Sly Bullhorn Brodsky Read online

  SLY “BULLHORN” BRODSKY,

  OFFENSIVE LINE

  First & Ten Series, Book 5

  Jean C. Joachim

  Sensual Romance

  Moonlight Books

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  A Moonlight Books Novel

  Sensual Romance

  Sly “Bullhorn” Brodsky, Offensive Line

  Copyright © 2015 Jean C. Joachim

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-62622-820-7

  First E-book Publication: November 2015

  Cover design by Dawné Dominique

  Edited by Tabitha Bower

  Proofread by Renee Waring

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2015 by Moonlight Books

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Moonlight Books

  Dedication

  To all the football players who risk their health and wellbeing so we can enjoy watching the sport and cheering them on. You’re all heroes. We salute you.

  Appreciation

  Thank you Larry Joachim, Steve Joachim, Tabitha Bower, V. L. Locey, Marilyn Lee, Sherri Good, Renee Waring, and my readers and friends for your support and encouragement

  Other books by Jean C. Joachim

  FIRST & TEN SERIES

  GRIFF MONTGOMERY, QUARTERBACK

  BUDDY CARRUTHERS, WIDE RECEIVER

  PETE SEBASTIAN, COACH

  DEVON DRAKE, CORNERBACK

  THE MANHATTAN DINNER CLUB

  RESCUE MY HEART

  SEDUCING HIS HEART

  SHINE YOUR LOVE ON ME

  TO LOVE OR NOT TO LOVE

  HOLLYWOOD HEARTS SERIES

  IF I LOVED YOU

  RED CARPET ROMANCE

  MEMORIES OF LOVE

  MOVIE LOVERS

  LOVE’S LAST CHANCE

  LOVERS & LIARS

  His Leading Lady (Series Starter)

  NOW AND FOREVER SERIES

  NOW AND FOREVER 1, A LOVE STORY

  NOW AND FOREVER 2, THE BOOK OF DANNY

  NOW AND FOREVER 3, BLIND LOVE

  NOW AND FOREVER 4, THE RENOVATED HEART

  NOW AND FOREVER 5, LOVE’S JOURNEY

  NOW AND FOREVER, CALLIE’S STORY(series starter)

  MOONLIGHT SERIES

  SUNNY DAYS, MOONLIT NIGHTS

  APRIL’S KISS IN THE MOONLIGHT

  UNDER THE MIDNIGHT MOON

  MOONLIGHT & ROSES (prequel)

  LOST & FOUND SERIES

  With Ben Tanner

  LOVE, LOST AND FOUND

  DANGEROUS LOVE, LOST AND FOUND

  NEW YORK NIGHTS NOVELS

  THE MARRIAGE LIST

  THE LOVE LIST

  THE DATING LIST

  SHORT STORY

  SWEET LOVE REMEMBERED

  SLY “BULLHORN” BRODSKY,

  OFFENSIVE LINE

  First & Ten Series, Book 5

  Copyright ©2015

  Jean C. Joachim

  Chapter One

  As he climbed the stairs with a box of books balanced on his shoulder, Bullhorn Brodsky shook his head slightly to remove the sexy, come-hither, naked fantasy of Samantha Drake from his brain. His blood pressure returned to normal when he dropped his burden on the bedroom floor. The pretty, dark-haired young woman wearing snug jeans and a T-shirt sank down on the new bed. As their gazes connected, his libido cranked up his body heat.

  “What’s next?” He yanked his shirt up to wipe off the sweat on his forehead. When he lowered it, he noticed she had been staring at his abs. A gentle flush stole into the apple of her cheeks. He smiled inwardly, gratified that the hours he’d spent in the gym had paid off.

  “I’m grubby. I need a shower,” she said, pushing to her feet to glance in the mirror.

  The next image to take over his mind was stepping into a steamy shower behind Samantha. He blinked a few times and took a deep breath, hoping his thoughts wouldn’t inspire an erection.

  “You okay? Were the boxes too much?” Her dark, chocolate brown eyes held concern.

  He laughed. “You kiddin’? That’s nothin’. I take down guys ten times that weight in every game. Geez. What do you think? I’m a pussy or something?”

  She made a face.

  “Sorry. I need to clean up my words.” He sensed color in his face. He’d never had a girlfriend like Samantha Drake. She was smart, beautiful, and nice. She did volunteer work at the New Life Shelter for battered women and kids. But she wasn’t his girlfriend, only a friend. With no benefits. He sighed.

  “My brother, Devon, talks like that too. You’d think football players never went to college.” She handed him a cold bottle of water.

  He downed the liquid. “What’s next?”

  She turned around in the room and sucked her lower lip between her teeth. “Bed, books, clothes, rocking chair. Hmm. How many boxes are still in the car?”

  “Two.”

  “Then that’s it. The place looks pretty empty.” She perched on the mattress, tucking her feet under her.

  “You’ll have it furnished before you know it. Come on. I’m gonna bring those boxes up then take you out to dinner.”

  “Thanks. Be right back.” Her thousand-watt smile turned his innards to jelly.

  He sat in the rocking chair while Samantha washed the dirt off her luscious body. Or what he assumed was luscious. Sylvester “Bullhorn” Brodsky, known to his teammates as “Bull,” had the hots for Samantha Drake, and it was keeping him up nights. While he waited for her to want him back, his imagination ran through a half dozen things he’d like to do to her under the warming spray of hot water. She was a little slip of a thing, and he was huge. Six foot three inches tall and two hundred fifty pounds of pure muscle, the offensive lineman could lift her up with one hand.

  Samantha joined him in the living room. She was wearing a red sundress and black, patent leather sandals.

  “Wow, you look awesome.”

  “Thanks.”

  They headed for the stairs.

  “My own key. Just for me,” she sighed, dangling the new key ring from her finger.

  “Yep. Independent.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “There’s a new place in town called The Greenery. It’s vegetarian. Salads and shit. Wanna try it?”

  “And shit? I don’t think I want to eat that. But a salad sounds good.”

  “Sorry, sorry.”

  She laughed. “I’m proud of you—going to someplace that doesn’t
have fries.”

  “I didn’t say that. Their fries are organic. Sweet potato.” He grinned as he opened the car door for her.

  “Are you sure we won’t run into Devon there?” she asked.

  “I doubt it.”

  “Just kidding. Dev wouldn’t go to a place like that. He’s a confirmed meat eater.”

  He slid behind the wheel of his silver BMW SUV. Samantha leaned back into the plush, black leather seats. Bull fastened his seat belt, put the engine in gear, and pulled away from the curb.

  The restaurant was a block out of downtown Monroe. Bull opened Sam’s car door and the restaurant one too. His mother had drummed gentlemanly behavior into his head. “Just because you’re big, doesn’t mean you gotta be an oaf, Sylvester.” He considered himself pretty smooth for an offensive lineman.

  The waiter seated them at a table in the corner. The furniture was bamboo with green and white print tablecloths depicting all sorts of plants. There were huge, potted palms and other flora decorating the room. Bull liked the atmosphere. It was almost like a tropical rain forest.

  They ordered raspberry iced tea and a plate of hearts of palm and olives as an appetizer.

  Samantha picked up the dish in front of her. “I don’t have dishes. So much to buy. I forgot how expensive it is to set up an apartment.” She sighed.

  “Let me help you. I can give you whatever you need.”

  She took his hand. “I can’t do that, Sly. The point of moving out of my brother’s house was to be independent.”

  “Okay, so call it a loan. You can pay me back, uh…never. How’s that?”

  She smiled at him. “That’s so sweet. I just can’t. The director at the shelter is having surgery. She asked me to take over the night shift while she recuperates. It’s only part-time, but that extra income along with my job at the Kings should do it.”

  “You’ll be working all the time. When will we get a chance to hang out?” He raised her hand to his lips.

  “I’ll still have time for you.”

  He gazed into her eyes and caught a glimpse of something warm. Is it desire? His heart beat a little faster. “I’ve never been to a place like this. Do you know anything about this kind of food?” he asked, his brow furrowed, as he read the menu.

  “A little. I see those sweet potato fries.” She arched her eyebrows as she studied the offerings.

  “I’ll have those. What else?”

  “A veggie burger?”

  “With enough catsup, you can eat anything,” he said, but his voice didn’t ring as confident as his words.

  Sam laughed.

  They placed their orders—two veggie burgers and two servings of sweet potato fries.

  While they waited for their food, Sam sipped her drink.

  Bull took her small hand between his. “What did you do before you worked for The Kings?”

  “I worked in a small fashion boutique.”

  “I can believe it.”

  “What does that mean?” She raised her eyebrows.

  “I mean, you dress real nice. Beautiful. I can see you working in fashion.”

  “Oh. Thanks.” She looked down at their fingers entwined.

  He stroked the back of hers with his thumb. “You don’t think I’d say something nasty, do you?”

  “I’m still wondering why my brother doesn’t like you.”

  Sly sensed his face heating. “It’s just guy crap. You know we say stuff. Stuff about women. It doesn’t mean anything. I mean, I’d never say anything like that about you.”

  “Did you say stuff about old girlfriends?”

  He shook his head. “Most guys just make stuff up.”

  “So, you’re saying you’re a liar?”

  The waiter arrived with their meal, interrupting their conversation. Bull shifted in his seat, looking for a way to change the subject.

  When the server left, she pressed the issue. “So?”

  “It’s not lying, exactly. Guys exaggerate.” He loaded a pile of catsup on his burger.

  “Devon doesn’t do that, does he?”

  Sly laughed. “Oh yeah? If he doesn’t, then he’s been dating a couple of female gymnasts.”

  Samantha’s cheeks reddened as she turned her attention to her food. They ate in silence for a while. He wolfed down the fries then attacked the burger.

  Change the subject, muscle head. “Movie tonight?”

  “Shopping. The superstore is open late. I’ve got to have a fork, spoon, dish, and mug. Oh, and a coffeemaker!”

  After dinner, Sly drove them to the giant store. Samantha filled a cart to overflowing. Sly carried the rest in a basket. She’s checking prices on everything. This lady watches her money. Tiffany, his old girlfriend, had never looked at a price tag when she was with him. She had been frivolous with his money, and it had bugged him.

  “Can your trunk can hold all this?” Sam bit her lip.

  He chuckled. “You’re kidding, right?”

  At the checkout, he whipped out his credit card, but Samantha was adamant that she’d pay. When the total topped four hundred dollars, she gulped and paled a little, but swiped her card anyway. Outside, he loaded the bags into his car.

  “If you help me, I’ll make you coffee,” she said, snuggling into the vehicle’s butter-soft leather seat.

  “You don’t have to bribe me. I’d help you without the coffee,” he answered, putting his Beamer in gear.

  Her apartment was on the second floor of a Victorian house a mile from the center of town. Once the bags were loaded onto the kitchen counter, they unpacked. As they washed, dried, and put the wooden spoons, flatware, china, and cooking tools away, they chatted.

  “Do you have brothers and sisters?” she asked.

  “Yep. Five.”

  “Me too.”

  “You too?”

  “Four of my siblings are much older. Devon and I are the menopause babies.” She laughed.

  “He’s over protective. Has he always been that way, or just with me?”

  “Always. It was nice when I was eight. Now, it’s annoying.”

  “Has he ever been right about a guy you were dating?”

  “Once. Last time. Bastard cheated on me.”

  “That’s terrible.” Bull scowled as he stacked the dishes.

  “Devon called it. Said Harry had shifty eyes. Wouldn’t look at him. Devon said that meant he was a liar and a cheater. Unfortunately, my brother was right.”

  Sly put his massive paw on Sam’s shoulder, gave a little squeeze, and released. “I’m sorry, Sam. However, that guy’s stupidity is my good luck.”

  She chuckled. “Guess you could put it that way.”

  When they finished, Bull checked his watch. “Curfew tonight. Practice tomorrow. I’ve gotta go.” He moved toward the door.

  “Already?”

  He smiled to hear the disappointment in her voice. Wish I could stay and christen that new bed, sweetheart. “Are you coming to the game?” He leaned against the jamb.

  “Wouldn’t miss it.”

  “Great. I’ll look for you.”

  “I’ll wave.”

  “How about hanging out on Saturday?” He stopped and turned.

  “Sure. Your place?”

  “Uh, not my place. Let’s have brunch.”

  “Okay.”

  “Pick you up at eleven?”

  “Perfect,” she replied.

  Bull shifted his weight. Blood rushed to his face, and his palms sweated. “This friend thing is great. But I’m interested in more than that. I want you to be my girlfriend.”

  “Maybe. Don’t you have a girlfriend?” She tilted her head back to make eye contact.

  “Nope. I haven’t dated anyone more than a couple of times in a long time.”

  “Huh? I’m surprised. Thought football players had women crawling all over them.”

  “Not the kind of women I want. I’m looking for a real woman, not a hook-up.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “And what’s a ‘real wo
man’ like?”

  “One-of-a-kind, like you.”

  “Oh?” She smiled.

  “Yeah. The pretty, smart, and unselfish kind.”

  “Devon would argue with that.”

  “What part?”

  “The selfish part.”

  “No woman who helps abused women and kids is selfish.” He drew her closer. “You interested?”

  She cast her gaze to the ground before meeting his. “I might be.”

  Sly slipped his arm around her waist and eased her up against him. Their gazes locked as he lowered his head. His eyes closed when his mouth covered hers. Using every ounce of restraint he had, he kissed her gently. When she wound her arms around his neck, he loosened the reins on his passion, swiping his tongue across her lips. She opened, and he seized the chance to explore. Their tongues slid together, and he pressed her even closer.

  Sensing his control going south, Sly stepped back. His breathing ragged and blood pumping to his dick, he took a deep breath to slow his body down. Don’t rush her, asshole. She leaned back against the wall, her eyes bright, her mouth slightly puffy and pink. He wanted to ravish her, but jammed his hands into his pockets where they would be safe.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

  If he was any judge of women, she looked ready to go to the next level. But was he able to size up women? Probably not. He’d be patient with this filly, not like with Tiffany. He’d pushed her too far too fast. She had bolted, leaving him at the altar filled with anger and shame. She’d run off with another man. He figured the guy must have gone slower, given her some breathing room, not like Bull. Bull in a china shop was what he had been, and he’d be damned if he’d make the same mistake this time.