She felt his presence as he entered the room.
He had promised her a night of passion beyond her wildest dreams. Unlike her normal, cautious self she had chosen to meet the stranger at a cheap motel along the highway.
The noisy hinges of the poorly hung door to the tiny room revealed a man entering the room with purpose. Although she couldn't see him, his entrance felt cautious; hesitating. Deliberate. His feet landed heavily against the cheap vinyl flooring of the motel room.
Those heavy footfalls made their way curiously into the room. Neither of them spoke.
As they had agreed, she was kneeling on the bed facing away from the door. Her naked chest rose and fell with her quick, nervous breaths.
Somehow, she could feel his gaze against her naked back. Every sound he made seemed unnaturally loud in the otherwise silent room: the sound of a bag being dropped on the floor. Fumbling with a jacket. The zipper of his pants and the "swoosh" of them being pulled off.
She tried to summon the image of his profile picture, grasping for some sense of the stranger now undressing just feet away. She remembered his honey-brown skin, the dark goatee she wasn't even sure she liked, and that ridiculous photo--him posed on a gaudy chrome motorcycle.
This wasn't the kind of man she went on dates with. This man was something else entirely.
She had been only mildly impressed by his flirtations on the app -- nothing about his advances were all that different from the dozens of other men that assailed her DMs constantly. But somehow, when he offered to take control, to give her a night of unbridled ravishment and release, she had said yes. And now, here she was.
Dating had been complicated for her lately, and she hadn't had sex in months. She needed tonight to be raw, primal, and exhilarating. She wanted to be taken, to be possessed and enjoyed without the pointless 'dinner and a movie' ritual. And this man had promised just that.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden squeak of the mattress springs as he joined her. The bed dipped under his weight, shifting her slightly toward him. A shiver prickled up her spine, every nerve alive with electric anticipation.
"I'm going to put this on your now." said the man. His voice was softer than she had imagined it would be; perhaps he was as nervous as she was. But his confidence was undeniable when he reminded her, "Remember, the safe word is 'Argentina.'"
Strangely, the mention of it didn't pull her out of the moment; if anything, it put her more at ease. More comfortable. More certain in her decision to meet him here tonight.
Had he done this before with other women? She wondered.
She nodded approvingly as he slipped the soft blindfold over her eyes, tying it snugly behind her head. The faint brush of his solid arms against her shoulders sent another shiver through her. His skin smelled sweet, freshly showered--unexpected. Interesting.
She cracked her eyes open: nothing. Pure blackness. The blindfold let in no light at all. Then his hand found her shoulder--gentle, yet firm. Instinctively, she sat up, responding to his touch.
This fleeting indulgence was exactly what she needed. Skin on skin; nothing more.
His hands felt strong and calloused as they explored her arms, her back. His hands moved up and slowly wrapped around her long hair. He grasped it and pulled firmly downward. She gasped in surprise and pleasure. Unwittingly, her hips pressed into the mattress as she arched her back towards his chest, aching to find him. She realized now just how wet she was.