Patton Cooper won three national championships as the starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Marauders, but that didn’t stop them from trading him to Phoenix without so much as a warning. At thirty-two, he finds himself weighed down by old injuries and forced to start over again as a backup quarterback for an untried rookie. Deeply hurt by the betrayal of both his team and his ex-lover, Patton keeps to himself and takes what solace he can in football.<br><br>Cornerback DeShawn Jones has loved two things in his life -- football and Patton Cooper. It seems like his dreams have come true when he’s drafted to play for the Phoenix Wildcats, until he realizes the coach has no intention of letting him start, and his childhood hero is a withdrawn, wary man. But DeShawn refuses to give up on his dreams of playing, or his hope of reaching Patton.<br><br>A tentative connection forms between the two men, but the pressures of the game may be too much for the relationship to withstand. Especially when DeShawn is given the chance of a lifetime while Patton struggles not to relive the mistakes from his past.

Mr. November

“You like to talk like you’re a big team player. But I don’t think you care about anything except yourself.”


What right did DeShawn have to say anything like that? He didn’t know Patton at all. If he cared about nobody but himself, he wouldn’t be in his currently untenable position. Why should he have to defend himself anyway? DeShawn wasn’t anything to him. He wasn’t even Patton’s friend. Since he didn’t know where to begin, Patton opted not to say anything at all, turning his attention to his locker.


“Don’t act like you didn’t hear me.”


“I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”


“We all went out as a team last week. Except a certain quarterback who was too busy getting laid.”


“Getting laid?” Patton didn’t bother trying to hide his confusion. “What business—”


Chapter 10