Free Wild Weekend by Susanna Carr

table
and swallowed back a groan. I’m late. This is a disaster. I
can’t be late.
    The words rushed through her mind as she hurriedly buttoned up
her white long-sleeved shirt and shoved the long hem in her navy blue pants. How
could this have happened? She was never late. She always woke up at dawn and had
everything prepared ahead of time to ensure an easygoing morning.
    But last night wasn’t routine. If she took a man like Travis to
her bed every night, she wouldn’t seek adventure elsewhere. Her skin tingled and
her stomach clenched as she remembered how he had touched her. She had never
slept with a man as sexual, as tender or as knowledgeable as Travis Cain.
    She hadn’t been able to keep her hands off him. He didn’t seem
to mind that she woke him up several times throughout the night to make love. It
was almost as if she needed to be certain it hadn’t been a dream.
    And this morning, she had woken up as the sun streaked through
the gap in the curtains. This time she didn’t awaken Travis. Instead she’d lain
next to him, cherishing the moment, holding on to the fantasy until she had to
get up and get back to reality.
    Christine reached up and gathered her hair in a tight topknot
as she studied Travis in her bed. The bedsheets were startlingly white against
his golden-brown skin. He was sprawled across the mattress, his arms
outstretched and his feet dangling off the corner.
    The blanket was a tangled mess and barely covered his hips. She
couldn’t stop staring at his powerful thighs and tapered waist. Her fingers
itched, eager to caress his well-defined abdominal muscles.
    He was gloriously male and naked. She missed seeing his body
last night. They hadn’t taken the time to turn on the lights. Christine had felt
the crisp curls on his broad chest and heard the strong beat of his heart when
she curled up against him. She hadn’t seen the dark stubble on his jaw, but her
lips were still red from the friction.
    Christine paused. She rubbed her hand against her collarbone
and her fingers brushed against her neckline. She was tempted to shed her
clothes and crawl back in bed. Why shouldn’t she miss her flight? No one was
waiting for her at home. The bank could survive a day without her.
    What was she thinking? She had allowed a man to distract her
from her plan before. She wasn’t going to let it happen again. Christine pulled
at her collar and realized she had released the top button. She quickly fixed
her top and marched to the bathroom. She scooped her toiletries into her arm and
hurried back to her suitcase.
    After all, this was a one-night stand. Nothing more. She’d
never had one before and didn’t know the rules, but Travis wasn’t looking for a
relationship. He knew she was returning home today.
    And if she extended her vacation, she would only find
disappointment. At the moment Travis found her interesting. Anyone could pretend
to be for a couple of days, but she couldn’t maintain her sophisticated persona
for much longer. She had already slipped up multiple times and it was only by
incredible luck that he hadn’t noticed. It wouldn’t take him long to realize
what kind of person she truly was—an average woman who dreamed big but lived
small.
    Christine slipped her feet into her loafers and looked around
the hotel room. It was small, plain and beige, but she didn’t think she would
remember that. She would remember the kaleidoscope of colors and emotions she’d
experienced here. She’d cherish the memory of how alive and daring she felt in
Travis’s arms.
    She dipped her head and took a deep breath. She had to get out
of here now if she wanted to make her flight. Christine glanced at the door and
saw the pile of clothes on the carpeted floor. How could she have missed
that?
    Rushing over to the door, she grabbed her clothes from the top
of the pile and tossed them into her suitcase. She zipped up her luggage and
cringed when the metallic sound echoed in the quiet room. Glancing over