Of Body And Soul

by L. J. Valentine

  Jason sat at a table facing the door. He spotted her the instant she walked into the restaurant. He followed her every step as she strolled to his table.

  "Sorry about the reservation mix‑up," she said. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, but stayed away from his lips, not wanting to suggest anything more. As she sat across from him, she saw in his dark brown eyes something she had never seen before. His sensuous face, usually direct and challenging, seemed troubled.

  "So, tell me about the problem with your reservation," he said, as he unfolded and refolded the white linen napkin.

  Andrea looked at him in disbelief. "Hi Andrea, glad to see you. Hope the trip wasn't too inconvenient for you?" she said sarcastically.

  "How was the flight?" Jason raised his hands in surrender.

  "It was wonderful. Remember when I told you about my parents best friends, Aunt Grayson and Uncle Charles? Well, Grayson sat right next to me on the plane.” Andrea picked up her napkin and placed it on her lap. “She has a place in Taos and we plan to get together in a few weeks."

  "I'm happy for you. I know they were important to you."

  "Yes, Andrea paused. “I feel a missing part of my childhood is back."

  "Not to change the subject, but what was the problem with your reservation?"

  “I don’t know. They just didn’t have one and no rooms were available.” She shrugged. “Guess what else?”

  “What?” asked Jason.

  "Well, while I was waiting for the limo, I met Emily's brother, Kurt. You remember him, don't you?”

  Jason nodded his head. "Yes, how can I forget?" he said sarcastically. "Wasn't he the guy who was all over you at Emily's party?"

  "Oh, Jason, please." She held up her hand for him to stop.

  At that moment the waiter approached the table with a bottle of champagne that Jason had ordered. She noticed it was her favorite, Veuve Clicquot.

  “Did you also order my dinner?”

  He took a quaff of champagne. "Yes. I hope you don’t mind?”

  Andrea smiled. “You’ll never change.”

  “I know your favorites,” he said as the waiter arrived with bowls of Lobster bisque.

  Andrea finished her bowl of soup and gently wiped her mouth. "Do you want to know what happened or not?"

  Jason nodded.

  "Well, Kurt and I ended up sharing the limo."

  "You mean to tell me he rode in the limo that I paid for?" He slammed his glass down so hard that the wine spilled onto the tablecloth and down the front of his shirt and slacks. He looked down at himself and proceeded to mop his pants. He looked at Andrea who tried to check her laughter. "Here." He threw the napkin in her direction. "You may want to clean up this mess," he joked.

  They looked at each other. Their eyes declared a truce . . . friends.

  "To continue with my story before I was so rudely interrupted," she smiled. "When we arrived at The Sebastian Vail, Kurt went in to check on my reservation and found none in my name. Since he knew the owners of the Sonnenalp, he was able to get me a room.”

  "Kurt said this, Kurt said that. Andrea be real. I checked with the desk clerk at the resort. He said a bearded gentleman canceled your reservation."

  "What! That's impossible. Why would Kurt do such a thing?" She winced slightly, as if she had been pinched.

  "I don't know, but I hope you look into this," he said. Jason raised his hands. “Let’s drop the subject.”

  Andrea nodded. Suddenly, she realized her meeting Kurt wasn't by chance. He planned everything: the plane, the limo ride, the hotel. The nerve of him, she thought.

  Jason interrupted her thoughts. "Are you listening to what I'm saying?"

  "Oh. What? What did you say?"

  "I said, I'm sorry about the phone conversation we had earlier. I didn't mean to act like a jerk. I knew when I left, our relationship was over.” His face tightened at the use of the past tense. "I didn't want to face the inevitable." He gazed into her eyes. “I wish things were different.” Jason paused a moment. “I still love you. I’ll always love you."

  "I know and I still love you, Jason, but I'm not in love with you.

  Jason reached across the table and touched her hand. "Let's enjoy the rest of this evening. I have to leave the first thing in the morning. A call came in right after I talked with you earlier. Something went wrong with one of my projects in L.A. They need me back there as soon as possible.”

  She nodded in acknowledgment and smiled. "It's not the first time you've run off."

  "That’s part of our problem, isn't it? I became an enigma."

  "Yes, you did. And the pieces of the puzzle don’t seem to fit anymore."

  He smiled and held her hand. "We were terrific together once, weren't we?"

  "Yes, once."

  Over dinner, they reminisced and both agreed convenience was the only solid thing in their relationship. The excitement, the rapture they once had shared, was gone. They looked at each other and felt a rush of the inevitable.

  "We still can be friends, can't we?" he asked.

  "Do you know, Jason, this is the first time we've agreed on something in a long time?"

  Jason nodded and paid the bill. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

  "But you don't like to walk."

  "I know, but you do."

  They held hands as they walked through the Village. The earlier strain and tension melted away. Relieved, Andrea felt they could stay friends forever. When they reached her hotel, he lightly pressed his lips to hers. He brushed his thumb gently across her cheekbone where the skin was soft and silky. Then he dropped his hand to his side.

  She embraced him and kissed his cheek. As he turned to go, his phone vibrated. Andrea shook her head and smiled fondly. "Jason, that thing holds you on an electronic leash."

  He shook his head in acknowledgment and pulled the phone from his pocket. "Sorry." He blew a kiss, turned, and quickly walked away.

  She watched until he was out of sight. Jason had taken many things from her, but he had given her comfort when she needed it. She would always be grateful for that.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The unmistakable fragrance of flowers permeated the room the moment Andrea entered. She switched on the lights and noticed a magnificent bouquet of red roses perched upon the coffee table. These must be from Jason, she thought as she slid the card from its plastic holder. "I don't believe this!" she shouted to the empty room upon reading the card: “To A: With all my tomorrows, and tomorrows, and tomorrows . . . Forever.”

  She savored the ambrosial perfume of the blooms. Happiness welled inside her as she undressed. Why do I feel this way? A thrill raced through her as she thought about all the trouble Kurt had gone through to be with her. Andrea coaxed a long stemmed rose from the crystal vase and ran it under her nose. She inhaled deeply and let her clothes drop to the floor in a heap. She glimpsed her nude body in the mirror and drew the velvety-soft petals seductively across her flesh. The sensation sent a warm tingle throughout her entire being. Exhausted from the day’s activity and confused by the sudden turn of events, she lay with the rose on her pillow by her cheek and allowed the comfortable feeling to wash over her as she drifted off to sleep—a vision of Kurt etched in her mind.

  A shrill from the alarm clock brought Andrea to a quick wake-up. She bounded out of bed and ran to the window just in time to see the sun rise and spread a magnificent burst of light across the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I'll paint that one day, she promised herself, as she threw on her leotard and gym shoes. She grabbed her ski jacket and headed to the gym for her morning routine of aerobics. She knew she had to find Kurt and address the issue from the previous day . . . his manipulation of the day’s events. Deep down she was happy he had controlled the situation and forced himself back into her life.

  Andrea noticed Kurt as she entered the gym. Undetected, she watched as he worked out. His muscles were rock-hard, well-defined and his body drenched in sweat. Her pulse raced. She’d never experienced this exhil
aration before . . . not even with Jason. She forced herself to look away, but knew she had to confront Kurt with what he had pulled off the day before.

  Kurt turned with a quick snap of his thick shoulders and spotted her. He watched her perfectly toned ballerina body, gliding toward him as he toweled off his sweat. He never imagined he could be so overwhelmed by any woman. He'd been with many women in the last five years and enjoyed them, but he didn’t love them—not the way he loved Andrea.

  As she approached him, she watched his eyes devour her. "Kurt, we have to talk about yesterday."

  He stepped toward her, a rueful apology forming on his lips. His silence compelled her to look past his lips and deep into his eyes. The chemistry startled her.

  "What do you want with me?" She anxiously asked.

  How can I tell her I want her right here, right now? He stood silent for a moment mesmerized by her beauty. "Let me shower and I'll meet you outside in about an hour. I'll explain everything then. Okay?"

  As he spoke, she couldn’t help but notice his pumped-up body, his tee shirt taut across his muscled torso and shorts drenched in perspiration. She breathed deeply. “Fine," she said, and slowly turned away to await words that could change her life.

  An hour later, Kurt stationed himself outside the gym and blankly stared at his boots as they dug into the snow. How can I make her understand why I did what I did? Would she, could she, ever believe me? I have to make her realize how long I’ve loved her. His heart ached with the reality of what could happen.

  Andrea studied Kurt from the gym’s door windows . . . his head down, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

  His head jerked up when he heard the gym door slam closed. His eyes locked on hers.

  Andrea walked briskly to him. She gasped at the stark sexual message in his eyes and the promise they held. She dropped her eyes in order to concentrate and keep the growing heat in her body under control. The warmth rushed to her face and she knew it was a dead giveaway.

  "Why are you following me?" she asked.

  He fingers combed through his hair. Then without thinking, he reached out and held onto her arm. "I had to follow you. Please understand, I couldn't take the chance of losing you again. That night when we met at my farewell party, I knew I wanted you to be part of my life and hoped I'd become a part of yours. Unfortunately, we met when you were involved with Jason.” He kicked the snow with the tip of his boot. “I wrote to you a number of times, but I never mailed the letters. I even called you, but Jason always answered the phone."

  Andrea took his hands and looked into his smoldering eyes. She knew he told the truth.

  "I think about you all the time, Andrea. Emily knows I love you. Always have. She wrote me about your breakup with Jason. It took me a while to clear up my commitments in Iran and fly home. To tell you the truth, I didn't think I'd have a chance with you, but I had to try."

  "Kurt . . .?" Andrea mouthed a soundless name. She felt the pull of his eyes and the power of his feelings for her. As they walked down the path, he directed her to a secluded spot. He caught her at the waist with both hands and impulsively swung her into a snow bank. She was only conscious of his nearness . . . his lips.

  "I need you to be a part of my body, a part of my soul. I have you now, and I'll never let you go, Andrea." He hovered over her and then seized her lips with his in a deep emotional commitment.

  "I want to know everything about you," she whispered, stunned by the intensity of her own voice and her feelings.

  "Well, I know a first-class journalist who loves a beautiful and talented artist,” he said. Kurt feather-kissed her eyes, her neck and her throat.

  "What else do I need to know?" She asked provocatively, barely able to breathe.

  "The only thing you have to know for now is that I play for keeps."

  He slipped his hands under her ski jacket. They burned a path down her back as his lips found hers with passion once again.

  She gave him an intimate smile, beautiful with brightness. "So do I.”

  They held hands as they walked back to the hotel in a comfortable silence. The sun, warm and inviting, added its enhancement to the moment. Andrea glanced at Kurt. Here I am, walking hand in hand with someone I really don't know, but whom I love deeply, she thought.

  "What are you thinking?" His voice was a warm embrace in the chilled air.

  "This is so surreal."

  “What?”

  “Us.”

  "How can you say that? I've loved you from the minute I saw you. Didn't you wonder why my attention was totally directed to you that night? There were a lot of beautiful women at Emily’s party, but you were the one I wanted to be with," he squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Come on," he moved with the swiftness of a great buck, "Come on," he repeated and pulled her along with him. "You're going to get pneumonia in that leotard. Let's change and go skiing. We're wasting this beautiful day."

  "Wasting? You call this wasting?" She broke free from his grasp and ran ahead, laughing and stumbling in her efforts to reach the hotel doors first.

  He raced after her and caught her before she made it to the doors. "Come here," he said in a voice brimming with lust. He kissed her in full view of the skiing crowd. "We'd better get our gear together if we plan to do any skiing today." He put his arm around her and caressed her shoulder.

  Barely able to speak, she nodded in agreement and followed him into the hotel.

  Four hours later when they took their final run for the day, he watched from the foot of the mountain as she skied toward him. Her rich, fawn-like beauty overwhelmed him. She's unbelievable on the slopes and fearless. As she skied toward him, he envisioned the great times they'd have together. "I think we'd better get back to the hotel. It's getting colder."

  "I can feel it." She shivered, as the wind slide down the mountain and took control.

  Their days were filled with morning workouts, afternoon lunches on the deck overlooking the mountain of skiers and wonderful romantic dinners. Andrea talked about her childhood and meeting Grayson, her mother’s best friend, on the plane.

  Kurt briefly discussed his childhood, but he spoke mostly about his sister, Emily. Obviously, he was devoted to her.

  Each day she promised herself she'd call Grayson, but the days slipped into nights and now, the week was over.

  Standing at the door to her hotel suite, Andrea smiled up at Kurt, as she brushed back an errant strand of hair grazing her forehead. "This week has been the best week I've had in a long time," she admitted.

  "Me too. All the extra snow made the slopes perfect." He smiled, fully appreciating the woman before him. At five-foot six, she barely reached his shoulders. Her red ski outfit complimented her porcelain skin and blonde hair.

  He had waited five years to call her his own. The whole week had been like an extended Christmas morning, not knowing what each day would bring.

  "It's been an incredible week," he whispered. The smell of cold air and fresh snow that engulfed her drove him crazy. He kissed her again.

  "Wait . . . Please." Andrea pushed the palms of her hands against the flat muscles of his chest. She leaned back to look at him. Her eyes were troubled and a frown marred her forehead. "Let's catch our breaths, Kurt. This is happening too fast." In spite of her words of warning, her breathing was broken by the rhythm of passion evident in her voice.

  "Sorry. I know I'm moving quickly, but we've got so much time to make up."

  Andrea sighed, "I know. And we will, but not at this pace. You won't lose me, don't worry. We've got the rest of our lives together." She kissed his cheek, lingering but a second. "What time are we going to dinner?"

  Kurt glanced at his watch. “It's six o'clock now. How about eight? Or do you need more than two hours?" he grinned.

  She glared at him. "Smart aleck. Two hours is more than enough time for me to get gorgeous for you. And just enough time for me to indulge in a long, leisurely bath."

  "Want company?" he laughed easily. "Maybe someone to s
crub your back?" His voice was as husky and golden and warm as the sun had been that day. He tenderly brushed her bangs away from those fabulous gold dust eyes.

  "I think not," she responded, wondering if she were crazy to turn down the offer from a man most women would kill for. Amusement leapt in her eyes as she turned him away from the door. "About face and march," she ordered, before she changed her mind.

  He gave a whirling salute as he left. Then he turned back to her and bowed slightly. He gestured toward the door with a flourishing wave of his arm. "Madam."

  "You are without a doubt, a nut," she said, and gently shoved him away from the door. "Go and get some rest. I plan to keep you up all night." She looked into his eyes and felt his lust projecting through her body. "Dancing. That's all I mean. Dancing."

  Humor replaced the desire in his eyes. He stepped even farther away from the door and bowed once again. "See you later, my Guinevere." As he walked down the corridor to the elevator, he breathed an exasperated sighed and turned. "I want to be with you."

  “I know and I feel the same way.”

  His need was compelling. He could almost feel her soft body beneath his and the warmth of her wonderful mouth covering his lips. He couldn't believe they hadn't made love yet. No way in hell had this ever happened to him before. Most of the time he slept with his date the second time he went out with them. With Andrea, it was different.

  Andrea leaned against the closed door. "I can't believe this is happening to me," she shouted to the empty room. Fleeting thoughts of being with him raced through her mind. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the water jets in the Jacuzzi tub. Heavy steam invaded the bathroom and filled the room in an exotic haze. She watched herself in the clouding mirrors, as her clothes fell to the marble floor. She ran her fingers along her neck where he had kissed her. She remembered his sinuous limbs, the pressure of his hands and the firmness of his amazing body against hers. Her body rippled with passion and an unexpected purr escaped her lips. She dipped her toe into the water. Hum, a little hot, she thought, but stepped in and eased her body slowly into the steaming heat. Andrea sighed in delight, reveling in the luxury of the whirlpool action. She rested her head on the terry cloth pillow and breathed a sigh of relief. Pulsating water hit her from every angle and her muscles relaxed.