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When she nods, I lead her to the front desk, requesting a table for two The hostess grabs twostainless steel staircase to a semi-private alcove, filled with quiet booths that line the wall and overlook the bright lights of Ti the opposite wall--soothing, soft ry?" I ask after the hostess leaves us, flipping open the menu immediately "I’m starved Conference chicken and dry rice pilaf doesn’t doover lance over the entrees, s, especially the blue cheese-encrusted filetthehers as well, her sparkling gaze ht, and I can s scent of hers that drives er

"You getting dessert?"

"I think so I filled up on a pasta dish from room service earlier It was delicious" She smiles, a mysterious little curve of her lips that makes me want to discover all of her secrets She has lots of the her like this, spending tireed

I want more More of Bryn

"That’s what I should’ve done rather than listening to that guest speaker He was boring" I take a sip ofit’ll coolher, how the candle flickering on our table casts her face in a golden glow, I’m mesmerized by how beautiful she is, how at ease she seeht This is a first We haven’t felt this comfortable with each other in weeks

"We should’ve ditched the conference altogether today and explored the city," Bryn suggests "I knoe’re here to work, but I’ve never been to New York City before"

"It’s kind of crazy, isn’t it?"

She nods "I feel like a total hick co here Like I want to stop in theAll the people, the noise, the lights, the s like it Cactus has nothing on this place"

I like it when she talks about her past, which isn’t often enough for et to see She’s a private person, and I can’t blame her but I’m still curious

The waiter approaches and we order drinks--water for Bryn and a beer for me--plus a crab cake appetizer that I offer to share but she passes on it

"I don’t really do seafood," she says, wrinkling her nose

Daets tired or feels comfortable, the southern accent et much seafood in Cactus if you knohat I ht"

We grew up in completely different worlds I’d spentaround asGrowing up by the ocean in such a huge city, I never realized what an effect it had onup in such a small town in the middle of nowhere had profound effects on her too "Whatthere for me" Her expression shutters, and I wonder why It always feels like there’sone nowhere" She tears her gaze fro off into space "But sometimes if you have no other choice, you have to settle for nowhere, you know?"

No, I didn’t know, but I’d never been one to settle If there was so I wanted, I went after it until it wasfor nowhere sounds like a last resort"

"What if you’ve tried all the resorts and none of the to a low ain, her eyes wide, her expressionforlorn

I immediately want to cooing to be all right I don’t even knohat I’d be referring to, but I don’t care She brings out a protectiveness inabout Bryn?" There’s definitely , and I want to knohat it is

"I left home because I had a bad experience at a job" A funny little smile crosses her lips, and I wonder what sort of bad experience she’s talking about "Then I eles because I decided to become a oing to use et a job But that was a disaster"

I can only iine I’ve heard plenty of firsthand stories of how Hollywood chews up these pretty, naive girls and spits theh that I wouldn’t doubt she had a lot of interest Probably all of it overtly sexual though, since so raphers and directors that line the Hollywood streets won’t do anything for a girl unless she sleeps with thele" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">