The Blind Date Read Online Free PDF Page B

offered his water and she hesitated this time. A quick look showed him watching her closely. She took the bottle and their fingertips grazed each other, sending pleasurable warmth throughout her chest.
    After taking a mouthful, she handed back the bottle. “Thank you.”
    They stood in silence for a moment before Ryan erased the small distance between them with one step. “Shawna—”
    “I’m ready to go to the hotel now.” She started feeling things she didn’t want to feel, hadn’t expected to feel when she came out tonight. A temptation that unsettled her and made her suddenly ill at ease. Ryan should have been a temporary diversion, but right now she felt he could be much more than that.
    Among her friends, she was the good one, the one who always did everything right. She’d never had a one-night stand—only long-term relationships. When she and her friends went out, it went without saying that she’d be the designated driver. But the more time she spent with Ryan, the less she wanted to be good.
    But her priorities were to finish her summer job and open her own boutique. A man didn’t figure into the picture until later on down the road. Certainly not one she’d never see again come the day after tomorrow.
    Ryan finished his hotdog and got into the car, and before long they were on their way. Shawna huddled close to the door, sitting as far away from him as she could, which didn’t seem far enough. The mood of the evening had changed. No more light-hearted banter or teasing smiles. A veil of tension settled over them, hindering the ability to speak.
    On the road to the hotel, the weighted air wouldn’t go away. Ryan fiddled with the tuner on the radio and finally settled on a station playing music. At that time of night, slow jams filled the airwaves, and a woman sang an invitation to a distant lover in a sultry voice that served to stretch Shawna’s nerves even tauter.
    When they arrived at The Haven Hotel, Ryan pulled into the underground parking garage instead of dropping her at the front.
    “What are you doing?”
    “I’m going to escort you to your room.”
    “You’ll have to pay for parking.”
    “It’s not that much and it’ll be worth it.” He shut off the engine. “Let’s go.”
    Her hands shook as she reached for the door.
    The tension between them magnified in the quiet elevator, and so did the heaviness that had settled in her stomach. By the time they reached her room, she was a nervous wreck with sweaty palms and wobbly knees.
    She fumbled with the key card before finally fitting the plastic strip into the narrow slot and hearing the door click open.
    “Shawna?” Ryan said, so close behind her that his lips brushed her earlobe, affecting every nerve from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.
    “Yes?” The word came out in a breathless whisper.
    “I’m coming in.”
    She almost sagged with relief. Her eyes found his over her shoulder, and without a word, she led the way inside.
     

Chapter Seven
     
    Present day, Atlanta
     
    Shawna managed to enjoy the meal, despite the company she shared it with. She’d never had a bad meal here, and every bite had been as delicious as expected.
    She’d never had a bad experience here either—until this evening. Now every time she came back to this restaurant, she’d remember tonight’s awkwardness. How seeing Ryan had caused her to recall moments in her past that she’d never truly forgotten but that she’d managed to suppress for a long time.
    “Why did you follow me that day? If you’d let me go, we would’ve never seen each other again.”
    Across the table, Ryan watched her closely. “I know. That’s why I followed you.”
    His words wreaked havoc with her emotions. She took a sip of water. “What were your expectations for tonight?”
    She knew he couldn’t read her mind and know what she’d been thinking, but his scrutiny still made her uncomfortable. “I didn’t have any. I wanted to see you, that’s