Slice of Pi 2 by Elia Winters

do so. The Gulf of Mexico was lovely to visit. Maybe his mother was right; he didn’t take enough vacations.
    Iris paused at the bottom of the staircase that led up to the second-floor balcony of the hotel. She was wearing a sundress and sandals, her hair perfect and her makeup impeccable, the picture of decorum and grace, and Owen wanted to look at her all night long. She smiled up at him. “I had a nice time today.”
    â€œMe, too.” He returned her smile. They lingered a moment longer than normal, staring into each other’s eyes, before she broke the gaze and climbed up the stairs to her room. He followed her into the room and gathered his bag up off the bed.
    â€œDon’t forget to send me that info.” Iris was standing in front of the door when he went to leave. When he gave her a blank look, she rolled her eyes. “The websites and books. I want to learn how to rock your world.”
    He hadn’t been sure that she was serious, and even now couldn’t be fully confident that she wouldn’t run away as soon as she started to do some research about his interests. That would be all right. He had come not to expect much from these sorts of arrangements. Iris would hardly be the first to turn tail and run at a full view of his kinks, and it was best not to get his hopes too high.
    â€œAll right. If you don’t like what you see, that’s cool, too. No pressure or anything. No strings.”
    â€œGot it. No strings.” Iris nodded. “Can you send me the info tonight? I’ve got the Amazon app on my iPad and three days with nothing to do but lie on the beach and soak up sun. And no friends to do it with.” She pushed out her lip in a forced pout that made Owen laugh. “Really, I’ll end up staying in the hotel room and playing games on my laptop if I’m not careful.”
    â€œSure, sure. I’ll do it when I get home.” He ran a hand through his hair, which still felt beach-tousled despite washing. In reality, he was going to have a hard time sleeping tonight after he sent that list to Iris, and he knew it already. “Can I get your email address?” He pulled out his phone to type it in.
    â€œYup.” She took his phone right out of his hands and entered it herself, then handed it back. He pocketed the phone again, and they were back to the quiet that happened when two people weren’t quite ready to say goodbye yet. She stepped away from the door, but he still felt reluctant to leave.
    Better to just get this done and over with, though. “I’ll email you tonight.” He nodded and headed for the door.
    â€œAll that and no kiss?” Iris asked, her voice playful but with an edge of concern that he could pick out even without knowing her very well.
    Owen turned back around. “Well, I’d hate to leave you with no kiss.” He leaned down to her height, pressing his lips gently to hers. The kiss was soft, simple, and brief, a taste of what could be. Of course, he wanted none of that softness. He wanted fierceness, boldness, a biting intensity that made him forget himself in her. Even as he thought that, drawing away from her plush lips, he reminded himself to take it easy. Best not to get drawn in.
    Iris blinked up at him with dark lashes and blue, blue eyes, then smiled. “Have a safe drive.”
    â€œThanks. Have a nice vacation.” He stepped out into the warm, salty evening air.
    ---
    Owen’s email came about an hour and a half later, when Iris was sitting on the bed in the hotel room trying not to be distracted by the overwhelming emptiness of the room and the smell of salt spray and Owen that lingered even though he was gone. It was a nice scent, a mixture of cinnamon and vanilla, and she hadn’t even been aware of its presence until he left. Now, without him, the room seemed desolate, and she’d decided to ignore her loneliness by firing up her laptop and using the surprisingly