Not willing to chance him coming back into the bathroom, Sabrina quickly donned her jeans and the soft, white shirt. She brushed her hair out, leaving it to fall in waves behind her shoulders and down her back.
She put on fresh face powder, lipstick and mascara then took a deep breath before opening the door again, walking through the enormous penthouse. “I’m ready,” she said to his back when she finally found him. He had changed into a pair of jeans and a navy blue shirt. As soon as she spoke, he turned to face her. She stood just inside the living room, unsure if she should enter. The man still intimidated her but she was trying to fight that feeling. She could tell by the way he waited for her that he was sensing her anxiety.
“Nice,” he said and walked up to take her mouth in a passionate kiss. It was another one of those mind-blowing kisses that left her breathless and confused, blinking to reorient herself once the kiss was over. “Want to make a wager?” he asked.
It took her several seconds to understand what he was asking her but eventually, his message got through. “Sure,” she said bravely and knew that it had been the right answer when she saw the light spark in his eyes.
His hands were resting causally on her hips but there was no space between their bodies. He held her firmly, but she knew she could pull away at any moment if she tried. He slid a hand slightly higher on her waist before saying, “I’ll bet that by the end of the evening, you’ll come to me and kiss me on your own.”
Sabrina swallowed. The idea appealed to her more than she wanted to admit. Feel free to touch him whenever she felt like it? What a thought! She wanted to reach out and touch his cheek, to see if he’d shaved or if there was a slight stubble after the day. Her hand itched to do just that but she kept it by her side.
Sid sighed and pulled her hand into his. “I’m a patient man, but I always get what I want, Sabrina.”
She stared up into his eyes, wondering what he could possibly want from her. When she saw the challenge there, she decided to ask rather than simply wonder. “What do you want?” she asked breathlessly.
“You,” he said without hesitation. “But I want you without reservation. I want you to feel the same insane desire to tear my clothes off me and make love with me that I feel as soon as I see you walking anywhere. Just as I want to do with you now.”
Wow! Could his words be true? Did he really find her that attractive? “You do?” she squeaked.
He nodded. “Any suggestions on how I can get that to happen sooner rather than later?”
In response, she stepped closer and reached out her hand, touching his cheek just as she’d wanted to do a moment earlier. She didn’t answer him but instead ran her fingers along the rough stubble that had appeared during the day and since he didn’t move, she became bolder and let her fingers trail over his lips, then down to his shoulders to feel the muscles in his chest and arms covered only by a navy polo shirt.
“Sabrina!” he groaned but he didn’t move. He let her continue to feel wherever she felt the desire to touch him.
When her fingers started shaking, she stopped and let her hand drop to her side. “Thank you,” she said and stepped back.
“Is that all you want to touch?” he asked, his voice harsh.
“For the moment,” she smiled and she had no idea how seductive her smile was. .
Sid watched her eyes and wondered if she was just teasing him. Didn’t she have any idea of what effect she had on his body? He could barely contain the impulse to pick her up and carry her to his bed. He knew he could kiss away her reservations and have her enjoy a physical relationship with him. But something was holding her back from letting her release her need for him. And he didn’t want that. He didn’t understand what that something could be, but he was determined to find out, even if it killed him.
When he saw the vulnerability in her eyes, the slight tremble of her fingers as she hid them behind her back, he realized that she honestly didn’t know what she was doing to him with her tender touch. “We need to get out of here,” he said fervently and took her hand to guide her out of the penthouse.
“Where are we going?” she asked as they took the elevator up.
“To the desert,” he explained and pressed the button for the next floor up.
“Um…” she said, a worried expression in her eyes, “Isn’t the desert down?” she asked, wondering why he’d pressed the up arrow for the elevator.
He didn’t answer her but smiled as he pulled her along behind him. A few moments later, the elevators opened up to the roof of the building and she was startled to see a helicopter parked on a giant helipad. He led her to the passenger side and showed her how to put on the earphones. Then he hopped to the other side and started the propellers. Sabrina put on her seatbelt and gripped the edge of her seat, her excitement almost overwhelming her. She’d always wanted to ride in a helicopter but had never had the opportunity. Now she watched as they flew out over the buildings of Las Vegas and headed out to the desert. The sun was just starting it’s decent into the horizon when he landed the helicopter in a wide open space.
Sabrina got out and watched as he pulled a picnic basket and blanket out of the back of the helicopter, spreading them out near the edge of one of the cliffs. She helped him get out candles, and plates and covered containers already prepared with delicious smelling chicken and some sort of steaming potatoes.
They sat down on the blanket and watched the sunset, not talking about anything as they enjoyed the view.
Sabrina was awestruck as the sun dipped down to touch the horizon, the cliffs in front of her coming on fire as the sun broke and diffused behind them, splintering off into red, orange and fuscia rays.
Sabrina had put down her plate and just enjoyed the sight of the setting sun, thrilled that he had taken her here to enjoy what must be a private spot for him.
Once the sun was low, she turned to face him, speaking for the first time since they started eating. “Thank you,” she said quietly, still not willing to break the beauty of the sunset with words.
“You’re welcome.”
Sabrina thought about what he’d said earlier, about having her kiss him for the first time on her own. She put her plate down and got up on her knees. With the lightest touch, she kissed him then pulled back. When he didn’t move, she became bolder and kissed him again. Sabrina remembered how he had nibbled on her lips, licked them sensuously and she tried it out on him. The effect was exactly what she had been hoping to do to him. He reacted just as she did. He groaned a moment before his arms when around her and he pulled her down to the ground, his broad shoulders blocking out what remained of the sunlight as his hand cushioned her head against the hard desert earth.