Page 9 of My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding

“Ramos Gin Fizz.A specialty around here,” he told her, looking satisfied.

“I’m a fan.”

“Awesome.I’ll keep plying you with those all night.”

“How many do you think it will take?”

“Until?”he asked.But the way he quirked that one eyebrow told her that he knew what she was talking about.

“Until I decide that there’s more of New Orleans I should sample before I go home.”

Heat flared in his eyes.“Damn,” he’d said softly.“Didn’t know Iowa girls were so upfront.”

Well, crap.She was a matter-of-fact person.She mostly dealt with rugged farmers who didn’t beat around the bush and who needed to flat out know if their cow could be saved and if so, how much the bill was going to be.Frankly, sometimes the bill was too high.

Again, not a lot of flirting, of any kind.

Maybe she needed to dial it back a notch.She could be coy.Or cute.Or whatever the hell she was supposed to be.

Probably.

She tipped her head.“How do you know I’m not talking about beignets?”

He gave her a slow, knowing grin that made her tingle.Whoa.The last time she’d tingled it had been because she’d gotten too close to Mr.Lencroft’s electric fence.

This wasn’t the same.At all.

“Areyou talkin’ about beignets?”he asked.“Because I’ll very gladly help you get all the…beignets…you could possibly need.”

That little pause of his made her wiggle on her barstool.Yeah, they weren’t talking about beignets.And she wanted exactly what he was offering to give her.

“Is your nickname Beignets, by chance?”she asked.

He laughed.Low and deep and she had to swallow hard.

“If you say you’ve never wanted anything as much as you want beignets, then it’s gonna be.”

She grinned.She never talked like this with guys.And she loved it.Tori picked up her glass again.“The way I understand it, I can’t leave New Orleans without having Beignets.”

He stuck his hand out across the bar.She took it.But rather than shaking it, he just squeezed and held on.“Hi, I’m Josh ‘Big Beignets’ Landry.”

She laughed, feeling the fun and pleasure wash through her.“I’m Victoria Kramer.My friends call me Tori.”

“Is there anyone calling you Tori in here with you tonight?”he asked, still holding her hand.

“Actually no,” she said.“Not yet,” she added.

The flicker of heat and interest lit his eyes again and Tori couldn’t help the little thrill that shot through her.She might not flirt much—or at all—but maybe she didn’t completely suck at it.

“Tori,” Josh said.“I would really like for you to go over to that booth—” He pointed over her shoulder.

She swiveled to look at the empty booth in one corner.If she sat on one side, she’d be able to see the entire bar.If she sat on the other, she could hide away.

“—I would like for you to order whatever you want—food, drink, whatever—from Kara, the waitress who’s covering that table.And I’d like you to stay until I get off work.”

Tori looked up at him.“Why that booth?Why not stay here until you’re done?”

“Two very good reasons,” he told her, stroking his thumb over the back of her hand.“One, Kara has known me for about five years and can tell you all about me.Assure you that I’m a good guy.She can even bring Liz over to talk to you.Liz doesn’t really like me, so you can be assured to get an honest answer from her about my flaws.”

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