My Secret Valentine Baby

PROLOGUE

MILA

A pretty pink drink appears in front of me next to my water, stealing my attention away from my phone where I’ve been reading on my Kindle app. I should have gone home, but my apartment feels so empty now that Katie moved out. I still haven’t gotten used to living there on my own.

“I didn’t order this,” I tell the bartender, wondering if he can tell how down I am and is giving me a pity drink.

I sat down ten minutes ago and ordered a water. There is no way I am paying twenty dollars a pop for an alcoholic beverage. Especially since I can technically slip back into the wedding reception I just dipped out of and get all the free ones I want. I knew moving to Vegas wouldn’t be cheap but damn. Twenty dollars for a cocktail is plain crazy, in my opinion.

“It’s from him.” The bartender nods toward the other end of the bar.

I follow his line of sight, my eyes landing on a very handsome man who is dressed in a black suit that fits him just right. How I missed him I have no idea. He must have just come in. The man stands out due to his sheer size alone. When our eyes lock, my breath catches. His eyes are the most striking blue I’ve ever seen. My body instantly heats with the way he’s staring at me. Then he smirks, a dimple forming in his left cheek to soften the hard lines of his perfectly chiseled jaw, and it’s game over for me.

“Thank you.” I smile back at the handsome stranger.

I know there is no way he was in attendance at the wedding. Again, there would have been no missing the man. I slipped out of the reception and into the hotel bar area, needing to get away. It’s all been too much. My best friend is now married. It’s no longer her and me against the world.

Every second of the wedding was beautiful and filled with so much love. It made my heart ache. I am so happy for Katie.

We moved to Vegas together three months ago. It was supposed to be a new start for us. Then she met Aaron. They fell madly in love, and in a matter of months of knowing each other, they married. I’d call them both crazy, but I know it’s real. I had a front row seat for the whole thing.

They made me believe that maybe soul mates and true love could be real. It might be that hope that has me lifting the drink and taking a sip. It’s something I wouldn’t normally do. I usually don’t accept drinks from men. Then they think you owe them something, but for some reason I can’t help myself. The handsome stranger has my full attention.

I watch as he makes his way around the bar. The closer he gets to me, the more I can tell just how attractive he really is. I don’t miss the other women who turn to steal a peek of him as he passes by them. A pang of jealousy hits me at the thought of them looking at him, but I push it away. Hell, I push everything away but him at this moment. I want him. My reaction to him is something else that isn’t normal for me. I’m always the sensible one. But tonight, with him, that is the last thing I want to be.

“You’re alone” are the first words out of his mouth when he finally reaches me. He sounds surprised.

“I was at a wedding.”

“Not yours, I take it?” He slides in next to me but doesn’t bother to sit. Even in the high-top bar stool, I have to tilt my head back to stare up at him. I shake my head no.

“Can I get you anything, sir?” the bartender asks him.

“No.” He dismisses him, all of his attention remaining on me. I don’t know what it is, but he looks at me in a way that no man ever has before. Maybe it’s because I’m all dolled up for once. I went with Katie to get my makeup and hair done today.

My bridesmaid's dress is not a typical one; it's actually rather cute. It shows a bit more skin than I normally would, but I think Katie did that on purpose because she knew I’d have to wear whatever she picked for the entire night. I couldn’t say no to her. It is, after all, her wedding day. I would wear a potato sack if it made her happy on her big day. She had this big plan of introducing me to a bunch of her new husband's friends. That was part of the reason why I’d made my little escape.

I wasn’t up for the whole uncomfortable mingling thing. Especially when it’s in a wedding setting. Everyone knows most single men at weddings are only looking for a quick hookup, and that’s the last thing I need in my life. That was my line of thinking until this handsome stranger entered the picture. What if that is what I need, after all? One night of fun. I can’t stay a virgin forever.