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"I admire your talent for improvisation."
"You are inspiring."
For the first time in many minutes, she felt a little niggle of guilt as she remembered Puck's beautifying flower. She was reminded of the childhood story of Cinderella and understood only too well the girl's panic as the bell tolled midnight. That thought fled as Gerhard caressed the edge of her left ear, then followed the line of her eyebrow to her nose. He replaced his finger with his lips and kissed the tip. "Being with you like this is wonderful." He nudged his cock forward slightly. "Would you like just a little more?"
"Mmm hmmm. You are remarkable."
"And you are magnificent," he said as he plunged a full stroke inside her.
"Aaah," she sighed, her hands roaming up and down his back. He continued to alternately thrust deeply in and pull almost all of the way out, the sensations fanning the embers of her excitement back into full flame.
For several minutes neither spoke except for inarticulate grunts and groans as each attempted to match the other's increasingly frantic motions. Anna's crest was not as strong as before, but it was deep, and she felt a flush of euphoria course through her entire body as Gerhard spent his last few strokes inside her. Soon she felt him withdraw and snuggle in beside her. Sated, she fell immediately and deeply asleep.
** * * * *
Anna awoke when Gerhard got back into bed. The room was light. She stretched and looked over at the clock. It was still early.
"Anna, we have to talk." He cuddled up behind her and put his arms around her.
Of course they had to talk. Last night was wonderful, she still felt a glow inside, but it made things extremely complicated, not to mention completely impossible. She also had to use the bathroom.
"Okay. Just let me get up for a minute."
Before she could escape, he took her hand. She stopped moving and allowed him to turn her back to him. "Please. You will come back so we can talk? Here, I mean. In the bed. It seems ... appropriate, I guess."
The man had even brushed his teeth. She looked at him and melted, but she was self-conscious about her nudity. "Of course. Just let me find my night shirt, and I'll be right back."
Before going to the bathroom, Anna made a detour back to her own room to retrieve Puck's little packet of wilted flowers. She stared at the contents for a long moment before plucking out another blossom and popping it in her mouth. If anything, this one was worse than the one she had swallowed yesterday. Again she almost gagged, her facial muscles cramping in a rictus of revulsion. The taste gradually faded, and she darted into the bathroom.
Before she came back she took time to brush her teeth — thoroughly. The memory of the flower's horrid taste lingered.
Back in Gerhard's room, he smiled when he saw her. He flipped back the covers for her, and she could see he had put on a pair of boxers. That made her feel more comfortable. She also noticed the man had a tight set of symmetrical ripples in the muscles across his bare lower abdomen. Could he be any more perfect?
Gerhard smiled when she settled in beside him. "Thank you. I was afraid you might not be willing to talk about last night."
Before he could say any more, Anna said, "I'm so sorry. I feel like I tricked you into ... you know ..."
"Into one of the greatest experiences I've ever had?" He arched an eyebrow at her. "I don't think it was any kind of a trick. You were in hysterics from the storm. Mad with terror. There was no trick there."
He did not understand. Granted, her terror of lightning wasn't a trick — her hysterics had been real enough. No, she meant the trick that she was continuing to play on him, by using Puck's flowers to make herself beautiful. If he had ever seen the real Anna, he would never have come within 10 yards of her.
"No," Gerhard went on, "what I have to do is apologize for my behavior."
"Apologize? Gerhard, you were perfect — "
He stopped her at that point by putting a gentle finger to her lips. "No, please. Hear me out." He looked down for a moment. "My life is...." When he looked back at her, his eyes were full of pain. "It's complicated right now. I...."
He looked down again.
Anna sensed he was on the verge of tears.
She cupped his face in her hand. "There's someone else, isn't there?" Anticipating his confirmation made her both disappointed and relieved. Gerhard was the most perfect man she'd ever been with, but of course a perfect man would have prior commitments. She took comfort in knowing that now she would never have to reveal her own secret, and that he would always remember the beautiful Anna, whether she was real or not.
He smiled at her. "No, there's no one else. Not that way." He plunged on and she could see his resolve. "I want to tell you that things are difficult for me right now. Maybe someday...." He looked away.
Now his admission had her intrigued. Setting aside her own thoughts, she said, "Well, I know for a fact you're not gay," trying to add a little levity to ease the awkwardness.
He grinned at her. "Figured that out, did you?" He reached out and gave her a gentle hug. "No, you are special, but I couldn't ask you to get involved with my life right now."
She smiled back. "It's okay. I've got a lot of things going on in my life too."
For a time he said nothing and just gazed at her with eyes filled with desire, and ... something else. "I would like to explain in a way so you understand. Would you..." he spoke hesitantly, but determinedly, as if he'd decided something. "Would you have dinner with me some night after we get back? I need to show you a part of my life I keep very private."
"Sure. Why not? As long as we both know things can't go any farther." Her confidence had returned.
He leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss. "Thank you."
She stared into his dark eyes for a moment, then crushed her lips back against his. The kiss went on for a long time. When they separated, her hand bumped against his hard erection.
"Oh, my god. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..." -- "
His kiss cut off her reply, demanding her acknowledgement. She wrapped her arms around him and thrust herself against him. He pawed at her nightshirt. They pulled and tore at each other's clothing until there was nothing in the way between their bodies, the touch of skin on skin intensifying mutual desire to join, to lock into each other, to....
Anna was on fire. She rolled over on top of him. They thrust against each other, heated skin rubbing wildly together, pausing just long enough to let her reach down between them and guide him inside her. He stared up at her while she rode him passionately, forming her name silently with his lips as he bucked up against her downward lunges. They exploded in a duet of fierce desire.
They finally separated, breathless. Anna sighed, and basked in the warm, post-coital glow as she cuddled up close behind him. The next thing she knew, a beam of sunlight hit her face. She levered herself up in bed to look at the clock.
"Shit!" She smacked Gerhard hard on the bottom. "It's late. The first group will be here in less than half an hour. We've got to get going."
There was no time for clothes or taking turns in the bathroom. Anna started her shower while Gerhard shaved. They both shared the counter for a time during their last minute preparations, and Anna sensed the intimacy of the moment.
They both were ready in time. Barely.
Even in their rush, she had marveled at how comfortable it felt to be getting ready together. They were already like an old married couple.
She had giggled at the thought, and receiving an inquiring look from Gerhard looked at her. "Just ignore me," she had said, embarrassed.
The rest of the day went by in a blur of activity.
All of her preparation the past month had paid off in spades, and the results were even better than she had hoped. Anna handled all of the discussions about orders, including technical details about the special edition which were of particular importance to collectors. The displays featured sample pages from the prepress run of the collector's edition, as well as copies of the standard hard cover edition which would be sold in bookstores.
The coffee table sized bookstore edition with its many color prints was not cheap to publish, and it was priced accordingly. The quality made Gerhard's powerful photos compelling, and the volume would sell well. In the collector's edition, however, special technical press work captured a much greater tonal range in the photos. The resulting portfolio of his work was nothing short of magnificent — a bound gallery of art prints.
Gerhard's role was to schmooze with the buyers and create interest in his book. He told about hiding in the bush from poachers in an African wildlife preserve, fleeing from two young Pakistanis who had tried to take him hostage in the tribal regions near Afghanistan, breathing air from a scuba tank while tethered to a lifeline inside the rim of an active volcano....
Anna was kept busy almost continuously, yet she overheard some of the anecdotes Gerhard recounted. Listening to him and watching him interact with the buyers triggered a spark of desire that flickered in her loins. She tamped it down immediately. Thank heavens last night had been just a fluke one-night-stand. Ah, but it had been such a wonderful fluke.
* * * * * *
That night found Anna in bed, exhausted. She'd ordered a sandwich from room service and turned in early, while Gerhard had gone down alone to the hotel's restaurant. Going to bed early was the smart thing to do, so she would be full of energy tomorrow. It was also the coward's way out. She had successfully convinced herself that being alone with Gerhard in the suite would be more than she could bear.
For a long time she lay resting in bed, unable to drop off, her mind skittering from one thought to another. At one point she heard Gerhard come into the suite. She lay completely still. holding her breath. Would he come in to her room? Would he just go to bed? What did she want him to do?
She heard little noises in the suite, but she couldn't tell what he was doing. She wanted him to make wild, passionate love to her again, like he had last night. But that would be a disaster once he discovered she wasn't the beautiful women he thought she was. She knew he had complications in his life, impediments. Couldn't he just throw those aside, and ....
Would he, or wouldn't he? That was the question. 'Would it be nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune' or to take him in her arms against.... Her dark fantasy of Gerhard as Hamlet faded as sleep finally took over.
* * * * * *
Obviously he had been able to resist her, Anna thought when she woke up alone the next morning. It was light outside. A tap repeated itself on her door, and Anna realized what had awakened her.
"Anna? I just thought I'd let you know, I'm going down for breakfast."
"Just a second." Her thoughts wouldn't sort out straight. Finally she realized he was still waiting for a reply, and called out, "I'm going to be a while. Go on without me."
She was dressed and ready by the time he'd returned to the room. "How was the breakfast?" she asked lamely.
He smiled and imitated the snooty concierge on duty in the little lobby on their floor, "Exquisite. The grits and gravy were just like Mother used to make."
Anna stared at him a moment, before detecting the movement of the corner of his mouth as it twitched up. "That's sass, isn't it? You're pulling my leg."
"Such a charming American idiom," he replied. "Your legs are quite long enough — no need to pull them."
He smiled, and Anna realized he was making a joke about his being the shorter of the two of them.
She had to get out of the room before she started to drool all over his nicely shined shoes. "Okay, I'll be back shortly, but I'm going to stick with cereal."
"I'll start the setup for the first meetings."
Anna was halfway out the door before she stopped and turned back. "You really don't have to do that, Gerhard." This was the first time she'd said his name since.... Since they'd made love. She felt a warm feeling scurry between her legs. "I mean, I'm supposed to be the one who does the work for the show."
"So, I'm just here to be a pretty face?" he'd smiled as he said it, but it hit Anna right in the gut.
She stepped close to him. "Yes, you're a very pretty face, but it's not right for us, is it?"
Her feelings had betrayed her, she realized belatedly. She had started to tear up, when he took her gently in his arms.
He held her for a moment and patted her gently on the back. "Let's behave and work through the next few days. Afterwards, we can talk about our 'complications'."
When he let her go, Anna heaved a deep sigh and went out the door.
** * * * *
And, work they did. After three days of nonstop meetings, sales pitches, and order details, they were both tired but flush with success, selling twice as many of the collector's editions as they expected. She planned to plop the bulging order book on Bancroft's desk as soon as she got back.
They ate at the Park Grill near McCormick Place that evening. Gerhard kept the small talk away from anything personal, and they ended up talking about the sales they had made. As they sat waiting for the bill, he expressed surprise that there had been so little interest from the major book retail chains.
"I sort of expected that," Anna said. "They're out to move merchandise, and the collector's version of your book has a limited appeal in that market. I called the guy who managed the last special edition we did, and he said to look to the smaller chains and even independent outlets. They know their customers better, and they'll know exactly who will be interested."
"Like that little white-haired lady from Ohio," Gerhard looked at Anna and smiled. "I liked her."
"Of course. She's a retired librarian and she found your charms irresistible." Gerhard blushed, and Anna went on. "She runs a shop in a small town, lives on her retirement money, and sees herself as providing a service to her community. She bought three copies, and she knew exactly to whom she was going to sell them. Booksellers like her know their market."
Anna stopped her enthusiastic lecture when she noticed Gerhard had stopped eating and was looking at her. "What?" She looked down at herself. "Did I dribble?"
He blinked and looked away. "Sorry. I just admire, I don't know, your enthusiasm? You are fascinating when you get excited about something."
A blot on her blouse she could have handled. Gerhard's compliment made her blush.
Back at the suite after supper, Gerhard had another surprise. He went to the refrigerator and pulled out at bottle topped with a foil wrap.
"Champagne?" Anna asked.
"Even better. I found this in a wine shop in the little concourse across the street. Have you ever tried any sparkling varietal wines?"
When Anna looked puzzled, Gerhard continued. "Well, you told me you liked pinot noir, so I thought you might like to try a sparkling pinot. It's a pinot noir, but fermented to have bubbles." He'd been working at the cork, and now it came away with a deep, resounding champagne-like "POP! as the pressure released from the bottle.
She watched him pour it into two of the drinking glasses in the suite.
"Not exactly champagne flutes, but good enough to toast your success in selling my book." He held out a glass to her, and they clinked them together.
The wine was deep red, but it had bubbles of fizz at the surface. She took a sip and was delightfully surprised. Bright and lively on her tongue, it tasted like a good pinot noir, but the bubbles gave it a whole new character. "Oh, my goodness!" she said. "I like that. It's wonderful!"
Gerhard smiled and held out his glass. They clinked again, and took a sip together. Suddenly Anna felt awkward. Here they were in the suite. Alone. With a bottle of wine.
He seemed to sense her hesitation. "Why don't we just sit and look at the city for a while and ... talk about sales?"
They dragged one of the long couches over in front of the pair of sliding glass doors which opened onto a small balcony. Anna slid the doors open while Gerhard turned down the lights so they could watch the glowing flow of Chicago at night.
"The city at night is beautiful from up here," she observed. Her comment wasn't about sales, but the appeal of the vista was inescapable.
"I agree, but I also feel a pull from out there." He gestured with his glass toward the dark lake where only a few feeble spots of light were visible.
"What? The lake?"
"And beyond. Sometimes I feel claustrophobic with all the people of a city around me." He finished his first glass, poured himself another, and refilled Anna's drink. "Going out on assignment lets me.... I don't know, decompress, I guess."
They both leaned forward, gazing out over the balcony and occasionally pointing out one sight or another, but they mainly just enjoyed the moment. Soon the wine was gone, and Anna felt a steady pull toward Gerhard. She leaned close enough to feel the gentle warmth from his body, an inviting contrast to the cool air of the evening.
She leaned a little closer, her head settling on his shoulder. He responded by putting his arm around her, and she snuggled closer, happy to be near him. They sat like that for some time.
He shifted a little, and she felt the touch of his lips on the top of her head. "I'm sorry, but you are so attractive."
She felt guilty, but she couldn't resist lifting her face to his. For a moment he just stared at her, then he leaned forward slightly and kissed her softly on the lips.
They held the kiss for a long time. Anna finally broke away. Sighing happily she turned round to face him and lay back into his arms. More comfortable now she pulled him forward and kissed him again. He responded and caressed her hair.
For a long time they kissed and necked chastely, like a pair of teenagers with parents in the next room. Gradually she lay back a little more until her head rested in his lap. He had to lean down farther to kiss her, yet now his hands were free to caress her arms and shoulders. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. She could feel her passion building. Did she really want this? Was it fair to Gerhard when she knew he wouldn't like the real Anna?
It didn't matter. Her body betrayed her. She gave a little moan of appreciation the first time his hand brushed across her breast. He stroked her gently, outside of her clothes, his touch so light she could scarcely feel it. The man was maddening. She hungered for his touch on her bare skin. Finally she reached up and undid the top button of her blouse. When he didn't immediately take the hint, she undid another. A worrying thought occurred to her, that he might not want her tonight.
He did. His hand came up and traced her collar bone. Next it wandered down the exposed skin in between her breasts. His fingers dipped to the remaining buttons, unfastening them one by one. Brushing the fabric off of her shoulders, he stroked her bare skin with the back of his hand.
Next he found the front clasp of her bra and popped it open easily. She'd worn her one bra which fastenedwith fasteners in front. Had she saved it deliberately for tonight? When he lifted the cups gently off her breasts, she stopped her all self -reflection. All she could think about was, immersed in sensations and thoughts of what he would do next.
Her breasts could be sensitive at first touch. Gerhard began by brushing them softly and slowly with the back of his hand. Each caress felt better than the last. Slowly he circled the mounds again, leaving her nipples waiting in anticipation. She didn't have to wait long, though it wasn't his hands that touched them. Instead he leaned over and took her nipples one nipple at a time into his mouth, and he sucked them until they each stood up stiff, begging for more.
