"I am, too," he said, taking a deep breath. "He loved coming out here. He had me and my sisters here from the time we were kids. He would hit up the casinos while we hung out at the hotel. And then at night he would take us around to all of his favorite restaurants. I loved those vacations."

He seemed happy enough remembering it, and I breathed a sigh of relief. When he looked sad like that I had an overwhelming urge to wrap him up in a big hug. A thought that was way too maternal-not a very Annie-like inclination.

"What about you?" he asked, looking up at me. "Are both of your parents still around?"

c.r.a.p. I so did not want to talk about this. There was a reason I liked to keep things light with the guys I dated. But he had told me about his dad and it would be pretty rude not to reciprocate.

"Um, my parents split up when I was younger," I explained, trying to get it over with quickly. "My mom brought me up. She's still around; she lives pretty close to Jen and me. But I don't see my dad."

"Really?" he asked, sounding surprised. "Like, not at all?"

I shook my head, wishing he would drop it. I hated talking about my dad. "Nope, haven't seen him in years."

"I'm sorry, Annie," he said, and I hated the pity in his voice. I had to remind myself that what he had been through was worse.

"It's not a big deal. Like I said, it happened when I was little," I replied. Where the h.e.l.l was our waiter? If this line of conversation continued, I was going to be desperate for a beer in no time.

"How's your mom?" he asked. "You guys pretty close?"

I sighed, starting to feel irritated. Why did people always feel the need to have these drawn-out question- and-answer sessions?

"We're not very close," I replied flatly, hoping he would catch my tone. "We don't have a lot in common and she can't believe that I could be happy without being married."

"My mom is like that, too," Nate said, laughing. His lightness surprised me. "She's determined to marry me and my sisters off. Probably because she feels bad for us, being fatherless and all. Its like she's desperate for us to have families of our own."

I smiled in spite of myself. "That sounds just like my mom," I said. "It's annoying, but what can you do?"

The waiter finally returned to take our dinner orders. I decided on the lobster ravioli while Nate asked for a steak. I also made sure to order a large beer.

"So," Nate said. "You clearly want to change the subject."

I had to laugh. He had a knack for reading my mood, that was for sure. "Why don't you tell me about your friends? You guys seem pretty close."

My mood brightened considerably after that. I could talk about Ginny and Jen all day. By the time the server returned with our food, we were laughing and I was having fun again.

"How do you feel about cheesecake?" Nate asked once my plate was cleared. Like the very ladylike girl that I was, I had eaten every single bite of my delicious lobster ravioli.

"I adore cheesecake," I said. "My friend Jen actually makes the best cheesecake in the world."

Nate shook his head seriously. "I've never had Jen's cheesecake, but I think I need to challenge it. The chef here is the cheesecake master. It's so good you might cry."

"Okay," I said, grinning at him. "Bring it on."

After dinner, Nate suggested we find a bar to relax in. "Unless you're in the mood for dancing?" he asked solicitously.

"Naw," I replied. "I'm too stuffed for dancing."

Nate had been right about the cheesecake, but I made him promise not to tell Jen that I thought so.

We ended up at the Extra Lounge, one of several clubs in our hotel. It was packed, which was hardly surprising for a Sat.u.r.day night. We found ourselves at a high-top crammed back in a corner. I couldn't complain about the accommodations-the close quarters meant that I was practically on top of Nate.

The strange thing about Nate is that the more I got to know him, the more I liked him. Usually my experience was the polar opposite. But I was starting to think that his kindness and his interest were actually genuine.

Just listen to yourself, I thought. Carrying on like this might turn serious. It's just some fun.

Nate kept the drinks coming all night. I knew I should probably slow down, but I was having such a good time with him. Between the buzz of people in the bar, the alcohol, and the intensity in his eyes when he looked at me-well, it was all getting very heady.

"Tell me about your favorite trip ever," Nate said, leaning over the table. I screwed up my face.

"I gotta say, this one will be hard to beat," I told him. "I haven't really traveled much. Never had the money growing up...or since, for that matter."

He chuckled. "That's rough," he said. "I love to travel."

"I wish I could more often. Before this, the most exciting trip I'd taken was with Ginny, Jen, and Danny over to Lake Michigan. It was a disaster. It rained the entire time and they messed up our reservations. And Danny was a little terror."

"That sucks," he laughed. "Well, all the more reason to make this an amazing vacation."

When he said it, he caught my eye, staring at me intently. I felt my stomach lurch. If I leaned forward, just a little bit, I'd be kissing him.

Just as I was about to act on the impulse, my phone beeped, surprising me so much I nearly fell off the chair.

"Whoa," Nate said, grabbing my arm to keep me upright.

"Thanks," I said, looking down at the screen. "Text from Ginny."

"Checking up on you?" he asked.

"Making sure I'm okay," I corrected. "We have a long-standing rule about checking in when we're out with strange men."

"I'm a strange man now?" he asked. "I think I'm offended."

"All men are strange," I replied, winking at him.

He moved a little closer and b.u.mped my shoulder with his. Mmm. Very muscular shoulder. It felt great against mine. I had a flash of the way he had looked in his swimsuit down by the pool and felt an urge to get closer to him.

To distract myself, I opened the message and read it.

"She's wondering when I'll be back," I told him. He didn't respond. When I looked up, his eyes were trained on my lips. The look on his face sent a rush straight through my chest.

"Why don't you tell her you won't be in tonight," he said, his voice low.

I felt my heart start to beat faster as I met his eyes. He was so gorgeous in that moment that it almost took my breath away.

"Okay," I whispered, feeling totally blown away by him. "I'll tell her."

Chapter Eleven.

*Ladies, we should talk about the sensitive issue of relations. When a man compliments you, it might be tempting to offer yourself to him in an intimate way. I cannot warn against this strenuously enough! It is so important that you remain a mystery to the man you wish to end up with. There's an old saying about cows and milk-truer words were never spoken, ladies! Just remember that when you're feeling insecure.'-The Single Girl's Guide to Finding True Love I woke up in the morning even more hung over than I had been the day before. "Ginny," I moaned into the pillow. "What the h.e.l.l did I drink?"

"Ginny isn't here," an amused male voice said next to me. I sat up straight in bed, ready to scream my head off. Who in the...

"Oh my G.o.d, Nate" I gasped. "You scared the h.e.l.l out of me."

"Forget where you were?" he asked. "I think I'm a little offended."

"Sorry," I said, placing my hand over my heart in an effort to calm it. "I was just confused."

"You did have quite a bit to drink," he said. "I hope I didn't take advantage of you." He was doing that amused looking smile thing that was becoming so familiar to me, and I felt myself smile in return.

"I don't think that's possible."

"Yeah," he agreed. "In fact, I think it was probably the other way around. I'm feeling a little violated here, Annie."

I giggled, and leaned over to kiss him. "Sorry 'bout that. Can I make it up to you?"

"What did you have in mind?" he asked, a glint in his eye.

"Hmm," I said, thinking of the options. "I could help you out in the shower, scrub your back for you..."

He gasped. "Miss Duncan, my virgin ears!"

I laughed and stood up, letting the blanket fall away from my body, knowing full well that I had lost my dress in a heap by the door last night. "If you'd rather stay in bed, that's fine. But you know where to find me."

I left him laughing in the bed as I headed to the bathroom. I had almost reached the door when I heard the springs move and his feet hit the floor. I smiled, and waited for him to catch up to me.

"And where were you last night?" Matt asked, raising his eyebrow at me as I entered my suite an hour later. He and Jen were lounging on my bed while Ginny was searching through her suitcase. She stood up to look at me as I entered the room.

"Hussy," she said, grinning. "So, how was it?"

"Oh, shut up," I said, but couldn't keep the grin off my face.

"I knew it!" Jen shouted. "You're totally into him, aren't you?"

"He's very nice," I said, playing shy.

Matt laughed. "Coy doesn't suit you, sweetie." I flipped him off. "Now there's the Annie we all know and love," he said.

"So when do we get to hang out with him?" Jen asked.

"Well he was gonna maybe tag along with us today, if that's cool with you guys," I said, going over to the closet to find a sundress.

"Of course it is," Ginny said.

"What about his friends?" Matt asked. "Isn't he here for some bachelor party or something?"

I shrugged. "He didn't say that it would be a problem."

"Well, good," Ginny said. "Because he obviously likes you a lot."

I looked away quickly.

"Oh my G.o.d," Matt cried, pointing at me. "She's blushing! Annie Duncan is actually blushing. I've never seen that before!"

"You guys all suck," I muttered, grabbing my sundress and heading to the bathroom amongst gales of their laughter.

We met up with Kiki and Eric down at the breakfast buffet. I was ravenous and loaded up on waffles and sausage before I joined the group at our table.

"Annie!" Kiki squealed when she saw me. "Oh my G.o.d, Jen just told me all about it!"

I saw Matt, who was sitting closest to her, rub his ear. I couldn't blame him-she was in high-pitched Kiki mode.

"Calm down," I told her, looking around at all the people now staring at us. "It's not a big deal."

"But Jen said he's totally into you and you were blushing this morning talking about it. I know you, Annie Duncan. You are not the blushing type. That means it must be a huge deal!"

"Aw," a voice in my ear said, and I spun around. Nate was right next to me, leaning down so his face was at my level. "You were blushing? About me? How cute."

I could have died. I glared at Kiki, who had the good grace to look mortified. "Sorry," she mouthed. I noticed that the others were trying hard not to laugh.

"Hey," I said shortly, turning my face away from him. "Did you eat?"

"I've got my plate right here," he said, turning to the empty table behind us and grabbing a full plate. "Mind if I join you?"

"Oh, go right ahead," I said drily. A waiter pa.s.sed our table with a full tray of mimosas, and I flagged him down, grabbing two.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay, Annie?" Ginny asked. "You seem a little on edge."

I'm going to kill you, I thought, staring straight at her.

I knew what my friends were doing. I guess I had a bit of a reputation as a smart-a.s.s. I know I had a tendency to tease people and make light of things-but that was part of my charm! Now they seemed determined to have their revenge. And they were clearly having a great time with it, from the looks of things.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" I asked, with what I felt was supreme dignity.

"Ooh, I have lots of ideas!" Kiki said. "I want to go shopping here at the hotel. They have this mall, the Miracle Mile, that's supposed to be amazing. And then I want to see the botanical gardens at the Bellagio. And we never did eat at Bobby Flay's. Oh, and then we have to try to catch the views from the top of the Eiffel Tower. G.o.d, I can't believe we're leaving in the morning! This trip went way too fast."

Under the table, Nate caught my hand and squeezed it. I felt my anxiety dissipate immediately, as if I was rea.s.sured somehow, more comfortable.