Page 8 of Fumbling in the Dark (Vegas After Dark)

Chapter eight

Janae

T his blind date has already gone better than anything I could’ve imagined. Usually, the men that Sam has tried to set me up with are huge losers. This time it’s way different. It started off weird at first, but things turned around quickly. We ate in silence, which some might think is not a good sign, but it was a comfortable one. Something I’ve never had with anyone before but have always yearned for. The comfort I feel with Shane is amazing, giving me more courage to open up to him.

One of the things I want to show him is my Vegas, all the parts that I love. When I asked him if he would come with me without giving him any details, my jaw dropped with his quick answer of yes without asking for any more details.

Shane follows me out of the restaurant. I wrap my arms around myself when the night air hits me while simultaneously trying to pull my phone out of my purse to call an Uber since we’ve both been drinking. It’s a hard task because I’m low-key shivering. The one thing about living in Vegas is that people don’t realize how much the temperature drops at night.

Strong arms wrap around me, catching me unaware. “What are you doing?” I murmur.

“You were cold. I’m warming you up,” he casually answers as if we’ve done this a million times before.

The heat from his body does warm me up, making it easier for me to call an Uber. Not only does his embrace feel warm, but it also feels right, too. Like this is where I have always belonged. My body melts into him as we wait for the Uber, both of us basking in each other.

When the car pulls up, we both get in and I lean forward toward the driver. “Can you take us to the Bellagio?”

“Sure thing,” the driver says as he pulls into traffic.

Shane looks at me with a look of amusement. “You want to take me to a hotel on the Strip?”

I grin at him. “You’ll see.”

“I mean, if you wanted me to go to a hotel with you, all you had to do was ask. You didn’t have to make it seem all secretive,” he replies with a huge, shit-eating grin while wagging his eyebrows.

Rolling my eyes, another laugh bursts from me. “In your dreams, loverboy.

What is it about this man that makes me laugh so easily? That’s not me. No, I’m the prickly one, but something about him makes me so comfortable, allowing me to lower my guard.

“No. We’re going to watch a show. It’s so fun and makes you feel as if you’re in a different place,” I tell him.

The laughter subsides between us just in time to pull up on the Strip not too far from the hotel. We get out and head over to the fountain that sits in front. Thankfully, I’m able to find a spot for us to sit to the side. The crowd isn’t too full since it’s around ten o’clock at night. Most tourists are now either heading to the club or have been entranced into the casinos, gambling their money away.

Glancing down at my watch, I see the fountains should go off in about five minutes. My leg shakes as we sit with anticipation. I can’t wait to see his face when it goes off. The idea that he might not like it as much as me has me literally shaking with anxiety. Shane’s large hand rests on top of my knee to help quell the anxious feeling that is brewing, but all I can feel is an electric current run through me from his touch.

Right then, the fountain lights up and shoots water into the sky. I usually love watching the show. This is where I like to come to when I need to think but not today. No, today I look at Shane the whole time, needing to see every expression on his face as he watches and I’m not disappointed.

With every change of water and color, the smile on his face gets brighter and brighter. Just as quickly as it starts, it’s over.

“Well, what do you think? This is one of my favorite places. Sometimes I’ll just sit here and watch each show repeatedly as I think,” I ramble.

Shane’s eyes are on me, never leaving me with every word that falls out of my mouth. He leans in so close I can feel his breath on my lips. Is he going to kiss me? God, I hope so. They tingle with anticipation that I could possibly feel his on mine.

He tucks one of my curls, one that has gotten away from my pony tail, behind my ear and then mutters, “It was beautiful. I can see why you like it.”

I take the moment to lean in even closer to him. Our lips are a heartbeat way from each other. Not wanting to wait any longer, I take things into my own hands, wrapping my arms around his neck, and crashing my lips to his. I swear fireworks went off in the sky the moment they touch.

Shane doesn’t miss a beat and meets me with every kiss. He opens his mouth, and I slide my tongue in—he tastes like beer and peppermint. I get lost in him. His hands grip my ass as he pulls me into him, showing me how much he’s enjoying this moment.

Someone from behind us wolf whistles, shattering the bubble we were in. I pull away from him, feeling the heat of embarrassment crawl up my chest. “Don’t worry about them,” Shane says with a look of concern.

“I know it’s late, but can I take you to another one of my favorite places?” I ask him.

“Baby girl, I will go anywhere with you,” he says so earnestly.

Nodding, I summon another Uber on my phone, taking him to my secret place.