Even though she was deliberately avoiding looking at Dan, she could feel those fierce green eyes boring holes right through her skin. Regardless of her position as team owner, this was his turf, and she had invaded it. Still, she went on. “Coach Calebow has eons of experience, and I’m sure you should pay attention to everything he’s told you. But if you’ll do just this one little thing for me, I can practically promise you success.”

She could feel the anger rolling off Dan’s body. He had spent the entire week working the team into a killing frenzy, and she was blithely undoing all his efforts. She had to set aside her own survival instinct so she could concentrate on the men, not an easy feat when he was standing so close. “Tonight, gentlemen, when you line up on that field, I want you to do this.” She paused. “I want you to pretend that the Giants are naked.”

They were staring at her as if she had lost her mind, which probably wasn’t all that far from the truth. She heard a few nervous chuckles, and regarded the offenders with mock gravity.

“I am absolutely serious. When the Giants are lined up, just pretend that guy across from you, on the other side of the—” Her mind went blank, and she turned to Ron. “What’s that thing called?”

“The line of scrimmage?” Ron offered.

“Right. Pretend the guy across the line of scrimmage from you is naked. It’ll work. Really. I promise you. It’s a trick I learned in school to overcome stage fright. I mean how can you be seriously worried about getting beat by some guy who has his—uh—stomach hanging out?” She smiled brightly. “So, for tonight . . . Think naked!”

For better or for worse, the tension in the locker room was gone. As the men’s shoulder pads shook from their laughter, she knew she had accomplished her goal, and she finally allowed her own instinct for survival to kick in.

Jumping down from the bench, she made a dash for the door. “I’ll see all of you on the field.”

Unfortunately, Dan caught her before she could escape, and her courage flagged as she saw that his face was pale.

“You’ve gone too far, Phoebe. When the game is over, you and I are going to have it out for the last time.”

She swallowed hard and slipped past him.

Ron found her twenty feet down the hallway, where she’d collapsed against the wall.

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