Chapter 16
Millie had no idea what time it was. Long past time for her to return to her own bed and try to get some sleep. She knew that much. The first faint hint of morning light peered in through the window. But Ernie’s fingers were doing such delicious things right that moment.
Oh, God.
“We have to stop,” she murmured.
“Not until you finish,” he answered, nipping at her ear.
“Oh, yes,” she gasped, feeling him curve his fingers within her while his thumb circled her pulsing bud, making her tremble head to toe. “I mean no.” He froze.
No!
“Don’t stop,” she blurted. He redoubled his efforts. “Oh, God.”
She was so close. What did a few more minutes matter?
“Yes, that’s right. Come for me, Millie.”
Colors spiraled at the edge of her vision. Again. How many times had it been?
“That’s it. God, you’re gorgeous when you come. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
She wasn’t capable of forming words. Her ravenous hunger for release was almost unbearable.
She wanted more. She wanted him. She wanted this. Yes!
Her back arched. Burning white light exploding within her, shooting from her core to her extremities. As she returned to herself, warmth and contentment suffused her limbs. She wanted nothing more than to cuddle up against this man and sleep in his embrace.
Cuddle?! Pull it together, Mildred.
Reluctantly, she forced herself to edge away. “Bed. Sleep,” she muttered.
“Stay,” he said, putting an irresistible hand on her shoulder. “I want to hold you.”
“Hold me?” Her traitorous body snuggled back against him. Oh, that felt nice.
“Yes, hold you. And I promise that’s all. We both need some sleep.”
They spooned together in the narrow bed, his strong arm wrapped around her. Her bleary mind tried to mount one last faint protest that never made it to her lips. Sleep took her.
The alarm clanged far too soon. She was so sleepy, so comfortable, so…
Oh, no. What did I do?
She was wrapped in someone’s embrace.
Ernie.
Oh, God. What had she been thinking?
Jerking away from him, she leapt from the bed and ran for the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
“Millie?” he called in a sleepy voice. “Is everything all right?”
No, it was not all right. She’d just spent the night having carnal relations with her colleague. Women would never be allowed to fly the mail again if this got out. If they had worried that women pilots were a distraction before…
She splashed some water on her face and realized all her clothing was in the other room. Damn it!
Grabbing all the towels she could, she cocooned herself and ventured out.
“Millie?” he asked again as she emerged, a bleary smile on his face. He stood there in his boxers, all handsome and disheveled, holding out his arms for an embrace.
No, thank you.
She edged over to her suitcase and pulled out her clothing, doing her best to keep her towels intact.
“We’ve seen each other naked. Why the sudden modesty?” he asked, dropping his arms.
“It was a mistake. A terrible mistake. Not to be repeated.”
His smile fell. “Ah. I see.”
“Do you disagree?”
He let out his breath slowly. “I… Well…”
“What?”
“I’ll grant you it was dangerous, and it would certainly cost us our jobs if anyone found out. But…”
One of her towels started to fall and she hiked it back up.
“But what?”
He looked her in the eye as if searching for something. “But despite that, I can’t bring myself to feel like it was a mistake. It…felt so right. Didn’t you feel it too?”
Oh, yes, she felt it, and it was wrong, wrong, wrong.
“No,” she said with as much conviction as she could muster. “It was a mistake, and it’s best if we try to forget it ever happened.”
“Millie, please,” he said, reaching out and taking her hand. Why did his touch have to obliterate her willpower like this? She clutched her towels all the tighter with her other hand. “I know we can’t continue, but please say you don’t regret last night.”
Did she regret it?
No.
Yes.
No.
“Don’t do this, Ernie. Please. You know whatever this is between us has to end.”
“But do you regret it?” He squeezed her hand as his eyes searched hers.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said at last. “It will be easier for both of us if we treat this as a momentary lapse in judgement and move on with our lives.”
His thumb stroked over her hand, and she wanted to melt into a puddle.
“We have to move on the second we step out that door,” he said. “But for our last few moments alone together, can we at least be honest with each other?”
She yanked her hand away as if she’d been burned.
“I’m being totally and completely honest when I say it was a mistake.”
She rushed back to the bathroom and dressed hurriedly, dragged a brush through her tangled hair, and brushed her teeth. Grabbing her purse, she ran out of the hotel room without so much as meeting Ernie’s eyes.
Mr. Dunston was at the front desk. Thank God.
“How soon will the snow be cleared, do you think?” she asked, noting with dismay that the snow had reached the height of the windows. A few errant flakes were still falling, but the storm had passed.
Laughing, he said, “You won’t be going anywhere today, young lady. It will take all day to dig the town out of this, not to mention the runway.”
They were stuck.
Oh, no. Not another night…
“Any chance a room might free up for me for tonight?”
Mr. Dunston shook his head apologetically. “I’m sorry, Miss. No one is going anywhere in this mess.”
That’s it. I’m sleeping in the lobby.
She marched into the dining room and ordered herself a large breakfast. There was nowhere to go, and she had a lot of time to kill. Maybe she would pick up a shovel herself to see if she could speed things up. Another night in Ernie’s hotel room was unthinkable.
So, of course, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.
All through ham and eggs with fresh-baked biscuits, she relived their night together.
He’d taken her to heights she hadn’t thought possible with his knowing fingers, sinful tongue, and his…
Oh, God, the way he felt inside her! It was like he was made for her, filling her and reaching new, secret places that drove her wild.
Barney was always in a rush. Everything was rough and fast with him. He didn’t linger over her like Ernie, taking pleasure in giving her pleasure for its own sake, not a means to an end. Things with Barney were good enough while they lasted, but they couldn’t compare to last night.
Being with Ernie was a revelation. Now she knew it could be so much better than she’d ever dreamed. Would she ever be able to find that again? Not with Ernie, obviously, because that was over once and for all. But with someone?
Speak of the devil…
“Might I join you for a moment?” Ernie asked, all cool formality. He’d dressed and shaved and must have had some coffee because he looked far more awake than her.
“If you must.”
He winced but sat.
“You probably heard we’re snowed in today. It’s going to take half the day to even dig a path to the airstrip, let alone dig out the airstrip itself.”
She nodded, keeping her eyes down.
“I asked about rooms,” he continued. “Unfortunately, nothing has changed.”
Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet his.
It was a mistake. All the fire and passion of last night was plain to read in his warm brown eyes flecked with gold.
It stirred things within her, and she squeezed her knees together to keep it at bay.
She had to look away. Someone would notice if they kept looking at each other like this.
“Pritchard,” came a booming voice, breaking the spell. Thompson clapped Pritchard on the shoulder. “Giving Miss Aldrich the bad news?”
Thompson looked anything but disappointed.
“Such a shame we get a snow day,” he continued. “I guess I’ll be forced to sit around and eat pie and read a good book, darn it all.” The man was grinning ear to ear. “Care for a game of chess later? I brought my board.”
“Sure,” Ernie answered. “Have you eaten breakfast yet? I’ve only had coffee. Want to join me?”
“Absolutely. Let’s eat. Care to keep us company, Miss Aldrich?” Thompson asked with a mischievous smile. Did he suspect something? No, he couldn’t possibly. She was imagining things.
“No, thank you. I’ll let you boys dine in peace. I have some very important knitting to do.” She’d used this excuse to great effect when fending off unwanted attention in college. Of course, she’d never picked up knitting needles in her life.
Ernie raised an eyebrow, and she glared back at him, daring him to contradict her.
“Enjoy your knitting, Miss Aldrich,” said Thompson, oblivious.
“I’ll see you later, Miss Aldrich,” Ernie said, stifling a chuckle.
The formality of “Miss Aldrich” hurt a little from him, but of course he couldn’t call her Millie in front of Thompson.
“See you later, Pritchard,” she said, wishing she could run far, far away and never see him again.
Or perhaps run farther still to some desert island where they could canoodle all day long without anyone else being the wiser.
You don’t know what you want, Mildred.
What a mess. At least he was gone. For the time being. Now Millie had to figure out what to do with an entire day cooped up in a hotel with a man she was trying to avoid. Suddenly the spacious Brockerhoff Hotel seemed far too cozy and cramped.
She would love to go for a walk and clear her mind, but that was out of the question, at least until some substantial progress was made with clearing the snow.
For the first time in her life, she wished she actually knitted.
Not that knitting could absorb her for a whole day, but it was an excellent way to look busy.
Knowing Ernie would be occupied with Thompson for some time, she headed up to the room to read. By lunch time, she’d finished “Pride and Prejudice.” Wasn’t it much longer the last time she read it? She couldn’t believe she’d run out of book so quickly.