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“Um...yes.”
He slowly lowered her to her feet, and she wobbled slightly. He placed his hands on her waist to steady her. Reaching for her hand, they strolled back to the car, stopping to rinse off their hands and feet. The ride back to the hotel was accomplished in silence. Both were lost in their own thoughts.
Before getting out of the SUV, he pulled his baseball cap down over his eyes and slid the glasses on. Coming around to the passenger side, he helped Janae down. “What?” he asked, looking into her smiling face.
“You hiding in plain sight.” She chuckled as they entered the lobby. “I’m guessing these people staring think we’re in the wrong hotel, being this dirty.”
Terrence glanced down at their clothing. “I guess we do look a little out of place. I haven’t been this dirty since I was a kid.”
“But you had fun, didn’t you?”
He slid his key card in the elevator’s PH slot, and the doors closed. Holding her gaze, he stroked a finger down her cheek. “It was the most fun I’ve had in over twenty years.”
“I’m glad,” she said softly. “I’m so tired I’m ready to pass out, but I’m way too dirty.”
He opened the hotel room door and stepped back to let her precede him. “It’s about four-thirty. You can relax for a while if you want, and we can get dinner around six. The party doesn’t start until eight, but I have to go down and meet with a couple of people from our publicity department at seven. You can come down with me or closer to eight.”
“Dinner at six is fine. Can we eat here?”
“Sure.”
“I think I’ll wait until later to join you. Will I be able to get in if I’m there before eight?”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
She nodded. “I think I’ll go get cleaned up and lie down for a while. What are you going to do?”
“Probably shower and relax, too.” Walking over to where she stood, he rubbed his hands up and down her arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Take the master bath. I’ll shower in the other bathroom. Let me get my stuff, and I’ll be out of your way.”
Terrence stepped into the shower and let the water run over his head and body. Bracing his hands on the wall, he tried hard not to imagine Janae naked, lying in the bathtub. Each time they were together, he saw another facet of her personality. She was intelligent, talented, somewhat shy and, as he learned today, playful. And she had him doing the same thing.
Until now, his dates with women had usually consisted of dining at exclusive restaurants or taking in a show at the theater. None of those women would have been content playing on the beach or hanging out at home talking all night. Thinking back, most of those conversations had been centered on the women wanting to know what parties he’d been invited to, other famous people he knew and whether or not they could get free concert tickets. Some had even insinuated that they’d be more than willing to attend all those high-profile functions.
He laughed to himself. Janae was the first woman he’d ever asked to attend a function, and it had taken her a week to decide.
“Yeah, she’s real different,” he said aloud.
He finished his shower, dressed, then went to sit out on the balcony. The temperature was still warm, and he dropped down onto one of the loungers. While there, he made a few calls and confirmed the meeting time with Donovan. Lying back on the lounger, he closed his eyes and willed his mind blank. He didn’t realize he’d dozed off until he felt a touch on his shoulder.
Terrence sat up and swung his leg over the lounger. “Hey. What time is it?”
“It’s almost six. I know you have a meeting, so we should get something to eat.”
He ran his hand over his face and stood. “Do you have any idea what you want for dinner?” he asked while stretching. He noticed Janae’s eyes focused on his bare chest. When she looked up, his eyes were waiting. A slow smile formed on his mouth.
“Um...what did you say?”
“I asked if you know what you want to eat.”
“Oh. No. I haven’t looked at the menu yet.” She whirled around and went back inside.
Janae leaned against the desk, looking over the menu. He came up behind her and pinned her with his body. Bending down, Terrence buried his face in the hollow of her neck. “Mmm, you smell good.” He pressed his lips softly against the space, then leaned over her shoulder to read the menu. She gasped softly. “What looks good?”
“I...um...I think I’ll have a Caesar salad with grilled chicken.”
“Sounds good. I’ll have the same.” He knew he should probably step back, but her soft curves felt so good pressed against his hard frame. Instead, he moved even closer and reached for the phone. After placing their order, he turned her to face him. “I can’t get enough of your kisses,” he whispered against her lips.
