steps everywhere. She did have to drag her suitcase all the way up two flights of stairs when she arrived, seeing as there are no elevators.
Once in the room, they flop Justin onto her double bed.
“I’ll take it from here. Thanks,” she says to the receptionist. She fishes in her wallet and gives him five pounds in coins.
“Thank you, Ms.”
“No. Thank you .”
“If you need any help at all, just call me.” He indicates the sleeping form of Justin.
“Thanks again.”
She waits till he has shut the door firmly behind him, and then she turns back to the prostrate form of Justin. He’s sleeping soundly, snoring a little.
God, but he’s still beautiful.
Sighing, she starts to take off his shoes and socks. He wears Gucci loafers, she notes. He has certainly come up in the world of dressing since she had known him. With difficulty, she eases off his overcoat. She unbuckles his belt – also Gucci – and slips it off his slim waist. She debates whether to undress him any further.
You’ve seen everything he has to offer.
Yeah, but he was a boy then. He is now a man. More powerfully built than ever. Some things might even have improved, she thinks in chagrin.
She settles for taking off his top and his jeans. He’s only clad in his underwear now – a pair of white briefs with a crotch that ill conceals his obvious bulge. She roams her eyes over the planes of his body. The hard muscles of his abdomen, the sculptured chest, the erotically pointed nipples. He is still a work of art.
Why did she ever let him go?
Oh yes, she realizes it now. She was missing him away at Princeton. She was young. Restless. Foolish. The farther away he was, the more her mind drifted. She had thought she could find someone else who would stay in Arizona. She had thought she could find someone else who was less likely to wander elsewhere for the sake of his ambition.
But she also knew she couldn’t contain Justin. He was too smart. Too destined for bigger things.
She covers him with the blanket. The room is warm from the old-fashioned radiator – a white metal grill that emanates heat and a soft gurgling sound of liquid. So different from the gas burners they have back home. Then she undresses down to her brassiere and panties, and gets into bed beside him. The bed is queen-sized, and it’s an uncomfortable fit. But his flesh is warm and comforting, and with her back to his back, she manages to find an equilibrium.
She lies awake in the dark, fully conscious of his nearness – his warm, breathing form. She lies awake for a long, long time, thinking of the times they had together. His kisses. His melting, hazel eyes as he gazes at her. The feel of his arms around her. The crush of his body above hers as he moves with her as one.
She thinks of what is to be – when his child is finally conceived within her. She pictures the three of them together at the child’s birth. Herself in a hospital bed, clutching the child.
She would never impose upon him, no matter what his circumstances are. The contract he signed does not permit that.
She finally falls asleep, dreaming half-dreams that are not meant to be.
15
Elise is awoken by Justin stirring in the wee hours of the morning. His arm flails out and touches her body. They are both tucked in very cozily.
“Elise,” he murmurs, and she doesn’t know whether he’s fully awake or he’s still dreaming. But he’s saying her name and not Abby’s.
“Justin?” She sits up. She debates whether or not to switch on the tiny lamp.
For answer, he rolls over her and presses his body onto hers. Her pulse flutters at her neck, and she wonders if she should stop this. His mouth searches for hers in the dark and he finds it quickly. His lips latch onto hers, devouring her mouth with passion. He tastes of the three glasses of Scotch he has downed.
He kisses and kisses her with mounting urgency. He deepens each kiss, tongue twisting upon tongue, imbibing her scent, plumbing her
Fran Baker
Jess C Scott
Aaron Karo
Mickee Madden
Laura Miller
Kirk Anderson
Bruce Coville
William Campbell Gault
Michelle M. Pillow
Sarah Fine