TangledBound by Emily Ryan-Davis Read Free Book Online Page B

to you. You also know neither
of us knows a single thing about each other beyond our names.”
    “We could find out more,” she ventured. “I mean, we’re both
right here. Why not be right here together? We could have dinner and try to get
into a Cirque du Soleil show. Er…I guess unless you just don’t want to know
more about me.”
    Mortified that the possibility hadn’t occurred to her, she
stood abruptly. “Oh God. You really don’t and now I’m harassing you. I’m so sorry. You should just pretend I—”
    “Stop,” he interrupted. He swung his feet off the lounger
and planted them on the damp concrete pool deck. “Just stop talking. I’m in
Vegas partly on business and I have a dinner meeting tonight. Do you want to go
with me?”
    “Yes,” she whispered. Louder, she said, “But if you don’t
want me—”
    “Believe me, honey, want isn’t the problem.” Standing, he
cupped her elbow and urged her toward the hotel.
    * * * * *
    “We’re early,” Sam said half an hour later as he held the
door for her at the Ceasar Palace mall entrance.
    During the cab ride, they’d both avoided any conversation
remotely related to sex. Sam had directed her attention to different landmarks
while Melanie had perused the Ceasar’s Palace section of her Las Vegas
guidebook.
    Now she stopped several feet inside, her attention caught by
the cream and gold architecture. When Sam’s fingertips brushed her bare
shoulder blade, she flushed. He stood really, really close, his body heat
beckoning her even closer. If she wanted to keep with the no-sex-talk streak
she was on, she had to step away.
    Moving away from him? Sucked. But she did, walking deeper
into the mall to stare at a directory of shops. “Do we have time for
chocolate?”
    “Do you want truffles or pastries?” Sam came up behind her
again, so close his deep voice tickled the back of her neck.
    “I was thinking of Vosges Haut Chocolate,” she said,
pointing at a spot on the directory. “It’s not too far from where we are.”
    “So, truffles.” He slid his hand over the bend of her waist
and steered her away from the directory. “Do you prefer milk or dark?”
    “If it melts in my mouth, I prefer it.” When she spotted the
small boutique store front ahead, she grabbed Sam’s hand and pulled him along.
The rich aroma of melted chocolate warmed her as soon as she entered the shop.
    Sam immediately headed over to the glass-enclosed array of
truffles, where the clerk engaged him in conversation. Melanie listened to them
while she explored the offerings displayed on the glass shelves that lined the
shop’s walls.
    “This is one of our newest collections, perfect for a
bourbon connoisseur,” the clerk said.
    Sam rejected the suggestion. “No, that’s too masculine. I’m
looking for something cheerful and delicate.”
    Melanie glanced over her shoulder to find him looking at
her. The clerk was speaking again but Sam didn’t break eye contact. When he
beckoned her to join him, Melanie didn’t even think of refusing.
    “We have a selection of floral flavors. This one is a
combination of dark chocolate and champagne, dusted with rose powder.” The
clerk scooped a pink-powdered truffle from the case and placed it on the
counter. “If she enjoys rose water, the limited edition Persia Truffle is
another to consider.”
    “Do you like roses, honey?” he asked, still holding her
gaze.
    Melanie nodded. Sam finally looked away long enough to
acknowledge the clerk. “She’ll try both.”
    While the clerk presented the second suggested candy, Sam
picked up the first.
    “Close your eyes,” he said as he lifted the morsel to her
lips. “Some experiences are best had one sense at a time.”
    Swallowing, Melanie decided not to tell him about how her
various senses were functioning at peak performance in that moment. With her
eyes closed, some of those senses became acute. For example, as Sam brushed
rosebud dust across her upper lip, she was acutely