“Keep going. There should be asteak au poivre,too. I’m in the mood for red meat.” And something told meit’d be difficult for her to enjoy the rest of the evening if she had to watch me eat offal. Hannah found the filet dish and brought both plates back to the table.
I watched with a smile as Hannah took her first bite. She made a few happy noises that I wouldn’t mind hearing later in the bedroom. Christ, everything about her just made me smile. “For someone who detests this kind of cuisine, youwere able to identify most of them by sight, and you know more about foie gras than I do. I practically grew up on it. Where’d all that knowledge come from?”
“It’s something my dad and I do…or used to do, I guess. It’s been a while since we went out together. Vegas has become something of a culinary mecca—every chef who is a name has a restaurant in one casino or another. So when I was feelingdown as a teenager, my dad would take me out on dates. It was so sweet. He always wanted me to have the best of anything. And for a while there, when it looked like I wouldn’t have much—” She shook her head and looked away for a moment. Then she seemed to gather herself and gave me a smile, but it looked forced. “Sorry, got lost in the memories there for a second. Anyway, we’d go out to dinner andorder whatever amazing thing the restaurant was known for or some dish we’d seen on Food Network and had never tried before. Some of it wasn’t something I’d ever try again, but I wouldn’t give up a single memory of those nights together.”
“Sounds like your dad is pretty great.”
“He is. It’s going to be hard for me to ever settle on a man who’s anything less than the amazing example my dad was—is.He’d do anything for his family. I need to call him. We haven’t talked in a while.”
I nodded as I cut into my filet mignon. I wanted to ask her more about her family, but Hannah had grown pensive and didn’t seem to be open to talking at the moment. I couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking about. Did it have to do with the other half of the problem she mentioned earlier? Was it somethingto do with her family? What was going on that put a frown on her beautiful face? We passed the next few minutes in silence that was broken only by the sound of our utensils scraping on our plates.
Once most of Hannah’s meal was eaten, she looked up at me with a grimace. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what is wrong with me. I’m not usually so moody on a date. Maybe it would be best if I said good night.”
“Please. It’s fine. I’ve had my share of doldrums, too. I believe we’ve come to the crème brûlée portion of the evening.”
“The only way dessert could fix this is if I can eat yours as well.” Hannah teased me with a smile.
“Consider it done.” I smiled in return as I scooped up our plates and disposed of them on the side table before picking up the desserts. I placed both down on Hannah’s sideof the table.
“Oh, no! I was teasing. I didn’t mean for you to actually give up your dessert. Please take it.”
“I intend to.” I bent down and picked Hannah up. She squealed, but I was already sitting down in her chair with her in my lap and facing the table. “Can I borrow your spoon?”
“Oh, my god. Is this a thing with you? Sitting in laps? You know there’s a whole other chair over there youcan use.”
“I know, but I thought you needed a huganddessert, so this seemed to be the most efficient way to accomplish both.”
Hannah smiled bashfully as she relaxed in my arms. “Well, look at you. You must’ve gone to college; you’re so smart.”
I took a scoop out of my crème brûlée and held it in front of her lips. Hannah delicately licked her bottom lip before leaning forward and taking thebite.
I rubbed a hand up and down her back and she melted into me. I bussed my lips over the top of her head. She was so strong most of the time that it felt surreal when she showed her vulnerability. I wanted to protect her and banish whatever troubles she was having, but I knew she wouldn’t let me. Not to mention that we had such a limited time together. This was a relationship with a definiteexpiration date. And I wanted to spend every moment of it I could with Hannah.
I gave the top of head one more kiss, then said, “Besides, if my timing is right, I believe you’ve got the best seat for the show.”
“Show? What show?” Hannah’s spoon made a clattering sound as she placed it in her empty dish.
I pushed my almost full bowl of crème brûlée toward her. “Over there.”
The sound was delayed,so we saw the water shoot out from the fountains across the street before the music reached us. In the dusky light the water and strobe lights were especially powerful, as arcs of water shot up from a pool in concert to instrumental music.
“Oh, the Bellagio fountains! I’ve never seen them from this angle.” Hannah twisted slightly on my lap. “Wow.”
We sat in companionable silence as the waterballet played below for us. Hannah snuggled into me, her soft sigh passing over the exposed skin at my throat. I could feel the tension leach out of her as she raptly watched the water below. After two days of constant nightly performances, some of the magic had worn off for me, but seeing it again through Hannah’s eyes as she gasped and oohed over the choreography, I couldn’t help but get drawninto the show.
As the music came to an end and a wave of water crashed down into the pool, goosebumps rose on Hannah’s arms. “Oh, that was wonderful.”
“Thank you for sharing it with me.” I pressed a kiss against her cheek.
Hannah turned her shoulders until she was somewhat facing me. “I think we can do better than that.”
Taking her invitation, I ducked my head and took her mouth in a scorchingkiss. Hannah whimpered and melted in my arms. Her lips softened as her tongue darted out to shyly rub against mine. She led me in a playful game of hide-and-seek, entering, then retreating, silently urging me to follow. After our necking last night, I was starved for more of her. I twisted and tried to get my hand in a position to fondle her gorgeous tits, but the chair bit into my back, causinga muscle spasm.
“Aaaggh.” I broke off our kiss with a groan.
“Are you okay?”
“Oui,just not comfortable. Come. As much fun as yesterday was, we’re not teenagers reduced to kissing in uncomfortable places.” I gently lifted her until she could stand next to the chair; then I stood as well and held out my hand. “I have a wonderfully soft bed just a few meters away. Will you come inside with me?”
Hannah released a shaky sigh, then placed her hand in mine.
