, even after I'd made her mine. She'd throw me away, but like a boomerang, I kept coming back for more. Playing for the Southern Eagles and getting my reputation back in good standing should have been enough for me, especially when our parents started dating. 

The problem began, when I realized I was hooked, and I couldn't say no to her. But I had to start learning to play by the rules, and stop thinking with the one thing that always got me in trouble...

Author's Note:

Part 1 is a sneak preview into this standalone novel with a HEA and NO cheating!

Chapter Three

Zoe

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I stared out the window as Dad drove us to wherever we were going to eat. I’d just come out of an hour long meeting with him that left me frustrated. I didn’t even get to talk to him at home, because it was official business, I had to schedule this damn meeting and see him in his office for it, and here he was, strong arming me into going to lunch with him afterwards as if our conversation never happened.

I loved my dad, but there were times when I wondered if it would be okay that I didn’t.

Is there anything you’d like to eat? he asked. There’s this nice restaurant a few blocks away, but if you like fast food, we can go for that.

The restaurant is fine, Dad, I said with a sigh. I don’t eat a lot of fast food anymore, it’s not really healthy.

Not to mention it set a bad example for the guys on the team, who all had strict diets and workout schedules, so they stayed in top form. I used to love fast food when I was a teenager, because then no one had to cook, but I grew out of it when I started becoming serious about joining a pro football team. I did eat fast food occasionally, but it was about all I ate in my time at college so I’d gotten over it.

Okay. We’ll be there in less than five minutes.

Silence settled between us again.

Five minutes later, Dad parked the car in front of an Italian family restaurant. We stepped out of the car and went inside. It was a bit early for lunch, so the place wasn’t too crowded, and we found a small table for two tucked away into a corner, close to a window.

It’s been a while since we last came here, huh? You were still in college.

Yeah, I murmured.

That was back in my first year, before I got really involved in school. The relationship between my dad and I was strained, because he was stuck doing a job, he wasn’t confident in by himself, but it just got worse after that as I started focusing on what I wanted to do with my future and Dad focused even more on the team without me there to distract him. I knew what I wanted to do from my second year in college, but Dad thought I was kidding when I first brought it up, and now he all but dismissed it every time I mentioned it.

Which pizza would you like? Dad asked, picking up the menu.

The way this place made it was always incredible. I used to come with my family when I was younger, and I’d come here with friends and by myself often since college. I picked up the second menu to look it over.

You used to like the one with pineapple on it, right? How about I order a large of that with a Coke for you?

And a bottle of milk? I was surprised that he suggested Coke!

It’s okay, Dad, I know how to order for myself, I muttered.

He looked like he was about to say something, but a waiter stopped by our table, and he cut himself off. Dad made his order and got a soft drink with his medium cheese pizza. I was tempted to order beer, but went with a spicy sausage pizza and paired it with a glass of wine. Dad looked shock, like the idea of me drinking alcohol was foreign to him. I didn’t indulge often, but I started drinking when the guys introduced me to beer after my twenty first birthday. This was something Dad didn’t need to know, because I knew he’d give the guys shit for it.

Should you be drinking wine? he asked.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. It’s not like I’m the one driving, Dad, and it’s just one glass. I’m sure it will be fine.

I didn’t bother telling him I was an adult and had every right to drink, because that was kinda obvious. Then again, if it was that obvious, he wouldn’t be asking me. I didn’t want to tell him to stop treating me like a child, because we usually ended up arguing, but there was nothing for us to talk about.

I sat for a second and blinked my eyes. I was trying too hard, trying to think of something to say.

The weather.

Too dull.

Sports.

No way!

I decided that it was too much work, so we fell quiet while we waited for the food to come out. I looked outside the window and saw out the corner of my eye as Dad got out his phone and started texting. I sighed and wondered why he’d brought me here at all. Awkward silences were common between us when neither of us had something to talk about, and I’d said everything I wanted to say to him at the meeting.

Dad and I didn’t get to spend a lot of time together, especially since he was insistent on not taking me seriously every time, I told him what I wanted. The only time we got along was when we were doing our best for the team, because I would still go for it even in an unofficial position. He didn’t mind when I showed up for practice, or hung out with the guys, much. He even let me work as an agent, but he wouldn’t let me do anything else.

The food finally came, and I let out a quiet sigh of relief, because the atmosphere felt suffocating. Then I felt a little guilty after thinking that, because this was the first time in a while that Dad and I spent time together that had nothing to do with the team. I’d lived in the dorms through college and we barely got to see each other at home because we were both busy. Other than work, we didn’t have anything in common, either, so while we saw each other nearly every day, there would be days we didn’t say a single thing to each other.

I took a bite of my pizza and a sip of my wine, and decided it was perfect. Then Dad broke the silence.

So, he said. How have you been? I haven’t seen much of you recently.

I don’t know, Dad, just busy. Practice is about to start so we’ll see each other more often, but you’re busy, too, aren’t you. You’re even dating.

He let out a tiny smile. Yes. She wanted to invite you over for dinner, actually.

When?

Whenever you’re free.

We were quiet for a bit, and I thought as I ate. It was awkward for me that Dad and Howard’s mom were dating, especially with what we had going on between us, only I’d slept with him before Dad even told me he was seeing someone. Being around his mom would be weird for me, but then I wondered if it wouldn’t be weirder for Dad.

I turned to him with determination. I’d kept myself out of it because I knew Dad was angry, but I was done with his stubbornness, too. If he wasn’t going to take me seriously, he could at least give Howard that consideration.

And Howard?

Dad froze then looked up with a frown, setting his glass back down. What about Howard?

Will he be present at this dinner? I assume his mom would want him there as well?

He sighed and picked his glass up again, taking a sip. He will probably be there, sure. He does live away from his mom, though, and he might be busy.

I narrowed my eyes at him, knowing he would prefer if Howard was busy and wouldn’t show up. He couldn’t outright show hostility toward him with his mom there, after all. Howard might have fucked up, but his mom was still his biggest supporter, and a part of me envied him that.

Why won’t you just give Howard another chance? I asked. I know he’s been asking.

He scowled. Howard is a loser, and I don’t want a loser on my team. I also don’t want you getting close to him again. I know you’re the one who head hunted him for the team, but it was a huge mistake, so just forget about him.

I scowled back at Dad. I was a little surprised at the wave of anger that washed through me. It wasn’t as if I didn’t know what he thought of Howard, but hearing him talk about him that way upset me.

That’s out of line, Dad. It’s also not fair, he has been trying–

He shouldn’t have made the mistake in the first place, Zoe. If we let a druggie onto the team, do you know what would happen? If it gets out, our reputation will be ruined. If he wants to ruin his own life, that’s fine, but I won’t let him take my team down. I know you meant well when you asked him to join, but we’ll just look for a different running back. Don’t bring this up again.

I opened my mouth to argue, only to stop. Even though I was grown up already, Dad was still treating me like a kid. Even in our meeting earlier, he hadn’t taken me seriously, if I continued arguing, he’d just shut me down. Obviously, he couldn’t deal with the fact that I was grown up, with thoughts of my own and dreams of my future that didn’t align with his own.

My frustration at him made me snap. I looked down at my mostly eaten pizza and half empty glass of wine. I stuffed my mouth with what was left, because it would be such a shame to waste it, then I knocked back the wine. Dad just watched me in surprise as I quickly finished my meal then jumped up, dropped some bills on the table to cover my cost