“In a perfect world, yes. But this is a man we’re talking about. He’ll get testy. You’ll quarrel. It won’t go well.”
“Then I guess it won’t work out.” Elle felt a sharp pain in the region of her heart.
“Are you sure that’s what you want? To have everything fall apart? Isn’t there some work you could do in Jackson Hole for the summer?”
Elle gazed at Mary Lou. “How would that look? I change my entire schedule so I can hang around here and wait tables? Talk about pathetic.”
“I see what you mean. I don’t picture you turning into a groupie, Elle. You’re better than that.”
“Thank you! Finally somebody understands my position.”
“But I also see the way Trey looks at you. He’s as smitten as Watkins ever was.” She leaned closer. “Woman to woman, that kind of devotion can be fabulous.”
“So what should I do?”
Mary Lou shrugged. “Drink more champagne.”
* * *
WHENEVER TREY GLANCED over at the table where Elle sat with Mary Lou, they had their heads together, and they seemed to be thoroughly enjoying each other and the champagne. Trey figured having Mary Lou and Elle buddy up could go one of two ways. Mary Lou might try to sell her on the idea of ranches and cowboys, or she might encourage Elle’s independent spirit, which logically meant heading off to Argentina in April as planned.
In the end, Elle would do what she wanted, though. He just hoped that what she wanted turned out to be the same thing he did—for them to be together. Still, he couldn’t help wondering what had transpired between the two women while he’d been stuck behind a microphone.
Mary Lou was a staunch feminist and Trey admired that. He’d never thought women should defer to men. Mary Lou and Watkins were a volatile combination, but they were devoted to each other. Come to think of it, Mary Lou and Elle had a lot of traits in common. No wonder they’d hit it off.
The party took a long time to wind down. Pam and Emmett left, but no one else seemed ready to give up. Tomorrow was a free day, with nothing on the schedule except a morning ski lesson and the after-lunch send-off for Pam and Emmett.
Pam had hired a limo to take them to the airport for their flight to Tahiti. Trey laughed every time he thought of Emmett lounging on a beach with an umbrella drink in his hand. He’d return a changed man.
Pam and Emmett’s love story had come to a happy ending. Trey wasn’t convinced that his and Elle’s love story was bound for the same kind of bliss. They had many unresolved issues. Although he wished they could resolve them in bed, he doubted that would happen.
Even so, he was willing to try. The sooner this party ended, the sooner he could hustle Elle back to his room and continue to show her why they were meant for each other. But this was turning into the never-ending celebration.
Sometime around one in the morning, when Trey’s fingers had grown numb from playing, Alex became his favorite human being of all time, excluding Elle, of course.
“You guys have gone above and beyond,” Alex said. “This group isn’t ready to quit, and it takes less energy for me to spin tunes than for you to play. Give it up.”
“I appreciate that,” Watkins said. “Years ago I could have plucked this guitar ’til dawn, but those days are gone.”
“Nobody should play until dawn,” Alex said. “I’ll close the place down in another hour or so, but I give both of you permission to vamoose, along with the companion of your choice.”
Watkins chuckled. “That sounds great. Come on, Trey. Let’s go get our women.”
“Amen to that.” Trey was glad Elle wasn’t there to hear Watkins’s somewhat chauvinistic comment. Mary Lou would have given him hell for it, too. Neither of those ladies would consider themselves some man’s woman.
Watkins knew that, but sometimes he liked to talk like the good ol’ boy he’d been raised to be. He’d been around Mary Lou long enough to know when he could get away with it and when he couldn’t.
Judging from the happy expressions worn by both Elle and Mary Lou, the men wouldn’t have to worry too much about being politically correct tonight. Pam’s champagne and good conversation had worked its magic and they were all smiles.
“I see you both have your guitars,” Mary Lou said. “Does that mean you’re finished for the night?”
Watkins nodded and sank into a chair next to Mary Lou. “Alex took pity on us.”
“Want some champagne?” Mary Lou handed him her glass, which was half-full.
“Don’t mind if I do.” He polished it off.
Mary Lou motioned to Trey, who’d remained standing. “Take a load off, cowboy. There’s plenty of champagne left. Pam ordered an ungodly amount of this stuff.”
“And Mary Lou has taught me her motto,” Elle said. “Never pass up a chance to drink expensive champagne.”
Trey gazed at her. She was adorable. And slightly sloshed. “Thanks, but I’m ready to call it a night. You three can have my share.” He wouldn’t assume she’d want to go back with him. He hoped, but he wouldn’t assume.
“You know, I’ve had enough champagne, too.” Elle pushed back her chair, picked up her silver purse and stood.
He smiled at her. “Then I’ll walk you home.”
“That would be lovely.”
Watkins laughed. “You two behave yourselves, okay?”
“Pay no attention to him,” Mary Lou said. “Go have fun.”
“Thanks, Mary Lou.” Trey tucked his arm around Elle’s waist, and his world clicked into focus again. “We will.” He’d been aching to hold her for hours. The time had come.
Chapter 14
ELLE MOVED DOWN the hallway in a sensual daze. She was desired by a sexy man who turned her on. She had reservations about the future, but none about the present. After consuming a fairly large quantity of champagne, she was ready to live in the present, at least for the next twenty-four hours.
But instead of guiding her through the lobby and down to his room, Trey was heading up the stairs in the direction of her room. She glanced at him. “Where are we going?”
“I have a plan, if you’re willing to go along with it. How about packing up whatever you need for tonight and tomorrow morning and bringing it to my room?”
“You want me to stay in your room all night?”
“That’s the idea.”
She smiled. “I like it.”
“I was hoping you would.”
She climbed the stairs and wished they’d taken the elevator. She’d had enough of walking in these heels. “I can ditch these shoes while I’m at it.”
“Uh, for now, sure, but I was hoping that you’d put them on later, when we—”
“Trey Wheeler, you are a wicked boy.” Thoughts of stretching out in his bed wearing only her shoes sent a jolt of lust to all the places he’d soon be paying close attention to.
“Will you do it?”
“As long as I don’t have to walk all the way back to your room in them.”
“You can walk to my room barefoot and wearing a bathrobe for all I care. In fact, why not?”
“Sorry, cowboy. I’m not parading through the lobby in a bathrobe. It’s one thing for the entire place to know we’re hav**g s*x. It’s quite another to flaunt the fact.”
“Do we have to go through the lobby? Isn’t there a service elevator we could use?”
She hadn’t thought of that. She seldom took the regular elevator, let alone the service one. But the cleaning and maintenance staff wouldn’t be using it tonight, now would they?
As she pictured herself riding the service elevator to the main floor, which would bypass the lobby, another image came to mind. She’d never had elevator sex. Either she was very inspired by Trey or very tipsy on champagne. Maybe both. Ordinarily she wouldn’t consider such a thing.
“I’ll change into my bathrobe and we’ll take the service elevator.” She grew damp thinking about what she had in mind. The concept seemed clandestine and daring. No one would come along, but someone could, which made the sex more exciting.
They reached her door, and she was ready with the key. Now that elevator sex was on the docket, her adrenaline level had shot up. He might not go along with the idea, but she had a feeling he might. For this she might leave on the shoes.
Earlier today she’d scrounged an extension cord so that her Christmas tree was connected to the plug activated by the switch next to her door. That way she could turn on the tree whenever she walked in instead of using her bedside lamp. She’d become fond of the glow.
Trey followed her into the room. “Pretty little tree.”
“Thanks.” She grabbed a small duffel bag and threw some underwear and her ski clothes into it, along with her room key. Then she took some toiletries out of the bathroom and tossed those in, too.
“I thought you weren’t into Christmas.”
“I’m not really, but they give the employees trees every year, so it seems a waste not to decorate them.” She took the pins out of her hair and laid them on her dresser before pulling her dress over her head and hanging it up in the closet.
“You look good in Christmas light.”
She turned. The soft colors from the tree bathed him in a rosy hue that made her think of a fantasy cowboy. “So do you.”
“Now I wish I had a Christmas tree in my room, so I could make love to you in this light.”
“But you have that big ol’ bed and I don’t.” She unfastened her bra and stepped out of her panties, but left on the shoes.
“God, you’re beautiful.”
“It’s the light.” She pulled her fluffy white bathrobe off its hanger.
“It’s way more than the light, but those colors reflected on your skin are amazing.” He glanced at the bathrobe in her hand. “Don’t put that on yet. Give me a minute to look at you.”
“Trey, I feel silly just standing here.”
“You’re not silly. You’re a goddess. I’ve always been so intent on the sex that I haven’t stopped to admire you. Humor me.”
She let out a sigh of surrender. “Good thing I’ve had all that champagne or I’d be even more self-conscious.” As long as he was going to study her, she might as well give him her best pose. Shoulders back, br**sts out, stomach in.
“Wow.”
Okay. Now that she’d gotten past the first few seconds of this, she realized that posing for him was turning her on. She was aware of his gaze traveling over every inch of her body, and she grew warm and achy as he continued to look.
His low chuckle sounded sexy and intimate. “Are you liking this better now?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Your breathing has changed and your n**ples are erect.”
“Maybe I’m cold.”
“Or maybe you’re hot.” He drew in a ragged breath. “But even if you’re not, I sure am. Either we leave or we make use of your little twin bed.”
“Are you prepared for that?”
“Sweetheart, I’ve been prepared since that first night with you. I never leave home without those little raincoats. So which will it be? Stay or leave?”
“Leave.” When she put on her bathrobe, the soft terry made her skin tingle. She tied the belt and picked up her duffel bag. Walking reminded her of how damp her thighs were. “Let’s go.”
“Weren’t you planning to take off those shoes?”
“Eventually. I’ll leave them on a little longer.”
“I won’t argue with you on that. Watching you strut around in those shoes and knowing you have nothing on under your robe will be all the foreplay I’ll need between here and my room.”
She smiled as she thought about what would happen between here and his room. Up to now, he’d been the one with all the ideas. She would show him that she had a few of her own.
She directed him through another set of double doors on the second floor, and they were once more in the guest area. Fortunately, the hallway was empty. She’d rather not encounter anyone on their way to the elevator. After they reached it, they’d be fine. It opened not far from his room on the first floor.
“If anyone comes along, we’re heading for the pool,” she said.
“This place has a pool?”
“It’s set up as an indoor pool this time of year, but in the summer, the glass canopy slides back. Or so I’m told. I’m never here then, so I haven’t seen it that way.”
“If this is primarily a ski lodge, what goes on in the summer?”
“Hiking, mountain biking, swimming, fishing. Serenity has tennis courts. There’s an arrangement with one of the local stables if people want to ride.”
“A bunch of summer sports, then.”
“Exactly. But I don’t do summer sports.”
“Why not?”
She glanced at him. She knew why he was asking. Obviously there were jobs here in the summer for those who were into those things. “I love the challenge of skiing. I love the thrill of it. And I’ve put a lot of time into learning how to do it well. The summer activities seem tame by comparison.”
“Makes sense.” He was silent for a moment. “What about hang gliding?”
She couldn’t help laughing. “Since I’ve never done it, I doubt I could get a job teaching it.”
“Not right away, but I just—”
“You’d like me to find a summer job here.”
“I would. I realize that’s a lot to ask, but the plain fact is I wish you didn’t have to leave in April.”
“I know.” She doubted that he really wanted to have this discussion now. She certainly didn’t. “I don’t know what the future holds for us, but...could we not talk about that tonight?”