Eric grabbed two shot glasses, handing one to the blonde next to him. Tapping rims in a silent cheers, they both threw back their drinks. Setting his glass down, Eric tapped the table. “I took care of the check and am going to take off.”
He nodded toward Beth, and she watched the silent exchange between the two men. Bryce nodded back.
“All right then, I’ll see you kids tomorrow.”
After Eric and his “date” left, Beth turned to Bryce. “What was that?” She gestured between him and where Eric had been sitting.
Bryce shrugged. “Nothing.”
Beth blushed,suddenly wondering if Eric had been checking to see if she and Bryce were planning to leave together—like he had with the blonde.
Seeing her flush, Bryce leaned back in his chair, a cocky grin spreading across his face. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Stoner. He was just making sure I would get you safely back to your room. Alone.”
Beth’s face burned hotter.
Bryce’s grin deepened. His voice dropped lower. “Unless you’d rather come back to my room with me?”
Eyes impossibly wide, face on fire, Beth grabbed the another shot glass and downed it in one swallow, finally understanding the phrase liquid courage.
Shaking her head vigorously, she squeaked out, “No, thank you.”
Bryce let out a full-bodied laugh as he stood. “Fair enough.”
But he wasn’t done teasing her yet. Resting a hand on the back of her chair, he leaned in close, his voice a whisper in her ear. “Are you sure about that?”
Feeling lighthearted and a little giddy, Beth giggled and shoved him back so she could stand. “Yep. Positive.”
Wiggling her fingers in his face, she pointed at her left hand. “I won’t be going back to anyone’s hotel room until there’s a ring, right here, on this finger.”
Capturing her hand, Bryce lifted it to his lips and kissed the finger she had just tapped.
“Well, shoot!” He laughed, grabbing the last full shot—his eighth of the night—and knocking it back. “Is that all it’ll take?”
He set the empty glass down, caught her hand again, and smirked. “Let’s go find a chapel.”
Beth laughed, caught up in the silliness of it all. “Okay,” she said, pulling him toward the exit.
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“That’s the last thing I remember,” Beth said, refocusing on the present and looking at her friend.
Kim sat in stunned silence, hands pressed to her flushed cheeks.
“Well… that, and I think I danced by a fountain.” Beth shrugged. “But that could have just been a dream.”
“It wasn’t!”
Beth’s head snapped up. “How could you know?”
“Because that’s the picture Bryce has of you two in his wallet. I caught a glimpse of it last night. You were dancing in front of the Bellagio fountain.”
Beth froze. “He does?”
Kim nodded.
Letting out a slow breath, Kim pushed off the floor and sank into the couch, rubbing her neck as she melted into the cushions. “I am exhausted from that emotional rollercoaster ride, and all I did was hear about it secondhand. How in the world are you coping? You really don’t remember anything else?”
Beth stayed on the floor, leaning back on her outstretched arms. “The next thing I remember is waking up next to him in bed.”
