Chapter 5

When Wednesday morning came, Shelley was sore all over. The skin on her chest was red from rubbing Rick against her the previous night. Her knees had a little bit of rug burn. Her back was tired from being arched so much the night before.

And she wouldn't have traded that feeling for anything in the world.

Rick was still sleeping in the bed next to her. She ran her fingertips along his face. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Shelley was content.

She didn't know what the future held for her, but in the moment, she wanted for nothing. Her lover was everything her boyfriend was not. She realised that she had settled, and that she deserved better.

Was Rick the answer? Probably not. He lived too far away. He had a girlfriend of his own. Was there more to their relationship than passion and romance?

Even if she never saw Rick again, she knew that she was better off having had him for this one trip than if she had not come at all.

Shelley reached over and pulled the sheet down, exposing Rick's naked body. She leaned over and bit his ear. He stirred in his sleep.

"Oh, sweetie," she purred. "It's time to get up."

"Five more minutes," he mumbled.

"I didn't say you had to get out of bed. I said it's time to get up," she reached for him. "Don't make me wait."

He didn't.

They took a lazy shower together, then went downstairs for the continental breakfast. With a quick kiss, they went their separate ways to the last full day of the conference. Shelley found Christina, Gayle and Allison in the first seminar. At first the girls thought Shelley and Rick had skipped out on the conference, but when she went to take her antibiotics, they stopped riding her.

The last day of seminars passed quickly. Shelley found that while the meetings themselves weren't always applicable to her job, the contacts and networking opportunities they provided were worth the trip.

Rick met the four girls for lunch, then they went to the afternoon sessions. Shelley gave each of the other girls a warm hug after the closing session and then went back up to her room.

She was surprised to see that Rick had closed the doors between their rooms. A note was on her bed.

Dress up. We're going some place nice. I'll pick you up at 6.

-R.

Shelley took a leisurely bath in the jacuzzi tub, then got out and dried off. She did her hair and make up and then went out to get dressed.

Hanging in the armoire was a nice dress she had packed. She put it on along with a pair of high heels and the jewelry Rick's friend was loaning her.

Taking one last look in the mirror, Shelley reflected on how much she had changed over the past few days. Even she noticed that she looked happier. And it wasn't just because she was getting mind-blowing sex from Rick.

It was because she was getting attention from Rick. She was being appreciated. Not used. Not taken for granted.

Jared, she said to herself, When I get home, you and I are going to have a little chat. A chat we should have had months ago.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. She looked at the clock. 6:00 on the button.

Shelley went to the door and opened it. Rick stood in the hall, dressed in a handsome black tuxedo. He had a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

His face broke into a broad smile when he saw Shelley. Her curly hair hung down past her shoulders. The dress showed off her generous bosom, thin waist and round hips.

The heart-shaped pendant was suspended right above the cleft of her chest, the white gold and diamonds sparkling in the light.

"You look fantastic," Rick said once he found his voice.

"Thank you," Shelley replied, "You clean up good, too."

She took the flowers from him, then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Are you hungry?" Rick asked.

"A little." Even though she had spent most of the past four days with him, she still felt a little nervous. Maybe it was because she wasn't used to dressing up to go out. Maybe it was because Rick seemed like he was actually trying, unlike her boyfriend. Maybe it was because Shelley wanted Rick to like her and she wanted to try for him, too.

He offered her his arm and the two walked down the hallway. Some of the conferees had slipped out before the closing sessions and some were checking out as Rick and Shelley made their way through the lobby.

Shelley felt as if everyone was watching them. Most everyone was dressed casually and there she was, looking like she was going to the prom. She smiled self-consciously and tried her best not to obsess over the admiring stares sent their way.

They went out the main entrance and got into a waiting limousine. The drive to the Monte Carlo was quick. Rick had made a dinner reservation at Andre's which featured elegant French cuisine in an intimate, romantic setting.

Shelley had the crab-stuffed chicken that was to die for while Rick chose the pan-seared duck in a raspberry sauce. They talked idly about the week, NASCAR and work. Both conspicuously avoided talking about the future.

Full from dinner, they walked around the casino for a little while. Rick pulled her aside to one of the $1 slot machines.

"Feeling lucky?" He produced three coins and dropped them into the first machine. "Pull the lever."

Shelley reached out and gave the slot machine a pull. Since everything in slot machines is now controlled by the random number generators within then, the levers and the spinning wheels are more for show than anything else. Still, when two diamonds and a wild card came up, the machine started to ding! and lights started to flash.

"Twenty-five!" Rick whistled. "You really are lucky. Play it some more."

Over the next half hour, the three dollars they had started out with quickly became one hundred and fifty as the machine got hot. However, after a little while, it cooled off and when they got down to $75, Shelley and Rick cashed out.

They took a big bucket of coins to the cashier's cage and exchanged them for bills.

"Not bad for three bucks and a half hour, huh?" Rick said.

"Nope," Shelley smiled. Rick was staring at the pendant again. She could see the lust in his eyes. "Rick ... What are we going—"

"I don't know," he cut her off before she could complete the sentence. It seemed he didn't want to have that conversation either. "Let's not talk about that right now."

"Then you either need to start putting drinks in me or you need to take me back to your room and put something else in me."

Rick didn't have to be told twice and he quickly led her back to the limo. Once they were in the backseat, Shelley was all over him. Her hands went to the bulge in his pants. She stroked him to a full erection and let him play with her breasts through the dress.

She timed her hand job so that he would be at full mast when they pulled up to the Bellagio. She smiled evilly as she watched Rick try to get out and walk with a raging hard-on in his pants.

The look he gave her in return promised great things to come.

They went back up to their rooms. Shelley went into her room, telling Rick she didn't want him to ruin her dress by ripping it off her and that she'd be over in a few minutes. He looked like she had told him she was going to kill and eat his puppy, but he went next door anyway.

Shelley took her dress off and hung it back up. She threw her shoes into the corner and took off all her jewelry except for the necklace and the earrings Rick had borrowed. She didn't want to wear anything Jared had given her.

Throwing on a bathrobe, she knocked on the adjoining door. Rick opened the door. He was still wearing his tuxedo. His eyes burned with desire when he saw her standing there, her voluptuous curves very evident.

He seemed about to jump her when there was a knock at the door. He pulled her into the room and went to the door. A porter stood there, holding a bottle of champagne in one hand, an ice bucket and two flutes in the other.

Rick tipped him a couple of dollars and then closed the door.

Shelley stood in the middle of the room, waiting for Rick. He stared at her for a long moment, as if he were trying to decide what to do next. He set the champagne in the bucket on the desk and then took Shelley in his arms.

Her hands went to his lapels and she pushed the jacket over his shoulders. In turn, his hands went to the tie around her waist. Her robe was soon open, revealing that she was wearing nothing underneath.

They kissed desperately, each seeming to know that this night would be the last time they would be together.

She tore at his clothes, wanting him as naked as she was. His lips never left hers. Their tongues intertwined.

Pulling to her, they fell on to the bed. She loved having Rick's weight on top of her. He pulled back long enough for her to push his pants and boxers down over his hips. Then his body pressed against hers.

They kissed for a long time. She savoured the softness of his lips. They explored each other with their mouths. She left a trail of wet, delicious kisses across his cheek to his ear.

His arms were around her, pulling her close.

She rolled him over on to his back. His cock was hard again. It stuck straight up in the air.

Taking it in her hand, she stroked it a couple of times. His hand went between her legs. She shuddered as his fingers brushed her clit.

He tried to sit up, but Shelley press his shoulders back on to the bed. She threw one leg across him and started to grind her pussy against his cock.

A throaty growl escaped her lips as her clit rubbed back and forth along the bottom of his cock.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked.

"I want to make love to you," he whispered.

"You can do that later," Shelley said. "What do you want me to do?"

A moment of indecision flashed across his face. "I want you to ride me."

Before taking him inside her, Shelley maneuvered him to the middle of the bed then straddled him again.

She lifted up just enough to get a hand between them, then she guided his head to her swollen labia. She was slick with anticipation.

Both of them moaned as she sank down on to him. Filling her.

When he was all the way inside her, she held him for a long moment, unmoving.

Their eyes met.

His hands brushed her thighs, giving her goosebumps.

She bent over. Her breasts pressed against him. Her lips went to his and they kissed tenderly.

Rick's arms were around her, pulling her close. She met his embrace and they continued to kiss, their bodies joined as close as two people can get.

He brushed the hair that had fallen over her face away.

"Shelley, I can't believe you're here with me," he whispered. "You are so beautiful ... you're skin is so soft ... you feel so good ... I don't know how I'm going to be able to go back..."

"Let's not talk about that right now." It was her turn to push that subject aside. "I'm going to make love to you, Rick. I'm going to ride you until I cum and then you're going to fuck me senseless ... You got that?"

She could tell he wanted to say more, but he only smiled. "Yes, ma'am ... You know I'll do anything for a pretty girl."