Sweet Sinful Nights

“Do you have a reservation?”

The sweet, cheery voice of the hostess broke the trance Sha

His name came out all gravelly. His voice was hoarse with wanting Sha

The hostess sca

Sha

“Thank you so much. I really appreciate him doing that,” Brent said to the hostess.

“Right this way then, Mr. Nichols.”

The restaurant had a soft glow, its lighting showcasing an open kitchen and a wide, expansive floor plan. Too bad there wasn’t much privacy. There were no quiet corner tables, or little nooks. There weren’t even any tablecloths. Damn. Tablecloths were a man’s best friend when dining out with a woman he wanted to touch. The hostess guided them to a table on the terrace, with a view of the fountains at the Bellagio.

“Your table,” the hostess said, then walked away.

Brent pulled out a chair for Sha

A rumble worked its way up his chest, and he looped a hand around her waist, tugging her close. She didn’t resist. She moved with him, aligning her body with his. “I was thinking the same thing,” he said, low in her ear, then kissed her there, nibbling on her earlobe.

“Or we could just get a room,” she said sexily, letting her voice trail off.

He wrenched back, looked her in the eyes, and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go. Now.”

“I was only teasing. I’m terribly hungry,” she said as she shook her head and dropped his hand, then settled into her seat. “Besides, I’ve been waiting for a long time to come here.”

“Oh, you’ll be coming at some point tonight, Sha

* * *

Over appetizers and a bottle of wine, he learned about the productions she’d choreographed, her career path, and how she’d started Shay Productions. He asked her questions, eager to hear what she’d been up to since college. It was as if he had a black hole in his knowledge of Sha

“The show at the Wy

“That’s a great venue and a great opportunity.”

“It’s fu

“Hey. You deserve some luck,” he said.

She shrugged and waved a hand dismissively. “I don’t really subscribe to the notion that someone deserves good things in life. Things just happen. Some people are lucky and some aren’t.”

“And some people are immensely talented and recognized for their talent. And that’s you,” he said, keeping his gaze firmly on her. He wanted her to know how much he admired her work, especially since he’d done a poor job showing respect for her career before.

“Thank you. I love what I do, and I wasn’t sure I would. I didn’t think I’d be able to survive without being the one dancing, as you know. You were there when I was injured. It was devastating, and at the time it felt like one of the worse things in the world. But then I moved on, and I’ve really come to love choreography.”

“Tell me what you love about it,” he said, resting his elbows on the table as he listened to her share her passion.

She tilted her head to the side, as if she were briefly considering his question. But she didn’t need to think about it for long. “I love being able to have a vision. To imagine what something beautiful will look like,” she said, talking animatedly with her hands. “And then to make that vision become a reality on stage. I love what my dancers are capable of doing, and being able to take the kernel of an idea and translate it into this moving, fluid entity in front of an audience.” She stopped, took a beat, then added, “And soon that audience will be your club-goers.”

He shot her a small grin. “Can’t wait to see that.”

“The show we have pla

“Yes, at our club there. I have no doubt it will be great. Thanks to you,” he said, then he reached across the table for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. He tensed for a nanosecond, hoping she wouldn’t pull her hand away. But instead, she squeezed back. “You’ve accomplished so much,” he said, and it occurred to him that she might never have found her way down this career path if she’d followed him to L.A. “I’m really proud of you.”

“And you have, too.”

“Shan,” he said softly. “I’m not saying this makes up for how things ended, or what I said then, and if I could go back in time I would completely do the whole thing over and find a way to be with you. But I’m glad for you that you didn’t put aside your career. I was desperate to have you with me, but I’m glad that you’ve been able to accomplish all that you have.”

She didn’t speak at first, and he wasn’t sure if he’d said the wrong thing yet again. Tension flickered through his bloodstream as he waited for her to pull her hand away or shoot him a harsh stare. Instead, she cast her eyes down at the table, folding and unfolding her cloth napkin. When she raised her face, she swallowed. “You’re probably right.” Then she continued, “My grandma told me you went to her house. To return the ring in person.”

He went with her segue, nodding and acknowledging that moment from years ago. “I did.”

She pressed her teeth against her bottom lip briefly, then breathed out hard. “I really appreciate that. You making the effort to get it back to her. To be certain it was with her.”

“It was the least I could do. Shan, I really did try to find you at first. As best I could. You weren’t easy to track down.”

She shot him a rueful smile. “I was too hurt. I missed you too much.”

“I missed you, too,” he said, ru

“Can I ask you something?” she asked.

“Of course.”

She took a deep breath. “What did you do with the diamond?” Then she snapped her hand away, and held both in the air, shaking her head. “Wait. Don’t answer that. It’s nosy. You probably used it for living expenses and that’s what I would expect.”

He leaned back in his chair, and ran his hand roughly through his hair, wishing he didn’t feel so... cheesy admitting this. But he had to tell her the truth, now that she’d asked. “I didn’t use it for expenses,” he said in a low voice, as if he had to protect himself from anyone else who might hear.