A Woman Lost (21 page)

I glanced at Maddie and then at Peter, who had just returned. He threw Maddie a look I knew was designed to be intimidating, but she kept smiling anyway. It took everything I had not to laugh. My esteem for her skyrocketed.

Peter approached our group slowly. His fake smile alerted me that he was ready to attack.

“I do love your sense of humor, Maddie.” His voice was strained.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She gave him a peck on the cheek.

I knew this wouldn’t appease him. Peter never could take a joke.

He turned to me, nudged my arm, and started to say something. He stopped. I felt him tug at the brace.

“What are you wearing? A brace!” He laughed. “What’d you do, hit a tree while snowboarding?” Merriment danced in his eyes.

I was a deer in the headlights. If he found out now, I knew he would take all of his aggression out on me.

Sarah laughed. “You won’t believe this, Peter. After amazing me with her snowboarding skills, on our last run, an out-of-control skier took her out at the bottom of the slope.”

Maddie’s smile bolstered Sarah’s bravado.

Sarah continued. “It was quite terrifying, actually. This poor chap ended up seriously injuring himself when he finally collided with a building. But before he stopped, he mowed down three people that I saw.” She took a sip of her beer. “Who knows how many more he hurt. Lizzie saw him coming and ran to push a child out of the way. In the process, Lizzie got creamed. The mother was so appreciative. She wanted to give your sister an award!” Sarah turned to me and added, “But you know Lizzie, she didn’t want to be in the limelight.”

“I didn’t know we were in the presence of a hero.” Tom raised his glass to toast me yet again.

Peter seethed.

Maddie glowed.

Sarah smiled at me. A sense of relief flooded through me and I kissed Sarah in front of all of Peter’s guests. I don’t know who was more surprised by that, me or Peter. At that moment, she was my hero.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

On the third Thursday in January, I finished my bike challenge. It was a cold but tolerable day for riding. Sarah and I had quarrelled about me getting back on my bike just two weeks after falling on my elbow, but I was undeterred. Eventually, she had given in. I think she saw it was a battle she would lose. And really, how much more damage could I do to my elbow?

Still, I didn’t want to rub her face in it, so I rode when she was at work. She must have suspected it, but I never confirmed her suspicions.

On that particular Thursday, I had hopped on my bike around noon and made my way from campus to my favorite bike trail. It was fitting to finish my challenge on the same trail I had started riding during my illness. The trail felt like a close friend who had helped me through the challenge of getting back in shape. No matter what, it was always waiting for me; actually, it beckoned me.

Mile 3000 came and I paused for a moment on the trail, a smile creeping across my face. I had an urge to drink a glass of champagne; instead, I peddled on.

Once I got back in my office, I changed my clothes and rushed home to shower. Instead of celebrating alone, I drove to Sarah’s school, parked next to her car, and waited.

When she spotted me, a radiant smile lit up her face.

I rolled my window down. “Can I take you to dinner?”

She looked curious, and then glanced over at her own car.

“Never mind about your car,” I said. “I have time to drive you to work in the morning.”

I had never seen her look so surprised, so happy.

“Where are you taking me?”

“I was thinking of this tapas place in Boulder.”

She opened the car door and climbed in. “I like where this evening is heading.”

“What can I say, Sarah? I heart you.” A thought flashed through my mind. “How would you like to stay in a hotel tonight? We can check into a nice hotel, have a fancy dinner, and neither one of us will have to drive home.”

She leaned against the car door to look at me. “Lizzie, are you trying to sweep me off my feet?”

“I haven’t before now?” I teased.

“It’s coming more naturally for you these days.” She rubbed my thigh. “I like it.”

After dinner, Sarah and I returned to our hotel. Fortunately, the tourist season was over so we were able to check into a posh room. The view of the Rocky Mountains made the cost of the suite well worth it.

I had arranged for the hotel to chill a bottle of champagne for us. I wasn’t a big fan, but Sarah loved the stuff. We sipped our champagne while partaking in a bubble bath. The bear-claw tub fitted both of us with plenty of room to spare. Leaning against Sarah, I played with the bubbles on her leg.

“What are we celebrating tonight?” asked Sarah.

“Why do you think we’re celebrating anything? Maybe I felt spontaneous.” I squeezed her thigh.

She tipped some of her drink on my head. “Spill it, Lizzie.”

“Hey, now!” I laughed. “If you dump it all on me, I won’t give you anymore.”

I ducked my head under the water. As soon as I surfaced, she wrapped her arms around me. I felt her hard nipples press against my back.

“Come on. I want to know.”

I glanced over my shoulder to study her face. “Okay, if you must know, and kill the romance, I reached a personal goal today.”

“Which was … ?” her voice trailed off.

“I‌—‌”

“What?” she shouted, splashing water on me.

“It’s silly, that’s all. I’m embarrassed to tell you.”

“Lizzie, you fart in your sleep. How can you be embarrassed to tell me anything?” She joked.

I slapped her leg gently, causing a spray of bubbles. “Careful now! Or I’ll fart in the tub.”

“You better not!” Sarah laughed.

I flipped around to kiss her. Then I settled my back on the opposite side of the tub so I could watch her face.

“I set a goal, about six months ago, to ride my bike 3,000 miles. Today, I reached it.” I shrugged.

She giggled.

I reddened.

“What’s embarrassing about that?” She looked bewildered.

I ducked my head under the water again. Popping back up, I wiped the water out of my eyes. “Oh, I don’t know … it seems kinda childish.”

“I wouldn’t say that. To be honest, I’m not surprised at all. You love to challenge yourself.” She sat up, exposing her exquisite breasts. “I’m proud of you.”

I looked away.

She turned my face and stared into my eyes. “Seriously. When we first met, you were still struggling with your illness. Remember the first time you took me hiking?” I tried to turn away, but she tightened her grip. “You could barely hike a mile. Your heart raced, your legs almost gave out, and you huffed and puffed. Now, you’ve ridden your bike 3,000 miles. Sometimes you amaze me. I love the fight in you.”

I didn’t know what to say.

“Now it’s time for me to confess.” She wiped some bubbles off my nose. “I thought you’d been offered a teaching position today, and you were going to tell me we had to move.”

My muscles tensed, and I couldn’t draw a breath.

She continued. “I know that we may have to move, but … ” She looked out the window at the mountains. Only a faint outline against the purple-black sky was visible. “It’ll be hard.”

I felt a window of opportunity. Maybe now was the time to suggest a long-distance relationship.

I started to speak, but she interrupted. “But I’d rather move with you, than be away from you.” She leaned in and kissed me. “We should start celebrating things more. I like your style.”

A devilish look came across her face, and then she dumped her entire glass of champagne over my head. Before I could react, she hurtled out of the tub, sprinting towards the bed. I chased her, sloshing water all over the bathroom floor. We landed on the bed together, laughing.

She pinned me on my back and looked around. “We’ve made a mess of this comforter. It’s all wet.”

“I’m hoping to make an even bigger mess.” I attempted to prop myself up, but she held me.

“Patience, Lizzie.” Her eyes wandered all over my body. “Yes, all of the bike riding has been good for you.”

“Has it now?”

She licked her lips. “Very much so.” Her eyes continued to devour me.

“I’m glad I can still turn you on.”

“Maybe if you paid more attention to people, you’d notice how often people check you out.”

“Oh, please!” I waved away the idea to the best of my ability, since she had my wrists pinned.

“Maybe it’s a good thing that you don’t notice.”

“Trust me, I notice all of the people who check you out.” I gave her a knowing look.

“Good.” She flashed a sexy smile.

“Good? What’s that supposed to mean?” I tried to wiggle free.

“It means good.” Slowly, she bent down and took my nipple in her mouth, sucking it, occasionally biting it. I ran my fingers through her short, wet hair. After visiting my other nipple, she moved lower‌—‌kissing and licking my stomach on her way down. Her hands gently ran along my body, her fingertips soft and graceful. Down she went.

My eyes closed and my back arched slightly when I felt her tongue on my clit. I loved that first touch every time. It sent a rush of excitement pulsing through my body. No one had ever made love to me like Sarah did.

I let out a small gasp.

Sarah heard me and moved further down to my thighs, teasing me. Pleasurable teasing. And excruciating. Minutes passed. My hips moved more urgently.

“What’s the matter, Lizzie? Is there something you want?” Her tone was seductive.

I pulled her head back to where I wanted her, and her tongue darted inside me. Searching. Tasting. Flittering in and out.

She moved back to my clit and took my swollen lips into her mouth. Slowly, she slid a finger inside me. Then two. I wanted it. I wanted her. More. Harder.

Sarah relished being inside me. Leaving her fingers inside, her body moved up. Her lips found my mouth. I tasted me on her tongue as her fingers continued to move in and out of me, frantically.

My fingers dug into her back. My back arched further. I started to see flashes of light behind my eyelids.

“Harder.” I whispered in her ear. “
Harder
!”

I felt all of her fingers inside now.

Again, I felt her tongue on my clit.

Oh, my fucking God
!

I moaned, much louder. Sarah held my hip down with her free hand.

Bright flashes of light burst in my eyes, causing them to roll back.

My entire body tensed, and then trembled.

Sarah stopped her lapping tongue and held it in place.

A second wave hit me.

Then my body relaxed.

She laid her head on my stomach, both of us sweaty and content. Not content‌—‌blissful.

At that moment, I never wanted to lose her. Life without Sarah … I couldn’t imagine it right then.

My body shivered again.

“Aftershocks.” She giggled.

“Come here.” I pulled her up into my arms. “I love you, Sarah.”

“Good.”

I laughed.
God! What a woman!

Chapter Thirty

On the last day of January, I was sitting in my apartment when I heard the squeal of tires spinning in the parking lot. It had been snowing nonstop for a couple of days, so the parking lot was one huge ice-skating rink and tenants were struggling to pull in and out of their parking spots. Ignoring the screeching tires, I turned back to my reading, only to be interrupted by the phone ringing.

Irritated by all the distractions, I glanced at the caller ID: Maddie.

“Hello.”

“Hi. What are you up to?” She sounded overly perky.

“Not much. Just reading a fascinating article on wanderlust. What’s up with you?”

“What the hell is wanderlust?”

“It means a desire to wander. It was part of the back to nature movement. Youths wanted to leave the cities behind and wander around in nature.”

“Oh. Who would have thunk it? Speaking of nature … how about all this snow?”

“I know. It’s been crazy. It hasn’t snowed like this in years. We’ve been stuck in the house all weekend. Are you and Peter surviving?”

“I’m not too sure about Peter. He’s on a business trip, and he can’t make it home. And I got cabin fever, so I decided to visit. Can you help me get my car unstuck?”

I paused and stepped out on my balcony. Sure enough, Maddie was sitting in her car, which was wedged on top of an ice chunk.

She smiled and waved at me.

With a sigh, I went downstairs to help.

Maddie rolled down the window and said, “I thought if I gunned it, I could force the car into the spot.”

“How did it work out for you?”

“Great‌—‌if you don’t count getting stuck.” She laughed.

I called Sarah on her cell, for help. After twenty minutes of trying to push and rock Maddie’s car into a parking spot, our neighbor Evan appeared, tied a chain to her car, and used his F250 to pull her car off the iceberg.

“I’m starving!” Maddie exclaimed as the three of us walked upstairs. “It took me more than four hours to get here.”

When we entered the apartment, Sarah offered her a hot drink and I was put in charge of ordering enough Chinese food to last three people a few days. I cringed at the thought of some poor kid delivering the take-out in this weather, but Sarah and I had not planned for the storm and our cupboards and fridge were empty.

The food wouldn’t arrive for an hour, so Maddie, still tense from her drive, opted for a hot bath and a glass of wine.

While Sarah and I scrounged in our closet for some warmer clothes for our guest, I pondered why Maddie had risked her life to come to Fort Collins wearing nothing but a dress. No coat. Nothing. In the middle of a blizzard! Was she insane?

“I think she’s terribly lonely,” Sarah whispered.

“How long has Peter been out of town?” I asked.

Sarah looked at me, her head cocked. “That’s not what I meant, exactly.”

We didn’t have a chance to finish our conversation.

Maddie burst into the room. “This is great. I haven’t had a sleepover in years.” She was wearing Sarah’s bathrobe and I suspected she didn’t have anything on underneath.