I lay across my bed, again touching the floating heart on my neck. My eyes warmed. But I wanted to see him so badly. What could I do? As if on cue, my room telephone rang, and I snatched it up without hesitation.
“Good morning,” his low voice touched me through the wires.
“Good morning,” I replied softly. “I was just thinking about you. And you called.”
“Did you get my gift?”
“I love it so much.” My voice was tight with longing for what we couldn’t have.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d want to see me—”
“I do!” I sat straight up, clutching the receiver against my face as if it were his. “When? Where?”
He breathed a laugh. “Want to meet at the pool again?”
“Why don’t we meet at the main hotel pool? Then you can save the fifty.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “I’d spend it again gladly.”
“Give me thirty minutes,” I said, throwing the covers back
.
“I’ll be there in five.”
Walking out to the main pool, a dry breeze blew across the desert easing the heat beating against my face. The thin cover-up I’d slid over my shoulders billowed out behind me, and my red bikini glinted beneath it. The pool was enormous, and it seemed most of the conferees had decided to blow off their last day. I wasn’t sure I’d find him, and for the first time, I regretted not having my mobile phone. Although, he didn’t have the number even if I did.
I paused, scanning every face, when I felt a warm presence behind me.
“Looking for me?” His deep voice caused my eyes to close automatically in delight.
I spun around smiling. “Yes,” I breathed.
His blue eyes smiled back, flickering down to the necklace, his heart still sitting at the base of my throat. He blinked, and I saw the sadness I felt mirrored in his eyes, but only for a moment. As if he’d made the same resolution as me, he quickly pushed sadness away. We still had twenty-four hours together.
“Come this way,” he said, taking my bag. “I’ve got us a few chairs near an umbrella.”
I followed him past rows of loungers occupied by humans of all shapes and colors smiling, drinking, laughing, or relaxing. It was clearly the end of the week, and while for most, that was cause for celebration, for us, it was a sadness that kept trying to sneak in.
“Wine spritzers,” he said, leading me around the lounger.
I laughed. “Why?”
“They’re surprisingly refreshing in this heat.” He stretched out on a chair, lifting a silicone wine glass and tapping mine. I watched him toss back the sparkling beverage and sipped mine. I didn’t want to be fuzzy. I wanted to remember everything.
He rolled to his side, watching as I slid the cover-up down my shoulders. I almost felt shy as his lips curled up slowly in approval. “Red,” he murmured.
“It’s funny,” I said, fumbling with my towel. “I’ve never paid much attention to the colors I wore. Until now.”
His nose curled slightly with his smile, and I couldn’t help it. I leaned forward and kissed him. No one here cared. No one here knew either of us. The only two people who did were miles away exploring rock formations (or each other) in Sedona, and all my problems were even further away. I had no reason to hesitate in showing my affections. We could be as free as Elaine and Patrick.
Pausing before I straightened up again, I slid my fingers into the side of his thick, wavy hair. “I love this,” I whispered.
He caught my waist, pulling me to sitting on the side of his chair then he sat up as well, swinging his legs around and pulling me close to his body.
“You can’t do things like that,” he said, planting his lips against my shoulder. I shivered as he made his way up my neck, behind my ear. “I thought about you all night. I almost knocked on your door.”
My pulse beat fire under my skin, and everywhere his lips touched seemed to ignite. The slickness between my thighs had me wanting to lead him into one of the cabanas, where I could slip off my bottoms and straddle his lap. We could easily come together and no one would ever know.