Free Still Fine at Forty by Dakota Madison Page B

sent coursing through my body, tired was the last thing I was.
    He gave me a soft kiss on the cheek. I wanted more. So much more. My body was aching for more of his touch.
    “I’d better get you back to the hotel.”
    And with that, he helped me back into the Jeep and we were off.
     
    ***
     
    I was glad when he parked the Jeep in the lot rather than pulling up to the drive. It would have been awkward saying goodbye in front of the hotel. And parking meant there was a chance, no matter how slight, that he would stay with me, even for a little while. I don’t know why, but I just wanted to be near him. I felt safe in his presence. And desirable. It had been a long time since I felt either of those things.
    “I’ll walk you to your room,” he said and it wasn’t a question.
    I smiled. Was he still taking care of me? I wanted to tell him that he could take care of me in my room, too. But I didn’t want to sound like an idiot, or even worse, be rejected. 
    He held my hand as we walked through the lobby and headed toward my room. It was a bit awkward when we both stood outside the door.
    “Would you mind getting the key out of my purse and opening the door for me?”
    He did as I asked, but when I entered the room, he waited outside. I was a bit disappointed.
    “You can come in,” I invited hopefully. I felt so vulnerable. What if he was just being nice and really didn’t want me after all? Or even worse, what if he changed his mind? I looked down at my torn and dirty clothing and realized what a mess I was.
    He stepped into the room but seemed to still have some hes itation in his eyes.
    “What’s wrong?” I asked.
    He stepped closer to me and cupped my face with his strong hands. He looked into my eyes with a serious expression. “I want you, Jenny. I’ve wanted you from the moment we met. But I’m not sure this is the best time. You’re injured and I don’t want to hurt you. When we’re together, I want it to be perfect.”
    I sighed. He had a point. But I just couldn’t stand the idea of him walking out the door. “Do you want to just lie on the bed and take a nap with me?”
    He grinned. “If I lie on that bed with you, there will not be any napping going on, I can assure you of that.”
    I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. He was going to leave. I tried my best to hold myself together. He bent down and kissed my forehead. “You need to get some rest.”
    How could I possibly rest with all of the sexual tension now running through my body?
    “I’ll call you later,” he said.
    I just nodded. I didn’t dare speak for fear of crying. What had come over me? I was acting like a baby. But there was part of me that was afraid that I might never see him again.
    When the door shut behind him, I allowed the tears that had been welling up to stream down my face.
    By dinnertime, Cody still hadn’t phoned, so I made plans to meet Mel and Marvin for dinner. I made it clear, though, that I had no interest in going out with Walt again.
    We decided to get something light in the hotel restaurant. When Mel and Marvin saw that I was wearing a bandage on my hand, both of their jaws dropped simultaneously.
    “What the hell happened to you?” Mel gasped.
    “I’m fine. I fell when we were hiking.”
    “Did you fall all the way down the mountain?” Mel asked. Even though I knew she was concerned, I also knew she couldn’t help her sarcastic side.
    “Just a few hundred feet,” I said.
    Marvin whistled. “You’re lucky you just hurt your hand.”
    “The good news is, it’s not broken,” I said. “The bad news is , Mel’s new silk shirt is.”
    “At least tell me you got laid,” Mel retorted. “Tell me ruining my shirt was worth it.”
    I felt myself getting red. Mel and I often talked to each other in such blunt terms, but I wasn’t used to talking about my sex life (or lack thereof) in front of Marvin. I glanced up at the man and he was grinning from ear to ear as if we were having the most