Night in Heaven (2 page)

The world seemed to stop as his gaze soaked her in.  As he continued to stare at her, he was valiantly trying to come up with a way to spend more time in her presence.  The fleeting thought that maybe he should leave it alone entered his mind for just a moment, but he quickly disregarded it.  While he knew this attraction to her would probably lead to trouble, there was no stepping back now.  He had lived his life and made his success by the sheer force of his will and trust in his gut reaction.  Within seconds of seeing Crystal he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this woman was someone he could become attached to.  While that was something he really didn’t need right now, his entire soul was screaming at him to claim her, make her his.  On the other hand, his brain was fighting for him to stay calm and rational, to not lose control.  At this moment, he wasn’t sure which one was winning the battle.

“Have dinner with me Crystal.”  The words burst out of his mouth and it was too late to pull them back.  He noticed the shock and hesitation on her face, but was willing to spend the time he needed to convince her.  He
needed
to spend more time with her tonight.

“I’m supposed to go to dinner with some friends.  I don’t know if I should cancel on them.”

“Are they friends you see on a regular basis?  Will you see them again once you leave Mardi Gras?”

“Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?”

“Well, hear me out for a second.  We’re both strangers in a strange town and somehow we managed to find each other.  Once we leave here, we may never see each other again.  Why not enjoy our time together while we can?  So, dinner and drinks tonight and maybe we’ll see what happens from there.”

“I don’t know what else would happen.  I haven’t even said I would go to dinner with you yet.”

He knew he had her.  “Oh, yes, you will. You’ve already made up your mind, but don’t want to appear too eager.”  He stood up from the banister and started to step away, “So, room service or restaurant?”

“What?  Why would we have room service?”

“Because I saw the way you looked at me and I feel the same way about you.  You are beautiful and I want to spend more time getting to know you.  A crowded restaurant won’t give us the opportunity to really get to know each other, but room service will.”

“But I don’t know you.  It’s probably not the smartest thing to do.”

“But you know you’re interested.  You want to do it, even if your brain is trying to convince you otherwise.  So, how can I help you believe that I’m an okay guy?  Wait, hold on just a second and let me get something for you.”  Grant walked into the room and picked up his wallet.  He pulled out his driver’s license as he walked back toward Crystal.  “If I give you my driver’s license to prove who I am, will you have dinner with me?  Room service?”

He watched as she bit the bottom of her lip, considering his offer to her.  “Yes, show it to me and I’ll consider it.”  She reached over to grab it from him and as she pulled her hand away, his finger grazed the back of her hand, touching the soft skin as she pulled the laminated card toward her.

“Grant Reed from Potomac, Maryland.  Thirty-six years old.”  She handed the card back to him.  He watched her as she considered her answer to his invitation, almost shouting in joy when she said, “Well, Grant Reed from Maryland, give me forty-five minutes and I’ll be ready.”

*****

Oh God, what the hell was she doing?  There was no way in hell she should even be contemplating having dinner with a strange man in his hotel room.  What was she thinking?  Oh, yeah, she was thinking that he was too damn fine to let this opportunity pass her by.  Maybe this was a sign.  This could be her chance to really let loose and have some fun.  Having an adventure was the entire reason she had decided to come to New Orleans in the first place.  Grant had practically been handed to her on a platter, so why wouldn’t she go for it and take a chance.  She had his full name and although she didn’t tell him, she had memorized the address listed on his driver’s license.  She said goodbye to him and walked into the room and wrote down the information on a piece of paper.

The next thing she did was to call her friends and let them know about her change of plans.  Although she heard quite a bit of hollering and “go get ‘em girl” in the background, they made her reassure them that she would be safe.  She gave them his name and room number and told them of the piece of paper with his home address written on it that was on the nightstand.  All the safety details out of the way, she ended the call and went to get dressed for her night out with Grant.

Forty-five minutes later, a knock sounded on the door and she knew that it was him.  He had come for her and he was right on time.  Unbidden, her body again conjured up how he had looked on the balcony and goose bumps rose on her skin.  The entire time she had been getting dressed, she couldn’t stop thinking about him.  The way he talked, his smile, his tanned skin and long, tapered fingers.  Instead of her shower taking ten minutes, it had taken twenty due to her wicked thoughts about her neighbor and what might possibly be the most exciting night of her life.

He knocked again, a little less impatient this time, and she quickly made her way over to the door.  As she pulled it open to greet him, she was struck again by how handsome he was and her breathing sped-up as she gazed at the man standing outside her door.

“Hi Grant.”  Oh damn!  He cleaned up very nicely.  He was wearing a charcoal gray suit with a faint hint of pinstripes, with a light-blue shirt, no tie.  His hair was combed back, off of his face, and he had taken the time to shave.  All in all, he was even more mouth-wateringly gorgeous than he was earlier wearing relaxed, casual clothing.  If this is who she had to sit across from all night, there was no way she would be able to resist him.  Maybe she didn’t want to.

“Hi Crystal.  You look beautiful.  Are you ready?”

“Yes, just let me get my purse.  It has my room key inside.”

“I took the liberty of ordering our dinner already.  Since I wasn’t sure what you would want, I ordered almost one of everything.  I want tonight to be perfect for you, so that there are no regrets.”

            “Why perfect?”  She stepped out of the room and he reached behind her to close the door.  He then placed his warm hand on the small of her back and turned her in the direction of his room.  She knew it was kind of silly to have him pick her up when he was staying right next door, but she was glad that he had offered.  When they arrived at his hotel room door, he finally answered her question.

“Because I’ve been thinking about you since I first saw you on the balcony tonight and I want to make sure that this is a night you will never forget.”

            He opened the door for her and she walked into a setup that was awe-inspiring.  Although they were in the same hotel, his room was nothing like hers.  It was almost twice the size of her room and included a sitting area, dining room, and a separate bedroom.  The bedroom door was closed, and for that she was grateful.  While she knew without a shadow of a doubt that tonight would end with her making love to this sexy ass man, she appreciated the gesture of the closed door.

“Please have a seat.  What kind of wine would you like?  I have both red and white.”

“Red would be great.  Thank you.”  She watched him walk toward the bar and her body started to vibrate.  There was no way she would make it through dinner.  Food would not be a good combination with her out of control hormones.  Something about this man made her want to strip him naked and take advantage of him right here in the middle of the sitting area.  Never had she experienced such an intense reaction to a man.  Her thoughts were centered around the two of them making love, their bodies entwined on the floor, on the bed, in the bathtub, anywhere two bodies could fit.

Crystal’s breathing became shallow as she watched Grant pour a glass of Chianti for them both and marveled again at how sexy he looked.  He walked back to where she was sitting and held out the glass.  Crystal accepted the offering with a rueful smile and he stared down at her, making her shift under his penetrating gaze.  She felt the need to break the silence between them.  “Thank you.  So, how about a toast?”  She held up her glass, wondering just what she’d done to become lucky enough to have Grant all to herself tonight.  “Here's to new friends," she said.

“New friends,” Grant agreed, touching his glass to hers.  He then sipped at the drink, keeping his gaze on her the entire time.

As Crystal sipped from her own glass, the wine warmed her body even more and she reminded herself not to drink too much.  There was no way she wanted to lose control and do something foolish tonight.

He glanced at her over his glass as he continued to drink his wine.  “Are you hungry Crystal?”

She answered the only way she could.  “Yes.”

He gave her a questioning look at her one word answer.  “What are you hungry for?  Maybe I can have them bring it up to the room early, before our regular dinner arrives.”

She plunged forward, understanding exactly what she was saying to him at this point.  “I don’t think room service has what I’m hungry for.”  She placed her wine on the table and stood up in front of him, her hands going to the front of his shirt as she looked up into his hazel eyes.  “But you do.”

Her lips attached to his in an instant, swallowing any response he would have given.  She was determined to make tonight hers, to live for the moment, to experience all that Grant Reed had to offer.

Chapter Three

The kiss was cataclysmic and it curled her toes inside her shoes as Grant grabbed her by the waist and pulled her body flush with his.  His lips devoured hers and his tongue explored every crevice of her mouth.  He pulled away just for a second to whisper, “Crystal, you are so incredibly sexy and I need you so much tonight.  Please, let me have you.”

Crystal whimpered and leaned into Grant's body as they kissed.  She couldn’t resist leaning closer, opening up to him even more.  Her instant and heated response must have fueled Grant’s lust, because he pressed her body up against the wall as he kissed her, as if trying to get under her skin. 

His hands made their way to Crystal’s hair and his fingers tightened in her long tresses.  The combination of pleasure and pain aroused her senses even more and caused her to kiss him back even more deeply, coaxing Grant’s tongue forward with her own.  It had been a long time since Crystal had been so aroused and turned on by kissing alone, and she felt like she was twenty-one again as she gave Grant exactly what he needed. 

Grant seemed to press even more fully into her, the thick outline of his erect cock straining against the seam of his slacks.  His lean, muscular frame was flush against her soft curves.  Her legs widened as she tried to make room for his body to fit between her womanly thighs.  The feeling of his body resting in the “v” of her legs, his erect cock aligned with her pussy, caused her wet channel to contract and convulse, as if wishing he was inside her, pumping and filling her body. 

Suddenly, it seemed as if a dam had broken loose as his kisses became deeper and his body slammed against her.  It seemed that all hesitation was gone as his need for her seemed to take over. Crystal moaned, wriggling against Grant and her lush body moved restlessly, aching for something only Grant could give to her.  She desperately needed to feel him inside her and could no longer take the teasing and foreplay.

Needing to breathe, she reluctantly had to break the kiss to gasp for breath.  “Grant, I want you.  Please, make love to me.  We may never see each other again, but I want you tonight, more than anything or anyone I’ve ever wanted before.”

            He whispered back to her, his breathing erratic.  “I knew it would be like this with you.  From the moment I saw you, I knew you would blow my mind.”  He grabbed her under her ass and lifted her up, placing her hot center directly over his hard erection.  His mouth continued to place kisses on her lips, neck and collarbone as he walked them in the direction of the bedroom.  Making his way across the room, he lay them down on the bed, his body covering hers as he kissed his way down her torso, his mouth trailing hot kisses all the way down to her quivering mound through her clothes.  She was so slick and wet.  All she could think about was feeling his touch on her sex.

Grant couldn't stop his hands from wandering over Crystal’s body.  Every inch of her was gorgeous and he wanted to explore her thoroughly.  But right now was about his hot, urgent need for her and he couldn’t wait any longer.  There would be another time to explore her fully.  He slid his hand under her shirt and teased a nipple with his thumb.  When he heard Crystal gasp, he knew that he had to get their clothing off before they went up in flames from the heat.  He briefly pulled back and unbuttoned his shirt with one hand as the other continued to roam over her body.  He awkwardly shrugged off his shirt and suit coat from one shoulder and began stripping Crystal’s clothing as well.  Piece by piece, he bared her body to his gaze.

Their clothing finally removed, Grant gazed down at Crystal with a look full of lust and desire.  It was a look unlike anything she had seen before and it amazed her that the man looking at her this way was someone whom she never would have imagined would be here with her.  Oh yes, this night was definitely going to be remembered as the best one of her life.

“Crystal, I don’t think I can wait any longer.”  He reached over and pulled out a condom and laid it on the dresser. “But before we get to that, there’s something I’ve been thinking about all night.”  He positioned his body between her legs and aligned his mouth with her wet pussy, slick with her juices.  He placed butterfly kisses along the inside of her soft thighs, causing them to quiver from his touch.  His mouth trailing kisses in every place except the one she craved the most.  Slowly, as if savoring every second, he made his way to the one area that needed the most attention.  Pressing his nose against her mound, he inhaled her scent deep into his lungs and his hands tightened on her thighs as she moaned her pleasure at his actions.  At the next moment, his tongue took a long swipe of her slit, delving inside and swirling around her swollen clit.  His tongue continued to make swiping motions, licking up her cream as her body responded to his will.  It was as if she was made just for him.  Every response, every moan, was only for him.  As he continued to love on her pussy with his mouth, Crystal’s hips began to rise off the bed and pump his face, seeking even more from him as he pleasured her body.