About Last Night... Read Free Page A

Confound his brother, Jack! In college Jack had been closer to Steve than he, but since Jack had
    dropped out of sight for the past couple of months, Derek had felt obligated to stand in as best man when Steve had asked him.
    Once again, he was left to pick up his younger brother's slack.
    He inhaled cautiously because his head felt close to bursting. He'd obviously picked up a bug while traveling, which only
    added insult to injury. On top of everything else, the timing to be away from the advertising firm couldn't be worse—he was
    vying for the business of a client large enough to swing the company well into the black, but he needed an innovative campaign
    for their product, and soon. If ever he could use Jack, it was now, since he'd always been the more creative one. Derek was
    certain their father had established the Stillman & Sons Agency with the thought in mind to try to keep Jack busy and out of
    trouble, but so far, the plan had failed.
    Hot and irritable, Derek swung his legs over the side of the bed and felt his way toward the bathroom for a glass of water.
    His throat was so parched, he could barely swallow. He banged his shin on a hard suitcase, either his or Steve's, he wasn't
    sure which. If his trip hadn't been enough of an ordeal, he'd arrived late at the hotel and they'd already given away his room.
    Since Steve was planning to be out all night partying, he'd offered Derek his room, and since Derek had felt too ill to join the
    rowdy group for the bachelor party, he'd accepted.
    The tap water was tepid, but it was wet and gave his throat momentary relief. He drank deeply, then stumbled back to bed,
    knowing he wouldn't be sleeping again soon.
    Too bad he hadn't come down with something at home. Then he would've had a legitimate excuse to skip the ceremony. He
    thought of Steve and grunted in sympathy. Marriage. Why on earth would anyone want to get married these days anyway? What
    kind of fool would stake his freedom on a bet where the odds were two failures out of every three? Wasn't life complicated
    enough without throwing something else into the mix?
    They were all confirmed bachelors—he, Jack and Steve. Steve was the womanizer; Jack, the scoundrel; and he, the loner.
    He couldn't imagine what kind of woman had managed to catch Steve Larsen's eye and keep it. The only comment his buddy
    had made about his fiancée was that she was sweet, but anyone who could convince Steve to set aside his philandering ways
    had to be a veritable angel.
    Achy and scratchy, he lay awake for several more minutes before he started to doze off. Oddly, his head was full of visions
    of angels—blond and white-robed, pure and innocent. A side effect of the over-the-counter medication, he reasoned drowsily.
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    " I 'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't give you a key to Mr. Larsen's room without his permission." The young male clerk gave Janine
    an apologetic look, but shook his head.
    Janine bit down on her lower lip to assuage her growing panic. What had she gotten herself into? Marie was long gone and
    said she was going to stop by Greg's on the way home. Janine would have to call a cab to get a ride back to the apartment they
    shared. Which would be fine except she'd left her purse in Marie's car, and she had no money or apartment key on her person.
    And beneath the raincoat, had very little clothing on her person.
    "Okay, call him," she relented. It would still be a surprise, just not as dramatic.
    The clerk obliged, then looked up from the phone. "The line's busy, ma'am."
    She frowned. Who could Steve be talking to at one in the morning? A sliver of concern skittered up her spine, but she
    manufactured a persuasive smile. "He's probably trying to call me. Ifyou'll give me his room number, I'll just walk on up."
    "I'm afraid that's against hotel policy, ma'am." The teenager ran a finger around his collar, and he looked flushed.
    Sizing up her options, she leaned forward on the counter, making sure the coat gaped just