went unanswered, his touch having rendered Alythia speechless and immovable for a weighty second. “I, um...” She motioned to the sofa, where a mosaic-print garment lay carelessly on a cushion. “Just there,” she directed, thinking that he’d intended to collect it for her.
“Gage?” she called, tilting her head curiously when he only stood there smoothing his hands across her arms. “Hey?” She gave a tug to the cuff of the black shirt he wore outside cream-colored trousers.
“Right.” He blinked and seemed to snap out of his reverie.
Alythia returned to the bedroom to grab her purse while Gage went to claim the wrap. She couldn’t resist making another stop before the mirror to tousle her naturally windswept hair.
* * *
Gage was in possession of the wrap and had come to the bedroom door to watch her fussing in the mirror. Where the devil had she come from? He posed the question in silence but could still hear the bewilderment holding the words.
How was it he had never heard of her? He posed the second silent query and then caught himself. Heard of her? Exactly how up-to-date was he on any movers and shakers in the boutique business? Besides, Charlotte wasn’t exactly a town where one saw his or her neighbors at the corner market on the regular. Still...what were the odds of meeting such a woman on a trip like this?
Such a woman? He considered that wording. Exactly what type of woman did he mean? He had a fine idea what type of women her friends were. He didn’t hold that against them, but that wasn’t Alythia.
She was very protective of her girls and he admired her for that. But was that all? Her looks and sexual appeal had captured him, there was no doubting that, but there was more. He believed that solving the mystery of her would simply ensnare him, happily entrap him far more than he already was.
Alythia offered up a sheepish smile when she turned from the mirror and found Gage staring. “Ready,” she gushed, not reading the true intensity lurking in the liquid chocolate of his stare.
She reached for the wrap, but Gage held it out of her grasp, choosing to place it across her shoulders.
“You think I’ll need this inside?” she asked.
“Doubt it.” His response was canyon deep and absent.
Alythia didn’t ask why he was draping it over her shoulders, then.
A good thing, too, because Gage wasn’t sure she’d appreciate knowing that his reason was only that he wanted to touch her. The flat sandals were chic, sexy in a totally subtle way. She would most likely have been closer to his eye level were she wearing anything with a more substantial heel. Her lithe, fragile build beautifully enhanced the full B-cups and nicely rounded bottom that Gage was more than a little curious to discover the feel of cradled in his palms.
“Second thoughts?” she was asking, seeming curious about his fixed expression. She gave another light tug to his shirt cuff and smiled a bit brighter when he dipped his head to veil a suddenly bashful expression.
“Let’s go.” He cocked his head just slightly toward the door.
Quietly, they headed out.
* * *
Alythia was surprised to feel faint pinpricks of apprehension take hold. She knew what had stirred them but had no plan as to how to approach the subject.
“So where are we eating?” she asked instead.
“The resort’s got a pretty good Italian restaurant. Um, loads of other stuff, too, if Italian’s not...not your thing.”
Uneasiness aside, Alythia couldn’t help but smile over how concerned he seemed about making her aware that the choice was hers.
“You seem to know a lot about this place.” She eased into the next phase of quelling her curiosity and satisfying those annoying pinpricks. “Must be nice to have a friend in the hospitality business.”
They had arrived at the elevator bay. Gage had already pulled Alythia’s arm into its usual place across the crook of his elbow. They walked the corridor, golden lit at night by the
“Gage?” she called, tilting her head curiously when he only stood there smoothing his hands across her arms. “Hey?” She gave a tug to the cuff of the black shirt he wore outside cream-colored trousers.
“Right.” He blinked and seemed to snap out of his reverie.
Alythia returned to the bedroom to grab her purse while Gage went to claim the wrap. She couldn’t resist making another stop before the mirror to tousle her naturally windswept hair.
* * *
Gage was in possession of the wrap and had come to the bedroom door to watch her fussing in the mirror. Where the devil had she come from? He posed the question in silence but could still hear the bewilderment holding the words.
How was it he had never heard of her? He posed the second silent query and then caught himself. Heard of her? Exactly how up-to-date was he on any movers and shakers in the boutique business? Besides, Charlotte wasn’t exactly a town where one saw his or her neighbors at the corner market on the regular. Still...what were the odds of meeting such a woman on a trip like this?
Such a woman? He considered that wording. Exactly what type of woman did he mean? He had a fine idea what type of women her friends were. He didn’t hold that against them, but that wasn’t Alythia.
She was very protective of her girls and he admired her for that. But was that all? Her looks and sexual appeal had captured him, there was no doubting that, but there was more. He believed that solving the mystery of her would simply ensnare him, happily entrap him far more than he already was.
Alythia offered up a sheepish smile when she turned from the mirror and found Gage staring. “Ready,” she gushed, not reading the true intensity lurking in the liquid chocolate of his stare.
She reached for the wrap, but Gage held it out of her grasp, choosing to place it across her shoulders.
“You think I’ll need this inside?” she asked.
“Doubt it.” His response was canyon deep and absent.
Alythia didn’t ask why he was draping it over her shoulders, then.
A good thing, too, because Gage wasn’t sure she’d appreciate knowing that his reason was only that he wanted to touch her. The flat sandals were chic, sexy in a totally subtle way. She would most likely have been closer to his eye level were she wearing anything with a more substantial heel. Her lithe, fragile build beautifully enhanced the full B-cups and nicely rounded bottom that Gage was more than a little curious to discover the feel of cradled in his palms.
“Second thoughts?” she was asking, seeming curious about his fixed expression. She gave another light tug to his shirt cuff and smiled a bit brighter when he dipped his head to veil a suddenly bashful expression.
“Let’s go.” He cocked his head just slightly toward the door.
Quietly, they headed out.
* * *
Alythia was surprised to feel faint pinpricks of apprehension take hold. She knew what had stirred them but had no plan as to how to approach the subject.
“So where are we eating?” she asked instead.
“The resort’s got a pretty good Italian restaurant. Um, loads of other stuff, too, if Italian’s not...not your thing.”
Uneasiness aside, Alythia couldn’t help but smile over how concerned he seemed about making her aware that the choice was hers.
“You seem to know a lot about this place.” She eased into the next phase of quelling her curiosity and satisfying those annoying pinpricks. “Must be nice to have a friend in the hospitality business.”
They had arrived at the elevator bay. Gage had already pulled Alythia’s arm into its usual place across the crook of his elbow. They walked the corridor, golden lit at night by the
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