Heat Waves by Carrie Anne Ward

after
dinner. He kept his hand on her lower back the whole time. She
loved how attentive he was. He made her feel special. There were
beautiful women all around them, and he made her feel as if she
were the only one there. It really was turning out to be a nice
evening.
    They played some slots while they waited for
the show. She tried to use her own money, but he wouldn't let her.
He stood next to her and watched her while she played. She motioned
for him to hit the buttons as well. They laughed and joked while
they decided how much to play each time. She stayed at the lower
denomination machines. He told her they could play the other ones,
but she was more comfortable on the cheaper ones. They were
laughing and joking with each other. She was having an amazing time
with him. They both reached up to tap the button at the same time,
and she felt a surge of electricity run through her arm. He jerked
his hand back, and she wondered if he had felt it too.
    They made their way into the theater. He
bought them each something to drink, and they found their seats.
She was so excited to be able to see the whole stage. So much
excitement went through her as Elton John took the stage. She was a
huge fan. Without even thinking, she leaned over and kissed Cliff
on the cheek.
    “Thank you so much,” she whispered. “This is
amazing.”
    He reached over and took her hand in his. She
loved the way she felt safe and warm, just from having her hand in
his. Her whole body tingled from his touch. It must be all the
wine , she thought. They both sang quietly and looked over at
each other. It was perfect. She had never had so much fun with a
man. He made her feel so good. They looked into each other’s eyes,
and he leaned in to kiss her. His lips were warm and moist. He slid
his tongue across her bottom lip and she shivered. She parted her
lips as he slid his tongue between them to find hers. There was so
much heat in that kiss. She pulled back, surprised at the feeling
she got just from kissing him. He laughed and squeezed her hand.
She put her head on his shoulder. They turned back to watch Elton
John. More than once she felt tears run from her eyes. The concert
was amazing. She could not have imagined a more perfect time in
Vegas.
    “Thank you,” she whispered into his ear. “I
don't know if I will ever have another night this perfect when I
come back to Vegas.”
    When the concert was over, they played some
more slots together. Rachel was surprised by how sweet Cliff
seemed. He was concerned with her feelings, and made sure that she
had fun. On the way back to their hotel, they stopped and got
dessert, and talked at the Paris Hotel. She learned that he did not
have any children and had been married when he was younger, but
only for a short time. He told her that he had a younger sister,
who worked as a secretary where he was a lawyer. His family was
very close. They also learned that they only lived an hour apart.
He seemed genuinely happy about it. She was excited. He asked her
if they could switch phone numbers, so that he could call her when
they got back home. They programmed each other’s numbers into their
phones. She found out that Cliff was only five years older than
her. He seemed so wonderful.
    When they got back to their hotel, he asked
her if she wanted to come up to his room for wine and to watch a
movie. Rachel did not want the evening to end, and agreed. When she
walked into his room, she was surprised. It was larger than hers,
and much nicer. She walked to the window and looked out. The
fountains across the street were dancing, and she could hear the
music.
    “This is an awesome view,” she said.
    “The fountains are pretty cool. The songs
change each time it plays,” he replied.
    “I like your room,” she said. “You must be at
a good company. Anytime my ex went out of town on business, he had
to go alone. This is pretty nice.”
    She sat down on his king sized bed. It was so
comfortable.
    “You might have to