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And I sent a picture to Cami but forgot to tell her it’s a joke.

Then we stop at the Bellagio Fountains. I glance at Beau. His eyes aren’t fixed on the fountains. They’re on me, specifically my mouth. Our eyes meet.

He leans in and kisses me softly at first, his hands pulling me in around my waist and landing on my bottom where he cups my ass and pulls me tight against him. He takes his time, kissing me like I’m his prize. And I... I love it. I kiss him back, my hands threading around his neck, messing up his hair. His hat falls off, and neither of us moves. He kisses me even deeper.

He finally pulls back and says, “Wow. That might just be the favorite part of my night so far.”

I am breathless. “Night’s not over, Cowboy.”

His eyes darken slightly, and his lips turn up. “Oh, yeah? When do you leave to go home?”

I glance at my watch. “My flight is at seven. We still have a few hours.”

The noise of the crowd fades. Everything else seems to disappear. For one impossible moment, it’s just us.

“When do you leave?” I ask.

“Sometime tomorrow morning. Not sure what time,” he says.

His gaze drops briefly to my mouth and then returns to my eyes. As if he’s asking permission.

And suddenly I can’t breathe. The air feels different. Neither of us moves or looks away.

Then the fountains explode into their grand finale.

Beau smiles slowly. “There she is.”

I blink. “What?”

“The girl who had fun in Vegas.”

I realize something. Vegas isn’t what made tonight unforgettable. It was him. The unexpected adventure.

The feeling that somehow, against all odds, I met exactly the right person at exactly the right moment.

Even if tomorrow morning we’ll go back to being strangers.

5

ty

I Love it Here

I open my eyes and blink, trying to figure out where I am. I look around and realize I’m in Vegas, in my hotel room, and I drank way too much last night. The curtains are closed, thank God, because even just the tiny bit of sun peeking in the sides is enough to give me a bigger headache.

Then I remember her, and a smile tugs at my lips.

Jolene.

I didn’t get her real name. But I will. I roll onto my side, reaching for her warm skin. Instead, I find a cold sheet. I sit up and look around. The other side of the bed is empty. The room is quiet except for the sounds of housekeeping moving around outside the door. The bathroom door is open, and the light’s off.

Disappointment fills my chest. I knew she’d leave in the morning. Hell, that was the whole point of fake names. One night with no strings. But I thought we’d at least say goodbye. Maybe exchange numbers. I secretly hoped for that anyway.

I scrub a hand over my face and glance toward the nightstand. There’s the stuffed cactus she bought last night and a napkin with words scrawled on it:

Thanks for the greatest night ever. -Jolene

I stare at the note longer than I should. That’s it. No number, no real name, no clues to who she really is.