Stay Beautiful

by Trina M. Lee

  “Just sleep. We’ll shower when we wake up.” Jonah appeared to be in no hurry to leave the bed. That was just fine with her.

  Though her body was tired, her brain refused to stay quiet. She knew if she slept away her remaining time with Jonah, she would regret it. After being awake for nearly twenty-four hours, it was a battle she was going to lose.

  Jonah’s hand in her hair was soothing, lulling her into slumber. She concentrated on the numbing sound of his heart’s steady beat. It chased away the thoughts she didn’t want to entertain and allowed her to simply enjoy the moment.

  The day would soon come and with it, the possibility of being able to go home. It was bittersweet, to say the least. Violet refused to allow anything to ruin the night. The only thing worse than having it be the only one they would share was watching it slip away in the dawn’s first rays. So she closed her eyes and slept.

  Chapter Five

  The scent of fresh coffee roused Jonah from slumber. He flung out a hand, finding the bed empty. Suddenly wide awake, he sat up with a start. Violet sat at the small two-seater table sipping from a mug of coffee.

  “Good morning, sleeping beauty.” She greeted him with a smile. Her hair was a mess and she was clad in the hotel robe but she was a vision worth waking up to.

  “Have you been up long?” Jonah rubbed his eyes and stretched. For a split second he’d thought she had left. He would have been disappointed.

  “Long enough to have breakfast brought up and run to my room to get my things. I’m thinking we may be able to fly out today so I figured I should be prepared.”

  The digital clock on the side table revealed it to be just past ten in the morning. He’d only slept a few hours. Violet had fallen asleep right away, leaving him to stare at the flicker of firelight dancing on the ceiling. For a while he’d simply enjoyed the way she felt draped across his chest. Her even breathing had been soothing, calming.

  When she rolled away and spread out across most of the bed, Jonah had dug the hotel notepad and pen out of the side table and begun to sketch. It had been so long since he’d just let the tool in his hand bring the images in his mind to life. After an hour of furious pen strokes he’d stopped and stared at the drawing of the sleeping woman at his side. Her hair was wispy and disheveled and her lips perfectly pouty, even in sleep. Then he had tucked it away in his suitcase.

  “I guess we’ll have to call the airport and find out what’s up. Have you done that yet?”

  Violet shook her head. “No. I thought I’d wait until I got a nice dose of caffeine and a shower. The snow out there doesn’t look so bad in the light of day.”

  Great. It was a good thing they could leave. It could have been much worse. They could have been trapped for days. If only.

  Jonah ran a hand through his mess of hair and joined her at the table. He didn’t bother with a robe and the chair was colder than he expected on his bare ass. He made a startled noise and Violet smirked.

  Coffee felt amazing after such a long night. Though as long as it had been, it was still too short. A platter of eggs, bacon and toast sat between them with a dish of fresh fruit on the side. They made small talk over breakfast, each seeming to avoid the real issue. Did they exchange information? Send emails and make long-distance phone calls? Or was that just prolonging the inevitable conclusion that there was nothing more for them?

  A slight frown creased Violet’s brow and he knew she was wondering the same thing. Jonah was a mass of confusion. His life had been going well. It was a smooth road of business success. He had been happy with his career and content to bond with a woman only as much as was required for some casual fun before moving on to the next. A recent promotion at work had reassured him he was doing well in life. Things were good. But now he wasn’t so sure.

  His job was boring. He’d thought so before Violet said as much. He had no time to maintain the connection needed with a woman to have more than a casual encounter nor did he lose himself in the priceless moments of creation anymore. His art suffered. He suffered. Jonah had been numb, going through the motions. Regardless of what happened with Violet, he knew he didn’t want to live that way anymore.

  “I don’t want to make a mistake here.” The words spilled from him before he could carefully craft them. “I don’t think we have a lot of time left together. I want to make the most of it. But I can’t help but wonder…do we keep in touch? Is that something you’d want?”

  Violet’s fork clattered loud against her plate in the sudden quiet. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to stay in touch. But I mean, what do we do? Add each other to social media sites? Send emails? I think what it comes down to is, do we want to see each other again? Can we pull it off? Because if not, I think it’s better to leave and have one amazing night we can both look back on fondly for the rest of our lives.”

  He nodded, finding it hard to meet her eyes. “You’re right. I would love to say we will see one another again but there are so many other factors that come in to play.”

  “Right. Work. Distance. The cost of making a trip.” Violet shoved her plate away and refilled her coffee cup. “I know what you mean.”

  The silence grew strained. Jonah was torn between what he wanted and what he thought was best. He laughed nervously. “Maybe we should wait until last minute, when we have to part ways. Make a split-second decision. Is that stupid?”

  “Yes. It probably is.” She laughed. “But I can’t think of a better solution. So it works for me.”

  “This is a little bit crazy.”

  “Crazy is good. Sometimes.” She rose from the table and began to gather a few things. “I’m going to hit the shower. Then I might brave reality and see how many missed calls and messages are on my phone.”

  The thought of Violet wet and naked with soap bubbles cascading down her body got Jonah up out of his chair. “Wanna save water and do a two-for-one? I’ll even scrub your back. Or anything else you want for that matter.”

  Her eyes sparkled and her lips curved into an alluring smile. Instead of answering, she merely crooked a finger in a come hither gesture and disappeared into the washroom.

  The bathrobe was pooled at her feet when he entered. She turned the water in the shower on and reached to test the spray before stepping in. The shower wasn’t designed for two but they made it work. If anything, Jonah preferred the close quarters.

  “You first.” He pressed himself against the shower wall, allowing her first use of the hot spray.

  He busied himself with the soap while Violet shampooed her raven locks. Gliding it over her skin with slippery ease, Jonah worked up a nice lather and though his hands were on her breasts, his eyes were on the bubbles that slid down the inside of her leg. Violet herself was a work of art.

  He thought about the picture hidden in his bag. How he would love to draw all of her. Maybe he would after he got home. He was pretty sure he had every inch of her memorized by now. From the tiny heart tattoo on her ankle to the birthmark on her back and even the faint smattering of freckles on her nose, Jonah had drank her in.

  Violet took the soap and gave up her place beneath the stream from the showerhead. As Jonah lathered shampoo through his hair, she rubbed him down. Her hands on his body felt so right. They no longer felt like the hands of a stranger, a temporary bed partner. They were Violet’s hands. She didn’t feel like a stranger anymore. Throughout the night he’d had many opportunities to get to know her. They’d talked, laughed and shared intimate secrets.

  The touch of Violet’s soapy hands was heavenly. She stroked his hard length until his cock was covered in bubbles, taking a moment to lovingly soap down his balls as well. Long after he was clean she continued to stroke him.

  They squeezed beneath the shower spray together to rinse off. Jonah reached to turn off the water and she stopped him with a hand on his wrist.

  “Not so fast.” Slowly, Violet sank to her knees before him. She held his cock firmly, her touch just aggressive enough to get his blood rushing.


  “It’s so small in here. And uncomfortable. Are you sure?” Jonah looked down at her and found himself thrilled with the visual of her knelt before him. Her wet hair clung to her face and shoulders and her eyes were bright.

  “Just stand so the water doesn’t hit me in the face,” she instructed.

  Before he could utter another word, she took him into her mouth. Wet and warm, the tip of her tongue played around the sensitive head of his swollen organ. She teased the tip before sucking him deep into her mouth. She was able to take almost all of him, a vision that looked glorious as he gazed down at her.

  With one hand she gripped the base of his cock, holding him firmly while she licked and sucked until he thought he would explode immediately. It took conscious effort on his part to hold back. He wanted to prolong this as long as possible.

  Violet started a slow, rhythmic motion, taking him all in and then slowly sliding him out from between her lips. Watching himself disappear into her mouth was almost more than he could take. She was certainly talented. Jonah watched the way she closed her eyes as she teased him with her tongue and he wondered how he would be able to let her go.

  Water dripped from his hair into his eyes and he furiously rubbed it away. He wasn’t missing a moment of this. The visual was almost as good as the sensations. Though it wasn’t quite as fulfilling as being buried within her pussy, it was a damn close second. There wasn’t a single thing he didn’t love about this woman. From her funny, delightful personality to her tantalizing body and ability to see beyond the everyday to the things that really mattered, Violet was everything he’d never realized he wanted.

  She fell into a steady motion, her hand working in time with her mouth to coax him toward the edge of climax. Jonah’s breath came faster. Hot water poured down his body, increasing the myriad sensations. His balls tightened and he could feel it, so close. Violet pushed him over the edge and he was suddenly free falling into ecstasy.

  Jonah opened his mouth to tell her but she was ready for his release. She pulled back but continued to stroke him with her hand. He could feel it all the way to his toes when he came. An eruption of seed that coated her hand before finding its way down the drain.

  A ragged moan mingled with the sound of the shower spray. The bathroom was filled with steam. It was almost stifling. After turning the water off he helped her up and captured her mouth in a bruising kiss. Lord, how he wanted her. It was as if he couldn’t get enough. Jonah knew that was partially due to their impending separation. He was suddenly desperate for as much of her as he could have before then.

  They all but fell out of the shower in a tangle of limbs. Jonah clung to her, unwilling to break the powerful kiss. Violet fumbled to reach the pile of clothing and personal hygiene accessories on the counter. In a motion as smooth as any he’d pulled off, she pulled a condom from between some clothing items and tore it open with a grin.

  “I’m prepared this time,” she murmured as she rolled it down his firm shaft. “Glad to see you’re still up for it.”

  “Oh hell yes.” Jonah wasted no time lifting her up onto the counter. He was oblivious to the things he sent flying onto the floor in his haste.

  Violet laughed, a seductive sound that made Jonah’s stomach clench. She threw her arms around his neck and held tight as he slipped into her waiting sheath. With a sigh, she slid her tongue between his lips. They were both wet and slippery. It was a challenge to hold her but one he was up for.

  Glancing over her shoulder he was drawn to their reflection in the steam-covered mirror. He reached to wipe it, needing to see more of them. The water smeared on the surface, distorting their image. It didn’t matter. He could see them locked together as he thrust into her and it was a sight he didn’t plan to forget any time soon.

  Violet locked her legs around his waist. He didn’t know where to put his hands. He wanted to touch all of her. From her face to her breasts and then her hips. Jonah could feel time slipping away even as he pumped deep inside her. The snow had only become a curse when it had ceased to fall.

  “Jonah.” His name was a whisper on her lips. There was so much he heard in that whisper. She was dreading the end of this too. Were they just fooling themselves? Would either of them feel this way if they’d met under different circumstances? Irrelevant.

  Her stunning breasts bounced in time with his thrusts. Violet threw her head back and moaned. She bit her bottom lip and utter bliss adorned her face. Jonah couldn’t help but watch with pride. This wasn’t about a one-night get-off for him. He genuinely wanted to please this woman.

  Jonah licked a droplet of water from Violet’s neck. His eyes closed and he thought of nothing but the taste and feel of her. She was hot and slick around his cock. Her hair dripped water that cascaded down her shoulders and chest. The cold drops mingled with their body heat, creating a refreshing contrast.

  Sensing that she was close to climax, Jonah increased his pace, ensuring that he rubbed against her clit just the way he’d discovered she liked it. He pounded into Violet with a desperation that was as enlightening as it was unsettling. Her moans became cries and Jonah felt a deep-seated satisfaction.

  “Come on, baby.” He bit lightly at her neck and earlobe, encouraging her toward release.

  He felt her tense, heard her cries and he couldn’t hold back. He came hard, spilling his cream in a sudden explosion. It had come from seemingly nowhere. Almost simultaneously Violet’s inner muscles spasmed and a flood of warmth encased his cock as she came.

  She grasped the side of his face with a damp hand and kissed him with a passion that made Jonah crumble. He held her tight for what felt like a long time though it couldn’t have been long enough. After discreetly disposing of the condom, Jonah picked her up and carried her to the other room.

  They sprawled next to one another on the large bed. For all that space, they needed very little. There was silence for a while. The call of “Housekeeping!” at the door shattered the stillness, forcing them to resurface and once again embrace reality.

  Jonah turned the chambermaid away without opening the door. Regardless, the spell had been broken. He looked at Violet lying next to him, her wet hair soaking the pillows and sheets.

  “Should we do it? Return to reality and make the necessary calls associated with that?”

  She shrugged and attempted a smile that never succeeded being anything but a frown. “I guess we don’t have a choice.”

  Jonah’s phone was flooded with emails, text messages and missed calls. Family, friends and his boss had tried to reach him. He stared at his phone, unable to give a damn. He glanced at Violet who was doing the same. With a sigh, Jonah placed a call to the airport.

  “So? What’s the verdict?” Violet asked when they’d finally each managed to get some answers. Several minutes on hold had done nothing to lessen Jonah’s increasing anxiety.

  “Tomorrow.” Jonah saw the anguish in her face. This shouldn’t be so hard. “First thing in the morning. How about you?”

  “Tonight.” Her voice was soft, almost inaudible. That one word was like a knife in Jonah’s heart. “I fly out tonight, around seven. But I have to be there early to deal with the airport chaos and security. You know the drill.”

  “Right.” He nodded, at a loss for words.

  “Jonah…” She took the phone from his hand and set it aside. Pulling him into her tight embrace, Violet pressed little kisses to his forehead and temple. “We still have a few hours. Lay with me?”

  He could deny her nothing. They buried themselves in the large, fluffy blankets. Jonah was torn between wanting to make love to her again and wanting to just hold her and talk. There was still so much he didn’t know about her. So many things he wanted to ask. Even more that he wanted her to know about him.

  “I sleep with the radio on because I can’t stand the silence,” Jonah blurted. “And I secretly watch romantic comedies but God forbid I’d ever tell anyone.”

  “Until now.” Violet laughed. “I’m honored
you chose to share that with me.”

  Jonah buried his face in her neck and inhaled her sweet scent. “I don’t know where that came from. I feel like I’m running out of time and I want to share so much with you. Although maybe we should pretend I never said that thing about the romantic comedies.”

  “Sorry, no can do.” She ran a hand up his side, tickling him playfully. He responded by tightening his arms around her. “Hey, I like to fall asleep with the TV on for the same reason. The silence can be deafening.”

  And it was. It descended between them like an unwelcome guest. Jonah racked his brain for something to say to fill the void. He felt like a dumbass for spitting out such random information as if it would mean anything to her. The longer the silence lasted, the more comfortable it became. He was content to listen to the sound of her breathing while he reveled in the way she felt cuddled against him.

  Violet broke the quiet first. “Would it be incredibly inappropriate if I said I think I’m a little bit in love with you?”

  Jonah let that sink in. Unexpected, yes. But not unwelcome. He didn’t always handle the emotions of women as well as he’d like. Violet was different. He didn’t group her with the rest.

  “Is it crazy that I’m starting to think you’re the one? And that life is punishing me for the sins of my past by dangling you in front of me for just one night before it rips you out of my grasp forever?” A huge pressure was lifted from him. If he never saw her again, he’d have no reason to regret voicing his feelings.

  “It doesn’t have to be forever.” Violet’s gaze locked on his. “There is no reason that it has to end at today. Not if we don’t want it to.”

  “Lord knows I don’t want to let you walk out of my life so soon. But I don’t want to risk what we have. It might be better left in this room, where nothing can tarnish it but time.” Jonah resisted the urge to roll his eyes in response to his own words. It wasn’t like him to be so sappy.