We both got what we wanted out of our suitcases. Then, she opened her laptop and sat at the table in one corner of the room. I connected my phone to the hotel's Wi-Fi and kept one eye on the television, which I turned to a sitcom. Now and then, I watched Gina as she stared at the laptop and tapped the keyboard in a rapid series of clicks.
When my eyelids got droopy, I decided to take a shower to avoid falling asleep.
Gina barely answered when I mumbled, pointed toward the bathroom, and kissed the top of her head. "Don't get carried away with work, okay?"
She nodded. "I'm just wrapping up a conversation."
I rubbed her shoulder and took my things off the bed.
The bathroom was small for someone my size, but adequate for my needs. Fifteen minutes later, I was drying off in front of the mirror and chuckling like an idiot but I had a great reason to be feeling myself.
Gina had brightened my day and I didn't intend to disappoint her later this evening.
She was on her feet when I stepped into the room. Her gaze went from my face, down to my bare chest and beyond the waistband of my sweats and back. Gina took her time gazing at me, totally unaware of what she was telling me by her close study of my body.
The urge to smirk came over me, but I didn't. Her skin would betray her and she'd be annoyed with me. I sat and tapped her on the butt. "Your turn."
With her face lit by a mischievous grin, she hurried past me clutching a handful of items. I could have pointed out that she didn't need to dress in the bathroom, not if I would be seeing her naked within a few hours. Knowing how she'd possibly react made me opt to keep my mouth shut.
I couldn't figure Gina out one hundred per cent, but she was a woman and that said everything. I'd never figured out how my mother and sisters’ minds worked, so I didn't think I'd get to the point where I understood any woman thoroughly. With Gina though, I was willing to put my all into trying.
By the time she came back, I'd pulled on a pair of navy slacks and a shirt of the same color.
"You look great," Gina said, reaching up on tiptoes to rub her lips against mine.
My hands went to her waist as I whispered, "And so do you."
Her black dress had thin shoulder straps and laces in the back, which left her skin bare. It was on my lips to ask her to skip dinner, but I changed my mind. I preferred to get everything else out of the way so I could concentrate on her, the way she deserved.
Dinner took nearly two hours out of our lives, but the curried fish and vegetables were tasty. Gina ordered roast beef and rice and peas, which she made of point of telling me how much she enjoyed. After a glass of port and some time watching a floor show featuring a visiting band, we strolled to our room.
We left the air conditioner on, so the bedroom was chilly. When I reached for the remote to bring the temperature up, Gina told me she was okay.
She locked herself in the bathroom while I scrolled through the channels, searching for something to watch. I'd just settled on a James Bond movie I'd seen before when she came back into the room, still wearing that dress which I thought was sexy on her.
I stood and took her hands. "Don't do anything until I'm back."
Gina wrinkled her brows and cocked her head. "Why?"
"I'll show you."
As I brushed my teeth, I wondered whether Gina was ready for what we were about to do. She had made a radical move by choosing to be here with me, but sometimes I sensed she was afraid of intimacy. In the weeks gone by I'd never pushed her, but assumed we were heading toward one conclusion. I hadn't been in any hurry to get there, but I knew making love with her would be special.
Gina didn't wait for me to say a word. She met me when I was halfway to the bed, sliding her arms around me and pressing her cheek to my shirt.
I turned her face up to mine with a finger under her chin. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
She nodded. "I think I am, but can I ask you one thing?"
Nodding, I said, "You can ask me anything."
"If I tell you to stop, as hard as it may be ... listen to me, okay?"
I let my hands move to her hips. "Is there something you should tell me?"
She breathed in deep, folded her bottom lip into her mouth and shook her head. "Not now."
"Okay, but I'm not likely to forget about this."
