The day after Jason left, she was greeted at the suite with two-dozen long-stemmed red roses. Plucking the small card from the bouquet, she read, “Sweet Stephanie, I can’t get you out of my mind. Until next time… J.” A smile crossed her face; he really was one hell of a marketing genius. Sure, it was probably part of his repertoire with women. She was convinced he had a reminder set in his Blackberry - Remember to send flowers after fuck.
Throughout her stay, try as she did, Stephanie couldn’t control her wandering mind. She fantasized what it would be like to have Jason there with her in the penthouse. Wherever she was, she imagined him there. She envisioned them having drinks together on the terrace, taking walks on the beach to watch the sunset, showering in that grand bathroom with three showerheads and a bench. Oh, what they could do on that bench! She just couldn’t shake the thought of him. No matter where she was, her mind constantly replayed the last thing he said, I haven’t tasted you yet. Lying in the huge overstuffed king sized bed, heat rose and prickled her body with the knowledge that he slept in the same bed only nights ago. She longed to smell him on her pillow and cursed housekeeping for changing the linens.
I haven’t tasted you yet.
What would it be like? She wondered. Reaching under her nightgown, she caressed her breasts and recalled how his tongue felt caressing her nipples. A sigh escaped her lips as her hand slowly teased the outside of her panties. She imagined cradling Jason’s body above hers, his hips seeking their perfect fit as she encircled him with her legs. She pictured him showering light kisses across her body. Visions of him coaxed her fingertips along her breasts and trailed to the inside of her thigh.
I haven’t tasted you yet.
Envisioning Jason’s mouth teasing the inside of her thighs, her fingers mimicked the action. She felt his hands grab her ass and his tongue sink inside her pussy. Stephanie reached behind her head and fisted her pillow as she slid two fingers deep inside her core.
I haven’t tasted you yet.
She couldn’t hang on much longer. Her mind conjured Jason’s warm tongue tracing slowly up her sex and parting her soft folds. Her fingers teased, as she knew Jason’s would by barely touching the bundle of nerve endings that needed attention. “Oh Jason.” She called his name breathlessly as she came hard and fast. The walls of her pussy contracted against her fingers and she pressed down on her clit to enjoy wave upon wave of sheer bliss. Yes, that’s what it would be like, she smiled. Only better.
Chapter 7
Stephanie neared the end of her trip and prepared to head back home. She walked through the lobby on her way back from an early evening run on the beach when she heard a familiar voice.
“Stephanie.”
Hearing her name stopped her in her tracks. She cursed the sound of that voice. Ignore it and keep walking. But she couldn’t. She knew she wouldn’t get rid of him that fast. Turning toward the voice, she spotted him leaning against the wall under the grand staircase with his arms folded. He wore sunglasses, but she didn’t need to see his eyes to know how they looked blazing down on her.
"What the hell are you doing here, Gary?" she asked him accusingly. She was angry with him not only because of what he had put her through, but also because his presence violated her healing process. This was her oasis, her therapy, how dare he enter her special world, the one she shared with Jason.
He slowly walked to her. "You wouldn't return my calls, and I needed to talk to you. We have some business to discuss."
"We have no business, Gary. Papers are signed. We’re waiting for the house to sell and then I plan to never see you again.”
"That's the thing, Stephanie, an offer came in on the house that we need to discuss."
"Just take the offer, whatever it is, I don't care. Goodbye, Gary." Stephanie started to walk away when he yelled back.
"I don't want to sell the house, Stef. I want you back. I want things to be the way they were with us."
The activity in the lobby came to a halt. All the hotel guests shifted their eyes to her. She moved to him quickly. "Are you nuts? Stop it!" The words hissed out between her teeth.
Gary took off his sunglasses and looked at her with red-rimmed eyes. "Please Stef, can we just go to your room and talk?"
She almost felt sorry for him for just a moment. Glancing around the lobby, she caught a few lingering stares and took a deep breath. "Fine, come with me."
He followed her into the elevator where she inserted her key to unlock the PH button.
"You're in the penthouse?"
“I'm the one who should be asking questions here. Where's Kristy?"
"Kristy and I broke up. Stef, that was the biggest mistake of my life. I don't know what I was thinking."
The doors opened to her suite bathed in light from the beautiful Miami sunset. Gary’s eyes rested on the large vase of roses.
"Are you here with someone?"
"My life is no longer your concern, Gary. Let's talk about the offer on the house."
He looked at her sheepishly, "There is no offer. I just needed to talk to you, to work things out between us."
He stood near the glass doors that led to the terrace, not far from where Jason was a few days before. As much as she hated him, she couldn’t ignore his good looks. Back in college, everyone thought they were the perfect couple. They were both long and lanky, his spiky blonde hair contrasted with her long dark tresses. They made a striking couple.
It seemed natural for Stephanie to compare Gary with Jason. Admittedly, she didn't know Jason well, but well enough to see all of the comparisons between them. Physically, Jason was stronger, tougher and rugged. He had calluses on his hands from hard work. He was at least ten years older, and so much more worldly and experienced. Gary seemed like a selfish, sheltered, and self-centered little boy compared to Jason. However it was more than that. In the short time she spent with Jason, she already understood the differences between the two men were as expansive as the Atlantic Ocean. Jason was a giver; Gary a taker. Jason was selfless, caring, and kind. Gary, on the other hand, was needy, selfish and sapped her of energy. Jason tried to make her life easier. Gary found ways to make it harder.
“So you lied to me to get into my room?”
“I lied to you so that I could have a chance to explain.”
“There is nothing to explain and no way would I ever take you back. Get out now.”
“Stef, hold on.” He came up next to her, ran his fingers down her arm and whispered in her ear. “Please, I was wrong and I’ll make it up to you, just give me another chance.”
What was it she ever saw in him? There was a time, probably right up until her Miami trip that she would have considered taking him back. Now? Not a chance.
“I won’t take you back, Gary. Not now, not ever. You destroyed whatever it was we had with your infidelity. Actually, I have to thank you because I now realize that we never had a good marriage in the first place, and if it wasn’t for your affair I probably wouldn’t have known until it was much too late. Goodbye, Gary.”
There was nothing more to say. She walked over to the elevator doors and pressed the down button. Gary reluctantly shuffled slowly behind her. He seemed to attempt a reply, but the only word he was able to say as he walked into the elevator was “goodbye.”
As difficult as it was to face Gary one last time, it was as if the last bit of weight lifted from her shoulders. Stephanie was finally free of her old life and feelings of inadequacy. The end of her stay was bittersweet. She looked forward to a new start but would miss Miami, and especially the time she spent with Jason.
The staff of the Hotel Del Santos spoiled her. Each morning they delivered a tray of coffee, pastries and fruit arrived to her room along with her freshly laundered clothes from the day before. Every night she returned to find a small bottle of champagne, a bowl of ripe strawberries and a few gourmet chocolates, all at Jason’s request. She tried to have the deliveries stopped but the front desk explained Jason Royce insisted she receive th
e treats each day. She looked forward to the end of the day, when she took her champagne glass out to the deck, put her hair up, and enjoyed the lulling, hypnotic sounds of the surf while soaking in the hot tub. Her last day arrived, and she reluctantly packed and called the limousine driver for her ride to the airport. This was a trip she would never forget, but it was over now, and she needed to prepare herself for return to her everyday life.
As the bellman collected her bags, she took one last look around the suite. She sighed and followed him into the elevator when something caught her eye. Next to the vase of roses on the foyer table was Jason’s engraved business card, right where he left it. “Don’t go back,” Stephanie whispered as she waited for the doors to close. His silky voice played back in her head. You can look at it as an ending, or you can consider it a beginning. The choice is yours. She stuck her foot between the closing doors which opened again.
“Did you forget something, Miss?” the bellman asked.
“Shit,” she said under her breath and walked over to the table. She took one long-stemmed rose and snatched the card off the table. Even though they were just words on a card, she felt closer to Jason by holding on to something that was his. She tucked the card into her purse and walked back to the elevator. The corners of her mouth upturned to a sly smile as the elevator doors closed.
Chapter 8
Rick popped his head into Stephanie’s office. “Are you feeling lucky?” he asked.
She looked at him suspiciously, “Why do you ask?”
“Today is your lucky day! Tom can’t make the Vegas trip because his wife went into labor this morning, so I need you to go. It’s a quick trip. You get there on Monday, and you’ll be back on Wednesday. You’ll be on a consulting basis for the client. So basically, if they have any product questions, you’re there to answer them. Good news is you’ll have a lot of free time. Just think of it as a company-paid vacation,” he said with a smile then disappeared.
Stephanie pulled her desk drawer open and took out Jason's business card. The same spark ran through her as she brushed her fingers over the raised print. Her heart fluttered as his voice poured through her head, the choice is yours. God, what she wouldn’t do to hear him call her “Stef” and to feel his burning touch on her body.
Stephanie laughed quietly and thought, Sin City, of all places. She realized that she already made up her mind. She made her decision when she walked out of that Miami Penthouse almost a month ago. Now, the decision to be made was how to contact him. There were a few options; phone, e-mail, text. Calling would be the most personal, but also the most frightening. No, she’d contact him electronically.
* * * * *
Jason’s Blackberry chimed just as he sat down for lunch with his general contractor. They were breaking ground that day on a new luxury multi-million-dollar housing development just outside of Salt Lake City. He pulled his phone from his pocket and read, "J - Vegas this Monday thru Wednesday. ~Stephanie." Jason smiled as he read the text.
"Good news?" a voice asked from across the table.
"You can say that. Excuse me a moment." Jason stepped outside of the restaurant. Oh sweet Stephanie, Vegas is perfect but two nights with you won't do. He texted back, "Friday - Wednesday."
A minute later his Blackberry chimed again, "Not possible."
Jason shook his head and typed, "You can swing it. I'll make the arrangements. See you Friday night." Jason hated to admit it, but he felt a sense of relief to hear from her. It had already been a month since their night together. He was fairly confident that she would reach out to him. He didn’t doubt for a second that she would be able to resist his last words, "I haven't tasted you yet." He knew the minute he saw her walking through the lobby in those sexy heels that one night with her would not be enough. His feelings were confirmed as soon as he felt her body next to his on the dance floor as she ran her fingers across his shoulders. That's why he had to give her a reason to see him again. It took every ounce of will power not to go down on her that night. He wanted to taste her sweet pussy, but resisted knowing it was the hook that would bring her back to him again.
Thank God she contacted him. He couldn’t get her out of his mind and figured he would give her a total of six weeks before he made the trip to Boston to search out her sweet ass. True, he gave her the impression when he left her that morning that she was in control, that she would be the one to decide if they saw each other again. What she didn't know was he had her contact information from the hotel. Jason was a frequent guest at the Del Santos and it wasn't too difficult to convince Max Martin to give him her work address and phone numbers. He wasn’t about to let her go that easy. Back at his office, he called in a few favors and found out a little more about Stephanie and her life in Boston. She was thirty years old, which was ten years his junior. It seemed like a large age difference, but Jason prided himself on keeping young. He still had broad, muscular shoulders and washboard abs, thanks to daily workouts. He also had a full head of hair that he liked to keep on the longish side.
Interestingly, he discovered another fact about Stephanie, one that he hadn’t expected. She was, in fact, recently divorced. She and her ex-husband, Gary, graduated college together and they were married for just over seven years until their divorce a couple of months ago. He racked his brain trying to figure out why she would lie to him. He understood why she would say she was married when they were stuck on the elevator. She obviously kept her ring on her finger as a deterrent to keep away unwanted attention. Why, didn’t she come clean after? He gave her a perfect opportunity to set the record straight the next morning when he asked about the male caller. Rick was his name. Maybe there was something going on between the two of them.
It drove Jason crazy to think of her with another man. True, they only had one night, but as far as he was concerned that night bound them together, and he wouldn’t be able to shake her from his head anytime soon. However, he would not tolerate game playing. He had been played enough by Jessica. No, he had no time or patience for games. If that was Stephanie’s angle, he would quickly catch the next flight out. He would not be burned a second time.
Jason couldn’t get Stephanie out of his mind. He thought of her curvy body, bewitchingly long, almost-black hair and deep brown eyes. His heart pounded in his chest, and his growing erection strained against his pants when he thought of their night together. She was so starved for attention. It should be a crime to sexually frustrate a woman like that, he thought, not for the first time.
The question was, how did she feel about him? He was about to find out. Three days remained before he would see her in Las Vegas and there were plans to make. He dialed his longtime secretary back at the corporate office in his hometown of Seattle. "Bev, I have an important prospective buyer coming to meet me in Vegas on Friday, and I need you to make some arrangements..."
* * * * *
The text exchange left Stephanie breathing heavy. She couldn’t believe that in just one text, he was able to talk her into spending an additional three nights in Las Vegas. Friday was just three days away; there was so much to do between now and then. She dialed her salon and made hair, mani-pedi and waxing appointments for the next day. A work out, a spray tan, and a stop at that sexy lingerie boutique in the city on the way home were also a must. "I'm leaving early, Rick," she said as she passed his office. "Lots to do before I leave on this trip you just sprung on me." She smiled as she walked to the bank of elevators.
The next day she arrived at her office to an overnight box and envelope on her desk. Both labels listed the sender as Royce Homes. Of course, Royce Homes. I should have put two and two together earlier. Jason Royce of Royce Homes. Jason’s card was a personal card of phone numbers and didn’t show his company information. Stephanie knew Royce Homes. The company built upscale housing developments all over the country. In fact, she and Gary looked at a model a few years ago in a suburban development outside of Boston. Royce was best known for creating living spaces with the homeowner’s l
ifestyle in mind. Everything was convenient as well as functional; however, it came with a hefty price tag. Royce Homes were the top of luxury and there were plenty of buyers willing to pay for it.
She wasn’t surprised Jason knew how to find her. He didn’t get where he was without taking advantage of resources at his disposal. She was turned on by the fact he didn’t leave it up to her after all. If she hadn’t contacted him, she wondered how long it would have taken Jason to come find her. Stephanie ripped the box open; inside was one beautiful red rose with a small water vial attached to keep it fresh. Also in the box was a card sealed in an envelope with her name on it and a small Tiffany blue box with a white ribbon. She opened the card, her heart pounding in her chest.
Dear Stephanie,
I was thrilled to hear from you. You will receive a separate envelope from my Seattle office with an itinerary regarding your flight, hotel and transportation.
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