I sit and pout on my bed and realize I can’t get out of this dress alone. I’d called a housekeeper upstairs to zip me in earlier, and I sure as hell am not going to ask Keith to unzip me because it’ll seem like I’m throwing myself at him. As a result, I call down and ask for a maid to come to my assistance.
The young woman that comes to my aid is a curvy girl like me. She unzips me and as I hand her a tip, she looks like she wants to say something. I shoot her an inquiring look, using the name on her name tag.
“Is everything ok, Francesca?”
She hesitates, like she’s struggling for the right words. She finally asks, “Miss Laine, how did you make that man fall in love with you?”
I’m taken aback for a second. “Oh, I don’t think that he’s in love with me.”
She nods furiously.
“Oh yes, mademoiselle, he is. I can see it. It’s not easy for girls like us to get men like that to fall in love with us, and I want to know if there is a trick? Would you be so kind as to share it with me?”
I feel bad for this pretty young girl because I see so much of myself in her in this brief encounter. I see the insecurity and doubt in her eyes; they’re the same insecurities and doubts that have kept me from going after things I want. I smile kindly at her.
“Francesca, the best advice I can give you is this: whatever issues other people have with your body are THEIR issues. Don’t let them become yours. Your guy will come along, I promise, and any guy that wants you to change or lose weight isn’t the right man. I didn’t do anything except be myself with Mr. Commons.”
She blushes and nods.
“Thank you, Miss Laine. I appreciate your advice.”
As the door clicks behind Francesca, I know I’m going to do my best to escape that reflection of my insecurity I saw in her eyes. I let my dress fall to the floor and check out how my bustier has fared under my dress. It’s as crisp as when I put it on and the way it laces up accentuates my curves. I usually wear fun and flirty colors when it comes to bras and panties so this black makes me feel like a sexy vamp. I decide to leave the stilettos on. My pumps stayed on the first time we had sex on the plane and I feel it works for us, especially considering that Keith owns a shoe company.
I pour a couple of glasses of the complimentary French wine that was in my suite when we arrived. I freshen up my lipstick and put a dab more perfume behind my ears and on my wrists before I knock on the door that connects my suite to Mr. Commons.
His response is surprisingly fast. The alpha male opens the door dressed in only a pair of silk pajama bottoms, and my mouth waters at the sight of that bronzed, sculpted chest. I hold a glass of wine out to him and smile in what I hope is a seductive manner.
“I wasn’t finished with you for the evening.”
But Keith doesn’t want wine. His eyes flare as he takes the wine glass and sets it on the table to his left. Then, he takes mine and sets it beside his so that all barriers are gone. Both of his hands are free, and they bury in my curls and pull my mouth to his. I’m swept up for a moment in his immediate assertion of control and then remember that I planned to seduce him.
I extricate myself from his grasp and firmly push him back a step with my hand on his chest. I enjoy the look of confusion on his face, his handsome features almost in a scowl. Then, I reach for my glass of wine and take a leisurely sip.
“What’s going on here?” he manages to get out. I smirk.
“Well, since you decided to drop me off at my door without any explanation, I’ve decided that I’m going to be the aggressor tonight.” His blue eyes darken.
“I just didn’t want to move too fast for you, Kelsey. You look incredibly sexy. I do want to take you.” I smirk again.
“I can tell because those silk pajama pants don’t hide anything. But you lost your opportunity to be the aggressor. It’s my turn now.”
We move further into his room, and I push him back so his legs hit the bed and he’s forced to sit on the edge of it. This new feeling of power and control is a rush and somehow, I already know what to do next. I’ve never been the dominant in sex before but Keith has already given me the confidence to take that role with him. I set one knee beside him on the bed and leave my other foot on the floor. I bend down to kiss him so he’s looking up at me worshipfully. I slowly take his mouth with mine, kissing him softly and sensuously while one hand grasps his dark hair and the other runs up and down the taut muscles of his arm.