Page 83 of Love Game

“About time you realized that.”

This time, he didn’t rise to take the bait. “I’ve known it all along. That’s why I fell for you. And exactly why you’re way too good for a guy like me.”

“Wow, you really have seen the light.”

Refusing to play along, he held her gaze. “I’m unemployed. Every relationship that’s meant anything to me has failed spectacularly. I can’t tell you where I’ll end up, but I’m enough of a selfish bastard to ask you to give up everything you’ve built to come with me.”

“Danny—”

“You deserve so much more, Kate, but you offered, and I’m gonna take it.” Releasing her abruptly, he dropped down on one knee and reached into his pocket. She gasped, and her hand flew to her mouth the second she saw the ring box. “I was a fool to blow my chance to ask you last night, but I’m not stupid enough to choke twice. Yes. My answer is yes.”

He flipped open the lid on the box to reveal the round-cut diamond he’d chosen. “The guy called this one a ‘halo setting,’ but I thought it looked like the rock was a ball dropping through a hoop.”

Tears filled her eyes. Her fingertips trembled against her lips, but still she didn’t say anything.

“If you don’t like this one, there are some shaped like little footballs.”

“Marquise cut,” she whispered at last.

“Whatever.”

Her tears finally broke the barrier, spilling over her lashes and streaking down her cheeks in twin rivulets. His heart seized, even though he knew—or hoped—that they were happy tears. For the love of God, she was the one who did the proposing. Taking her hand in his, he gave it an urgent squeeze. He tried to clear the lump from his throat, but his voice was still little more than a rasp. “Hey, don’t do that.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

“You asked, and I said yes. You shouldn’t be crying. Isn’t there a saying about no crying in basketball?”

Kate sniffed and gave him a wobbly smile, but at least there were no more tears. “It’s from a movie. And they were talking about baseball.”

Danny shrugged, then looked up at her from under his lashes. He hoped to look appealing but had a sinking sensation he might just look pathetic. Still, he needed to use every down he had to score this. “Do you want this ring?”

Without hesitation, she nodded. “Uh-huh.”

He waited for her to make a grab for her prize. When she didn’t, he pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it fervently, watching her face for a clue as to how he could set the play in motion again. He followed her gaze to the ring box, then back to him. Finally, it snapped into place. “You want me to ask you?”

Kate looked away briefly, and a rosy blush colored her cheeks. When she answered, she spoke in little more than a whisper. “Yes.”

Relieved and excited to have put his thumb on the issue, he grinned as he kissed the back of her hand again. Gazing up at the woman towering over him, he held her hand firm in his grasp. “Kate Snyder, will you marry me?”

She started to nod but stopped abruptly, her eyes narrowing. “Do I have to change my name?”

A laugh burst out of him. Leaning back, he stared up at her, thoroughly amused by the strategic play of her agile mind. “Only if you want to, but I’m not paying to have all those trophies redone.”

“I don’t think they do that.”

“Just making my terms clear.”

“And if we get married, I get an equal say in where we end up?” she persisted.

Danny snorted. “Equal say? You’re the only one with viable employment options. I’m the one who’ll end up making the Shake ’N Bake every night.”

“You can’t cook worth a damn.”

Knees aching, he tried to glare at her, but the smile on her face told him he’d come up short. “You know I’ve had this knee scoped three times, right? You’re going to have to seal the deal, or we’ll need a winch to get me back on my feet.”

She pulled a face. “Maybe I should look for a model in better condition.”

“Like you have any room to talk.”

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