Forrest, Dawn - Sweet Water Wedding: Sharing Shannon (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read Online Free Page A

Right now it appeared friendly and possibly a little interested.
    She had to crane her neck to look up at him. Given that she was only five feet four inches short that wasn’t unusual, but she reckoned he must be at least six foot four inches tall. He wore a fine tailored suit that comfortably hugged his large frame. He appeared muscular, but it was difficult to tell. As he looked down at her, his genuine smile reached his eyes, revealing slight creases. He was probably around twenty-eight to thirty years old.
    “Let me give you a hand with those.” He nodded to the documents.
    “Oh, that’s okay, I can manage thanks,” she breezed, even though she knew it was going to be a struggle.
    “I’m sure that you can, but I think a little help would make it easier, please at least let me take this.” He leaned past her and grabbed her laptop case. “Is there anything else?”
    His voice was low and polite yet somehow firm, and she simply couldn’t refuse—didn’t want to.
    “A porter should be bringing the rest of my things. I’m in room”—she paused as she looked at the key the receptionist had given her—“five-zero-five.”
    “Okay, this way I think.”
    She piled up the documents and walked with him to an empty elevator. When the doors closed she became acutely aware of his presence, as if it wrapped around her, including her within his personal space. She couldn’t think clearly and didn’t know what to say or how to break the awkward silence. She had to stop herself from tunelessly humming. It was very odd because being Irish she never normally had a problem with light conversation.
    “You’re from Ireland?” he suddenly asked, then grimaced and added, “That was a bit of a Captain Obvious statement wasn’t it?”
    She laughed. “Yes, I’ve only just arrived in the US this morning, and I guess I’m feeling a little tired and uncoordinated. Unfortunately I have a bit of light reading to do before tomorrow.” She sighed and indicated to the documents in her arms. “I’m guessing from your accent that you’re a Texan, right?”
    “Sure am, homegrown, born and bred,” he drawled. “Are you attending the Oil and Gas Conference?”
    “Sort of, I’m presenting a seminar tomorrow morning.”
    The elevator doors opened and they walked along the corridor until they came to her room. He leaned down and placed her laptop bag on the ground by the door. When he stood up close to her she was directly eye level with his impressive chest. Being this near the mass and solid substance of him nearly caused her to sway again.
    “Thanks for your help,” she muttered breathlessly.
    “I know that you’ll be busy, Shannon, but you have to eat. Would you like to have dinner with me this evening?”
    He smiled down at her and she found herself smiling back and agreeing to meet him at seven in the bar of the hotel. What the hell? He took her door key from her overfull hands, opened the door for her, and handed back the key.
    “Thanks...again.”
    “My pleasure,” he said in that sexy, languid voice. He headed back toward the elevator as she entered her room.
    Phew wee, thought Shannon, leaning against the closed door. What was that about? It was clear that they had both felt a sort of connection and attraction when they had first laid eyes on each other and that it had surprised them both. Actually, she’d felt the attraction even before that, when she’d first heard his voice. Shannon had never experienced such a thing before and her smile began to falter when she realized that the concept of “love at first sight,” or in this case “sound,” didn’t seem quite so ridiculous now. No, no, no, falling for a local lad wasn’t part of her plan. That would just be too complicated. He’s probably some oil business executive, who thinks a carbon footprint is something left behind by a miner’s boot, she chided herself. Well, she’d find out later over dinner, but first she simply had to have a soak in