Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 128260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
“Where are we going?” I asked as we stepped on to the elevator.
“I made a reservation at Olives. Is that okay?”
“Yes. I mean, I haven’t been to any of the restaurants here.”
He pulled me to him as the elevator made its descent, enveloping me in that singular scent that made my hormones flash fire through my body. I couldn’t help leaning into him and sticking my nose in his neck, inhaling deeply.
He chuckled. “You like the way I smell, buttercup?”
“Mmmm,” I breathed, not coming up for air.
“I like the way you smell too,” he whispered. “It makes me hard.” And I could feel that indeed it did.
I leaned back and looked up at him, that spark flaring between us.
“Do you have running shoes?” he asked.
I raised a brow, confused at the unexpected change of subject. “Planning on ditching the bill?”
He laughed. “No, I was thinking we could go hiking tomorrow morning if you’re up for it. Red Rock Canyon has some beautiful trails. We’d have to go early though. In the summer, it gets pretty hot by the afternoon.”
“I’d like that,” I said as we stepped off the elevator. “I did bring running shoes. Remember though, I have to be back for the one conference presentation at two. I’m trying to get into a law class in the fall and the professor who teaches it is presenting tomorrow.”
“We’ll be back in plenty of time for that.” He looked at me. “What time does your flight leave on Monday?”
“Six a.m.” I said quietly. “Yours?”
“Seven. We could ride to the airport together.”
I nodded but decided I didn’t want to think about that. We were here now and I was going to enjoy the last of our time together.
We arrived at Olives and I looked around. It was beautiful, with the same Mediterranean style as the rest of the Bellagio. I waited back a bit as Carson leaned in and spoke to the hostess. She giggled and nodded her head and he smiled back at me, offering me his arm as we followed the hostess to our table. We walked out onto the balcony, overlooking the man-made lake in front of the Bellagio, where we had watched the fountain show, and I gasped. “It’s so beautiful.”
Carson just smiled and pulled out my chair. “It’s not hot dogs on the strip, but I figured, we gotta eat, even if we have to downgrade the venue this time.”
The waiter approached our table and we each ordered a glass of wine. I sat back, looking around in wonder. Everything surrounding me was filled with light. The glow from the strip shined in the distance, the water sparkled, and the twinkle lights adorning the balcony danced. It felt magical, like another world. I met Carson’s eyes and saw that he’d been watching me. “I like that look on your face,” he said quietly.
He’d said that to me in bed too. I brought my hands to my cheeks as I thought back to that moment, realizing he was saying he liked to watch me enjoy new things. My heart gave a little squeeze.
“What are you thinking?” he asked taking my hand across the table.
I smiled, deciding that just for tonight, I was going to experience everything I could and enjoy every minute of it. Life is wild—Carson was right. Or it could be, if you let it. I was going to let it. I was going to clear my mind and soak in the beauty of everything around me—the location, the food, the man sitting across from me. I was going to live for all the years I had rejected relationships that might have come naturally if I hadn’t been overly focused on other things, and for all the years I had made choices that I thought would make other people happy, never considering what would make me happy. I’d worked so tirelessly to make sure I was steady and dependable for my dad and my sisters who’d already lost so much, never taking into consideration that I’d lost too. Never admitting that I’d sacrificed parts of myself that Carson was just bringing to life.
Carson had infected me, it was true, but his looks weren’t the only part of his poison. It was his spirit too. His bravery. And maybe when it came to Carson, just like a vaccine, a little poison was also the cure.
There would be consequences to this weekend, I knew that now and I wasn’t lying to myself anymore. But maybe they wouldn’t all be negative. Maybe I would walk away a better person because of my encounter with this man.
“What I was thinking, Carson, is that I feel lucky to be here with you tonight.”
His eyes warmed and a smile tipped his full lips.
The waiter set down our wine and when he’d left, I raised my glass. “To life being wild.”