“You too,” Natalie called after Reagan as she started to walk away. “Be careful.”
She was always careful. For once, she was going to do what she wanted and not worry—too much—about the consequences. She wasn’t going to be stupid, hence the no alcohol reasoning. Though she still couldn’t believe she’d actually told Declan the truth when he asked about her wanting only water.
Lame. But he seemed charmed by her admission, so maybe it worked in her favor? She didn’t know how to dazzle a dazzling, gorgeous Hollywood actor. She was Plain Jane Nurse Reagan primped up in a sexy dress that wasn’t anywhere close to her normal style. Would he still like her if he saw her in her blue scrubs, no makeup on her face and her hair pulled back into a frizzy bun?
Probably not. So she needed to cling to the fantasy and make this night worth it.
The moment she walked out onto the terrace, the warm summer breeze hit her, heating her cooled skin. The lights of the city were spread out before her like a twinkling blanket and she stopped short, drinking in the breathtaking view. Las Vegas was huge and so incredibly bright. She’d never seen such a thing before and she was from Southern California. The cities there spread and spread, never seeming to stop.
But they certainly weren’t this beautiful.
“Reagan,” Declan called, drawing her attention. She turned to her right to find him sitting on an overstuffed loveseat made out of wicker, the deep red cushions plump and comfortable-looking. He waved her over and she headed toward him, her steps careful, her knees wobbling when she saw the heart-stopping smile on his face as she approached.
“I could watch you do that all night,” he murmured as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees so he could dangle in his arms between his legs, his hands clasped together.
“Watch me do what?” she asked, perplexed. She stopped by a glass-topped table where the two waters Declan ordered sat. But she wasn’t thirsty. She could hardly move, too entranced by the way he stared up at her.
“Walk. You look…incredible in that dress,” he said, letting his gaze skim the entire length of her. “Join me.”
The loveseat wasn’t very big and he was nearly sitting in the middle, so she settled down next to him, their thighs pressed together, her bare leg rubbing against the slightly coarse material of his jeans. She smiled at him as he sat up straight, his shoulder brushing against hers, and she looked away, exhaling discreetly for fear he might notice.
He flat out overwhelmed her. She could smell him, spicy and warm with a hint of soap. His body was hot—she could feel the heat radiating off of him and pulsating through her.
Or maybe that was just her, so crazily aroused for this man she didn’t really even know that she reacted like a woman with out of control hormones. He definitely sent everything within her zinging with just a look, just by sitting next to her.
“It’s a beautiful view,” she said when she couldn’t seem to take him staring at her anymore. She turned to look out at the city lights once more, the breeze blowing through her hair, lifting it from her shoulders and her warm neck.
“I agree,” he said, his voice closer than she realized, and she glanced over her shoulder, his face directly in hers, his gaze locked on her. “Gorgeous.”
She had the distinct feeling he wasn’t talking about the view of Las Vegas. More like he was talking about…her?
No way.
Licking her lips, she let her gaze drop to his mouth and that full, delicious-looking lower lip. She wanted to kiss that mouth. What did he taste like? Was he a good kisser or bad? Neat or sloppy? Lots of tongue or little tongue? “Sorry I made you wait,” she said, pushing the distracting kissing thoughts out of her mind.
“Your friend okay?” he asked, sounding concerned.
“She’s fine. Worried about me.” Oops, she probably shouldn’t have said that.
“My reputation precedes me,” he drawled, not sounding bothered by it at the least. But he could be. He was an actor, after all. They were skilled at hiding their real feelings. It was what they were paid to do.
“Unfortunately, yes,” she said with a little wince. Reaching out, she settled her hand on his
arm that rested closest to her, wanting to offer reassurance. “I told her you’ve changed.”
“You don’t know me. How could you know I’ve changed?” His expression remained neutral despite the questions he just asked. And he didn’t remove his arm from beneath her hand either. Maybe she shouldn’t have said that, but it was too late now.
Reagan didn’t want this evening over before it even started.
“There’s an innate calmness that radiates from you. A confidence,” she said, pausing to gauge his reaction. He tilted his head to the side, removing his arm from beneath her hand so he could slip it along the back of the couch, resting it right above her shoulders. “I sensed it from the second we were introduced. You’re very sure of yourself but not overly cocky. You seem comfortable in your own skin.”
He raises his eyebrows. “You sensed all that, huh?”
She shrugged, her shoulders brushing against his arm, the contact sending a scattering of tingles across her skin. “Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s the impression you left on me.”
“That’s quite the impression.” He smiled, looking pleased with himself. “I had no idea I was that easy to read. I’d always prided myself on the mysterious air that surrounds me.”
“Oh, you’re very mysterious. And it’s not about being easy,” she reassured him. “It’s more about my need to figure people out the second I meet them. I’m always doing that in the ER.”