Greg and Samantha - or 'Sam', as he often called her - Stone strolled down the cold streets of Jackson, Wyoming. They were used to the mountains and frigid temperatures - Maine had some of both - but they had never experienced anything like the Tetons and Wyoming in late winter. The mountains were spectacular any time of year, but now, smothered in snow and broken clouds, they were breathtaking. They had only been here a few hours, but Greg had already told himself that someday, he and Samantha would have a home here if they could afford it.
The lack of sunshine kept temperatures in the low thirties and they were wearing heavy winter coats, hats, and mittens, to keep the elements at bay. They were walking in shadows, though not in the dark, as the sun had dropped behind the spires of the Tetons to the west, but hadn't set. Store lights and streetlights were on, casting their glow off the light snow that, in surprise contrast to the local forecasts, had fallen earlier in the day. They were looking for something to eat, but the walk in the crisp, chilly air was good to clear their minds and perk them up after their travel.
Their flight from Maine was without incident, other than a twenty-minute delay leaving O'Hare when a plane in front of them experienced a mechanical issue as it taxied. The two of them landed in Jackson just before one, picked up the Audi A6 they had rented, and headed for their hotel. There were numerous lodging options in Jackson, but the Stones were staying in Teton Village at the Teton Mountain Lodge.
Walking through the entrance, they paused to take in their surroundings before heading to the front desk. Giant beams crisscrossed the multi-floor atrium and there were beautiful wooden floors accented with rich rugs. It was elegant without being ostentatious. Their room was a spacious suite, featuring a living room with a very nice kitchen area and a separate bedroom. The bathroom was equally luxurious, having both a large rain-type shower and a Jacuzzi-style jetted tub.
Once the porter had brought their bags and left, Samantha turned to her husband and said, "Wow, this is magnificent! I've never stayed in a hotel like this before."
Greg laughed as he rubbed his hand up and down her back, "And this was a middle-of-the-road place. There are others in the Village that are much more expensive and luxurious than this." His wife shook her head, as though what he was saying couldn't possibly be true.
"I'm ready to ski - should we hit the slopes?"
"Really? Five minutes after we get here? We have the rest of this week and all of next week for that. Plus, it's already mid-afternoon. Tell you what – we can try skiing tomorrow morning in full light before the weekend crowds arrive. If you really enjoy it, and if you survive, we can go again a few times. Right now, I want to see the town, look at the shops, and eat. I skipped breakfast because of the flight and I'm starved! How far is Jackson from here?"
Greg smiled and told her it was about twenty minutes, but inside he was sighing. He did not want to go shopping. Samantha was generally conservative with their money, but when she was in tourist traps, all bets were off. He hoped she would mostly keep her credit cards in her purse.
So here they were, walking the streets of Jackson in the late-afternoon light. They had already visited the town square and taken pictures of the famed antler arches. It was Thursday, so the crowds were light and consisted mostly of locals, but in twenty-four hours, these sidewalks would probably be holding up two or three times the number of bodies. The inch-and-a-half snowfall in town equated to almost ten inches on the slopes, and because the ski season was winding down, people would be out in droves to visit the runs and the town, thinking it might be their last opportunity until the fall.
Walking north from the square, they found a small Mexican restaurant that looked to be worth a try - they were not disappointed. The food was outstanding and the service equally good. Samantha splurged and ordered the sopapillas for dessert - with whipped cream and honey - and they were heavenly. The two doctors left the place stuffed. Most of the stores were open until seven, so they walked in and out of various shops and tourist spots. Greg was surprised that Samantha wasn't buying anything, and he finally spoke up as they were browsing an outfitters store.
"What's the deal, Sam?" he asked as he looked around. "You keep picking things up that you love and then putting them back. You've done that in every store so far. I actually appreciate these few moments when you're...thrifty, but this place has stuff that would look great on you."
Samantha turned around, put her hands on his chest, and offered him a challenge. "You think this place has great stuff? Ok, put together an outfit for me. I'm going to sit over there where you men usually wait for us, and you have ten minutes. Time starts now." She turned and walked away.
Poor Greg wasn't even sure of his wife's shoe size, but was determined to show her up, so he looked at the clock and immediately got to work. He found a sleeveless dress in a beautiful multi-colored pattern that buttoned up the front and looked like it might end several inches above her knees - just a little flirtatious without being trashy. To keep her arms warm, he matched the dress with a teal-colored serape-type thing - he had no idea what it was called - that had a beautiful tied fringe. Six minutes to go. He found a beautiful pair of cowboy boots, laughing at the idea that Samantha had probably never owned a pair in her life. A necklace, a belt with small turquoise accents, and a couple of pretty bracelets for her wrists and he was done. Ninety seconds to spare.
A little full of himself, he carried everything to his wife and smiled proudly at his accomplishment. "Ha! Now, don't say a word, get to a dressing room, and try everything on, and you have ten minutes. Time starts now." One of the nearby store clerks was watching the interaction and laughed - husbands almost never attempted what he had tried and she admired his courage, to say nothing of his extremely good looks.
With a sly smile towards Greg, Samantha headed towards the dressing room while he followed behind. He made to enter the room with her, but she turned and shoved him out the door. "No you don't, you hound. You wait right out there!" Eight minutes later she spoke from behind the door, "Well, I actually think you did alright." She primped for another minute, just to make him wait, and then stepped out. "So what do you think?"
Greg's eyes went wide and his hand went to his mouth. Basically, it was a dress, a shawl, and boots, but she looked incredible. The dress was a perfect fit, accentuating her figure without being skin-tight. It might have been an inch shorter than he had estimated - playful, showing off plenty of her gorgeous legs, but not needing an R-rating. The boots were flat-out sexy! He stammered over a few words before walking over, taking her hand, and spinning her around. "I didn't think you could look more beautiful, but I was wrong. I...I...wow!"
Samantha blushed, and she noticed a couple of men giving her appreciative looks as they browsed the racks with their wives. The store clerk that heard them earlier walked up and looked her over. "That man put this together for you?" When Samantha nodded, the clerk leaned in close and quietly said, "He's a keeper," before turning to Greg, "You did good - she looks fantastic! Should I package everything up for her?"
Before Greg could say anything, his wife quickly spoke up. "I love this - though the boots feel one size too large - but it's too much right now, with the adoption and all." When he opened his mouth to protest, she shook her head, "It's beautiful and you were so sweet to pick it out, but no." She touched the clerk's arm lightly and almost apologized, "Thanks so much for letting me try them on." As she turned and disappeared back into the dressing room, the clerk gave Greg a questioning look.
Greg spoke quietly, "Can you put everything - including right-sized boots - in a nice package and have it delivered to the Teton Mountain Lodge - Samantha Stone?" When she nodded, he asked, "But how do I pay...?"
The woman brushed off the question with a wave of the hand. "Pfft, we do this every day during prime season. Come to the register and give me your credit card information and I will run everything after you both leave. You'll get an itemized receipt and the credit card slip in the package when it's delivered in the morning. Sign the slip and return it to the front desk at the Lodge. They let us know and our courier will pick it up at the end of the day. Easy as pie, and since we're nearing the end of the busy season, everything is twenty-five percent off! I have to say, I don't see many husbands have much success picking clothes for their wives - you're a sweetie!"
Greg thanked her and finished up just before Samantha exited the dressing room carrying everything. The clerk - Greg now knew her as Katherine - met his wife. "Give me those things, honey, and I'll get them put back for you. I have to run help the lady over there, but if you have more questions, just holler. Otherwise, enjoy your time here and come visit us again!"
Two hours later, they were back in their room, having walked much of the downtown area. Greg hoped that was the extent of their shopping for this trip - but was pretty sure it wasn't. He also hoped she wouldn't be upset when the package arrived tomorrow. It was a bit extravagant, but after seeing her wearing it, there was no way he wasn't going to see her in it again.
They had taken their time driving up the hill from Jackson to their hotel, stopping at a couple of places so she could browse some more. A couple of restaurants looked good as well, and they filed them away as possible dinner options.
Greg looked through the nightly entertainment brochure on the desk. "Hey Sam, there's live music and dancing tonight at a place across the parking lots. Want to go check it out? I wouldn't mind getting some kind of dessert or maybe a drink for the night."
She looked at him, squinting. "You just had a little dessert and a beer at the Mexican place. But I'm game, if we don't stay out too late."
Fifteen minutes later, they were walking through the doors. A local band was jamming and, to be honest, the music was pretty good. They sat at a small two-person table and within a minute or two, a young waitress was on her way to get them a glass of wine, a small beer, and something called a Mud Pie that sounded really tasty. She returned, handed off their drinks and the dessert with two forks, and moved on.
"The music's solid!" Greg nearly shouted to be heard across the table. He took a couple small sips from his glass, then a bite of the dessert, which looked too rich even for doctor money. He chewed a couple of times, then attempted to speak above the music with his mouth full, "You have to try this. It's phenomenal!"
Samantha hesitated - ever mindful of her figure - but temptation got the best of her and she took a bite. "Mmm...delicious, but way too rich for me." She took a couple more small bites and then pushed it toward her husband. "The rest is yours." Greg needed no further encouragement and dug in.
When the plate was starting to look a bit bare, he got up and held out his hand. "Want to dance?" Samantha smiled and said, "Well, I was hoping you'd ask - maybe just one or two." She drained her glass and set it down as he pulled her to the floor, where he took her in his arms and spoke softly in her ear, "This will be fun," his warm breath tickling her.
They danced slow dances, fast dances, and every strange hybrid in between. The band was outstanding, playing a mix of country and rock that kept the floor moving. They also played a few smooth jazz tunes - the secondary guitarist was also an accomplished sax player - which Greg especially loved. It wasn't until the crowd was starting to thin out that they realized they were dripping with sweat and exhausted. Greg helped her into her coat and they walked, hand-in-hand, across the parking lots and back to their hotel. Once inside, they headed for the elevator that took them to their third-floor room.
"It's after midnight! I'm sorry, Sam, I had no idea." Greg noticed the time on the microwave when they walked in and couldn't believe they had been out close to four hours. "My feet will be sore tomorrow."
"I'm sore already," Samantha said with a smile. "But that was really fun and I'm glad we went. Thank you, Gregory. I love you." She walked over and hugged her husband, then reached behind his neck to his wet hair, pulled him close, and kissed him gently. She turned around, ditched her coat, and walked into the bathroom. Greg heard the water start running in the tub and he sat in the chair, rubbing his shins and calves a bit.
After a while, the water stopped and all was quiet for a few minutes until she called, "Greg, could you come here please?"
He walked into the warm bathroom and paused. Samantha was in the tub, which was rimmed with a thick layer of fluffy suds that smelled like coconut. Only her head and neck were visible. "Yeah?"
"This jet tub is really comfortable and it's made for two. Aren't you coming in?"
Everything went fuzzy and suddenly, Greg Stone was gone, replaced by Chris Lorenzo, who stood there trying to find his jaw, which had apparently fallen through the floor and landed somewhere near Shanghai. "Rita," he said quietly, blinking in shock, "uh...what?"
"My name isn't Rita. It's Samantha Stone, and you are my wonderful husband, the man who ogled me in the store after picking out a wonderful outfit, then took me dancing and rubbed all over me for hours. Now are you joining me or not?"
Chris looked at her, trying to figure out if this was a dream. Samantha reached over, turned on the massage jets, and spoke over the hum, "I'm not sleeping with a dirty husband, no matter how much he's aroused me tonight, and the water won't stay hot forever..." She closed her eyes and leaned back, relishing the jets that pulsated against her back, arms, and tired feet.
This was not the first time a beautiful woman had invited him into a tub, but for the first time, Chris had no idea what to do. Her eyes were closed and it seemed so relaxing. He said a quick prayer that he wouldn't regret this later...
Greg quickly got undressed and stepped into the steamy water, before the thoughts running in his mind made their presence known in other, more tangible ways. He sat down, and Samantha opened her eyes and smiled. "Doesn't it feel good? The jets are wonderful!" Greg nodded and smiled, though he seemed a bit unsure of himself, almost afraid of talking or even moving. Samantha spun around and slid across the tub, backing into his belly and pulling his arms around her waist. He could feel the small ridge of her abdominal scar.
Chris was back, and he froze. Mind over matter, mind over matter, he kept telling himself, but it wasn't working. Then Rita joined him. "Alright, Christopher, let's work through this. We are supposed to be married, so some things will have to happen. That's why we're here three days early. We need to be intimate with each other, playful, even a little frisky, and that will take a bit of practice. We are going to sleep in the same bed, even though we won't do it - you know - carnally. If we don't sell this, we risk ending up filled with bullet holes, just like the Jensens. I don't want that, so work with me."
Chris took a deep breath. It was almost impossible to think with this beautiful woman sitting between his legs. "Let me say something, too. You know I love you, Rita, and I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you. I want to be a perfect gentleman, but that will be harder in this situation. Promise me you won't get too angry if I make a mistake, and I'll do everything possible not to put you in a position to get angry." She gripped his hands under the water and whispered, "I know you will." He slowly moved his hands up and down her sides and took a deep breath - she was completely naked. Now he was terrified, but she was right, there had to be familiarity. Greg returned.
"Mmm…I love your hands on me. When we work, I think about this all the time. Will you massage my shoulders and back?"
Greg began kneading her trapezius muscles gently, slowly adding more pressure as he worked on the knots in her shoulders. Then he began moving down her back, focusing on the muscles that paralleled her spine, while simultaneously working his own feet in the jets. The process not only helped him relax, but also kept him occupied enough to calm the stirrings he had been feeling elsewhere.
After ten or fifteen minutes, Samantha took a deep breath and ducked her head completely under the water, staying submerged for several seconds before popping back up. She turned to face Greg, wiping the suds from her hair and face. She reached around him to grab the hotel's shampoo bottle, and her body brushed against his. She looked him in the eyes and kissed him slowly, allowing her mouth to open and her tongue to just play on the tip of his lips for a moment before pulling away. "Thank you, my shoulders feel so much more relaxed now. Here, would you shampoo my hair for me?" She turned her back to him again and snuggled in close.
Greg poured the shampoo into his hands, rubbed them, and worked it into her hair. The lather began to build as he slowly massaged her scalp, working all along her hairline and forehead before moving back to the top of her head, adding just a little more pressure with his fingertips. His wife moaned quietly as he worked his magic, "Greg, that's so nice..."
She pulled away and disappeared again, and he could tell she was rinsing her hair and scrubbing out the soap. He cleared a spot in the suds and she popped her head through, blowing the water out of her face at him while laughing. She moved in again, her elbows on his shoulders, her hands working through his hair, and her body resting against his. He put his arms around her - feeling the warm, smooth, wet skin of her back - and kissed her gently, only pulling away when he needed to breathe.
Samantha looked at her husband with a smile, ran her index fingers lightly down his nose and across his lips. She moved back and smiled. "Ok, let's get you cleaned up..."
The water was starting to lose its heat when they finished. She grabbed the towel on the tub's edge and Greg turned to find his. He opened it up and when he turned around, Samantha had already climbed out and wrapped hers around her body. She grabbed another towel to run through her hair.
He walked into the bedroom and finished drying, then found his shorts and tank top and slipped them on. He crawled under the covers and waited. She came out of the bathroom a couple minutes later, wearing her knee-length tee. She walked to his side of the bed, pulled back his covers and climbed over him, straddling his thighs and leaning in close, her wet hair cold as it brushed his cheeks and neck. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him for what seemed a very long time, before sliding off and whispering, "Good night, my love. You see the time? It's 2:15am. I'm a night-owl after all."
He reached over and shut the lights off, and she snuggled into his chest, her hair clinging to the sides of her face and slowly soaking through the fabric of his shirt. She pulled the covers over, enveloping them in luxurious warmth, and sighed softly.
Chris returned briefly, just long enough to observe how absolutely incredible his partner was - she was unlike any woman he'd ever known - and to realize how difficult this part of the job was going to be. Part of him already wished they had turned Captain Hudson down. How could he possibly maintain any form of decorum and keep his hands off Rita? She actually wanted his hands pretty much all over her! Did she really think about him touching her while they worked, or was that part of the act? Such was his curse; a beautiful woman that was also his partner, allowed to touch her like a married woman, but yet not allowed to really touch her at all. It was awful! The good news was that he had some time to figure out how to justify to his Captain the four hundred forty-eight dollars spent on clothes and boots for his partner.
Rita desperately tried to calm herself down as she lay in Chris' arms. She was sure he could feel her heart pounding against her chest wall. The look he gave her when she came out of the dressing room blew her away. No man had ever looked at her like that before - ever. She spent the rest of the evening relishing every moment his hands and body were against her. They had talked about the boundaries in the bath, but he was almost more than she could take. His smooth, wet skin, his eyes, his lips…and still he was the gentleman. She was so wonderfully blessed to have him.
Greg shut his eyes, put his arm around his wife, and drifted off with her to a deep, dreamless slumber.
The sun had already risen when they stirred the next morning.