The boyfriend comeback, p.1
The Boyfriend Comeback, page 1
The Boyfriend Comeback
Lauren Blakely
Contents
Also by Lauren Blakely
About The Boyfriend Comeback
I. The Boyfriend Kickoff
About The Boyfriend Kickoff
The Boyfriend Kickoff
1. The Players and The Pets
2. Snow in August
3. One of Those Kitchen People
4. I’m Getting The Distinct Impression You Have A Crush
5. I Like To Gamble
6. Dirty Everythings
7. My Quarterback Crush
8. Unfinished Business
9. Fool Me Once
II. The Boyfriend Comeback
1. Better Luck Next Time
2. Reading the Cards
3. It’s A Small World
4. My To-Do List Just Got Shorter
5. Such a Nice Guy
6. Another Day, Another Gin Joint
7. Scratching an Itch
8. Low Key Icons
9. Pre-Game Rituals
10. Quarterback Sneak
11. I’ve Got His Number
12. Mister Right
13. The Buffer Zone
14. Multitasking is Hard
15. Night Walkers
16. Kings of the Couch
17. The Best Laid Plans
18. Bluster in the Bedroom
19. The Guy with the New Name
20. Everything Sucks
21. Make Me a Match
22. Dirty Magic
23. Fan Boys
24. The Man with a Plan
25. First Date Woes
26. Fuck Timing
27. Nude Sewing
28. Saint Dick
29. God Bless Black Cars
30. Dirty Little Liar
31. See-Through Man
32. A Hat Is More Than a Hat
33. My Secret Boyfriend
34. The Truth About Mashed Potatoes
35. The Brotherhood of the Traveling Hat
36. Getaway Driver
37. Zombie Days
38. Can I Say Wazoo?
39. The Trouble with Skidding Cats
40. You
41. Screw the Rules
42. Throw Down
43. Heavy Lifting
44. You Had One Job
45. Changing of the Guard
46. The Chore List
Epilogue
Epilogue
Behind The Scenes
Also by Lauren Blakely
Contact
Copyright © 2022 by Lauren Blakely
Cover Design by TE Black.
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. This contemporary romance is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. This book is licensed for your personal use only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with, especially if you enjoy sexy romance novels with alpha males. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
Also by Lauren Blakely
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About The Boyfriend Comeback
A sexy, emotionally-charged, rivals-to-lovers, second chance sports romance…
* * *
Some men are just off-limits. Like, say, all the other football players in the league.
But I’ve been crushing hard on one quarterback in particular for the last year. When Jason invites me to his place the night before my first pro football game, I say yes so fast. Our white-hot time together answers a lot of questions I’ve had about myself.
Then life happens, and I don’t show up for our second date. The worst part is that he’ll never know how much it meant to me.
And when I’m traded to his cross-town rivals, I know that’s not the time to serve up my secrets either. My team’s PR department wants to double down on our rivalry.
And they’re right. I need to focus on football, not on my interest in men. But the more time I spend doing media appearances and charity events with the generous, quick-witted, popular guy, the hungrier I am for him.
It’s a bad idea to knock on his door late one night. I could lose everything. He’s probably not even home.
But then the door swings open, and I have a choice to make.
Part I
The Boyfriend Kickoff
Dear Reader,
* * *
Beck and Jason’s romance begins with a novella, The Boyfriend Kickoff. If you already read the novella when it was released on its own, go ahead and start at THE BOYFRIEND COMEBACK! If not, then start right here and turn the page.
Xoxo
Lauren
About The Boyfriend Kickoff
When meeting my crush for the first time at a charity event, it’s probably best not to let on that the other quarterback is the object of my late-night fantasies.
Good thing my poker face is tight when I do my first ever NFL press event later that day right next to the sexy guy.
And when he invites me to a party at his house, I promise myself I won’t drop a hint then either. He doesn’t need to know how curious I am about him, and about myself.
Besides, I need to ask him for help with the media.
That’s my one and only goal.
Until everyone leaves and it’s just the two of us alone in his home…
* * *
The Boyfriend Kickoff is a novella in the The Boyfriend Comeback series. You’ll enjoy the Boyfriend Comeback so much more if you read this!
The Boyfriend Kickoff
A Boyfriend Comeback Prequel Novella
By Lauren Blakely
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Content Warnings: Prior death of a sibling, off page, before the start of the book. Estranged from mother. Anxiety.
1
The Players and The Pets
Jason
* * *
I knew this day was coming.
Saturday, August 15th, ten a.m., has been on the calendar since training camp began.
But as I stand on the sidelines of the San Francisco Hawks facility with my receivers, staring at the field, slack-jawed, I am thoroughly unprepared for the onslaught of cute.
“Those furballs are so damn adorable.” I smack Nate’s rock-hard shoulder. “Just look at them,” I say, pointing at the kittens on the fifty-yard line.
“Like I can look anywhere else,” Nate says, as if he’s been injected with sunshine.
Volunteers from the Furry Friends local animal rescue have escorted a dozen or so adoptable critters to the final practice before our first preseason game tomorrow against the Los Angeles Mercenaries. Until this second, I had no idea I wanted a kitten in my life. I’m a pro baller who’s on the road a ton, with no need for that kind of responsibility in my very single life.
But now?
Sign me up. Starting with . . . that one.
The black-and-white cat with tiny white gloves. “Dude, that tuxedo is all mine,” I shout, laying claim to my favorite.
Nate points at another crate. “Dibs on the orange one!”
The tight end, Orlando, joins us and calls out, “I want the Siamese, then.” Orlando peers around me, then Nate, like he needs to protect his turf from some of the most competitive guys on the team. It’s just receivers and quarterbacks here while the defensive backs are running drills on the far end of the field.
Nate and I trot over to the crate with the black-and-white one. The little critter meows, sauntering to the door to say hi. Bending to one knee, I offer a finger through the crate wires. “Hey there, sweet little thing,” I say, and he nibbles on my finger.
I look up at the sound of sneakers on spongy grass. A friendly blonde makes her way toward us. Reese Kingsley is the publicist for the team and its charitable efforts, including the Furry Friends Weekend. All proceeds from that game will go to the animal rescue, and soon our team photographer will snap pics of the players with the pets to get fans excited and try to rehome some animals.
“You two ready for the first pics?” she asks as she arrives next to me.
“I am ready for my close-up,” I say.
“And then he wants two kittens for the road, please,” Nate puts in, smart-ass that he is. His eyes twinkle with humor.
“So does Nate,” I add.
Reese shakes her head in amusement. “Every time. Every single time we do one of these events, the guys all melt.”
That perks my interest. “You’re saying the other athletes go home with armfuls of kittens?”
With a smirk, Reese nods. “They do. But listen, don’t feel obligated to adopt. We always clear the shelters with the promo. Just the pics will be more than enough,” she says.
Nearby, a woman with a camera around her neck, her black hair piled on her head, waves to Reese.
Reese waves back to the photographer and turns to me. “Looks like we’re ready. We appreciate you doing this with the opposing team.”
Shielding my eyes from the bright morning sun, I scan the field, looking for the Mercenaries—some jog out from their tunnel, also in practice gear.
A guy in a Furry Friends T-shirt walks over from a nearby crate and reaches into the one housing my favorite tux-wearing feline.
Reese sets a hand on my arm. “Jason, we’ll get you first, along with some shots of you and the Mercenaries QB. We want a picture of you holding Bandit. He’s six months old and is part gymnast already. The shelter handler will be off-camera in case the little dude treats you like you’re a vault.”
“I’ve got pretty steady hands,” I say with a grin. If I can carry a ball downfield, I can handle a high-flying kitten.
The T-shirt guy hands me Bandit, who greets me with an upbeat meow.
Aww, hell. My heart squishes, all helpless. Forget gusto. I turn to mush as I scratch the little guy under the chin. “Aww, look at you with your cute little gloves,” I coo.
Snap.
Snap.
Snap.
The team photographer is already on it. Guess she knows a good moment when she sees it. The little fella asks for more, lifting his furry head higher. Then, dear God, the kitty purrs.
I’m. Dead.
“Oh, I get you, Bandit,” I say to him. “It’s sure nice to get a massage.”
A voice rumbles from near my right shoulder. “It is.”
I don’t recognize the gravelly tone, so I turn to the guy who just materialized by my side.
I catalog him. Brown eyes that are broody and intense. A jaw lined with stubble. Dark hair that’s thick and a little wild. Borderline unkempt. His jersey sports a number nine.
It’s the Mercenaries’ new quarterback.
Beck Cafferty.
Since it’s my job to know the other quarterbacks, their skills, and their weaknesses, I’ve read up on him and watched some game film, but there’s not much to see or know. He has a few less years than my twenty-six. This is his first season starting after he warmed the bench last season as a backup. Cafferty didn’t go to a big football school, and the Mercenaries didn’t draft him till round six.
