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Tomorrow night?
He wasn't coming back to my room?
I couldn't remember a time that a man hadn't pursued a night in bed with me, and though I was slightly mortified he was passing up on an evening of sweaty, mind-blowing sex, I fought through the disappointment and confusion and answered, "I would love that."
"I'll be done with my shift around six. I'll swing by and pick you up. I have another wonderful place to take you."
"I can't wait."
He lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss against my skin. "Good night, Alice. Sleep tight."
Still struggling to process I was going to bed alone after what I'd thought was such a perfect night ... and amazing, electric connection ... I stood on the balcony alone, grasping the railing and trying to get ahold of the senses he'd stolen from me as I watched him walk away.
What the hell just happened?
Was I not attractive enough? Was I too old? I hadn't told him, or anyone for that matter, my true age, but he must have figured out I was significantly older than him. But I'd had men halfhisage fawning over me just today.
I gasped and clutched my neck.
The hair. Oh, God. He saw the hair earlier. He knows I'm an old, bearded lady, and he's disgusted by me.
As my self-confidence took a swan dive into the ocean, I stood staring at his fit figure walking away. In all my life, I'd never once doubted my attractiveness ... until recently. The aching feet. The rogue hairs. The extra units of Botox now needed to smooth away the lines trying to carve their way onto my face. It hit me like a Mack truck that even though I'd been fighting a valiant battle against the clock, I couldn't stop the hands of time from ticking away.
I was getting old.
And apparently, Alejandro wasn't interested in me.
My heart sank as if I'd tossed it overboard, but just as I'd hit the deepest depths of despair over my current realization that I couldn't stay sexy and young forever, Alejandro stopped and turned around.
"I can't wait to see you again tomorrow, Cariño. I have so much to show you, and I can't wait to learn everything there is to know about you."
With a soft kiss blown my way, my self-confidence came flooding back. He wanted to see me again. If he weren't interested in me, surely he would have rushed away without another word, never to be seen again. But that wasn't what was happening. My heart lifted with the realization he wasn't disgusted by me and my aging carcass ... it was romance. A gentleman interested in getting to know more about me than what I looked like without my clothes on.
Part of me was wild with disappointment that we weren't spending the night together, but the other part of me was wild with building desire ... desire I knew would only amplify by not taking him home tonight. And deep down, I didn't want to. I wanted to draw out this strange connection with him as long as I could.
Savor it.
Feeling shocked it hadn't even occurred to me that romance and manners kept him from dragging me back to bed, I stood stunned for a moment before I lifted my hand and returned the kiss, blowing it off my fingertips.
My wish had been to go on a Cougar Cruise to meet sexy, young studs and have hot, meaningless sex, and yet somehow, it had transformed into a different kind of adventure.
Romance.
A wish I hadn't even considered, but one I was now thoroughly ready to explore.
