Connected (Connections, #1)(42)

I slip on his button-down shirt. I laugh at the words he just spoke that mimic my own from so long ago. Shaking my head, I turn and see him laughing just as hard. Oh yeah, add makes me laugh often to my list of endearing River qualities.

Entering the bathroom with none of my toiletries in hand, I sit for a while and just think. Having decided to at least wash my face before going to get my bag, I look in the mirror and run my fingers through my hair. Then I see his toothbrush. Why not?

Coming out of the bathroom, I grab my phone and give Aerie a quick call.

“Why haven’t you called me back? I must have called you ten times,” Aerie answers the phone as her greeting, and I know a quick call is out the window. I was hoping she’d still be asleep and I’d just leave her a message.

In a low tone I answer, “I’m sorry. I’m calling you back now.”

“Dahlia, where are you? Why are you talking so low?”

“I’m in Las Vegas. You know that.”

“No. Where are you right now?”

Knowing it’s easier to just tell her, I whisper, “In his suite.”

“River’s?! You are? Really! And?”

“Umm . . . Well it’s kind of a long story and I will tell you later but,” I say, trying to choose my words carefully. Then I just blurt out the rest. “We went out to dinner and then I spent the night with him.”

In a cautious tone, she says, “Are you telling me you had sex with River Wilde?”

“Yes Aerie, that is what I’m telling you.”

“You’re shitting me,” she says, her voice full of skepticism.

“No I’m not. What? Is it that hard for you to believe he’d be interested in me?”

“Of course not Dahlia. Men are always interested in you. It’s you I’m surprised about. You’re not exactly a Miss One-night Stand. Were you drunk?”

“No Aerie. Can we talk about this later please? Like I said it’s a long story.”

“Well at least tell me how it was? Was it good?”

“Aerie I’m hanging up now.”

“No, Dahlia wait. Are you okay?”

“Aerie I had sex, not surgery. Of course I’m okay.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it. We both know you had a crush on him. I just want to make sure you’re in the right frame of mind. Having sex with someone is one thing, but having sex with someone you already know gets around is another.”

“Aerie how do you know he gets around? And anyway it was one night. We’ll say goodbye, and I’ll never see him again I’m sure.” I decide not to tell her I haven’t even done the interview yet.

“Okay Dahlia girl I get it. And I don’t know he gets around, I’ve just heard he doesn’t keep a girlfriend for long.”

“Aerie I’m fine, and I’m hanging up now. I’ll call you later. Goodbye.”

“Bye Dahlia, and don’t forget to call me this time.”

I hang up the phone and ponder Aerie’s comments a moment before glancing over to the open sliding glass door where the sun is starting to rise. Pink and purple waves of color paint the horizon over the mountains and I really want to see the beauty of this new day, so I decide to get my toiletry bag later.

My pulse quickens as I see him sitting in a chair, wearing only his jeans; his leg over one knee. Walking toward him, I see a pot of coffee and croissants sitting on the table beside him. He grins at me and pours two cups of coffee. “Cream and sugar?”

Standing at the door, watching him, and smiling larger than life I say, “Cream only, kind sir,” and then with my hand on my hip I continue, “And I’m so glad you’re a coffee-drinking kind of man, now that I know, I can stop stalking you.”

He winks at me while pouring cream into one of the cups and he quips, “Oddly enough, a sexy woman with stalking tendencies doesn’t seem to bother me.”

Crossing my arms and leaning a hip against the doorframe, I can’t help but laugh. “I just bet.”

He smirks and says, “And here I thought you’d be a cream and sugar kind of girl with all your sweetness in the morning.”

I move my hands to my hips and say, “What, I’m not sweet enough already?” Then throwing caution to the wind, feeling so comfortable with him, experiencing not an ounce of unease or pretense, I stroll over to him as he motions me to sit on his lap.

The early dawn turns into a hazy morning, light streams from the beautiful yellow glow to my east. I sit on his lap with my knees bent and feet resting on his knee. We drink our coffee as he feeds me pieces of a croissant since one of my hands is glued to my morning coffee and the other is wrapped around his neck.

We continue to kiss and talk even after the sun has fully risen. Dazzling beams of sunlight reflect in his tousled hair and it takes on a multitude of shades from blonde to brown. I look at this incredibly attractive man in awe. He catches my gaze and kisses me a little longer and a little deeper. His touches also become more intimate. I try to calm the overwhelming feeling of desire creeping throughout my body. As his fingers drift up my leg, I suddenly become fully aware that I’m pantiless. I grab his hand and say, “Come on, we have to do the interview,” then pull him through the door heading toward the living room.

Stopping in the bedroom, he grins and nods toward the bed. “You can interview me while we lay in bed.”