How could Maria have imagined that one night with Warren would be enough to get it out of her system? "It". That itch she couldn't scratch on her own. That longing to know him better, to feel his body against hers, to feel hers melting into his. To feel his hands on her, his fingers touching her. To feel... everything. "It" hadn't gone away. "It" had gotten worse. Every day she had woken up thinking about him, imagining when she would get to be with him again. And today, almost two weeks after their night together, it was going to happen.
Maria swallowed as the elevator rose, the stomach flop from the sudden motion mixing with the butterflies she had been dealing with all day. She studied her face in the mirrored inner door of the elevator. Why did she look so worried? Come on, smile. Two more floors. One more. With a bong and a clatter the doors flew open and Maria caught her breath and stepped off.
She fought the urge to drag out her phone and check the room number one more time. She knew the room number, it was engraved in what passed for her brain this afternoon. She checked the numbers on the nearest rooms and then set off down the hallway. Nondescript corridor carpet, door after anonymous hotel room door, all sunk in a placid mid-afternoon snooze. She found the room and stood in front of it.
She had to knock on the door but her knees were trembling. She wanted this, wanted it so much, but also... she was scared. A one-night stand at a conference in Las Vegas was a slip. A deliberate meeting at a downtown hotel during working hours was an affair. She swallowed and lifted her hand to knock. Footsteps, then the door swung open and he was standing there.
Warren. His face lit up when he saw her. He was gorgeous. Boyish smile, dimpled chin. Maria's heart performed a complicated maneuver that involved speeding up and flipping a cartwheel at the same time. Her face relaxed but the smile stayed in place. God. Oh my fucking God.
"Hey," he said. His voice was gentle and smooth, like a pleasant hot drink. "Come on in." He stepped back and she went in. The door closed softly behind her. Here she was.
It was a nicer room than she had feared, a living room with a couch and coffee table - the bed was in another room. That was good. She relaxed a bit more and glanced over at him. He was studying her. "Come on in," he said again. "Sit down, take a load off. Glass of something? Wine? Scotch?"
"Um... You have white wine?" she asked.
"Coming right up," Warren said. He crouched in front of the minibar fridge and started moving bottles around. "I won't swear to it being the best wine on the planet but it'll be cold and wet."
Maria perched on the edge of the sofa. She realized she was clutching her purse to her side. She laid it down next to her and folded her hands in her lap. Warren was coming over, glasses in his hands.
"Here," he said, passing her a glass. He sat down next to her, smiled and lifted his glass. "To... what do you say? To us?"
"How about just cheers?" Maria asked.
He grinned. "Cheers, it is." The glasses clinked and they each sipped. "Nope," Warren said. "Not the vineyard's best. But 'tis enough, 'twill suffice." He was looking into her eyes and she felt herself swimming away. Jesus. "Thank you for coming," he said softly.
What to say? You're welcome? She looked away, then back at him. Nothing came out of her mouth.
"I've been thinking about you," Warren added. "A lot."
Maria found her voice. "I... I have, too," she said. She looked at him. He was nodding slowly. "I mean thinking about you," she added lamely.
He broke into another grin. "God," he said. "That was... I'm... I keep going over it in my mind. That, when you opened your door that night it felt like a bomb going off in my brain. You were... the most beautiful, absolutely the vision of perfection, that I had ever seen." He laughed. "You see? You make me incoherent," he said.
She looked away again, cast her eyes down. Her heart was hammering away. "Thank you," she said, her voice just above a whisper.
She heard a clink and glanced over. Warren had put his wine down on the glass coffee table and was reaching his hand towards hers. She watched, fascinated, as her own hand moved towards his, taking his fingers between hers and holding them. Now his face was there in front of hers. She closed her eyes and leaned forward into his kiss. Oh such deliciousness. Such excitement. She must have put her wine down because now her other hand was moving up to his face, resting against his cheek. Was it her voice making those soft murmuring sounds? And all the while, the exquisite electricity of his lips against hers.
Her nerves were settling down, now that they were actually kissing. That other time, that night in Vegas, seemed so unreal when she thought back to it that today felt somehow like a beginning.
That night had been insane. She'd hung up the phone with Louis and hadn't even had time to panic before the tap had come on her door. When she opened it, the rush to be together, to finish what they had started the night before on the roof, had been overwhelming. The urgency of her want had drowned out any second thoughts. In practically no time they had been naked on the bed, his hands and mouth ranging over her body.
Now, there was a noise in the hallway, wheels whirring on a suitcase being dragged along and then a knocking. Maria turned her face away from Warren and looked at the door.
"Next door," Warren said. His hands were resting on her shoulders.
She looked at him, into his eyes, and again felt a floating sensation inside her. She smiled.
"I'll make sure the door is locked," he said. He paused. "Shall we move to the bedroom?"
She looked down, then back up at him. "Yes," she said. She gave a little laugh. "Actually maybe I'll use the facilities first."
He smiled. "Of course." He patted her shoulder. "See you soon."
The bathroom was well-lit. Maria combed her hair and checked herself out. The gray knit dress flattered her figure and the new high burgundy leather boots were perfect with it. It was going to be fine. Actually, it was going to be amazing. The nervous woman who had peered at herself in the elevator door was gone. She felt powerful and alive. She had been waiting for this moment ever since her hotel room door had closed behind Warren in Las Vegas.
She dried her hands one last time then snapped off the light and went out into the bedroom.
The king-sized bed almost filled it, with just space left over for a wall-hung TV and two small side tables, each with a wine glass on it. Warren was sitting up, propped against the headboard, naked. His cock was erect, its head purplish and shiny. One of his hands was wrapped around the shaft.
Maria froze. She of course had been naked with Warren in Vegas but this display was so sudden... her breath caught in her throat. The muscled torso with its dusting of curly hair. His face, so like something off a Greek statue. And his cock, swollen and impatient. Her knees felt weak again, looking down at him.
"Oh my," she said. She gave a little giggle.
"Sorry," Warren said in a congested voice. "I tried to wait but..."
"Oh no," Maria said. "I'm sorry, was I gone a long time?"
"No," he grunted. "Just impatient."
She leaned against the bed and touched the tip of his cock with her hand. His hips reared up. thrusting his cock towards her.
"I think you need me to take over for you," she whispered. She moved her hand down his shaft and he took his hand away. Gently, she squeezed him. The fleshy rod throbbed under her fingers. The feeling was exhilarating. She squeezed again and gently stroked the tip with her pointer finger.
Warren moaned.
"Is that nice?" she asked.
"Yes," he mumbled. "So good."
She leaned further down and peered at his cock. She wanted it, wanted to be closer to it, to feel it against and inside her. She opened her mouth and took him in, touching him with her lips and tongue. The skin of his bulb was so soft, the shaft so rigid. She leaned her knees against the side of the bed and brought her other hand over to cup his balls. His eyes were closed and his face was taut.
"Get undressed," he said through his teeth. "I need you."
"Don't you want to look at me first?" she asked. There was a note of disappointment in her voice. His eyes flickered open.
"God," he said. "You're gorgeous."
"You like my dress?" she asked.
"Very pretty," he said.
"And my boots?"
He leaned to one side. "Very sexy," he said. "Now take it all off." He laughed. "Come on, Maria!"
"I was thinking I might keep on the boots," she said.
"While we're..."
"You like the idea?"
He licked his lips. "They're super sexy," he repeated.
"Exactly," she said. "Plus what if I need to make a quick escape? Girl needs to be ready."
She turned away and crouched next to the bed. "Can you unzip me?" She felt his hands on her neck and on her back. The zipper slid down. His lips caressed her neck and then his teeth dug softly into her shoulder.