Page 60 of The Playboy Meets His Match
“I’m going,” she said, half hearing the landlord, half listening to Jason’s raucous rendition of “I’ll Always Love You.”
“I will give you two minutes, Miss Silver, to put a stop to this infernal cacophony before I call the sheriff. Of course, your neighbors may already have called him.”
“I’m going,” she said, and hung up, yanking up a T-shirt to pull over her head and jamming her feet into sneakers. How could he? “Jason, stop!” she muttered, pushing buttons to open the gates.
Flinging open the door, she raced toward the front gate. Lights spilled over the grounds, banishing the night.
“Stop,” she said under her breath. Jason was exciting, intelligent, capable, handsome, so many good things, but he was definitely not a singer.
“Shut up!” some deep male voice yelled loudly.
She groaned and ran faster, stunned to see a band outside. Jason, dressed in jeans and a plaid Western shirt, held a mike and flowers, and was on his knee while he sang to her.
“I love you,” he called when he saw her. “Will you marry me?”
“Jason, stop!” Sirens screamed in the distance, and in spite of the hour of the morning, a crowd was beginning to appear. As a flashbulb popped, she heard the drone of a helicopter. She had lived all her life with a mother who had a nose for news, and in minutes, Merry knew, they would be on television. In minutes beyond that, Jason would probably be in a police car charged with disturbing the peace.
“Marry me,” he called again.
“Yes!” she yelled. “Just stop singing! Come here.”
The band cheered and gathering onlookers applauded as Jason tossed aside the mike, stood and sprinted through the gates. He wrapped his arm around her waist.
“Let’s go before they haul you to jail, or my family sees me on the morning news.”
They raced for her apartment, running inside and slamming the door. Laughing, he wrapped his arms around her and held her.
“Jason, you’re crazy!”
“I heard you say yes.”
She could tell him she did it to get him to stop singing, that it was the desperation of the moment. Or she could take a risk, let go of her fears and caution, believe this tall Texan who had stormed into her life, and love him in return.
While he waited, his blue-green eyes searched hers. Taking a deep breath, she stood on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck. “You get your way, cowboy, but you better mean what you say when you tell me you love me. When I marry, I want it to be forever.”
“You’ll marry me?”
“Yes, Jason, I’ll marry you,” she said firmly. “I love you.”
“Ahh, Merry,” he said, letting out his breath. “You’ve made me the happiest man on earth,” he added before he leaned down to kiss her and end all conversation.
Midmorning he held her close against him, propping himself on his elbow to look down at her. “This is a hell of a thing to sleep on.”
“I don’t recall much sleeping since you arrived.”
“Maybe not, but let’s move back to my ranch.”
“Not until we’re married.”
“Lordy, how long to I have to wait?” he asked, groaning.
“We both have families, and I’m the first child to marry in mine and my mother will want a big celebration.”
“You’ll set up vacation time?”
“I will, Keith said I can work at home, so my work hours will still be somewhat flexible. Of course, after last night, I may be evicted from this place.”
“I’m sure you’ll smooth it over and charm that stuffy landlord of yours. He pranced out and warned me he was calling the police.”
