“Yes, the view is breathtaking,” Roman replied, and as Jessica met his eyes, she didn’t think he was talking about the view at all. She felt her cheeks flush and swallowed.

“Would you mind if I just ordered for us?” Roman asked.

“Oh god, please do. I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” she gave a little giggle.

Jessica watched Roman push some buttons and make some selections for a minute before turning her gaze back to the outward fantasy. What am I doing here? This is crazy. She glanced over at Roman again. Damn, this man is going to be trouble; I can just feel it.

A bottle of wine and food fit for a museum showed up shortly. Jessica could feel Roman paying close attention as she tried everything, but she didn’t care. Every bite seemed better than the last, and the wine brought out such interesting nuances in the food as well. She was trying not to make sounds of pleasure while eating, and that was the most self-control she could muster.

As they made their way through dinner and wine, an ease settled between them that created a flow for their conversation. In a blink, it was closing in on midnight. As their table was cleared away, Jessica experienced an overwhelming feeling of sadness which must have been written all over her face.

“Is everything alright?” Roman asked, heartfelt concern in his voice; a voice Jessica didn’t ever want to stop listening to.

“Oh, um, yeah. Yes… everything is… perfect really. I just…”

“Please, go on. You just…”

“I don’t want this evening to end.” Jessica was both appalled and relieved when she said this. “You know. This has been like a fantasy evening. It’s midnight; my carriage is about to turn into a pumpkin, and the prince disappears to be replaced by a shoe detective.”

Roman laughed, and it was the most beautiful sound Jessica had heard. He then settled his dangerously enticing blue eyes on her. “Am I the pumpkin or the shoe detective in that scenario?” he asked, teasing her. Before she could respond, he added, “This evening doesn’t have to end just yet. I sure as hell don’t want it to. Come on; let’s get some spiked coffees and walk around a bit.”

Jessica’s heart jumped in her chest, and she felt shivers all over. Roman took her hand, and she could have sworn it felt like a magnet making a connection. This is a terrible idea, she thought to herself.

“That sounds perfect,” she said.

Roman led them down to the strip, stopping for fun boozy coffees before leaving The Cosmopolitan. He only dropped Jessica’s hand when he paid for the coffees, and as they entered the night air, she instinctively cozied up to his shoulder. They made their way down toward The Venetian.

“As silly as it sounds, I’ve always wanted to take the gondola tour,” Jessica confessed. The attraction was closed for the day, but still running for anyone who was in line when it closed.

“I want to show you something,” Roman said, looking a bit smug with whatever idea just popped in his head. They entered the casino, and Roman led them sharply left just inside the doors down a corridor where they encountered less and less people. They took some stairs downward and arrived at a door with a security person standing guard. Roman showed him a card, then they were let through the entrance.

It was completely black at first but as Jessica’s eyes adjusted, she could see a faint blue glow as they approached the end of the hallway. When they rounded the corner, there were blue and white reflected lights floating in gentle waves along the walls. Jessica had the sensation of being underwater.

“What is this? Where are we? It’s beautiful,” she said with reverence. Just as she finished speaking, the bottom of a gondola cruised by overhead creating new patterns of dancing distortions. They were walking underneath the gondola tour.

“This is incredible,” Jessica said.

“It’s one of my favorite places,” Roman said quietly.

Jessica was almost overwhelmed with the sense of calm that came over her, which at the same, ignited a little, burning ball of energy deep within her. She didn’t understand what in the world was going on with her today.

They stood quietly for a few minutes, Roman lacing his fingers with hers as they shared a long look, then silently, he moved them forward through the passageway that followed along the artificial Canal Grande. They ended up at another doorway which opened into what looked like a museum.

“This is a private showing room for whatever is currently on loan that is for a more… exclusive audience,” Roman said. “It appears that is a jewelry collection of some kind at the moment.”

Jessica dropped Roman’s hand and moved through the room. She gravitated toward a piece that looked like a peacock. “Oh, my gran would love this,” she barely whispered.

“It’s quite exquisite,” Roman said, his lips almost touching her ear, which surprised Jessica for a couple of reasons. One, she thought she might actually blackout from the sensations her nerve endings were firing through her body from her ear, and two, Roman had come up so quickly and silently. She must’ve been distracted and hallucinating to not hear him. Normally, this would be concerning but seemed like a fitting explanation at the moment.

“This one, the Oppenheimer Blue, it matches your eyes…” Jessica trailed off as she stared at Roman.

Roman’s fingers slid up under the base of her head, his thumb brushing her cheek, his eyes sparking and crackling just like the emerald-cut diamond. “There is nothing in this room that could even compare to you.”

Jessica swallowed and parted her lips slightly, waiting for a kiss… that didn’t come.

“Come on,” Roman said as he slid his hand down her neck, over her arm, and into her own. Jessica was pretty sure she’d follow him anywhere.

They continued like that for hours into the late-night, early-morning through the neon-blanketed city, touring secret areas Jessica would never have known about, laughing, sharing, and flirting.

The blue hour of twilight was approaching; Jessica could not believe they’d stayed out all night. She should be dropping dead just about then, but there was… something… building within her that felt too precious to let go of.

Roman was watching the sky intensely, seemingly lost in thought. He appeared to make up his mind and turned to Jessica. “Would you like to come back to my suite for a drink? I guess coffee or tea would be appropriate at this time of the morning.” Roman nervously chuckled which was incredibly endearing. Jessica didn’t let him sweat it out and answered immediately.

“Yes.” Although this felt like the only answer, it still surprised her, and if she took a minute to listen to the voice in her head, she would question her decision. But that voice could shut the hell up as far as she was concerned. This had been the best night of her entire life, and it wasn’t the exclusive dining, fancy wines, sparkling jewels, or anything else they’d experienced; it was simply—and not so simply—Roman.

When they arrived at Roman’s, they had a perfect view of the sunrise that was tinged with pale desert shades and the ethereal mist of the distant mountains. Jessica was transfixed as Roman stood beside her; the closer he was, the more she couldn’t stand the distance.

“I could open a bottle of wine or make something caffeinated. I could order anything to the room. What would you like?”

“You.” It was so quiet that Jessica wasn’t sure she’d said anything. Roman sucked in a breath and appeared to hold it. Oh my god, I cannot believe I just said th—

Jessica’s train of thought was abruptly cut off as Roman pulled her into him, kissing her lips, surprisingly tender. She had expected something a bit more forceful, but it was almost timid. The sensation erased every second thought, question, and doubt from her mind. She wrapped her arms around him, parted her lips, and deepened their kiss.

Roman let out a soft growl and wrapped his arms around Jessica so tight, returning her enthusiasm. She felt her anxiety and confusion melt away as a shared sense of extraordinary intimacy took their place, filling a void Jessica didn’t even realize was there.

Jessica slid her hands down Roman’s shirt and pulled it out from his pants, tentatively feathering her fingers on his skin. Roman pulled up from their kiss, and Jessica held incredibly still, like she was locked in with an unpredictable animal.

“That tickles,” Roman said, voice low and husky, and he smirked with one side of his mouth. Jessica returned his smile and pressed her hands more firmly against his sides.

“So you’d like harder pressure, then?” Jessica teased.

“Careful, Jessica. Or you’re going to get exactly what you’re suggesting.”

“Who said I didn’t want that?”

Roman was still smirking, and his eyes lit up with that crackling fire she had seen earlier. He slowly removed her jacket, tossing it to the couch, and made to pull her T-shirt up. He stopped momentarily, searching her face for permission, which she gave with a little nod and bright smile.

Roman got to his knees, and Jessica rested her hands on his shoulders as he removed her boots one at a time, then put his hands flat against her stomach before undoing her button fly. Every time Roman slipped his fingers between the buttons and against her underwear, she shivered as heat pooled between her thighs. With the fly deftly conquered, Roman moved his hands to her hips and slowly pulled her jeans down and off.

As Roman moved his gaze from the floor, he took in every inch of her. Jessica normally would have been a touch self-conscious in her white, jersey-knit panties and T-shirt bra, but the way Roman was looking at her made her feel like the most desired creature on the planet. She could also feel herself becoming increasingly wet under his intense gaze.

Roman slipped his fingers under the top edge of her underwear, and Jessica moved her hands to his hair, lightly scraping her nails against his scalp. Roman closed his eyes for a moment, breathed in deeply, and swallowed.

“I want to taste you,” he said, looking Jessica in the eyes as he slowly slid her underwear to the floor. Jessica had never had something so erotic said to her and felt a little like jelly as she watched him. All she could do was nod, and she wasn’t in any way prepared for Roman to immediately drag his tongue deep through her folds and upward. She gasped and felt a jolt of pleasure, knocking her even further out of her head and into the moment. If Roman hadn’t been holding onto her, she was sure she would have fallen over.

“Fuck me, you’re perfect,” Roman said, still on his knees, face pressed into Jessica’s sex. “I never expected… I didn’t realize… I… Just everything about you: the way you smell, the way you taste… I didn’t know it would be like this…” His eyes were closed, and Jessica had the feeling he was talking to her, but she didn’t quite understand as it sounded more like a personal conversation with himself.