Quarterback Sneak

by Desiree Holt

  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 stunned.

  He took it from the box and slipped it onto her finger. “I give you my heart, Stacy. I want you to have it always.”

  “And you have mine.”

  It was a long time before they got to the party.

  If you enjoyed Quarterback Sneak I hope you will buy all the other stories in the Red Hot Valentine series, written by award-winning, bestselling authors.

  Quarterback Sneak by Desiree Holt

  Stacy Halligan has spent her adult life focusing on her career, choosing men with far less care than she does her professional path. That’s probably the reason all of her relationships end in disaster. Now, she’s senior editor of the magazine where she works, and she was so sure this latest hunk would be the one. When he dumps her just before Valentine’s Day, who does she complain to? As always, her nextdoor neighbor and friend, backup quarterback Max Sullivan. She sees Max as her best friend. Comfortable. Easy to be with.

  Max doesn’t mind hanging out with Stacy, but in the three years they’ve lived next door to each other, he’s hoped for a lot more. Now, he sees his opening. When he offers to put on a blitz leading up to Valentine’s Day to make the guy jealous, he has an ulterior motive. He wants to show her he’s the one she should pick because he wants Stacy for himself. His campaign includes chocolate, flowers, little gifts, and hopefully, really hot sex. Because he’s been dying forever to get her into his bed and keep her there.

  Will this work? He only has until Valentine’s Day to find out.

  http://www.desireeholt.com/

  * * * * * * * *

  If You Dare by Aliyah Burke

  When two people lost in their careers are thrown together, can passion kindle lost souls and ignite the flames of love?

  Justin Kapp is on an Alaskan cruise when he meets a woman that gives the vacation an entirely new outlook. From the very beginning he knew she was something special. Something more.

  Kathryn Maynard, a top divorce attorney in Virginia Beach, accepts a dare that puts her on an Alaskan cruise and rail package. She would rather be anywhere but here, however the arrival of an intense man, changes that. Changes her.

  When reunited in Virginia and Justin wants more than she's willing to allow herself to give. After he leaves, she realizes what is the most important. Will she take the chance and dare her heart to love?

  http://www.aliyah-burke.com/books/index.htm

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  Redneck Romeo by Randi Alexander

  When Genevieve Riley sneaks onto the O’Bannon Ranch to return a stolen heirloom, the boy she’d fallen in love with as a teenager, Nick O’Bannon, catches her before she can slip away. The problem is, he’s now a big, rugged cowboy, and those feelings from a decade ago resurface. She can’t concentrate on anything but picking up where they left off.

  Nick can’t believe what his dogs cornered. Beautiful ‘Jellybean’ Riley, all grown up and sexier than sin. He never knew what tore her from his life when they were teens, just as their relationship was starting. With the heat radiating between them, he knows he can seduce her, but can he make her stay this time?

  http://randialexander.com/preview/red-hot-valentine-redneck-romeo/

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  Tastes Like Chocolate by Graylin Rane

  Viviana's heartbreak and betrayal by her ex-fiance' is poured into her sculpting. While working on a statue of pure milk chocolate, she finds herself talking to the man emerging about her hopes, dreams, and desires. Sprinkling gold dust over his stunning finished form makes his body glitter as he comes to life taking her into his arms. Their passion ignites a side of her she'd given up on, can they survive the jealousy of her former flame to find love?

  http://www.graylinfox.com/rhv-tastes-like-chocolate/

  * * * * * * * *

  Sweet Indulgence by Shyla Colt

  This sexy short will help make your Valentine’s day sizzle.

  Born on February 14th,Chastity Roberts has never taken stock in the holiday for lovers. But this year Cupid has a little something special under his sleeve. Out on the town with her best friend, she runs into the green-eyed male who keeps her panties wet and her thoughts dirty at work.

  Eli Cole is a man who turns heads. But the only woman he has eyes for is Chastity. After six months of hiding his affection to allow her to settle into her new role, he’s ready to indulge in the sweetness only her body can offer.

  http://www.shylacolt.com/books/

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&
nbsp; Sweet Sizzle by Jodi Redford

  Valentine’s Day—the bane of Rory Sinclair’s existence. Hard to forgive the one holiday responsible for the single most moronic decision of her life. If it was up to her, she’d skip anything to do with cupid, but with her business partner home sick with the flu, she’s stuck delivering a bunch of cookie bouquets to a local firehouse. Who knows, maybe she’ll cure her Valentine’s Day neurosis and heat up the mattress with a hunky firefighter. Her plan of donning some edible undies and getting her freak on goes up in flames though the instant she steps through the doors of Station 5 and spots Bennet Jackson—the man responsible for her decade long Valentine’s Day boycott.

  No matter how hard he’s tried, Ben has never gotten over the innocent girl he foolishly let slip between his fingers. When Rory unexpectedly crashes back into his world, he figures it’s his only shot at righting the wrongs of his past and getting her back in his bed and his life. For good. Unfortunately, she has other plans. Ones that don’t include him. He’s well aware that she has every reason to despise him, but if there’s one thing he’s up for, it’s a challenge. Because there’s no way in hell he’s losing the woman of his dreams again. And this time he’s prepared to pull out every dirty, sexy, and hotter-than-sin trick to convince her to stay.

  http://www.jodiredford.com/More_Books.html

  * * * * * * * *

  Turnaround by Cassandra Carr

  Becca and James don't date. Both are in their thirties and neither has found anyone they feel is potential spouse material. Becca attends a "We Hate Valentine's Day" party at a local bar where James is bartending. He knows from the first day they meet that Becca is someone special, but Becca's more cautious. James sets out to prove to Becca there really are happy-ever-afters.

  http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com

  * * * * * * * *

  The Bet by Ty Langston

  Meet Chris Knight, lead singer of the international Rock Band, Knight’s Armor. He’s successful, rich and is in deeply in love with his girlfriend, Gabrielle. Gabrielle is a music columnist for Rockline Magazine. Her love of everything music pales in comparsion to the love she has for her boyfriend, Chris Knight.What happens when two people love each other so much, but decide to change the rules? The dice is cast, a bet is made, how much will things change between them? Or will it end things for good?

  http://www.tylangston.com

  * * * * * * * *

  A Kiss From a Rose by Michel Prince

  Jenna Turner wasn’t looking for anything but a quick bite to eat when she met the sexy peace officer Marcus Peterson. While Jenna has always been singularly focused on her next big promotion at work, suddenly she’s distracted by alluring texts from Marcus.

  His evocative words and her naughty responses invoke emotions neither seem ready for, and luckily, neither have room in their busy lives to follow through on all their sexting.

  Can two career driven people find the time to take their relationship to the next level? Or will careers and the pressure to achieve goals cause the end to a budding love?

  http://www.michelprincebooks.com/

  * * * * * * * *

  Falling for Cupid by Christin Lovell

  Christin Lovell Falling for Cupid

  Cupid Valentine, a.k.a. Coop, is the worst divorce attorney in the entire Northeast. Ninety-eight percent of his clients reconcile before the gavel hits the block. He's dedicated his life to love; yet he's never experienced it for himself...until Daisy.

  Plus size Daisy and her best friend, Brad, made a pact when they were younger: if they weren't married by thirty, they'd marry each other. Two years later, they've learned that love has many forms, and a passionate love is needed to have a fulfilling relationship.

  The pair confounds Coop. His job has always been to repair relationships, but what happens when he suddenly finds himself rooting for the opposite of all he stands for? He does what any smart cupid would do and flies away. But you can only escape Cupid's arrow for so long, even if you happen to be Cupid.

  http://christinlovell.com/allure/

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  True Love’s Fire by Sable Hunter

  While vacationing at a cabin in the Ozarks, Scott Walker - Austin neurobiologist, gets snowed-in and has to be rescued by local, Lia Houston. She brings him food, helps him fix his heat and tries to get his car on the road. A monster storm has paralyzed the mountain and as she’s trying to chain his car to her truck, a huge ice-covered limb falls, crushing the front of her pick-up and almost flattening Scott. If she hadn’t moved fast, he’d be a memory – but the brave action on her part comes with a price, she’s injured and stuck with Mr. Know-It-All until the weather abates. Scott doesn’t believe in love, much less love at First Sight. So when he meets Lia, he welcomes the attraction, but fights the tenderness with every breath in his body. Join Sable Hunter as she chronicles their journey from lust to love with a lot of fireworks in between. They meet at the dawn of the New Year, and by Valentine’s Day the fires of True Love are burning bright.

  http://www.sablehunter.com/

  * * * * * * * *

  And please come find me on the Internet:

  www.desireeholt.com

  www.desiremeonly.com

  My Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Desiree-Holt/e/B003LD2Q3M/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1387729370&sr=1-2-ent

  Twitter: @desireeholt

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  Google+: Desiree Holt

  LinkedIn: Desiree Holt

  And of course on Goodreads

  And please email me at desireeholt@desireeholt.com. I love to hear from my readers.

  I’d love for you to check out some of my other books:

  Collision Course

  He's discovered that his boss, international businessman Charles Bennett, is actually dealing in drugs and illegal arms. Killers are on his trail and Tate Buchanan needs a place to hide and use his hacking skills to get the evidence he needs. He finds it in tiny Connelly, Texas, where he also finds hotter than hot Casey McIntyre. After six years with the F.B.I. and four years in Afghanistan marked by a disastrous love affair, Casey is trying to put both her life and her shattered heart back together. Her instincts tell her that the stranger in the family restaurant has trouble on his back but her common sense tells her to stay as far away from him as possible. Of course, common sense never paid attention to combustible chemistry and it's not long before Casey and T.J. (as he now calls himself) are spending every minute together day and night. Can he find the proof he needs before the killers track him down? And when they do, can Casey use all her skills to protect him and keep him safe?

  A man-in-jeopardy story for a change, where a kickass woman uses all her skills to protect the man she's come to love.

  http://www.amazon.com/Collision-Course-Desiree-Holt-ebook/dp/B0099VVPTG/ref=sr_1_8?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1387723583&sr=1-8&keywords=collision+course

  Bound and Determined

  Alix Townsend, uptight, high-powered litigation attorney, has a wild side she rarely unleashes. Deep inside, beneath her tailored suits and frosty image, beats the heart of a woman who dreams of the kinkiest kinds of sex. Preferably with her next door neighbor, Mack Taylor. Relaxing on her patio after a wild girls only weekend, she opens the bag of sex toys she purchased at her friend Petra’s birthday party. And who’s there to see it? None other than hot hunk Mack. Who promptly invites her over for dinner–and the night. Along with her toys. After a hot weekend Alix knows things will never be the same for her again, but is Mack in it for the long haul or just for the incendiary sex?

  http://www.amazon.com/Bound-Determined-Toys-4-Us-Desiree-Holt-ebook/dp/B0062UD0FY/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1387728856&sr=1-3&keywords=Bound+and+Determined

  Overnight Sensation

  Abbie Lawlor only wanted a drink with her friend at the end of a long, hard week. Her feet hurt,
her head ached and she just wanted one cosmos then home to soak in the tub. She sure wasn’t looking to hook up with anyone. Her luck with men was worse than bad. Too bad with visitors flooding the town the bar at The Menger Hotel was so jammed a sheet of paper would barely fit between two people. Which was why Sam Burdette ended up pressed against her so she could feel every detail of his body. The heat the flared between them could have set fire to everyone in the bar. The invisible link between a Dom and a sub made her forget all her aches and pains. It was why she let the very sexy Texas Ranger coax her out of the bar and up to his room for some very off the wall sex that turned a casual “Hello” into an overnight sensation.

  http://www.amazon.com/Overnight-Sensation-Naughty-Sleepover-Desiree-ebook/dp/B009MT8HMS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1387728958&sr=1-1&keywords=Overnight+Sensation