Page 5 of The Write Midlife

"What did you have in mind?" she asked, surprised by her own boldness.

He grinned, offering her his arm. "I hear the hotel bar makes an excellent martini. And I'm dying to hear more about this cheese shop romance."

As they walked out of the ballroom, arm in arm, she couldn't help but feel like she was living in one of her own novels. The mysterious stranger, the spark of attraction, the promise of adventure... It was all there, wrapped up in a package of blue eyes, broad shoulders, and charm.

But as they stepped into the elevator, a nagging voice in the back of her mind reminded her that in her books, these kinds of encounters rarely ended well. There was always a catch, a secret, a complication waiting to rear its ugly head.

Her mother's voice floated through her memory, clear as if she were standing beside her:"Life isn't a Hallmark movie, sweetheart. The best stories - and the best moments - come with complications and risks. That's what makes them worth writing about."

She smiled at the memory, feeling that familiar bittersweet ache. Mom would have loved this scene - her practical, planning-obsessed daughter throwing caution to the wind for one wild night."Sometimes you need to live the stories you write,"she'd told her once, her eyes brimming with her usual brand of trouble, even from her hospital bed."How else will you know what your characters are feeling?"

She pushed her doubts away as Nate's hand brushed against hers. Tonight, she decided, she was going to live in the moment. Tomorrow could take care of itself.

TWO

The elevator doorsclosed with a soft ding, and suddenly the world shrank to just Nate and Mel. Her emerald dress shimmered in the low light, and Nate was struck by an overwhelming urge to run his fingers through her auburn hair, to gently tug her head back and expose her neck.

They were standing close enough that he could smell her perfume—something floral. Sweet. Sultry.

Didn’t help his libido that he could also sense her anticipation. It was in the subtle shake of her hands, the way her deep breaths made her full breasts rise and fall.

"So," Mel said, her voice low and teasing. "About that cheese shop romance..."

Nate laughed, the sound echoing in the small space. "I'm all ears. Though I have to warn you, my knowledge of cheese is limited to what I put on burgers."

She grinned, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Oh, we can't have that. Clearly, you need an education in the finer points of fromage."

The elevator stopped, and they stepped out into the hotel corridor. Their hands brushed as they walked, sending little sparks of electricity up Nate's arm. He was usually morecomposed than this, more in control. But something about Mel had him feeling like a teenager on his first date, eager to explore every inch of her being.

They reached her room, and she fumbled with the key card. Nate watched, amused, as she muttered under her breath.

"Need some help there, cheese expert?" he asked.

She shot him a playful glare. "I'll have you know, I'm perfectly capable of opening a door. This one's just... temperamental."

Finally, the light turned green, and the door swung open. Mel turned to him, her expression suddenly shy. "So, um... do you want to come in? For that cheese education, of course."

Nate stepped closer, close enough to see the kaleidoscope of gold in her hazel eyes. "I thought you'd never ask."

As soon as the door closed behind them, all pretense of cheese-related discussion flew out the window. Mel's lips were on his, soft and insistent. Nate pulled her closer, one hand on the small of her back, the other tangled in her hair, just like he had imagined.

She tasted like wine and possibility, and he was drunk on both. They stumbled towards the bed, a tangle of limbs and half-removed clothing. Mel's dress pooled at her feet, revealing a matching set of lacy underwear that made Nate's heart race.

In this instant, it was almost easy to forget.

Forget that work had been so crazy lately that it had been a while since he had been with a woman—almost half a year.

And this woman in particular, Mel…

Everything about her—the set of her shoulders, her grace, the raspy depth of her voice—spoke of hard-won confidence, the kind that only comes from climbing out of life's trenches with your head held high.

"You lose something over here? You're staring," she teased, her hands working on the buttons of his shirt.

"I am?" Nate ran his hands down her sides, reveling in the softness of her skin. "I'm just trying not to blink. Not to miss a moment of you."

She laughed, the sound turning into a gasp as he trailed kisses down her neck, nipping at her collarbone. "Smooth talker. But I think I'd like a little less talk and a lot more action."

Nate was more than happy to oblige. They fell onto the hotel bed, a mess of kisses and wandering hands. Mel arched against him as he unhooked her bra, her nails digging into his back, leaving marks that he hoped would last for days. Her gorgeous, full breasts spilled out, and he wasted no time taking one hard rosy nipple into his mouth, sucking and biting until she cried out.