Broken Play by Samantha Kane Read Free Book Online

there?” He shook his head. “It’s bad enough the team shares a name with one of the most famous college football teams in the South. But they had to give the stadium a stupid name, too.”
    “Don’t forget the American football team in Birmingham, England,” Beau added, a gleam of humor in his eyes. “I love to go online and read some of the shit those Brits have to say about us.”
    “Yeah, well, I don’t like going online and seeing the comparisons between a fucking English football team and an NFL franchise,” Cass grumbled.
    Marian laughed. “We’re actually trying to work something out with the British Birmingham team. Some mutually beneficial PR. They want a game. We said no. We’re afraid you guys would literally kill someone.”
    Cass gave a booming laugh that drew appreciative glances from the ladies and frowns from the men around them. “Good call. But I’d love a trip to England. Drop that in someone’s ear.”
    “Duly noted,” Marian told him. And she would. Sending the team captain might be a good way to cement a better relationship. Trash talk on the Internet was not the way to sell tickets or merchandise abroad, which was a nice revenue stream for the NFL.
    “So where are you looking for a house?” Cass asked. “We’ve got a place over in Greystone.”
    “I don’t even know where that is,” she said with a rueful look. “I’ve been so busy since I got here that I haven’t had time to drive around and get a feel for the city.”
    Cass lowered the drink he’d been about to sip. He shook his head and sighed. “Another workaholic in the making,” he said. He set the glass down and looked at Beau. “We’re going to have to take her under our wing.”
    Beau nodded with a serious expression. “Yep.”
    “We’re going to take you around and help you find a house,” Cass said with a finality that made her pulse jump.
    “Oh, no,” she said. “We’re not going there, remember?”
    Cass looked too innocent. He placed his hand over his heart, and Beau copied him. They reeked of insincerity. “Friends would do that for friends. We’ve been here for a while, we know the town better than you. And we can enlist some of the other guys to help, too. Teach you how to let loose and have fun. Let us help. Come on, what can it hurt?”
    As she looked at the two of them trying so hard to look as innocent as it was possible for huge, muscular, dangerous football players to look, Marian could think of a lot of things it could hurt, starting with her heart. Dealing with them at work was one thing, but throwing herself into a closer friendship, one without benefits, was asking for trouble. She flashed back to Beau’s interview earlier that day. Apparently the Rebels were indeed bringing trouble to her door, and she was finding it harder and harder not to open it and let trouble trample all over her.

Chapter 4
    “Hey, Mr. Perez!”
    Beau turned at the sound of an unfamiliar voice calling his name. He was listening to some music but he still heard her. It was a woman he’d seen around once or twice. She was young—looked like she’d just graduated from college. She had that nerdy look that some of the guys liked, with her hair in a messy bun and black-framed glasses sliding down her nose. Her legs looked a mile long in a short skirt and some kind of socks that came to just over her knees, clunky shoes on her feet. She was pretty in a skinny, messy way. Not his type, but pretty. Problem was, he couldn’t remember her name.
    “Um, yeah?” he answered tentatively as she hurried up to him. As he took out his earbuds he looked over at Cass next to him, who just shrugged.
    “Melody Ann Merriot,” she said with a friendly smile. “From PR.” She held out her free hand. The other was clutching a notebook and several papers against her chest.
    “Hi, Ms. Merriot,” he said politely, shaking her hand carefully. She was awfully skinny and he didn’t want to crush it.
    “Mr. Zielinski,” she