As Luck Would Have It Read online

After he rinsed her hair, he soaped up the loofah sponge and began washing her body from her neck to her toes in a gentle and chaste manner. “Can I wash you there?” He pointed the sponge at her sex. “I’m trying to be good, and I don’t want to over excite you.”

  “You may wash me here,” she said politely, touching her finger to her mound. “And just so you know, everything about you excites me, but I’ll have to learn to control myself.”

  “If you keep touching yourself, I won’t be able to control myself. Please don’t do that again.” Letting out a deep sigh, he continued the task at hand. When he was finished, he handed the sponge to Sydney.

  “I don’t need that. I’m gonna use these,” she said, holding up her hands and wiggling her fingers. “I like the way your skin feels under my hands.” Marcus let out another sigh. I’m seriously going to have to learn to control myself around this woman. She fucking drives me crazy just innocently touching me. Fuck, get it together, Matthews.

  Sydney soaped up her hands and scrubbed the tip of his head. Even though she’d sworn to behave, she couldn’t help but steal a kiss when she was done washing behind his ears.

  “Hey, that’s not fair. I didn’t know I could kiss you while I was washing you,” Marcus said in a childish way.

  “I didn’t know there were rules when we showered together.” She lightly patted his chest with both hands. “Relax. I took one kiss, you can have one kiss.” Putting her fists on her hips, Sydney raised her eyebrows. “Could you wait till I’m done?”

  “Yeah, yeah, I’ll wait till you’re done if I have to,” he said, rolling his eyes.

  Sydney lathered her hands again and continued to clean his tattooed chest. A soft moan escaped her mouth. She so wanted to steel two more kisses, one for each nipple, but she didn’t. That would give Marcus two more, and she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to keep control.

  She finished washing Marcus’ feet and stood before him. “You may have your kiss now.” She expected a quick kiss on her lips like the one she had stolen from Marcus. Hell no. He had no intention of kissing her lips, well not the ones on her face. He leaned down, and placed a tender kiss on her lips, and extended his tongue quickly. When he stood up, he noticed Sydney’s puzzled look.

  “What?” he asked shrugging his shoulders.

  “I didn’t know you’d be making up the rules as we went along.” She slapped his wet chest.

  “I took one kiss. You didn’t say what kind of a kiss or where it had to be,” he responded, smiling arrogantly.

  “I didn’t expect you to French kiss my pussy.”

  “You keep it up with that mouth, and I’m going to do more than just French kiss your duh da.”

  She noticed he was starting to get a woody. “Sorry. Do you need to be left alone in here for a few minutes? I‘ll go and order some food and check the movie listings.”

  “I don’t need that long, but a minute would be appreciated.” Jerking off wasn’t that important, but he needed to regain control of his emotions. He was hopelessly falling in love with her.

  Sydney stepped out and wrapped herself in the plush robe folded outside the shower. She really wanted to stay and watch him jerk off but knew she’d wind up masturbating right outside the shower. Control yourself, Sydney. You’ve had more sex this week than you had your entire teenage life. You can get through this.

  Marcus did nothing but think while he stood in the shower. He pressed his palms against the wall. How would he get through tonight without making love to her?

  After he got out of the shower and dressed, he found Sydney sitting in the living room checking movie listings. “Hey, was room service here already to turn down the bed?”

  “No, I did that. I thought we would eat at the table, like human beings,” she said with a mischievous grin. “Then we can watch the movie cuddling in bed.”

  “Great, so what did you order?”

  “I ordered the Surf ‘n’ Turf,” she replied nonchalantly.

  “I love steak and lobster. Did you pick a movie?”

  “No, but I thought we should see a comedy. What do you think?”

  Marcus was just about to sit on the couch when the food arrived. He wheeled the cart to the dining room and began to sit at the head of the table. Abruptly, he changed his mind and sat on an end.

  Sydney observed him picking his chair. “What was wrong with this chair?”

  “Just decided I didn’t want to sit there. I’d rather sit across from you, unless you want to sit at the head of the table?”

  Then it hit her. Are you reluctant to sit there because of my late husband?”

  Marcus hesitated. He wanted to make sure he chose his words carefully not to upset her. “Well, I didn’t want you to feel like I was trying to fill his spot.” Not sure if those were the right words, he grimaced.

  Sydney looked at the chair then at Marcus. “Typically, Philippe would sit at the head of the table.” She walked around to the other side of the chair. I have to learn to live with his death and move on. I’m not looking for a replacement husband. I’m looking for someone I can spend the rest of my life with. And I choose you.” She leaned down to kiss his lips. “Now, would you please sit here so you’re not so far away from me?”

  Marcus got up and switched seats without further discussion. They sat and had a lovely dinner discussing what they liked to eat, who their favorite actors and actresses were, but nothing too in depth.

  “Since we’re sort of playing twenty questions, can I ask you something personal?”

  Sydney was not fazed by the question. How much more personal could he get? “Sure, shoot.”

  “Would you ever consider piercing your body?”

  She thought for a second. “Marcus, I’m not piercing my clitoris, no way.”

  Although the thought had never crossed his mind, it would be cool. “No sweetness, would you get a belly ring?”

  She had wanted to pierce her belly button years ago, but it wasn’t something Philippe liked. “I would have maybe fifteen, twenty years ago, but now, I don’t know.” She looked indecisive.

  “Are you afraid?”

  “Fuck no, I’ve had four kids. Did you forget?”

  “You’re not going to tell me you’re self-conscious about the way your body looks again, are you?”

  “Well, no. It’s just that I don’t want other people to think I’m too old or out of shape to have it.”

  “You’re not too old, and you have the shape of a twenty-five year old. So will you do it?” He waited anxiously for her answer.

  “Yeah, I guess. When?”

  “When we finish eating, we can go back to Planet Hollywood. There’s a place called Club Tattoo in the mall. They do piercings.”

  Sydney hesitated. “What would I get? I don’t want anything gourdy. It has to be feminine and classy. Maybe a dragonfly or butterfly.”

  “I’m sure they have a great selection.” He hoped they had what he wanted, a plain ring with a diamond either on it or dangling from it. If she wasn’t ready to take her wedding rings off, then maybe she’d wear his ring in her belly till he could replace the ones on her finger.

  Later, as they stood in front of Club Tattoo, Marcus grabbed her hand. “Syd, you sure you’re okay with this? If you’re not, please don’t think I’ll be mad.” He sounded a little worried.

  “Whatever, it’s just a hole in my bellybutton. If I don’t like it I can always let it close up.” Grabbing Marcus’ hand she tugged him into the store, “Let’s get this over with.”

  She picked a very small dragonfly attached to a steel bar. As she was lying on the table, waiting to be pierced, her mind was going a mile a minute. First you have sex with a complete stranger. Granted, he’s no stranger anymore. You’ve had sex in places we won’t ever mention again. And now you’re piercing your belly button. What the fuck is up with me?

  Before she knew it, the ordeal was over. Sydney admired the dragonfly shining at her navel. Now that the scary part was over, she really liked
it. She found Marcus leaning against a jewelry showcase in the lobby, his arms and legs crossed.

  “You look so hot with that babe.” He grinned from ear to ear as he reached out to devour her in his arms. “I’m not sure I’m gonna be able to keep my promise tonight,” he declared, kissing her neck.

  “You better. I’m so looking forward to just going home and relaxing in bed in your arms.”

  When they reached the suite, they made a mad dash for the bed. Marcus stretched his arm out so Sydney could scoot over and cuddle. “So what are we watching?”

  “Doesn’t matter to me as long as it’s a comedy. Pick whatever you want.” Sydney was so comfortable with her head resting on his chest, her arm and leg draped over his body. She knew she probably wouldn’t get past the opening credits before she fell asleep. It had been such an exhausting day.

  CHAPTER NINE

  When they left the hotel the next morning, Sydney noticed a motorcycle parked on the side of the road. “Wow, that’s a nice bike,” she commented.

  “Don’t freak out, but that’s our bike. You’ll be totally safe; I’ve been riding since I was little.”

  “I’m not freaking. I love it.” She examined it up close. “When I was younger, I used to ride dirt bikes with the boys on the block in our backyards.” She had always wanted Philippe to get a motorcycle, but then they had kids and he never did. “You’re so awesome, babe. I love…that you’re so easy going,” he said, kissing her lips quickly to make up for the pause.

  Holy shit, he almost said he loved me. Me, as a person. I knew I should have packed an extra pair of panties.

  Marcus handed her a black three-quarter shell helmet. “Did you remember the hair tie?” he asked, holding his hand out for it.

  “Yeah, here.” She placed it in his hand.

  “Put your helmet on and turn around.” To her surprise, he grabbed her hair and braided it. It felt perfect. “I don’t want your hair to be all tangled when we get there.” He reached into his jeans pocket and handed her a lip gloss.

  She couldn’t stop smiling. He thought of everything. Even though her helmet made it difficult, she reached up and kissed him.

  Marcus put on his gray beanie helmet and mounted the bike. He held his hand out to help Sydney. “Get on.”

  Sydney grabbed his hand, swung her leg over the seat, and scooted right behind him. She placed her arms around his waist and pressed her face against his back.

  “Hold on, but not too tight. I need to breathe.” He glanced back at Sydney, she nodded okay, and they were off.

  It was a beautiful ride through the desert. She had an idea of where they might be going. There wasn’t very much to see outside of the Strip in Nevada.

  As she suspected, they reached the Hoover Dam half an hour later. It was a spectacular view. Marcus parked the bike off to the side of the road, and they got off to take a closer look. Marcus stood behind Sydney with his arms around her waist as they gazed down at Lake Meade. Being on the dam with Marcus gave Sydney a feeling of serenity. They stood together, just staring out at the water, for over an hour.

  “We could walk the dam if you want, then I have somewhere else I want to go,” Marcus stated.

  “Yeah, that would be fine.” She turned and kissed him.

  They walked the entire length of the dam and back. “Ready to get back on the bike and go?” Marcus asked Sydney.

  She was anxious to see where they were going next. “Yeah, but we’re not going to the Grand Canyon, are we? That seems like an awful long drive from here.”

  “No, you’ll love where we’re going next. Get on.”

  The second ride took a little less than two hours. They would have been there sooner but needed to make a pit stop halfway so Sydney could use the restrooms. The wetness in her crotch was causing her to chafe between her lace panties and the tight jeans.

  If she could just keep her mind on the scenery, she’d be fine, but straddling Marcus on that bike had her mind wandering. She imagined sitting in front of Marcus naked, her legs straddled over his. Between the humming of the bike under her bare ass and the cold sensation of his steel barbell against her clit, they were having the most incredible sex on that bike.

  When she got back on the bike, she sat a little farther away and didn’t rest her head on his back. She sat as straight as she could trying to keep her mind off sex. Sydney was glad when they reached their destination. By concentrating so hard on not thinking of sex, she hadn’t even noticed her surroundings.

  Once she snapped out of it, Sydney took in the views of the enormous red sandstone formations. It was awe inspiring. “Where are we?”

  “The Valley of Fire State Park,” Marcus answered.

  “It’s absolutely beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “It is, but not as beautiful as you.” He grabbed her waist and spun her around. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” He looked her right in the eyes and planted a seductive kiss on her lips. “Let’s go look around before it gets too late.”

  They walked for miles, checking out all the red rock formations. Sydney was glad to have boots on, but she was getting hot in her jeans.

  They walked the edge of the lake until Sydney couldn’t walk any more. “Can we just sit for a while and rest? I’m so hot in these jeans.”

  “If we walk a little farther, it looks like it’s a little more secluded. We can go swimming,” He pulled her along eagerly.

  “I didn’t wear a bathing suit. You didn’t tell me to wear a bathing suit, Marcus,” she said sternly with her eyes bulging.

  “I didn’t think we’d need them, and the truth is we don’t. There’s no one around.” He looked around before dropping his jeans to the dirt. “Come on. It’ll be fun. Don’t worry.” He kicked off his boxers and waited for Sydney.

  One look at him standing there absolutely naked, and she couldn’t refuse. “Only with you, Mr. Matthews, would this ever happen.” She shook her head in disbelief and stripped her clothes off, hesitating when it came time to remove her bra and undies.

  “If you leave those on, they’ll be wet, and you’ll have to put your clothes on over them. Your choice,” he said with a smirk.

  There was no way she was riding all the way back to the hotel in soaking wet undergarments. She was having enough trouble with the panties from her own dampness. Quickly, she removed everything, grabbed his hand, and ran into the lake. The cool water felt refreshing against her flush skin.

  Marcus cradled Sydney in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled his ear. “This is so rejuvenating. Thank you for bringing me here. You really are something out of a fairy tale.”

  “Babe, I told you the first night we meet that I would do whatever it took to make you feel special. I meant it, and it’s not just while we’re here in Vegas. It’s forever.”

  Sydney was speechless, totally blown away by the thought of forever. Trying hard not to think about how her first forever ended, she covered his mouth with hers and began swabbing his mouth with her tongue.

  Marcus dropped her legs and ran his hands all over her body. She felt so smooth in the water. Placing his hands on her ass, he slipped his penis into her. It was the most effortless love making. Being virtually weightless in the water, Sydney could move her body to maximize the intensity of her climax, which extended Marcus’ as well.

  “We better get out and dry off. It’s getting pretty late, and we still have to walk back to the bike.” Sydney pulled Marcus out of the water.

  By the time they made their way back to the motorcycle, the sun began to set. It was the most amazing sunset either one of them had ever seen. Setting behind the red sandstone formations, it looked like the sun was in flames.

  Before getting on the bike, Sydney turned to Marcus and said, “We told each other we would be honest from the beginning. I need to tell you something.” She dropped her head and began to cry.

  “Baby, what’s the matter? You can tell me. It won’t change a
nything.” He cupped her chin and raised her face to his, giving her a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Tell me.”

  “I’m afraid it will change everything. This truly has been a fairytale for me. From the moment you got on the plane up to this unbelievable sunset. I didn’t think it would be possible to be happy again, let alone to fall in love.”

  Marcus squeezed Sydney’s face between his hands, “Did you just say you’re falling in love with me?”

  “Actually, I didn’t say I was still falling. I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you.” Sydney couldn’t take her eyes off him.

  “Well, let me first apologize. I haven’t been completely honest and upfront with you lately. Sydney, I’ve been falling in love with you since the very first night I left you in your suite. I know, I was being a geek, but I didn‘t want to scare you away.” He drew her close to him and wrapped his arms around her. “And you’re right. It does change everything, but nothing we can’t work out together. Come on, let’s get going. It’s gonna be a hell of a long ride back now that I know you love me, and I can’t wait to get you into bed and show you just how much I love you.”

  The ride back to the hotel was a total blur for Sydney. This isn’t a fairytale. It’s a nightmare. How could you have fallen in love with this man? Yeah, he’s hot and all, but, you have four children at home that need you. How are you gonna manage this one, Einstein? You’re going home to Delaware in two days and don’t even know where his home is. Wow, you really fucked this up royally.

  Marcus was glad to arrive back at the hotel. The entire ride back, Sydney’s arms were dead locked around his waist to the point where he was having trouble breathing. He hadn’t said anything because he wasn’t sure what was going on in her head. She had been silent ever since she confessed she loved him.

  As soon as they entered the suite, Sydney went to the bedroom. She began gathering her stuff. She threw it all in her bag and headed towards the door. Marcus stood in the doorway. “What’s going on? Where are you going?”

  With tears in her eyes and her head hung down, she said, “I’m gonna go back to my suite. This will never work. It can’t, and I don’t think it’s fair to string you along. I won’t survive another loss. My kids are counting on me to get it together, and I only have two days left.”