Chapter 9: Just Cuddling

The hallway on Marie's floor was free of traffic when I furtively used the key she'd provided to open her door and steal inside.

The room was completely dark.

"Maria?" Oh, Jesus! What if this was some kind of elaborate prank? I imagined the lights suddenly coming on and finding myself in a room with Paul Warren and Arlie Stone. Or maybe with Maria and three of her college chums.

But the lights didn't come on.

Maybe she'd fallen asleep.

Then I heard her disembodied voice from some distance. "I'm over here," she said. "In the bed."

"I'm going to turn on a light," I said.

"No. Leave it, please."

"Are you -- really in bed?"

"It's a hotel room. There aren't that many other places to be."

"This isn't a good idea," I said.

"What?"

"Being -- in bed together."

"We're only going to cuddle -- remember?"

"Yeah, but... it's... a bad idea."

"Are you afraid you won't be able to -- control yourself?" she asked.

"It would be... tempting fate."

"C'mon," she said. "We've already agreed that we wouldn't actually do anything! We're just going to cuddle up and go to sleep. That's absolutely all! I've already set the alarm for 5 a.m. You can get up and go back to your room, and Cary Zane probably still won't be there, and nobody'll know!"

"Are you -- dressed?" I asked. I was weakening fast.

"All the important stuff is covered," she said.

I undressed down to my jockeys and left my important stuff covered, too. "I'm getting into the bed," I warned.

I did.

"Let's do spoons," she said, shifting her body over toward the middle of the bed until I felt her panty-clad butt pressing my jockey-clad middle.

"Ooooo!" Maria said. "I thought we were going to do spoons. --I feel a fork, there!"

"Very funny," I said. Now she was plastered to me, her butt pressed up against my erection, her bare back against my chest, her head tucked under my chin. The panties were her only article of attire.

"You're topless," I said, stupidly.

"Did you want me to wear a bra to bed?" she asked.

"You said all the important stuff was covered."

"These aren't all that important, she said, placing my left hand on her bare breast. It was a very nice breast. Not big. Certainly not small. Warm.

Cuddly.

"You're pretty hard, there, for a guy who doesn't want to be here."

"Well, what do you expect?" I said. "I never claimed you didn't turn me on."

"Feels like a big one."

"Pretty average."

"Don't be modest, Alex. Ooooo! That felt nice!"

"It was just an involuntary twitch," I told her. "That sort of thing can happen, when you -- oh, Christ! Stop doing that!"

"We're both still all covered up. Don't worry! Whoops! Well, anyway, I'm still all covered up!" she said.

There had been a breakout in the men's side of the prison.

"Do you want me to -- tuck him back inside for you?" Maria said.

"No. I'll take care of it myself," I said. And I did.