Chapter Two
Michael stepped out of the shower and slung a towel around his hips. As he rounded the corner he nearly ran into his coach. “Pryce! Good job today.”
“Thanks, coach.”
“I’ve been watching you, kid. You play like a man possessed, the best damn quarterback I’ve seen in a while. The fans are watching you too. Your name is on everyone’s tongue. Have you noticed?”
“Uh, I guess.” No, he hadn’t.
“We’re going to take advantage now and make you the face of the team, kid, starting with getting you in the paper. Everyone wants to know who Michael Pryce is.”
Michael eyed Coach Reynolds with masked annoyance. He didn’t want to be recognized. All he wanted was to blow off steam playing a game he loved. If people knew the real him, he would no doubt be chained up in a lab to be prodded and studied. “I’m not interested in the notoriety, coach. There are plenty of other men on the team who deserve such recognition.”
Coach Reynolds scowled. “No doubt there are, but a reporter from the Denver Post is already on the way to interview you. Embrace the recognition, kid. Many would kill to be in your position.” He nodded and walked off before Michael could protest any further.
Michael let out a sigh. Great. He was going to be saddled with some annoying, inquisitive reporter. Maybe Sloan was right. Maybe they should pack up and move to another town. They had been in Denver long enough, much longer than they usually spent in one place. But he’d had the brilliant idea of getting into sports, and two years later they were still in Colorado and playing in the NFL no less! Maybe joining a team and interacting with people wasn’t such a great idea, after all.
He walked into the locker room and plopped down on a bench. It was hard for him and Sloan to just disappear this time around. They were a part of something that had gained them recognition.
“Why so glum, superstar?” Sloan asked. He was leaning casually against a set of lockers as his friend walked in. As usual, Michael was sulking about something. Sloan shook his head. After centuries running around the world with his best friend, he couldn’t get the man to lighten up.
Michael glanced around the locker room. He lowered his voice in case any of their teammates were in hearing distance. “Coach just told me that a reporter is coming to interview me.”
Sloan’s lips spread into a wicked grin. “Awesome, invite him over to our place. We can make a meal out of him tonight.” Michael’s brows furrowed and he shot Sloan a disapproving look. Sloan chuckled. He loved pissing Michael off. “Kidding.”
He straightened. “What’s the big deal, Mikey? It’s just an interview. You’ll answer a few questions and take a picture. Relax for once in your life, man. Anyway, I have to get going. I have plans with a delectable little brunette.” Sloan’s eyes ran over Michael’s bare torso. “If you hurry home, we can share her,” he drawled. He winked and sauntered out of the room.
Michael stared at Sloan’s retreating form. His friend’s suggestion caused a stir in his groin. The thought of sharing yet another woman was quite appealing. It was too bad he had to stay put and wait for the damn reporter.
The sudden commotion in the room pulled him from his thoughts. He could hear a few of his teammates whistling. He leaned forward to peer around a row of lockers. His eyes widened at the sight of the woman stood in the doorway. Sweet mother of God. Who was she? The woman wore a dress that hugged her generous curves like a second skin. She turned to Jake, one of his teammates, and asked him something.
With his enhanced hearing, Michael heard every word. “Good afternoon. Is Michael Pryce here?” Her tone was soft and melodious, music to his ear. Would her moans be as sweet if he had her pinned beneath him, plunging into her softness? He blinked twice, bringing his thoughts out of the gutter. She was here to see him. Perhaps she was the reporter he was supposed to be expecting. He had assumed that the interviewer would be a stuffy man, but the fact that she was a delicious-looking woman made the prospect of an interview suddenly more appealing.
The voluptuous woman turned in his direction and sauntered toward him. He assessed her to be about five feet nine inches tall, but he took off about four inches without her ‘come fuck me’ heels. His gaze moved upward, taking in full breasts and the face of an angel. As she drew closer he could see that her mocha skin was flawless, her lips were red and sensuously plump, and her honey brown eyes were almond shaped. Her raven black hair was caught in a high bun, accentuating her long, graceful neck. A Nubian goddess, he thought.
She made eye contact with him and smiled nervously. “Hi, are you Michael Pryce?”
I’ll be anyone you want me to be, baby. He stood up. “I am.”
***
Rachel shoved her embarrassment at walking through a male locker room filled with sweaty, muscular football players aside as soon as she set eyes on the man in front of her. For any other woman it would be a sex paradise, but not her. She was way too shy. Her dismay had mounted when she asked for Michael Pryce and was shown into the locker room. She’d had to walk past a bunch of half-naked men who whistled and threw sexual comments at her. The comments thrown her way could make a prostitute blush.
This was Michael Pryce? Her eyes ran over him from head to toe. God, he was beautiful, every hard, toned, bronze inch of him. She gulped, realizing that all he was wearing was a towel slung loosely on his narrow hips. One wrong move and his covering would slip to the floor. She found herself hoping that the towel would fall. She pursed her lips and quickly brought her gaze back to his face. Sea green eyes studied her intently. His chiseled jaw gave him a masculine, alpha male edge and his sexy lips were curved into a knowing grin. He knew she was checking him out. Kill me now.
She cleared her throat lightly. “I’m Rachel Forbes. I’m here to do your interview. I’m sure you knew I was coming.”
“Rachel Forbes,” he drawled in a deep, silky voice, making her toes curl in her stilettos. “Yes, I was expecting you.”
She gave him another once over, her mouth drying. “Perhaps this is a bad time. I can wait outside until you get dressed.”
Michael’s lips lifted along with his shoulders. “I’m not shy. Are you?”
“Um, I think it would be better if you were…clothed.” There was no way she could form any straight thoughts with such a magnificent male specimen in front of her.
He chuckled. “If you think so, Miss Forbes. It is Miss, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
He gave her another sexy grin, his green eyes sparkling. “I’ll meet you outside.”
Rachel nodded and took a step back. “Great.” She turned, biting her lip hard, and took off towards the door. She gritted her teeth as the whistling and shouts of ‘hey sexy, you want to do a piece on me?’ commenced. Ugh, oversexed athletes. She let out a breath and leaned against the wall. Michael Pryce had gotten her hot and bothered. It had to be because she was seriously sex deprived. She needed to get laid, preferably with Michael. No, no no. I can’t think about having sex with my subject. Besides, it wasn’t like he was interested in her, or ever would be. He probably had tall, slim, leggy women gracing his arm and bed every night.
Minutes later, Michael walked through the door. He let out an aggravated sigh and shoved his phone into his pocket. He would have to postpone his interview with Miss Forbes. Sloan had called moments ago, telling him that someone had broken into their house but nothing had been taken. It was no random break in. He knew who was behind it.
Michael spotted Rachel leaning against a wall. He couldn’t help giving her another once over. “Miss Forbes.”
She turned to him and smiled. “Please, just Rachel.”
His lips curved. “Rachel. I have some bad news. I can’t do the interview right now. I just got an urgent call.”
She frowned. “Oh. I hope everything is alright.”
“It will be. How about you come to my place, later?” He didn’t know why he blurted that out. He should have told her to come back tomorrow. Inviting Rachel to his place was asking for trouble.
Rachel blinked. His place? As in alone in his house? That didn’t sound like a good idea. But she had to get the interview and write the article. The rest of her career depended on it. “Alright, just give me your address and the time.”
He rattled off his address and told her to drop by around 7:00. He would have things settled by then. “See you later, Rachel.”
“Okay. Hey, wait. Here’s my phone number just in case.” She slipped him a piece of paper and watched him walk away. What a fine human specimen.