Cat and Mouse

that?”
    “I’m way too tall, too thin.
You’re
the beautiful one. You are, you know. Everybody says so.”
    Everything felt electric and so right. It seemed a miracle that we had found each other, and now we were here together. I was so glad, felt so lucky, that she had decided to take a chance with me, that I had taken a chance, too.
    “Look in the mirror there. See how beautiful you are,” she said. “You have the sweetest face. You
are
trouble, though, aren’t you, Alex?”
    “I won’t give you too much trouble tonight,” I said.
    I wanted to undress her, to do everything for and to Christine. A funny word, strange word in my head,
rapture.
She slid her hand over the front of my pants and felt how hard I was.
    “Hmmm,” she whispered and smiled.
    I began to unzip her dress. I couldn’t remember wanting to be with someone like this, not for a long time anyway. I ran my hand over her face, memorizing every part, every feature. Christine’s skin was so soft and silky underneath my fingers.
    We started to dance again, right there in the hotel room. There wasn’t any music, but we had our own. My hand pressed just below her waist, folding her in close to me.
    Moonlit choreography again. We slowly rocked back and forth, back and forth, a sensuous cha-cha-cha next to the broad picture window. I held her buttocks in the palms of my hands. She wiggled into a position she liked. I liked it, too. A whole lot.
    “You dance real good, Alex. I just knew you would.”
    Christine reached down and tugged at my belt until the prong came free. She unzipped me, lightly fondled me. I loved her touch, anywhere, everywhere. Her lips were on my skin again. Everything about her was erotic, irresistible, unforgettable.
    We both knew to do this slowly, no need to hurry anything tonight. Rushing would spoil this, and it mustn’t be spoiled in any way.
    I held the thought that we’d both been here before, but never like this. We were in this very special place for the first time. This would only happen one time.
    My kisses slowly swept over her shoulders and I could feel her breasts rising and falling against me. I felt the flatness of her stomach, and her legs pressing. I cupped Christine’s breasts in my hands. Suddenly I wanted everything, all of her at once.
    I sank to my knees. I ran my hands up and down her soft legs, along her waist.
    I rose to my feet. I unzipped her black sheath the rest of the way, and it trailed down her long arms to the floor. It made a shimmering black puddle surrounding her ankles, her slender feet.
    Finally, when there were no more clothes, we looked at each other. Christine watched my eyes and I watched hers. Her eyes shamelessly traveled down my chest, past my waist. I was still highly aroused. I wanted to be inside her so much.
    She took a half step back. I couldn’t breathe. I could hardly bear this. But I didn’t want to stop. I was feeling again, remembering how to feel, remembering how good it could be.
    She pulled her hair to one side, behind one ear. Such a simple, graceful movement.
    “Do that again.” I smiled.
    She laughed and repeated the movement with her hair. “Anything that you want.”
    “Stay there,” she whispered. “Don’t move, Alex. Don’t come closer — we might both catch fire. I mean it.”
    “This could take the rest of the weekend,” I said and started to laugh.
    “I hope it does.”
    I heard the tiniest
click.
    Was that the door to our room?
    Had I closed it?
    Was someone out there?
    Jesus, no.

Chapter 53

    S UDDENLY NERVOUS and paranoid, I peered back at the door to the hotel room. It was closed and locked tight. Nobody there, nothing to worry about. Christine and I were safe here. Nothing bad was going to happen to either of us tonight.
    Still, the moment of fear and doubt had raised the hairs on my neck. Soneji has a habit of doing that to me.
Damn it, what did he want from me?
    “What’s wrong, Alex? You just left me.” Christine touched me, brought me back. Her fingers were like feathers on the side of my cheek. “Just be here with me, Alex.”
    “I’m here. I just thought I heard something.”
    “I know you did. No one is there. You locked the door behind us. We’re fine. It’s okay, it’s okay.”
    I pulled Christine close against my body again and she felt electric and incredibly warm. I drew her down onto the bed and rolled over her, holding my weight on the palms of my hands. I dipped and kissed her sweet face again, then each