Page 93 of Chasing the Sun

He looked around the spacious, nicely appointed room, his eyes zooming in on the king-sized bed. It spoke volumes that she hadn’t booked a room with two doubles instead. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this excited about a hotel stay.

“What do you think?”

“It’s awesome,” he said, moving over to the window that overlooked the resort grounds. “I’ve golfed here many times, but I’ve never stayed here. Never had any reason to.”

He turned back around to see her smiling. “I’m glad it’s a first for you.”

He suddenly wished that he’d shared all his firsts with her.

Glancing at her watch, she said, “We have twenty minutes to get ready for dinner.”

“You’ve got it all timed out, huh?”

She nodded. “I wanted everything to go smoothly.”

“You can take the bathroom, and I’ll change out here.”

“Okay.”

She went over to her bag on the end of the bed and pulled out a bright floral print dress and a pair of heels. “You’ll find dress clothes in your bag,” she said, pointing to his duffel bag on the chair next to the bed.

He watched her disappear into the bathroom, and after she’d closed the door, he let out a sigh. How he wished they didn’t have a dinner reservation. He was hungry, but more for her than food. Still, she’d gone to all this trouble, so he dug through his bag and pulled out the clothes she’d packed for him.

While he was changing, he heard her moving around in the bathroom, and he wondered what state of undress she was in. He envisioned her graceful nude body, her toned arms and legs, and the sweet curves in all the right places. Before, he’d only dreamed about what was under her clothes, but now that he knew, it made her that much hotter.

He’d just tucked his shirt into his dress pants and was buckling his belt when she came out of the bathroom. His fingers froze, and his gaze raked over her, the breath temporarily stolen from his lungs.

“Wow!” he finally managed.

She beamed. “You like it?”

“Yes. Turn around.”

She executed a perfect turn that made her look like the dancer she was while he admired her appearance.

The dress highlighted everything he loved about her body, and the colors complemented her skin and hair. Her reddish hair lay softly around her shoulders and captured his attention like it had from the beginning.

“You’re a beautiful woman, Chloe.”

She came closer and whispered, “You’re a beautiful man.”

He swallowed hard. “If we don’t leave right now, we’re not leaving,” he warned, his voice husky.

She laughed, her eyes sparkling. “Let’s go.”

He opened the door for her and then followed her out. Right then, he’d follow her anywhere just to be near her.

He hoped the elevator would be empty this time so he could steal a kiss, but when the doors opened, another couple smiled at them. As they descended, he tried to tamp down his impatience, telling himself they had the entire evening ahead of them.

In the meantime, he slipped an arm around her waist and drew her close to his side. She beamed at him as they crossed the lobby to the restaurant, her heels clicking rhythmically on the tile floor.

“May I help you?” the hostess asked.

“Yes. We have a reservation for Chloe Miller.”

The hostess glanced down at a clipboard and said, “Right this way.”

They were seated at a table for two near a large window overlooking a patio with a water fountain gurgling in the center. In the distance, the white sand of Naples Beach and the blue-green ocean glimmered in the late-day sun.