Christine slipped her feet into her loafers and looked around the hotel room. It was small, plain and beige, but she didn’t think she would remember that. She would remember the kaleidoscope of colors and emotions she’d experienced here. She’d cherish the memory of how alive and daring she felt in Travis’s arms.
She dipped her head and took a deep breath. She had to get out of here now if she wanted to make her flight. Christine glanced at the door and saw the pile of clothes on the carpeted floor. How could she have missed that?
Rushing over to the door, she grabbed her clothes from the top of the pile and tossed them into her suitcase. She zipped up her luggage and cringed when the metallic sound echoed in the quiet room. Glancing over at the bed, Christine went very still until she saw that Travis was still sleeping soundly.
She was overwhelmed with the urge to wake him up and say goodbye. She wanted to thank him for showing her Vegas, for encouraging her to pursue her dreams and for taking the time to make sure she crossed something off her bucket list. But, most of all, she wanted one more kiss.
Christine pressed her lips together. No, she shouldn’t do that. It would start a chain reaction. She squared her shoulders and thrust out her chin. All he would have to do was look at her and she would stay.
And then she might find out the truth that would crack through her dream weekend. She felt something more than desire, but that didn’t mean Travis felt the same way. She could keep the fantasy but that meant getting out of here before she ruined this beautiful memory.
Christine’s eyelashes fluttered as she felt the sting of tears. She wasn’t going to regret leaving. She would regret it more if she tried to extend this one-night stand. She grabbed her suitcase and quietly left, refusing to look back.
* * *
TRAVIS WOKE UP when he heard the buzz of his cell phone. He gradually opened his eyes and stared at the white ceiling. It took a moment for him to notice the stream of sunlight. His need to turn over and go back to sleep evaporated when he realized he didn’t recognize the room.
He sat up and looked around. The hotel room was like any other. He looked at the bed and saw the dent on the pillow next to him. He smiled as the memories came rushing back. “Christine?”
She didn’t answer. The bathroom and closet doors were ajar, as if they’d been thrown open in a hurry. Travis reluctantly looked at the clock on the table next to the bed. It was past noon.
Damn. Travis tiredly rubbed his hand over his jaw, the stubble scratching his palm. She must have left for the airport. The disappointment weighed heavily in his chest. He hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye.
In a hazy way, he recalled encouraging her to stay for another day, but she hadn’t seemed interested. He should have gotten her phone number or email address. Anything that gave him the chance to continue what they had shared. Now that link had been broken. She was gone.
The regret was unfamiliar. He was used to keeping relationships casual. They were meant to be fun, sexy and temporary. But it felt different with Christine. What they shared was more of a connection. Something he hadn’t felt with anyone for a long time. And when she curled up against him, showing her trust... Travis exhaled sharply. Well, he thought it was more than a hookup.
He heard the buzz of his cell phone again and tilted his head. It sounded like it was close to the door. He rose to his feet and stretched. Looking around, Travis hoped to see if Christine had left a note. There was nothing on the tables or the pillow.
No big deal. She was in a rush, he assured himself. Last night still meant something to Christine. He knew it in the way she touched him, in her sighs of delight and her gasps of pleasure. The way she clung to him as if he was her rock, her shelter. It didn’t mean she had to keep clinging once morning came.
It was probably better this way, he decided as he padded barefoot to his pile of clothes by the door. If they had tried to continue, his history would repeat itself. She would tire of his energy and his curiosity. He would start feeling trapped. What they shared was based on mutual desire. It was pure fantasy and that’s how he wanted to remember it.