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I’d never warned anyone before. Did it make me a horrible person that I knew all this information, yet I kept it to myself like a good girl? Did it make me a coward?

I don’t know why I told Asher what I did. Maybe it was the way he looked at me, his eyes the bluest of blues. Maybe the vulnerability and tenderness on his face made me do it. Or maybe, and this was probably the more likely explanation, I was just a sucker for attractive guys.

“Look, Asher, if you want my advice…quit your job. You’re young, good-looking, and probably smarter than half of the people hired at this resort. Find a job modeling or something. Just don’t work here. Ever.” Asher’s eyes widened at my assertion. He opened his mouth as if to ask me why I would say such a crude thing when I cut him off. Again. “Now why don’t you run along and listen to a chilling rendition of Celine Dion’sMy Heart Will Go On, or whatever it is you boys do now a day.” He continued to stare at me as if I had suddenly sprouted a second head.

Gah.This was why I didn’t talk to boys. They annoyed me.

“Chop. Chop.” I clapped my hands for emphasis. “Run along, Goldilocks. Go find yourself some porridge.”

Still nothing. Not even a twitch this time.

“Sacrifice ravens and stain the trees with their blood?”

I got a mere blink. The transformation from a prowling, flirtatious tiger to this shell-shocked boy terrified me a bit. And provided a touch of entertainment, if I was so inclined to admit such a thing to myself.

“Play jump rope dressed as Humpty Dumpty? Belly dance around a volcano? No? Does none of that sound interesting to you?”

How difficult was it to please this man? Geez.

“I…” He finally said. I watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. “I wanted to invite you to breakfast with me and some of my friends. As a thank you.”

My stomach growled at the mere mention of breakfast. Daddy insisted that I ration what I ate (read as: eat literally nothing in order to keep my figure minus a few business-oriented dinners).

“Will there be coffee?” I demanded, raising an eyebrow. I had to get the important questions out of the way.

He still seemed stunned, maybe even scared. Who could blame him? Iwasa little crazy. Okay, maybe a lot of crazy.

“Yes?” The statement turned into a shaky question.

“Then why are we still standing here? Coffee awaits, my gentle knight.”

Linking my arm through his, I practically dragged him down the hall. It was only when we arrived at the lobby did Asher come back to his senses.

“Um…we’re going the wrong way.”

“Right. Of course. I knew that.”

I dragged him down another hallway.

“Still the wrong way.”

I stomped my foot into the ground and pouted. Why was it so difficult for a woman to get her coffee?

I kept the game up for a few more minutes – opening up a random door, feigning obliviousness, and leading a very amused Asher to another section of the resort.

“Okay. Okay,” Asher huffed after I dragged him towards a supply closet. “I’m too lazy to do all this walking. And I’m hungry. Exercise and hunger did not make a great combination for a growing boy.”

At the first statement, I gave him a pointed once-over. The boy was fit, to put it bluntly, and could’ve easily ran around the entire resort numerous times. It wasmylazy, frail ass that was beginning to pant erratically. Okay, so maybe not my ass (because asses can’t pant), but you get what I meant.

“Fine,” I obliged, tugging on his jacket sleeve. “Let’s go little Ms. Waiter.”

“Ms.?” he asked, eyebrow raised. I shrugged.

“You have very feminine, pretty features.” When he continued to stare at me, I added, “And you sort of remind me of a girl PMSing. You know, the whole food thing.”

He tilted his head to the side. I may have considered his expression thoughtful if not for the wicked glint in his eye.

“I can’t say I have ever been compared to a female before.” He didn’t sound at all offended, only amused. “I can assure you that I am all man, sweetie.”