"So you can go to sleep now, and I'll be out here reading a book. No expectations," Samuel said.
Theresa slowly shook her head. "You're a very strange guy, you know that?" she said, but her eyes were warm now. She looked down at the check again, and then she looked up and smiled, the tension going out of her body. Samuel suddenly, desperately wished he could reach out and kiss her. But of course he couldn't, not after that conversation. She was going to need some time to process this, to really believe that he wasn't going to demand anything from her.
And yet, as the door closed between them again, his entire body still tingled with the memory of her smile, of the happiness and relief in every line of her body. He wanted so badly to press his lips to hers and taste that happy smile, to know what her body would feel like against his.
There was nothing but an unlocked door between them. If he concentrated, he could hear the steady beat of her heart. He could still smell her lingering scent, could almost feel her warmth in the place where she'd stood, a bright glowing spot in the dark room; as if every one of his dragon's senses had locked on to her.
His cock was a hot, throbbing ache, pressing against the confines of his pants. Samuel closed and locked the door to his own bedroom behind himself, a physical barrier against how very badly he wanted to be by Theresa's side right now.
He yanked his pants open and closed his hand around himself, gritting his teeth against the bright shock of sensation. Theresa. He took a deep breath, catching the faint hint of her scent that lingered in the air around him. He thought of her smile again, of her warmth as she'd leaned into his side on the bench by the lake. He remembered the lush curves of her breasts outlined by her black dress, the inviting curve of her hips and the softness of her belly.
Theresa.
His orgasm took him by surprise with its intensity, the world going white around him. It almost hurt to open his eyes and find himself alone in bed after that, two closed doors between him and Theresa. Samuel closed his eyes and imagined her by his side, listening to the steady thud of her heartbeat until he finally fell asleep.
***
The morning dawned sunny and bright. Theresa had left the curtains open when she'd gone to bed, so she woke up to the first rays of sunrise lighting up the room with a hazy golden glow. She looked out at the view of Chicago in sunrise, cuddling a little deeper into the soft sheets. She felt great, warm and comfortable, with the memories of how unexpectedly nice last evening had been still at the forefront of her mind.
Theresa closed her eyes and tried to recall the sense memory of it, Samuel's strong arm wrapped securely around her, the scent of his body when she leaned against his side…
Now that she knew that he didn't expect anything of her, that she was perfectly safe with him, she found herself almost wistfully thinking of what might have happened last night if he'd come into her room after all. Samuel would have slipped under the covers with her and wrapped her up in his arms, kissed her deeply and passionately…
Theresa slowly slid her hands down her body, trying to imagine it was Samuel touching her, Samuel's strong elegant hands, fingers sliding between her legs to where she was already wet and open for him…
Theresa hid her face in the pillow to muffle a moan and hitched her hips up against the press of her thumb on her clit. Samuel would slide a finger inside her, two, spread her open for him, he'd feel how wet she was, how much she wanted… wanted…
Theresa came with a long groan, pleasure washing through her in a wave. She stretched out on the bed, feeling heat gather in her cheeks. In a few minutes she was going to have to go out there and try to look Samuel in the eye without blushing.
Her room had an en suite bathroom, thankfully. Theresa took a long hot shower, scrubbing herself down. Her cheeks were still red, but at least now it might just be a flush from the warm shower.
Theresa's suitcase had been placed in a corner of the room. She hesitated, trying to figure out what she should wear when she had no idea what they were going to do. Finally she put on a nice blouse and a pair of slacks. It was probably better to err on the side of slightly overdressed.
Samuel was standing by the counter in the kitchen when she came out of her room, curled around the cup of coffee clutched in his hand. He was inhaling the steam with his eyes half closed. It made him look softer, younger, the intense charisma he had when he was fully awake muted.
He wore a pair of pajama pants, hanging low on his lean hips, and a soft, worn t-shirt that must have shrunk in the wash. Whenever he moved, the t-shirt rode up to show a strip of tanned, muscular belly. Theresa eyed it appreciatively, then hurriedly yanked her eyes away before he could notice. She was blushing again, she just knew it.