Free Can't Help Falling In Love by Cheryl Harper

off before
     she shook out her hair. Tony hoped he wouldn’t be required to contribute to conversation.
     Anything that came out of his mouth this second would sound like God, yes. Please, yes. Show me the suit now.
    Randa dropped her sunglasses on the hat and slowly unbuttoned the white, long-sleeved,
     gauzy cover-up before stripping out of it quickly. She let it drop from her fingers
     across his lap and Tony nearly nodded his thanks. Instead, his eyes were glued to
     her. He’d hoped for a bikini. Those hopes were dashed. Instead she wore a pretty conservative
     one-piece that was cut high on the hips and low enough to tease at the V of her breasts.
     And the rest of her was nothing but perfect, satiny skin. “Still too skinny, Tony?”
    He nodded and tore his eyes away from her hips, her tiny waist, and her perfectly
     sized breasts to watch her face.
    Her teasing smile slipped a bit and he thought he saw honest desire in her eyes. She
     took an awkward step away from him and then seemed to remember her audience. She turned
     and glanced over her shoulder before prowling over to stand at the end of the pool.
     She executed a flawless shallow dive and made four quick trips up and down the length
     of the pool. He tried to be objective. She was a clean, fast swimmer. But none of
     that mattered. She could be doggy paddling and refusing to get her hair wet, and he’d
     still think she looked amazing. He watched her float around aimlessly for a minute
     or two before she swam over to the side of the pool.
    The sight of her climbing out of the pool was unforgettable. Possibly life changing.
     More than anything he wanted to kiss her, strip her, and take her. With her hair wet
     and slicked back from her face he could see teasing, intelligent blue eyes. And her
     body would bring stronger men than Tony to their knees. It was a damn good thing the
     sight of a water drop disappearing into the shadow between her breasts had frozen
     his tongue and nailed his feet to the concrete. He might have embarrassed himself
     then and there.
    Instead he nodded mutely as she slipped into her cover-up and asked, “Meet you in
     the lobby at four?” He watched her move quickly across the hot concrete in her bare
     feet and felt the despair of a man who was going shoe shopping soon.
    He didn’t want her to burn her feet. Or to be unhappy. Or to be here for anything
     other than to see the finest Elvis-themed hotel in the world. He wanted her to be
     a normal girl, maybe one who worked nearby. One he could have met at the bookstore.
    He watched Randa pause at the door to the hotel and scan her room key. Before she
     disappeared inside, she smiled and waved at him over her shoulder. And he and his
     frozen tongue loosened up enough to say, “Shit.” He was in for it. No matter how this
     turned out, he was going to have regrets. She was here through the weekend. That was
     enough time to fall under her spell and give up all the hotel’s secrets. That would
     be just about right. From famine to feast to famine again so quick he’d probably lose
     his mind.
    Then again, if he didn’t go any further with her, he’d spend unhealthy amounts of
     time thinking about her wet and half-dressed. Probably for the next fifty years. She
     was like the world’s most perfect steak. He couldn’t let her go, but eating her would
     ruin other steak for him.
    Eating her? Apparently the brain breakdown had already set in. He shook his head as
     he grabbed his towel and went to his apartment.
    Misty greeted him at the door with a whiffled sniff, trotted outside to water the
     bushes, and ran back inside before he even dropped his towel over the rail out front.
    “Hot, isn’t it, Mist?” There was no way she nodded but it sure looked like she did.
     He handed her a dog biscuit. “I think we ought to see if the bed works for a nap today.
     You in?”
    Misty chomped her biscuit and wagged her tail at him. She jumped on the bed and heaved
     a happy