Page 3

But she could almost feel his eyes staring into her back.

“What’s he doing?” she asked.

“Drinking beer. Talking. Looking at you.” Regan raised a brow. “So what was the plan again?”

Plan? Had there been a plan? Her brain had turned to mush. What the hell had she been thinking? That this was neutral ground? That she’d take him by surprise, tell him who she was, and dazzle him with what a “nice” person she obviously was? Get him to agree to talk to her?

Instead, she sat frozen in place.

“Can we buy you girls a drink?”

The voice came from behind her. She knew instinctively it wasn’t her prey.

Summer’s eyes widened in panic, and she looked to Darcy, eyebrows raised, as if to saywhat the hell do we do?

Regan answered. She raised her hand, showing off the dazzling diamond engagement ring, and waved her other hand at Summer. “I’m afraid we’re taken.”

“What about your friend?”

“What about our friend?” Regan looked at her, her lips twitching. Yeah, she was so funny. “Darcy?”

But she couldn’t think of a thing to say. So she just glared at Regan.

“She’s not feeling too well,” Summer said.

Summer was such an angel. And Regan was a bitch. What the hell had she ever seen in her?

“Okay,” the man said. “Maybe later.”

Maybe never.

She sensed him walk away. And her head dropped to the table. She banged it a couple of times. Then she sat up straight. “What the hell am I doing?” Other than making a total ass of herself. “This was a huge mistake.”

“They’re going back,” Regan said. “Talking to him. My God, I think they’re trying to set the two of you up.”

“I think we should leave,” she said, pushing herself to her feet. “I’m just going to the ladies’ room. I need to…” What did she need? Her stomach churned. and her face was burning. She needed water. Preferably a bucket poured over her head to jolt some sense into her brain. “I’ll see you outside.”

She thought Regan was about to argue, but she must have seen something in her face, and she gave a quick nod. “I think you’re right. This isn’t the time or place for this.”

They’d warned her. Both of them. But she’d just been desperate to do something, anything. And the lawyer had been adamant that she should go nowhere near his house. But tomorrow, lawyer or not, she would visit him at his home and try to explain.

The club had gotten busier, the dance floor crowded, the music louder, and she had to push her way through. She had the ladies’ room to herself, and she splashed water on her face and stared at herself for a few seconds. She looked like a stranger. A pale stranger.

Three years ago, she’d lost her temper and made a mistake. Her sister had paid for that mistake with her life. Darcy was still paying. Before that, she’d always felt in control. Now everything was getting away from her. She didn’t know herself anymore, and she hated that.

As she came out, she glanced at their table—Regan and Summer were gone—and she made a beeline for the entrance, taking care not to look over at the group by the bar.

She almost banged into a man as he stepped out in front of her. His hands came out, and she flinched under his touch. She backed away, and her ankle twisted in the unfamiliar heels. Only his grip on her arms kept her upright.

It had to be him. Because that was the way her shitty, crappy luck was working at the moment. She could pull free, whirl around, kick him in the stomach, and run. But that might be hard to explain tomorrow when she went and tried to present herself as a sensible, suitable aunt for her niece. She was hoping to pass tonight off as coincidence.

Was she totally deluded?

Regan and Summer were right; this was beyond crazy. More evidence that she’d lost the plot completely.

She stared at the floor for a few seconds, then set a smile on her face and looked up, straight into his dark blue eyes.

His gaze fixed on her face. “My friends won’t leave me alone unless I ask you to dance.”