PROLOGUE
Six years ago
THERE WERE CERTAIN benefits to returning to civilization, texting being one of them.
Without it, she doubted she would survive this party.
No. Not party. âCharity event,â as these A-listers liked to call their swanky affairs.
Whatever.
Mila Brightmanâs thumbs glided over the keys with remembered ease.
I will let u know.
Câmon, Mila. Heâs gorgeous and newly single.
Perfect. Just what she needed. A charity date to go with the charity event. She grinned at her own witticism. Okay, so her mental play on words hadnât been all that funny. But, then again, neither was this party.
Heâs ur bro. You have to say that. Does he even know u r trying to set him up on a date?
Not yet. But itâll be fine. And he is cute. Promise.
She hadnât even told him yet. Mila rolled her eyes, thumbs already responding.
Thatâs what u said about the last guy.
Sheâd let her new friend Freya Rothsberg talk her into going on a different blind date a week ago. That particular man had been good-looking all right, but their date had stalled when heâd road-raged his way down Hollywood Boulevard. Sheâd ended up hopping out of the car at a stoplight and hailing a cab to take her home.
This is different. PROMISE.
Uh-oh. Her friend had used the word promise twice in a row. This time in caps. Never a good sign. Freya was on the other side of the room, waiting for her supposedly gorgeous brother to arrive. Time to head her off at the pass. Maybe she could use humor to soften the blow.
With my luck ur bro is probably short and squatty. A real toad.
The screen stayed blank for almost a minute, and Mila wondered if sheâd offended her friend. Then it lit up.
A toad? Really?
A smiley face followed the words. Whew! Not offended.
Yep. T.O.A.D. Warts and all.
Another long pause. Maybe the Wi-Fi reception in the hotel ballroom was glitching or something.
Why donât you look up and see?
Something about those words caused a shiver to ripple across her midsection. Swallowing, she glanced over the top of her screen.
Freya stood right in front of her. Eyes wide. Mouthing something. âIâm sorry.â
In that instant, Mila realized her friend was no longer holding a cell phone. Neither was she alone. And the person standing beside her was neither short nor squatty.
Oh. My. God. Her thumbs pretend-typed the words as they sprinted through her head.
The man in the tuxedo was tall. Very tall. And gorgeous?
Yes. Oh, yes. He was also holding something up, turning the object to face her.
A phoneâwith all Milaâs text messages surrounded by a bold blue bubble. The air left her lungs, and she struggled to breathe.
Heâd read what sheâd written. And suddenly the banter didnât seem quite so innocent. Or funny.
Before she could apologize, one side of the manâs mouth tilted up, the movement carving out several craggy lines in his face. If she were a swooner sheâd have keeled over by now.
âYou know what they say about kissing toads. One of them might just turn out to be a prince.â
Her brain fought to process anything other than that low sexy tone. Although she could have sworn the word âkissâ had been in there somewhere. At least, she hoped it had.
She gulped, her eyes straying back to his mouth just as the other side tipped to form a smile that scorched across her senses. If she moved she feared sheâd crumple into a pile of ash.