In the Arms of a Stranger

Chad had taken her hand in his, running his thumb over the glittering engagement ring.
  “I guess it was a guy thing.  I desperately wanted to make love to you, but the truth is I wouldn’t have considered asking you to marry me if you had slept with me.”  He’d looked at her with a sheepish grin.  “I’m sorry, Brianne, but the way you were dressed that night at the party I thought…I mean, the impression I got…”

Bri snatched her hand away,
both hurt and angry.  “
You thought I was easy?
  You weren’t interested in getting to know me, were you?  All you wanted was a…a one night stand!”

Perhaps she should be more concerned with pleasing Chad but Bri didn’t think it was fair of him to ask her to change.
  She certainly didn’t ask him to cut his hair differently or demand that he stop wearing his immaculately pressed business suits all the time, did she?  Even when they were supposed to be relaxing, Chad’s clothes were far from casual.  She accepted that he was simply too uptight by nature to wear anything that wasn’t tailor made or put out by Armani or Dolce and Gabbana.  Why couldn’t he accept her just as she was?

Bri dropped down onto the edge of the bed with an unhappy sigh.
  Was she wrong to marry a man so different than she was?  She’d always been a bit of a free spirit; taking off whenever it struck her fancy to do so, saying whatever popped into her head without thinking, generally enjoying life to its fullest.  Being with Chad had settled her down a great deal, a fact that had to thrill her parents. 

She believed he was just the type of man she needed in her life.
  Well…almost believed anyway.  Because if she was truly one hundred percent convinced they were perfectly matched, why did she have such high hopes their liaison tonight would crack that staid exterior of his and make him love her with the unbridled passion she longed for?

One way or another, she imagined tonight would provide her with the answers she needed.
  She adored Chad in spite of their differences, but if he didn’t send her skyrocketing to the moon when they made love, she wasn’t sure if she could go through with the marriage.  Bri wanted what her sister, Miranda, had; a man who loved her just as she was, someone who couldn’t be in the same room without reaching out to touch her.  Someone who looked at her as if he couldn’t wait until they were alone so he could devour her. 

Well, she couldn’t just sit here and worry about it when he wasn’t even due to arrive until after nine o’clock.
  The main reason she was at the Amangani Resort was because they had scheduled meetings for the next few days to go over plans for a new string of cosmetic boutiques.  Her father’s company, Carrington Cosmetics, was huge in the European countries and though the United States market was doing well too, he was always looking to expand. 

Jackson, Wyoming was the site Phillip Carrington had chosen for his latest venture, and as his Public Relations Director, Brianne would be stationed here for the next month.
  Tomorrow evening they were meeting with Jake Malone, the man who would oversee the Marketing and Design teams and be her constant companion until the actual construction began.  With three hours to kill until Chad arrived, Bri decided going over the prospectus would help the time pass more quickly.

At eight o’clock, she set everything aside and went to take a shower.
  By eight forty-five she was a bundle of nerves, poised on the edge of the sofa and dressed in her sexy nightie, nervously counting down the minutes.  Nine o’clock came and went, as did nine-thirty and ten o’clock.  Fuming, Brianne snatched up her cell phone and tried to call Chad.  It went straight to voice mail.  Afraid she might say something she would regret later, she didn’t bother leaving a message. 

She couldn’t believe he’d actually stood her up for what was supposed to be one of the most important nights of her life.
  Even if his flight had been delayed, he could have called from the airport.  A little after eleven, she gave up completely and crawled into bed feeling alone and vulnerable for the first time in her life. 

She
had always been so self-sufficient before, so happy and carefree.  Bri rolled onto her side and curled up into a tight ball, refusing to allow herself to cry.  If this was what love and marriage did to a person, she didn’t want any part of it.
 

 
                                                               ***

Jake was dead tired by the time he reached the Amangani Resort
.  The cold blast of air that sucker punched him the minute he emerged from his vehicle did nothing to improve his surly mood.  He should have been here hours ago, but a snow storm in the Midwest delayed his flight.  Then there was a mix-up at the car rental counter which resulted in him driving a Cherokee Jeep instead of the F350 pickup he’d reserved.  At least they hadn’t tried to stick him with an economy car which would have thoroughly ticked him off; at six foot four, he would have been driving with his knees on his chin.

To make matters worse, his girlfriend, Brandy, w
as going to be absolutely livid with him for being so late and would no doubt pull one of her frigid acts when he got to the room.  Assuming she was awake.  She was probably in bed by now, and though he would love nothing more than to relieve some of the pent up tension, he certainly didn’t have a death wish and had no intension of making any sexual overtures towards her tonight. 

Beside the fact Brandy wasn’t particularly exciting in bed, she wasn’t likely to let him anywhere near her until he atoned for his sins by buying some expensive bauble. 
With any luck she would be fast asleep.  He almost wished he hadn’t invited her along, but at least he had been smart enough to tell her she could only stay for a few days.  Once the project on Carrington Cosmetics started, he would have very little patience for a woman who pouted because he didn’t have time for her.

Jake rubbed his eyes tiredly, offering a thin smile to the night clerk who greeted him.
  “Jake Malone,” he said, pulling out his driver’s license.  “Carrington Cosmetics arranged a reservation for one of the Deluxe Suites.”

“I have your cardkey ready and waiting,” she chirped.

“Has Miss Karritaine checked in yet?”

“Yes
, sir.  Your fiancé will be happy you finally made it.  She’s called down to the desk several times this evening to see if you left any messages for her.”

Jake held back the disgruntled reply that popped into his head.
  Brandy was under the grand illusion their relationship was much more serious than it was, but he didn’t bother correcting the clerk.  Grabbing up his lone piece of luggage and briefcase, he crossed the lobby to the elevators and cursed himself once again for not breaking it off with Brandy weeks ago. 

The tall and short of it was, she bored him to tears
.  But she was convenient, and since she wasn’t overly fond of prolonged sexual encounters, Jake didn’t have to worry about pleasing her any more than she worried about pleasing him.  She didn’t stimulate him mentally and barely managed to stimulate him physically, so it wasn’t difficult to conclude this would be their last weekend together.  He wondered idly if she suspected it was coming.  Considering she registered as his fiancé, he highly doubted it.

Jake stopped in front of the suite door and slipped the cardkey in, grimacing at the soft beeping sound it made.
  Brandy wasn’t a light sleeper, but in unfamiliar surroundings even the slightest noise might wake her.  Closing the door silently behind him, he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness before proceeding cautiously into the suite.  She’d left the curtains open and there was enough light reflecting off the snow capped peaks in the distance to give him a shadowy view of what must be the living room.  He settled his luggage and briefcase on the floor beside the sofa then slung the strap of his laptop bag off his shoulder and deposited it on the coffee table. 

Off to his right was a hallway and he breathed a sigh of relief to find the bathroom wasn’t connected to the bedroom.
  Slipping inside, he undressed and took a quick shower before sneaking silently into the bedroom.  It was almost pitch black inside and he moved slowly to avoid bumping into anything and managed to feel his way to the bed without making any noise.  Thankful Brandy had curled up on the far side, he eased himself between the sheets and was just congratulating himself on a job well done when he heard the rustle of covers as she turned on her side to face him.

“You’re here,” she whispered, sounding surprised.

“My flight was delayed,” he whispered back then waited for the tirade he was sure would follow.

After a few minutes of silence, she moved into his arms and nuzzled her nose against his neck.
  It was all the incentive Jake needed.  Rolling over, he pinned her beneath him and was instantly aroused by the soft little moan that escaped her lips as he lowered his mouth to hers.  Pleasantly surprised by her ardent response, Jake deepened the kiss and was shocked by the jolt of electricity that shot through him.  Even more surprising was the way her body trembled as his hand glided up her side to cup her breast.  Brandy had never reacted to his touch like this before and it excited him in a way he couldn’t explain.

For once, he didn’t want to simply take her
and then drop off to sleep as he usually did.  He liked the way she was squirming beneath him and the little spasms that wracked her body when his fingers found a particularly sensitive spot.  He continued to devour her lips, delighting in the faint taste of wine and the scent of the shampoo she’d used on her hair.  Maybe it was because he hadn’t taken the time to make love to her like this before but he was suddenly acutely aware of how soft her skin was and just how small and feminine she felt lying beneath his much larger frame.

He couldn’t get enough of her, couldn’t seem to wrap his mind around the fact he
had nearly ended it without ever knowing there was so much passion inside of her just waiting to be tapped.  His hands were shaking when he pulled the lacy little nightie over her head and he almost laughed at the adolescent eagerness that bloomed inside of him when his fingers closed around her bare breast. 

Good God, she
had never felt this good before, so agonizingly wonderful to touch and taste.  If he’d had a little more self control, Jake would have lingered over her body for hours and been perfectly content to do so.  As it was, those soft little mewling sounds vibrating in the back of her throat had pushed him about as far as he could go.

Jake slowly inched his hand over her flat belly and slipped it beneath the band of her panties.
  Groaning to find her so hot and moist when his fingers delved between her silky thighs, he all but tore the scant material off in his haste to get rid of them.  Gently kneeing her legs apart, he positioned himself at her opening and with painstaking slowness, eased his rigid flesh inside of her.  Clenching his jaws against the incredible pleasure of being sheathed within her warmth, he had only a fleeting second to wonder why she had never felt so exquisitely tight before when Brandy’s wild gasp and unexpected thrashing of hips damn near made him climax.

What little self-control he had was lost the instant her elegant arms wound themselves around his neck and pulled his mouth back down onto hers.
  Jake plunged into her, frantic with the need to drive himself deeper and deeper, as if he could somehow brand her with the scorching heat she ignited inside of him.  Brandy arched into him, crying out as her body was seized by a series of violent tremors that sent him spiraling over the edge with her.  They strained against each other, the rocking of their bodies gradually slowing to a stop until all that remained was an occasional shudder and a tingling heat that didn’t seem too eager to dissipate.

With what little strength remained, Jake eased himself out of her and rolled onto his back, pulling her up close to his side.
  There were no words to describe what had just happened between them, no words to describe what was still happening.  He pressed his lips to her forehead, stroking her hair absently as he waited for his heart to stop thundering against his ribs and his sanity to snap back into place. 

Catching her hand as it glided across his chest
, he brought her palm to his lips then settled it back over his heart, smiling to himself when she let out a soft little sigh.  Within minutes she had drifted off to sleep; the slow, steady rhythm of her breathing bringing a deeper contentment to Jake than he’d known in a long, long time.

 
                                                              ***

Brianne woke with a smile on her lips and the warmth of Chad’s hand moving slowly up her thigh.
  Any anger she felt when she’d gone to bed had melted into nothingness after he’d slipped into her room and taken her to heights she couldn’t have imagined in her wildest dreams.  Who would have guessed her serious, appearances-mean-everything, fiancé had it in him to make love like that? 

She’d fallen into a deep sleep afterwards
, only to be roused a few hours later.  He made love to her again, but that time had been as slow and tender as the first time had been hard and hungry.  And now he was at her for a third time, making her skin tingle and the muscles in her abdomen clench with an aching need that was quickly becoming a familiar sensation around him. 

Bri tilted her head back, seeking and blessedly finding his mouth.
  Heat surged through her entire body when Chad levered himself over her and entered her with one hard thrust. 
Oh God, had anything ever felt as incredible as this?
  Their bodies moved in perfect rhythm, every hard contour of his muscles molding to her softer feminine curves as if they were made for each other.  Oh, yes, Bri thought as he continued to penetrate her with hard, heavy thrusts, she could forgive just about anything he did during the day if this was how they filled their nights.