Night in Heaven
by
Reana Malori
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Copyright© 2009 Night in Heaven- Reana Malori
Cover Artist: Shara Azod
Editor: Novellette Whyte
Chapter One
The noise and smells were stifling. There was no way she would last the entire night mixing and mingling with all these people. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time. Come to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and party with a few friends for three days straight. Except now that she was here and experiencing the craziness of the festival live and in-person, she was no longer certain that this was the best use of her time.
Crystal Brown surveyed the crowd from the balcony of her room and was still amazed at just how much activity there was. People crowded into each other as they pushed their way from one end of the street to another. Restaurant doors were constantly opening and closing as patrons moved from one location to the next. Laughter and raised voices wafted-up from the crowd as Crystal stood on her hotel room balcony and soaked it all in. She was a people watcher by her very nature and enjoyed observing the crowd and listening to the noise. She was fascinated by how they interacted with each other, their smiles, their mannerisms, all of it. On a visit to South Beach last year, she sat for hours just observing people, wondering who they were and what their lives were like. Creating scenarios of exciting lives and adventures that were probably nowhere near what people’s lives were in reality.
Maybe it was because she wanted a little excitement herself that she found such pleasure in creating stories about other people. She was always the good girl, the responsible daughter, and lately those labels had begun to rub her the wrong way. All her life she had done what was expected of her. She had achieved good grades in school, went to the university her parents expected her to attend (Go Hokies!), graduated with the right degree, and accepted the best job offer. She gave a deep sigh as she looked out into the horizon, blocking out the noise and images of the Mardi Gras festivities. Maybe she should stop questioning things so much and just go with the flow. Stop wondering how the other half lived.
Did it really matter that she had never had mind-blowing sex that made her sweat her curls out? Was anyone keeping count of the number of times she had been satisfied during sex with her past boyfriends? Well, anyone other than her? And to be honest, the number of times it had actually happened was too low to even try and remember at this point. Sure, she had achieved corporate success, but she was still searching for that elusive something, or maybe someone, that would let her know that she had everything she wanted or could desire in life. To her it seemed that she had been so focused on her success and career, she had forgotten to pay attention to the other things that made her whole.
Oh well, those thoughts would save for later. Her girlfriends were expecting her to meet them in an hour for dinner and she needed to get dressed. Earlier that day, she had begged off from the usual bar-hopping, claiming to have a headache. While that wasn’t a complete lie, the more accurate reason is that she just needed time to herself. How someone could feel alone in a city packed with thousands of people, she would never know. But leave it up to her to be the one person who could accomplish that feat.
She glanced down at her watch and noticed the time. If she was going to meet her friends in an hour, she had better get a move on. Just as she was pushing away from the banister, she heard a noise from the balcony of the room next door. Someone was on the phone and the voice instantly caught her attention. She knew that it was impolite to listen in because it seemed like a private conversation, but her curiosity got the best of her and she stayed frozen in place. The man’s voice was like honey flowing over steel and damn if her panties didn’t get soaking wet from her body’s reaction to the sound.
“No, I’m done with her. We broke up months ago, but she just won’t let it go. I need to move on. She’s the one who couldn’t be faithful and I can’t abide a woman who doesn’t know the meaning of the word commitment.”
He paused in the conversation, as if listening to the person on the other side of the telephone. She heard his feet shuffling as if he was pacing along the floor. Damn, she wondered what he looked like, because if his voice was anything to go by, then he must be gorgeous.
“Hell yeah, I’m too old to be down here, but this is the last place anyone will expect me to be. I just need a break for a few days. So here I am, all by myself.”
He paused again and Crystal couldn’t help but creep slowly over toward the separator in order to listen better. Was it wrong of her to listen? Yes, it probably was, but she was too damn nosey and she wanted to know what else he was going to say.
“Well, maybe I can find something to distract me while I’m here. I needed a break from the office as well. Things were getting a bit too stressful with all the changes we’re making and Donna told me I needed to leave or else she was going to quit. So, I took that as my cue. I’ll be heading back in two days.”
Crystal knew she had heard enough and should turn around and walk away. She still needed to shower and change for her night out and sitting here listening to a stranger on the phone, albeit a stranger with a very sexy voice, was not what she needed right now. As she began to turn away, she heard her next door neighbor end his conversation and hang up the phone. Damn! Now it was too late to turn away and she would have to stand here until he left. If she made a move, he would know that she had been outside listening to his conversation. So, she was stuck out here for the time being.
After a few minutes, she realized he hadn’t moved. He was still outside and she wondered what he was doing.
“So, do you make it a habit listening in on other people’s conversations?”
Oh shit! Was he talking to her? No, he couldn’t be. There was no way he could have known she was standing out there. Is there? If she stayed quiet and did not respond, maybe he would think it was his imagination that someone was there and he would leave and go back inside.
“I know you’re there. I heard you outside when I came out on the balcony and you never left, even when my conversation started. I know you were listening. Come on, you can say something, I won’t judge you.”
It was now or never. What to do, what to do? Well, she knew it was just silly to be standing out here like a deer in headlights while the man knew she had been listening in on his conversation. Plus, he didn’t say anything too incriminating, so she could bluff her way through it.
“Yeah, I’m here, but I wasn’t listening in on your conversation. I’m just enjoying the night air and enjoying the view of the people.”
“If you’re enjoying the view of the people, why can’t I see you? I’m standing on balcony leaning on the banister and you’re nowhere to be seen. Are you going to come out from hiding so I can see you?”
“Why would I do that? I don’t even know you.”
“Well, maybe that’s the whole reason. Come out and talk to me. Maybe we can get to know each other.”
“Why? Aren’t you leaving in two days?” His low chuckle told her he had caught her slip. Damn! Now he knew she had been listening to him.
“So, you weren’t listening, huh? Come on…give. What’s your name? Mine is Grant Reed.
”
She worried her bottom lip with her teeth, wondering if she should give her real name or the name she and her friends had created for the weekend. Hell, since he wasn’t some drunken fool she had met in the street, she would take a chance and jump in with both feet. She slowly moved toward the banister at the front her balcony and leaned over, his face slowly coming into view as she turned in the direction where the sound of his voice had come from.
When she saw him, her voice deserted her and her throat closed. Holy Hell! Mr. Grant Reed was absolutely stunning. While that isn’t usually a word she used to describe men, in his case, it was completely accurate. His hair was a dirty blond and was just long enough that a lock fell over his right eye. Not in a pre-styled fashion, but in a more carefree, relaxed way, as if he had ran his fingers through it several times that night. He wasn’t overly muscular, but she could see the definition in his arms and shoulders. Since he was hunched over a bit, she couldn’t tell if his entire body looked as good as his arms, but she didn’t think only part of him could be this sexy. He had to be the whole package. She realized she must have been staring at him a bit too long when his mouth curled in a sardonic grin and his white teeth gleamed in the night.
Okay, so not only had she been caught listening-in on his private conversation, but now she had been caught staring at the man. Could this night get any worse? Maybe the ground should just open up now and swallow her whole. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. Stop acting like a smitten teenager Crystal, say something!
“Um, hi, my name is Crystal Brown. Nice to meet you.”
Chapter Two
Beautiful. That one word kept running through Grant’s mind as he looked at the vision standing on the other balcony. When he asked her to show herself to him, he had never expected this. He could stand here all night and simply look at her and hear her voice. Although if he had his choice, talking would be the last thing they would be doing.
His purpose for coming down here to Mardi Gras had been to simply get away from it all. Life for him was a bit too hectic right now. For one, he really needed to get away from his ex-girlfriend who didn’t understand the words, “it’s over” and two, the merger activities going on at his firm, Latham & Reed, were driving him up the wall. With all that was going on, his friends and family might question his sanity for choosing New Orleans during Mardi Gras as a place to relax and recuperate, but he could think of no other place he would want to be at this very moment.
“It’s nice to meet you as well Crystal. So, why are you sitting on your balcony when you could be down there in the thick of things and enjoying the festivities?”
She turned sideways to face him as he talked and he got a better glimpse of her body. Just that simple action caused his cock to immediately react and twitch, as if trying to reach out to her. Not only was she beautiful, but she had the body of a real woman. She was definitely someone that a man like him could enjoy, over and over again. Grant knew that he was someone who enjoyed the feel of a woman’s soft body. By the look of her, Crystal was a woman who understood that a man loved curves and soft skin. Her neck was long and sleek and her shoulders rounded but strong. As he continued to peruse her body, his eyes trailed over her lush, rounded breasts and her tapered waist that led down to hips that flared out perfectly. Her legs were long—long enough to wrap around his waist—and he could only imagine how strong they were and how it would feel as they tightened around him, pulling him closer. Oh yes, she had a perfect hourglass shape and he was helpless to fight against his instant attraction to her.
The world seemed to stop as his gaze soaked her in. As he continued to stare at her, he was valiantly trying to come up with a way to spend more time in her presence. The fleeting thought that maybe he should leave it alone entered his mind for just a moment, but he quickly disregarded it. While he knew this attraction to her would probably lead to trouble, there was no stepping back now. He had lived his life and made his success by the sheer force of his will and trust in his gut reaction. Within seconds of seeing Crystal he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this woman was someone he could become attached to. While that was something he really didn’t need right now, his entire soul was screaming at him to claim her, make her his. On the other hand, his brain was fighting for him to stay calm and rational, to not lose control. At this moment, he wasn’t sure which one was winning the battle.
“Have dinner with me Crystal.” The words burst out of his mouth and it was too late to pull them back. He noticed the shock and hesitation on her face, but was willing to spend the time he needed to convince her. He needed to spend more time with her tonight.
“I’m supposed to go to dinner with some friends. I don’t know if I should cancel on them.”
“Are they friends you see on a regular basis? Will you see them again once you leave Mardi Gras?”
“Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?”
“Well, hear me out for a second. We’re both strangers in a strange town and somehow we managed to find each other. Once we leave here, we may never see each other again. Why not enjoy our time together while we can? So, dinner and drinks tonight and maybe we’ll see what happens from there.”
“I don’t know what else would happen. I haven’t even said I would go to dinner with you yet.”
He knew he had her. “Oh, yes, you will. You’ve already made up your mind, but don’t want to appear too eager.” He stood up from the banister and started to step away, “So, room service or restaurant?”
“What? Why would we have room service?”
“Because I saw the way you looked at me and I feel the same way about you. You are beautiful and I want to spend more time getting to know you. A crowded restaurant won’t give us the opportunity to really get to know each other, but room service will.”
“But I don’t know you. It’s probably not the smartest thing to do.”
“But you know you’re interested. You want to do it, even if your brain is trying to convince you otherwise. So, how can I help you believe that I’m an okay guy? Wait, hold on just a second and let me get something for you.” Grant walked into the room and picked up his wallet. He pulled out his driver’s license as he walked back toward Crystal. “If I give you my driver’s license to prove who I am, will you have dinner with me? Room service?”
He watched as she bit the bottom of her lip, considering his offer to her. “Yes, show it to me and I’ll consider it.” She reached over to grab it from him and as she pulled her hand away, his finger grazed the back of her hand, touching the soft skin as she pulled the laminated card toward her.
“Grant Reed from Potomac, Maryland. Thirty-six years old.” She handed the card back to him. He watched her as she considered her answer to his invitation, almost shouting in joy when she said, “Well, Grant Reed from Maryland, give me forty-five minutes and I’ll be ready.”
*****
Oh God, what the hell was she doing? There was no way in hell she should even be contemplating having dinner with a strange man in his hotel room. What was she thinking? Oh, yeah, she was thinking that he was too damn fine to let this opportunity pass her by. Maybe this was a sign. This could be her chance to really let loose and have some fun. Having an adventure was the entire reason she had decided to come to New Orleans in the first place. Grant had practically been handed to her on a platter, so why wouldn’t she go for it and take a chance. She had his full name and although she didn’t tell him, she had memorized the address listed on his driver’s license. She said goodbye to him and walked into the room and wrote down the information on a piece of paper.
The next thing she did was to call her friends and let them know about her change of plans. Although she heard quite a bit of hollering and “go get ‘em girl” in the background, they made her reassure them that she would be safe. She gave them his name and room number and told them of the piece of paper with his home address written on it that was on the nightstand. All the safety details out of the w
ay, she ended the call and went to get dressed for her night out with Grant.
Forty-five minutes later, a knock sounded on the door and she knew that it was him. He had come for her and he was right on time. Unbidden, her body again conjured up how he had looked on the balcony and goose bumps rose on her skin. The entire time she had been getting dressed, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. The way he talked, his smile, his tanned skin and long, tapered fingers. Instead of her shower taking ten minutes, it had taken twenty due to her wicked thoughts about her neighbor and what might possibly be the most exciting night of her life.
He knocked again, a little less impatient this time, and she quickly made her way over to the door. As she pulled it open to greet him, she was struck again by how handsome he was and her breathing sped-up as she gazed at the man standing outside her door.
“Hi Grant.” Oh damn! He cleaned up very nicely. He was wearing a charcoal gray suit with a faint hint of pinstripes, with a light-blue shirt, no tie. His hair was combed back, off of his face, and he had taken the time to shave. All in all, he was even more mouth-wateringly gorgeous than he was earlier wearing relaxed, casual clothing. If this is who she had to sit across from all night, there was no way she would be able to resist him. Maybe she didn’t want to.
“Hi Crystal. You look beautiful. Are you ready?”
“Yes, just let me get my purse. It has my room key inside.”
“I took the liberty of ordering our dinner already. Since I wasn’t sure what you would want, I ordered almost one of everything. I want tonight to be perfect for you, so that there are no regrets.”
“Why perfect?” She stepped out of the room and he reached behind her to close the door. He then placed his warm hand on the small of her back and turned her in the direction of his room. She knew it was kind of silly to have him pick her up when he was staying right next door, but she was glad that he had offered. When they arrived at his hotel room door, he finally answered her question.
Night in Heaven Page 1
