She smiled up at him. She looked nervous. And happy. So it wasn’t just him. She felt it too. Suddenly, life was looking a whole lot better.
Sophie, who was on Annie’s right, scooched over a seat. “Here you go,” she said, patting the now empty chair.
Sam didn’t waste any time accepting the invitation. “Hello, ladies. I’m Sam DeLuca.”
“Well, of course you are,” shouted the blonde on Annie’s left, trying to make herself heard over the music. A woman singing karaoke went off-key, causing the bar’s patrons to clap wildly.
Annie’s friends went around the table, introducing themselves. A server came by and asked him what he wanted, then looked disappointed when Sam ordered a beer.
“This is a prohibition-era themed bar,” explained Annie. “Cocktails are their specialty.”
“Maybe next time.”
Annie raised a quizzical brow. He’d just implied that he’d be back here in this bar. With her. He had to admit the thought was appealing.
“So,” Reggie began, “what was it like to be on Single Gal?”
Before he could answer, Annie said, “Just to be transparent, Reggie writes a blog for an online lifestyle magazine, but she’s promised not to write a word of what you might say. Isn’t that right, Reg?”
Reggie used her index finger to draw an X over her chest. “I promise. Tonight is strictly off the record.”
What was it like to be on Single Gal? He’d been humiliated on national TV. Everyone who watched the talk shows knew his personal business, and now he and his family were being hounded by the press. But if it hadn’t been for the show, he’d have never met Annie.
He looked at her, sitting at the table surrounded by her friends, smiling. A man could drown in those brown eyes of hers.
She could be the one.
“Let’s just say I’ve retired from reality TV and leave it at that.” Sam took a swig of his beer. For courage. “Ladies, I hate to be rude, but I need to speak to Annie.” He stood and placed his hand out to her. “You want to go outside? It’s too loud in here to talk.”
“With you? Of course she wants to go!” said Zoe. The women practically pulled Annie out of her seat.
Annie shook her head like she was embarrassed, but she followed him outside to a near-empty deck facing the ocean. “You didn’t bring me out here to tell me that you changed your mind about the car, did you?”
“No, but I spent the better part of last night thinking about what you said. You’re right. The car was a bribe.”
“Glad to know you were listening.”
“I told you yesterday, I always pay attention around you.”
She sucked in a breath. It was like they were transported back to that moment yesterday when he’d almost kissed her.
“I might be stubborn,” he said, “but I’m not stupid. The car belongs to Becks. Whatever she decides to do.”
“You won’t be sorry about that, Sam.”
A cool breeze danced in off the ocean, stirring her hair, lifting it gently off her shoulders. Aw, hell. He’d never know unless he went for it. Before he let the voice inside his head tell him that this was a bad idea, he leaned down and kissed her. Soft at first, then harder. She moaned, then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
Kissing Annie wasn’t fireworks and butterflies.
This was more like fireworks and get a room. Now.
He broke off the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, trying to find the right words.
“Wow,” she whispered. “Talk about the zing.”
His thoughts exactly. “Before this goes any further, I have to tell you—”
A bright light flipped on out of nowhere, startling them.
Annie stiffened. “What is that?”
Sam turned to find a camera less than three feet from his face. Tammy Prentis, the producer from Single Gal, looked on gleefully while Jed, one of the camera guys from the show, aimed a light directly at him. “Uh-oh, Hannah, watch out! It looks like Sam has been busy these past couple of weeks,” she said into a mic.
This must be some bad déjà vu. Or maybe someone had spiked his beer. Sam shook his head to clear it, but Tammy and her lackey didn’t disappear. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.
“Sam, I have great news. Hannah wants you back! Can you believe it? What do you have to say to that?” She shoved the mic under his nose. He’d love to grab it and toss it over the railing and into the ocean, but the last thing he