Free Quarterback Sneak by Desiree Holt Page B

Max, looking completely devastated.
    “Please give me another chance,
Stacy.” He swallowed so hard she could see his Adam’s apple move. “I haven’t
really told you what I’m about to say. I planned to do it in a big way tonight.
Please, listen to me now. Me, with no frills.” He paused a moment. “Stacy, I
love you. I’ve never loved anyone before the way I love you. Please don’t shut
me out of your life.”
    Stacy was shocked into silence.
Finally, she found her voice. “How did you do everything?” She gestured at the
setup. “All this.”
    Mr. Devereaux laughed. “A cell
phone video and a little influence with the hotel. Tony Warren’s an old friend
and glad to help. And an invitation to the owners’ box at the stadium didn’t
hurt, either.” He took her hand and urged her up from the chair. “Last night
was an embarrassment for the Warrens. An old friend of Rina’s took liberties
she shouldn’t then plastered it all over cyberspace. I can assure you that, old
friend or not, she has abused both friendship and hospitality and won’t be
invited back.”
    Stacy frowned. “Really? She won’t?
Even though she and Mrs. Warren are friends?”
    “I think the woman put the
friendship to the wrong test last night. I spoke with Max after we made these
plans. He loves you, Stacy. I’ve never heard a man more miserable in my life.
On his behalf, I beg you to give him another chance.” He studied her carefully.
“Besides, it’s Valentine’s Day. The day of true love, so it says in my
magazine. How about it?”
    At that moment, the door to the
room opened, and Max strode in, the expression on his face both hopeful and
fearful.
    “Stacy?” He walked over to her and
reached tentatively for her hands.
    “I’ll leave you two alone.” Adam
Devereaux headed toward the door. “Stacy, don’t forget you still have to put in
an appearance at the party. Think what a scoop it would be if the two of you
had a special announcement to make.”
    With that, he was gone.
    She stared at Max. “I can’t believe
you did all this. For me.”
    “For us,” he corrected. “I love
you, Stacy. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Please tell me we’re
okay again. I couldn’t stand it if we weren’t.”
    For the first time since that
morning, the anger inside her began to dissolve and the knot in her stomach
unwind. There was no doubting the sincerity in his voice. Like clouds on a wind,
her doubts blew away. Even she wasn’t stupid enough to think a man would go to
all this trouble if he didn’t mean what he said. “How could I not believe you
when you went to all so much trouble to convince me.”
    “I love you,” he told her again.
    The weight in her heart
disappeared, and she felt light as a feather. Happiness coursed through her. “I
love you, too, Max. I think I probably have since the day we met, but I was too
blind to see it.”
    He pulled her into a kiss that took
her breath away. His tongue probed her mouth and his arms pressed her hard
against his body. She inhaled the familiar spicy scent of his aftershave as if
she’d never breathe without it again.
    “I see you wore the red dress.” His
mouth turned up in a crooked grin. “Thank you.”
    “Well,” she told him in an offhand
manner, “it seemed a shame to let it go to waste. And I thought I needed
cheering up.”
    “And now?”
    “Now I’m glad I did. You can have
fun taking it off later.”
    “I never want anyone else except
you, Stace. Please believe me.” He let out a breath. “Will you marry me and be
my Valentine for the rest of our lives?”
    “Yes.” She threw her head back and
laughed. “Yes, yes, yes.”
    He untangled them and reached into
his jacket pocket, bringing out a small box. “I’ve been carrying this around
all week. I hope you like it.” He opened the box, and she gasped at the diamond
sparkling there, surrounded by heart made of rubies, all of it set in a
platinum band.
    “My God, Max.” She was