Then I pulled my hair into a ponytail and clipped it high on my head. Checking the water level, I saw the tub was far from ready so I returned to the living room.
I sidled up to Danny and leaned over to kiss him. I let my robe loosen. Danny could not miss what waited if he gave up on that damned book already.
Danny reached around my waist and smiled. As I kissed him, the sash came undone. The robe slid open. Danny’s eyes went straight to my breasts and lingered. From there they traveled to my hips and finally to there. He grinned, no longer neutral.
The robe fell to the floor. Lust filled Danny’s eyes. I pressed against him for another kiss. The book fell from his hand and his arms enveloped my back. I quivered.
“You win, Elizabeth,” Danny laughed. “You don’t fight fair.”
CHAPTER 54 - ELIZABETH
“Eli, time to rise and shine, sleepyhead.”
Danny walked his fingers up my torso beginning at my naval and ending at my chin. Tenderly, he planted a kiss on my lips. I sighed. This wake-up call was one I didn’t want ended. I smiled, satisfied.
“We don’t have to ski. We could spend the day in the suite instead.”
“Eli, we like to ski,” Danny pointed out.
“It’s so nice here. No roommates. No family. Just us.”
“I love being alone with you too, babe. But we’ll still be alone, even when we’re on the mountain.”
Danny tickled my neck. I squirmed, and he grinned, pleased with himself.
“I’ll start our shower,” Danny announced. As he rose, he kissed me once more.
When I emerged from the bathroom, Danny was signing the room service tab. Last night we had filled out the order form and placed it outside on the suite’s doorknob. Now that I was energized, I was looking forward to the hearty breakfast.
Danny and I had ordered enough food to create our own mini-buffet. There were scrambled eggs, blueberry pancakes with locally produced maple syrup, bacon, whole-wheat toast and orange juice. Except for the bacon, there was one order of each item. Danny and I split the food, leaving each of us with a little of everything.
Last night I was delighted to find my white Bogner jumpsuit when we unpacked. “How did this get here?” I had asked when I discovered it.
“I called Randi,” Danny answered with a self-satisfied grin.
“You called Mom?” That was surprising; Danny discussing his plans with Mom.
“Yeah. Randi had Aspen FedEx it. I wanted to keep my plans secret.”
This morning I was even more pleased by his thoughtfulness. I remembered how much he had enjoyed me in this outfit in Aspen. “Snow White in spandex,” Danny had called me then. I kept my hair loose to affirm his vision.
Danny warned me that skiing in Vermont was different than in the west. The mountains were smaller than the majestic Rockies or the Sierras. Runs were shorter and narrower. Instead of fluffy powder, the snow would be packed, possibly granular.
Bright sunshine greeted us as we made our way to the chair lift. The dusting of snow we had experienced at Donnelly earlier in the week had dumped over six inches in Vermont. Conditions were therefore excellent.
I squinted. The sun reflecting off the snow produced a sea of sparkling diamonds. I stopped to put my goggles on while taking in the natural beauty of our surroundings.
“Expect ice when you get off the lift,” Danny cautioned, and he was right. I slipped, but quickly regained my balance.
“No racing today,” I warned. “We don’t know this mountain.”
Danny laughed and made clucking chicken noises.
“You are not going to intimidate me, Daniel,” I scolded.
Of course Danny grinned slyly and quickly set off. Soon he realized I wasn’t rising to the challenge, and he stopped. After that Danny was content to ski at my pace.
Exhilarated, the day passed quickly. It was Friday, and we skied more runs than we would tomorrow when the weekend crowds arrived. We took full advantage, stopping only for lunch and a brief afternoon warming.
At dusk we ended the day as we began it, back in our suite. Once again, Danny lit the living room fireplace. While I took a hot shower, he ordered dinner. The steam felt good as the water cascaded over my sore muscles. Afterwards I donned cozy sweats and fuzzy pink slippers. Perfect for a casual evening in.
Danny was also showered and dressed in sweats by the time dinner arrived. After signing the tab, he turned down the lights, and we dined by the warm glow of the fireplace.
Saturday we spent much the same. Now familiar with the terrain, we chose our favorite runs to concentrate on as longer lift lines made exploring difficult.
“I hate the crowds today. There’s so many kids,” I complained as we waited for a table in the base lodge at lunch. On the slopes they scared me. The kids went racing down the mountain without considering the other skiers.
“Were we like that when we were kids?” I asked.
Danny laughed. “You probably not. Me probably yes.”
If this was what vacationing with children was like, then I didn’t want any for a long, long time.
Sunday came too soon, and we prepared to depart. Instead of skiing, Danny and I slept-in and enjoyed a leisurely brunch. But first we had to drag ourselves out of bed. Neither of us wanted to.
Upon waking, Danny had arranged more logs in the bedroom fireplace. The orange glow of the flames provided a warm contrast to the dull early morning sky.
Crackling wood and its enticing aroma filled our nostrils. Danny’s arms were holding me, and my legs wrapped around his. Gentle kisses on my neck and shoulder sent electricity pulsating throughout me. This was definitely the way to start the day.
“Thank you for the best Valentine’s Day ever,” I whispered.
“This was the best one for me as well.”
“This was your first one, too?”
“Yes,” Danny laughed. “I’ve purposely stayed away from girls during February. Misunderstandings are too easy.”
“What about me? Do you think I’ve misunderstood anything?” I flirted.
“No. I think we’ve enjoyed an amazing weekend and you’re thinking that I must seriously love you. And that’s fine with me, because I do seriously love you. Vacations with you are great.”
“I wish we could do Spring Break.”
“If I weren’t already going to Florida with Shane and Cam I’d take you to Saint Bart’s in a heartbeat. But I made those plans well before there was an us.”
“That’s fine. I don’t want you to cancel. Danny, you need to do guy stuff. Besides, they’d get angry with both of us if you cancelled now.”
CHAPTER 55 - DANIEL
One afternoon a few weeks later, while in my room studying, Dad called.
“Hey Dad,” I answered cheerfully, glad for the interruption.
“Danny, David called me yesterday about an Amex bill and certain transactions I didn’t make.”
David was a junior member of the business management and accounting firm that handled our finances. If it were anything serious, the senior partner would have called.
“Was I a bad boy?” I asked while trying to make light of it. Dad never cared what I charged, so I couldn’t imagine what he was referring to.
“Not really. David asked about $3,000 spent in Vermont. I assume you went skiing.”
“Guilty as charged. It was Valentine’s Day, Dad.”
“Who was the lucky girl?”
“Eli, of course. Who else?”
“Danny, you’ve been back at Donnelly for six weeks and you haven’t mentioned her. For all I know you could have a new girl.”
“Dad! Of course I don’t. What gives? You love Eli.”
After a pregnant pause, Dad continued. “I do love Elizabeth, Danny. Dinner at a nice restaurant and flowers wouldn’t have sufficed?”
“No, Dad. Eli and I wanted time alone. Eli is my girl. I wanted to take her someplace special. Randi didn’t mind, so what’s bothering you?”
Dad took a deep breath. “Danny, your mother speaks to me. I know you were having problems after New Year’s.”
Ugh! So that’s why he was calling. Thanks, Mom.
“Any problems we had are in the past,” I answered firmly. “Did Grandpa give you a hard time like this when you met Mom?”
“My parents were indifferent. The Slades weren’t family friends. They didn’t even meet my parents until the engagement party. Grandma and Grandpa liked Ellen, but they assumed she would be the first of however many girlfriends I’d have before I found the one. Junior year, when we announced our intention to marry after graduation, they weren’t happy.”
“At least your parents gave you and Mom a chance.”
“Not exactly. My parents kept their mouths shut. Grandpa confessed years later that they assumed Mom and I would divorce before we turned thirty. He thought an early marriage would force me to pursue a more practical career.”
“Boy, was he wrong!” I laughed. “Grandpa sure didn’t know his own son.”
“No, he didn’t,” Dad laughed. “The Slades were worse. They didn’t know why Ellen wanted to marry ‘an arrogant boy who has nothing to be arrogant about.’ That was how they put it. The Slades were so against us marrying they wouldn’t even pay for the wedding.”
“But I’ve seen your wedding album. Mom looked so beautiful.”
“I promised Ellen she’d never want for anything if she married me beginning with the wedding. Mom and I had money saved from our b’nai mitzvahs and summer jobs. Together it was almost $30,000. When the Slades saw we were serious, they gave in.”
“I thought Grandma Naomi was crazy about you. She always makes a big fuss.”
“Not at first. Naomi hated that we moved to L.A. the moment we graduated. Naomi hated it even more that Ellen was working at the bank while I was bringing in no income.
Naomi kept hoping Ellen would come to her senses and run off with Michael. She loved Mike because he was in law school. Naomi hated when Mike fell in love with Randi. She finally realized Ellen would never leave me for him.”
“I can’t believe it! Mom and Mike would have been the world’s dullest couple.”
Dad laughed. “Anyway, the day Mom stopped working Naomi changed. Your birth was what sealed things. Naomi took one look at you and was smitten. She said if I could produce something as amazing as you, then I had to be good for her daughter.”
“Dad, Eli and I are happy. I want you to be happy for us.”
“Danny, I’m your father and I know you better than anyone.”
“Is this a lecture?”
“No, but after our talk in Aspen I thought you would cool it. When you hadn’t mentioned Elizabeth in all these weeks, I hoped you’d gone back to being just friends.”
“We can’t, Dad. Eli and I are in love.”
“I’m sure you think you are. Look Danny, I won’t tell you what to do, but until you’re certain, I’d turn down the heat a few degrees so nobody gets burned.”
The door to the suite opened.
“Hi! I’m home.” Eli! And she was carrying an armload of books.
“It’s Eli. Hold on, she needs me.” I tossed the phone on the bed and rushed to her side. “Hey, baby. I’ll take those.” I grabbed the books and my lips brushed hers.
Then I placed the books on the desk and fished around on the bed for the phone. Found it!
“Gotta go, Dad. Eli’s home.”
“Home? I didn’t hear her knock.”
“Eli used her key.”
Carrying a water bottle she had taken from the fridge, Eli floated back into the room like a fresh breeze. “How was your afternoon?” she asked.
“Much better now that you’re here.” I pulled her into my arms and kissed her full pink lips. She even smelled like a fresh breeze.
“Danny! Danny!” Dad called through the phone.
I forgot I was holding it. I stopped kissing Eli, and she giggled.
“Sorry, Dad. Just greeting my lady.”
“Danny, obviously you’re busy. I’ll speak to you later,”
“Right,” I said, flustered. “Speak to you later.” I pressed the end button and placed the phone on the desk.
Standing on tiptoes Eli threw her arms around my neck and kissed me. As I held her closer, I responded with my own kiss, parting her lips, entwining our tongues. I would consider Dad’s advice later. For now, I was powerless to think at all. I scooped Eli up in my arms and carried her to our bed.
With Eli lying in my arms and me playing with her glossy hair, I came to the realization that making love to her had been the dumbest thing I could have done. Dad’s advice crept into my conscience. Had this been revenge on Dad sex?
I loved Elizabeth. She was the most important person in my life. But as I mindlessly twirled her hair, and she kissed my shoulder, I had to admit that Dad had a point. I wasn’t confident I could make the total commitment Eli deserved.
Perhaps it wasn’t a good thing that in the past few weeks Eli had practically moved in. Shane and Cam called her their roommate. I was pleased by how well we all got along. It had made it so easy for Eli to spend night after night with me.
Dad’s intentions were good, but little did he know, I could no longer live without Elizabeth in my daily life.
I glanced at Eli nestled in my arms. She responded with adoring emerald eyes that made me melt. Eli was as in love with me as I was with her. No man in my position could resist. I had no choice. I had to kiss her. So I did.
Reducing the time spent with Eli would be torturous. I didn’t want to do it. Any time spent with Eli was a treat. Her presence even made studying enjoyable. With midterms followed by Spring Break, at least the school calendar was on my side. For the break, she was going home. I was off to Florida with Shane and Cam. That would buy me time.
Why was I letting Dad get into my head? I had been doing just fine without his well-intentioned fatherly advice. Still, Dad had a point. I would have to carefully think this through. I didn’t want to hurt her.
Elizabeth eyes questioned me. “Is something wrong, Danny? You seem distracted.”
I affixed my best smile before responding, “No, I’m just tired. I’ve been studying all afternoon and I have a lot more reading tonight.”
“Do you want the night off from me?”
“You wouldn’t mind?”
Eli kissed me. “I can endure it,” she said. Then she winked, and we laughed.
CHAPTER 56 - ELIZABETH
After a couple of hours at the library, I called it an early night and returned to my own bed for the first time in weeks. It felt foreign, though I easily fell asleep.
The phone startled me awake. I answered on the second chorus, and noticed only fifteen minutes had passed since turning off the light.
“Hello,” I said in a bewildered, drowsy voice.
“Baby, did I wake you?”
“Danny?” Nobody else called me “baby.”
“Baby, I miss you, honey.”
“I miss you too.” I was a little more alert. “How’s your studying?”
“I’m done. Can you come down? I want you, babe.”
“Danny, I was sleeping.”
“You’re not anymore. Please, Eli? I can’t sleep without you.”
“Danny, it’s late.”
“Eli, I love you. You belong here with me. Are you going to make me come get you?”
“I love you too.” Danny was impossible to resist. He knew it, too. “Let me get my slippers,” I relented.
“Bring your key.” Danny’s glee perked me up.
CHAPTER 57 - DANIEL
“There’s my girl!” I called as a sleepy Elizabeth entered the suite. I jumped off the sofa where my roommates and I were watching a DVD, to greet her. Smoothing hair off her tired face I said, “I missed you, babe,” and I kissed her.
I no longer cared what Dad said. I did not want to turn the heat between Eli and me down by even one degree. Eli was hot, and I wanted her to stay that way.
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“Danny, you said you couldn’t fall asleep,” she said, bewildered.
“That’s what the DVD is for. I can’t fall asleep without you, baby.”
“Aw shucks,” Cam said sarcastically. “Be quiet, Newman. Some of us actually are watching the movie.”
Elizabeth yawned. “I’m sorry,” she apologized. “Danny woke me.”
Then she curled up like a sleepy kitten. Soon Elizabeth fell asleep, her head resting in my lap. I sat stroking her soft, glossy hair. Everything about Eli felt so right tonight.
When the movie ended, I carefully lifted her in my arms.
“Good-night,” I whispered to Cam and Shane as I carried Elizabeth to my room.
Ever so gently, I placed her on our bed, careful to leave enough room for myself. Then I covered her with the comforter and kissed her head. In her sleep, Eli smiled.
While Elizabeth dreamed happy dreams, I sat at my desk prepping for my morning economics mid-term. I had lied when I told Eli I had finished studying. If she knew I needed a couple more hours, I doubted she would have come.
At three, I turned off the light, crawled into bed and cuddled Eli, wrapping my arm around her. Instinctively she turned toward me, searching out the comfort that I brought her.
Way too soon the alarm clock blared. I barely had time to shower, throw on clothes and get a cup of strong coffee before my exam.
Elizabeth was sitting up under the covers when I returned from the shower. Her smile lit the room like early morning sunshine. Elizabeth giggled, eying me wearing nothing except a towel draped around my waist, droplets of water falling from my head.
I took her in my arms. “Good morning, Miss Eli,” I announced.
“Good morning, Mr. N.,” she said playfully. “Now I’m wet too!” she laughed.
I pulled her face to mine and kissed her with all my heart.
“If I didn’t have a mid-term in half an hour, I would never let you go,” I told her.
Eli laughed. “I can see you later,” she said.
“Yes, you can and you’d better.”
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