Turning to him, she said, “You’re stereotyping all women into that category. We’re not all like that, you know.”
“I do know. It just seems like those are the ones I’m meeting lately.” His eyes locked on her gaze. “I hope my luck has changed.”
Stephanie took another sip of her martini while glancing over to the window. The storm showed no signs of letting up. In fact it seemed to grow more fierce. As if on cue, she heard a thunderous crack of thunder and the rain angrily batted at the window. Stephanie bought some time by asking Carlos for another martini. She lost count of how many times he’d refilled her glass. Is this the third or the fourth? She knew one thing for sure, Jason Royce was sexy as hell. The way his blue eyes sparkled in the candlelight against his tanned features rocked her to her core.
Stealing a glance at his strong, muscular build beneath his sports jacket caused her breath to catch in her throat. Until today, she hadn’t thought of another man this way, not since before she was married. As if in a trance, she couldn’t break her stare. However, she quickly became aware of his smile. He watched her drink him in, which made her blush and turn her head in embarrassment.
Jason moved closer and spoke slowly in his silky voice. “I wonder if you might dance with me.” She nodded and took his hand.
He led her to the dance floor illuminated only with candlelight and the occasional flash of lightning. Placing one hand in his and the other on his back, their bodies started out a respectable distance apart. Before long, Jason’s warmth drew her in, and she couldn’t ignore the electricity forming between them. Tentatively, she stepped closer and lightly rested her head against his neck. Jason took this as a cue to guide her hand up and over his shoulder. Suddenly, his strong hands urgently pulled her against his rock hard body. The force of his embrace awakened a passion that lay dormant inside her until now. Stephanie couldn’t fight the fire building within her. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, inhaling his musky scent while caressing his neck with her fingertips. Her face grazed up the side of his neck, stopping at his jawbone. Jason’s touch seared her skin as his fingertips skimmed up her side to her neck and came to rest on her chin. With his thumb and finger, he guided her face upward and she opened her eyes. His smoldering gaze burned a trail down her body. Uncomfortable with the intensity of his stare, she looked away.
“Stephanie.”
Her eyes shifted back to meet his gaze as he lowered his mouth and softly brushed his lips against hers, questioningly awaiting a response. Accepting his invitation, she parted her lips and moaned softly. His lips were soft and enticing. It had been a long time since she was kissed like this. She surrendered her tongue to his and felt desire fill her belly as an overwhelming passion grew by the moment. Breathlessly, she pulled away, embarrassed by her body’s reaction to the kiss. She looked down and placed her forehead on his chin.
“I don’t know why I did that. I need to go sit down.”
Jason followed her back to the bar where she ordered a club soda. As the heat rose in her face, Stephanie wondered if she looked as flushed as she felt. After taking a couple of sips she said, “I’m getting tired and those drinks went right to my head. I think I’m going to kick off my shoes and huff it up the six flights to my room. Good night, Jason.”
“Hold on, Stef. What happened just now, the kiss, it was incredible. You don’t really want to get up and leave, do you?”
Stephanie forced the feelings of fiery yearning aside and summoned the strength to look him square in the eye. “You probably have a different woman in your bed every night, but I’m not that type. I don’t do things like that. Not to mention that I’m married,” she lied. Cursing her momentary lack of judgment during their dance, she wondered how she allowed herself to get caught up in the moment. The music, candlelight, his delicious scent, dark hair and strong shoulders, it was all too much to take, but she wasn’t giving into temptation. That would put her in the same category as her ex-husband. Stephanie got off her stool and headed toward the lobby when she felt powerful fingers encircle her wrist.
“For the record, no, I don’t sleep around with a bunch of different women. Forgive me, I thought there was something between us, but I must have read your signals wrong because I thought you felt it too”-- He let go of her wrist and put one finger up --“Hold on a second, please, don’t leave yet.” He gestured for her to sit back down at the bar then he leaned over and spoke quietly to Carlos. He seemed to be giving him detailed instructions. Nodding, he pulled out a crisp hundred-dollar bill and slid it across the bar. “This is for you, Carlos. Please bill the charges to my account.”
“What are you up to?”
“Just trying to make your life a little easier. Relax, no games. I promise.” Jason extended his hand and motioned to the dance floor.
Stephanie looked at him suspiciously. “I know I’m a bit tipsy, but I still have my senses about me.”
“Good, then I won’t be accused of taking advantage of a drunken woman,” he said and smiled at her. “Please come dance with me while we wait for Carlos to return.”
He brought her back to the dance floor and pulled her close. Stephanie closed her eyes. Her breath quickened as his hand traveled down the length of her back and rested right above her ass. God, it’s been so long, too long, since I’ve been touched like this. Carlos returned and handed Jason a key.
"Come on, I'll show you to your room."
Stephanie’s eyes narrowed and she gave him a suspicious look.
"Here’s the key to the last available room in the hotel on a low floor. It’s a suite on the second floor where you can spend the night. I’ll take you up. Really, I just want to make sure you get in okay."
Jason grabbed a candle off of the bar and lightly placed his hand at the small of her back to guide her toward the lobby. The sweeping staircase to the second floor was the focal point of the hotel’s main entrance. The stairs and banister were made from chestnut and stained a deep warm brown. Feeling a little lightheaded, Stephanie held onto Jason for support as they climbed the long flight together. She stumbled on a step, but he caught her before she fell. A smile crossed her face when they reached the top. "I thought I was going down, these shoes have caused me nothing but trouble today. If I didn’t like them so much, I would toss them."
The key turned easily in the lock, and Jason pushed open the door to her suite. A flood of soft flickering light surprised Stephanie and beckoned her inside. She scanned the small sitting room that featured an overstuffed sofa and armchair. A trio of candles rested on the coffee table along with an ice bucket and with what appeared to be an opened bottle of white wine. Next to it sat a single wine glass. Stephanie looked from the wine to Jason, arching her eyebrows. “What’s with the wine?”
"For you, that’s why there is just one glass. Have a good night, Stephanie." He brought her hand up and lightly kissed it with warm soft lips. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his mouth that burned hot on her skin. Her thoughts returned to the kiss they shared earlier that night. In just a few hours her opinion of this very sexy man in front of her changed. She pegged him for an arrogant jerk and now, she wasn’t sure how she felt. One thing was for sure, she didn’t want him to leave.
"I feel horrible about taking the last room and that you have to walk up twelve flights of stairs to the penthouse. You’re welcome to stay. Here, I mean," she gestured to the couch.
Jason made his way over to the coffee table, picked up the glass and slowly poured the wine. He handed her the glass with an unwavering gaze. "As long as you’re okay with it, I think I'll take you up on your offer. I'm sure I'll be gone before you wake in the morning."
She averted her gaze and smiled shyly. "Its fine, thanks again for arranging the room for me."
Stephanie walked into the bedroom and closed the double doors that separated them. Safely behind closed doors she paced the room. Feeling as if she was going to explode with pent up energy, she took a couple of sips of wine to calm her nerves. This is o
ne of those once in a lifetime moments. I’m in a beautiful suite with a sexy man and no means of contacting the outside world. Just go with it. But something was holding her back. Was it that sleeping with him would put her in the same category as Gary? That son of a bitch cheated on her with a woman he met at work. No, there was a big difference between the two scenarios. She was single and free to see whomever she wanted. What was holding her back was something Gary said to her right before she threw him out of their home. He said this new relationship made him realize he didn’t think he ever truly loved her. She had never been so angry and so hurt. She’d grabbed the closest thing available, a small vase with fresh flowers, and flung it at his head. The vase missed him by an inch and hit the wall instead. Shards of glass and water exploded on the wall and dripped to the floor. He stepped over the mess toward the front door. Before he left he turned to Stephanie and said, “You do know you’re crazy don’t you? You’re crazy and a lousy lay.”
Stephanie could kick herself for wasting so much time on Gary. She almost immediately regretted the decision to marry her on-again off-again college boyfriend after graduation from Boston University. There were no all nighters or wild times in her twenties for Stephanie. They barely had time to go on a proper honeymoon because they landed great jobs in Boston immediately, bought a house in the suburbs, and got right to work. With the exception of the frat party in her freshman year, where she got way too drunk and slept with the president of the fraternity, she never had a random hook-up. She didn’t have much experience in the sex department either. Was Gary right and she wasn’t talented in the bedroom? She approached the double doors, placed her hand on the knob, but lost her nerve and retreated back into the bedroom.
* * * * *
Seated on the couch, Jason’s head whipped toward the bedroom door when he thought he’d heard the doorknob turn. Did he hear small footsteps walking away from the door? Just as well, he thought. He knew he couldn’t show the restraint he forced on himself since they entered the suite. His mind played a tug of war game with him. Every ounce of his being wanted to barge through those doors, take her into his arms and for starters, sip from her delicious lips again. He couldn’t shake the memory of the kiss they shared on the dance floor. Mind-blowing electricity flowed from his mouth straight to his cock. Yet, he couldn’t do it. Stephanie simply was not the “one-nighter” kind of girl. No, she was definitely the long-term relationship type. Those were the kind of women Jason usually walked, correction, ran away from. Women like that expected a relationship, something he was incapable of at this time of his life. Plus, what was he thinking, she’s married for Christ’s sake.
Jason knew he should get up, leave the suite and not look back, but somehow he couldn’t. Stephanie intrigued him like no other -- her eyes, her scent, her soft, delicious lips. Shit! He was wound tight. Leaning forward, he laced his fingers in his hair, his elbows resting on his knees when he heard the click of the turning knob. He turned his head in her direction, his eyes traveled from those beautiful stilettos, up to eyes revealing a fire that almost scared him.
Chapter 3
“This is an interesting predicament we’re in,” she said softly as she strode to the sofa.
Jason couldn’t take his eyes off of her. “How so?”
“Well, there’s no power or cell service, no way to contact the outside world, and there’s you and me. The way I see it, the night belongs to us and we can do with it whatever we want.” She stood directly in front of him now.
Jason rose and took her face into his hands; his mouth was so close to hers that she felt his sweet breath on her lips. “What do you want, Stef? You need to tell me.”
Stephanie tried to clear the fog in her head. This wasn’t harmless flirting anymore; it was the real thing. Her failed relationship came to mind again. She and Gary never really had a good marriage, and it came to an abrupt end because of a circumstance similar to this. One night not too long ago, Gary admitted to having an affair with one of his coworkers. She regretted wasting so much time with him. God, I’m thirty years old and have never had great, mind-blowing sex.
Here she was with a random hottie in her arms, not to mention the fact that she was cut off from the rest of the world. It was the perfect storm. This was an ideal opportunity to shed her insecurities and move on with her life. She lifted her eyes to meet his, licked her lips seductively and whispered, “I want you.”
His mouth was on hers and he kissed her slow and soft. Pulling away, Jason looked into her eyes.
“I don’t want to hurt you. I can’t promise you anything, you know, after tonight. But I can tell that you’ve been neglected, and I get the feeling you’ve not been satisfied in a very long time. I can remedy that situation for you.” He pulled her close and whispered in her ear, “You will not be disappointed.”
He was so very right, her ex-husband, Gary, was a selfish lover throughout her marriage and their sex was lackluster to say the least. Stephanie’s heart raced as she tilted her head toward his lips. Her fingers stroked the back of his neck and raked through the ends of his hair. Now that all doubt melted away, she felt the heat from the desire that grew between her legs evidenced by the dampness in her panties.
Jason slowly unbuttoned her blouse and slipped it off her shoulders. His fingers traveled downward and stopped in the valley between her breasts. Lightly, he brushed the fabric of her bra, the only barrier between his hands and her skin. Heat from his touch invoked a feeling of intense desire that flooded her head. Her mind filled with thoughts of how his tongue would feel circling her breasts. Her remaining clothing felt restrictive, and she reached behind and unzipped her skirt, letting it fall to the ground. Wearing only a lacy white bra and thong panties along with her heels, she watched as Jason consumed her with his eyes.
His gaze moved slow and deliberate from her sexy high heels to her face. He lifted her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “You are so beautiful,” he said as her eyes met his.
Stephanie leaned in to kiss him, but instead of returning the kiss he lowered himself to the couch leaving her standing in front of him, his sultry stare locked on her. She felt exposed and self-conscious for a split second. But as he lifted her left leg and brought her heeled foot up next to him, she lost her inhibitions. Stephanie’s flesh burned from his stare. She ached to be touched, to be pleased.
Stephanie sucked in a breath as his fingers traveled from her foot up to her knee and finally caressed the inside of her thigh. She exhaled and felt all the tension leaving her body. Jason pulled aside her lace panties and his fingers gently teased her by moving closer then further away from her slick folds. Stephanie moaned softly and bent her knee to get closer. Her skin tingled and her body yearned for him to continue.
“Stephanie, look at me, sweetheart. What do you want?”
She looked down at his dangerous smile and eyes that sparkled in the candlelight. “I want to feel you inside me, Jay.” Her hands were at his lap caressing the bulge in his pants, but he grabbed her wrists and brought them back up to his shoulders.
“Not yet. Patience, sweet Stephanie. This is all for you. I want you to tell me what you want.”
His fingers did nothing more than lightly skim across her slickness and down her inner thighs. She understood what it would take to get what she wanted, what she needed.
“I want you to slide your fingers deep inside me.”
He did as she asked, slowly and deliberately, which made her moan with pleasure. “And then?” he asked.
Stephanie voiced exactly what she wanted. Through moans and hitched breath she explained what he needed to do. When she stopped talking, Jason stopped moving. This act of articulating and receiving what she wanted made her wild with desire. Demanding passion built inside her, climbing higher with every stroke of his hand. The sensation of his fingers deep inside her at the same time his other hand was attending gently to her clit brought her closer to the craving she had been denied for so long. “Faster,” she demanded.
Her breath was shallow and her moans louder. She couldn’t hold back any longer. Her release came strong and fast. She breathlessly called out his name as her inner walls contracted around his fingers. She arched her back as waves of climax wracked her body.
Chapter 4
Stephanie felt the past year of pain and heartache release from her body with Jason’s touch. It had been a long time since she felt like this. Hell, who was she kidding? She’d never felt anything like this before. The hours and thousands of dollars she spent at therapy, coming to terms with her failed relationship, paled in effectiveness to what his fingers accomplished. She grinned, thinking she should have found a Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome long ago.
Jason stood and took her into his arms. “You’re smiling. Should I take that as a good sign?”
Stephanie nodded. “Definitely a good sign.”
“Stef, I know that you don’t do things like this. I’ll leave right now, just say the word. But I assure you that if you want to continue down this path tonight, you will not regret it. Never for a moment will you regret it.”
Marooned in Miami Page 2
