Day One
His lips barely grazed hers. She breathed out, letting go of the tension from the past two hours.
It hadn't been a bad date, the thought passed through her even as his lips brushed across the corner of her mouth. She inhaled, closing her eyes. She shouldn't. It was far too soon.
It had been a pretty good date, actually. Her hands moved to his back, holding on to him without implying he should go further. She should just pull away. It was moving too fast.
They'd met just the day before at the end of the conference. He had come up to her during the final lunch, his eyes bright and open. Small talk. She couldn't remember what he'd said, but it had made her laugh.
His lips sent a tingle from her earlobe down her spine. She squirmed a little, clenching between her thighs. No. Her hands started to slip down, to find a way to push him away. She felt his hands move down
her
back, mirroring her own. They reached her waist and pulled her against him gently, his mouth leaving trails of light kisses along her jaw. Was that his belt buckle? She hadn't felt...been felt...in months...no...it was almost a year!
She didn't know much about him. He lived in town. No ring. Damn, she should have googled him. She still could. She couldn't risk going any further.
"Hold on, tiger," she said softly, letting her hands drop and pulling away. "I need to use the ladies'." She walked quickly into the restroom, not looking back, relieved there was an open stall. Sitting down, she pulled out her phone and started to enter his name in the app window.
Shit. His last name!
She panicked briefly and remembered the badge.
Roland Pierce.
Seventeen candidates came up. She added the city and there he was.
Nice shot
, looking at his image staring back at her.
She realized she actually had to pee, stopping, putting her phone in her purse, rearranging her clothes and sitting down again. Browsing through his profile, she looked to see if they had any connections.
Would that be good or bad?
She had nothing to hide β no commitments back home β but a thought crept up her spine. A devilish, naughty thought. An anonymous fling. Strange city. Stranger. No attachment. Except for disease, and pregnancy, no possible fallout. She had the second one covered. They'd use protection.
Listen to you!
She could smell something more than pee coming from between her legs.
She looked at him as she walked back to the restaurant foyer, some salient facts from his profile in her mind's eye. Self-employed, degrees in business and
theater
? That was interesting. She should have waited to go to the bathroom until after they were seated. But she needed to slow things down. He smiled at her, his eyebrows raised.
"They've got our table ready," he motioned his hand across the room, letting her go first. "You smell great." He whispered from behind her head.
She blushed, thankful he couldn't see her. Could he smell her arousal or was he referring to before? It must be from before. The tingle increased at the base of her spine.
Dinner was delicious and awkward. She wanted to linger over each of the plates, the flavors and textures caressed her tongue. He kept up a steady rhythm of conversation, asking her about her work, her favorite movies, books, travel. Awkward because she couldn't focus, distracted by his lips, his eyes. She stared at his fingers, long and delicate, the nails trimmed. She sipped at the wine, remembering a similar one from just the week before. He didn't know much about wine, but was happy to hear her describe it for him.
"Dessert?" The waiter broke into the conversation.
He waited for her cue.
I want him for dessert
, the thought eclipsed everything else.
"Madeleine?"
"Not for me. Thanks. I'm just right."
"Remind me," he said casually as the waiter began clearing the dishes. "How long are you in town for?"
"Until Friday." She sipped the last of her wine. "I was thinking of taking in some of the sites. Any suggestions?"
Please don't...
He studied her for a moment, thinking. "Do you have a car, or were you thinking of biking, or?"
"I hadn't got that far. I had heard there are some great museums and a book store I wanted to visit."
"Tilson's?" He waited for her nod and smiled. "It's amazing. Even in this digital age." He paused, looking past her. "I don't have any commitments tomorrow. It would please me to no end to lay bare the wonders of her valley, to partake of her succulent bounty, the sweet fruit of her bosom."
She looked up alarmed. "What?"
He snapped back to look at her, his smile wry and embarrassed. "I'm sorry. That sounded so weird. It's a quote from the founder of the city when he came over the pass and looked across the valley. Or so we're led to believe. I can assure you he was a Christian, devout and spiritual." The waiter returned with the bill. "Would you let me be your personal guide for the day?"
She silently swore at how much she must be blushing and looked away. When she turned back, he had taken the leather portfolio and handed his card to the waiter.
"Please," she protested, reaching for her purse. "I'm on an expense account."
"Let me show you a few things," he said smiling sweetly. "Some of my favorite things."