“Lucky guess,” he admitted. “It just looked like something you’d love, something that would suit you perfectly. And thank God my hunch was right because this ring is not returnable. Which means,” he added, as he picked up her hand and slid the ring on her finger, “that you have to say yes.”
Delilah flung her arms around his neck, kissing him through the happy tears that had begun to trickle down her cheeks. “Yes!” she exclaimed joyfully. “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! But only,” she added cautiously, “if you’re absolutely, one hundred percent sure. I mean, we’ve only been seeing each other a few months, after all, and this is the first serious relationship you’ve ever had. Plus, we’re still working through some stuff, learning how to compromise, and - oh!”
Whatever she’d been about to say next was abruptly cut off by the unrelenting pressure of Finn’s lips upon hers, as he kissed her with a possessive passion that left her breathless and a little dizzy.
She clung to him for support when he eventually broke the kiss, fearing that her legs would collapse beneath her otherwise. Finn smiled down at her tenderly, and the expression of pure love shining in his eyes made her heart ache.
“Darling Delilah, I think I knew from the first time I saw you that you’d be the one for me,” he told her fervently. “So it really doesn’t matter if we’ve been dating a few months or a few years. When you know something’s right, you know it right away. And that’s how it happened for me. Plus,” he added sheepishly, “my mother might have told me that it would be the best Christmas gift she ever received if I could maybe give her another daughter-in-law. And since I know how much you like my mom, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want to disappoint her.”
She touched his cheek softly. “Of course I don’t,” she whispered huskily. “Though my sister is going to be pretty ticked off that she wasn’t here to learn the news in person.”
Finn gave her a sheepish look. “I, uh, might have told her what I was planning to do,” he admitted. “Yesterday, in fact. I mean, Desi’s the closest thing to a real parent that you have, and given that she’s always been sort of bossy and controlling, I figured she’d appreciate the fact that I, well, asked her permission, I guess.”
“Yeah, she would definitely appreciate that,” agreed Delilah, laughing. “And I suppose if my sister gave her approval then all is well with the world. Thank you, Finn,” she added softly. “For asking her, that is. I know it seems silly, since Desi is only three years older than I am, but you’re right. Given that our father checked out on us a long time ago, Desi is really the only family I’ve got. At least until now.”
He hugged her tight. “Now you’ve got the entire McManus clan to call family. The whole noisy, nosy bunch. Speaking of which, I’ve got a feeling my mother is letting the cat out of the bag to everyone as we speak, not to mention breaking out a few bottles of champagne I saw in the refrigerator. Ready to go celebrate our brand new engagement?”
“Absolutely.” She rose on tiptoe to kiss his mouth. “I love you, Finn McManus. Bad habits and all.”
Finn lifted her off the ground, spinning her around in a circle until she shrieked with laughter, then set her down gently. “And I love you, my darling Delilah. Now, let’s go tell my family that this player has decided to retire for good. Both on and off the field.”
The End
Dear Readers,
I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading Finn’s story, book two in The Bachelor Trilogy. It just goes to show that even the most dedicated bachelor, or the most notorious player, can be tamed so long as he meets the right woman!
The third and final book of the trilogy will be Max’s story, and we’ll learn at long last about the mysterious woman in his past and what really happened between them a few years ago. I’m just now starting to plot out his story, and while it won’t have quite as many comedic elements and lighthearted moments as either Jordan’s or Finn’s stories did, I promise that it will definitely have a happy ending! The new book (working title is The One Real Regret) should be out in the spring of 2019.
Thank you as always for your continued support and encouragement - it means the world to me! And if you hopefully enjoyed The Player Gets Coached, I would be ever so grateful if you could kindly leave a review, no matter how brief. Reviews and ratings are a lifeline to authors, as are recommendations to other readers and reviewers, and I am tremendously grateful for each and every one I receive!
Wishing you all the best!
Janet Nissenson
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ADDITIONAL TITLES BY THIS AUTHOR
The Inevitable Series:
Serendipity (Book #1 – Julia and Nathan’s story)
Splendor (Book #2 – Tessa and Ian’s original story)
All You Need is Love (Book #1.5 – the Serendipity sequel)
Shattered (Book #3 – Angela and Nick’s story)
Sensational (Book #4 – Lauren and Ben’s story)
Serenity (Book #5 – Sasha and Matthew’s story)
Stronger (Book #6 – Cara and Dante’s story)
The Splendor Trilogy:
Covet (Book #1)
Crave (Book #2 - same book as Splendor [Inevitable #2] but with a dozen new/additional scenes)
Claim (Book #3)
The Bachelor Trilogy:
The Girl of His Dreams (Book #1 – Jordan and Aubrey’s story)
The Player Gets Coached (Book #2 – Finn and Delilah’s story)
The One Real Regret (Book #3 - Max’s story – tentative release date Spring 2019)
The Player Gets Coached Page 39
