Boone prowled the room while Shannon flopped down in the middle of the overstuffed bed after kicking off her sandals. She opened the information folder they'd gotten from the reception desk and checked over her schedule. Boone had been remarkably laid back since waking five minutes away from their destination, not even batting an eye when the woman at reception wished Mr. and Mrs. Rutherford a pleasant stay, the reservations being in Shannon's name.
She heard him poking about in the bathroom, searching for a reason to complain.
She pulled the page labelled 'general guidelines' out of the right hand side of the folder and scanned it. "Hey Boone." Shannon called on reaching an item of importance.
"What?" He poked his head out of the ensuite.
"It says we're supposed to remove all of our jewellery." She put the page down and pulled off her wedding and engagement rings without even giving it a second thought. Crossing the room, Boone visibly flinched as the silver bands cleared the top of her finger. She put her hands behind her head to release the clasp on the gold chain that suspended a cross in the middle of her chest, the necklace that Boone had given her quickly joining the two rings on the coverlet. Boone stood beside her, staring at his left hand.
"What?" She echoed his question, wondering at his immobility.
"I haven't taken this off since they gave it back to me when I was discharged from the hospital." He continued to stare at the worn silver band.
"It's only a ring, Boone. We're not going to suddenly be divorced if you take it off, and I'm not going to vanish. Stop being such a sentimental dough head."
He sighed and bit his lip. "I guess." He pulled on his wedding ring, but it refused to budge. Sticking the digit in his mouth, he lubricated it thoroughly, then tried again. The band slid smoothly off his finger revealing a livid circle of white shiny skin at which he stared in dreadful fascination.
Shannon was already uncurling her legs and heading into the bathroom to retrieve the jewellery box that the info packet had advised was there to hold their valuables, she paused and glanced back at him, his eyes remained transfixed on his hand.
"Pour me a glass of wine would you Boone? There should be a bottle of my favourite in the fridge." She asked, as much to redirect his attention and give him something to do as that she wanted a glass of chardonnay.
Returning with the box she scooped her jewellery up off the bed and dropped it in, then held it out to him impatiently, the lid still lifted, as he handed her the chilled glass.
Boone had put his ring back on when he'd gone to fulfill her request and now he hesitantly removed it again, dropping the item into the felt lined box with a clunk. His necklace followed, the chain slightly thicker than hers, the number 'eighty-four' enamelled disk also making an audible thunk as it hit the bottom of the box. The original leather thong of the birthday gift she'd presented him with the past summer had snapped when he'd caught it on a drawer handle in the kitchen. He was always careful now about tucking the item under his t-shirt. His bracelet was quickly added to the mix.
Snapping the lid closed Shannon held it out to him, "There's a safe in the closet." Boone nodded; he'd already spotted it during his inspection tour. "And put our wallets in there too," Shannon directed him. She'd read that all costs, including tips were automatically charged to their room, thus eliminating the need for carrying the bulky items.
He read the instructions on the electronic device, quickly programming in the combination of four, eight, one, five, as Shannon settled herself on the bed again, scooting up and settling back against the abundant supply of mammoth pillows, her head buried again in the literature.
Boone opened the fridge once more to see what caught his fancy and reached for a bottle of water.
"For Christ's sake Boone, you're on holidays, have a fucking drink!" She didn't even raise her head.
"Yes dear," he immediately acquiesced, not wanting to start a fight, though all he really wanted was just to slake his thirst. It had been hot in the car with the top down. The sun had beaten down on them robbing them of body fluids, and he'd perspired more than he'd realized. He spied a small bottle of his preferred brand of scotch amongst the liquor bottles on the tray on top of the bar and decided that he'd have some of that and still manage to get his water as well. He lifted the lid on the ice bucket, "I'm just going to go and get some ice, then."
She waved a hand in the air in dismissal.
Passing by reception in his quest for the ice machine, his step faltered as the woman behind the desk asked 'Mr. Rutherford' if their room was acceptable.
"It's Carlyle," Boone corrected. "My sisters' name is Rutherford, mine's Carlyle."
She apologized, wondering why the person who had taken the reservation had made such an unprofessional mistake as to not confirm the names of both parties. She directed him to the location of his intended destination, and brought up their records on the computer.
She noted strangely that they had a room with a queen-sized bed, if the woman who checked in with him was his sister, why hadn't they requested one with two doubles? Oh, well, she decided, it was certainly none of her business; he'd just told her that the room was fine, though the significance was decidedly odd.
She made the corrections and pushed print. The change would update through the whole system, but she wanted to give him a proper copy of his schedule.
"Mr. Carlyle?" she called, as he passed by going the other way. She extended her hand, holding out the sheet of paper. He came forward automatically, looking puzzled. "It's a reprint of your schedule, the one in your folder has the incorrect name." The smile he gave her in appreciation wiped all conscious thought from her head, when he tugged on the paper it took her a couple of seconds before she came to her senses enough to release it.
Back in the room, Boone handed it to Shannon and went to fix himself his drink.
"Why did you get another one of these?" She asked sharply, wondering where hers was, wanting to be sure that he wasn't getting something extra that she should be too. When he explained about the name mix up, she checked his sheet. "I didn't even notice," she shrugged, swapping them out.
"I'm sure you didn't," Boone muttered, though he knew she'd probably checked to make sure her name had been correct.
He sat in the wing-backed chair that faced the bed and put his beverage on the table, carefully placing it on a coaster. He leaned forward and undid his hiking boots, pulling them off, followed by his socks. Boone extended his legs, resting his heels on the ottoman in front of the chair, wriggling his toes in pleasure at having them released from their confines. He sighed deeply in contentment thinking that this actually was a really great idea.
"Of course it is, Boone, don't seem so surprised! I am capable of having them you know." Even Shannon's snapping at him didn't raise his ire, he sipped his drink, swirling the smoky amber liquid around in his mouth making sure to trigger all his taste receptors.
Settling back in the chair, he watched the golden haired beauty on the bed, marvelling again that she was his. After a few minutes he got up and crawled onto the bed at her side, taking his drink with him. Boone leaned back against the pillows and settled his hand on her thigh just below the hem of her shorts, the intention of his touch simply loving, not sexual. Shannon turned to him and flashed her best smile, and just as his smile had affected the receptionist earlier, hers' now captivated him, rendering him momentarily breathless.
They sat companionably together surrounded by too many linens, their small figures swallowed up by the bed's overstuffed opulence, making them look like a couple of kids who'd commandeered grandma's feather bed.
He tipped his head back and closed his eyes, reading along with her as she continued examining the brochure. He smiled every now and then as she needlessly read a point aloud to him, not stopping her though, enjoying the sound of her voice.
They stayed snuggled on the bed, conversing silently once Shannon finally put folder down. She rolled over onto her stomach and squirmed down so she could see him, her chin resting on top of her hands, her knees bent upwards, bare feet crossed at the ankles. Given the adolescent appearance of her posture, they could have been a couple of high school kids who were dating, sneaking a few forbidden moments in her bedroom in her parents' home. The only time they left each other's sides was when Boone rose twice to refill their glasses. Several hours later, hunger finally reminded them that they needed nourishment.
It was late enough that they were among only a handful of diners in the on site restaurant. Boone eyed the menu suspiciously, but most of the spa food fit within his restrictions easily. Their waiter was a very amiable young man who gave them just enough attention over the course of the meal, without being intrusive. He brought them a basket of whole grain dinner rolls, swiftly removing the dish of butter when Boone waved it off. Running down the list of specials, he stopped as Boone's eyes lit up at the fish feature, Shannon choosing the Asian Soba noodles. They selected a clear crisp white wine, the colour so pale that, if not for the fact that it was in a stemmed glass, they could easily have mistaken it for their water. Boone was rewarded again at the end of the meal when he requested his tea, finding out that they not only had his favourite jasmine variety, but brand as well. Shannon took her coffee the same way he drank his tea, plain, straight out of the pot. By the end of dinner, the attractive pair had completely won the guy over, and he was calling them by their first names. Shannon signed the bill, adding a substantial tip, then they headed out to reconnoitre the rest of the facility.
She wasn't the slightest bit surprised when Boone unerringly found the pool. Given his love of the water, she'd often remarked that he should have been an Aquarius instead of a Virgo. They scoped out the area, finding a hot tub and a sauna then Boone, unsurprisingly, suggested a swim.
Returning to the spot after donning their swimsuits in their room, Boone quickly started doing laps in the pool as Shannon immersed herself in the hot tub. After a few minutes, it became uncomfortably hot, so she moved to the cooler water of the pool. She gave him half an hour in total, and then told him she was ready for a sauna.
Boone opened the outer door of the sauna area, revealing a pristine white tiled hall. There were adult sized niches off to the right, showerheads in each, and a mound of fluffy white towels on a table to the left. The door to the actual sauna was at the end of the corridor.
The temperature in the cedar-lined room wasn't overly oppressive, but when Shannon laid a hand on the bare wood of the benches she snatched it away quickly. Boone was already reaching for the door handle before she even had time to send him on an errand to fetch towels for them both.
He was gone far longer than he should have been for just a towel run, and her impatience was just about to get the best of her and send her after him, when he re-entered.
Boone saw that she was naked, the fabric scraps of her prior attire hanging off of a warning sign proclaiming that 'Swimsuits MUST be worn at all times.' He smirked at how she'd predictably not only disregarded the sign, but actually mocked it, by draping her bikini from it. He reflected that he was most grateful that he'd had the foresight to take the measures that he had when he'd been in the outer area.
While his back was turned Shannon settled herself comfortably. Boone spread his towel on the lower of the two benches and undid the string of his bathing suit; he figured he might as well be as naked as she was. He hung the blue trunks on the same sign as her two-piece and turned into the room.
She'd posed herself quite carefully. She was reclined back against the wall of the sauna, sideways on the bench; inside leg bent at the knee, foot flat on the cedar surface, her outside leg was hanging over the edge, toes brushing the lower bench. Her eyes were closed and, with her head tipped back, there was a slight arch to her upper torso, which displayed her chest to its full advantage. Boone caught his breath, and whimpered at the sight with which he was presented. He alternated his stare between the exposed area between her legs and the bead of sweat that was making its way down between her breasts.
She gave him a minute, "Stop staring Boone, didn't your mother tell you it's not polite?"
Another helpless noise escaped his throat, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. He realized that he was becoming dizzy, a combination of the heat and the amount of blood that was being redirected to his groin leaving him light headed. His recently AWOL libido had come back with the force of a supernova.
"Sit down before you fall down, Boone." Shannon suggested.
He stumbled senseless to the bench and collapsed in an ungainly mess onto his towel. He sat breathing deeply, his whole body rocking back and forth at his attempt to draw enough air into his lungs.
Shannon smiled with satisfaction and descended to the floor. She tucked her index finger under his chin and tipped his head so she could see into his eyes. "Hot enough for you?" she asked suggestively, the double meaning obvious.
He was on his feet in an instant, wrapping her into an embrace, their sweat slicked bodies sliding easily against each other as he devoured her mouth.
"Aren't you worried about someone coming?" she pulled away after a minute, breathless, amused that he was allowing this to go as far as it was, considering the public nature of their surroundings.
"Only if it's not us." Boone answered with a heated smile, his voice low and gravelly. "Don't worry, no one's going to walk in on us," he added with confidence, claiming her mouth again, hands sliding smoothly over the dampness of her body.
Not questioning his answer, she gave herself fully over to him. Her hand travelled down his chest and across his stomach, her fingers twining teasingly in the dark curls at his crotch.
The ratting of the outer door didn't even permeate their consciousness as the small room filled with their moans.
The chair that Boone had levered under the outer door handle when he'd gone for the towels held firm, and the disappointed couple who'd intended to use the sauna moved on into the night.