LITMIR.BIZ

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in her purse. “I still have to use the toilet. You don’t have to wait for me.”

      “You sure?”

      “Yeah. I’ll be fine. I’ll be out soon.”

      Lorraine took a few more minutes in the bathroom. Right before she headed out, she decided to spritz herself with a little perfume. Just in case she and the sexy stranger spoke or danced.

      Lorraine was securing the latch on her purse so her head was down as she exited the restroom. As she lifted her gaze, she saw a man ease his body off the wall and start in her direction, almost as if he’d been waiting for her. As he neared her, he grinned. Good God, was this stranger she’d never seen before actually approaching her?

      “Excuse me,” Lorraine said, and sidestepped him when he put himself directly in her path.

      “Not so fast,” the man said. He took her by the arm, forcing her to stop, then stepped in front of her. “Now that you have me alone, you don’t have anything to say to me? You playing shy?”

      Lorraine looked at up at him, flummoxed. “Excuse me?”

      “I saw you making eyes at me out there.”

      Lorraine was confused. And then it hit her. This guy must have been somewhere close to the sexy stranger. He thought she’d been hitting on him.

      “I’m sorry,” she said. “You’re mistaken.”

      She made another move to step past him, but he surprised her by slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her against his thick body. “Come on, you don’t have to be bashful.”

      “No, seriously.” She tried to extricate herself from his grasp. “I wasn’t flirting with you. Sorry if you got that impression.” She didn’t want to offend him, just in case he was irrational. She could tell by the slight slurring of his voice that he’d been drinking too much. Men who drank too much could be a problem.

      “You’re beautiful,” he whispered into her ear.

      He held her tighter as she continued to try to free herself, and that’s when she truly became alarmed. “Let me go.” She spoke in a firm voice. “I don’t want this.”

      “I just want to get to know you,” the man said.

      “This isn’t okay,” Lorraine said.

      “Let the lady go.”

      At the sound of the commanding voice, the man loosened his grip on Lorraine but didn’t fully release her. He looked beyond Lorraine to the man who’d spoken.

      “What, is this your girl?”

      Finally, Lorraine was able to pull herself free. She did and turned. And felt as though she’d been kicked in the stomach.

      The man coming to her defense was none other than the man she’d been flirting with!

      “When a woman tells you to let her go,” her sexy savior said, “you let her go.”

      There was such an air of authority about him that he was even hotter to her now than he had been before. Was he a cop?

      The man who’d been harassing Lorraine stepped away, raising his hands in a sign of surrender. He probably feared he was going to get his lights knocked out by this man, who was taller and clearly stronger than he—if all those perfectly honed muscles were any indication. “Sorry, dude.”

      The man walked toward them briskly. “Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to her.”

      The harasser looked at Lorraine with a sheepish expression. “Sorry about that. I just thought... You know.”

      “It’s fine,” Lorraine said tersely. It wasn’t actually fine. She hated men who got drunk and felt it was their right to become aggressive with women.

      Fortunately, the jerk promptly took off, leaving Lorraine alone with the stranger.

      “Are you okay?” he asked her. His deep voice sent delicious shivers down her spine.

      Lorraine looked up at Mr. Too Fine. He had to be around six foot three. Golden brown skin, dark eyes framed by thick, curly lashes. “Yes,” she said, nodding. “I’m fine.”

      “He didn’t hurt you?”

      “I think you came just in time. I was starting to get worried.”

      “I’m glad I got here when I did, then.”

      “Yeah. Me, too.” Lorraine’s pulse was pounding. She glanced away, nervous.

      “What’s with the veil?” the guy asked. Then, “Oh, wait. It’s black, not white. So the opposite of a wedding... Right?”

      “Wedding?” Lorraine scoffed with a smile. “What wedding? I’m no longer married.” Single and ready to mingle!

      “I get it.” The man smiled down at her, and he had the cutest dimples.

      “I’m Hunter,” he said, extending his hand.

      Lorraine accepted it. His warm grip enveloped hers and sent a zap of heat coursing through her veins. “I’m... I’m Mary.”

      Why was she lying?

      “Nice to meet you, Mary,” he said. “What are you drinking?”

      “Margaritas,” she answered without hesitation. Then she felt a little silly. Did she really want him to buy her a drink or two? Any more to drink and she might not be able to think too clearly.

      Single and ready to mingle! The parting words of the young woman leaving the restroom jumped into her mind again. Lorraine couldn’t help it—she started giggling.

      Hunter narrowed his eyes as he looked at her, though the edges of his lips were curved in a grin. “What’s so funny?”

      What indeed? What was it about this man that had her acting like a school girl?

      “I don’t even know,” Lorraine said. “I really have no clue why I’m laughing.”

      Hunter’s grin widened. He seemed to like what she’d said. “High on life, I guess?” he suggested.

      “Something like that.”

      “You ready to go back out there?” he asked, offering her his elbow.

      Lorraine looped her hand through his arm, feeling a flash of heat as her skin once again connected with his. His arm was strong. He had rock-hard muscles. This guy was seriously hot.

      “Sure,” she said.

      “Then let’s go get that drink.”

       Chapter 2

      Lorraine saw her friends’ stunned looks as she came out from the restroom area holding on to the arm of a tall, dark and sexy brother. Smiling with smug satisfaction, Lorraine gave them all a little wave as she walked with Hunter past their table to the bar.

      “You know why I’m here tonight,” Lorraine said to Hunter as they neared the bar. “What brings you here?”

      “I’m new in town,” Hunter explained.

      “Ahhh. Are you new to California?” Lorraine asked. “Did you move here from another state?”

      “I did, yes. But I’m not new to Ocean City. I grew up here, then moved to Reno when I hit eighteen. I lived and worked there for sixteen years, and now I’m back. I’m a firefighter.”

      That explained why he was in such good shape. Firefighters were strong, their bodies immaculately honed in order to be able to rescue people from burning buildings and other disastrous situations. No wonder he had come to her aid in such a chivalrous way.

      She swayed a little—deliberately—so she could

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