The Sure Thing Read Free

grinned then pulled back.  “This is kind of scary.”
    “Why?”  He ran his thumb against her jaw.
    “I feel like you're judging my teeth while we kiss.  Can your tongue tell that I only remember to floss every other day?”
    “Yes, of course.  But I wasn't going to say anything.”
    “A dentist and a gentleman.”
    “I'm not gonna lie, though . I'm concerned about your right mandibular second molar.”
    “My whooza-whatsits?”
    “I may need to kiss you again.  Purely professional.  I took an oath.”
    “Do dentists take the Hippocratic Oath?”
    “No, we do the Colgate Pledge.”
    “Ahh, right.”  There was that smile again.   There was no way he could leave her now.  He kissed her lips lightly, then the tip of her nose.
    “Listen, I'm supposed to go meet the guys at The Venetian at seven.  It's some kind of party thing for Jordan and Katie.  Do you want to come?”  She stiffened a bit and her hands went from his shoulders to her lap.  Whoa, he'd done something wrong. “It's just a quick dinner, then a bit of gambling.  My treat?”  And now she was standing, backing up a bit.  This was bad.  “Or not?”  His voice had lost its confidence.
    “I'd love to, but I've got a ton of work to do.”
    “But it's Friday night,” he argued.
    “I'm a wedding caterer, weekends are my busiest times.”  But her eyes looked uncertain, like she could be persuaded, so he pushed.
    “Come on, just a few hours.  We'll have a nice dinner.  I promise you won't have to sit by Jordan.  And then we'll hang out and hit some slots.”  She concentrated on the hem of her cardigan, pulling a black thread until it popped. “I'll have you home before midnight, Cinderella.”  There was a long pause. 
    Finally, in a meek voice, she said , “Okay”. 
     

CHAPTER THREE
     
    Becca awoke to the sound of a dog knocking over a trash can outside her living room window.  The number of “self-walking” dogs in her neighborhood was becoming more and more of a problem.  She wanted to call the landlord to complain, but she was already three weeks late with the rent . S o instead, she pulled on leggings and a t-shirt and went outside to clean up the mess.  Elbow-deep in dirty paper towels and soggy coffee grounds, she contemplated the bigger mess she'd made last night . T he one that couldn't be cleaned up with rubber gloves and plastic bags.
    The decision to go with Nick to the casino had surprised her.  In fact, she'd spent most of the ten-minute drive to the s trip wondering what the hell she was doing.  She h adn’ t entered a casino in almost three years, which was no small feat for a wedding caterer in Vegas.  She'd been to virtually all the hotels and restaurants in the city, of course, but always managed to sidestep the casinos, which was possible if you used the children's entrance.  But for Nick, she was willing to put it all on the line . T he abstinence, the peace of mind, the stupid plastic chips she got at meetings for one month, six months, a year without gambling.  She realized on the drive through town that for him, she didn't want to be the damaged woman, the woman with a past, the woman who was weak.  She wanted Nick to see her as good and worthy.  So she pasted on a smile and walked through the casino, one foot in front of the other, until they reached the safety of the restaurant.
    Dinner was nice, and even the frat boys were on their best behavior since it was still early and they were still sober.  Becca sat between Nick and Katie, ordered some wonderful poached salmon, and noticed the light dusting of dark blond curls on Nick's forearms as he cut his steak.  He had a tiny white scar on his lower lip.   He'd missed a spot shaving near the edge of his jaw.  She wanted to lick the tiny hairs there, feel them bristle against her tongue.  She kept forgetting to eat.
    After dinner, she was so high on Nick, laughing and joking, loving the way he looked at her, that she entered