Suite Embrace (18 page)

“Very,” Mark agreed. “I'm sure that's why I'm thirty-eight years old and not married. I've been waiting for just the right woman to be the mother of my children, and my wife, of course.” He scooted forward and kissed her tenderly on the neck. “I didn't realize how chaotic and lonely my life had been until I quit the ski circuit and met you. Coming to Scenic Ridge was fated.”

“It was a very wise decision,” Skylar commented, tracing a finger along the side of Mark's face. “And if I hadn't let Deena persuade me to come to work at Scenic Ridge, I never would have met you.”

“I know. And now that we've found each other, you can bet that I'm not letting you go. Skylar, you
are
the woman I've been searching for. You're amazing, you know? You work so hard, you never complain, you're gorgeous, adventuresome and so easy to talk to. I know we can make it, don't you?”

Skylar simply nodded. “We have come a long way in the few weeks we've been together.”

“And I can't wait to see where we'll go next.” He leaned back and placed both hands on either side of Skylar's face, holding it still as he took her in, feeling uncontrolled waves of arousal beginning to creep over him. “Don't forget. Tonight, we're going into Aspen for the ski club karaoke at Que's. Nine o'clock, right?”

“Right,” she agreed, “I'll be ready.”

“Good.” Mark shifted to one side, holding her even closer. She was warm and soft and smelled of an intoxicating mix of her femininity and his lust. He could feel his breathing quicken as he thought back over the thrill he'd experienced while making love to her last night.

They had come together a second time during the night, with a searing need that had exploded in a frenzy of kissing and touching and bodies slick with desire. As he'd tasted, teased and stroked her—from her full luscious lips to the supple skin of her stomach and thighs—she had yielded to him, pushing him to heights of arousal that he had only imagined existed. Even now, he could feel the strong throbbing in his groin and the red-hot pulse of his blood as it raced through his body with electrified speed.

She trusted him. She was finally allowing him to melt the ice around her heart, and this progress brought Mark a deep sense of satisfaction, as if he'd finished first in a very important race.

The natural way in which they had so easily consummated their attraction had not surprised him: somehow he had known they would fit perfectly together, and he could hardly wait to feel her naked skin flush against his once more.

A fiery jolt of need shot through him. Edging closer, he smothered her mouth with his. “God, how I want you,” he groaned, sweeping his hands down between her legs.

“No time for that,” Skylar giggled as she placed her hand on top of his, halfheartedly trying to remove it. “Aren't you already late for work?”

“Not that late,” he protested, entwining his fingers with hers.

“But then you'd have to shower again,” she teased.

“So, I'll shower again. And with you, this time,” he decided, easing ever closer.

“I guess I can handle that,” she murmured, smiling as she slid beneath him, spreading her legs in promise.

 

The warm water that slid over Skylar's naked body melted her resistance to Mark's sensuous touch as he slid his soapy hands over her back and shoulders. She tilted her head back and accepted a moist kiss on her neck, closing her eyes in pleasure. His firm body pushed up hard against her buttocks. His fingers roamed around her torso to the front, finding her slick wet breasts, where they lingered and teased, turning her nipples into hard brown nuggets. Groaning, she reached behind her and settled a cupped hand over Mark's groin, and was not surprised to find him as stiff and ready for action as he had been only moments ago.

With a quick twist, she turned to face him and then guided him from beneath the rain of warm water over to the cool tile wall. She pressed her back against the wall and pulled him to her, moaning as his mouth slanted over hers. She shifted her hips and fit her body to his, in an easy move that fused them together, nose to nose, their lips barely touching. His nearness made Skylar gasp in delight and go weak, eager to surrender completely again.

“You can't imagine how it makes me feel to be with you. I'm a lucky guy, Skylar,” Mark whispered, his breath warming her face. “With you at my side, we can have a great life. Children, a home, a real future.”

A hot ache tore through her body and filled her up, temporarily blocking out the nagging worry that she didn't want to face: How could she tell Mark the truth? That she had held back an important part of her past from him. That she might never be able to give him the family that he dreamed of. That she wasn't the honest, hardworking woman he thought her to be.

“I'm the lucky one,” she managed in a voice filled with longing. “And you really caught me off guard, you know? I wasn't looking for anything like this when I left Tampa and came here. All I wanted to do was lose myself in my job and forget about my problems. But then you came along and changed everything.”

“We were meant to be together, Skylar.”

“You think so?”

“I know it, and I feel that way every time I look at you, touch you, kiss you.” He traced his tongue across her wet shoulder in a lazy, silky way. “Who would have dreamed that I'd ever find a beautiful, uncomplicated woman like you in a remote ski school in the Colorado mountains?” He chuckled and shook his head. “Loving you is so easy.” He swept his tongue over her warm smooth skin once more, licking away a few drops of water.

Suddenly, Skylar chilled and shifted away from Mark's touch. He had just called her “uncomplicated”? What could be further from the truth?

Untangling her body from Mark's, she went to stand beneath the shower of water once more, her hands at her sides, her mind churning as the water sluiced over her body and brought her back to reality.

What was she thinking? She was a multi-millionaire and just might have more hard cash in the bank than he did. Uncomplicated? She was far more complicated than he could ever imagine

Skylar fell quiet and thoughtful as she considered her reaction. The pace at which their relationship was moving had finally caught up with her and she knew it was time to slow things down or come clean. But how could she tell him now? When they both were about to rush off to work? No, that would not be right.

Maybe this was a big mistake. Maybe she'd better rethink this, she thought. After all, she couldn't keep her secret from him forever, but until the time was right, she'd be wise to cool this situation down a few degrees.

“You'd better get going,” she laughingly told him, ducking out from under the water. Quickly, she stepped out of the shower and grabbed a big, white towel, which she wrapped around her body. “Go!” she jokingly ordered. “Get out of here so I can get dressed and to work. We're both already late.”

Frowning, Mark stepped out of the shower. “What's wrong?” he asked, pushing the door shut while watching her carefully. “Did I say something that upset you?”

“No. Of course not. Nothing's wrong, it's just getting late, Mark, and I do have a busy day.”

“All right, all right. But tonight, we continue where we left off. Okay?” He gave her a wink and a quick peck on the back before disappearing into the bedroom.

With a worried sigh, Skylar began to dry off, calculating her next move.

W
hen Deena stepped into the sun drenched café on the first floor of the main lodge, her attention was immediately drawn to Virina, who was dressed in a velvety peach velour running suit and sitting alone at one of the small round tables, drinking a cup of espresso. For a split second, their eyes locked, and when Virina lifted an arm and waved Deena over, she quickly complied, always eager for an opportunity to speak with one of her guests.

“Good morning, Miss Dagrun,” Deena greeted. “How's everything going? Are you comfortable in the Vista View Suite?”

Nodding, Virina set down her coffee cup and beamed up at Deena. “Perfect,” she replied, raising one pale brow. “The suite is most comfortable. And I must tell you that the party last night was simply wonderful, and for such a good cause, too. I'm enjoying myself immensely.”

“I'm glad to hear that,” Deena said. “If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to let me or a member of my staff know. We're pretty easy-going around here, and we want everyone to feel at home. Like family, you know?”

“Yes, I can see that things are much more casual and relaxed here than at other resorts. Your staff has been most accommodating,” Virina said, and then she motioned toward the empty chair across from her. “Do you have a minute to talk? I'd like to know a little more about your ski school and resort. It's a lovely piece of property. You should be so proud.”

“Oh, I am,” Deena said as she pulled out the chair and sat down. “We're doing well this season, and a lot of our success is due to having Mark on staff. We've needed a boost like the one he's giving us. You have an extremely talented son, Miss Dagrun.”

“Thank you, I think so, too.” She paused, a finger at her chin, as if carefully considering her next remark. “He seems to be happy here, and I'm pleased about that, but I must admit I'm somewhat surprised that he chose Scenic Ridge to settle down and teach.”

“Surprised? About what?” Deena asked.

Virina leaned forward and lowered her voice an octave. “Well, he's always been drawn to the more glamorous places, like Innsbruck and St. Moritz, you know? He's such a social person. Loves the parties, the attention, the constant travel, and though he may not admit it, he even enjoys the flow of celebrities in and out of his life. Scenic Ridge is so different from what he's used to. Rather isolated and disconnected from the Aspen social scene. Not the kind of setting he's frequented in the past. But don't get me wrong,” she hurried to add. “I applaud Mark's devotion to teaching and I'm certain he does an excellent job.”

“He does,” Deena replied with firm assurance. “We've never had a complaint, so far.”

Virina focused her ice blue eyes on her tiny espresso cup and twirled it around in its saucer a few times. “So, has your sister adjusted to mountain life? I understand she's from Florida. Miami, perhaps?”

“No, Tampa,” Deena quickly corrected, knowing where this discussion was headed. She sure didn't want to get into an in-depth discussion about Skylar, especially since Virina must know by now that Skylar and her son were more than casual coworkers.

Deena had headed to Skylar's room earlier to see if she wanted to join her for breakfast, arriving just as the housekeeping maid had shown up. When the maid opened Skylar's door, Deena had peeked over her shoulder and seen that the bed was still made from the night before and Skylar was nowhere around. Apparently, she had not come home last night, and Deena had a good idea where, and with whom, Skylar might have slept.

“Oh, yes, Tampa,” Virina repeated. “And she likes being a concierge?”

“She does. Quite a change from being a paralegal.”

Virina's eyes widened. “Oh? Did she work for a large law firm?”

“No, she worked for the county. Assisting court appointed lawyers. She was skeptical about taking on the concierge position, but she jumped right in and is doing a heck of a job.” Deena chuckled, shaking her head. “She had a few rough days when she first arrived, but she's adjusted just fine.”

“Good for her. What made Skylar decide to leave Florida?”

“Oh, she was in a kind of slump. Out of work and needed a change, so I convinced her to come up here to work. The best decision for both of us, as my husband had to leave for a while to take care of some family matters.”

“How nice of you two sisters to help each other out,” Virina commented. She finished off her coffee and pushed the cup to the center of the table. “I've truly enjoyed chatting with you, but I've got to get going. Gotta pack. A thousand things to do before I leave.” She stood up and shouldered her peach, gold-studded, leather purse.

“You're leaving so soon?” Deena asked, standing, too. She shoved her chair up to the table and held on to its back.

“Only for a short trip to Los Angeles. Business that cannot wait. You know, I'm going to produce the film on Mark's life. I've got to get busy pulling my investors together. However, I'm not moving out of my suite. Just leave my things as they are and bill me for the days I'm gone. It's a lovely cabin and I don't want to lose it.”

“No problem,” Deena said, watching as Virina walked away.

She's digging into Skylar big-time,
Deena thought, hoping she hadn't given away too much.
All I promised Skylar was that I wouldn't tell anyone that she's rich, and so far I've held to that,
Deena rationalized.
But it won't take Virina Dagrun long to find out the truth, and I can't wait to see the expression on her snooty face when she finds out that her son is involved with an extremely wealthy woman
.

 

Skylar was standing in the lobby talking to a bearded man who was listening intently to her directions to Ruby Park, when she glanced up and saw Virina come out of the café and hurry into the gift shop. For some reason, Skylar tensed. Why did just the sight of that woman make her nervous? What had she really come to Mark's cabin for this morning? Surely, not to tell him she was leaving town for a few days. The woman was the most snobbish, self-absorbed person Skylar had ever met, and it was a wonder that Mark had turned out to be as normal as he was.

A real piece of work, Skylar thought, as she folded the map and handed it to the man. “Just walk one block from Aspen Square to the Aspen Transportation Center at Ruby Park. You can get on a free shuttle that will take you to Highlands, Snowmass or Buttermilk. The buses run all day, so don't worry about rushing to catch a particular one. If you can, try to hit all four of the mountains while you're here and have a good time!” she told him, still distracted by Virina's appearance.

Skylar went into her office and snapped on her computer monitor. Sliding into her chair, she stared blankly at the screen, seeing nothing, but feeling everything. A quiver of longing ran through her and made her shudder as memories of her night with Mark came rushing back.

I wonder where he is now. What he's doing. Is he thinking about me? About last night?
She had never felt so completely alive and romantically satisfied in her life, and the depth of her contentedness was alarmingly raw.

Mark knows exactly what I need and he gives it to me, as I do for him. We're perfect together, she realized, still in awe over the level of their intimacy and the compatibility of their bodies.
Mark has managed to blot out all memories of Lewis,
she realized, sensing that she was finally healed of her past disappointments and ready to enter a new phase of commitment.
Mark is tender, strong, intelligent and sexy
.
He loves me just as I am.

Skylar frowned as that thought sank in.
Just as I am?
That was so far from true, and the longer she held on to her secrets, the more difficult it was going to be to level with Mark.

“But I'm the woman he wants,” Skylar murmured to herself. “When he learns that I'm rich, it won't be such a big deal. He'll probably laugh about it and agree with my decision to keep my financial status a secret from the staff.”

My having money might not be a deal breaker in this relationship, but the fact that I could be barren surely is,
she silently groaned, dreading the day when she'd have to have that conversation with him.

 

It was hard for Mark to concentrate on his instructions amidst the riotous laughter that was coming from the overweight, former pro football player and three of his equally bulked-up buddies. The guys were struggling to master the powder. Between cracking jokes and a lot of vigorous back-slapping, they were having a good time. And Mark was glad of that, because he sure couldn't tell them the truth—skiing might not be the sport for them and it might be wise to spend the rest of their reunion time indoors socializing with pretty girls by the fire. Steeling himself for another rough try, Mark repositioned his comic quartet and urged them to try a new maneuver.

“This is how you control your speed. It's called a ‘gliding wedge,'” Mark began.

“Uh, oh,” the leader of the pack quickly reacted, shaking his head. “I can tell right now, that this one is going to be a real ball breaker.”

His companions screamed their laughter.

“Stay with me now,” Mark urged. “It's not as difficult as it looks. You're gonna make a V-shaped position by sliding both ski tails an equal distance apart while keeping your ski tips together. This will create resistance and slow you down as you come down the hill. Gradually make the wedge wider as you ski straight down the hill until you come to a stop. Okay, let's try it.”

The men set off, grunting and shouting as they headed down Bunny Hill. Mark simply held his breath and prayed.

While they were practicing, Mark watched, thinking that Richard could use this kind of footage to demonstrate that skiing could be a lot of fun even if you were over forty and somewhat balance challenged. For their second try, Mark stepped away to let his assistant, John, work with them, while he observed. Standing there, his mind wandered back to the day when he first introduced Skylar to the slopes.

She had been an excellent student, and they had had so much fun that day. He couldn't wait to get her out on the mountains again. But when? He worried. She was so busy working all the time and, in his opinion, too dedicated to her job. Mark understood that she probably needed the money and was thankful to have the position, but she couldn't work all the time.

This morning, she had been quite firm about getting rid of him so she could get to her office, and the way she had broken off their romantic interlude in the shower still disturbed him. After giving herself so completely to him last night, what had happened? Had Skylar overheard what his mother had said about her? Was she worried that he was going to do as his mother wanted and dump her?

Mark gritted his teeth, calculating possible reasons for Skylar's change in attitude. He'd definitely felt the brunt of her chilly dismissal when she stepped out of the shower, even though she had tried to laugh it off. They'd have to talk it out tonight. Clear the air of whatever was bothering Skylar. The last thing he wanted was any friction between them.

After several successful Bunny Hill runs, the rotund group set off toward the lift with John right behind them while Mark jumped on a lift to head back down. With his last session of the morning over, Mark headed into his office to warm up and give Skylar a quick call. He needed to hear her voice, feel reassured that everything was okay between them. She had always had a mysterious air about her, but lately, it seemed as if she was worried, or holding something in that was bothering her. He wished she would trust him with whatever was on her mind.

“Just thinking of you,” he told her in a sexy voice as soon as she answered her phone. “Busy?”

“Very,” Skylar quipped right away. “In fact, I can't talk right now, Mark. I have an emergency request from a woman who needs a replacement for a broken hearing aid, and I've got to get right on it.”

“Okay, okay. I won't hold you up. Want to meet for lunch? I can break at noon and won't have another class until two-thirty.”

“Lunch?” Skylar paused. “Um. No. Sorry. I can't, too much to do.”

“Yeah,” Mark replied, trying to sound much less irritated than he actually was. “We still on for karaoke tonight?” he ventured.

“I dunno. Better not count on it,” Skylar said in a brisk tone. “Deena asked me to help out at a corporate banquet tonight and I told her I would. Call me later, okay?”

“Sure, I'll check back when I finish for the day.” Clicking off, Mark scratched his head. Something was wrong and he had no idea what it could be. Only Skylar knew and obviously, she was not ready to tell him.