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Chapter 1

Jase

Have you ever done so accidentally on purpose? You know, pretend that you “accidentally” forgot to complete a task, when the truth is that you didn’t want to do it or didn’t have tiuess that’s also called a little white lie However you want to refer to it, I just committed the crime

She left me no choice

For over a year, I’ve been asking Sao out on a date with h her words say no, I can see it in her eyes, she wants to She’s stuck on this concept that I’ame on and off the field Now that I’m retired, I’m ready for more I want to settle down, and Samantha claims she doesn’t believe me

I call bullshit

She wants uy I know it’s the fame that scares her If she could only look past that to see theif notassu deal that she’s all I can think about

I can still remember the day I first laid eyes on her I had just announced my retirement from the NFL and had moved back home to Nashville I was born and raised in Ohio, butbabies, Mom and Dad couldn’t stand the distance Theyclose to my family As soon as I announced my retirement, I put my house in Texas up for sale and headed home Once I was settled in, it was tiins and I went to college together and stayed in touch through the years I called him once I was settled, and we set up a time to have lunch

That’s when I saw her My Sa brown eyes, she captured , I’ a beautiful wo the pleasure of her company Now, it’s more than that So much more

That brings us to now I stopped by Royce’s office earlier and purposely left my cell phone on the chair in his office I wanted it to look as though it fell out of my pocket The crime I told you about? That wasif I left my phone Of course, he found it and insisted his assistant— off sohborhood I knew all of this He toldlike hell this was hoould play out

The buzzer sounds, letting ate Showtime “Yes?” I say into the intercom I send up a silent prayer that my sister and brother-in-law Kacen aren’t outside in their yard to hear this go down I bought a house on their street, along with the rest of the guys in Kacen’s band It’s like our own little village Kacen will never cease to give me shit over the beautiful woman who spent time at my place Not that I really care He was the saan He loves her fiercely and ies for it