Unleashing the Woman Within

by Loc Glin

  Stephen pushed away from the doorjamb. She watched him in the mirror as he moved closer to her. He’d gotten more handsome in the time she’d known him, or maybe love blinded her to his faults. He looked so dashing and sophisticated in his tailored suit. She turned and put her fingers on the lapels of the suit. She ran the lapels between her fingertips and then straightened his tie. She tilted her head up and lightly kissed his lips. He returned the kiss, and his warm hands roamed her back.

  “You are making it difficult on me, Rowena. Our reservations are for eight. We don’t have time to do what I’d like to do to you right now.” He glanced at his watch.

  She touched his freshly shaven jaw and breathed in his special scent. “I love the way you smell.” She closed her eyes. “We could skip dinner if you’d like.”

  “Oh no, these reservations were very difficult to get. We can continue this when we get back.”

  “I must be losing my touch. There was a time, not very long ago, when you would have jumped on that offer.”

  “Oh, Rowena, you have no idea how difficult this is for me…and that”—he nodded toward the bed—“is not helping.” He took her hand, and pulled her out of the bedroom.

  She had to smile. It wouldn’t take much to convince him, but she wanted to try out this new restaurant, too.

  * * * *

  The maître d’ escorted them to their table. Stephen pulled out the chair for her. He was a gentleman. He helped to slide her into the table. He put his hands around the sides of, but close to the top of her shoulders, and then kissed the bare skin above his right hand. She tilted her head to the side allowing him more room to place a kiss closer to her neck.

  “I love the way you tempt me, Rowena,” he whispered as he kissed the spot she offered.

  She placed her hand on his cheek. “Just being near you tempts me.”

  He chuckled. “Then we make a good match.”

  “Yes, we do,” she agreed.

  He moved to his chair and settled himself into it.

  “It’s a beautiful view,” she said as she looked out at the lights of the city twinkling below them.

  “It is,” he agreed, “but it’s not as beautiful as you.” He reached across the table and squeezed her hand.

  “Flattery will get you everywhere.” She smiled.

  “It is a simple fact.”

  She felt color rise to her face.

  “You have trouble accepting compliments.” He rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand.

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Then why are you blushing?” His lips quirked in a smile.

  Her color deepened. “Well, maybe I do, just a little. I don’t think of myself as beautiful.”

  “I think you are beautiful.”

  “When I’m with you I feel beautiful. You make me feel beautiful.”

  He smiled that warm smile that made her feel so special. He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles before he released her fingers. “You make me feel whole,” he said.

  The waiter approached the table. He cleared his throat, bringing their attention to him. “Tonight’s menu,” he said as he placed a menu before each of them. “I’ll return in a moment for your order. May I get you something to drink?”

  “I’d like a bottle of champagne,” Stephen said.

  “Yes, Sir, right away.” The waiter nodded and left.

  “Champagne?” she asked.

  “It took a long time to get these reservations. I want this to be a night to remember.”

  “You are so sweet, and so romantic,” she said.

  “It’s easy to be romantic with you around. Now what would you like to eat?”

  “You.”

  “We’ll save that for dessert.” He chuckled.

  She gave the menu some intense study. “I think I’ll have the salmon and asparagus. It comes with couscous.”

  “Not bad. I think I’ll try that, too.”

  When the waiter returned with the champagne, Stephen placed their order.

  “Would you like me to open the bottle, Sir?”

  “Yes, please. Thank you.”

  The cork was popped with that special sound that champagne seemed to make. The waiter poured their first class and left.

  “To us,” Stephen said.

  “To us,” she repeated as the glasses clinked. She sipped. He was watching her intently. “What is it?” she asked slightly alarmed.

  “You are supposed to giggle because it tickles your nose.”

  “Well, it does tickle my nose, but I had to get past the need to giggle. Giggling wasn’t compatible with my corporate image.”

  He thought about that for a moment. “I suppose a giggling executive celebrating closing a deal with her peers and new business partners would diminish your professional appearance in their eyes.”

  She nodded.

  “You can giggle now.”

  “So I can,” she said as she took another sip and wrinkled her nose.

  “That’s close enough. I don’t want you to bust a gasket over there,” he said, still looking at her intently.

  Now she did giggle.

  “That’s better,” he said, smiling. “That’s my girl.”

  That particular endearment warmed her to the core. She was his girl, and so much more.

  Dinner was served on fancy plates and was garnished in an appetizing manner. Everything was cooked to perfection. She pushed her plate away. “I couldn’t eat another bite. That was delicious.” In truth there wasn’t much left on her plate, and there was nothing left on Stephen’s.

  “Yeah, it was pretty good.”

  The waiter came to clear their plates.

  “Would you like dessert?” Stephen asked as he looked at the waiter and cocked his head, waiting for her reply.

  She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head. She gave him what she hoped was a steamy look. “Most definitely.” She sucked on her lower lip.

  “Oh, Rowena, you’re making this so difficult for me.” He squirmed in his seat. “Thank God these trousers aren’t tight.”

  “So I haven’t lost my touch.”

  “That, my dear, is impossible. But if you keep it up I’m going to turn you over my knee.”

  She smiled at that. She looked at his handsome face. She loved looking at him, watching him. He turned his head, and she continued gazing at his profile. He had strong, manly features that her fingers had memorized. He smiled, and she wondered why. She looked in the direction of his gaze.

  The waiter’s face was hidden behind the largest bouquet of red roses she’d ever seen. He placed the vase in the center of their table and moved away.

  Stephen moved the flowers to the side. “I want to see your face.”

  “They’re beautiful. Are they for me?”

  He chuckled. “No, Rowena, they are for me.”

  Her cheeks flamed. “That was a stupid question, wasn’t it?”

  “Nothing you say is stupid, Rowena.”

  “What’s the occasion? Did I forget an anniversary or something?”

  “I told you once that you looked like a roses kind of girl. You told me then that you liked them.”

  She gazed at the flowers and took in their beauty. She touched the soft petals, leaned into them and breathed deeply. “They are lovely, Stephen. Thank you.”

  “I’m glad you like them because tonight I’m going to find out if you like these, too.” He opened the little black box and slid it toward her. The diamonds in the engagement ring sparkled as they caught the light.

  Rowena stared at the gorgeous ring in the box. She was struck speechless.

  Stephen left his seat and went onto his knee next to her. “Rowena Milestone, will you marry me?”

  She looked from the ring to his anxious face. A tear began a slow trek down her cheek. His brow creased. He looked worried. She touched his cheek. She nodded. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  The crease left his brow. He took the ring out of the box. He moved her hand fro
m his cheek to his lips and kissed her palm. “I love you,” he said as he slipped the ring onto her finger.

  “I love you, too.”

  Chapter 9

  The diamond ring and her wedding band sparkled as Rowena hailed a cab. Stephen was struggling with their luggage. Their honeymoon was about to begin. She looked over her shoulder at the man who had changed her life.

  The warm and fragrant tropical breeze moved her hair. It had been a very long flight to Hawaii. Hawaii had been an easy joint decision. Stephen had surprised her with first-class tickets. The man did know how to please her. They would spend a week on Oahu, a week on Maui, and do some island hopping.

  Stephen had been here before. His company had needed his services here in the islands two years before she’d met him. He’d spent six months here and had made a few friends. He said that he was looking forward to introducing her to them.

  Stephen settled the luggage next to her. He pushed the extended handles down into the bags then moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “You are going to love it here.” He planted a kiss on the top of her head.

  “I’ve hailed a cab,” she said. She leaned into him, enjoying his arms around her.

  “There’s no need for that. We have transportation waiting, courtesy of the hotel.”

  “Oh.”

  “Here the shuttle is now.” He waved his arm, and the van pulled over. The driver got out and helped them to load their luggage. It was a short trip to the hotel. The Honolulu Airport was just minutes away from the famous Waikiki beach area in which their hotel was located.

  She caught a glimpse of the blue water as they followed the porter to the front desk. Stephen spoke with the concierge behind the desk for a few minutes. She looked around the beautiful lobby. Not very many doors, she noticed, and there were palm trees inside. Everything was open to the outside. Stephen took her hand and led her to the elevator.

  “Our luggage,” she said, looking over her shoulder.

  “The porter will bring it up.”

  The elevator opened, and they walked down the hall to their room. They stood outside the door. “You didn’t tell me you reserved the bridal suite,” she said.

  He looked at her with adoration in his eyes. “Nothing but the best for you, my girl,” he said.

  His velvety smooth voice sent shivers down her spine. He swiped the key and pushed the door. It swung open on silent hinges. Before she knew what he was about to do, he swooped her into his arms and carried her across the threshold. Once inside, he put her down.

  He was laughing. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

  She stood there, and he swatted her behind. She moved out of his reach before he could pinch her.

  Their room had a magnificent view of the ocean, and it was on the beach. She stepped through the sliding glass doors leading to the veranda. Sailboats dotted the sparkling blue water. Bodies in very skimpy bathing suits created colorful dots on the sand. She leaned over the railing and could see the swimming pool below her.

  Stephen moved next to her. He pointed. “That’s Diamond Head over there. It’s a bit of a hike to the top, but there is a wonderful view once you reach it.”

  “I’d like to do that.”

  He looked down at her shoes. “You’re going to have to trade them in for something a little more functional. Some places get a little rough.”

  She looked down at her shoes. “These are functional.” She’d foregone her stilettos for traveling and the plane ride.

  He chuckled. “To you they probably are functional. Those heels are only two, maybe two and a half inches high. I am thinking something more like sneakers.”

  “Sneakers? You want me to wear sneakers?” Her face must’ve shown her abhorrence for that idea because he began to laugh.

  “They can be designer sneakers if you’d like. They just need to be flat.”

  “Flat?”

  “You might need them for sailing, too.”

  “What about sandals?”

  “You can try sandals if you want to, but I think you’ll regret that choice.”

  She gave him a long hard look. He stood there with a silly smirk on his face. He crossed his arms over his chest waiting for her decision. She looked over at Diamond Head again. It didn’t look that high. “We start at the bottom of that, right?”

  “Yes, it’s an extinct volcano.”

  “How high is it?”

  “The hike is about three quarters of a mile, but there are lots of steps, and I mean lots of steps. It will take about an hour and a half maybe two hours to complete.”

  “And you say I’ll need sneakers for when we go sailing, too.”

  “Yes, that would be advisable.”

  She looked out at the sailboats dotting the perfectly blue water. “Why am I fighting this? Designer sneakers won’t be that bad. Will they?”

  “You’re asking me?” Now he was really laughing. “Oh, Rowena, you are priceless.”

  “You’re making fun of me.” She slapped his chest.

  He clasped her hand. “Never.” He put her fingers to his smiling lips. He pulled her up against his body. “I’ve been waiting to do this for hours.” He put his hand to the back of her head and twined his fingers into her hair. He pulled backward, tilting her face toward him. He groaned and lowered his lips to hers. He kissed her, a passionate and loving kiss.

  She melted against him and put her arms around his neck. She returned the kiss. “So have I,” she said when he released her.

  His hands roamed down her body and cupped her ass. He pulled her to him, and she could feel his erection. “I see kissing me isn’t the only thing you’ve wanted to do for hours.” She ground her hips into him.

  His fingers started to hike up her lightweight sundress. He gathered it almost to her waist. Her thong did nothing to cover her exposed buttocks. She looked around. There was no one who could see them save perhaps someone with binoculars on the beach. He squeezed and caressed those cheeks. “We will have to take care with these. I don’t want them sunburned.”

  “Neither do I. This is my honeymoon after all.”

  “Our honeymoon, wife.”

  Sweet shards of pleasure shot through her. Her skin tingled, and her heart swelled. He’d called her wife. This was quickly becoming her new favorite term of endearment. Wife, yet another career she was about to embark upon. Wife would not be the last career she would undertake either. Stephen wanted children, so mother of their children would probably be the most important career of her life. Until she’d met Stephen she would never have believed that unleashing the woman inside of her would bring her everything that she’d never known she wanted.

  THE END

  WWW.LOCGLIN.COM

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Loc Glin was born in Keene, New Hampshire, and currently lives in Little Falls, New Jersey with Lily, short for Princess Tiger Lily, the cat she inherited from her daughters. She is happily divorced and remains friends with her ex-husband. She is in a long-term relationship with a man she considers her soul mate. If you ask her about her life she freely admits that it is rather dull. Aside from her family and friends her accomplishments are few, but she believes it is the journey within that counts.

  She tries to live by two rules. Rule number one—to thyself be true. Rule number two—do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

  For all titles by Loc Glin, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/loc-glin

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

 

 

 
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