More Than Simply Dinner

"What's going on?" Tony asked one of the bystanders.

"Severe weather for the rest of the night," was the reply. "Tornado watches everywhere."

Tony turned to Laura. "You can't go home in this."

"I have to."

"I won't let you. You can stay here tonight. I'll pay for your room."

"I can't let you do that!"

"You can't go home in this rain. It's too dangerous." His voice was full and commanding.

Hands on hips, Laura glared at Tony. She hated being told what to do as if she were a young teenager. She was twenty-five years old, for God's sake! "Please don't tell me what I can or can't do, Tony," she hissed. "I'm not your daughter!"

Her words hit him hard as if she slapped him in the face. Laura's eyes were blazing an icy blue and he could tell she was really angry. Tony blinked and took a step back. "Do what you need to do," he said softly.

Laura waited for a moment as she tried to think clearly without letting her anger cloud her judgement. She truly didn't want to travel in tornado-type conditions, but he was not going to tell her what to do, even if his chocolate brown eyes did melt her to her core. She looked beyond Tony and saw the reservation desk. Laura glanced at Tony for a scant second before walking past him.

A nice looking man of Indian descent looked up when Laura approached him. "May I help you?" he asked with just a trace of an accent.

"I was wondering, do you have any rooms for the night?" Laura asked.

The clerk shook his head solemnly. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but we are booked solid for the weekend. I could perhaps direct you to other hotels in the area. Maybe they would have an opening for you."

Laura glanced at Tony, then at the waterfall of rain cascading down the windows of the hotel. Sighing, she looked back at the clerk.

From afar, Tony could tell the conversation wasn't going well. Angry at himself as well as Laura, he pondered his next move. Sometimes, he needed to forget he was a cop and let people use their own judgement. He was too used to people messing up their lives and expecting him or his fellow officers to bail them out. Sometimes, he messed up relationships that way. He didn't want to mess this up.

The clerk handed Laura a piece of paper with writing on it. "Thank you," she said before turning around and almost running into Tony. She stopped abruptly and looked at him.

"I'm an idiot," he said simply with his hands in his pockets.

"I agree," she replied. She moved to her right, but Tony moved in the same direction and blocked her path.

"We need to talk," he said.

Laura ignored him and moved around him. Not wanting to anger her even more, he let her go by this time. She sat down heavily on an unoccupied sofa and pulled out a cell phone from her purse. Tony sat down across from her and eyed her activity.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Without looking up, she replied, "I'm trying to find a room for the night. They're booked up here."

"You don't have to do that."

Laura's head snapped up. "You're the one who wouldn't let me drive home in this storm. Am I now supposed to drive through tornadoes?"

"No. You know I don't want you to do that. I'm really sorry. I should have never said that. Like I said, I was an idiot." Tony sighed and looked down. "Look, before you do any calling, hear me out. Please?"

Laura flipped open her phone, but made no attempt to push any numbers. "I'm listening," she said placidly.

Tony inhaled aloud and clasped his hands in front of him. "Okay, you need a room. Why don't you stay in my room for the night?" Laura started to protest, but Tony held up his hand. "Please, just hear me out." Laura closed her cell phone and listened. "I've got an extra bed, you don't have to pay for anything, and you don't have to go all over the city looking for a room."

Laura looked at him as if he lost his mind. They barely knew each other and he wanted them to share a room? "You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm not."

"Let me get this straight." Her hands were open, but then she pointed at him. "You want me to spend the night in your room and we barely know each other?" Laura ran her hands through her hair and groaned in exasperation.

"I didn't say we were going to sleep together, Laura. You sound as if I expect you to have sex with me. I'm just saying I have an extra bed and you don't have to go out in the storm to find a room. I have no hidden agenda, no ulterior motive."

"This is crazy," Laura said as she began to massage her temples with her forefingers. After a few seconds of thought, however, the idea didn't seem all that bad.

"Look," Tony continued, "I have an early day tomorrow. I was wanting to get to bed soon, anyway."

"I thought you said you weren't tired."

Tony smiled and shook his head. "I did say that, didn't I?"

Laura smiled back, her anger diminished. "Yes, you did."

"You're much prettier when you smile."

"Don't change the subject."

"Okay, okay," he laughed. "Come on, what do you say?"

Laura waited another few seconds before speaking. "I don't have any night clothes." If she was alone, she would have slept in her underwear or nothing at all. She certainly wasn't going to do that with Tony and she didn't want to wear her clothes to bed.

Tony pondered her dilemma momentarily. "You could always wear one of my shirts. I'm sure they'd be long enough. I brought an extra one along, anyway," he added. "We could even keep the lights off if that would make you feel more comfortable."

Laura absently ran her fingers through her blonde tresses again. "I look a mess in the morning when I wake up. I'm not so sure I want you to see me like that."

Tony laughed. "If you woke up looking perfect, I wouldn't believe it was you. I look like hell, too, so join the club."

Laura exhaled loudly. She truly could not think of enough reasons not to take him up on his offer. It made sense and she believed him when he said he had no other motives. Even though she barely knew him, she trusted him. She laughed at herself as a thought came to her. Can I trust myself?

"Are you sure it won't be a problem?" she asked finally.

"If it was a problem, I wouldn't have suggested it." He waited patiently for her decision.

Her anger now gone, Laura thought clearly and carefully. Did she have anything to fear from Tony? Her gut intuition told her no. He had been nothing but kind to her and his anger only showed when he was concerned for her safety.

Her next concerns were more delicate and much harder to answer. What if he really did want to go to bed with her? Never in her wildest nightmares would she think he would force himself on her, but what if he asked? Would she resist the temptation? Did she want to resist? Deep down, she couldn't deny she was very much attracted to him and she also couldn't deny the thought of a relationship between them had gone through her head more than once. It was then she decided that if it happened, it was meant to be.

"I hope you don't snore too loudly," she said finally.

"Only as loud as a bear with nasal problems," he grinned.

They stopped at the vending machines to get a toothbrush, toothpaste, comb and deodorant for her and then, he waited patiently as Laura phoned her folks to tell them she was staying overnight at a hotel to avoid the storm. She didn't say with whom she was staying and the question wasn't asked. It was a little bit after nine-thirty when Tony opened the door to his room. He reached to the left and found the light switch and flipped them up in one quick motion. Laura hesitated at the door frame and looked around. In front of her were two queen sized beds on the right hand side and to the left was a television, dresser, and a refrigerator. Just inside the door and to the right was the bathroom. Directly in front of them and across the way, the dark blue curtains were closed.

"Are you okay?" Tony asked as he held the door open for her.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine," she nodded, yet she felt a bit nervous upon entering his room. She entered slowly and Tony closed the door behind them before turning the deadbolt.

Tony tossed the keycard onto the table and began to remove his jacket. For the first time, Laura became aware that he was securing a gun at his left side with a holster.

"Do you always carry a gun?" she asked.

Tony turned back to her as he unfastened the harness and swung the holstered gun around to his left hand, which he caught neatly. "Most of the time," he answered. "I usually wear an ankle holster off duty, but sometimes it irritates the bone." He put the gun and holster on the far bed. "I guess I should have told you."

"You had no reason to tell me."

"Maybe," he replied. He motioned to the beds. "Take whichever bed you want. It doesn't matter to me."

Laura eyed the one closest to the bathroom. "This one is fine."

"If you want to take a shower, there are clean towels and I think there's still some unopened soap on the tub. I've got some body wash if you want to use that instead. It's on the tub, too."

The idea of a shower did appeal to her. "That sounds like a good idea. I think I'll do that." She moved to her right a few steps before stopping. "Do you need to use the bathroom?"

"No, I'm fine. Go ahead," he said.

Laura bit her lip lightly and looked at Tony once more. "Could I have that shirt?"

"Sure." Tony moved to the hangers behind her and extracted a dark blue dress shirt and handed it to her. "Here you go."

"Thanks," she said. Their eyes met briefly and Laura gave a scant thought to asking him to join her. She pushed it aside quickly, saying, "I'll be out soon."

"Take your time."

When Laura closed the door behind her, Tony went to his suitcase and took out a pair of gray sweat pants and a plain red tee shirt. When he heard the water being turned on, he began to undress.

In the shower, the hot steamy water felt luxuriant against Laura's skin. For the first few minutes, she did nothing but let the water fall over her, letting it pummel her face and breasts before it ran down the length of her body and into the tub. She took Tony's body wash and squeezed a generous amount onto a wash cloth. As she washed, Laura was especially careful around her breasts and genitalia because she didn't want to get herself into a state of arousal. Her nipples were very sensitive and she could almost orgasm just by toying with them. Of course, her fingers weren't strangers to her clitoris, either.

She rinsed quickly when she finished washing and turned the water off. Throwing the curtain open, she was amused to find the bathroom hot and steamy. She didn't think she was showering that long.

Tony was on his bed reading when he heard the water being shut off. He paid little attention as he was engrossed in a book containing letters written by Lincoln during his presidency. As he turned a page, he heard the door open and looked up to see Laura come out in his shirt while drying her hair with a towel.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"Much better," Laura replied before going back into the bathroom to hang up the towel. She came out once again with comb in hand and began to untangle her blonde hair in front of the mirror.

Tony felt something stir beneath his waist as he admired her. His shirt covered her enough to be barely modest, yet he found her to be a captivating sight. He continued to watch her as she lazily combed the tangles from her hair.

Laura watched him in the reflection of the mirror and smiled to herself. She loved the way he was looking at her and it made her feel good. The fact that he continually looked at her throughout the evening was not lost on her. His kind compliments boosted her ego more than she could remember in the past.

"Do you like what you see?" she asked suddenly as she turned to him.

Flustered and embarrassed at being caught, Tony cleared his throat to stall for some extra time to think. Looking down at his hands, he replied, "Would you be mad if I said I love what I see?"

Laura broke into a smile. "No, I wouldn't be mad. It's a lovely thing to say." She put the comb down on the counter and continued to watch him as he came to a seated position on the bed.

"You look really cute in my shirt," he grinned. And you would look even better out of my shirt, he thought to himself.

"You're silly," Laura replied.

"No, you really do," he insisted as he eased himself to a standing position. "Women always look cute and sexy in a man's shirt."

"Oh, so now I'm cute and sexy?" she asked coyly while batting her eyes his way. Laughing lightly, she added, "Keep on spoiling me, Tony."

He made his way to her and the closer he got, the clearer he could see the small indentations her nipples made while poking the fabric of his shirt. It was a beautiful sight for his eyes and it took all of the willpower within his being to keep his hands from reaching out and caressing her nipples through the cotton. He now stood in front of her and couldn't deny he wanted nothing more than to unbutton his shirt and kiss the valley between her breasts before making his way to her protruding nipples.

"You are very pretty and don't let anyone tell you otherwise," he said earnestly. He held his hands firmly to his sides as he leaned down and kissed her cheek gently. The clean scent of her freshly washed skin was wonderful to his senses as his lips lingered near her mouth. An inner debate raged within him as his lips brushed her cheek once more before he pulled back. At that moment, he wished he could offer Laura a younger version of himself, but a man old enough to be her father stood before her instead. Tony smiled almost apologetically before moving past her and into the bathroom.

As the door shut, Laura realized how much he wanted her. She could see it in his warm brown eyes and the way he looked at her just a second before. And she couldn't deny she wanted him as well. Thinking back, she wasn't expecting this when she decided to drive to Toledo at his invitation for dinner. Getting to meet an internet friend was all she wanted and expected. His age didn't factor into this at all. In fact, he didn't look too much older than other men she dated.

What am I getting myself into? This question swirled through her mind like a crazed pinball in an arcade game. She turned to look at the mirror and saw her reflection staring back at her. Sometimes, the mirror told her she was plain and ordinary, but tonight, the mirror showed a young, pretty woman staring back. Cute and sexy, as Tony had said. And Laura agreed with the mirror that evening.

Laura was brushing her teeth when Tony emerged a few minutes later. He stood behind her momentarily and watched her, enjoying every little thing she did. It amused him to see her breasts wiggle back and forth in time with her brushing motion and he wished to wrap his arms around her and hold them in place with his hands. As she bent down to rinse, he moved away as he lamented his silly thoughts.

Laura looked in the mirror and was disappointed to see Tony moving to his bed. She had hoped for another kiss on her cheek from him, or maybe even to share their first. Her hopes were dashed as she turned and saw him pull back his covers. She turned off the lights, leaving only the lamps over their beds lit.

Sitting on the side of the bed, Tony reached for the alarm clock and began to set a time for him to wake. "Is seven okay for you?" he asked.

"It's fine," Laura replied as she tugged the comforter and blanket away from the pillows. She noticed the wind was still howling and the rain continued to beat against the windows of their room. Tony was still messing with the clock and didn't seem to be aware of it or the disappointment in her voice.

He put the clock back on the night stand and glanced at Laura as she continued to fuss with the bedding. Her one knee was on the bed and he caught a glimpse of her upper thighs and pink panties in the front when she moved. He groaned inwardly and felt himself begin to grow hard beneath his waist. Quickly, he rolled back onto his bed and flipped his covers over him.

Laura saw his quick movement, but thought nothing of it as she finally had her bed the way she wanted it. She slid under the covers as well and turned off her light.

"Good night, Tony," she said softly from the shadows.

"Good night, Laura," Tony replied as he turned off his light as well.

In the darkness, Laura could hear the wind whistling and the rain plummeting against the earth. "It's still raining hard," she said.

"Yeah, it is."

"Did they say when it was supposed to stop?"

"I think in a another couple of hours. I'm not sure exactly when," he answered. He listened to the storm for a few seconds and thought back to their encounter in the lobby. "I'm sorry," he said without thinking.

"Sorry about what?"

Tony hesitated for an instant. "For being such an ass in the lobby before. Sometimes, I say stuff before thinking. I had no right to tell you what to do."

"You were only looking out for me," she countered.

"I could have done it differently."

"Yeah, you could have," she teased.

"You didn't have to agree."

Silence for a second or two.

"Apology accepted," she said softly.

"Thanks."

An hour later, Laura woke with a start as flashes of lightning and booming thunder interrupted her restless slumber. Silently, she pushed the covers aside and went to the window to look. Laura carefully pushed the curtain to the left and sat down in the chair. If one liked storms, the scene in front of her was wonderful, but Laura never liked storms and wasn't thrilled to be on the fourth floor during this one.

The squeak of the leather as she settled into the chair woke Tony. He looked over and saw the silhouette of Laura by the window. Streaks of lightning illuminated her face as if a strobe light had been placed there. As the thunder erupted, he saw her jump from fright and he heard a light gasp escape her lips.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly as he sat up.

Laura jumped slightly again as she wasn't expecting his voice. "I couldn't sleep."

"I see. You don't care much for storms, do you?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't like them."

Still a bit groggy, Tony got up and made his way to her side. He looked out and wasn't exactly thrilled at the sight, either. It was raining just as hard as before. He wondered how long its intensity could last. "It'll be okay. It shouldn't last too much longer," he said with as much conviction as he could muster. Laura said nothing, but continued to look out the window.

Tony sighed and placed his hand on her shoulder, not knowing the small comfort it gave her. "It'll be okay," he said again.

"I shouldn't let it bother me," Laura replied as she placed her hand over his. "It scares me, though," she said as she looked up at him.

"Storms affect people in different ways," he explained. "Some people love it and can't wait for it to happen, but some like you don't like them."

He took her hand and helped her up from the chair. With his other hand, he closed the curtain again. His instincts told him she needed to be held and comforted and for the first time since they met, he was going to act on them, their ages be damned. "Come on," he said tenderly. Still holding her hand, he placed his other hand against her back and moved with her as he guided her back to her bed. They sat down on the bed together and Tony put his arms around her and hugged her to him.

With her head against his shoulder and chest, Laura sighed and let her fears melt away. It was as if she didn't have a care in the world now as she felt safe and protected in his arms. They stayed that way for several minutes in silence before his right hand slipped up to her back where he began to softly rub it with the palm of his hand.

"You're melting me," she murmured as he continued his gentle assault.