“May I help you?”
“Yes, Andrew Harrison, checking in,” he said confidently.
He handed over his driver’s license and his debit card. She smiled at him and took his information. Andrew knew for anyone else this simple act was common place, but for him it was a sign that he was truly a member of society and not on the edge anymore. Over the past several months, he was slowly starting to accept that the worst was over. Aside from the brief appearance of Jimmy’s dad at the Halloween party, everything had been smooth. He glanced at his hand, stretching his fingers out. His mind immediately went to that night and how it had ended with his fist against the concrete wall.
“Sir?”
Andrew opened his eyes to see the girl behind the counter giving him a curious look. He smiled at her. “Sorry, it was a long drive.”
She grinned. “I bet. Enjoy your stay, Mr. Harrison,” she said, handing him a map and the door keys.
“Thank you.”
Andrew turned and exited the main lobby to head back to the car. Madison was now digging their luggage out of the trunk. She had already unhooked the snowboards from the roof and had leaned them against the vehicle. He shook his head as he approached. She was not one to wait for him or anyone else. He slapped her rear and reached down to grab their two bags.
“Let’s get to the room, woman.”
“Oohhh, I like when you talk dirty to me.”
Andrew laughed and once again shook his head before hoisting both boards under his arm and gripping the handle of the large rolling suitcase. Madison quickly grabbed the smaller bag knowing that he would attempt, most likely successfully, to take all the bags. Madison opened the door and Andrew spilled inside, setting everything down. Madison smiled and walked into the living room.
The suite had a separate living area equipped with a fireplace and a queen size sofa sleeper along with the usual coffee and side tables. The full kitchen included a microwave, stove, and refrigerator along with a dining room that seated four. There were also two full bathrooms, one in the main area and one in the master bedroom. The master bedroom itself had a comfortable king size bed and also a fireplace, something Madison was looking forward to using.
“Do you want to try and hit the slopes while there’s still daylight?” Madison asked when Andrew emerged from the bedroom where he had placed their bags.
He tossed his jacket off and then in one swift move his hoodie and t-shirt were over his head and on top of the jacket. Madison’s mouth parted slightly.
“I want to have sex with you first, which means,” he grabbed her and playfully tossed her over his shoulder. “You will be too tired to do anything else.”
“Andrew,” Madison screeched and slapped his back.
He grinned and dropped her on the bed before he began to slowly unbutton his jeans. When he popped the final button, Madison sat up. He slipped his jeans and boxers to the ground, stepping out of them. Madison didn’t hesitate as she reached for him.
~*~
Madison and Andrew patiently waited their turn. The line to the lifts was a tad long as they were going during peak time. Andrew carefully helped Madison into the seat and then hopped in himself as the attendant locked the bar in front of them. Andrew draped his arm over her shoulder as their legs dangled below them, their snowboards securely strapped on their feet. Madison was breathing in deeply. Although she loved snowboarding, she hated the lifts. Being so high in the air frightened her. Andrew on the other hand loved them. Of course, anything semi-dangerous, he tended to be attracted to.
“Madison, check it out. You can see those trees we went to yesterday.”
“Un huh,” Madison said, not looking.
“Baby, we are completely safe.”
“Un huh,” Madison once again replied.
She wished there was another way to get to the top of the mountain. They had been in Big Bear for nearly a week. The first night they had stayed too long in the room to hit the slopes so they ended up going for a nice long walk in town. They had spent the next two days snowboarding before Christmas came, a holiday they celebrated in the comfort of their suite. They lit the fire in the fire place and made love most of the day. Madison couldn’t think of a better Christmas gift to receive.
The past couple of days had been spent learning to ski. They had two lessons and Andrew was already very good, but he seemed to enjoy snowboarding more. Madison, however, was thinking that they would need to invest in some skis because she really liked it. She snuck a glimpse over the edge and her body froze. She felt Andrew squeeze her shoulder and then the gentle tap of his lips on her temple, an action that immediately calmed her nerves. She turned her face slightly so that she could see his beautiful face. His cheeks were rosy from the cold and his lips were succulent and moist from the constant application of lip balm. He gave her his deadly smirk before leaning down and kissing her softly.
“We’re here,” he whispered against her lips.
Madison smiled as the lift rocked just slightly and then she felt her board hit the soft snow. Soon Andrew was helping her to the run they were going to go on. Andrew had finally convinced her to go on one of the jumping runs with him. He hadn’t done it last year because he had only learned to snowboard on that trip but this year he was desperate to try. They listened to the man giving instructions to them and soon they were ready for their first go at it.
“You first,” Madison said.
“But then I won’t know if you’re okay?” Andrew looked concerned.
“But I want to see you and if I’m up front I won’t be able to.”
Andrew stared at her for a long moment before lowering his goggles and nodding. He then turned and was off. Madison watched in awe as he picked up speed and flew off the ramp. There were three ramps on this particular run, each one slightly more difficult. By the last jump he already looked like he had been doing it for years.
“You can do this, Madison,” she told herself, taking a deep breath.
Andrew turned just in time to see Madison push off. She made the first and second jumps perfectly but hesitated briefly on the third which threw her rhythm off. She flew into the air and Andrew could tell that her timing was not right. He kneeled down, quickly unstrapping his boots from his board, watching as Madison came down hard. Her board flew out from under her as she slid down the mountain until finally slowing to a halt. Andrew’s heart felt as if it was going to beat out of his chest. He ran to her as quickly as he could and saw several members of the ski patrol running towards her as well.
“MADISON!”
Her hand moved up. “I’m okay.”
He dropped down next to her, mumbling a few curse words.
“Helios, I’m fine, really,” she said, moving her goggles off her eyes. They were bright with excitement. “I want to try that again!”
Andrew dropped his head. “You scared the crap out me, Madison. Maybe we should...”
“No way, I want to do it again. That was fun. I just hesitated,” she said, sitting up and waving the men off. “Come on, baby. Don’t be a party poop.”
She chuckled and Andrew’s eyes finally met hers. She was smiling mischievously at him.
“Party poop?” he questioned with a raised brow.
“Yes. Now, help me up, please,” Madison said batting her eyelashes.
He laughed and grabbed her at the elbows, lifting her up. “You sure you’re okay?”
Madison smiled and slapped his rear before taking off down the mountain and making a perfect stop next to his board. She brought her hand up and tapped her wrist playfully as if she were tapping the face of a watch. Andrew laughed and made his way down to her, grabbing her and making them both fall to the ground where he kissed her passionately in the snow.
~*~
“Helios, come on, baby. I’m starving!”
Andrew grinned as he reached in his jacket pocket and pulled the ring box out, flipping the lid up. He had the ring designed especially for Madison. He and Aaron had many talks
about it. Aaron had actually suggested that he draw what he was interested in and then he could take it to a jeweler to have them make it. Andrew didn’t know that was possible, but he found several local jewelers who said they could do just that. He had worked on several drawings before finally settling on this particular one. He was extremely happy with the results and hoped that Madison would like it as well. Flipping the lid down, he slipped it in his pocket again. He had been carrying it with him for a few weeks now, waiting for just the right occasion. Madison knocked on the door again. Andrew chuckled and opened it.
“Settle down, woman,” he said with a quick kiss. “You look beautiful by the way.”
Madison couldn’t contain the smile on her face. They had decided when they booked their trip that they wanted to go out for New Year’s Eve. Neither had packed anything fancy but Madison had picked up a pretty sweater earlier in the week which she now wore over her jeans. Andrew was wearing his typical attire, jeans and one of his hoodies underneath his leather jacket. He took her hand in his as they left their room. They had reservations at the Black Diamond Tavern, which was less than a mile away from the resort, so they decided to walk.
“We should do this every year,” Madison said as they strolled hand in hand.
“We should.”
“I’ve had the best time.”
Andrew smiled down at her as they walked. “Me too, baby.”
Madison and Andrew swung their joined hands as they approached the tavern. They were happy that they had made their reservations early enough so that they could get a good seat for the New Year’s celebration tonight because the parking lot was already full. They were greeted by the happy hostess who seated them immediately. As Madison and Andrew took in the tavern, they could see that there were already a lot of people in there, making it difficult to hear one another.
“Do you know what you want?” Andrew yelled over the noise.
Madison set her menu down and grinned sheepishly at him. “Aside from you?”
Andrew gave her one of his sexy smirks. “Baby, you will have ALL of me later.”
“Check!” Madison said raising her hand. Andrew laughed and grabbed her raised hand. He brought it to his mouth where he let his lips linger on her skin.
“Have you two decided what you wanted?” the waitress asked, coming up to them.
“Yes, we have,” Andrew stated, placing Madison’s hand down.
“I’m sorry. It’s a little loud tonight,” she added apologetically.
“It’s fine,” Madison replied. “I’ll have the Scallops Carbonara.”
The waitress jotted Madison’s order down and turned to Andrew.
“And I’ll have the New York Strip Steak, medium.”
“Excellent choices and what would you like to drink?”
“I’ll have a Heineken,” Andrew stated and turned to Madison.
“I’ll try the Moonridge.”
Madison smiled as the waitress trotted off.
“What’s funny?”
“I thought you hated all things New York.”
“Everything but the steaks,” he said with a wink. “I’ll give them a pass on their meat.”
Madison and Andrew looked around and then both laughed. There were many people already drunk and there were still several hours left before midnight. When the meal finally came they ate rather silently as both had given up on having a conversation. By the time their meal was completed, the house band had already set up and was playing music. Andrew reached his hand out to Madison and motioned his head to the dance floor. She nodded with that little girl smile she would get when he did something she found romantic.
“Helios, can we just go back to the suite. We don’t need to be here to celebrate the New Year.”
“You sure, I thought you wanted to do this?”
“I did, but now all I want is to have you all to myself.”
“Alright, baby. Let’s head out.”
He took her hand and picked up the check. After paying, they started walking back to the lodge. As they did, it started to snow gently on them. Madison immediately started laughing. Having had a couple of strong drinks, she was feeling a bit tipsy. There were still a lot of people out and about in the streets, going to various places to bring in the New Year but Madison and Andrew paid them no mind. Madison stepped a few feet in front of Andrew and spun in the falling snow.
“Dance with me, Helios.”
“It’s snowing?”
“It’s enchanting, like a beautiful fairytale,” she said with a dreamy look on her face.
Andrew always had difficulty telling her no, but with that expression on her face there was no way he could deny her. He took her hand and pulled her closer to him as they danced on the sidewalk to the music coming out of the bar nearby. The song was an upbeat number and pretty soon they had a few people watching them. When the song ended, those observers clapped while Madison and Andrew bowed graciously. Madison was giggling loudly at this point. Suddenly, Andrew dug his phone out and searched for the song he wanted.
“What are you doing?” Madison asked confused.
“Dance with me, Madison,” he said, repeating her words to him.
She smiled as she heard Miles Rayford begin to play. She rested her head against his chest, hearing the gentle cadence of his heart. He ran his hand into her hair as they slow danced as if no one else were around. Both completely lost in the moment.
“I love you, Madison.”
“I love you, too, Andrew, more than anything.”
“Madison,” he paused, not finishing his thought.
Madison waited. She wasn’t in a hurry. She knew he sometimes got like that. He was very deliberate with his thoughts, and sometimes it took him awhile to get the right words out. The snow started to fall harder and she felt his chest heave as he took a deep breath. He grabbed her hand and they started to run towards the lodge as the snow swirled thickly around them. By the time they reached their suite they were both laughing and out of breath.
“Helios, can you start the fire?” Madison asked as she began shedding her now wet clothes.
“Sounds like a plan.”
Andrew immediately got the fire going while Madison went into the room. She chewed on her lip as she pulled out the lingerie she had bought for this trip but hadn’t worn yet. She slipped it on quickly and fluffed up her hair before coming back out to the living room. She watched as Andrew lit some of the candles in the room. When he finally turned to her, he smiled, that magnificent smile that made Madison’s heart beat quickly. He strode to her with purpose.
“You look stunning,” he said, kissing her softly on the lips.
He kissed her again. This time with much more passion until Madison was pawing at his clothes. He pulled away, walking them to the couch where he began removing his wet clothes, leaving on only his boxers. They sat on the couch, holding each other as they watched the flames flicker in the fireplace. Normally they would have been making love already but Andrew had other things on his mind. He could see it perfectly. Now was the time. He felt it. Just like Aaron told him he would.
“Madison,” Andrew started again.
“Hunhhhh,” Madison hummed against his chest.
“There’ll never be anyone but you.”
She smiled. “Same here, baby, only you, forever.”
He turned on the seat cushion so that he was facing her. His tongue passed over his lips and then he rose walking to his jacket. Madison watched him, confused. He was acting very peculiar. Plus, she had honestly thought they would be having sex by now so she wasn’t sure what was going on. He grabbed something inside his jacket but she couldn’t see what it was. She suddenly worried that he had gotten her a gift. They had decided that they weren’t exchanging gifts this year.
“Madison,” he began, as he placed his hand on her face. “You are the best thing to ever happen to me. I have lived in fear of losing you for so long but,” he swallowed thickly. “There is no fear in love, but perfect
love casts out fear.”
Madison smiled. She remembered that being said at the Bennetts’ wedding. She was surprised that he remembered it.
“I can’t imagine my life without you. When I’m having a bad day all I want to do is be around you. You have the ability to make me feel good about myself, something that I have never in my entire life been able to do.” He ran his fingers along her smiling face. “Everything in my life is better with you.”
Madison started to say something but Andrew shook his head and placed his finger over her lips.
“Let me finish, baby,” he stated nervously. “I want to marry you, Madison. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, as husband and wife, not boyfriend and girlfriend,” he paused seeing her shocked face. It was now or never! “Will you marry me, Madison?” he asked placing the box in her hand.
Madison looked down at the box that he had just flipped open. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She started nodding crazily like the bobble-head girls she made fun of. Andrew smiled brilliantly and placed the intricately designed ring on her finger. Madison had tears flowing down her cheeks. Her heart was filled with happiness. This was the last thing she expected to happen.
“It’s gorgeous,” she stuttered through her tears.
“It was designed based on a sketch I drew.” He sat next to her on the couch and pointed to the center diamond. “This represents the sun because,” he smiled cheekily, “well, because you call me Helios and you know, he’s a sun god.” Madison nodded with a smile. He then pointed to the stars on each side of the sun. “The north star is the brightest in the sky. No matter how severe the weather might be it can always be seen. I just thought,” he looked down and breathed in deeply before meeting her eyes again. “I thought it’s like you. Through all the bad you are always there, shining brightly, guiding me home.”
Madison was full out crying now. She wasn’t able to breathe through her tears. Andrew pulled her close to him and held her for a long time, until her body finally stopped shaking. He then smiled as he pulled away slightly and took her hand in his again. He touched the small crescent moon next to the star.
Helios Renewed Page 7