Felicia looked back at the still-growing crowd of women. Angel had just rounded the corner, and the women cheered. She heard calls of “Work it, baby” and “Take off your shirt!” Instead of appearing insulted, Angel only grinned and moved a little more slowly.

Ford followed, looking just as pleased with the attention. At least until he noticed his mother pointing at him while she spoke to a woman in her twenties. Only Justice seemed the least bit chagrined.

One of the upstairs windows in a building across the street opened and loud music poured out. The throbbing beat set the women to cheering even louder.

“This isn’t what I expected,” Felicia admitted.

The mayor gave her a weary smile. “You get used to it,” she said. “Some days it’s even endearing. Of course, the other days, it’s just plain embarrassing.”

* * *

IF IT WASN’T so damned early, Gideon was pretty sure he would be enjoying himself. The morning was clear and crisp, the sky a deep black-turning-blue with only the slightest hint of light at the top of the mountains. He was in the company of a beautiful woman he very much wanted to sleep with. The fact that it was 4:30 and he’d been up since the previous morning was about the only downside. That and the other five thousand or so people, which meant the odds of him having his way with Felicia were slim to none.

Around them, with the mountains to the east and the vineyards to the west, were close to a dozen hot air balloons. Their brilliant colors weren’t yet visible. Right now they were more shape than substance.

He stood off to the side of the crowd, where Felicia had left him. She’d gone off with Pia to discuss festival details. Gideon shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and wished he hadn’t gulped his coffee so quickly. He could sure use it now.

“Morning.”

Gideon turned and saw Justice and Patience approaching. The other man had a sleepy girl in his arms. Patience carried an open bottle of champagne and a stack of glasses.

“Morning,” he said. “You’re up early.”

“This is when the balloons take off,” Patience said with a smile. “Isn’t it lovely? I felt guilty, taking a morning off work, but I had to see this. Lillie wanted to see it, too, but she seems to be lacking enthusiasm at this point.”

Her daughter stirred sleepily but didn’t speak.

“She’ll wake up when they take off,” Justice said, his hands holding the child protectively.

Gideon accepted the glass of champagne Patience offered and wished it were coffee.

More people crowded around them. He heard snatches of conversation, saw couples standing close together. There seemed to be lots of hand-holding and plenty of snuggling. It was the hour, he thought. Or maybe the sight of the huge balloons slowly filling with hot air as the sun began to climb the mountains.

“Is there coffee?”

The question came from behind him. He turned and saw Ford, Angel and Consuelo approaching.

“Champagne,” he said, holding up his glass.

Angel grimaced.

“It’s a tradition,” Ford said, accepting a glass from Patience. “We toast them taking off.”

“I’d rather be in bed,” Consuelo grumbled, but also took a glass.

“Dollface, just say the word.”

Angel had barely finished speaking when Consuelo thrust her glass at Ford, twisted slightly, kicked out her leg and dropped Angel onto his back. The entire move took about three-tenths of a second.

She pressed her booted foot against his neck and smiled.

“Really?” she asked.

He swallowed, then held out both hands, palms up. “Sorry. Reflex. It won’t happen again.”

“I didn’t think so.” She removed her foot and retrieved her champagne. “When do the balloons take off?”

“Five minutes before sunrise,” Felicia said, walking up to them. She had a tablet in her hands and looked a little frazzled. “They’ll head south, following the mountains. Air flow over the peaks will push them steadily west until they land close to Stockton. There are maps if you want to follow the projected route. I anticipate a seventy-two percent chance of them landing as planned.”

She looked at Angel, who was still brushing himself off. “Whatever you said, you know better.”

“It was an accident.”

Felicia wiped off several leaves. “You know an accident like that can get you killed.” She turned to Gideon. “Is this nice? Are you enjoying yourself?”

Hanging out with this many people before seven in the morning was his idea of hell. But her expression was slightly frantic, and he had the feeling she was just as uncomfortable as he was—if for different reasons.

“It’s great,” he said.

She looked at him. “I want to believe you,” she said.

“Then you should.”

She nodded. “The event is relatively easy. No booths or parades. Just the balloons launching this morning, followed by balloon rides for the public this weekend. Assuming the weather cooperates. I created my own computer program to collect the most current weather data.”

“Because you can’t trust one of the online sites?” he asked, trying not to smile.

“I like to confirm the data.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I should get back to Pia. She’s giving me lots of information about the other festivals. If I don’t see you before you leave, I’ll see you for the luau?”

“I wouldn’t miss it.”

She paused, then raised herself up on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his cheek. The soft kiss was over nearly before it began, and then she was gone.

He stared after her, not exactly sure how he’d gotten sucked into her ridiculous plan of learning how to date so she could fall in love with someone else and get married. While the process made sense, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was headed for trouble. Probably because when it came to a happily ever after, he knew he wasn’t going to be able to make that happen.

The more he got to know Felicia, he more he was aware that he was going to regret having to let her go when the time came. She wasn’t the kind of woman a man forgot easily. But walk away he would—not just because it was the right thing to do for her, but because when it came to himself, he didn’t have an option.

* * *

THE LUCKY LADY Casino Resort sprawled over nearly a hundred acres north of town. While the facility was modern and large, the construction had made use of the natural forest, framing the parking lot with trees and continuing the natural theme through the main entrance.

Felicia was both excited and nervous as Gideon guided her toward the ballroom. He kept his hand on the small of her back, as if she needed assistance. Or maybe it was a dating thing. She was starting to get confused.

In the past week Gideon had taken her to dinner at the winery, gone to the balloon festival, although they hadn’t spent much time together there because she’d been working, and now they were attending Charlie and Clay’s luau. Even ignoring their first dinner at his place, this was their third date. Shouldn’t something be different between them?

The problem was she was just as nervous and unsure of herself as she had been the first time they’d gone out. She had that fluttery sensation in her stomach, and she questioned everything she wanted to say. She wanted to feel him touch her, and at the same time, she was unable to ask when they were going to have sex. Being around Gideon made her shy.

“Clay was one of the first people I met when I came to town,” Gideon said as they circled a selection of slot machines. “He came to the station to talk about advertising his Haycations.”

“I don’t know him very well,” she admitted. “But I like Charlie. She’s direct, which makes her easier for me to deal with. I also enjoy her sense of humor.”

“They sound like a fun couple.”

Felicia nodded.

They’d reached a wide hallway with signs directing them to the ballroom. Up ahead she could see double doors standing open. Music with a reggae beat spilled out, and she could hear people talking and laughing.

“You’ll be fine,” Gideon murmured.

“What?”

She glanced around and realized she’d come to a stop—as if afraid to walk into the room. Mostly because she was. Social situations in large crowds made her uncomfortable. The more people she didn’t know, the greater the odds of her saying the wrong thing. She was just starting to get comfortable in town. She didn’t want to appear any more awkward.

“I understand my fears are irrational,” she told him.

He smiled at her. “So says the chick afraid of spiders. Next thing you know you’ll be handing me jars to open because you’re not strong enough.”

“I’m comfortable with my physical strength and my use of leverage. And except for the spiders, I’m not afraid of most living things. People are different.”

She glanced down at the yellow floral print dress she’d chosen to wear. It was strapless, but not too fussy. The top was fitted, and the skirt flowed over her h*ps with a fullness she found appealing. She’d painted her toes a bright coral color and slipped on gold strappy heels.

Gideon had it easy, she thought. He’d chosen a Hawaiian shirt and jeans. What could be simpler?

“I was nervous at the balloon festival,” she admitted. “But busy. I felt a part of things because I was helping behind the scenes. This party is different.”

The song switched from something fast to something slower. Gideon surprised her by pulling her close and taking her hand in his. He put his other hand on her waist and started to move in time with the song.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Dancing. I guess if you have to ask, I’m doing it wrong.”

“We’re in a hallway.”

“Uh-huh.”

“People don’t dance in hallways.”

His dark eyes flashed with amusement. “How about kissing? Do people kiss in hallways?”

Before she could answer the question, he’d drawn her closer still and lowered his mouth to hers.

His lips claimed hers with an intensity that took her breath away. Technically she could still breathe, but the expression was exactly right, she thought, letting herself get lost in all the sensations. Her eyes drifted closed as her hands settled on his shoulders, and she let herself lean into him.

Wanting swept through her. It was fast and intense, making her want to touch him all over—or maybe just rip off her dress so he could touch her. Either would work, but both would be better.

He moved his mouth against hers. She parted for him immediately and was rewarded by the feel of his tongue against hers. Nerves reacted like a waterfall, cascading all the way down her body. Heat settled in her belly and moved lower.

When he drew back, she smiled. “You make me hot.”

He grinned. “You don’t want to tell me about your chemical reaction?”

“I can, but in this case I think the vernacular works better.”

“You make me hot, too,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against him. “And I like it when you talk technical...about any of your girl parts.”

She rested her cheek on his chest, enjoying the sensation of being safe and the feel of his hard penis against her belly. His heartbeat was steady, the rhythmic sound relaxing her.

He drew back and kissed her forehead. “Better?”

“Than what?”

“I wanted to distract you so you wouldn’t be so nervous.”

Because of the party, she thought. “Your plan worked,” she said with a smile. Like she’d said before—Gideon was very nice to her.

They turned toward the entrance to the ballroom. Gideon took her hand and together they went inside.

The room itself had a stage at one end with what appeared to be a reggae band. There was a long buffet and three bars, along with a dessert station that featured a chocolate fountain. One side was open to a wide patio with lots of seating and a view of the mountains. Felicia suspected that the glass doors could be left in place or pushed out of the way, depending on the season or the event.

She and Gideon were offered tropical drinks in an assortment of colors. Servers walked by with trays of food. She caught sight of Charlie with Clay. Charlie had on a beautiful white dress in a tank style. While Charlie was more a cargo pants kind of woman, the simple lines of the dress combined with the silky fabric suited her. Dellina walked up to Charlie and whispered something. Charlie nodded. Clay leaned over and kissed Dellina’s cheek, which Felicia thought was strange. It was almost as if he was thanking her. Interesting.

Felicia and Gideon walked through the crowded room. They were greeted by several people they knew. Justice and Patience came over and began to chat. She saw Consuelo having what looked like an intense conversation with Mayor Marsha and Isabel ducking behind a large plant. Obviously her friend had decided to continue hiding from Ford.

About an hour later, a very beautiful, middle-aged woman stepped onto the stage. She was petite and fit, dressed in a red-and-white sarong.

“Thank you all for coming,” she said into the microphone the band had set up. “My name is Dominique Dixon, and I want to welcome you. This party is for my wonderful daughter, Charlie, and her fiancé, Clay.”

She motioned to the couple, who had moved to the front of the crowd.

Dominique’s eyes filled with tears. “I love you so much, Charlie. I hope you’ll always be happy.”

Just then Mayor Marsha joined Dominique on the stage. The mayor wore one of her suits—this one in a light pink. An odd choice for a luau, Felicia thought. Just one of many.