Touchdowns & Potions

Real estate agent Jenna Steele has been chosen to sell professional quarterback Andy McKnight's huge home in order to make enough money to send her adopted sister to a prestigious university. But she hates professional athletes, considering them lazy and playboys in real life while making millions for entertainment purposes. When he convinces her he does have a heart and a conscience, she falls in love with the man who drives her crazy and doesn't wear a watch. There's only one problem--Jenna's wrists have been splashed with a home remedy love potion by an older client, and now all men are falling at her feet, willing to kill to date her. She knows that once the love potion wears off, Andy will be gone and she'll be forced to find a job out of state just to survive the bombardment of the paparazzi and Andy's friends.

Excerpt

"Will you look at that guy? If he's the owner of this mansion…" Jenna Steele parked her car in the driveway of the client's home. The handsome and well-built man stood on the porch, as if waiting for her to get out of the car. He looked like he'd just gotten out of bed, wearing only dark blue shorts in the morning August air. Although she'd sworn off the good-looking macho type of man, she wished she could make an exception—he was that incredible.

The man's huge dog ran out of the house and off the porch toward her car. His bark was nasty as he bared his teeth. He jumped up on Jenna's car door, making Jenna move toward the passenger's seat.

Jenna wound the passenger's window down an inch and shouted toward the man, over the loud animal. "Are you going to help me?"

The man shook his head. "No. He's my watch dog and you're a stranger."

What a scummy man. "Very funny." She looked out the driver's side window. "He's scratching my paint. Help me?"

"Killer. Down," the man said, not even raising his voice. The dog dropped to the ground, sauntered to his master, and sat beside him. "You can get out now."

She still didn't trust the monster beast, not wanting to get out of her car. They could turn on strangers at any time, from what she'd seen in the past. "Are you sure he's not going to eat me?"

The man laughed, bent down, and stroked the dog's fur. "No way. Killer's no killer."

The whole situation made her angry, but she let it go. If this guy was the owner of the home, she had to remain professional. She was a real estate agent and he was her potential client. Her job depended on this sale, considering she'd lost two other sales that week. The company's new 'three strikes and you're out' policy was getting too close for comfort. In other words, she had to be nice to this man.

Jenna grabbed her things and got out of the car. She had to check on the scratch, so she rounded the car to the driver's side. The scratch was deep, so she ran her fingers over it. What was she going to do? She didn't have the cash to fix the thing, nor did she have the time. However, she couldn't get angry, because the dog's owner was, in fact, a potential client.

She turned her attention to the man, who still stood on the porch with his arms folded. Best not to say anything about the scratch and just ignore it. Considering her car was old, no one would believe a dog made it worse.

After smoothing her blue skirt, she shook back her hair and approached the man. "I'm looking for Mr…" She opened her portfolio and glanced at the name. "Andy McKnight."

"That's me," the man said with a grin. "You must be from We-Sell Lincoln Realty."

"Yes, sir." Once she got closer, she reached out and shook his hand, the heat from his fingers searing her skin. Even sexier up close, he made her catch her breath while staring at his brown hair and very blue eyes. His strong face was bronzed with slight stubble on his chin, his smile revealing his incredibly white straight teeth.

She took a small breath, unable to shake the power this man had over her. "I'm Jenna Steele. It's nice to meet you."

His expression turned puzzled. "Do you know who I am?"

"Sure. You're…" She checked her portfolio again. "Andy McKnight." Turning her gaze to the mansion sitting in front of her, dollar signs danced in her mind. "You want to sell this beautiful home, right?"

"Yes, I do. I'm building something farther out and need more space."

She jerked her head toward him. "More space? Do you have a family?" The place was already enormous.

"No family, but I have goals for my future and need more space."

She wanted to ask him what he was talking about, but kept it to herself. She had to see the inside of the home before she asked more.

His hand went to her upper back as he directed her toward the front door. She felt uncomfortable, so she moved away from him. His touch was more than she'd bargained for. She had to keep her distance and keep her eye on her goal—getting the commission from the house and keeping her job.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked.

Didn't he ask her that before? What was his problem? "Andy McKnight."

"At least you didn't have to check your files again," he muttered. "Have you ever heard of me before?"

"No, sir. My boss handed me your file and now I'm here. I'm to assess your home and see who can sell it for our company." She had to give herself an out in case this job was more than she could handle. She'd been with the company for only a few months, and given the size of the home, she may not have the connections to sell the place.

As they climbed the steps to the porch, the dog followed along. Andy opened the front door and they entered the foyer off the kitchen. With cathedral ceilings, light wood, and dark trim, the house was gorgeous. But at this moment, it was a disaster. What seemed like hundreds of beer cans littered the floor, with pizza boxes and trash of every type strewn everywhere. It looked like no one had cleaned for months. The dog went right to work, sniffing and hunting for any stray food.

"Sorry for the mess," Andy said. "The maid hasn't been here for two days."

"Two days?" Jenna glanced around the room. "You did all this in two days?"

His hand touched her back, directing her away from the open door.

Jenna stepped over a black lacy bra. She pointed at the item. "I take it this isn't yours."

He laughed as he closed the front door. "No, not mine. That belongs to a friend's—"

"A friend of yours?" She glanced around to see if a woman was nearby. "I can come back at another time if you want." She had to remain professional, giving her client some space. At least that's what she'd been taught.