Margaret Allison: Mistletoe Maneuvers

He heard Lessa go into the bathroom. When the door opened, he glanced up and, as she walked past, he caught a glimpse of skin. A lot of skin. “I’ll see you later,” she called out.

He jumped up so fast he almost knocked his computer off the table. “Where are you going?” he asked, heading into her room.

“I’m going to take a quick swim,” she said, wrapping a towel around her waist.

“It’s not safe.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ll be back soon,” she said, shutting her door. He ran his fingers through his hair and rolled his neck. What the hell was happening to him? He sounded like a cross between a doting father and a jealous lover. What he didn’t sound like was a businessman who was on a trip with a coworker.

But he didn’t like the idea of Lessa walking along a deserted beach at night. He didn’t care if they were in paradise, sometimes things happened. Some guy might get the wrong idea. And what about the water? Who knew what dangers lurked in there? More than one swimmer had been lost in a riptide. It was ridiculously stupid to go swimming by oneself.

And just like that, he was out the door after her.

It was nearly ten o’clock and the beach was deserted. It was a clear night and the sky was littered with stars. “Lessa!” He scanned the water, looking for her. Damn. Why had he been so pigheaded? It was he who would be responsible if anything happened to her. “Lessa!” he yelled again.

He saw her in the distance, swimming back toward shore. He felt a surge of relief as he picked her towel off the beach.

She stood up in the water, her long body glistening in the moonlight. He stood on the shore, watching her walk toward him. She looked like a beautiful mermaid come to life.

He had every intention of handing her the towel and heading back to the room. Instead, he gently wrapped the towel around her shoulders. She touched his cheek and then he saw the hunger in her eyes. It was all he needed.

Like a lit match to an oil slick, the passion he had been trying to hold at bay burst forth. With a hint of desperation, he pressed his lips against her, hungrily claiming what he desired. He ran his hands down the front of her swimsuit, feeling her nipples harden with his touch.

Suddenly, she broke away and stepped back. “I thought we agreed this was supposed to be a one-night affair.”

“There’s a problem with that whole one-night thing.”

“Problem?” she said weakly as he kissed her long and slender neck.

“Well, there’s a lot of problems with it,” he said, and with that, he swept her up into his arms.

As he carried her back to the room, she relaxed against him, resting her head on his chest. He kicked open the door and set her down on the bed.

Her hair was tousled by the wind, her cheeks still flushed from his kisses. She looked beautiful and wild, a woman possessed with an almost ethereal natural beauty. Staring into her eyes, he slowly peeled down her suit so that he could caress her breasts. Her head tilted backward and she closed her eyes as he touched her. Within seconds he had her completely naked, her form illuminated in the soft light. He took a moment, his breath ragged as he took in the sight of her long legs and voluptuous curves.

She gingerly ran her fingers across the starched linen of his shirt. Looking him in the eye, she took on the role of temptress. She ran her hands down his front, a smile touching her lips as she pressed against the hard mound in his pants. She unzipped them and took him out, caressing him with her fingers.

Lessa knelt over him and guided him inside. She moved above him like a woman possessed, determined to seek her own pleasure. He watched her carefully, controlling his own desire until she inhaled sharply and her body trembled with release. Only then did he let himself share in the pleasure.

As Lessa kissed him tenderly, he wrapped her in his arms.

“What have you done to me?” he whispered. “What have you done?”

The next morning, Lessa woke up in a tousled mess of sheets. Unlike before, she felt no urge to sneak away. She was happy right where she was, nestled in Rick’s arms.

“Good morning,” he said, running his finger across her bottom lip.

“Morning,” she said, nestling even deeper into the crook of his arm as she listened to the sounds of the hotel coming to life. A breakfast cart being wheeled past their room, a mother scolding her children. A shower was turned on; an alarm clock was turned off. In fact, she could hear…well, everything.

“These walls certainly aren’t soundproof, are they?” she said.

“I’ll have to sneak you out of this hotel after last night. I’m surprised no one called security.”

She laughed and then fell silent.

“It’s too late for regrets,” he said.

“I don’t have any regrets.”

He kissed her on the lips. “I’m glad to hear that.”

She leaned over him, glancing at the clock on the table. It was almost time to go. As if reading her mind, he said, “I guess we should get going.”

“You first,” she said, nodding toward the bathroom. “I just want to lie here for a minute.”

He gave her a kiss and then, reluctantly, broke away. As she watched him walk into the bathroom, she couldn’t help but wonder how long it would be before she saw a man naked again.

The pit in her stomach, the emptiness that was filling her heart…it was all about sex, right? No. The sex had been amazing, no doubt about it. But the impending dry spell would not cause this kind of pain. It was Rick she would miss.

She was suddenly overcome with sadness. She couldn’t help but wish things were different. Wish that perhaps they had met under different circumstances. If they didn’t each carry their own complicated baggage, would they have had a chance? She didn’t know. The only thing she was certain of was that he was still there and still naked.

She heard the shower going and followed the sound into the bathroom, opening the shower door. His thick hair was slicked back. He looked like he was ready for a black tie affair, minus the tux and undergarments. He smiled his sexy half grin and held out his hand toward her.

She stepped inside. The water beat down as she ran her fingers up and down his naked and wet torso. She could see his shaft grow heavy as he pressed against her. He took the soap and slid it around her back, up and down her legs. He reached between her and fingered her as the warm water beat against them. Only when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore did he lift her up and enter her, holding her against the side of the shower with his bare strength.

Afterward, he wrapped the towel around her shoulders and kissed her. “I’m liking this hotel more and more.”

A knock sounded on Rick’s door. “Mr. Parker? Are you ready for your tour?”

They dressed hurriedly and headed back outside. A steamy heat and the threat of a storm welcomed them. As they were led around the property, she couldn’t help but notice the change in Rick. Perhaps it was their lovemaking or perhaps just the knowledge that Sabrina was ready to give them their shares, but Rick was joking, even laughing with the owner as he offered Lessa suggestions on ways they could improve the property.

As she walked by Rick’s side, she thought about her parents and how they must have felt viewing their first property. It wasn’t the same, of course. Rick, unlike her father, had been doing this for years and was at the top of his game. But this was her first property, the first one that she had discovered and wanted to buy, and she felt an excitement in the air. A big what-if.

And although, in the end, Rick did not agree to purchase the property, he at least agreed to consider it. She knew that whatever decision he made, she would have to trust him. For the first time ever, she saw a light at the end of the tunnel. He was her partner but he was also much more. He was her friend.