The Blind Date Read Online Free Page B

place. “I don’t.”
    For the first time since she’d sat down to dinner, she wondered if he had someone in his life, and the thought disturbed her enough that she lowered her gaze to the cheese plate and picked up a couple of walnuts. During that millisecond of time, envy filled her and the desire to make him hers overcame her.
    Brushing aside the disquieting thoughts, Shawna continued the light-hearted banter they’d engaged in since the beginning of the meal. “Likes and dislikes,” she said. “I love watching action movies, but none of my girlfriends like them, and I always end up going to the movies alone.”
    “Where have you been all my life?” Ryan folded his arms on the table and leaned forward, flexing his biceps oh so nicely. “Every woman I’ve ever dated hates action flicks. In the summer, I buy a movie package so I can see all the blockbusters at a discounted rate.”
    “Me, too!”
    He reached for a nut at the same time she did, and their fingers brushed. They both pulled back quickly, and the unexpected jolt to Shawna’s system stunned her. She lowered her eyes from Ryan’s gaze and inhaled to slow the rate of her beating heart. What had just happened?
    Scraping his hand through his hair, Ryan cleared his throat. He couldn’t ever remember being this nervous around a woman before. The simple act of brushing their fingertips against each other almost made him leap out of the chair.
    “So, um . . . tell me about your trip to France.” She’d mentioned earlier that she’d traveled to France while in college.
    A wistful expression came over her features as she reflected on the fond memories. “I spent an amazing summer there after my freshman year.” She had a nice voice. Low but feminine. He’d been asking her questions all night to hear her talk.
    “I went only a few years ago but it seems much longer.” She laughed. “I’d love to go back.”
    “You have to say something in French so I can hear you.”
    “Oh no, I couldn’t.” She looked embarrassed. If it wasn’t for her russet complexion, he knew he’d see her cheeks redden.
    “Why not? Maybe you can’t really speak it fluently . . . ?” He let the question sit out there as a challenge, and right away she took the bait.
    “ Je parle français couramment, mais je préfère parler anglais parce que c’est ma langue maternelle. ”
    His attraction to her catapulted into the stratosphere when she uttered the words. He definitely liked a French-speaking Shawna. Her voice had taken on a musical quality, as if she’d shifted into character when she spoke the language. Even though he had no idea what she’d said, the words happened to be some of the hottest he’d ever heard. The sudden movement against the zipper of his jeans proved how much he enjoyed them.
    “What did you say?” he asked.
    “I said I speak French fluently, but I prefer to speak in English because it’s my native tongue.”
    Her smile blew him away. She had his undivided attention, and all of a sudden the thoughts that had plagued him since coming to visit his brother melted away. He ignored the guilt because all that mattered was right here, right now, with Shawna.
    He was certain, in a way he hadn’t been before, that she was the kind of woman—no, the woman—he wanted to be with. But she’d be leaving the day after tomorrow, moving back to South Carolina. The thought sobered him.
    “What do you want to do tonight?” A loaded question. One that, if he answered it honestly himself, would involve them spending the night in the most intimate of ways. “Let’s go to a movie,” he offered.
    “I’m not really in the mood for a movie.” She twirled the stem of her glass on the table. “Ryan,” she said thoughtfully, looking down into the Chardonnay. “I can’t tell you how much—”
    “How about dancing?” he rushed out. “You said you like to dance.” He didn’t want the night to end.
    “I do.”
    “There’s got to be somewhere we can