Turning Up the Heat by Sherry Ficklin

Shelby Abbot is desperate to get off her sister’s couch after losing her job, her home, and her fiancé, so when she’s offered a job as a live-in housekeeper and personal chef to Memphis Knights running back, Austin Vega, she jumps at the chance. All she wants to do is keep her head down, do her job, and earn enough money to start her own food truck. Living in such close proximity to the sexy football player shouldn’t be a challenge, since she sees right through his game playing ways and has no interest in becoming another notch in his bed post.
Austin Vega is one of the Knights’ top running backs. But he’s also a player off the field, and his bad boy, womanizer reputation is threatening his place on the team. Faced with the possibility of losing his multi-million-dollar contract, Austin assures the team manager that not only has he shelved his play boy ways, but that he’s engaged to be married–to Shelby. He just has to convince her to play along—and keep his hands off her in the meantime.
Blindsided by his declaration and coaxed the by offer of enough money to start her own business, Shelby agrees to pretend to be Austin’s fiancé until the start of summer training camp. But living together and pretending to be a couple in public while ignoring their growing attraction proves to be harder than either of them anticipated. When Shelby suggests a slight change in their arrangement, things really start heating up and someone is bound to get burned.

(Previously Published as Trick Play by June Stevens Westerfield and Sherry Ficklin writing as SJ Noble)