Page 83

“Hi.”
Her voice was husky. She stood there for a moment, taking him in as he did the same with her.
“You did look beautiful last night,” he finally said,“but tonight, without my whiskey goggles, you’re absolutely stunning.”
He took her hand and raised her arm.“Turn for me.”
Fingertips tingling from his touch, she did as he asked, turning slowly, cheeks warming under his appreciative gaze.
Returning to face him, Eve hoped he would bend down to kiss her. Instead, he only squeezed her hand.“I hope you’re hungry.”
Hungry for you.
The realization hit her hard.
She nodded.
“Good.” Still holding her hand, he led her across the rooftop, past deck chairs and a long lap pool. The starburst she had noticed that first night in the lobby looked enormous now, and, stepping across it, she realized it was opaque white glass, lighted from underneath.
“This is pretty,” she said.
“Makes a great dance floor. People love it.”
She realized where he was leading her. It was a glass enclosure that circled the starburst halfway around. She noticed a few tables draped with white tablecloths, but no diners.
A hidden door slid silently open, and they entered the glass tube. A section had been entirely cleared to the right, with only one table set.
Eve eyed the thick candle burning in the center. She caught a whiff of pine and recognized it as the same kind of candle she had found burning in his suite that first night. The mere thought of that night made her shudder and her knees go weak. The thought of a repeat, with Adam in the light, caused her to stumble.
Adam was right there, gripping her elbow for support.“You OK?”
No.
“Yes,” she said, trying to keep her voice light.
The table was set with sparkling silverware and white china sporting the Lark Hotel logo. One short-stemmed yellow rose was placedin a highball glass beside the candle, a flat green leaf lining the inside.
She could smell its perfume mingling with the pine of the candle even before she sat.
Adam pulled out her chair. She settled into the blue velvet, grateful to be off her feet. He didn’t take a seat across from her, choosing instead to pull his chair close and park his tall frame beside her, making her think she wouldn’t be able to eat a single thing.
She reached for the glass holding the rose and brought it to her nose, inhaling the complex, spicy scent.“I’ve never seen roses like this. They’re differently shaped, and they smell divine. Where do you get them?”
“A friend of mine is into them. Grows them in his backyard.”
“In Vegas?” She was shocked.
He nodded.“In the suburbs. He has a home in Henderson. A whole acre, and much of it is his roses. You don’t want to see his irrigation bill.” He watched her closely as she brought the bloom to her mouth and nuzzled, feeling the velvet of the petals caress her lips.“They all have names. This one is called Soaring to Glory. It pays homage to Air Force service members.”
“Let me guess, he’s a pilot.”
“Retired, but you guessed correctly.”
“How can a rose pay homage?”
“From what I understand, the hybridizer gets to name them.”
“Hybridizer?”