server to their table. “Double Glenfiddich, neat, please.” He turned back to Michael. “We got caught in the rain and thoroughly soaked, so it was best for her to get home.”
“That’s a shame,” Brendan said in a serious tone that belied his obvious pleasure at the news.
“Are Josh and Krista dancing?” Julian asked Michael, ignoring Brendan.
“Who knows? The way they were going at it, they probably decided to slip out again for a few minutes.” Julieta seemed to find his remark hilarious, letting forth a stream of giggles from behind her wine glass.
With Torrey gone, Julian realized he was now the proverbial third wheel—or, in this case, seventh wheel. He downed the scotch in two swallows and had decided to say good-night when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned his head to see a tall, willowy young woman smiling down at him.
She tilted her head and smiled seductively. “Would you care to dance with me?”
Yes, but no , he thought. Another time, he’d have had no problem taking Miss Hottie up on her offer. Tonight though, there was only one woman on his mind, and he had no interest pursuing a consolation prize.
“Thank you, but as a matter of fact I have to leave in a minute or two. I’ve got business early tomorrow.”
“But it’s really not very late. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather postpone your bedtime a little?”
Man, this woman was on the hunt. Was he going to have to be rude to get rid of her?
Fortunately, Michael rode to his rescue. “Darling, could you excuse us now, please? Mr. Grant needs to talk to me before he leaves, and if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to do that now.” Michael flashed her the grin that never failed to melt the hearts of both sexes.
“Well, all right then,” she said with a moue. “I hope I see you again soon.”
As she moved away, Julian nodded to Michael. “Thanks, buddy. But now I really am going to head out soon. I just wanted to have a quick drink and touch base.”
After a few more minutes of enduring the ear-splitting rock music, Julian shook hands with his partners and kissed both Annie and Julieta on the cheek. As he skirted the crowded room on his way out, Josh came striding off the dance floor with Krista.
“We didn’t think you were going to make it,” Josh said, his eyes conveying delight at Julian’s unexpected return.
“Torrey needed to get home early,” he replied in a clipped voice. “I came over for a quick nightcap, but I’m heading back to the hotel now.”
Josh turned to Krista. “Honey, how about you go back to the table and order us another round? I need to talk to Julian for just a minute.”
“What’s up?” Julian asked as soon as Krista was out of range.
“Jules, you look bummed. So I figure I should help you get a better sleep tonight.” He pulled Julian further from the dance floor, where the music seemed marginally less intrusive. “Hey, I know it looks like I’ve hit the mother lode with Krista. But I know you and the other guys won’t exactly be heartbroken to hear it’s not happening tonight.”
Julian actually didn’t give a damn, but he knew Josh would expect him to be pleased so he smiled. “It sure looked like a done deal to me.”
“I thought so too. Right until that walk we took after Circo. I figured I’d get her up to my suite, but…well, to make a long story short, she seems to have an ironclad policy of foreplay only on the first day out. Imagine that, in this day and age. Who’d have believed it?” he asked in a mock-mournful voice.
“I guess the rest of us have a twenty-four-hour reprieve then.” Julian chuckled. “Maybe less than twenty-four hours, if I know you.”
“Don’t count on it. Brendan’s sitting pretty. Annie looks like she’s fallen into a tub of whipped butter.”
Julian gave him a light punch on the shoulder. “You can’t bitch about that, man. You drew first pick, and you took the hottest-looking caddy on the site.”
“Yeah,
“That’s a shame,” Brendan said in a serious tone that belied his obvious pleasure at the news.
“Are Josh and Krista dancing?” Julian asked Michael, ignoring Brendan.
“Who knows? The way they were going at it, they probably decided to slip out again for a few minutes.” Julieta seemed to find his remark hilarious, letting forth a stream of giggles from behind her wine glass.
With Torrey gone, Julian realized he was now the proverbial third wheel—or, in this case, seventh wheel. He downed the scotch in two swallows and had decided to say good-night when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned his head to see a tall, willowy young woman smiling down at him.
She tilted her head and smiled seductively. “Would you care to dance with me?”
Yes, but no , he thought. Another time, he’d have had no problem taking Miss Hottie up on her offer. Tonight though, there was only one woman on his mind, and he had no interest pursuing a consolation prize.
“Thank you, but as a matter of fact I have to leave in a minute or two. I’ve got business early tomorrow.”
“But it’s really not very late. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather postpone your bedtime a little?”
Man, this woman was on the hunt. Was he going to have to be rude to get rid of her?
Fortunately, Michael rode to his rescue. “Darling, could you excuse us now, please? Mr. Grant needs to talk to me before he leaves, and if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to do that now.” Michael flashed her the grin that never failed to melt the hearts of both sexes.
“Well, all right then,” she said with a moue. “I hope I see you again soon.”
As she moved away, Julian nodded to Michael. “Thanks, buddy. But now I really am going to head out soon. I just wanted to have a quick drink and touch base.”
After a few more minutes of enduring the ear-splitting rock music, Julian shook hands with his partners and kissed both Annie and Julieta on the cheek. As he skirted the crowded room on his way out, Josh came striding off the dance floor with Krista.
“We didn’t think you were going to make it,” Josh said, his eyes conveying delight at Julian’s unexpected return.
“Torrey needed to get home early,” he replied in a clipped voice. “I came over for a quick nightcap, but I’m heading back to the hotel now.”
Josh turned to Krista. “Honey, how about you go back to the table and order us another round? I need to talk to Julian for just a minute.”
“What’s up?” Julian asked as soon as Krista was out of range.
“Jules, you look bummed. So I figure I should help you get a better sleep tonight.” He pulled Julian further from the dance floor, where the music seemed marginally less intrusive. “Hey, I know it looks like I’ve hit the mother lode with Krista. But I know you and the other guys won’t exactly be heartbroken to hear it’s not happening tonight.”
Julian actually didn’t give a damn, but he knew Josh would expect him to be pleased so he smiled. “It sure looked like a done deal to me.”
“I thought so too. Right until that walk we took after Circo. I figured I’d get her up to my suite, but…well, to make a long story short, she seems to have an ironclad policy of foreplay only on the first day out. Imagine that, in this day and age. Who’d have believed it?” he asked in a mock-mournful voice.
“I guess the rest of us have a twenty-four-hour reprieve then.” Julian chuckled. “Maybe less than twenty-four hours, if I know you.”
“Don’t count on it. Brendan’s sitting pretty. Annie looks like she’s fallen into a tub of whipped butter.”
Julian gave him a light punch on the shoulder. “You can’t bitch about that, man. You drew first pick, and you took the hottest-looking caddy on the site.”
“Yeah,
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