Defending the Backfield by Cadence Keys book cover

LA Wolves Defense Book 1

Defending the Backfield

by Cadence Keys

A protective-hero professional football romance

A beast of a man. A tender heart. A safe place to fall in love.

An interconnected standalone romance

Where to read

Tropes

  • Protective hero
  • He falls first
  • Forced proximity
  • Employer/employee
  • Woman on the run
  • Found family

About the book

Falling for him wasn’t part of the plan, but neither was being found.

I never expected to find safety in the arms of an NFL star, especially while on the run from my abusive ex.

When Gabe Romero offers me a job after getting me fired, I should say no. He's gorgeous, gentle, and everything I can't afford to want right now. But I'm desperate, and his gated community offers protection I haven't had in years.

Living in his pool house and working as his housekeeper is torture—especially when he leaves me sticky notes that make my heart flutter and builds me a library straight out of my dreams. He makes me feel cherished in ways I thought were lost forever.

But my past is hunting me, and Gabe's light can't keep the darkness at bay forever. When my ex finds me, I'll have to choose between running again or finally standing my ground—for my freedom, for my future, and for the chance to love a man who makes me feel like a queen.

Defending the Backfield is a steamy sports romance between a beast of a man and a woman on the run. It’s book 1 in the LA Wolves Defense series but can be read as a standalone.

Contemporary romance · Professional football / sports romance

Why you may love it

Gabe Romero + Danae Badalyan

Set in Los Angeles

After inadvertently getting struggling waitress Danae Badalyan fired, LA Wolves strong safety Gabe Romero offers her a job as his housekeeper and a safe place to live in his furnished pool house. But Danae is hiding from an abusive ex who keeps finding her, and getting close to Gabe feels like putting him in danger too.

If you love Beauty-and-the-Beast-coded romance, Gabe’s huge, intimidating presence hides a tender, protective heart. He falls first for a book-loving woman and patiently gives her reasons to feel safe.

  • A size difference, sticky-note courtship, and the library of her dreams, built in his mansion.
  • A protective hero who offers a safe home without expecting Danae’s trust to come easily.
  • Found family, healing after domestic abuse, and a thread of romantic suspense.