Running Back (Sporting Pride #1)

Chapter One

Sweat poured into Jakk’s eyes. Bodies slammed into him. The smell of the game permeated his nostrils. He was in the zone even though a fog dimmed his senses. Whistles were blown. Music blared. The crowd roared. Fireworks filled the sky. Jakk simply did his job on autopilot. Before long, water carried away the sweat. Eyes averted from him in the locker room. The second he could, Jakk headed out. Lights flashed in his eyes. People called his name. Jakk popped in his earbuds and kept moving. There was nothing to say. He had been outed right before the first game of the season. It was a nightmare.

Accusing looks and ugly words had been tossed his way. His agent’s final words still rang in Jakk’s ears. He couldn’t sell a gay man in pro football. Not in these volatile times. It didn’t matter Jakk could think of at least four out players off the top of his head. Brands didn’t want his face. Maybe during pride month just for show. Otherwise, he was now a pariah. Jakk hadn’t wanted this. He didn’t ask for it. Living on the down low had worked for him. Unfortunately, it hadn’t worked for his ex. Now that Eric had exposed him to the world, he supposed the guy got his wish. Everyone knew they had been a couple, but Jakk would be damned if he was manipulated like that. Eric had agreed to the secrecy thing. Jakk hadn’t forced him. Then, the moment Eric decided he wanted the world to know and Jakk said no, Eric had decided he would simply make the decision for them. For whatever reason, he had been shocked when Jakk dumped him over it. The rage lived in his soul.

Jakk’s feet slowed as his Mercedes came into view. A man beautiful enough to stop traffic leaned against his driver’s side door. His khaki pants and tight polo shirt looked expensive. Jakk knew the guy's shoes cost at least a grand. His blond hair had the sheen of a man who spent big money on his style. He looked slightly familiar, but Jakk couldn’t place him.

A million-dollar smile met his approach.

Jakk took out one earbud so he could find out who the guy was.

He beat Jakk to the punch. “Jakk Johnson.”

“Yeah. Do we know each other?”

The guy straightened and held out his hand. He was tall. At least six-five. “Rocky Zeal.”

The name tickled a slight memory. “Retired from basketball, correct? Sorry, I can’t recall which team.”

Rocky’s smile grew. “Roadsters.”

Jakk shook his hand. “Yeah. I remember now.”

For a moment, they simply stared at each other. Jakk shook his head, shaking off the spell Rocky’s looks wove. “Sorry. Were you waiting for me for a reason?”

“I hear you’re down an agent.”

The full memory of where he had heard Rocky’s name overcame him. He was an agent who only represented the absolute best. His client list was the thing of legends. He never crossed Jakk’s mind as even being a possibility for himself. Not that he’d had much time to think about what he would do.

Jakk winced. He likely looked like a true loser right now. “Yeah. It’s been a day.”

The sympathy that touched Rocky’s features caught Jakk off guard. He couldn’t stop staring at the guy’s hazel eyes. Jakk had to tilt his chin up to hold his stare, and that was a rare thing for him. It was hot. “May I take you to dinner?”

Jakk blinked at the question. That was the last thing he expected. “Um.” He rubbed the back of his neck. Jakk didn’t know if the guy had just asked him on a date or what had happened. He had literally just left a long-term relationship like six hours ago.

“To discuss your future,” Rocky clarified before Jakk had an existential crisis.

The pressure eased from Jakk’s chest. He might have been outed, but he still wasn’t ready to openly date anyone. “That sounds great.” Once the relief passed, the truth sank in, and the excitement hit. Holy shit. Rocky Zeal wanted to discuss his future. That was an absolute dream. Jakk realized he had been standing there too long, internally freaking out. “If you’d like, I can drive. We’re already at my car.”

“That’s probably for the best. I got here just in time to catch someone looking suspiciously like they intended to key it.”

Jakk’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. “You’re joking.”

Rocky didn’t look like he joked. “No. He scurried away when he saw me headed his way.”

Jakk swiped a hand over his eyes. “This is ridiculous.” He dropped his hand and headed for the trunk. Jakk stashed his bag while trying to hide the rage. All night, he had been slightly numb. Now the shock of the day was starting to wear off, and the anger grew. His sexuality had nothing to do with anything. He was still the same athlete. This was exactly why he hadn’t wanted anyone to know.

He slammed the trunk closed much harder than intended. Jakk bit back all the ugly words he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs.

“I know.” The quietly spoken words pulled Jakk away from the edge and reminded him he wasn’t alone.

His gaze moved to Rocky. There was real sympathy in his eyes. Jakk recalled something else about the man. He had retired at the height of his career after pictures were leaked of him with a man in a very compromising position. Tension drained from Jakk’s shoulders. He hadn’t even realized how rigidly he had held himself.

“Let’s have dinner. I promise I can help.”

Jakk nodded. For the first time in a long time, Jakk didn’t feel alone. Rocky knew what it was like to be him. He needed that right now.

Fuck. The pain and rage written in Jakk’s every line. Rocky felt it. The memory of suffering the same fate never faded. Rocky recalled every second of the turmoil, like it had happened to him yesterday. He would be damned if Jakk lost everything the way he had. Technically, Rocky made way more money now, but that didn’t matter. The career he had loved and the talent he had spent his life perfecting had been stripped in one careless motion. Rocky wouldn’t let Jakk suffer his fate.

When the news had quickly come down the pike, Rocky had jumped on the first flight to Minnesota. The adrenaline of the race had worn off and the exhaustion hit. Rocky did his best to power through. He was always tired. It was just another day. He had work to do.

“I’ve lived here for nearly six years now and I didn’t know this restaurant existed.”

Rocky glanced around at the observation. He spent a lot of time traveling all over America and Canada. Rocky was almost an expert at finding quiet places where stars wouldn’t be bombarded. After all, that was who was always in his company, and his meals were always about business. “Yeah. I found this place a few years back when I signed Chipper Brown. It’s a good spot for an uninterrupted meal.”

Jakk leaned forward. His expression screamed excitement. “You’re Chipper Brown’s agent? I love that guy. He’s the whole reason I watch MMA.”

A smile tugged at Rocky’s lips. He loved that stars still got star struck over other stars. “Yeah. I have an extensive client list.”

“That must be exhausting.”

Jakk’s observation caught Rocky off guard. Most people never considered his comfort at all. He worked for them. They were the celebrities. It took a big ego to make it to the top. Rocky found himself smiling for real. “Yeah, a bit. It’s worth it to me, though. I have a very particular talent. I know how to keep athletes exactly like you on top.”

“Like me?”

Rocky nodded and tried to move on before Jakk could ask what he meant. He pulled out a folded piece of paper he’d kept in his pocket. Rocky unfolded it and read. “Since I’m not your agent.” He paused for effect. “Yet. I don’t have access to your contracts, so everything I know is what I gathered from research and public records. You’ve still got two years left on your contract with the team, so you’re still good there. As long as you don’t let this throw you off your game, they have no legitimate reason to release you. Unfortunately, your commercial deals and sponsorships aren’t under any obligation to keep you.” Rocky could tell by Jakk’s expression, he hadn’t considered any of this.

Rocky pressed on. It was best to rip the bandage off quick. “Like I said, I don’t have access to your contracts, so I don’t know if I have the full list. I also don’t know the verbiage of what you signed. What I know from experience is, they almost always have the same legal language. You have to fall in line with their moral code. That becomes a gray area in this situation. My advice is to let it go if you get dropped. You don’t want your name associated with a homophobic company anyway, so just don’t sweat it.” He glanced at his list and started with the worst. “With that said, Johnson Hardware will drop you. I’ve seen it. Each and every time, they will drop you. Greenway Cellular is a wildcard. They are known to change their logo to pride colors in June. Otherwise, they’re pretty middling. They give donations to both sides of the aisle, so it’s hard to judge. On the other side of things, Treadlong Tires will keep you. They love it. They’re very well known for sponsoring Pride events all over the country. You’re good there. Other things, such as uniform sponsors, won’t get involved at all. They have too many athletes and are way too big to split hairs. It matters not at all to them.”

“It shouldn’t matter to anyone.”

Jakk’s quietly spoken words broke Rocky’s heart. This part always devastated him. He set the paper aside. “Agreed, but until it doesn’t, it does. It’s not fair. None of this is right. You deserve to only be judged by your actions on the field, but that’s not how it works. I can’t promise any of this will be easy, but I can swear to you—if you sign with me—I will keep your career safe.”

A sweet smile touched Jakk’s lips. He was truly a gorgeous man. Rocky wasn’t immune. It was no wonder some guy had tried to force him to go public with him. No doubt being kept a secret by this heart-stopping man was hell, but no one deserved what Jakk currently suffered. “I was ready to sign when we shook hands earlier. You didn’t have to treat me to dinner.”

A bark of laughter burst from Rocky. “Never be too eager to sign with anyone for anything. They’ll fuck you every time.”

Jakk’s sexy, light brown gaze moved over Rocky’s face. “Will you fuck me?”

Goddamn. Rocky knew what he meant, but still his mouth went dry. His nipples hardened as his stomach muscles clenched. Rocky never let athletes tempt him. Not anymore. He had never been more on board than he was then. Rocky hated to stay on topic. “You’ll get a fair contract.” There. He would be damned if said no to fucking him. That, Rocky very much wanted to do. He wouldn’t, but the temptation was fully there.