“Professor, I don’t need to know all about your love life,” Layla pleaded with fits of giggles.
“Damn it woman, tell me what it means!”
“You are definitely not friend zoned, if you want more information use the internet or ask one of your students,” she walked off in a pretend huff. Layla never hid her judgement of his affairs with students. Now he showed interest in an “acceptable woman”, Layla took joy in teasing him.
Unfortunately, all he could show was interest. Other than stolen coffee or sandwiches, they only found time to talked when one of them was either in a car going to the airport, waiting at the airport, or when he found half an hour between classes.
The longer it took for their second “real date,” the more frustrated Geoffrey became. He wanted time to watch her, get to know her by what she didn’t say rather than risking misinterpreting her through texts and emails. He wanted to sit with her by the edge of the river, go on a hike, a long bike ride through the mountains. He wanted to be a couple – which required spending time together.
To be made harder if he picked up extra classes.
“Sorry, Miss Garran, the Professor is busy,” Bec’s mind went straight to paranoia – was he really busy or did he ask his secretary to fob her off?
“I know he is busy, he is always busy, but I am flying out tomorrow for two weeks. Is there any way he would be available for dinner tonight?”
“Miss Garran, he is working late and wouldn’t be free until after half past nine. Usually when he finishes at that time, all he wants is food and to go home.”
“Fine, I’ll have food at his office by a quarter past nine, he can either eat with me or kick me out.” Bec regretted hanging up on Layla who was only doing her job.
She wanted to see Geoffrey before she left, finding it hard to remember the way he looked at her and how he kissed her. She wanted to believe in their connection but the longer it took for them to have another date, the more she thought their relationship occurred only in her imagination. Tonight, she wanted answers.
“Professor, there is a package on my desk you need to pick up tonight.” Damn, Geoffrey thought, reading the text from Layla. He worked hard to close the class early, his head spinning from their questions and all he needed was to go straight to his car and home. However, some first edition books were due for delivery any day and if the stupid woman left them on her desk, well, it wasn’t worth taking the risk of leaving them overnight.
So focused on looking for the non-existent package on Layla’s desk, he didn’t notice the open door to his own office until he heard soft music coming from his record player. His young, hipster students were impressed with his vinyl collection but no one ever dared to take one of them out of its covers and play it!
“Hungry?” Bec, his Bec, stood in his office a brown paper bag hanging from her fingers. Surely, a figment of his imagination. After all, each night he imagined running into her at another random work event, or inviting her back here after she listened to an amazing lecture, or lying on his bed next to him.
“Well, Professor, it is rude to stare, can’t you at least say, ‘hello’?” she lit his world with her smile, as if only this morning she saw him last. He noticed how pale she had become. Clearly she spent more time in meetings than outside.
“My beautiful Rebecca, can I tell you this is the best surprise I have received in years.” Without hesitation, he went to her and kissed her, allowing his passion to dictate his body. He had waited too long to taste her lips, to press his flesh against hers.
“Wow,” she caught her breath between kisses, “That answers some of my questions, now please eat before Petro’s dishes get cold.”
Geoffrey helped Bec serve out the pumpkin gnocchi entre, and checked under the lids to see the veal saltimbocca for main. Petro and Bec knew him well.
“Before we start, let me see what I have from my private stash of beverages,” he found a 2004 deep peppery shiraz. He started with several cases and now only three bottles remained.
“I’ve been saving this for a special occasion,” he said pulling out the cork. “It doesn’t get more special than dinner with you.”
“So, thank you for this wonderful meal, but can I ask what questions did a little kiss from me answer?” He asked while pulling a chair across to the table for her.
“Whenever I ring your office, your assistant tells me you are busy.”
“And she would be correct – I would no doubt get the same message from your assistant if you had one. Instead, I have the pleasure of your voice mail.”
“I started to get worried.”
“About me?” he parried.
“About us. I know it is too soon to know if there is an ‘us’ or not, and we haven’t gone on a date for ages.”
“Something I intend to correct.”
“Really?” Geoffrey knew from the way her eyes lit up, he wasn’t the only on investing in finding out if their connection was real. Time to do something to move their relationship along – and hopefully end up with Bec in his arms and bed.
“What are you doing this weekend?” he asked.
“Oh, your assistant didn’t tell you?” her eyebrows raised in confusion.
“No, what should she have told me?”
“I needed, no wanted, to have dinner with you tonight before I fly out to Brisbane again tomorrow for two weeks.”
“Oh,” his mind raced furiously. Another two weeks without Bec was unthinkable. “Will you be coming home on the weekend?”
“It’s a long way to travel down on the Saturday morning and back again Sunday night. I’m not working on the weekend, but I am staying up there.”
“What if I came to you?”
“What!”
“What if I flew up on Friday night and came back Monday morning? Do you think you would want to put up with me as a guest for the weekend?”
Silence as they both contemplated the significance of what he asked. They bypassed courtship and dating. They were two people committing to being together for a weekend, in a single room.
Geoffrey smiled, hiding his panic – in his attempt to move things along had he pushed her too far, too quickly? As she started her own smile he felt tremendous relief and an emerging desire.
“I think I could handle you – if you are up for it,” she challenged, the way her eyes flickered, he knew they were both ready.
“I’ll get Layla to organize my flights and I’ll text you the details,” he said as they packed up their dinner to leave. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take you to the airport?”
“Geoffrey, tonight, I’m going home – but ask me again another time.” After her kiss, he felt as excited as a young school boy preparing for his first date.
Fall in love
Bec tried to concentrate on the meetings with her client, finding the slow moving of her watch an unnecessary distraction. Minute by minutes passed during the week until slowly Friday arrived and the time showed close to four in the afternoon. Only another half an hour until Geoffrey’s plane would land, half an hour to get his luggage, fifteen minutes to get a cab and an hour to get to their motel.
In little over two hours, he would be in her room, waiting for her. While she remained stuck in a meeting with a client unwilling to have the tough discussions with her executive about the company changes she wanted and knew were necessary. If the company didn’t change while the world changed around it, the company would only survive another two years – three at the most. Bec reiterated the key message - adapt or become extinct. Deep down, the client knew this, however now the reality of bringing her executive with her on the change became scary and she threatened to walk away.
The hardest part of Bec’s job included supporting executives to follow through with their own decisions – they were often just as resistant to change as their staff.
She worked over sixty hours already this week, knowing if she didn’t clear her desk quickly, then her weekend would be split between explo
ring whatever sort of relationship she and Geoffrey were becoming – and babysitting her client. She had no choice but to wrap things up and now.
“Kathryn, it’s been a long week,” she started, “It’s probably been tougher than you expected because people you rely on haven’t been as accepting of the decisions,” she kept her tone soothing and calm. The client started mimicking her slight nodding. “There isn’t anything else we can do this week. My strong advice is to let everyone go home, enjoy their weekend, and start the conversation fresh on Monday. What I want you to do is to go over all the reasons you brought me here, and what will happen to your company if we don’t continue this journey. I am on your side, I will support you with whatever you want to do but you need to remember what is at stake if you back away now.”
Kathryn walked to the doorway and turned back to her, “Rebecca, I wasn’t sure about you when Derek suggested I needed help, but you make a lot of sense. I know this is the right decision, I need to move on – my company needs to move on. I’m scared, and I’m grateful you are here. Thank you and have a great weekend.”
Finally, Bec could start her own moving on process.
Geoffrey paced around the apartment, glancing at his watch every few minutes. The second hand not working as fast as it should be and time seemed to be standing still. Even though he caught an earlier flight, fate didn’t bring Bec to him any quicker. The plane trip to Brisbane was not his first, but certainly the slowest. At time he thought the pilot intentionally wanted to delay his weekend.
The cab driver insisted on taking the scenic route to the city and the desk concierge took forever to allow him a key and entry to Bec’s room.
Now he stood in her room, while Bec remained at work. He wanted to text her and tell her he had arrived, however how could he do so and not then insist she leave work immediately and join him? Instead, he paced around the room and resisted the urge to pick up the shirt from the floor and draw in her scent. They didn’t know each other well enough yet for her to walk in on him doing something so intimate. Something he intended to correct.
He was trapped in her room – knowing she might only be minutes away – normally decisive he hated feeling insecure and at a loss of what to do. So much relied on this weekend being perfect. Not in years had he been willing to expose his heart like this and for the first time, he was afraid of not being enough for a woman. A woman he was prepared to fall in love with.
He booked a table for two at the pinnacle restaurant overlooking the river, imagining candles and the softness of her hair silhouette against the beautiful Brisbane skyline. He ordered a picnic hamper for collection for lunch on Saturday and arranged for breakfast to be served to their room with full service rather than a tray left outside their door.
There was nothing left for him to organize or do. He could only wait for her to arrive.
Even then, he was uncertain on how to approach her. A life of philandering banter and flirtatious seduction didn’t prepare him for greeting a woman he wanted a real relationship with.
Frozen with indecision in the hotel room of a beautiful woman, trying to fight the urge to pick her up at the door, capture her in his arms, carry her to bed and make love to her in any way and in every way she desired.
What if she didn’t feel the same? What if her first kiss came chaste to his cheek? What their conversation became stilted or non-existent and the weekend proved too much too soon and ruined everything? What if they still hadn’t even held hands until after dinner and the ride back down to their room was just awkward and she asked him to leave.
He took a breath and centered himself, eyeing the door willing it to open.
What if the weekend was perfect.
The heavy door stuck a little on opening, and then, there he stood. Bec gave no thought to her laptop as she dropped her bag, ran to him, her eyes alight with her own desire.
Their first kiss. Hungry lips once met, refused to let go. Bec felt her legs give way as he picked her up, carrying her across the room. Still, she wanted more kisses and cried out when he briefly stopped.
“Are you sure?” he asked, motioning to the bed.
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak and unable to wait any longer. As he lowered her onto the bed, she felt herself falling in more ways than one. Not willing to break contact with his eyes, she removed his jacket, trusting this man with more than her body.
He removed each button from her shirt, exposing the pale blue bra. The hours spent in the lingerie shop looking for the perfect matching bra and panties were rewarded as he took in her body. She wanted something he would enjoy removing, but nothing too outlandish just yet. Hopefully they had time for him to discover her wilder side.
Right now, she lifted her head allowing him full access to her neck, with each kiss quivering to his touch. She pulled the shirt over his head, marveling at the toned chest held over her. Tanned, with a sprinkling of grey in the hairs. His arms taut as he held himself above her, and she wanted him to lower, to crush her. To feel him grind against her.
Yet he stayed raised, only kissing her neck, driving her wild with anticipation yet she did not want to pull him to her. There would only ever be one first time for them, and as much as she wanted him right now, she also wanted it to last forever.
She turned her head, so his lips found hers again and the last of their resistance faded away. She leant up to give him easier access to her bra strap from behind, helping him until her chest was as bare as his.
Now, finally, he pressed against her and she shuddered as she felt skin on skin.
“I want more,” she whispered, needing him more and without further delay. All the while, the kisses, tongue exploring and teeth gently biting. She wanted his mouth to take her naked breasts, she wanted to feel the wet touch of his tongue run circles around her. Yet, she wanted his kisses, needed his kisses more than she needed oxygen to breathe.
With his full body laying on top of hers, completely aware of the hardness that would soon fill her. Her legs trapped together, she regretted wearing the slim, sexy skirt. Worn to inspire Geoffrey as she walked into the room, not to stop him. Her hands finished exploring all of his chest and back. Now, she wanted to go lower. Slipping her hand down his pants, he groaned through the kiss as she touched him.
As her fingers wrapped around his hardness, he slid his hand underneath her back, pulling her towards him as he deftly undid her skirt. She drowned in his kisses as she helped him remove first her skirt and then her panties.
He stopped before entering her, asking again “Are you sure?”
“Completely,” she pulled him inside knowing neither of them came to this moment innocent of life’s pain. As he sighed, she also knew she was not the only one willing to chance their heart again.
Geoffrey held on for as long as possible, finding pleasure in Bec’s passion. Watching her eyes turn a brighter blue than grey as he worked her to the peak over and over again.
As he finally let go, he crashed back onto the bed, exhausted and concerned when she swung her legs over the bed and got up.
“Where are you going?” he imagined holding her in his arms for a long embrace, to trace her body with his finger tips now he knew her so well. He didn’t want her to shower and get dressed – for once, he wanted the afterglow to continue.
“I was saving this for a special occasion – care to join me?” Bec sauntered seductively to the bar fridge, offering him the perfect view of her naked ass as she retrieved a bottle of champagne and two chilled glasses. “Can you handle opening a bottle, or do you need some time to recover.”
“Come here, you wench,” with one motion, he took the bottle and glasses from her hand, set then aside and pushed her back onto the bed. Laughing, he sat on top of her, their bodies still glistening from before. He opened the bottle, allowing the bubbles to flow over her body as he filled the two glasses.
“Geoffrey, however will I get clean?” her eyes challenged him to prove his quick recovery, so he did. Cleaning e
very splash of bubbles from her chest with his tongue and then working lower, bringing her so close until he joined her again, two bodies as one in climax.
“Now, can I have something to drink?” he asked, rolling off her.
“You certainly deserve it.”
This time, there were no attempts to move from the bed. They finally found each other and neither were willing to leave.
The weekend passed too quickly, and Bec joined Geoffrey in his cab to the airport on Monday morning.
“You don’t have to,” he told her, wanting his last vision of Bec asleep in their bed, her hair wafting over the pillow.
“I want to,” he saw the cab driver smile as he was covered in more kisses, “Every single moment, I want with you.” Already he knew whatever Bec wanted, she would be determined to get. As long as she wanted him, he was willing to be gotten.
“This is crazy, you’ll wait around for the plane and then go back to the office – you don’t need to.”
“Oh, when was the last time you were kissed at the airport before boarding?”
“Never,” he admitted. There were a lot of firsts he planned to experience with this amazing woman.
“Then, let me do this for you, a way of extending our weekend until we can’t extend it anymore.”
So, Geoffrey held Bec in the cab ride to the airport, not letting go of her hand while he paid, and then got his bag. The closeness he craved to her was now overwhelming. “There is no way I want to go back to life without you,” he told her before they tried to sleep the previous night.
“I wouldn’t let you, even if you tried,” she promised.
He lacked the words to make her understand how much she meant to him, already. Everything in his life lead to this moment, and it took every part of self restraint not to devour her in the airport.
Bec felt at peace, sitting next to Geoffrey, his arm around her as they waited for his flight to be called. They sat in silence, their fingers doing all the talking while the weekend played like music in her head.
Trusting his Heart Page 6
