(For S.W. -- Thank you so much for everything. I hope our dreams come true. I love you.)
She leaned back against the wall, her stance relaxed. Her nerves however were anything but relaxed. Her heart was pounding in her ears, drowning out the noise of the busy hotel. She kept her eyes trained on the door, waiting somewhat impatiently for him to step through it. Looking down at her watch, she took a deep calming breath. Shit, only two minutes had passed since the last time she had looked.
She laid her head back on the wall and closed her eyes. With a little smile on her face, she thought about his teasing words the last time they had spoken. She had asked him how she could be completely sure that it was him that she was going to go up to and kiss. Over the static of the cell phone, she could hear the grin in his voice. โBaby, just look for the tall, dark, and handsome man with eyes only for you.โ
That had been about 2 hours ago. As she found herself faced with seeing him after all these years, the doubts that she thought would exist werenโt there. She just wanted to see the man whose loving words and sexy voice had wheedled their way into her heart.
She actually felt his presence before she ever opened her eyes. They had always had that connection with one another but the sheer power of it almost took her breath away. She lifted her head and slowly opened her eyes. There he was. She had seen pictures of him of course but she knew that even without them she would have known who he was. Their eyes met and she gave him a timid smile. Willing herself to settle down some, she waited for him to cross the room to her. Without a word, he pulled her into a tight hug, laying his lips on her temple. She couldnโt believe that she was actually here with him finally and being in his arms showed her how impossible it was going to be to let him leave.
Pushing those depressing thoughts from her mind, she held on to him like her life depended on it. Her fingers dug into his shoulders and she blinked her eyes quickly in an attempt to keep the tears from falling. He pulled back and held her at armโs length, studying her face. She felt a little self-conscious under his scrutiny so she started babbling nervously about her kids and the weather and God only knows what else.
He hooked his arm around her shoulders and guided her toward his car in the parking lot. Smiling gently down at her, he let her ramble on, knowing full well that it was one of the only ways that she was going to calm down some. He opened the car door for her and inquired after her friends that they were supposed to be dining with.
โThey are going to meet us there. I wanted a little time alone with you before we got together with them.โ she told him shyly.
Before she could step into the car, he leaned down and pressed his moist lips against her. She felt like her legs would buckle from beneath her at the first contact of lips. She had dreamed about and waited for this for so long it seemed. His fingers tangled in her long hair while his mouth slowly and gently explored hers. His kiss was very deliberate, almost as if he had planned each and every move. Everything about that first kiss was perfect and she found herself wishing that dinner was already over with.
At the restaurant later in the company of her friends, she was pleased with how easily and well the conversation around her flowed. It was as if they had all been this way forever. Although she tried to keep her head in the conversation, her mind kept drifting away to later on when they could be alone together. She sat watching him as he laughed and talked and charmed her friends. She felt the love swell up in her chest and threaten to smother her with its intensity. She wanted to be with this man for the rest of her life and she knew right then that she would do almost anything to have to it if she could.