Page 21 of Along Came Amor
Best of all, they were from completely different worlds, and no one in hers—in other words,her family—would ever find out.
But this night couldn’t last forever, and it was time to get back to her real life.
Roman was still in the bathroom. Even after what they’d just done, there was something too intimate about joining him in there, so she climbed out of the bed and found her sodden panties on the floor. No point putting those on. The rest of her clothing was outside with the food and the champagne they’d abandoned. She felt a pang of guilt at the thought of all the wasted food, which meant Old Ava was rearing her head. Definitely time to make her exit.
Clutching her panties, Ava tiptoed to the bedroom door and peeked out, just in case someone had come to clean up the food while they were occupied. The coast was clear, so Ava made a mad dash for the doors that led outside. It was dark and quiet, but she was too paranoid to feel comfortable waltzing around outdoors in the nude. Grabbing her clothes, she threw everything on as quickly as she could. She’d wash up once she was back in her own room.
That brought up another thought. Did saltwater pools have chlorine? Could you still get a UTI from having sex after swimming in one? Damn, she needed to get downstairs and pee, ASAP.
Roman was calling her name when she reentered the suite. He was still fully naked, and it was an effort to keep her eyes on his face. Then she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirrorand froze. Holy shit, herhair. Even Roman’s sexiness couldn’t distract from the mess of frizz. She was going to have to get up at the crack of dawn to wash and dry it if she wanted to be presentable for the conference breakfast the next day.
“You’re going?” Roman asked.
Was it her imagination, or did he sound disappointed? Ava glanced over at him, but his expression was neutral. He was holding a wet washcloth in his hand—for her, she realized.
“I should get back to my room,” she said. “Early day tomorrow.”
He nodded. “All right. Hang on a minute.”
She tried to finger-twist her curls into some semblance of order while Roman went out to the deck. Thank goodness Damaris was showing up in a few hours because Ava desperately needed to debrief with someone.
Roman came back with his pants on, still looking sexy and rumpled, his hair mussed. He handed her a business card.
“In case you ever want to do this again,” he said.
The elegantly printed cardstock was velvety in texture and showed his name and phone number in block letters, along with the logos for VQZ Ltd, Dulce Hotel Group, and Casa Donato Rum.
Smiling tightly, Ava tucked the card into her purse. “Thank you, but I think it’s best that we don’t.”
“No strings, no feelings?” he asked wryly, repeating her words from earlier. But he didn’t sound offended.
“Yes.” She snapped her purse shut. “Can I contribute to the cost of the meal?”
He let out an exasperated sigh. “Ava. Come on.”
She put her hands up. “Right, right. I get it. You know I had to ask.”
“I know.” He gestured toward the exit. “Let me at least walk you to the elevator.”
They moved through the suite side by side while Ava tried not to think about the wet panties in her purse. She’d wrapped them in a cloth napkin in the hope that she’d be able to remove them before they soaked through, but part of her felt guilty for taking the napkin, even though she planned to leave it behind in her own room.
He pressed the button for the elevator, then leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek, leaving her with a lingering whiff of his cologne.
Lips parted, she inhaled, cementing one last sensory memory of him.
“I mean it, Ava,” he said, his eyes serious. “Feel free to reach out. Anytime.”
She nodded, knowing she wouldn’t. “Thank you, Roman. Goodbye.”
The elevator pinged and the doors opened. She stepped on, and with a final nod at Roman, pressed the button for her floor. The doors closed, her last glimpse of him shirtless and barefoot, hands in his pockets, with the understated opulence of the hotel suite behind him, and a look she couldn’t read on his handsome face.
As the elevator started moving, Ava let out a long breath and slumped against the mirrored wall.
Then, since she was alone, she pumped a fist in the air.
She’d done it! She’d had a one-night stand. Casual sex with a man she didn’t know. She’d asked for what she wanted, taken what was given, and maintained clear boundaries. For the first time in probably ever, she’d been reckless, and it had beenfun.
Tomorrow, she’d go back to being Ms. Rodriguez again,the unassuming middle-school teacher known for her in-depth lesson plans. But tonight, she was a woman who’d reveled in her desires, who’d lived in the moment and come out on the other side so much better for it.
