Chapter 11

As he headed for his car in the garage, Horatio looked at his watch. He was surprised to see it was only a little after eight o'clock. The day had seemed so much longer. Disregarding that he felt as tired as if it was two or three in the morning, he dug into his pocket and punched the screen when it read Solange's name.

"Hey stranger."

"Hey yourself. I got your message."

"Oh yeah? I meant it too. What do you think?"

"I think you know how I feel about you. I have wished to get much closer to you on many levels for quite a while." His words tumbled out from him before he realized what he was saying.

"Do you have time to come over now?"

"Get the hot tub in your back yard ready. We'll go from there." Yes, a soak in the hot tub, that's what he needed.

He was at her house and in the hot tub before he knew it. He had shed his clothes and gotten in, settling into the soothing warmth. She hadn't gotten in yet but was preparing to. Horatio took a deep slow breath watching her remove her clothes. She kept her eyes on him making sure he was seeing her every move. This was more fun than any of the strip clubs he had enjoyed when he was much younger. He felt something for this woman.

As she slowly stripped, she winked and turned and flirted. She raised a shoulder and let a bra strap drop and then let the whole thing magically drop. She slowly ground her hips around as she skinnied out of her shorts, letting them slide down her muscular legs. She deftly stepped out of one leg and used her foot in the other leg to flick them to someplace out in the yard. Then she turned her back and stuck each thumb into either side of a pair of black panties that were so wispy they hardly could be declared clothing. Looking at him over her shoulder and smiling sweetly, she raised her eyebrows twice in rapid succession, then slowly inched the sides of this last bit of material down and down. At the same time, she slowly turned so that only her side was exposed to her observer.

"Hey, you, you're awfully silent over there. You want the full Monty or what?"

Horatio felt like if he grinned any wider it would meet in the back and the top part of his head would separate from the lower part. "Oh yeah, sweetheart, take it all off. Show me what you got."

Without further ado, she slid the last of her garb to the floor and stood upright with a, "Ta-da!"

Then, instead of just sitting next to him, she got into the tub and straddled him. Oh, honey, I'm so glad you are here." Her voice purred like a happy kitten.

He reached around her waist to steady her against the roiling water. "So am I. I have to admit I was surprised to hear your message. What brought this on?"

She pulled back in mock surprise. "What? Are you afraid I'm just having a hormone rush and might be sorry later?"

"Maybe something like that."

Solange looked Horatio straight in the eyes, depthless browns meeting sparkling blues. "Okay, let me try this one step at a time."

She reached up and placed her hands gently on either side of his face. She leaned forward and kissed him.

It seemed to Horatio that the kiss was enjoyably endless, growing more and more passionate with every second.

At first it was just lips touching lips and then tongues reaching tentatively in and out. In time the tongues were battling each other, winding and twisting, resting only when the other won ground and explored the conquered mouth. What seemed like hours later, she pulled back with a huge smile.

She pretended to think and then announced, "No, no sorrow there. Not one bit. You're doing good; keep it up."

"I'm glad to hear that. What's the next step?"

She leaned forward and offered a tightened nipple to his mouth. "I want to be enjoyed."

"I think I can answer that request with no problem." Horatio inclined his head to the piece of flesh cupped in her hand and gently took it into his mouth. If he had been paying attention, he would have noticed her rise up ever so slightly and heard a sighing, "Oh, yes-s-s."

As it was, he sank into the moment allowing his baser instincts to take over. Besides rubbing the nipple with his tongue, feeling the puckered skin against it and the much softer skin against his lips, he brought his arms up to her back and let them roam. He moved hungrily to the other breast as Solange threw her head back ecstatically with a high pitched moan.

Feeling the pressure against his hands, Horatio raised his head to look at Solange. His inquiring smile was met with a larger one.

He asked, "So, how did step two feel?"

Solange answered with a deep long kiss.

When she sat up again, she said, "I think the next few steps should be on drier, softer territory."

Horatio's hopes for what she meant were correct. Somehow though, the bedroom was anything, but what he last remembered. Before, when he had had to search her house at Natalia's request several months before, it had been plainer, functional, with only hints of the owner. Now it shouted female, lovemaking, and all of the thoughts that went along with it.

Not saying a word about the décor, Solange pulled Horatio to the heart shaped bed. The papier-mâché cherubs on the wall at the head of the bed ignored the couple. The red velvet bows on the side of the cover rustled quietly. The one red wall dully reflected the light from lamp on the bedside table. The other walls, each white with pictures of people in the countryside not quite making love, but obviously thinking about it, enhanced the reflection.

He looked at Solange for information and got only a smile in return. Her eyes were focused on his and the look on her face was one of playful hunger.

Forgetting everything else, he lay down beside her and took up what they had started in the tub. He softly stroked her still damp hair and kissed her. He felt her hands on his back doing anything but massage. He lowered himself so that he could kiss her breasts and enjoy the sounds she made as he licked the outsides, made circles around the aureoles with his tongue, gently squeezed and rubbed them.

As he tried to work his way down her body, she giggled and turned and nibbled on his muscled shoulder. Playfully forcing him onto his back she ran her tongue over his neck and down into the light fuzz on his chest. Her mouth found the smaller nipples there. Her ministrations to the vestigial bits brought a deep chuckle from Horatio's throat.

"Do you like that?"

He pulled her up and hugged her. "More than I can say."

Hands from both parties began to roam, to probe, to feel. Breathing quickened, moans and sighs interrupted the sounds of mouths on flesh. Nothing was said while volumes were expressed. The movements became quicker as desire heightened.

Every few moments, each checked the eyes of the other as if to gauge the meaning of what was to come. Neither one hesitated to launch the next step.

Finally, there was no checking, no stopping, only normal human sex drives meeting, rubbing, penetrating, needing.

Horatio had no doubts as he reached climax…

And again, he woke up in his own bed to the soft burr of the alarm.

He had no recall of how he had reached home the night before. Obviously he had. His jacket was hung with care as were his slacks. The rest of his clothing was dumped in the corner of the room as usual.

The memory of the dream faded so fast, he had no time to analyze it. He knew it was pleasant and was about having sex with Solange. Well, why not? Her message had excited him. Was it really a dream?

One look at his ragged looking face in the bathroom mirror told him he hadn't had enough sleep again so there was no doubt; he had not seen Solange much less had any sex. The reality was cruel.

TBC