Megan

“He’s been over there for a while. Do you think I should go rescue him?” Megan asked.

Devon laughed. “He’s a big boy. I think he can handle himself.”

Megan frowned. She hadn’t seen Zander since their dance. The minute they stepped off the dance floor, Zander had been swept away by people in fancy tuxedos and ball gowns, clamoring for a minute of his time.

Luckily, Megan found Sam and Devon, but she was beginning to think maybe Zander was right. Endless events like these could get boring after a while—especially when you couldn’t spend them with who you wanted to.

Zander kept glancing apologetically toward the table where Megan, Sam and Devon convened, and Megan desperately wanted to whisk him away for the night of drinking games they’d concocted in the limo.

Megan scanned the room putting together a plan.

“What are you plotting?” Sam asked, eyeing Megan suspiciously.

She grinned at her friends. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Sam, she has that look again,” Devon said, sounding worried. “I hate when Megs gets that look.”

“Just meet me behind the fireplace with four beers in ten minutes,” Megan replied giving her friends a wink.

Megan gathered her champagne flute and her courage as she marched toward Zander and the bushy-eyebrowed old man who’d been chewing his ear for nearly thirty minutes.

When Megan was near enough she feigned a stumble, perfectly timing it to land right in Zander’s arms, spilling her champagne all over him.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” Megan exclaimed. “I’m such a klutz.”

“It’s okay,” Zander replied, looking completely stunned.

“No it’s not! Your poor jacket! I’ve gotten champagne all over it. Let’s get some club soda on it before it sets,” Megan said tugging Zander away from his startled-looking companion. “I’m sorry, sir. I’ll bring him right back.”

Zander waved an apology as Megan pulled him away. They didn’t stop until they were behind the hidden alcove Megan had spotted behind the crackling fireplace.

“Don’t be mad,” Megan protested. “You just looked so bored.”

“Mad!” Zander hissed. “Are ye mental? That was bloody brilliant. Maybe ye should be an actress instead of a director?”

Megan snorted. “I’m much more comfortable behind the camera, but thanks.”

Sam and Devon slipped in behind them, carrying two beers each.

“Perfect timing!” Megan greeted.

“What are we doing back here?” Sam asked.

“Showing Zander how we party, Boston University style!”

Zander

“I think I could love this girl,” Zander said to Devon as he watched Megan sink another shot of beer pong, causing her to high-five Sam and do an adorable celebration dance that involved chest bumps and arse wiggling.

“Don’t let her hear ye say that, mate.”

“Why not? She rescued me from spending my night talking to stuffy old men and she’s organized a secret drinking game racket at my boring gala. Not to mention that she’s mopping the floor with us, mate,” Zander said chugging the cup of beer Megan had just eliminated with her impressive aim.

Devon chuckled. “Megs is the reigning Keller Hall champion.”

Zander gave Devon a blank look.

“Our university dorm,” he explained. “But ye can’t go throwing words like love around with Megs.”

“Why not?”

“For one thing, Sam will kill ye if you don’t mean it and . . .” Devon scratched his head. “And love is grand, but it’s a big commitment, mate.”

“Maybe I’m ready for it,” Zander said, taking another swig of his beer.

Devon slapped him on the back. “Say that when yer sober and I’ll almost believe ye.”

Megan

“In your face!” Megan sang as she bounded over to Zander and Devon after sinking the winning shot of beer pong.

She still couldn’t quite believe she’d convinced the catering staff to sneak a few tables and beer pong supplies into the little alcove that had become their hideout. She could get used to having people do whatever she asked. And playing beer pong in crystal glasses was a whole new level of awesomeness.

As Megan glanced around their little underground beer pong circuit, she realized she wasn’t the only one who thought it was awesome. They’d attracted a small audience.

“I got next,” a man called from behind Zander.

Zander turned, looking startled but genuinely pleased to see him. “Ted, good to see you,” Zander said shaking the man’s hand.

“You too, Zander. What do you say?” Ted asked turning his attention to Megan, nodding to the beer pong table. “Rematch?”

“Oh no,” Zander replied pulling Megan to his side with a crooked grin. “I’m afraid this one’s all mine.”

Megan’s ovaries practically high-fived when she caught Zander’s smile. She didn’t know if she’d ever get used to a smile like that being for her.

“I’ll play ye,” Devon said, shaking the man’s hand too.

Zander took the opportunity to slip out from behind the hidden alcove, towing Megan behind him.

“Who was that?” she asked.

“Oh just the CEO of BAE Systems.”

“Who?”

“They’re a huge defense company we’ve been wooing.”

“And their CEO just asked me to play beer pong?” Megan’s mouth dropped open. “Don’t you need to go back there and talk to him?”

Zander chuckled. “Nah, I’m gonna let Dev take this one. Besides he’s better at beer pong than I am.”

“But not better than me,” Megan gloated.

Zander squeezed her hand. “Which is precisely why I pulled ye outta there. I can’t have the Keller Hall champ beating the pants off my potential clients, now can I?”

“How’d you know about Keller Hall?” Megan asked, impressed.

Zander winked. “Don’t worry about it.”

God damn, even his wink was sexy. “Don’t worry,” Megan said. “Your pants are the only ones I’m trying to get off tonight.”

Zander barked a laugh. Megan liked that she could still shock him. Maybe Irish girls weren’t quite so brash. But just as she formed the thought, Megan heard the voice of the last woman she expected. And it belonged to the brashest woman she knew—Tabitha Hall.

Megan’s fairytale night shattered like panes of an evil queen’s mirror when she caught sight of Tabitha’s predatory grin.

“Zander, darling, there you are. I’ve been looking all over for you,” Tabitha purred, slinking right up to Zander and cutting Megan out of his reach.

“Tab? What are ye doing here?” Zander asked looking utterly confused.

“What do you mean? I’m your date, darling.”

“Rita didn’t call ye?”

Tabitha made a sour face. “No, why would she?”

Zander looked uncomfortably between Megan and Tabitha.

Megan sighed and rolled her eyes, a bit annoyed she had to be the one to tell the leggy diva to take a hike.

“Because, I’m his date,” Megan said finding her voice.

Tabitha gave Megan her well-practiced degrading once-over. “And you are?”

“Megan Fields. We met at Finnegan’s.”

Tabitha looked down at Megan like she was an insect. “Right.” She turned back to Zander, her face changing from disgust to embarrassment. “How embarrassing. I feel like an utter fool. It’s not like you need two dates for your own party.”

Maybe Tabitha should switch to acting fulltime, because Zander seemed to be buying her act as he struggled to find words.

“No, he just needs the one,” Megan said stepping closer to Zander.

Tabitha flashed Megan a swift look that said she wanted to stab her eyes out, but instead she sighed. “Right, of course. But Zander, if we’re not at least photographed together tonight we’ll both have to answer to my agency tomorrow. Would you mind terribly?”

Zander grumbled something under his breath but then frowned apologetically at Megan. “Do you mind if Tabitha and I take a few photos?” he asked.

“No, not at all,” Megan lied, fighting the tiny pinch in her chest as Tabitha smiled triumphantly.

“We’ll be right back,” Tabitha sneered, taking Zander’s arm and leading him away.

Megan wanted to chuck her shoe at the back of the model’s perfect blonde head. Why did it have to be Tabitha Hall? It wasn’t a fair fight! The girl was like perfection incarnate. Her legs went on for miles in the black satin gown she wore. It fit her like someone had poured the fabric over her flawless curves in liquid form. And the hip-high slits in the dress parted like mercury with each graceful step she took, showing off her glorious assets to everyone at the party.

Megan cringed as she watched Tabitha drape herself on Zander while they posed for a lucky photographer. The flashbulbs attracted a flock of media and Tabitha preened like a proud peacock, leaning into Zander and laughing. Shockingly he played the part right along with her. He was better at being a celebrity than he gave himself credit for. The realization unsettled Megan, gnawing at her certainty that anything between her and Zander was real.

Her resolve cracked. Megan had truck loads of confidence, but everyone had their limits. Apparently Megan’s was watching Tabitha Hall drag her perfectly manicured claws all over Zander. Not wanting to subject herself to that level of torture, Megan excused herself to the refuge of the ladies’ room.