Chapter 7
He was squeezing her hand so hard on their walk back to the venue, she had to remind him to release her fingers. But she smiled as she said it, and he told her he was sorry if he’d hurt her.
“Don’t want to let you go.”
“I like that,” she said.
Her thigh brushed against his as they approached their group. Her clip had been lost, and her blonde hair was everywhere about her shoulders, framing her pretty face, her flushed cheeks and plump lips he’d not had nearly enough time to explore. His breath had barely returned to normal, but his heartbeat was still rapid, matching her pulse. Her scent had charmed him, making him feel wild with need all over again. If she’d let him, he’d not let her sleep a minute of their time together.
Linda of course picked up on the change in their demeanor. He stood before her not hiding his guilt. The writer’s eyes glistened as she was nearly brought to tears. Gretchen leaned against him and he put his hands possessively on her upper arms, rubbing up and down, wishing he could feel her smooth skin under the blouse. His member was pressing already against her rear.
“Hey, your bride to be was left without a groom on stage, my man,” shouted Fredo when he saw him. “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to leave a woman at the altar?”
He didn’t care. They could rib him from now until the flight home. He was the happiest he’d been in two years at least.
“Where’s your shirt, Romeo?” Armando asked him. He too winked at Gretchen. “That was quite a performance, Trace. Way to make a lasting impression on your brothers.”
Trace realized he had to return the white pants and get back his own clothes and flip-flops. Gretchen was working with her hair and tucking it in to make an attractive French twist without her clip. Her cheeks were still pink.
“I have to get my stuff behind stage. Wait for me here,” he whispered.
Trace received praise from the pretty dancers who flirted with him, begging him to return tomorrow night He politely declined. He was handed his clothes in a big plastic bag and shown to the dressing room to change.
When Trace returned to the group, everyone had decided to retire to the bar area. He wrapped his arm around Gretchen’s shoulders and sat for a bit, enjoying the relaxed banter and laughter. More than once he was called out for his dancing skills.
“You should see Amornpan dance, Trace. Gunny left her the gym when he passed,” informed Fredo.
“Really?”
“Sanouk is their son. She teaches some of her Thai dancing at the teen center to some of the neighborhood girls. We got computer classes for these kids too. Working to keep them out of trouble. You’ll have to stop by so you can get involved.”
Trace had heard wonderful things about the project the men on Kyle’s team had done with the old Catholic school.
“Count me in.”
The group decided to call it an early night, so he and Gretchen went with several others in the van. The overcrowded condition made it necessary for her to sit on his lap, which he didn’t mind at all. Linda found one of the single guys to drive the Jeep back.
It became apparent the sleeping arrangements would not allow Trace and Gretchen to have any privacy.
“Maybe we can sneak off tomorrow night,” she whispered to him as she kissed him good night. “Thanks so much for sweeping me off my feet.”
“The pleasure was all mine, Gretchen.” He was at a loss for words.
“What is it, Trace?”
“I feel like I should apologize.”
“For what?”
“Well, coming on too strong. This isn’t who I am. I don’t want you to get a wrong impression of me.”
“You?” She stood before him with her hands on her hips. “What about my reputation?”
“Except you know you don’t have to apologize.”
“Good because I’m not going to. I didn’t do anything I didn’t want to, Trace.”
She sighed and Trace sent her upstairs with a kiss.
He found a game of cards had started in the living room, so he watched it deteriorate until no one could remember anything and the drink caught up to them all. One by one the company left, which gave Trace the chance to bring out his blankets and an extra pillow Libby had retrieved from one of the linen closets. He changed into his red, white and blue pajama bottoms, left his shirt off, and tried to find a comfortable position to fall asleep in. But his feet still hung over the end of the couch, and the ceiling fan was blowing down cold air. He got up to turn the fan off when he saw Gretchen’s form coming down the stairs.
“I can’t sleep. How about you?” she asked.
“Same here.” He looked at her sheer nightgown, which revealed just enough of her body to make her look sexy as hell. But he’d decided to slow things down a bit, to underscore what he’d said earlier. “You cold?”
“A little.” She was rubbing her arms.
Trace pulled one of the blankets over them both and took them outside onto the veranda. There was no view except the stars and the moon trying to shift from behind the large clouds that threatened an early morning rain.
“I got your stars here,” he whispered. Gretchen had tucked herself under his chin.
She didn’t say anything for a bit so he asked her for her thoughts.
“It’s like I’ve stepped back in time.”
He felt the same way. “Those were carefree days. But man, I was a crazy dumb kid, with no clue. Next thing I knew, I was in the Navy, puking my guts out at BUD/S, and then graduating one day and getting married the next. I guess I don’t do anything slow.”
“Do you slow dance?”
“I do.”
They started to move together to sounds of a distant singer calling to them. Her head felt warm against his bare chest. He loved the feel of her back and buttocks under the thin white fabric of her nightgown as his hand lazily traveled over the hills and valleys of this spectacular woman.
“Tell me about your husband. He was a basketball player?”
“Tony Sanders, Center for the Trailblazers.”
“Oh, that basketball player. He’s a hell of an athlete. How come a smart guy like him let you get away? That just doesn’t make any sense.”
“He was my first love. Maybe without all the traveling, it might have worked. But he liked to fool around. I didn’t believe it at first, and then I saw proof. You know what they say, the last to know. That was me.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through all that. My ex was the same way. That sort of behavior doesn’t appeal to me, although you’d never know it, based on tonight.” He squeezed her waist and pressed her to him as she giggled into his chest.
“Did we really do that? Do you suppose anyone saw us?”
“I know they didn’t.”
“How do you know that?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Well, honestly, I don’t, but I thought it sounded good.” He drew her away from him and searched her face. “Does it really matter?”
“No.”
He lifted her chin and kissed her. “I think it was perfect. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
She matched his kiss, her taught nipples searing his flesh beneath her nightie. He lifted the fabric and his fingers rubbed over the satin skin of her buttocks as she pressed her mound into his lower belly.
“Wish I had a king sized bed.”
“Me too.”
“But will the couch do, if I promise to make it up to you?”
“Do you keep all your promises?”
“Always, Gretchen. You’ll learn that in time.”
He felt her stiffen at the suggestion of an ongoing relationship. When he brushed the backs of his fingers against her cheek she softened when he whispered, “Or, we could just stay out here all night and watch the stars.”
“And you’ll keep me warm?”
“Baby, I’m going to make you so hot you’ll explode.”