Again, with thanks to both my editor misternik and to vmc312 for being a critical friend, this story has been much improved by their work.
*
She was nervous as she stood outside Stephano's room the following morning. Andrea had left it till last, hoping that the later she was the more likely he was to be out.
She listened intently through the door; there was no sound coming from within. She hovered there for a moment until she was sure he was out. He was probably here on business, so he must be out doing that. She crept in, setting the towels on the desk and looking around; apart from the bed the room looked as though it was uninhabited. She could be in and out in a few minutes if she was quick.
She was pulling the bed into shape when she heard the bathroom door open.
"Andrea."
She spun around. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were here."
He'd clearly been in the shower, his hair was wet and dishevelled, and she could just make out the familiar musky exotic aroma of his shower gel from across the room. He was wearing trousers and a white shirt but he hadn't buttoned it up yet. Her mouth went dry, she was rooted to the spot. Her eyes were already roaming down his front, taking in his impressively toned torso before she even realised what she was doing.
It was clear from his expression that he realised what she was doing. She blushed furiously.
"I... I can come back later" she stuttered nervously, taking a step back.
"No, don't go!" he said urgently.
Crossing the room he closed the space between them. Her heart was in her mouth and she could feel heat pooling in her loins already. She took a steadying breath and it took all of her will power not to turn and run out the door.
He stopped in front of her, close but not touching.
"I can see you later? There will be time after you've finished? We could have coffee?"
Andrea was trying to consider his proposal, but he was standing so close to her that she was finding it hard to think. She couldn't breath without inhaling his scent. She knew that would be the end of her self-control, so she was trying not to. She was beginning to feel lightheaded.
"You're trembling." He took her hand, holding it between both of his.
Nervously she swallowed. At the contact, a ripple of attraction seemed to pass between them like a lightning bolt. She felt like the proverbial rabbit trapped in front of the headlights. She desperately needed to get away from him.
"I would like very much to see you."
"Okay." she replied. It seemed like the easiest thing to say and she had to get out of there.
He rested his hand on her jaw, brushing his thumb along her lower lip. Her stomach clenched and she almost groaned in frustration. She couldn't recall ever having such a physical reaction to a man before.
She was nervous of being seen with a guest too near the hotel so they agreed to meet outside the tube station; she thought she could be there in twenty minutes.
She spent the next twenty minutes wondering why on earth she'd agreed to go to coffee with him and trying to decide whether to bail on their arrangement.
In the end she decided to go. Just this once, she thought, just to tell him no more. She didn't want to think too hard about the reasons why.
Half an hour later she slipped her coat on and walked up the side street and round the corner to main road and the front of the hotel. Straight ahead was the tube station, or she could go around the corner and just catch her bus home. She stopped and considered, struggling to decide and then she saw him. He was waiting for her outside the station, he was wearing that suit again; the dark grey one he had on when she'd first seen him. He looked very handsome. He spotted her and started walking towards her purposefully, taking big strides. She felt her stomach lurch with attraction and terrified that someone from the hotel was going to see them together she started towards him.
They stopped in front of each other and he spoke. "How long have we got?"
"About two hours, my daughter does football on Thursdays after school."
He smiled at that. She realised she'd never seen him smile. It was disarming.
"I would like to take you somewhere."
Frowning, she bit her lip, this wasn't going as she'd planned.
"It's not very far away."
"Umm, okay."
"Come, we will take my car."
She hadn't banked on a car journey. She paused, she wasn't sure. His arm slid round her waist and he rested his hand on the small of her back. At the contact she felt butterflies in her stomach. He was leading her towards a large sleek black car when suddenly someone called out to her.
"Andi!"
She spun round and found herself facing Connie and Maria. Oh of all the times to bump into them.
"Hi..." she even sounded guilty.
"Hello..." Connie replied slowly. Slowly she looked from Andrea to Stephano. Andrea could see the cogs in her brain working. Marias eyes were sparkling.
"This is Stephano, we... we're just off to have a coffee."
"Are you?" Connie narrowed her eyes at Stephano and nodded at him briefly and then she turned her gaze back to Andrea. "I'll see you tomorrow then." She added the statement was heavy with all the unasked questions. She turned and left, Maria followed.
They climbed into the back of the car, she sat as far from him as she could, it was big, but still an enclosed space. He spoke briefly to the driver but in a foreign language so she didn't understand him. As the car pulled away she looked out of the window. The silence was heavy, finally Stephano spoke.
"She called you Andi?"
"Yes."
"It suits you."
"Thank you."
They hadn't gone very far before they arrived. They were in Knightsbridge, she realised as she climbed out of the car and looked around. Although it was quite close to the hotel, she didn't come to this part of town very often. It was very grand.
He took her hand and began leading her into a nearby shop that seemed to sell only lingerie.
