By
NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author
Carly Phillips

He’s a smooth talking jock in trouble
She’s the solution to his problems.
Love is the last thing they expected to find.

Damon Prescott had it all. Star quarterback. Money. Fame. Now? He’s being accused of taking performance enhancing drugs and banned from the sport and team he loves.

Determined to prove he’s innocent, he hires tough as nails private investigator, Evie Wolfe. She’s able to bring a man to his knees with a glare, yet sensual in ways that take him off guard – and she’s everything Damon didn’t know he needed.

Evie’s used to men dismissing her, especially playboys like Damon Prescott so she’s not buying the sexual lines he’s trying to sell. She’s with him to do a job, nothing more. But you know what they say about the best laid plans? Sometimes you end up between the sheets with an arrogant football player anyway.

But when the case is over, can Damon convince Evie she’s the only woman for him or will she leave him tied up in love?

Damon Prescott has been accused of taking performance enhancing drugs. He’s never done that and out with an injury he has to find out how he tested positive. His brother Austin who is also his agent and his sister Bri his publicist have a plan. They aren’t going to use their usual PI they’re going with someone far more qualified for this task.

Evie just opened her own agency, a licensed PI, she is the perfect person to figure out who has it in for Damon. The thing is she’s most comfortable in jeans, boots and her leather jacket than in the attire attributed to most of the teams girlfriends. At least this is the excuse Damon gives for not believing she can pull off being his girlfriend.

The real reason is Damon is worried, he’s been attracted to Evie since he first met her. He can’t seem to get her out of his head and that frightens him. He’s not the settling down type, at least that’s what he tells himself.

Evie loves a challenge and meeting Austin, his girlfriend Quinn and Damon at Allstars for a drink will be interesting to say the least. Damon can’t hang with his teammates, but if he happens to run into them at a bar, those things happen.

This is a favorite scene.

Damon turned from his amusement for the night and glanced at the entrance to the bar. A couple stood at the hostess stand, where they were led to an empty table. He watched them be seated, waiting for Evie, growing annoyed that she couldn’t make it on time like everyone else.

From behind him, James let out a low whistle. “Now she’s fucking hot.”

Damon turned to look. A brunette, her hair hanging in long, spiral curls, stood at the hostess stand, looking down. A short black dress with one sleeve clung to a rocking body. Her legs were long, her heels high, and if his head weren’t still throbbing, he could imagine them wrapped around his waist as he pounded into her, hard and deep.

She lifted her head and immediately met his gaze. He found himself looking at a bombshell with pouty bright red lips, cat-like liner around her brown eyes, and a knowing smirk on that familiar mouth. “Holy shit.”

“I think this is what they call Damon eating his words,” Austin said, sounding amused.

“You didn’t think she could do it, did you?” Quinn met his gaze, judgment in her expression, and she was right.

“No, I did not.”

Before he could say more, Evie sashayed across the room, every male eye on her as she strode directly toward him. Her stare locked on his, she stopped in front of him.

“Hi, honey. Sorry I’m late.” And with that pronouncement, she sat down in his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and settled her mouth against his.

He stiffened in surprise and she slid her tongue over his bottom lip, causing his cock to rise and his mouth to part. Next thing he knew, he’d gripped her neck, pulled her tight against him, and was kissing the hell out of her in public.

Damon had made out with many females, but he’d never wanted to get lost inside a woman the way he did with Evie. Evie. Jesus. Sanity threatened to return, but she ran her fingers through his hair and he forgot he’d been about to pull back. He slid his tongue over her lips and speared inside once more.

A whistle broke the moment, and Damon jerked his head back, taking the pain as his due. What had he been thinking, devouring Evie in a place he frequented? It was one thing to test the theory of them being plausible as a couple, another to stake a claim on her.

“You didn’t tell us you had yourself a hot woman,” James said. “Keeping her to yourself?”

Damon drew in a calming breath. His dick wasn’t cooperating and he was certain Evie felt it against her thigh, but he needed to sell them and now was the beginning.

“We were keeping our relationship quiet, but after Damon’s injury, we decided life’s short, why hide our feelings?” Evie spoke before Damon could jump in with an explanation. “Right, honey bear?”

He caught himself before he glared her way. He cupped his hand on her thigh. “Right, snookums.”

From beside him, he heard his siblings stifling laughter. But he had to admit, he’d underestimated Evie Wolfe. She could definitely pass as an NFL player’s girlfriend and he didn’t mind having her acting as his.

“Okay, let’s discuss things,” Austin said in a low voice. “Now that we know you two can act as a couple, Evie, what’s your plan?”

“I’d like to talk to my boyfriend alone and in private. Get a recounting of what happened, find out who he thinks could have it in for him on the team.” She shifted on his lap, leaning back to look into his eyes, and though he didn’t know if her thigh movement was deliberate, his body liked the feeling of her rubbing against his cock.

He cleared his throat. “Why don’t you come by my house tomorrow morning and we can discuss things.”

She nodded. “That works.”

Austin stared at them, taking in her arm wrapped around his neck. “You two also need to learn about each other and get your stories straight on how you met, how long you’ve been together under the radar, things like that.”

They both nodded.

As the family dispersed, Damon met Evie’s gaze. “I think you can get your own seat now. Or even better, it’s time to go home. I don’t think my head can take much more. I need to lie down.”

Concern etched her pretty features. “I didn’t realize you were still in pain. You didn’t drive here, did you?”

He knew better than to shake his head. “No. I took a service.”

“I’ll bring you home. My car’s a little small but you can squeeze in.”

He noted she remained on his lap, her thighs on his still-hard cock. “That’s okay. I don’t want you to go out of your way.”

She tilted her head, causing those gorgeous curls to spiral over her shoulder. “And leave my boyfriend to go home alone? Nope. Let’s hit the road, honey bear.”

Finally, she stood up, but that left him in an awkwardly hard situation.
Carly Phillips. Dare to Tempt (Kindle Locations 203-241). CP Publishing.

To follow the logical premise of who has the most to gain puts Damon’s back-up quarterback at the forefront. However after meeting him Evie doesn’t get the sense that he would do anything to damage Damon’s reputation.

While his team is stunned that Damon has a girlfriend, the sparks flying between these two can’t be denied. As the puzzle pieces start coming together, so do Evie and Damon.

A delightful read with some intrigue and just the right amount of sizzle.

5 Contented Purrs for Carly!

Carly Phillips

Carly Phillips is the N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over 50 sexy contemporary romance novels featuring hot men, strong women and the emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love.

Carly’s career spans over a decade and a half with various New York publishing houses, and she is now an Indie author who runs her own business and loves every exciting minute of her publishing journey. Carly is happily married to her college sweetheart, the mother of two nearly adult daughters and three crazy dogs (two wheaten terriers and one mutant Havanese) who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. Carly loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers.