by L. P. Dover
“I don’t want anything,” he said, “but I can go with you if you want.”
“No, that’s fine. I don’t mind going by myself. Besides, I don’t want Lara sitting by herself. I’ll be right back.”
Shrugging, he sat back down. “All right, it’s whatever you want.”
As I started down the stadium steps, my heart stopped and I froze as a voice echoed across the speakers, catching my attention. “Oh my God,” I gasped.
“Good evening, ladies and gentleman. Thank you for joining us here at the Bank of America Stadium. I’m Cooper Davis and I wanted to ask that you join me tonight as I do something I never thought I would do. There’s someone in the stands that I would really like to bring on this stage, and if you wouldn’t mind chanting her name that would be great. Maybe it would get her out here because I’m sure she’s probably cussing at me right now for putting her on the spot. Her name is Kate, everyone.”
Wide-eyed, I stood there on the steps like an idiot as the crowd shouted and cheered my name over and over, clapping their hands. “KATE! KATE! KATE! KATE! KATE!”
Lara clapped her hands and pointed straight at me. “There she is everyone!” she yelled.
Cooper chuckled. “Come on, Kate, they’re cheering for you, love. Get yourself out here.”
Biting my lip, I slowly descended the stairs and made my way out to the field. Cameras flashed all around and I smiled, hoping I didn’t look like an idiot. When I got to the stage, Cooper smiled and beckoned me closer. Dressed in his black and blue jersey with his hair mussed from his helmet, he was the sexiest quarterback I’d ever seen.
“What are you doing?” I whispered nervously.
He took my hands and kissed each one before dropping down on one knee. “I think you know, love.” The stands went wild as soon as he pulled out the black box from behind his back.
Putting a hand over my mouth, I gasped and cried, “Cooper, are you really doing this?”
He nodded his head and opened the box. “Yes, Kate, I’m really doing this. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You know how hard it was for me to change, but yet you stuck by me and always saw the good. You never gave up on me when so many others in my life did. Do you remember four months ago when I promised I would make it up to you for sticking by me for however long you wanted me?”
“Yes,” I whispered, “I remember. And I told you that you would be making it up to me for a really long time.”
Chuckling, he opened the black box to reveal a round cut diamond ring with blue sapphire side stones; it was beautiful.
“How about I make it up to you forever, love? I don’t want to let you go … ever.”
Cooper took the ring out of the box and slowly slid it onto my finger. When he got to his feet, he took my face in his hands and bent down so his lips were just a breath away from mine.
“What’s your answer, Kate? Will you be my wife?”
The crowd cheered and chanted, “YES! YES! YES! YES!” over and over. With tears flowing down my cheeks, I smiled wide and flung my arms around his neck.
“Yes,” I cried. “The answer is yes!”
Lifting me in his arms, he kissed me on the lips and swung me around. “Say it again, love. I need to hear you say it again,” he murmured in my ear.
“Yes, Cooper,” I whispered back. “I want to be your wife … always, but before we do anything you need to finish this game. Everyone’s counting on you to win the Super Bowl for them.”
“No,” he said, taking my face in his hands. “I’m not winning it for them. I’m winning it for you. It’s always going to be for you … forever.”
Coming Soon
(A Second Chances Standalone)
~Evan’s story~
Keep turning for a sneak peek at what’s coming next!
You don’t want to miss this!
Note from the Author: As some of you know, I love my MMA fighters. (As seen in Meant for Me and Fighting for Love) Well now I plan on embarking in a new journey that is going to be nothing but hot and sexy, alpha male fighters that’ll get your blood racing and your panties dropping. I bring you …
The GLOVES OFF standalone series
(A new series based off of characters in my Second Chances fighter books)
Check out the list:
A Fighter’s Desire – A Gloves Off Prequel
Tyler’s Undoing – Book One
Ryley’s Revenge – Book Two
Camden’s Redemption – Book Three
Coming to the ring this Summer/Fall!
To my husband, Matt—I love you with all of my heart. My dreams wouldn’t have come true without your support.
To my superpower PA, Kim Walker—You have been a lifesaver. I literally would have no hair right now if it wasn’t for you. I’m thankful each and every day that I have you by my side.
To the most amazing editor ever—I think I summed it up with that title … YOU’RE AMAZING!
To my cover designer, Regina Wamba—Your creativity astounds me. I’m in love with each and every cover you do for me.
To my readers—THANK YOU SO MUCH! I love and appreciate every single one of you. None of this would be possible without you, and I will eternally be grateful for the rest of my life. YOU ROCK!
USA Today Bestselling author, L.P. Dover, is a southern belle residing in North Carolina along with her husband and two beautiful girls. Before she even began her literary journey she worked in Periodontics enjoying the wonderment of dental surgeries.
Not only does she love to write, but she loves to play tennis, go on mountain hikes, white water rafting, and you can't forget the passion for singing. Her two number one fans expect a concert each and every night before bedtime and those songs usually consist of Christmas carols.
Aside from being a wife and mother, L.P. Dover has written over nine novels including her Forever Fae series, the Second Chances series, and her standalone novel, Love, Lies, and Deception. Her favorite genre to read is romantic suspense and she also loves writing it. However, if she had to choose a setting to live in it would have to be with her faeries in the Land of the Fae.
L.P. Dover is represented by Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary Agency.
You can find L.P. Dover at:
Her website: www.authorlpdoverbooks.com
Email: lpdover@authorlpdoverbooks.com
Follow her on Twitter: @LPDover
“Like” her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/LP-Dover/318455714919114
OTHER BOOKS BY L.P. DOVER
Forever Fae Series
Second Chances Standalones
Standalone (Romantic Suspense)
ALSO CHECK OUT THESE
EXTRAORDINARY AUTHORS & BOOKS:
Alivia Anders ~ Illumine
Cambria Hebert ~ Recalled
A.O. Peart ~ Almost Matched
Julia Crane ~ Freak of Nature
J.A. Huss ~ TAUT: The Ford Book
Cameo Renae ~ Hidden Wings
A.J. Bennett ~ Unintentional Virgin
Tabatha Vargo ~ Playing Patience
Ella James ~ Selling Scarlett
Tara West ~ Say When
Heidi McLaughlin ~ Forever Your Girl
Melissa Andrea ~ The Edge of Darkness
Kelly Walker ~ No One’s Angel
Komal Kant ~ Falling for Hadie
Melissa Pearl ~ Betwixt
Alexia Purdy ~ Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale #1)
Sarah M. Ross ~ Inhale, Exhale
Brina Courtney ~ Reveal
Amber Garza ~ Falling to Pieces
Anna Cruise ~ It Was You
Read on for a sneak peek at a couple of new releases coming out!
A Tempting Novel, Book 1
By Angela Corbett
“IT’S AN EPIDEMIC, Sydney. A freaking epidemic.” Brynn’s face was scrunched into a frown as she slid into the chair next to mine. She put her salad and Diet Coke down on the table. We were at Soup and Spoon, our favorite lunch spot a b
lock from Easton University campus. I’d been at the table awhile, my face buried in a book, trying to study for my law school prep class. So much information was packed into the short summer class that I felt like all I did was study.
I set the book to the side and took in Brynn’s crimson v-necked tee that showcased her fantastic cleavage, bootcut jeans that hugged her ass, and thick espresso colored hair that fell in curls all the way to her waist. My hair was long, but I didn’t have the commitment required to take care of a mane like hers. She was stop-and stare-gorgeous, though I’d never convince her of that.
“What’s the epidemic?” I asked, unwrapping my ginormous chocolate toffee cookie. I’d been saving it as a reward for finishing going through my notes. It’s the little things.
“Small dicks.” She shook her head in frustration. “Cocktail weenies are bigger than what I’ve had to deal with lately. I’m going to start making guys tell me their size before I go out with them. I’m sick of wasting my time on tiny weenies.”
This should have been shocking, but not much surprised me anymore when it came to Brynn Harper. I laughed, thoroughly amused, as I broke off a piece of cookie. “I guess your date last night didn’t go well?”
She threw her arms up in disgust. “No. It didn’t. You just don’t understand because you haven’t been investigating. Just wait, you’ll be disappointed.”
I considered that as the toffee and chocolate melted together in my mouth. While I wasn’t a virgin, sex had never been a big priority for me. I was very goal-oriented. Currently my goals included graduating from my excellent law school at the top of my class, and then moving on to a fantastic law firm, and becoming one of the best attorneys in the country. Pregnancy would hamper those goals. Since no form of birth control was one hundred percent effective, I’d decided to stay away from sex until I at least had my law degree…and maybe forever. It hadn’t been too difficult. My experience with sex in the past hadn’t been memorable. If history was any indication, I really wasn’t missing much.
I raised a brow. “I didn’t realize an investigation was underway.”
Brynn heaved an exasperated sigh as she dribbled her lettuce with light dressing. “You’ve known me since we were freshmen in college, Syd. I’ve been investigating dick sizes for years.”
“I thought you were just hooking up. Not taking notes.”
She waved me off like I was being ridiculous. “Of course I was hooking up! But it’s been impossible not to notice the current state of weenies. The situation is horrifying!” Her eyes were so wide that her long, thick lashes practically hit her perfectly arched eyebrows. “It’s all those hormones in milk—I know it. I bet dicks have been getting smaller and smaller for at least thirty years. Someone should study that.” She paused, her brows knit together. “I wonder if I could make it a topic for my Master’s thesis?”
I broke off another piece of my cookie. “You might want to wait until you actually start grad school before you propose that as your research concentration. It would be bad to get kicked out of the program before you even start.”
She rolled her eyes. “You worry too much, Syd,” she said, stabbing a forkful of lettuce. “You need to learn to relax.”
I nodded. “I will. Once I have my law degree and my dream job.”
“‘Gather ye rosebuds while ye may’,” she said, quoting one of my favorite poems by Robbert Herrick. “You’re not really doing that, you know.”
I tilted my head to the side, thinking. “We just have two different versions of seizing, Brynn.” I pointed to my text book. “Mine involves studying books, not men.”
She lifted her hand, opening and closing it as she mouthed the words blah, blah, blah. “My version is way more fun. You’re going to regret not doing stupid things while you were young and had an excuse.” She lifted her eyes, scanning the room and then abruptly stopped, her gaze totally focused somewhere behind me and to the right. “Speaking of doing things, the guy behind you is throw-me-down-and-screw-me-now hot.”
Brynn had hot guy radar. That should be the study of her thesis. We’d done the hot guy assessment routine so many times that it was habit. I waited for her to glance away—which seemed to take a lot longer than usual—counted to ten, and turned slowly, scanning the room in the direction she’d been ogling. My lips parted in a surprised “O” at the man—and he was definitely all man—sitting two tables away. Brynn had reason to stare.
His short, dark brown hair had a little curl to it and was styled like he’d just gotten out of bed. Judging by the shadow across his square jawline, he’d also forgotten to shave. His eyes were what really captivated me, though. I’d only seen such a vibrant shade of blue once before. I’d taken a high school graduation trip to Cancun, Mexico, and thought the colors of the ocean were the most stunning hues I’d ever seen. This guy’s eyes were the exact same bright blue. If I’d seen him in a photograph, I’d have sworn they were Photoshopped. His arms strained the seams of the white tee shirt he was wearing, and I had no doubt that everything under his clothes was probably as captivating and sculpted as his face. A matte black, beaded bracelet wrapped around his wrist. Most men wouldn’t be able to pull it off, but on this guy, it looked masculine, and just upped his sexy factor even more.
I’d mastered the two second check-out years ago, but this guy had caught me completely off guard. I’d been looking—some might even say leering—for far more than two seconds. Just as I got my wits back, the guy looked up, straight at me. He met my gaze—and held it.
And held it some more.
A flutter started in my stomach. His expression was full of unabashed self-assurance. Clear eyes were trained on me with a brazen focus that made the flutter descend much, much lower. Sparks felt like they were jumping across the room, and my breath caught in my throat. Just when I thought I might pass out, one corner of his lips lifted slightly and he cocked a brow expectantly. I knew how to flirt. And if I was reading him right, he’d just issued a dare to come over—one I wasn’t sure I was capable of accepting. I hadn’t said a word to him, but it was obvious this guy had almost as much confidence as he had testosterone.
He gave me about five seconds to decide what I was going to do, then tilted his head down, lifting a shoulder in a half shrug that seemed to indicate I’d had my chance and lost it. He stood, grabbing his tray filled with trash left over from his lunch. His jeans hung low on his hips, held up by a wide black belt with a square, distressed silver buckle and I couldn’t help but watch him as he walked away. It was a really nice view.
“What the hell was that?” Brynn asked in a half whisper. Her voice brought me out of my trance. “I think you just had eye-sex with him!”
“Sorry,” I muttered, glancing back at her for a brief second so she knew I wasn’t totally ignoring her. I watched the guy empty his tray into the trash, and stack it with the others above the bin. Every fiber of my being was willing him to turn back around and look at me again.
Every.
Single.
One.
My fibers failed me. He walked out the door without a second glance. I blew out a disappointed breath. “Sorry, I got distracted.”
“No shit!” Brynn practically yelled. “I could feel your chemistry with Blue Eyes from here!”
I waved her off, trying to act like it wasn’t a big deal, when really, I was a bit jolted by it. I’d never felt something like that before, especially for a guy I hadn’t even talked to. He could sound like a chipmunk for all I knew. And chipmunks were not a turn-on for me.
“Well, I bet he has more than a cocktail weenie,” Brynn said, her eyes bright with teasing. “Why don’t you find out?”
The guy passed by the front window and out of my line of sight. I shifted my eyes away from the windows and back to Brynn. “Because that would get in the way of my goals.”
She laughed. “You realize you’ve barely looked at me for the last five minutes?”
I took a drink of my dark chocolate iced coffee. It was
my third one today. “I can appreciate nice things without having to try them. He was hot, Brynn. That’s all.”
She grinned conspiratorially. “Trying them makes it so much more entertaining.” She leaned back in her chair, contemplative. “I haven’t seen him around town or campus before. I wonder if he’s a student? Or if he just works around here?”
I’d seen the veins visible through his huge arms, and when he’d stood up, I’d noticed his thighs were pretty darn substantial, too. “I don’t know. Maybe he’s a trainer at a gym or something?”
She put a finger to her lips. “Maybe…” she paused, thinking about it. “Nah…I bet he does something mountain-manny. Like chopping wood.”
I rolled my eyes. She’d been spending way too much time watching stripper movies.
“What?” she said, noticing my dismissal. “I’m just saying he probably has a nice, big ax.” She slowly licked her lips and I could practically see the images forming in her head. “And I bet he knows exactly how to use it.”
That thought made my mind immediately wander to what he’d look like shirtless chopping wood—which would be great if I was home alone in my room, with the secret box only Brynn knew the location to in case of my death so my mom didn’t find it and have a stroke over the dirty things her daughter liked—but it wasn’t so great in the middle of a restaurant. I quickly changed the subject. “What’s the plan for this weekend?” Brynn always had our weekends planned by Wednesday at the latest.
“Party at Collin’s.”
I sighed. I hated Collin’s parties. “I don’t know why you still hang out with him. He’s like the President of douchebags.” Really, he was the President of his frat until we graduated a couple of months ago, and that’s pretty much the same thing as being the President of douchery.