Dark Market

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Two

They lay staring at the ceiling of the hotel room. Neither of them had had any patience.

Two taxis converged. They'd booked a room. One of those boutique hotels designed for couples with one thing in mind and no prudish shame.

Each room was themed. They'd gone for the Dynamite Suite, the boutique's flagship room, the ultimate dirty weekend. Dedicated to all things decadent and indulgent, think burlesque, kitsch and sexy boudoir rolled in to high art.

Side by side on the eight foot round bed, they explored each others sweaty spent nakedness in the mirrored canopy above them.

'You needed that,' she said.

His hand found hers. They breathed and let their heart rates slow down, regained their composure. Savage held her eyes in the reflection, slanted a smile at her.

'So did you.'

She smirked and began to stretch out. Savage admired the fullness of her figure, the curve of her spine arching into her bottom as she curled her hands first above her head and then down by her sides, scrunching up the sheets around her.

'You look like you're about to purr,' he said and ran his finger along the rise and fall of her hips.

'If I could,' her eyelids heavy and languid, 'I would.' That kinky smile again.

She ran her hand over the curves of his body, the hard edges of his shoulders, the sinewy twists of his forearms and thighs. Her hand brushed his eyebrow, his cheek rose to meet it.

'You know,' she said,' 'This is the first time I've seen you relax. It suits you. Your smile—'

'What about it?'

'It's real.'

He opened his eyes to look at her properly for the first time. She was a beautiful woman. Not the transparent fashion of the day type beauty, her natural curls with the blonde kink and mix of dark set off the sallow skin beneath.

If you looked behind the easy façade her eyes were intelligent and penetrating. He realised that despite all their flirting they really didn't know each other yet.

'You have to go back to work?' he said.

'Don't you?'

'Yes,' he stroked her cheek, outlined the features of her nose, ran his fingers along her jaw line, the nape of her neck. 'But, I'm not going to.' He moved in, found her top lip, 'And neither are you.' He pulled her to him, devoured her, tore down every last one of her defences, and in return she annihilated his.

                                                                  *

The afternoon faded, orange twilight played at the curtains, the sounds of running water came from the bathroom.

Savage shook the sleep off, ignored the giant plasma screen and private exit to the street in the lounge and found something suitably laid back on the sound system.

He hit a button that said 'bathroom' on the smoke black control pad and found a bottle of Piper Hiedseck and two glasses in the mini-bar, then padded through.

With a towel wrapped around her body and hair loose, Echo dipped a toe into an over-large plunge pool that filled the room.

She greeted him with a wide open smile, eyes bright. He beamed right back at her.

'How hot do you like it?'

'Scalding.'

'Tough noogies, I like it cool,' she took her toe out. 'Meet me in the middle?'