Description
Slowly Chase walked down the hotel hallway, carefully reading off the room numbers printed on the doors that he passed by. Room 216 appeared sooner than he had expected. For a moment, he nervously stood there trying to convince himself to leave. He didn’t want to get hurt again. He understood he wasn’t the type of man for the no-strings-attached hours the woman desired.
His thoughts then turned to his ex-girlfriend. Amanda had been his first crush, his high school sweetheart. For six years, she had been his one true love. And then it was over as fast as the flame of a candle being blown out. He even felt the scorch of the flame. He really did escape Chicago because of her.
Chase lingered there in the hallway as he attempted to find his courage. His throat went dry, and his hands began to fidget. He closed his eyes and calmed his breath as he searched his mind for the right thing to do. After a minute, he opened his eyes as he came to a decision regarding the beautiful woman.
Much too polite for his own good, Chase softly knocked on her door, even though he had her room key in hand. This would be quick. He would thank her for the invitation and then excuse himself from her room. Having not received an answer to his knock he then took a deep breath and slid the room key through the slot. In his mind, he had prepared his short apology.
The glow from numerous candles lit her spacious hotel room. Her balcony doors had been drawn wide open, allowing the night’s subtle sea breezes to seductively move her white curtains.
“Hello,” Chase offered in greeting, with no response. Stepping farther into the room he then noticed the woman lounging in a large circular jetted tub with her bare back to him. She rose from the water and casually walked to the edge near her balcony doors. Her curvaceous body glistened from the reflections of the candles upon her wet, bare flesh. Slowly, she ran her hands through her long dripping hair and then caressed her own body.
Chase swallowed hard and was just about to offer his apology when the woman broke their silence. Without ever taking a glance toward him, she must have known what was coming.
“I’m not interested in your apology. I’m only interested in the pleasure of your naked frame against mine. I could have any man who I desire. They all undress me with their eyes. They make love to me in their minds. To them, I am a conquest, a memory they will treat as a coveted trophy. Never do I say what I do not mean. I would never hurt you. I would never treat you the way she did. All that I crave is for a few hours of distraction with no strings attached, and to a man who has loved deeply before. I do not want to gaze into vacant cold eyes. I want to gaze into eyes that have looked upon love before… Even if this love would never be meant for me.”
Chase turned and walked back toward the door. With a slight tremble, he reached out for the doorknob but stopped just short of touching it. So many thoughts ran through his mind. One thought cast all the others away. The almost instant attraction to this woman was undeniable. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. Maybe just this one time he could forget about being the boy next door. That road had only led to a broken heart. This road would probably lead there too. As he pulled off his shirt and turned back toward this beautiful woman, he silently gave himself permission to once more feel the burn of desire.
