The Room - A Sensuous Experience

as well-known as you. I’ve never been on the cover of Fortune magazine.”
“So, you have researched me.”
The wine was working. Robyn let out a laugh. “Maybe a little. I only know the basics. The things I’ve seen on the magazine covers.”
“It’s flattering all the same. And, I’m glad you came tonight. You were definitely a great distraction.” He mimicked the voice of several fans of hers. “Because when the famous Robyn Levy comes home . . .” Maxwell chuckled mostly to himself. “I heard that on more than one occasion tonight.”
She groaned. “Everyone seemed to want a little face time. Usually, I don’t mind, but it’s been a very long week. However, after tonight, if I never hear that phrase again, I’ll be alright with that.”
“What? The famous Robyn Levy?”
She rolled her eyes. “Please don’t.” She mimicked some of the people she had heard use the phrase too. “The famous Robyn Levy. Gawwd. I hate it.”
“It could be worse. It’s better to come home having achieved all you’ve ever wanted than with your tail between your ass.”
“True, but, I’m just a woman. I’m like everyone else and hate feeling like a lab rat.”
He shook his head. “Can’t agree with you there, beautiful. You’re nothing like anyone else.”
Robyn glanced down into her wine glass. “I just got lucky doing something that I love.”
“I don’t believe in luck. I worked my ass off to get to where I am today, and I know you did too.” He was curious. “What I can’t figure out is what brought you back here?”
Robyn shrugged and looked away. “Sometimes you just miss home.” Her voice was a whisper. “I don’t want to talk about me. Tell me more about you.”
Maxwell sat up and placed his elbows on his knees. “What do you want to know?”
Every time she looked into his eyes, breathing became difficult. “Everything.”
He rubbed the darkening stubble on his chin. “Everything? I’ll bore you to tears since there really isn’t much to tell.”
“I don’t believe that at all.”
Maxwell hesitated and stared into the fire. His eyes had taken on a faraway look before he drained his glass. His easy smile faded. “Unlike you, I didn’t leave home to chase a dream. I left because things were chasing me.”
Her voice softened. “Oh.” Robyn placed her hand on his forearm. “We don’t . . .”
He placed his hands on top of hers and smiled reassuringly. “It’s fine. I told you earlier. My dreams weren’t that deep. I fell in love and wanted to spend my life building a life with her.”
Robyn stilled.
Maxwell continued. “She was the center of my world; only she didn’t feel the same way. Every store, theater, and place I turned were reminders of her; of the us that would never be. So, I left all of my friends and family to exercise that demon.”
“Did it work? N-nevermind. Don’t answer that.” She attempted to brush off the serious tone that had taken over the room with a laugh. “No one has ever accused me of keeping my mouth shut when I should.”
He looked into Robyn’s warm brown eyes and gently pushed away a lock of her dark hair that had fallen into her face. The tips of his fingers grazed her forehead. “Don’t be. It was for the best.”
Robyn noted that he didn’t answer the question. She spoke quietly. “I’m sure if she could take it all back she would.”
“No. I wouldn’t want her to. She would have always wondered what if. In this case, everything happened the way it was supposed to. I learned a lot about myself and discovered my own passions.”
She looked up into his face with a small smile. “Cars and women, right?”
“Only as a distraction. The mature me wants more. I mentioned earlier that I wouldn’t settle for anything less, even with the distractions in my life.”
Robyn perked up. “Right. When it comes to cars and women, it has to be the right one.”
He shrugged and winked. “Who knows? Maybe I’m looking at her.”
The butterflies were again in full effect. That was too much, no, he was too much. Robyn turned toward the fireplace and wondered not if they were going to make love but when.
There was a lull in the conversation. A comfortable silence hung in the air with more questions suspended from it. Yet, wanting to know the answers didn’t diminish the heightened chemistry between them.
Robyn sat her glass down and rolled her head around her neck. She did her best to soothe the kinks. The hard work of this past week and the tension of this moment were catching up to her.
Maxwell’s voice was warm and soothing as it reached out to her in the darkness. “Come here. I can fix that.”
Robyn hesitated only briefly before scooting closer and giving him access to her neck and shoulders. Maybe now. This was the moment things were going to get physical. The attraction between them was almost like a third person in the room. It couldn’t be ignored, and she didn’t want to. Robyn wanted to explore every part of Maxwell.
He placed his hands on her shoulders and began to massage away the knots. She was so soft, and her skin was incredibly smooth.
“Mmmm.” Robyn moaned. His hands were like magic. Kinks? What kinks? It wasn’t just the heavenly touch of his hands that had every nerve ending in her body firing off; it was Maxwell himself. His closeness, his touch, was making her feel things she hadn’t felt