Karen looked across the table, into the dark pools of Andrew's eyes. His lips curved in an easy smile, almost as though he had read her thoughts in her expression and he reached across the table, taking her hands in his. The merest touch of his fingers reminded her of other occasions; the thrill of remembered passions made her heart flutter within her chest. The subdued lighting in the restaurant made the material of his suit seem like a night sky and, for a moment, Karen imagined him clothed in the velvet blackness outside.
Andrew leaned forward, his fingers still touching Karen's, and allowed his gaze to linger on the contours of her body. The high-necked silk cheongsam skimmed her body like a second skin, accentuating her small, taut breasts and bottom. She wore her hair in a long braid, reaching down her spine like a glossy black snake.
They both drained their tea cups and Andrew stood, moving smoothly around to ease Karen's chair back and help her to her feet. Even though neither of them had drunk anything stronger than tea, Karen felt suddenly giddy and tightened her grip on Andrew's supporting arm. Andrew gently but firmly steered Karen through the restaurant towards the door to the lifts that would take them up to the suite he had already booked on the top floor of the hotel.
As the doors slid closed, Karen leaned against Andrew, resting her head on his shoulder, then turning and gently brushing her lips against the angle of his jaw. Andrew turned and kissed her mouth, his tongue gently opening her lips and slipping inside to explore the moist cavity. Karen closed her eyes, the lashes veiling the sudden flare of lust that burned deep within them.
Andrew was slipping out of the lift car, even before the doors had fully opened, and was leading Karen along the deserted corridor to the corner suite before they had chance to whisper shut. The click of the lock was loud in the deserted hallway and Karen had random thought, wondering how soundproof the hotel walls were; somehow, she knew, they would be testing that quality very shortly.
The door closed behind Andrew with a solid click of the lock and he was immediately leading her down the short hallway to the bedroom. Karen paused in the doorway; stretched across the bed was a rubber sheet, rather like those that had been used in hospitals. She turned towards Andrew, her eyebrows raised in a wordless question. the only response she received was an enigmatic smile.