I raked a hand through my hair as I rushed back to the private dining room. Apparently, I’d lost Drew. Ty had never been angry at me before. Tonight, when I ruined his announcement, he might make an exception. While I tried to imagine his reaction and prepare for the worst, I rounded the corner and nearly ran smack dab into him. His presence wasn’t what caught my attention, actually. The woman I’d seen earlier outside, the woman with the skin-tight Velcro dress, was with him. Immediately, I halted. “Whoa, how’d you two meet up?” I frowned. This was coming out all wrong.

“I’m paying it forward.” She sighed. “This was your brilliant idea.” She glanced at Drew, who seemed to be stumbling around even more than normal.

“You took a nap. How can you still be this drunk?” I rolled my eyes.

He grinned. “Hair of the dog. You should try it sometime.” He slapped my chest.

“Water instead of liquor. You should try it sometime.” My brow rose in challenge. “Then you wouldn’t need hair of the dog and you wouldn’t be acting a fool in front of…” I smiled at the woman who was almost wholly holding him up. I watched as her legs seemed to begin to crumble from his weight. “Let me help you, Miss…”

She mashed her lips together like women do when they’re applying makeup. I stared in rapt fascination. Then she smiled and revealed some of the most perfect, pearly white teeth I’d ever seen. “Are you trying to get my name?”

“Trying, yes. Succeeding? Apparently not.” I grinned. “Can’t blame a guy for trying. After all, if we’re going to continue to run into each other like this, I’d love to have something to call you.”

Her head tilted and I noticed a spot on her neck where I’d love to bury my face and begin a trail of kisses. “Laney,” she murmured almost shyly.

Together, with Drew between us, we seemed to be making some progress. “Nice to meet you, Laney. I’m Harry.” At the moment, I had one arm around the lush and one hand gripping his wrist to keep his arm slung around my shoulders. “Dammit, Drew,” I grumbled. “Okay, I’d shake, but…” I jerked my head toward him by means of explanation.

Laney smiled. “I completely understand.” Then she moved her arm, which was also around his waist, up just enough so we touched.

I inhaled sharply. This might be the closest I’d come to a true crush in a really long time. Those Hollywood starlets I dealt with on a frequent basis had ruined women for me. I studied Laney, then our eyes met and I wondered if she felt the same thing I did.

“Too much?” she asked, her eyes sparkling innocently.

“Just enough.” I could feel my cheeks burning. God, I hated being a ginger.

“Good Lord,” Ty grumbled as he strode out of the private dining room toward us. “Well, how the hell is he supposed to sit through a dinner?”

“He’s getting heavy,” Laney murmured.

I glanced around. “Bench.” I nodded at the tufted backless settee behind her.

“Whew. Perfect. He was becoming a bit much.” She smiled as we sat him on it and rested his back against the wall.

“You think he’s heavy now, try knowing him your entire life. Positively excruciating,” I joked.

Laney chuckled and threw a hand up to cover her mouth. “Sorry.” She glanced shyly at Ty. “You’re very funny, Harry.”

Suddenly, I was speechless. All I could do was soak in the sound of her saying my name. I wanted to hear her say it again and again. For several seconds, I stood there and blinked at her while Ty glanced back and forth between us. Naturally, Drew interrupted our silence by falling forward and landing in a crumpled heap on the floor. “Oh, fuck me,” I grumbled. Then I looked at Ty standing just off to the side, staring at Laney with a curious expression on his face. “Can you help me, please?”

When Ty moved to pass her to stand on Drew’s other side, she stepped back and murmured, “Sorry, Mr. George.”

His eyes widened. “Miss Jenner. I thought I recognized you.”

She ran her hands down her dress. “Yeah. Still me.” Her cheeks turned an utterly beguiling shade of pink.

“You look…different.” He smiled at her. Then he addressed me. “Harry, can we agree Drew won’t be attending the dinner? After all, he can’t even sit up.”

I shrugged. “I concur. Shall we?” Then we each grabbed an arm and hefted him off the floor.

Drew groaned when we finally had him back on his feet. “Sick. So sick,” he muttered.

“Well, you should slow down on the alcohol,” I mumbled. Then I glanced at Laney and murmured, “I’m so sorry you have to see this.”

She smiled and shrugged. “No big deal. I’ve been through worse today.”

Seconds later, Drew belched. Only, it turns out it wasn’t the average drunken burp. No, this time it packed some punch in the form of projectile vomiting. Laney, standing a few feet away, took the brunt of it.

Kate seemed suddenly aware of the commotion just outside the private dining room. She came rushing out and took one look at Laney before slapping a hand over her mouth. “Oh my God.”

“He never pukes,” Ty noted. “I think we need to see about medical attention. I’m worried about alcohol poisoning. He’s been on a binge for the past week or so.”

“I’ll call for an ambulance.” She rushed back into the room, presumably to grab her phone.

Then Ty looked at Laney. “Are you holding it together? You’re not going to faint, are you?” He held out a hand as if he were waiting to intercede.

She nodded then shook her head. I immediately let go of Drew, rushed to her side, and wrapped an arm around her waist. “I got you,” I whispered in her ear.

Her lower lip trembled. Kate raced back into the hall. By the time she returned, seconds later, she was already on the phone with 911, relaying the hotel’s address. Then she passed the phone to Ty. “They want some information. You know more than I do.”

“Okay, love,” he murmured as he took her cell.

My eyes narrowed. “What’s going on here?” I glanced back and forth between them. Neither would meet my eyes.

“Oh, Miss Jenner,” Kate murmured. “We’ll fix this.”

“Let me guess,” Laney whispered. “I get to take a shower and you’ll find me fresh stripper clothes.” She hiccupped as she peeked up at me. Then I felt her knees give and she crumpled, but I caught her.

“Well, that was unexpected,” I murmured as I scooped her up into my arms.

“Not entirely.” Kate sighed.

Ty covered the cell phone to speak with us. “Actually, I think she took it rather well, considering this is the second time she has been puked on today.”

I cradled her closer in my arms. “Poor Laney.” I planted a kiss on her forehead. I didn’t even care that she was soaked in stomach contents or smelled for the same reason. Then I frowned. “You put her in stripper clothes?”

Kate nodded sadly. “She refused to let us buy her anything. Long story.”

“Well, she’s unconscious so she can’t stop me,” I grumbled. “What’s open?”

“Our boutique.” Kate bit her cheek, like she was trying not to say too much. “What are you going to do?”

Silently, I stared down at the raven-haired beauty in my arms. “I’m going to take care of her.”

“What does that even mean?” Kate threw her hands in the air.

Laney began to stir. “Rest,” I whispered in her ear.

“Who are you?” Ty narrowed his eyes at me. “You didn’t even want a goldfish. ‘Too much upkeep,’ you said.”

“I was seven,” I reminded him.

“What about the puppy when you were twelve?” His brow rose.

I shook my head. “That was an apology, not a pet.” I felt compelled to explain to Kate. “My parents separated for a few months. My father tried to gain my forgiveness for wrecking their marriage with a dog.” I grimaced. “Like I can be bought that easily.” Laney’s eyelids fluttered. “I’m taking her upstairs. Can I get a raincheck on dinner?”

“Of course.” Ty nodded. Then he threw an arm around Kate and kissed her head. I walked away and didn’t look back, but when I turned the corner, I realized Kate was still staring after us, head tilted, obviously deep in thought.

We made it onto the elevator before Laney began to regain consciousness. “I’m so sorry.” She sighed.

“For what?” I frowned. “Being overcome? Please, we all experience stress in our own way.”

She started looking about. “An elevator?” Her brow furrowed. “Where are we going?”

I blew out a breath. “My room. You can shower there.” I waited for her to object. I expected her to refuse. After all, we didn’t know each other, not really. And yet, I felt so comfortable with her, it was as though we had a history.

Laney nodded. “Okay. One thing though.”

I stared at her, taking every bit of her in. I didn’t want to forget a moment. “Of course. Anything.”

“Can you set me down? Years from now, I want to be able to tell people I walked into your room of my own volition.” Her eyes shined up at me.

My lips twitched as I tried to hide my smile. “You got it.” Then I carefully set her on her feet.