Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Rowan
I swore I’d never look twice at a football player again, especially after barely surviving the last one. But when my abusive ex gets traded to the team I work for, my past shows up to haunt me.
Not a moment too soon, star player Landry Reynolds runs interference, announcing that he’s my boyfriend. My emotions get the best of me, and I find myself playing along.
He’s charming, bold, and way too convincing. The more time we spend together, the harder it is to remember that it’s all pretend.
I might be falling for my fake boyfriend, but I can never have him for real. I could lose everything I’ve finally found, and that’s scarier than having my heart crushed by the wide receiver.
Landry
I didn’t mean to get involved. I just couldn’t watch her shrink away from him a second longer—not after knowing what he put her through.
So I did what I do I ran the play and told him she’s mine. Now I can’t stop thinking about how right that little white lie feels. How right she feels.
There’s a good chance I was never faking.
This started as a way to protect her. I never imagined it’d be so hard keeping my hands off her. Then again, I’ve never been very good at following the rules
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Prologue
Landry
The crowd's roar is so loud, I can barely hear myself think. I scan the scoreboard, and we’re still up by three. Not that I expect it to change, but I’m reassuring myself. It’s the third down, and forty-five seconds are left on the clock. We’re at the fifty-yard line and need to make this happen. We need to move. We need to either keep position and burn down the clock, or take it to the end zone. Either way, the Rampage is walking out of the Defenders’ Stadium with the win.
League champs, baby!
Sure, I know anything can happen in forty-five seconds, but the boys and I, we’ve busted our asses to get here. We’re too damn close to let this game, the league fucking championship, slip through our fingers.
“Reynolds!” Knox Beckett, our team captain, our quarterback, the best in the league and with the stats to prove it, my best friend, and his new title as my sister’s fiancé, calls out to me.
“Cap?”
He calls the play. “Cinnamon roll hero on two.”
“My man!” I hold my fist out for him to bump knuckles before we all toss our hands in chanting, “Rampage,” and taking our places on the line. There’s no time to give my best friend hell about the name of the play. Since falling in love with my little sister, he’s become softer and living for more than just the game. However, this particular play is for him and me. My sister is always reading, and apparently, she claims Knox and me, as well as a few of our other teammates, are what you would call a cinnamon roll hero. I still don’t know what the fuck that means, but Corie, my sister, and her best friend, Sloane, act like it’s a good thing, so I roll with it.
I’m still going to give Knox shit, though, for naming plays because of something my sister said. He’s got it bad for her. It’s weird, and I’m still adjusting, but if I’m being honest, Knox Beckett is one of the best men I know. If it had to be anyone who swept my little sister off her feet, I’m glad it was him. Knox treats her like a queen, and Corie is happier than I’ve seen her in a very long time.
On the line, Knox calls out the play over the crowd's rumble. Keen, our center, hikes the ball, and I take off like a lightning bolt down the field. My arms pump fast as my legs carry me toward the end zone. The Defenders' defense tries to match my speed, but I’m too fast for them. Looking over my shoulder, I see the ball flying through the air. A perfect spiral, and I grin as the ball lands beautifully in my hands. Tucking it close to my chest, I run like my ass is on fire as the yards dwindle, and my heart rate increases. Stepping over that white line into the end zone, I spike the ball and fall to my knees.
“Touchdown Rampage!” the announcer proclaims, and the stadium goes wild.
Fucking league champions.
My eyes mist with tears, because this is the dream. Every professional player imagines this moment, and for me, my team, my brothers, my family, it’s our reality. We’re league champs.
I’m lifted off my feet and get lost in the mass pile of my teammates as we celebrate and soak up the moment. Breaking away from the group, my eyes search for my best friend. I rush toward Knox, jogging to where he’s standing. “Fucking Beckett!” I hug him tightly. Our teammates don’t let us enjoy this solo hug. They surround us, and once again, I find myself in a big-ass group hug. We’re laughing, crying, calling out in celebration. I’ll never forget this moment.
Years of hard work and dedication brought us here. We’ve busted our asses, and came out victorious. “Fuck yeah!” I scream—not that anyone can hear me over the massive celebration around me. Families and reporters are making their way to the field. Confetti falls all around us, and I break away, searching for my sister. Knox’s height stands out, and I know Corie will be there.
Sure enough, Knox is hugging his family—something I’ll be sure to do as well—but right now, it’s my little sister I need to see. She’s standing at the end of the line by her best friend, Sloane.
“Core,” I say, feeling my throat grow tight with emotion. I open my arms, and my sister walks into my embrace.
“You did it, Landry. You did it. They would be so proud of you. I’m proud of you. I love you,” she tells me, rambling through her tears.
“Thank you for being here.” I step back and wipe at my eyes, while Corie does the same.
“Nowhere else I’d rather be.” She turns to show me her jersey that’s got my name and number, as well as Knox’s on the back. She had it custom-made for today’s game. She said she had to support her entire family, and I’m not gonna lie. My little sister got me in my feels with that one. Knox is her future, and I wouldn’t have been hurt if she had worn his jersey. Sure, I would have given her shit over it, but I’m her big brother—that’s my job. However, my little sister has the biggest heart of anyone I know, and she found a way to support both of us on the biggest day of our careers.