Destined for Love by Diane Thorne Page A

collected money from the patron. Holding the cash in his hand, he headed towards her. “How is it?”
    “Oh, good. Strong.”
    “Did your friends leave you?”
    “They’re exploring.”
    “By the way, my name’s Mike. My hand is sticky, so forgive me for not offering it to you.”
    She grinned. “No problem. Nice to meet you, Mike. I’m Valerie.”
    “I saw the old guy hit on you a minute ago. Be warned, there are plenty of sharks that come here.”
    “As long as they don’t bite, I think I can handle them.”
    Mike leaned over the counter, closer to her. She noticed he had an incredible set of blue eyes, similar to James.
    “If anyone gives you trouble, yell my name.” He winked at her.
    “Thanks, Mike.”
    He turned his head and took a few steps back. “Duty calls.”
    Val watched him stride several feet away to serve more customers. The young man seemed nice and had showed his concern by tipping her off about some of the guests. He wasn’t a hunky man, but he did have a cute face and a set of dazzling eyes. She could stare at them for hours and not get bored.
    Sipping the last bit of her drink, her thoughts returned to the two men who’d recently come into her life. She wondered what they were doing and whether they missed her as much as she missed them. It seemed foolish to think about them so much, but she couldn’t help it. They were like no other men she’d ever met. She wanted to be with them.
    “Mind if I sit here?”
    Val twisted to look at the man standing near the empty stool next to her. He was her height with dark hair and eyes. His broad shoulders, husky frame, and lack of a gut suggested he probably had muscles hiding underneath his suit.
    She smiled. “Not at all.”
    “Thank you.”
    As he moved next to her to sit on the stool, she caught a whiff of his soft cologne. The scent reminded her of Calvin Klein’s perfumes.
    “Can I buy you a drink?”
    “Uh, I’m okay right now.” She was better than okay. The liquor had calmed her nerves and Mr Dark Eyes had caused her body heat to rise. “Maybe later.”
    His lips formed into a warm smile. “I’m Timothy.” He offered his hand to her.
    “Valerie.” She accepted his formal greeting.
    The man had impressed her so far. He seemed nice and charming. He was handsome. Maybe he was her Mr Right.
    “Are you here alone?” he asked.
    “I’m with friends, but they’re exploring.”
    “Ah, never been before then?” One of his eyebrows curled up.
    “No, this is my first visit.”
    He leaned closer to her. “It’s my third time here. I’m visiting from Canada.”
    “Wow, you’re a long way from home.” She stared at him with a hint of shock. If it truly was his third visit, he had to be wealthy.
    He chuckled. “It’s my off season. I play hockey most of the year. Cold weather and icy rinks are part of my everyday life. I came here to enjoy a bit of the sun and beach.”
    Having followed hockey for many years, she knew players of the sport had to maintain their health and work out on a regular basis, which meant he did have muscles hiding under his suit. Val smiled while her thoughts wondered about other hard muscles, specifically the lower one.
    “Well, you came to a good place to visit. Our beaches are clean and the sunrises and sunsets are amazing.”
    “I bet they are.” He glanced to the dance floor. “Would you like to dance?”
    Val’s heart jumped. “Yeah, sure.”
    Smiling, he rose and took her hand. As she followed him through the crowd the anxiety she’d calmed returned with greater intensity. What if I can’t dance correctly? If I step on his toes, twist my ankle, or fall on my ass I may have to run and hide. I don’t want to spoil my chance if Timothy is Mr Right.
    He stopped in an area less crowded, then twisted to face her. She’d never danced to fast, thumping music, so she looked around to see what others were doing.
    Timothy held onto her hand. “I’m not sure what kind of music this is, but it