people, but he ’ d done it —for her. If she hadn ’ t already fallen for Colt, she would have in that moment.
She trailed her fingers up the inseam of his jeans and raised herself up to her tiptoes to whisper in his ear, “So what do you do for an encore?”
Turning to face her, his delicious mouth only millimeters from hers, he flashed his best wicked grin. “How about we go back to my condo and I give you a private show—a command performance.”
Her hand rested on the growing bulge behind his zipper and she gave him a squeeze. “ Big words. ”
“You think I can ’ t?” He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, making her skin sizzle, then followed the path of her jaw to her ear. “That sounds like a dare to me.”
“ A hot dare. ” And one she didn ’ t mind accepting today, tomorrow and forever.
Epilogue
Seven months later…
Angie couldn ’ t stop looking at her left ring finger with a mix of awe and surprise as she walked hand-in-hand with Colt up the brick sidewalk leading to her mom ’ s yellow adobe house with the bright blue door. They stopped just shy of the front porch and he pulled her close for a quick kiss.
“So how are you going to tell her?” he asked, toying with a long strand of her hair.
“I ’ m not.” She shook her head. “She ’ s my mom. I ’ d be surprised if she doesn ’ t know already.”
Angie had thought they were going out to celebrate him signing a long-term deal with the Thunder that had been in the works since a news crew had gotten ahold of the video showing Colt, the retired players and a cruise ship full of fans singing Stop! In the Name of Love with a choreographed dance finale. Local and national media had eaten it up and made Colt a household name, even outside of the Thunder fandom. That, along with Colt ’ s stellar season, gave Manny just the negotiating edge he needed for a fat contract that would take Colt into retirement from the game years from now and an option for a front-office job after that.
In addition, Dylan had stopped in her office and let her know that because of all the hard work she ’ d put in over the past seven months, they were again considering her for a promotion—this time a new position as a liaison between the players and the front office.
The news was huge for both of them, but when she ’ d found a three-carat diamond ring in her champagne glass, the day got even better.
“ True. ” He snuck in another kiss, brushing his lips across hers with enough promise to make her wish they ’ d postponed this ritual weekly dinner at her parents ’ house for more practice honeymooning. “We are talking about your mom.”
Laughing, she pulled him up the steps to her parents ’ door and rang the doorbell. “Are we betting on how long it takes her to notice?”
“ Five minutes, ” he said. “Tops.”
“If even—”
The front door swung open. Her mom stood on the other side, a glass of wine in one hand and a spatula in the other. “About time you got here, I—” Her scream was loud enough to set off car alarms. “Oh my God, when? How? Tell me everything.” She dropped the spatula and grabbed Angie by the left wrist, hauling her inside. “ Juan! Juan! ” She yelled up the steps leading to the house ’ s second floor. “Did you know about this?” She turned to Colt and narrowed her eyes. “Does he know about this? Because if he did and didn ’ t tell me, he is going to live to regret it. Juan!”
Eyes wide with a mix of fear and probably second thoughts about getting involved with her crazy family, Colt held up his hands in surrender. The man faced down three-hundred-pound men for a living, but her mom made him back up a step, not an unusual reaction, Angie admitted to herself.
“No, Mr. Diaz didn ’ t know,” Colt said.
“Finally, I prayed for this and prayed for this, Angie, but,” Maria gave him the full-on evil eye
She trailed her fingers up the inseam of his jeans and raised herself up to her tiptoes to whisper in his ear, “So what do you do for an encore?”
Turning to face her, his delicious mouth only millimeters from hers, he flashed his best wicked grin. “How about we go back to my condo and I give you a private show—a command performance.”
Her hand rested on the growing bulge behind his zipper and she gave him a squeeze. “ Big words. ”
“You think I can ’ t?” He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, making her skin sizzle, then followed the path of her jaw to her ear. “That sounds like a dare to me.”
“ A hot dare. ” And one she didn ’ t mind accepting today, tomorrow and forever.
Epilogue
Seven months later…
Angie couldn ’ t stop looking at her left ring finger with a mix of awe and surprise as she walked hand-in-hand with Colt up the brick sidewalk leading to her mom ’ s yellow adobe house with the bright blue door. They stopped just shy of the front porch and he pulled her close for a quick kiss.
“So how are you going to tell her?” he asked, toying with a long strand of her hair.
“I ’ m not.” She shook her head. “She ’ s my mom. I ’ d be surprised if she doesn ’ t know already.”
Angie had thought they were going out to celebrate him signing a long-term deal with the Thunder that had been in the works since a news crew had gotten ahold of the video showing Colt, the retired players and a cruise ship full of fans singing Stop! In the Name of Love with a choreographed dance finale. Local and national media had eaten it up and made Colt a household name, even outside of the Thunder fandom. That, along with Colt ’ s stellar season, gave Manny just the negotiating edge he needed for a fat contract that would take Colt into retirement from the game years from now and an option for a front-office job after that.
In addition, Dylan had stopped in her office and let her know that because of all the hard work she ’ d put in over the past seven months, they were again considering her for a promotion—this time a new position as a liaison between the players and the front office.
The news was huge for both of them, but when she ’ d found a three-carat diamond ring in her champagne glass, the day got even better.
“ True. ” He snuck in another kiss, brushing his lips across hers with enough promise to make her wish they ’ d postponed this ritual weekly dinner at her parents ’ house for more practice honeymooning. “We are talking about your mom.”
Laughing, she pulled him up the steps to her parents ’ door and rang the doorbell. “Are we betting on how long it takes her to notice?”
“ Five minutes, ” he said. “Tops.”
“If even—”
The front door swung open. Her mom stood on the other side, a glass of wine in one hand and a spatula in the other. “About time you got here, I—” Her scream was loud enough to set off car alarms. “Oh my God, when? How? Tell me everything.” She dropped the spatula and grabbed Angie by the left wrist, hauling her inside. “ Juan! Juan! ” She yelled up the steps leading to the house ’ s second floor. “Did you know about this?” She turned to Colt and narrowed her eyes. “Does he know about this? Because if he did and didn ’ t tell me, he is going to live to regret it. Juan!”
Eyes wide with a mix of fear and probably second thoughts about getting involved with her crazy family, Colt held up his hands in surrender. The man faced down three-hundred-pound men for a living, but her mom made him back up a step, not an unusual reaction, Angie admitted to herself.
“No, Mr. Diaz didn ’ t know,” Colt said.
“Finally, I prayed for this and prayed for this, Angie, but,” Maria gave him the full-on evil eye
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