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the Phoenix Wildcats, until he realizes the coach has no intention of letting him start, and his childhood hero is a withdrawn, wary man.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

“It was time to let it go.” Patton dragged his hand up DeShawn’s ribs while skimming his lips over DeShawn’s jaw. “Besides, playing football never makes me feel the way you do. Winning last week didn’t feel as good as you do, right here.”


DeShawn turned his head, catching Patton’s mouth desperately. He was raised to be a man of action, and so he forgot all about the words he tried to catch and poured all of his emotions into the caress. He grasped the back of Patton’s head, holding him closer while he invaded Patton’s mouth with his tongue, breathed in his air, let his chin scrape against the late-day stubble growing under Patton’s lip. Patton responded with as much emotion, forgetting his strength as he pressed himself to DeShawn’s body, surrendering and dominating at the same time.


Chapter 60