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Jesse smirked.
    “Yeah, well, I’ve never known Shelly to not have a good time. That’s one of the things I like about her; she’s a lot of fun to be with,” I said.
    “Oh, but I thought you told me you were having a good time?”
    “Yes, I am, but not like that,” I said, gesturing toward the two exhibitionists out on the dance floor. Jesse chuckled, taking my hand in his.
    “It’s hot in here; let’s take a walk,” he suggested.
    “That’s a very good idea,” I said, eager to get away from my friend getting it on in front of everyone. He took my hand; we said good night to John and headed out of the bar room into the dark night. The stars seemed so much bigger, covering the night sky as they shone down on the ocean, which now looked black and frightening. The moon was bright orange and illuminated the deck as we walked hand in hand.
    “Bailey, you’re so gorgeous,” he said, stopping to look me in the eyes.
    “That’s funny; I was just thinking the same thing about you,” I said slapping my hand over my mouth.
    He smirked, “You think I’m beautiful?”
    I nodded, turning around to hold onto the railing.
Oh my God, I just told this guy I think he’s beautiful; what is wrong with me?
I thought to myself.
Damn wine
.
    “You seem a lot shyer than your friend,” he said, stepping up to the railing next to me to hold my hand.
    “Yeah, I think that’s why we get along so well; we’re exact opposites,” I chuckled.
    “I think I’d better be careful so I don’t screw this up,” he said, motioning between us with our entwined hands.
    “Oh, I’m not sure that’s possible,” I blurted out before I realized it.
    “Really!” he smiled. He kissed the back of my hand and leaned over for another sweet kiss. I kissed him back as his body came closer to mine.
    “Bailey, what are you doing to me?” he whispered in my ear. “I can’t seem to keep my hands off you!” He put his hand into my hair at the base of my neck so I was looking into his eyes. “Do you believe in fate?”
    “Yes,” I confessed, blushing and looking down at our entwined hands.
    “I usually have so much more self-control with women, but not with you. I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel uncomfortable,” he said, pulling my chin up to look at him.
    He was smiling, and it felt like he was looking right into my soul. I was at a loss for words, wanting so much more, but scared at the same time. I’d never been turned on by a man before and wasn’t sure how to handle it. He leaned his head down, silently asking permission to kiss me again. I raised my head, sliding my arms around his neck. That was all the encouragement he needed; he pulled me close and kissed me deeper. I ran my fingers through his silky hair, enjoying the closeness we shared.
    He was a good kisser and smelled wonderful, a woodsy, citrus scent that had my head spinning. As he looked at me, my heart pounded so hard I was afraid he could hear it. This was a moment in my life I had always dreamed of, this incredible man kissing me under the moonlight—the stuff songs are written about.
    But once again our moment was interrupted when I heard footsteps behind us, and then someone cleared his or her throat. We both looked up, and there stood Shelly and Scott, hand in hand, watching us. Shelly’s eyes were sparkling as she winked at me with a big grin.
    “Sorry to interrupt,” she said. Yeah, sure she was, as she gave me this devilish smile. Scott was wrapped around her like a glove.
    “We thought we would go somewhere for a nightcap; want to join us?” she asked, looking between Jesse and me.
    “Ahhhh…OK, if Bailey wants to,” Jesse said, looking at me.
    “Sure, you lead the way,” I said, pulling myself out of Jesse’s embrace.
    Jesse gave me a raised-eyebrow look. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but we fell in step with everyone else. Keith joined us with a blonde on his arm, introducing her as Liza. I figured he must have picked her up in the bar. We