She slipped into the bathtub and arranged the bubbles appropriately. She had taken so many steps to ensure that he wouldn�t be self-conscious or too shy to go through with it, and she didn�t want him to see her too soon.

That should be enough bubbles, she thought. Don�t want to go overboard, don�t want it to seem too girly.

�I�m ready when you are, hon.�

The door opened and he stepped inside. His eyes were on the floor at first, since he wasn�t quite sure what he was walking into, and there was still that quiet nagging inside, telling him he shouldn�t be doing this. But when he looked up to see her there in the tub, her soft shoulders exposed above mounds of bubbles, her long hair piled up on top of her head, looking at him that way, he knew this was where he wanted to be. He just wished he wasn�t feeling so awkward about it.

She sensed his reservation and tried to make him more comfortable. �Tell you what, hon�I promise to keep my eyes closed until you�re in here with me. How does that sound?�

�That would work.� He smiled at her and squatted down next to the tub. �I�m sorry I�m acting so weird, it�s just that��

�I know, sweetie, I know. I told you this was all up to you, and we would go at your pace. And you know that if you want me to stop, I�ll stop. Do you believe me?� He nodded and leaned in to kiss her forehead. He did believe her. He trusted her completely, even though they hadn�t known each other for long. It was just difficult to seem calm and relaxed with a beautiful naked woman in a bathtub, waiting for him to join her. Not exactly an everyday occurrence.

She got comfortable and closed her eyes with a contented sigh. He stood up and let out a little sigh of his own as he began to unbutton his shirt. She smiled as she noticed the sound of rustling fabric, which meant that he was beginning to undress. He slid his shoes off and dropped his shirt on top of them. Just as his hands reached the button on his jeans, the nervousness hit him again. He took a couple of deep breaths. Hearing this, she opened one of her eyes slightly, just enough to get an idea of what was going on. She saw him standing there shirtless, with his hands placed over his face. Was he changing his mind? Oh, crap, she thought, don�t give up, baby, you can do this.

�Umm�give me a second, okay?� He quickly stepped back into the hallway. His heart was pounding. He wanted this so badly, more than he thought he would, but was he going to have the guts to go through with it?

This was not in his plans when he left his hotel room earlier that evening. He absolutely did not go into the lounge looking to hook up with some woman. Not that people in his position didn�t do that all the time�but he never really considered himself to be one of the �famous� people, certainly not a �star.� And most definitely not someone who would use their celebrity status to get girls. He didn�t do that, did he?

He�d received a message on his cellphone from a songwriter who wanted to work with him. They agreed to meet in the hotel lounge that night at 7, and Clay got there a little early. Didn�t want to be late, couldn�t seem unprofessional. Didn�t want to be the stuck-up guy who keeps people waiting.

After giving the room a quick scan, he noticed her standing at the far end of the bar. She was talking animatedly to the bartender, and something she said had made him laugh as he poured her drink. She was beautiful�not the kind of beautiful that the media hypes, but the kind of beautiful that real women are. Terrific smile, gorgeous long hair, graceful and sensual as she leaned against the bar, obviously flirting with the bartender, who was loving the attention. Then she glanced over toward the door and saw him. Clay could tell she recognized him instantly, and he got that weird sensation again. Was he ever going to get used to that? She picked up her drink and took a sip, her eyes never leaving him. She smiled and made a come-hither gesture with her finger. This can�t be happening, he thought. This doesn�t happen to me.

But he took a chance and walked over to her anyway. He figured that she was probably a nice woman who wouldn�t do anything crazy, and if she wasn�t, that ever-present bodyguard was never far behind him.

He didn�t have anything to worry about. She was wonderful. Funny, intelligent, thoughtful, and a million other things that defy description. He felt an instant connection with her, which he hadn�t expected. They talked for over an hour before he realized that his friend hadn�t shown up. He pulled out his cellphone and realized that he had turned it off by mistake. Luckily, there was a message letting him know that they�d have to reschedule their meeting, which thrilled Clay, because the last thing he wanted was to leave without her.

She took that moment, after he checked his messages, to tell him the embarrassing truth. �I can�t believe I�m telling you this, but I came here tonight hoping to run into you. I know, that probably makes me sound like a psycho stalker or something, but I promise I�m not. I just had to come to the hotel, just in case. I haven�t scared you, have I?� He clutched his chest and gasped, pretending to be frightened, and she laughed. He loved her laugh. He loved her honesty. He loved so much about her that he wondered why she wanted to meet him so badly. He was just a guy who sang on TV, for crying out loud. A woman like this wasn�t the type who would watch some TV talent show, was she?

She suggested that they move from the bar to a table away from the door, because she noticed that lots of people were milling about in the lobby just outside the lounge. He was surprised how aware she was of their surroundings, and how she was trying to keep him from being recognized. These sorts of thoughts didn�t typically occur to him, because the �getting recognized� thing was still so new for him. When they sat down, she had him face the wall, and told him with a wink that she�d watch his back. She joked that his bodyguard could take the night off, because if it looked like he was in any danger, she�d throw herself on top of him to protect him.

She was flirtatious, almost as flirtatious as he was. As they continued their conversation, it was becoming apparent that she wanted him. And he realized that he wanted her, too, and his flirting became a bit more naughty than usual. He felt so at ease with her, and she was giving as good as she was getting, so hinting at the idea of sleeping together came easily to him, even though he wasn�t 100% sure he would go through with it. It was one of those times where he secretly wished he was more like those guys who didn�t think twice about going to bed with an attractive woman, even if just for one night.

More hours ticked by. They talked about his career, about competition, about the recording industry. They talked about life as a college student, about past relationships, about movies and music and all sorts of things. And they talked about their ages�or she did. She kept bringing up the fact that she was older than he was, usually in a joking way. He couldn�t figure out why she felt it was necessary to bring it up, because there couldn�t be that big a difference in their ages, could there? She certainly didn�t seem �old�, whatever that means. And her age didn�t matter to him anyway, although he found himself intrigued by her apparent amount of �experience�, which made him wonder what he might be in for if he decided to ask her up to his room.

Then it happened, the perfect opportunity to let her know he was interested, and not just in a flirting way.

�I�ve given it some thought, and I think I�d prefer �Clayton�,� he said with a sly smile. She looked a little confused. �Remember, about an hour ago, you said you�d wondered once what name I�d want to be called, when�um�at that moment?� She laughed in recognition of her earlier question, and leaned in closer to make sure she was hearing him right. �So, I was thinking �Clayton� would be better,� he continued, nervously, �because it would feel more�intimate.�

�I said you didn�t have to answer the question, you know. I didn�t mean for you to��

�I know you didn�t,� he interrupted, �but I thought you should know that.�

From that moment on, it was clear to both of them that something was going to happen. The conversation immediately shifted to �Let�s get out of here� and �Your place or mine?� They decided that they would go to her house, since it might not be good for her to be seen leaving his room later. They laughed as they concocted a scheme to get him out of the lobby unrecognized, which included her giving him her glasses to wear. Suddenly they weren�t nervous any more, because they were having too much fun being silly.

They headed for the door of the lounge, and walked briskly towards the revolving front door of the lobby, not realizing that Clay�s bodyguard was struggling to catch up with them without attracting attention. He caught up with them just as they�d stopped outside the door, and she was remembering where she parked her car. When she realized that Clay was now going to have to explain to his bodyguard where he was going, and that it wasn�t necessary for him to come along, she quickly told him that she�d bring the car around, and headed for the parking lot. It was embarrassing for him to have that conversation, and saying out loud that he was going to her house, and seeing the knowing look on his bodyguard�s face, brought up the �Am I really doing this?� feelings again. But when she pulled up in her car, and he looked in and saw her smiling at him, he knew he wasn�t ready for the evening to be over. Not yet.

�Are you okay, hon?�

Hearing her voice made him realize suddenly that he had been standing out in the hallway for a while. He was calmer now, and more comfortable. He had also been thinking about how she looked in the tub and what an idiot he�d have to be to not want to be in there with her.

�I�m fine. I�m�I�m coming back in now, if that�s okay.�

He opened the door and saw her looking up at him, her head resting on her folded hands on the edge of the tub. She smiled and said �Why wouldn�t it be okay?� with a flirty wink.

�Hey, that�s my move,� he said with a laugh as he knelt next to the tub. He stroked her hair and marveled at her. This woman wants me? he thought. Amazing.

He leaned in to kiss her, and she rose up to meet him. This time it was more passionate, more intense than it had been in the car. They had taken advantage of every stoplight on the way there, but it had been giggly and flirtatious...this time it was serious and down-to-business. His hand slid from her hair down her back, and at that moment he realized that she had emerged from the bubbles enough for him to get a better look at her if he wanted to�but for now he was enjoying her kiss too much to dwell on such things.

Her hands, meanwhile, were exploring his arms and shoulders. His skin was cool to the touch since he had been standing out in the hallway shirtless, but he was warming up the longer he was with her. She ran the fingers of one hand along the line of his collarbone, and then slowly downward, her fingernails grazing an alert nipple as they traversed his chest. As her hand headed south, enjoying the softness of the light dusting of coppery curls on his stomach, his breathing became more ragged and she pulled back. Didn�t want to go too far too fast.

�You�d better get in here before you catch cold,� she whispered. He smiled and returned to his feet. �You want me to close my eyes again?� He didn�t have to answer. The shyness that had interrupted them earlier was gone. He unbuttoned his jeans and began to slide them over his hips.

She watched him closely, savoring every moment. What an incredibly beautiful young man he was. Tall and willowy, with a combination of sweetness and intensity that was irresistible. And, by the looks of things, he was clearly happy to be there.

As he kicked his jeans and boxers aside and stepped towards the tub, she sat back and spread her legs, lifting her knees so that he could see where she wanted him to go. She offered a hand to steady him, and he sunk into the warm water with her, settling himself between her legs. She wrapped her arms around him and gently leaned back, and he relaxed and melted into her.

Neither of them spoke for a while, not with words anyway. They lay entwined in the bathtub, breathing together, getting to know each other silently. She ran her fingers through his hair and nuzzled his neck, and thought it was cute how he wriggled and pressed against her. At first she thought he was getting comfortable, but when she noticed a slightly puzzled look on his face, she soon realized that he was trying to slyly figure something out without drawing her attention. He wasn�t succeeding. She smiled when she realized what his shoulder blades were trying to discover, and whispered in his ear. �They�re real, honey.�

He was terribly embarrassed at first, but quickly paraphrased a famous Seinfeld quote to cover it up. �And they�re spectacular!� She laughed and hugged him closer. Could he get any cuter?

He turned slightly so that he could face her, still giggling. He slipped his hand behind her neck and pulled her gently forward to kiss her softly on her forehead, her eyelids, the bridge of her nose, and eventually her lips, lingering there for quite a while. As she explored the muscles of his back, his hand slipped from her neck to travel slowly, gingerly, to her breasts. Their kisses grew a bit more passionate and she moaned softly into his open mouth as he caressed her smooth skin. His touch became bolder and more aggressive, which led her to wrap her legs a bit more tightly around him. Taking a break from kissing, he sat up a little straighter for a moment and gazed into her eyes. She was breathing heavily, and her cheeks were flushed. His eyes traveled downward to her chest, where he was tracing the line of her cleavage with his finger. He smiled impishly and looked back up at her. �Yep, they�re spectacular, all right!�

She splashed him. �You�re so bad!� He giggled and turned back around. �I�ll take you over my knee right now, young man!� He made a mockingly apologetic face, closed his eyes, and snuggled against her again. She kissed the top of his head. �That�s better.�

�Do you really think of me as that young?� he asked. �I mean, I�m not too young or anything, am I?�

�Compared to me? Yeah, you�re young. But too young?� She draped her arms across his chest and put her head against his. �You�re the age you are, and I�m the age I am. Am I �too old�?� He shook his head, which made her smile. �I didn�t think so.�

�Tip your head back for a bit sweetie�hold still.� She reached over to the shelf alongside the edge of the tub and picked up a cup, scooped up some water, and poured it gently over his hair. There was a little bit of product in his hair tonight, because he had made an appearance on a local news show earlier in the afternoon, and he had flat-ironed the front a little. She ran her fingers through his hair as she drizzled more water over it. He let out a soft moan, to which she replied, �Just wait, baby, it gets better.�

Clay was soon overtaken by the smell of lavender. She lovingly lathered his hair, gently scratching his scalp with her fingernails. He responded with his entire body, leaning one way and another to accommodate her touch, pressing himself against her, breathing deeply. She had him lie back against her as she rinsed his hair, the warm, sweet-smelling water cascading down their bodies together. He was once again completely relaxed, and completely in her hands.

Since he had enjoyed the light touch of her fingernails on his scalp, she decided to do the same to whatever parts of him she could reach, hoping he wasn�t too ticklish to enjoy it. She started with his chest, raking her nails through the fine bed of soft hair, which didn�t seem to tickle him at all, so she moved her hands down along his sides. She ran her nails along his torso in long, upward strokes, which he seemed to enjoy quite a bit. She was eliciting exactly the response she intended�Clay pushed his feet against the end of the tub to press himself more firmly against her, which, in turn, brought other parts within her reach.

She kissed his ear and slowly returned her hands to his chest. �You liked that, huh?� she whispered as she slid her hands upward along his ribs. All he could muster in reply was a quiet, low moan. She smiled and nuzzled his neck, holding him with one arm, and sending one hand southward, following the patch of delicate hairs down his belly, until�

Clay opened his eyes, just for a second. �Oh my.�

The sensation of the warm water, her body wrapped around him, the soft kisses on his neck and shoulder, and the movement of her hand was almost more than he could take. She was moving slowly, which he appreciated, because he wanted this incredible feeling to last as long as possible. He still could not believe that he was there, that this night had turned out the way it did. Here he was, in the arms of a beautiful woman, a woman he had only met hours before, a fan of his who had come to the hotel hoping to meet him. He had no idea if they would ever see each other again beyond this night, since he would be leaving town in less than a week, going on to new cities, new hotels�new women? Probably not. This wasn�t something he would get in the habit of doing. It was the first and possibly only time he would find himself in this situation. Especially with a woman as amazing as she was.

His arms had been resting on her legs, and he found himself stroking and kneading her thighs in response to the rush he was feeling. His head dropped backward onto her shoulder, eyes closed, lips parted. He felt vulnerable and yet completely safe, cradled in the loving and skillful arms of this remarkable woman. He was completely enveloped by her, her legs pressing against his, her stomach and breasts against his back, her face alongside his own, one hand placed firmly against his chest, holding him against her, and the other�

Her only regret was that, in this position, she couldn�t see his face very well, if at all. She could feel his muscles tensing, hear his moans and increasingly heavy breathing, but she wasn�t going to be able to watch him, to see his beautiful face when at last she brought him to the release he needed so badly. But she�d have ample opportunity to experience that later. This night was nowhere near over.

The pace of his breathing quickened, and his hands froze, squeezing the flesh of her thighs. His entire body became rigid as he surrendered himself to the moment.

Kissing him on the temple, she whispered lovingly in his ear, �Mmmm�that was wonderful�Clayton.�