Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Atlee followed Simon closely as they made their way to Christiansburg and the hotel.
She was nervous but excited. She kept pinching herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
The interstate was slippery, but VDOT had done a good job of plowing and salting it to make it passable.
She was driving slowly and cautiously, and having Simon in front of her, leading the way, gave her more confidence in driving on the still snowy roads than she might’ve had otherwise.
It was only around noon, and it felt a little weird walking into a hotel, but as she waited for Simon to check in, Atlee realized how tired she was.
She wasn’t the kind of woman who stayed up all night.
She usually went to bed early and got up early to get to the food bank.
She wanted to be ready for deliveries and for the people who stopped by to get food and the other essentials they kept on hand.
She did her best to hide a yawn, but of course Simon saw it anyway.
He gave her a gentle smile as he turned her toward the elevators. “Come on, let’s get you upstairs.”
“Just me?” Atlee sassed.
His grin grew. “Both of us upstairs,” he clarified. “They put us in a room away from the ice maker and the elevator, thank goodness.”
One more thing she had in common with this man. She didn’t stay in many hotels, but when she did, she always requested to be near a stairwell and away from the dinging of the elevators and the noise from the ice machines.
Simon had a small overnight bag, which he told her he always kept in the trunk of his cruiser for emergencies, and it was resting on top of her suitcase.
He pulled their bags along with one hand while the other rested on the small of her back.
As they walked down the hall on the third floor, toward their room, Atlee thought about what was going to happen when they got there.
Reality set in.
She was fifty-two, and she hadn’t bared herself to a man in…
years. And definitely not a man she admired and had the hots for.
She wasn’t as in-shape as she’d like and had more wrinkles than she wanted.
Simon obviously took care of himself, and she had a moment of panic thinking about the man at her side seeing her naked.
“Relax, Atlee,” he said gently. “There’s nothing to worry about. Nothing needs to happen today. I know things have been moving very fast, but we have all the time in the world. First things first…I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. I could use a nap.”
Clearly her emotions were all over the place, because relief and disappointment hit her at the same time.
She wanted this man. So much. But her nerves were making her feel almost nauseous.
And it was becoming more and more difficult to keep her eyes open.
The stress of the situation with Marley, the cold, the excitement of her feelings for Simon, and being stranded on the interstate were all catching up with her.
Simon unlocked the hotel room and she preceded him inside. Seeing the one king-size bed made the current situation all the more real. That she was really going to be spending the night with the man she’d had a crush on forever.
“I’m going to head downstairs and call Miguel, one of my deputies on duty this morning.
Get updates about what’s going on back in Fallport.
Feel free to shower or whatever. I’ll be at least fifteen minutes.
I’m also going to order sandwiches…something that we can pop into the fridge and eat when we wake up. That work for you?”
Atlee felt her muscles relaxing. Simon was being so amazing.
So considerate. He obviously didn’t have to leave the room to make a call, but he’d already sensed her nerves, and he was giving her some space.
And she appreciated it more than she could put into words.
“Sandwiches sound great. I’m hungry, but I can’t keep my eyes open. ”
Simon stepped into her personal space and put his hand around the back of her neck. He leaned in and rested his forehead against hers. “You don’t have to be nervous around me, Atlee.”
She opened her mouth to argue, to reassure him in some way, but he went on before she could.
“Truth be told, I’m dead on my feet too.
I want you, but I’ve waited years. I can wait longer.
As long as it takes for you to be sure about us.
Last night was…stressful. Between getting stuck in the snowstorm, dealing with that kid, and then finding out we’ve both been interested in each other for a long time…
it’s a lot. Take your time in the shower.
You’re safe with me. I didn’t lure you here to take advantage of you, and I’m not going to do anything to blow the chance you’ve given me. ”
“I didn’t think you’d somehow arranged for a snowstorm to hit just as I was coming back from Roanoke, or paid off that Marley kid to scare us, or secretly plan to get me into a hotel room,” she told him with a small grin.
Simon straightened and smiled at her. It was a look she felt all the way to her toes. She’d seem him smile at others before, but having all his attention, having that smile aimed at her…it made her feel…special.
“Do what you need to, then climb under the covers. I’ll be back up in a bit. What kind of sandwich do you want?”
“Turkey with cheese?”
“Lettuce, tomato, pickles?”
“Yes, please. And jalapenos if they have them. And ranch dressing instead of mayo or mustard.”
He grinned. “You like spicy?”
Atlee felt a little braver than she had a moment ago, now that she knew getting naked in front of this man wasn’t on the agenda just yet. “I’ve always been kind of a vanilla girl, but I’m thinking I could use more spice in my life.”
She met Simon’s gaze bravely as she said it and was rewarded by his eyes widening slightly in surprise, then him swallowing hard.
“Be sure,” he said, softly yet firmly. “Because I’m not going to want to let you go once I have you.
And a warning, sweetheart—I’m used to being in charge.
At my job and behind the bedroom doors.”
Atlee had no problem whatsoever with him taking charge when it came to sex.
It had been a long time since she’d been with anyone, but more than that, her ex had pretty much been content with the missionary position and nothing else.
The one time she’d tried to introduce a small vibrator into their sex play, he’d acted offended and totally put off, as if she’d somehow suggested that he wasn’t enough. She hadn’t tried that again.
She didn’t want or need ropes and chains, but having a little spice between the sheets was something she’d love to explore. But…she also needed clarification.
“I’ve been single a while now. I’m used to making decisions for myself. I don’t want someone who thinks he can tell me what to do every single moment of the day.”
Simon shook his head. “That’s not what I’m saying.
I’m very aware you can take care of yourself.
And that you’ve been doing it a for years now.
I don’t want to take over your life, Atlee.
I want a partnership with you. But I’m not the kind of man who likes to lay back and let his woman do all the work in bed.
I prefer to call the shots. Is that a deal breaker? ”
Atlee couldn’t believe they were having this conversation.
But wasn’t this what she’d always preached to her daughter?
That when she decided to have sex with someone, she needed to talk things out like an adult beforehand?
She could feel how warm her cheeks were, but she shook her head.
“No. It’s not a problem. It’s kind of a relief.
Sex has never been all that good for me, and I hope it’s not because of me. ”
“It’s not,” Simon said without hesitation.
Atlee chuckled. “You don’t know that.”
“The hell I don’t. You’re the most sensual woman I’ve ever met. It’s in the way you carry yourself. How you take pleasure in the smallest things. How you go out of your way to make the people around you happy. There’s no way you’re anything other than a ten out of ten when it comes to making love.”
Her blush deepened. But his words made Atlee feel really good. “What about birth control? And have you been tested for any STDs?” She hated that she had to ask, but again, she was an adult and this was what adults did.
“I haven’t been with anyone in over three years. I’m good, but I’ll get tested to put you at ease.”
Atlee nodded. “I was tested after my divorce to make sure my soon-to-be-ex hadn’t given anything to me, because he cheated on me at least once that I know of at the end of our marriage. But I can get tested again.”
Simon nodded. “I’ll pick up condoms. Honestly? I’m glad we’re going to wait. I want to savor the anticipation of having you. Take you out. Show you off. I can’t wait to walk around Fallport with you by my side. Eat at Sunny Side Up. Listen to the inappropriate comments from Silas, Otto, and Art.”
Atlee smiled. She was happier than she’d been a while, but now that the pressure of sex was off the table, and they’d cleared the air, she was having a hard time staying upright.
As if he could read her like a book—which he probably could, because he was the most observant man she’d ever known—he leaned forward, kissed her briefly, then dropped his hand from the back of her neck and stepped away.
“I’ll be back in fifteen or twenty minutes. Is that enough time for you to do what you need to do in the bathroom?”
Atlee nodded. The last thing she wanted was to shower, but she felt grimy. Wouldn’t be able to sleep without getting clean.
Simon stared at her for a long moment.
“What?” Atlee asked, feeling a little self-conscious.
“Just memorizing the moment. You. Here. With me. It’s more than I ever dreamed I’d get. Lock the door behind me. I’ll let myself back in. If you need more time, just shoot me a text. You have my number, right?”