Page 2 of Game On

I walked out of the arena and toward my car in the player’s parking lot. I drove on autopilot back to my condo. This was the fourth nanny I had hired this year alone. Why? These women saw dollar signs in their eyes when they found out what I did for a living.

I made more than the average person while I was up in the big time, but I was still on an entry-level contract. I wasn’t making millions like my teammates Noah or TJ. Or hell, even Blaise. And I had a kid to worry about. Something TJ would understand in the months to come.

The last nanny I hired had been young, and that worried me, but Mac and his wife had used her before, so I thought I was in good hands. Until I came home and she was naked in my bed.

She had been hot, and any other time I’d have taken her up on the offer, but fucking the nanny was a bad idea. I went through an agency for this new one. I asked for someone older, hoping to get a sweet old lady, but no, they sent another young thing with a smoking hot bod. I hoped she knew how to be professional.

When I keyed into the apartment and found it dark with no immediate sign of Crystal, my stomach dropped. First, I freaked out and checked Liam’s room. That was my biggest fear with leaving a stranger with him. What if he got kidnapped?

Since becoming Liam’s guardian, I was in a constant state of worry that something bad would happen to him. I couldn’t protect my sister, but I’d make damn sure I protected her son. Guilt wrapped itself around me every night, knowing I hadn’t got my sister out in time. At least now I could show Liam that real men didn’t hit their partners. I wished getting him away from his shitty father hadn’t cost my sister her life.

I slowly opened the door to his room, in case he was asleep, and breathed a sigh of relief when I walked in the room and found the four-year-old asleep in his own bed. For once.

My biggest challenge was keeping him out of my bed. Before Mac let me sublet his condo, I was rooming with one of the other rookies, and Liam slept in my room. Despite having his own bed, he always managed to find his way into mine. That hadn’t stopped when we moved. Despite all my trying to get him to sleep in his own bedroom in his ‘big boy bed.’

I peered down at my nephew, grateful that Crystal got him to sleep in here instead of in my bedroom, but then his blue eyes popped open.

Dammit. I was hoping he would stay asleep.

“Buddy, go back to sleep,” I whispered.

“No,” he argued, even as he yawned. No, had been his favorite word since the moment he moved in with me.

“Buddy, you need to sleep. Sleep for Uncle Logan, okay?”

He shook his little head and clenched his fist. “Want Mama.”

I sighed and smoothed down his hair. “Buddy, we talked about this. Mama’s with the angels now.”

“Mama!” he wailed.

Fuck, I didn’t know how to help my nephew. I wished his mama was here, too. I sang his favorite song that my sister always sang to him until he settled back down.

This single dad thing was tough work, and some days, I didn’t know if I was doing any of it right. I had to be on top of my game all the time. For him. I worked myself to the bone in the weight room and studied game tape as much as I could because I wanted to keep my spot on the team. For this little guy who needed me more than anything.

I quietly left his bedroom after he closed his eyes and fell back asleep. I had to find out where the hell his nanny got to.

The door to my bedroom was closed, which sent alarm bells off. I closed it when I left, but with Crystal nowhere in sight, I had my hackles raised. I had a bad feeling about what was behind it.

I opened the door, and on my bed was Crystal in sexy lingerie. “Welcome home,” she said with a smile.

I clenched my jaw. This was what I was afraid of.

My dick kicked against my pants. She was hot as hell, but this was inappropriate. Everyone knew you didn’t sleep with the nanny.

“Crystal,” I said flatly. “What are you doing?”

She crooked a finger at me. “C’mere big guy. Let me help you relax.”

“No. Put your clothes on and get out of my bed.”

Her face fell. “Don’t you want to fuck me?”

Of course, I wanted to fuck her. She was hot as hell and waiting in my bed. But I wasn’t gonna fuck the woman I hired to take care of my nephew. You don’t shit where you eat.

“Crystal, you’re a gorgeous girl, but this is wildly inappropriate. Get your things and leave. I’ll make the payments through the agency, but I’m not looking to hire you again.”

She jumped off the bed in a huff and rushed around to get dressed. She bumped me with her shoulder and gave me a glare on her way out. I don’t know why she was so pissed off at me; I had set the ground rules with the agency that I had several problems with women thinking I wanted a sexual relationship with them. Crystal had excellent reviews, and she never had a complaint before. Well, she would now.