Page 7 of Bartender's Surprise Baby

“Sure, I’ll come.”

The smile she sent me was beautiful and happy, as if she got the answer she wanted. “Great.”

Hiking with a model.

Four words I never thought I’d say in my life, never mind when I moved to the tiny town of Holiday Grove.

5ROB

Days had passed since that unforgettable night with the sexy lumberjack bartender, four days to be exact, and I still hadn’t stopped thinking about that night. About the man. Most of all, about all the delightfully wicked things he’d done to my body. I’d had sex before, obviously. I’d even had really good sex before, but nothing like what I’d experienced with a virtual stranger.

I had to see him again, but I didn’t have his number, so I couldn’t just call. I could’ve called the pub, but that felt too…stalkery, I guess. Today, I planned to fix it, but I refused to think too long or too hard about why.

“Are you listening, Robin?”

I rolled my eyes at the annoyed tone in my agent’s voice. “Of course I’m listening, Sonya,” I lied easily, which we both knew. She’d been my agent since two days after I landed in New York, eighteen, ripe, and naïve as hell. Thanks to Sonya, I had walked in fashion shows all over the world, graced the covers ofVogue,Elle,Cosmo,W, andVanity Fair. I shot ads for jewelry, shoes, perfume, handbags, and even makeup for all the big designers. Together, we’d both become rich—me beyondanything I ever imagined—and we did it all before I turned thirty.

Not even thirty yet, and I was washed up. A has-been.

“Sure you are.” She let out a heavy sigh, a sure sign she was losing patience. “It’s just a two-day shoot for Luke Tan, but it pays well, and it’s going to be a big campaign.”

“Luke Tan, the jewelry designer?”

“Yes, Robin, do you know another Luke Tan?”

“There is no other,” I practically squealed.

“Right. Glad you were listening so carefully. Yes or no?”

The answer was obvious. “Yes. Of course I accept.” Anything that would help me keep my foot in the door until I figured out what I wanted to do next was great. A campaign like this was a dream. “Thank you, Sonya.”

“I’ll email you the details.”

I ended the call wearing a wide, satisfied grin. “I booked another gig!” I stood up and did a little dance in my underwear, giddy at the prospect of not being totally irrelevant.

Yet.

That thought sobered me, and I stopped dancing long enough to get dressed so that I could go in search of Levi. This was Holiday Grove, not Manhattan, so there was no need to go overboard with my outfit. I stepped into a pair of high-waisted black jeans and paired them with a cropped forest green cashmere sweater that highlighted my curves. Accessorizing with a pair of diamond drop earrings and spiked heel ankle booties, I looked hot but casual. I added a quick coat of gloss to my lips before I went to see Levi.

His Bronco sat alone in the Ol’ St. Nick’s parking lot, so I parked beside him and went inside. The bar was well-lit, giving me a chance to see that Levi had done quite a bit of work to the place since I was last here.

He looked up in confusion and then smiled. “Rob. This is a surprise.”

“Is it?” I arched one brow and slowly closed the distance between us.

“I haven’t heard from you in a few days.”

I smiled. “The phone works both ways.”

“It does,” he agreed as he dried his hands on a bar towel. “But you know at least one place you can call me. I don’t.”

That was true enough, so he deserved the truth. “I know.” I looked around the bar, suddenly nervous about being so honest with a man.

“But?” Curiosity mixed with something else I couldn’t quite name.

“But I needed a few days to get my bearings after that night. I, uh, haven’t had sex like that before, and I needed to get my head on straight first.”

His smile was panty-melting and intense enough to show off both dimples hidden under his beard. “Thanks?”

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