"Sure. I'm actually pretty hungry. The little shrimp aren't quite doing it for me."

"And would you like to stay here or move inside? Somewhere a little more private."

"Somewhere more private. We don't want anyone overhearing your movie details," I whisper.

"Good. Because people are starting to stare at me."

"Why would they stare?"

"I suspect it's because I look like an older man trying to seduce a much younger woman."

"Well, you are aren't you?"

He doesn't reply, just gets up, and gestures for me to do the same. He puts his hand on the small of my back and guides me through the bar.

When we reach the end of the bar, I see someone I know. She hops off a barstool, says, "Keatyn, darling," and air kisses my cheeks.

Vincent moves past our conversation, but he stops to wait for me.

When I rejoin him, he guides me to a private table in the corner. He pulls out a chair for me that lets me view the ocean, but puts my back to the rest of the room.

"So back to seducing you," he says sexily.

"So you are, huh?" I raise my eyebrows and smile.

"That wouldn't be very professional of me."

"I know. I meant you're trying to talk me into making your movie. Seducing me to do it."

Vincent licks his lips.

I realize what I just said. To do it. That might have been the wrong choice of words.

I bite my lip, because I'm pretty sure doing it just crossed Vincent's mind.

He touches my lip and gently pulls it away from my tooth. "I love when you do that. When you try not to smile, you do that. You bite down on the side of your lip. But when you're upset or thinking hard, you bite your front teeth down across the middle. And when something makes you happy and you try to hide it, you lick your bottom lip. It's very sexy."

"I think you've been looking at my mouth an awful lot."

He runs the pad of his thumb across my bottom lip.

It feels so sensual that I close my eyes, wrap my lips around it, and give his thumb a little kiss.

I slowly open my eyes. Vincent's expression is indecipherable. He looks both amused and a little offended.

I back away quickly and nervously take a big gulp of water.

"I shouldn't have touched your lip like that," he finally says. "I gave you the wrong impression, but you're right. I have been spending a lot of time looking at your mouth. At your face. I feel like a little kid right before Christmas."

"Why's that?"

"Because in you, I can see my dream again."

We watched the sun sink below the horizon, ate dinner, had dessert, and talked more about the movie. He does have some really cool ideas, and it's easy to get excited just because he's so seriously passionate about it. I didn't drink any more wine with dinner. I realized when we got up earlier that I was a bit tipsy.

He looks at his watch. "Do you need to be home soon? It's getting late."

"No, not really. I'm good."

"Let's go for a walk on the beach, then."

My phone buzzes as I pick up my purse. "It's my mom. I should probably answer."

As we walk out of the restaurant, I say into the phone, "Hey, Mom."

"Where are you?"

"Just finishing up with dinner. Why? What's up?"

"Are you having dinner with a much older, smoking hot man?"

"Um, no. Tommy had a business meeting tonight. Didn't he tell you?"

Mom starts laughing. "That's not what I meant. Millie's friend, Barbara, called her and wanted to know who the hot man that you're having dinner with is and why she's never seen him before. She also said she prays he's your uncle, and you can set them up. Millie said she sounded a little drunk, though."

"Can we talk about that when I get home?"

"So you are at dinner with a hot older man?"

"He's not that old, and yes. Bye, Mom."

"Gossip flying already?" Vincent asks.

"You have an admirer."

My car is parked up front, so the valet hands me the keys. Vincent follows me to my car. He keeps taking steps closer to me and, pretty soon, I'm leaning with my back up against the side of it. His entire body is about six inches away from mine.

"Is it you?" he asks.

I laugh. "The lady from the bar. You did say you like older women. Want me to set you up?"

"Probably not."

"So, when will you have the script done?"

"I'm shooting for August."

"I can't wait to read it. So, I think I better skip the walk on the beach and get home."

He cups his hands on my shoulders and slides them slowly down my arms. "I had a nice time tonight. You have my mind going a million places."

"Where is it going?" I ask.

"Just all the things we talked about, brainstormed. I need to get home and write them all down. This isn't a slam to your mom's talent, okay? She's one of the best actresses around."

"Okay."

"I'll admit we've been struggling a bit with the script. I think because I was still picturing her in the movie. And even though we knew we wanted a kick-ass heroine, I was having a hard time imagining your mom doing any of those things. You're right. She did just stand around and scream. Now that I'm envisioning someone else in the role, I can see it more clearly."

"That's good, right?"

"You want this as bad as I do, don't you?"

I smile. "Yeah, I think I do, so you better get finished."

He leans in and gives me a kiss on the cheek. It's the kind of kiss your dad might give you, except he holds his lips there way longer than a dad would. It's sweet, sexy, and sort of confusing.

He pulls back, studies my face, and shakes his head. "Hmmmm. Well, we can't have that."

"Can't have what?"

"I've gotten good at reading your face." He softly touches my other cheek. "This side is jealous."

He chuckles at himself then gives my other cheek a matching slow kiss.

"Um, so, thanks for dinner, Vincent." I get inside my car quickly. Mostly because I almost asked him if my lips looked jealous too. I can't help it. Part of me wonders what it would be like to kiss a man.

"We're doing this again soon," he says as he shuts my car door.

"Yes, we are," he mutters. "Only next time, you won't get away."

The next day, Vincent follows the nanny who takes care of Abby's younger daughters. While the nanny seems to be proficient, it's difficult to watch four quickly moving children at the same time. He follows them to a dance studio. He enjoys a slice of pizza at the same restaurant they have lunch. After lunch, the girls beg to go to the park. The park is where the nanny is the most distracted. It is easy to slip the note in one of the backpacks sitting on the park bench. And it would be equally as easy to snatch one of the girls.

But he's decided he wants Abby to suffer a little first.

Make her worry. She deserves to.

While he's getting dressed for an evening out, he happily imagines Abby's adverse reaction to the note. She needs to know it's only the beginning of what's to come.

He checks his watch.

He doesn't have much time now.

Every Thursday night Keatyn goes dancing at a club-usually, by herself. If he can just get her to leave the club with him willingly. . .

Tommy is getting ready to plead his case when Avery rushes in the room screaming, "Look, Daddy! Look at this!!! Prince Eric gave me a note! See, it has an A on it for Avery!"

Tommy tries to read what she's waving in front of him but appears to lose the battle. He finally shakes his head, gives up, and says, "Well, that's really exciting, Ave. Did you all get letters from Prince Eric?"

Her eyes get big. "No, Daddy! Just me! I'm special!"

"Well, let me read it to you then," he says, finally snatching the envelope out of her hand.

Tommy looks at the front of the envelope and turns a shade of green. He puts his forearms on the bar to steady himself and slowly says, "Avery, where did you get this?"

"We went to see the parade yesterday! You know that, silly Daddy! Nanny let us get ice cream." She sucks in her breath and covers her mouth. "Merde. I wasn't supposed to tell you about the ice cream." She whispers to him, "Don't tell Mommy. You might get Nanny in trouble. But it has to be from Prince Eric!! He waved 'specially at me in the parade. Read it, Daddy! Read it!!"

Tommy doesn't seem to be able to move, so I walk over and see why. The envelope does not say Avery. It says Abby.

I swipe the letter out of his hand and examine it. It looks exactly like the letter Mom found in her trailer and like all the ones she's gotten from the same fan over the years. Mom sort of blew off the fact that he got in her trailer, even though Tommy and James were upset about it. But this is different. This was in Avery's backpack. That means he got very close to her. Which is why Tommy looks so green.

I bend down next to Avery and say, "Daddy has to go make a very important phone call, sweetie. I'll read it to you. Prince Eric is my favorite too."

Tommy swallows and pushes himself up from the bar.

I open the envelope and read.

Abby- For years, I have idolized and loved you, but not anymore.

You are nothing more than a common whore.

You must pay for what you've done, and I already know the price.

-No longer your greatest fan.

Oh my God.

I feel faint.

Avery is pulling on my shirt. "What's it say, Kiki? What's it say?"

I find my voice and lie. "It says, Avery. So glad I got to see you! I waved at you in the parade. Love, Prince Eric."

She tries to jump up and grab the letter from me. "Give it to me. I wanna go show my sissies!"

"Um, I need to show it to Daddy real quick, and then I'll bring it to your room, okay! Why don't you go get some gum for your sisters?"

She tears off, climbs onto the kitchen counter, gets gum out of a canister, and runs it to her room.

I take the letter into Tommy's office.

"What's it say?" he asks. "James is on his way. So is Garrett Smith, the president of the security firm we get our bodyguards from when we travel."

I read the note to him.

"Oh my God. Do you think that's what he means by the price? Do you think he's talking about the girls?"

Unfortunately for Vincent, he's not the only one who follows Keatyn to the club. Abby must have found the note and called in security. No matter, he's smarter than a rent-a-cop. But Keatyn doesn't go to the club alone. As he makes his way to the VIP section, he sees her out on the dance floor grinding sexily on a boy from her school. He's both repulsed and turned on.