A/N's: Ya gotta love football....;)

Chapter Six

Dee stood on the sunny balcony of her new high-rise apartment overlooking Westerman Park and dried her hair.

It was Saturday morning. The week had passed quickly; the hours spent of the air with Dwayne had been exciting, fun, like old times. Off the air, it was a different story. Dwayne had little to do with her and his black mood had gone unnoticed by no one.

Dee was all too aware that Dwayne's bad humor was because of she was back, but the depth of his displeasure was puzzling. She'd been young and very ambitious. When she'd been offered a slot at one of L.A.'s top radio stations, she'd accepted, despite the fact that she was in love with Dwayne Johnson.

Over and over again she'd asked him if she was doing the right thing. Each time she'd hoped he'd beg her to stay in Denver. But his answer was always that it was a great opportunity and she must make up her own mind. Even on that last night, when Dwayne had made love to her for the first and last time, he still did not tell her to stay.

Dee shook her head, rose and went inside to dress for the charity football game.

******

The referee's whistle found the center for the X104 team bent over the ball, hands firmly on the pigskin, knees bent, bottom pointed skyward, ready to snap the ball to the waiting quarterback who, brown hands reaching between the legs of the nervous center, called the play in a deep and commanding voice.

Dee snapped the ball to Dwayne and the game between the X104 Spinners and the Channel Ten Glossies was under way. Dwayne rapidly backpedaled, ball in his right hand. Dee, not quite certain what to do next, ran toward the opponents, looking back over her shoulder at Dwayne.

He pumped once, then threw a spiraling pass to his buddy, deejay Jeff Groen. Perfectly thrown, the ball landed right on target and Jeff managed to run five yards before he was tagged by a laughing channel ten anchorwoman.

Dee clapped happily, lined up for the next play and bent over the ball. She let her eyes slide up to the pair of well-tended brown hands in position between her legs. Dwayne was hunched so closely over her she could feel his body heat, his breath. Dee shivered, bit her lip and looked down again.

Dwayne, his powerful body bent close to Dee's, tried just as desperately to keep his mind on the game. It was difficult with that cute rear, clad in white shorts, pointed in the air. It was agony to put his hands near those creamy thighs.

The game continued and Dwayne's performance rapidly deteriorated form brilliant to just plain lousy. Before the first quarter had ended, channel ten was leading X104 by a score of seventeen to nothing.

Only Dwayne, and perhaps Dee, knew where the problem lay. When he informed her he was changing her playing position, Dee merely nodded.

Dwayne relaxed and became the formidable competitor he'd been in past years. Dee was delighted with her new position and when, later in the game, he threw her a perfectly aimed pass, Dee took off running for the goal line. She'd only gone a few yards before a muscular blond channel ten salesman caught up with her.

He grabbed for her T-shirt, pulling it hard, and Dee forgot it was only touch football. She tried to wrench away from the grinning, good-looking Russell Underhill. She heard the tear of her shirt just as she hit the grassy ground. The big blond man came crashing down on top of her. Dee, unhurt, laughed and so did he. Dee was on her back, the football still clutched tightly. Russ was on his stomach, his broad torso partially covering hers.

Fans in the stand were applauding. Teammates from both sides were whistling and cheering. Dee and Russ were laughing uproariously, struggling to untangle arms and legs. When a shadow fell across them, Dee looked up to see a livid Dwayne Johnson.

Mouth thinned into a tight line, eyes snapping, Dwayne jerked her to her feet with such force and speed that her head rocked on her shoulders. Strong fingers gripping her arm, he demanded, "What the hell do you think you're doing, Underhill?"

Still smiling, Russ rose. "Why so edgy, Johnson? I didn't hurt her, did I, sweetheart?" He looked down at Dee.

"He didn't, Dwayne, really. It was my fault, I..."

Dwayne ignored her. "Underhill, this girl weighs a hundred pounds, you weigh two hundred. Fall on her again and you'll answer to me, you got that?"

"Meaning?"

"Read my lips, Underhill. Touch her again and I'll come after you. I weigh two hundred pounds, too."

The big blond man's smile stayed in place. "What if I took her out to dinner, Johnson?" His eyes went to Dee. "I was just going to invite her when you interrupted."

Dwayne released Dee's arm. "You do that, Underhill." He turned to walk away. "On the playing field, stay off her!"

******

Dee, riding back to the station after the game, which X104 had won, pondered the events of the morning. Dwayne was not in the limo she rode in.

It had been arranged prior to the game that the losing team would treat the winner's to beer and pizza at Griminzo's, the local pizza shop. Laughing, happy people piled out of the limo and headed directly across the street. Dee watched them go, promising she'd meet them there in then minutes. In fact, she had no intention of going. She wanted only to be alone, to consider for herself why Dwayne had become so angry when she'd tumbled to the ground with Russ.

Dee saw the other limo, the one Dwayne had taken back, empty at the curb. Its occupants had already streamed into the cozy pub. Dee went up to the studios. They were deserted, save for the weekend substitute doing his air trick. Dee was thankful for the privacy as she headed for her office.

A loud noise from Dwayne's office stopped her at his door.

Obviously thinking he was alone, Dwayne, his face contorted, threw his other shoe across the room. It made the same loud thud as the first one. His back to Dee, he jerked his soiled white T-shirt over his head and threw it after the shoes.

Dee stood watching his beautiful, bare back, sweat-slick and shiny, lift with his breaths. Feeling her eyes on him at last, he slowly turned around and started toward her.

His eyes blazed with an undeniable look of passion that both frightened and excited her. Feeling her knees turn to water, Dee waited, eager for his strong arms to pull her against him, longing for those lips to crush hers.

It never happened.

Stopping directly in front of her, Dwayne said, "Why aren't you at Griminzo's?" His voice was tired, flat.

"Why aren't you?" she responded softly.

His wide bare shoulders rose, then slowly fell. "Dee," he said, and it was a plea, "leave me alone. Please...please, leave me alone."