Marooned in Miami Read Online Free PDF Page B

bathroom. Jason waited for her in the sitting room with a newspaper and his coffee. She couldn’t help but think what a perfectly normal scene it would appear to be from the outside. They went through the motions of everyday events just like a regular couple. She missed the companionship and decided to make this a turning point in her life. She promised herself she would begin dating again and would get her life back in order. She owed it to herself.
     
    “Ready?” he asked.
     
    “Yes, um, but where are my clothes?” She looked around the bedroom.
     
    “I sent them to be cleaned. You’ll find them in your room when you get back later today.”
     
    Stephanie smiled. “Who are you?” she asked, not really expecting an answer.
     
    Jason told her to wait just inside the door while he went a few feet down the hall to the elevator and pressed the up button. He came back to get her and placed his hand lightly on the small of her back to guide her to the opened doors. No guests were in the hallway, and they made it into the elevator without being seen. When the doors opened, Stephanie blinked, adjusting her eyes to see a magnificent penthouse suite flooded in sunlight. She stepped into the entry that led to a living room decorated in creams and soft browns. The carpet was so plush, her feet sank into it as she walked across the room to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking South Beach. The understated colors of the room set off the magnificent blue sky and ocean. Stephanie proceeded out the glass doors to a private deck complete with cushioned lounge chairs and a hot tub. Standing at the railing, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath of sea air. She hardly noticed that Jason appeared next to her and placed his hand on top of hers.
     
    “This is beautiful,” she said to him as she stared out into the ocean.
     
    “Stef, I need to see you again. When’s the next time you travel for work?”
     
    Stephanie turned to him. “I know you are going through the motions here, and you don’t have to say it. I understand it was a one-night fling. I’m fine with it, really.”
     
    “It’s not a line. I would really like to see you again. I wish I could stay here a little longer, but I need to check the damage over at the Pearl Del Mar, and then I have a meeting in Seattle.”
     
    “That’s sweet, Jason. We had an incredible night together, one that I will never forget, but we’re strangers. I’m married. It just can’t happen again.” She wanted a clean break from Jason. No empty promises; she couldn’t bear to be stung by another man.
     
    Jason looked deep into her eyes. “I’m leaving you my contact information.  You don’t have to decide right now. The ball is in your court. I won’t ask for your number. Stephanie, we both deserve happiness, and I think we proved last night that we make each other happy. Just say the word and I’ll meet you anywhere, anytime. And Stef, we’re definitely not strangers.” He flashed her a smile.
     
    Jason picked up her hand and turned it so that her palm faced up. Lightly, he kissed the soft, sensitive skin right below her thumb. His kiss sent a current through her body. God, he turned her on like no other man ever had. It was a gift, one that she could never have again.
     
    Stephanie rubbed her fingertips over the spot he kissed and followed him to the elevator. “Jason, I’m serious. We had one fantastic night, but that’s where it ends.”
     
    “You can look at it as an ending, or you can consider it a beginning. The choice is yours.” He leaned in and whispered in her ear as the elevator door opened, “I hope you decide it’s a beginning. You know, I haven’t tasted you yet.”
     
    She gave him a questioning look. It took a moment but when she understood the meaning of his last statement, her knees buckled.
     
    “I don’t just want to see you again, I need to see you again, Stef, and I think you feel the same way. Please think about