TONIGT IS THE NIGHT

The four of them had had dinner together the night before, and though Lucia had been sure it would be an uncomfortable couple of hours given the tension between her and Dave they’d all had a good time. In fact, seeing Dave interacting with Joe Curran, hearing him laugh and tell stories about past cruises had really opened Lucia’s eyes.

For so long, she’d thought of him only as a player. A man only interested in getting as many women as possible into his bed. A man who wasn’t interested in anything that wasn’t about momentary pleasure.

Now she’d seen glimpses of a different man. One who could enjoy himself with people who weren’t members of the “celebrity crowd.” A guy who could buy silly T-shirts for babies he wasn’t even sure were his. A guy who could still turn her into a puddle of want with a glance.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Mary asked quietly.

Lucia took a long, deep breath and looked around the room to avoid meeting Mary’s too-knowing gaze. Muted sunlight, diffused by t