The Tight End

A Grumpy/Sunshine New Adult Sports Romance

Her ring says “taken.” Her face says “trapped.” If I save her, we’re both done with the Rhinos.

I’m Casper Taylor—starting tight end for the Richmond Rhinos, red-zone weapon, and the guy people call “golden boy” like I’ve never bled for anything.

They don’t see the scar tissue.

They don’t see the wreck that nearly ended my career in college… or the way my shoulder still whispers you're done every time I take a hit.

All they see is the contract. The highlights. The legend I’m supposed to become.

So when my shoulder flares up again, I do what every franchise player swears he’d never do:

I hide it.

Because if the medical staff finds out, I’m sidelined. If I’m sidelined, I’m replaceable. And I didn’t claw my way here just to watch someone else steal my spot.

That’s where Siobhan comes in.

The Rhinos’ physical therapist with ice in her veins and a backbone made of steel—so independent it’s practically a warning label. She doesn’t smile for my charm. Doesn’t melt for my fame. Doesn’t care that half the city would crawl across broken glass for a date with me.

She’s got her own wreckage—an imploded business, a mountain of debt, and a rulebook that says trust no one.

Perfect.

Because trust is for people who can afford to lose.

I tell her I just need a massage. A little maintenance. Nothing serious.

She knows I’m lying the second her hands hit my shoulder.

And she should walk away.

But she doesn’t.

Maybe it’s because I keep showing up. Maybe it’s because she’s tired of carrying everything alone. Or maybe it’s because when I look at her, I don’t see a woman who needs saving—I see a woman who’s been surviving so long she forgot what being wanted feels like.

I fall first. Hard. Stupid. All-in.

And I do the one thing I never do:

I start needing her.

Then someone offers me a “miracle” solution—an illegal edge that could keep me on the field and make the pain disappear.

One little risk.

One little secret.

One test I can’t fail.

Except Siobhan is the kind of woman who won’t bend her morals for anyone.

Not even me.

So now we’re both trapped in a game we can’t win:

If she reports me, she saves my career from itself—and loses me for good.

If she protects me, she keeps me on the field—and loses the one thing she’s fought to rebuild: her self-respect.

And me?

I’m a tight end with a ticking clock, a secret injury, and a woman I shouldn’t touch—

but I’m already done pretending I don’t want her.

THE TIGHT END is a new adult sports romance packed with forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine tension, secret injury, hurt/comfort, he falls first, morally gray choices, and high-stakes “one mistake and it’s over” pressure on—and off—the field.

The Rookies
The Quarterback
The Tight End
The Running Back
The Kicker