As they walked up the sidewalk toward the tall building, she realized she was fidgeting with her hands, a sure sign of her nervousness.  Was it fear or anticipation?  She wasn’t quite sure, perhaps a bit of both.  On the one hand, she was a single woman who had desires, but, on the other hand, she was a mother who needed to set a good example for her children.  Sure, the boys were at a sleepover and her mother was staying with a friend who was recuperating from surgery, but what if they found out?  She would be mortified.  Looking into her companion’s eyes, she realized the mortification might just be worth it. 

She felt his hand on the small of her back, guiding her into the elevator.  He looked down at her, and she smiled shyly.  Again, she questioned not only her motives, but his as well.  They had a nice, leisurely conversation back at the café, and he seemed very sincere.  When she had first bumped into him back at the bar, she was struck dumbfounded by his enchanting eyes.  Maybe, just maybe, this was her one time in life to be adventurous, the one time to throw caution to the wind.  With renewed determination, she smiled up at Lee and allowed him to lead her out of the elevator. 

“I’m just down the hall here.”  He motioned toward the door, while he reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. 

“Okay.”  She was sure her voice gave away the falsity of her nonchalant attitude. 

As he slid the key into the lock and opened the door, she took a deep breath.  She preceded him inside; hoping the intake of breath would help calm her nerves.  When he flipped on the light, she took a moment to acclimate herself.  From the look of things, he had been a bachelor for a very long time.  The living room had a comfortable feeling to it.  The desk in the corner seemed to be a bottomless pit of paper.  There was no woman’s touch anywhere.  Funny, she was actually pleased about that.  But she wasn’t looking for ‘Mr. Right’; she was only looking for ‘Mr. Right Now.’  Right?  She mentally shook her head to clear her thoughts. 

“Can I get you some wine?”  His voice came from the kitchen. 

“Yes, I’d love some.  Thanks.  You have a nice place here, Lee.”  She raised her voice so he could hear her and flipped through the albums lined neatly on the shelves.  He had good taste in music, too.  He had all her favorites, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin, among others. 

“Thanks.” He handed her a glass of wine over her shoulder. 

“Oh my gosh!  Don’t do that!  You nearly scared me to death.”  She let out a sigh and took the proffered glass. 

“Sorry.”  He laughed.  “I didn’t mean to scare you.  Habit, I guess.”

She walked over to the sofa and sat down.  “What kind of habit, exactly?”  She was curious now. 

“Oh, you know…” He rifled through his records and selected one.  After starting the music, he sat next to her on the couch and sipped his wine. 

The sound of Miles Davis drifted through the room.  She knew all the old bands, since her parents were into them.  For a brief moment, she closed her eyes and let the music take her away.   

“Amanda?”

“Hmmm?”

“Where were you just now?” 

“Oh, forgive me.  The music just brought me back to my childhood.  I practically teethed on these records.”  She looked up to see him staring at her.  “Silly, I guess.”

“No, it’s not silly at all.  My parents listened to them a lot before they died.  I guess that’s why I enjoy them so much now.” 

“I’m sorry, Lee.”  She brushed her hand over his to comfort him. 

“Ah, it’s okay.  It was a long time ago.”  She saw the pain in his eyes when he spoke of his parents.  It must be a touchy subject, and she didn’t want to push.  He looked around the room, perhaps searching for a distraction.  He obviously wasn’t ready to talk about those feelings.

“Would you care to dance?”  When she nodded, he grasped her hand, pulled her from the sofa, and led her to the middle of the room. 

He twirled her around once, before drawing her to him.  Placing his hand around her waist, he brought her hand to his chest.  Resting her head against his, she felt his eyes close as his lashes brushed against her cheek.  “You’re a great dancer, so graceful,” he whispered in her ear. 

“Thank you.  You aren’t so bad yourself,” she teased. 

Her thoughts drifted to her first impression of the man holding her.  Earlier at the bar, she pegged him for a womanizer--the type who dated a different woman every night of the week.    What she found, as the night progressed, was a sweet, caring man who just happened to be drop-dead gorgeous.  He was not only intelligent and worldly, but also very attentive.  He seemed to really be interested in what she had to say.  Perhaps her first impression of him was incorrect.  Maybe he was the whole package…minus the ego. 

He wasn’t the typical type of man she dated.  She was used to the divorced P.T.A. dads at the boys’ school.  ‘Once burned, twice shy.’  Where the topic of conversation seemed to always revolve around their children.  What were the odds she would go out with friends and meet a really great guy?

I thought you were only looking for a fling?  Her inner voice chastised.  A one-night stand.  Excitement.  The words seemed to mock her.  Who are you kidding?  Amanda King?   Have a one-night encounter with a stranger?  She pulled him closer.  Well, he’s not really a stranger anymore.  She countered.  Was he?  She drew back from his embrace and looked into his eyes.

He smiled down at her, once again showing his dimples, then his eyes drifted to her lips.  Her tongue flicked out of its own volition to moisten her lips.  He lowered his head, and his mouth acknowledged her silent invitation.  Her heart raced while his soft lips consumed her. She felt herself relax in his embrace.  The dizzying effect the kiss had on her was surprising.  A fair share of men had kissed her, but none had affected her this way.  Not even her ex-husband, Joe.  Lee’s lips were so soft and tender.  As their lips hungrily danced, she lost control of all rational thought.     

“Wait!”  She placed her hand on his chest.  “Let’s not go too fast.”

“Yeah.”  He sighed and pulled her back to him. 

She felt his warm breath against her neck and ear.  Looking into his eyes seemed to derail her train of thought.  She trailed a finger over his lips and found herself initiating another kiss with the tall psuedo-stranger.  Soon after, she felt him pull back. 

“We’re moving too fast.  You’re right, it’s too fast.” 

“Okay.”  She was certain her voice lacked the determination she intended to project.  He smiled.  Perhaps he had heard the same lack of confidence.  When his lips devoured hers again, that thought was confirmed. 

With his arms still holding her tightly to him and their tongues still dancing, they moved to the couch.  Miraculously, they made it without breaking the kiss or bumping into anything.  He laid her down onto the couch, careful not to crush her with his weight.   The kiss had become fiercer.  Hands roamed soothingly over each other’s bodies, as if they had done this dance a lifetime over.

They both stopped abruptly.  “Too fast!”  They said, in unison. 

Amanda was still laughing from their simultaneous outburst, when he cupped her head in his hands and rained butterfly kisses over her eyelids.  “I just want you to respect me,” she whispered.

“I do.  And I want your respect.”

“I respect you for respecting me,” she added, biting back a laugh. 

“I can respect that,” he said, in a half whisper, half laugh, as he raised himself off her with obvious reluctance.  He pulled her up next to him and handed her the wineglass.

“What do you say I put on another record, and we just talk?” 

“Sounds wonderful.”  She smiled, hoping to convey her appreciation for his willingness to slow things down.  Although it was her idea to go back to his place, once things heated up, she became uneasy with the speed at which they happened.  What had possessed her to think she could actually have a one-nighter?  My supposed friends, she mentally quipped.  She was a mother of two!   He is a sexy guy, and, if I were going to have a one-nighter, he’d be the one I’d pick.  She silently berated herself for her impure thoughts.  

After placing another record on the turntable, Lee returned to the couch with the bottle of wine.  Once he’d refilled their glasses, he sat down next to Amanda and pulled her closer to him.  She felt quite content to sit there and listen to him breathe.  Moments later, she heard his breathing pattern slow and knew he had fallen asleep.  Her eyes drifted shut.

To Be Continued…