When are you going to accept me?

Julian walked back into his hotel room. The lights were off; only the night bulb was on. The warm light cast an orange hue across the room, starkly different from the brightness outside.

He blinked, momentarily surprised, wondering if Daphne had gone to bed so early. He closed the door softly behind him.

Then, a figure shifted in the dimness. Julian froze, his mouth agape in startled surprise. Daphne stood before him, transformed from the practical and reserved woman he knew. Gone was the usual blouse and slacks; instead, she wore a provocative nightgown.

The silky fabric clung to her curves, barely concealing the swell of her hips and the creamy expanse of her chest revealed by a plunging neckline. A dangerous slit ran from just above her sternum, hinting at the pale flesh of her stomach and the tantalizing glimpse of a matching thong beneath.