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the Phoenix Wildcats, until he realizes the coach has no intention of letting him start, and his childhood hero is a withdrawn, wary man.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

The door swung open after the third attempt. DeShawn had a towel tied around his hips and his hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. Patton had seen him half-naked and gleaming before, but it was different now. Maybe the look of surprise on DeShawn’s face had something to do with the way Patton’s stomach clenched. Or maybe it was the softness of the blue towel tucked around his finely carved hips, secure but easy to whisk away.


“Patton, I…I didn’t expect to see you.”


“I know. I wanted to see you tonight but you snuck out before I could say anything, and I guess that could have been a hint.”


“Yeah.” Patton shrugged. “I just thought that you’d probably be home and I thought it’d be a nice surprise. I hope it is. If it’s not, I’ll go.”


“Patton…” DeShawn fisted Patton’s shirt and tugged him inside the apartment, slamming the door shut with his other hand. “God, you always make me wonder if I’m not making myself clear.”


Chapter 39