Coach Daddy (Dark Daddies 3)

“Good, that’s what I want to hear.” I drop down to my knees a couple feet away from him as he extends his leg toward me. He’s wearing compression shorts and nothing else, but I don’t even see it.

I only see his calf. He’s been having some issues with it lately. I start to prod at the muscle, massaging it lightly.

“Ow, god damn, girl. Are you trying to hurt me even more?”

“Maybe,” I say.

“Look at you, maybe,” he says, laughing. “You know I’m the heart and soul of this team, right?”

“That’s what you tell me.”

He grins. “Got an attitude on you. I like it.”

I squeeze his muscle. “Careful,” I say.

“Ouch,” he groans, grinning.

“You’re okay,” I say, patting his leg. He lets it down. “Are you doing the stretches?”

“Honestly? Not really.”

“Felix.”

“Look, I got a lot going on, okay?”

“Not getting injured is a big part of this whole thing, you know.”

He rolls his eyes. “I know that. I was injured my freshman year in college. Drove me fucking nuts.”

“So don’t get injured your first year in the NFL.”

He grunts at me. Felix was really, really good in college. He broke all sorts of records. The Chainsaws are lucky to have him.

But he’s a headcase. He’s cocky and he showboats all the time. The NFL isn’t going to take that sort of thing lightly.

“I’m starting to hate that attitude, you know,” he grumbles.

“Come on, Felix. I’m looking out for you.”

“I know that.” He sighs. “All right, fine. I’ll do the stupid exercises.”

I grin. “That wasn’t so hard.”

“Yeah, whatever,” he grumbles. “Hey, Sean, look at this trainer girl. Telling me what’s up.”

Sean, the quarterback, grins at Felix from across the room. “She’s a tough one,” he says. “I don’t mess with her.”

“Hell, no, you shouldn’t,” Felix says. “You get one of her massages yet?”

“Doesn’t feel like a massage,” Sean grumbles, flexing his shoulder.

I stand up. “You boys are weak. How are you NFL players again?”

“Oh, shit,” Felix says, laughing.

“I think she’s talking about you, Felix,” Sean fires at him.

Felix laughs. “You know that’s not true.”

“I don’t know. Only one of us here’s ever played in this league.”

“Oh, big words for a backup.”

Sean laughs. He was the backup QB for the Eagles for two years before coming here. Everyone says he’s not good enough to carry a franchise, and I heard on ESPN that Coach had other options, but he specifically wanted Sean.

People wonder about that. I know I wonder about it, but I also know that I don’t know anything.

All I know is, I’m the trainer, and that’s my job.

“Leah,” a voice snaps, calling my attention. Felix and Sean both straighten up a little bit.

I look over at Cole, lingering in the doorway. “My office,” he says more softly. “And Felix, leave the girl alone.”

“I’m not doing anything,” Felix complains.

“Yeah, yeah. I hear you. Just be nice.” He glares at the wide receiver.

Felix grins back sheepishly. I shrug at him and make a face, although inside I feel a thrill.

Cole’s defending me. In front of his players. In front of his star players.

It’s hard to believe.

I follow him out of the locker room.

“Sorry about that,” he says softly. “I should’ve held my tongue. I know you’re just trying to have a good relationship with those guys.”

“It’s okay,” I say. “They’re just idiots.”

He grins. “Sean’s supposed to be smart, you know.”

“Felix isn’t?”

“Well.” He grins bigger. “I don’t pay him to be smart. Just to catch footballs.”

I laugh and follow him into his office. He shuts the door behind me.

“I just mean, be careful around them is, all.”

“Why?” I ask him.

He shrugs. “People might get the wrong impression.”

“Wrong impression?”

Cole cocks his head at me, a little smirk on his lips. The blinds over his windows are drawn and I feel my heart start to beat faster.

We’re alone in here. Very alone in here.

“You know the impression I mean.”

I know I should be offended, but the way he’s looking at me suggests he means something else. “You think people will say I’m flirting with them.”

He nods, still smirking. “That’s right.” He cocks his head. “What do you think they’d say if they knew what we were doing?”

I shrug a little. “Nothing. I’ve just been massaging your leg.”

“Just massaging?” He steps closer, inches away from me now. My heart’s beating so fast and I know where this is going, I know it deep down inside.

And I want it.

It’s messed up. He’s my boss, twice my age… getting involved like this could ruin his career. It could ruin mine.

I don’t care. I can’t seem to move. I’m rooted in place, staring up into his eyes.

I know he’s the kind of man that wouldn’t be angry if I turned him down. If I wanted to keep this professional.

I know I could do it. Everyone speaks highly of Coach Wood.

Except I don’t want that. I don’t want to be professional, not with him. Not when he’s this close to me.