Chapter
Seventeen
Laughing, Heidi
hung up the phone, then dived down the steps and leapt excitedly onto the thick
fairly fresh snow that had fallen at some point that afternoon, and then with
renewed vigour, she tramped her way to the road, and then followed Cosmo’s
directions down to the river that bisected the town. The snow in the centre of
the town was hard packed and far more slippery than at the hotel, so she had to
slow down, be careful. Completely at loggerheads with her emotions, she wanted
to sprint until she was in Cosmo’s arms.
Finally she
reached the bridge he’d directed her to, and with an uncontrollable smile she
started to cross it, still taking care of the snow and ice underfoot, when she
was grabbed from behind, in a bear hug. The momentary panic at being grabbed
AND losing her footing faded as she was pulled up against a hard familiar body.
Turning in his arms, she was swamped by everything that was Cosmo as his lips found
hers, kissing her as though his life depended on it, driving her wild, like a
match to the driest wood she went up in flames.
Eventually
they pulled apart, breathless and hearts racing, he rested his forehead against
hers and smiled looking deep into her eyes. “I have missed you agápi mou!”
His hands cupped her face, holding her close, his body pressed against hers.
She slipped
her arms around him, increasing the contact, “ditto.”
The journey
across the resort was punctuated by them stopping every few metres for a chaste
kiss, grope and cuddle, but eventually Cosmo led her up the opposite bank of
the town to the alpine lodge he’d rented for a few days. It was equally as
pretty as the hotel, and Heidi followed him up to the house with wide appreciative
eyes. Climbing the steps, he threw open the door, stepping back to allow her to
enter first. It was perfect, pale wooden walls, simple furniture and a large
open fire with rugs enticingly placed to appreciate the crackling warmth, more
picture postcard images that warmed her heart.
As she
kicked off her snow boots and unzipped her thick coat, she felt arms Cosmo’s
arms link around her once more. He helped her slide the coat from her
shoulders, then divested her of her scarf and hat.
“That’s better! I can see you now;
you were hidden under a dozen layers.” Pulling her back into his arms, he
chuckled as she desperately tried to remove his coat too. Suddenly there was that
familiar urgency between them. Intrigue had led to desire and passion, their
weekend in the Cotswolds seemed so long ago that they started to rush, frantic,
desperate. They were literally flinging clothes over their shoulders as they
peeled off layer after layer. When he finally found her shirt, Cosmo sighed,
pulled back and unbuttoned it slowly, revealing the sexy red bra.
“Red hey?” he raised an eyebrow
as he unveiled her.
She smiled,
“well you never know who you’re going to meet in a place like this.”
He nipped with
his teeth at a strap giving a fake snarl, “this better not be for anyone else!”
Ripping at
his t-shirt, pulling it over his head, she replied coyly, “you just got here
first.”
Laughing, he
scooped up her legs and purposefully strode across the lounge, taking the
stairs with an ease that belied the fact that he was carrying her, then kicked
open the bedroom door. Lying her down on the soft duvet, he tugged her jeans
over her hips, and looked down at her, lying there in her matching underwear.
With a
groan, he unzipped his jeans and slid them over his own thighs, kicking them
off before climbing to kneel next to her.
His kiss
melted her, her body hot, wet, wanting. Still kissing her, he cupped a breast,
rubbing a thumb across her encased nipple, the abrasion of the lace enhancing
the sensations. His lips were expert, plundering hers, his tongue teasing,
distracting her from the fact that at the same time his fingers were pulling at
her bra.
Lifting his
head he groaned at the sight of her puckered nipple, peeking out from behind
the lace, then lowered his lips to capture it, nipping and sucking furiously.
Heidi felt
her hips rise, her body wanting more of this man, her skin buzzed, her thighs
throbbed, every inch of her wanted every inch of him. Reaching out she grabbed
his shoulders, pulling him closer, not caring that her nails may have punctured
his skin in her desperation.
Cosmo’s hand
snuck down over her tummy, electric shocks lighting a path under her lacy
knickers. Sliding them down, he let his fingers slide into her wetness. She
groaned dropping her head as his fingers travelled across her, sliding into
her. A moan escaped his lips and she dropped her head back, closing her eyes.
“Watch!” he ordered, his voice
thick with passion, “don’t close your eyes.”
Popping open
her eyes she looked up at him, and he gave her a wicked smile, before lowering
his lips to the delicacies of her body.
Obeying his
command, she propped onto her elbows and watched him move to kneel between her
thighs. Lifting her legs, he rested them on his shoulders, then provocatively
licked his lips before delivering every promise he’d ever made.
Heidi could
barely catch her breath, he was a great kisser, but here....here he was a
master. Within seconds she’d lost control completely, his tongue and fingers
overwhelming her. She lasted less than a minute before she convulsed around
him, and as he rose back to his knees he laughed for a moment, then reaching
for a condom, he buried himself in her, joining them together completely.
Eventually,
he collapsed over her, kissing every inch of her face. “I keep promising that
this will be spectacular, but I lose it with you Heidi!”Despite his words, his
face was adorned with a satisfied smile.
She indulged
that satisfaction, “I assure you that WAS spectacular Cosmo.”
He laughed,
“it’ll only get better, I figure now we’ve got that out the way, I’ve got the
rest of the night to show you just how good, at our leisure.”
And boy did
he!
Heidi hated
leaving Cosmo the next morning, but she had to sneak back to the hotel early the
as there was so much to do back at the hotel, and she didn’t want to be missed.
After all if anyone found out what was happening between the two of them, then
it was guaranteed to be the only thing that could ruin the celebrations. It
wasn’t going to be an easy day, for so many reasons, and she was SO glad that
she had the memories of the previous evening to help her through the day.
Glad of the
discretion of the quiet early morning, she was unlocking the door to her
bedroom, when she heard whispering coming from along the corridor. Turning, she
saw Eleni emerging from a door along from where she stood, her dress rather
crumpled, her shoes hooked over a finger. She froze when she spotted Heidi,
glaring for a moment, then smiled in a conspiratorial manner, before
disappearing down the corridor with a swagger.
In the past
Heidi would have been disgusted at that sort of behaviour, a married woman
sneaking out of another man’s bedroom. Eleni was doing that, it was blatantly
obvious. But suddenly Heidi was no innocent, she was doing exactly the same,
sneaking back for the same reason that Eleni was sneaking out.
After a long
shower, she blew dry her hair methodically, then curled it into large glossy
ringlets with the knowledge that they’d drop out into more gentle waves by the
time the wedding rolled around. Her face was still scrubbed clean as she’d
agreed to have make up and her nails done with her mother. For her sins...and
today they were mounting.
Once she was
settled she knew she needed to eat, otherwise the day would start to disappear
in an out of control kind of way. So heading quickly to the restaurant, she ordered
some croissants and jam with strong black coffee. She was eating heartily,
fully aware of why she had such a great appetite, when she felt someone
approach. Looking up she saw Nikos and Cesare searching for a table.
“Good morning Heidi. I trust you
slept well?”
Heidi nodded
at Cesare hating the blush that swept over her cheeks, “why don’t you join me?”
Both men smiled,
“are you sure?”
“Of
course, though I’ve only got a half hour before I’m summoned to the bridal
suite, so don’t think that me rushing of is personal.” When Nikos laughed, she
added, “but until then it’ll be nice to have some non hair or make up
conversation!”
Cesare
laughed too, “I can guarantee that one thing!”
The two men slid
into the seats opposite her both smiling and ordering huge hot breakfasts from
the waitress.
“So are you nervous Cesare?”
Heidi had finished her food before the waitress had brought theirs, so she sat
back in her seat and observed him. He had a beautiful, friendly smile, and at
those moments Heidi could understand her mother’s devotion to him.
“I am more nervous than before my first
marriage, but then I think that’s because we have both lost in the past, and
know how much us being together means. And how hard it would be to be apart.”
It was a
perfect answer, and just what he needed to hear, “that’s good enough for me!”
She smiled before leaning over to kiss his cheek. “So I’ll see you in the
marquee a bit later?”
“You bet! I shall be the man
looking VERY nervous.”
Her mother
was serene when Heidi reached her bedroom. She’d expected calamity and
hormones, but instead there was a Cary Grant and Doris Day film on the TV with
French subtitles, her mother was sat sipping champagne, her toe nails painted
and currently drying before her manicure which was due in ten minutes.
“Hey Mum!”
Her mother
turned from the TV and smiled, “hi darling. Do you want a drink? Reception sent
up some champagne earlier,”
Nodding, she
followed her mother’s gesture and found the chilling bottle of fizz, “I’m not
allowed to stand until this sets.” Her mother indicated her toes. “Apparently
it’s like enamel, chip resistant if I let it harden. But a complete disaster if
I don’t.”
“It looks lovely, be worth the
wait.”
She slumped
in a seat next to her mother, champagne flute in hand, when the door opened,
and in came the hairdresser.
The next two
hours passed in a blur as they were coiffed, teased and sprayed, then it was
the turn of the beautician to decorate their faces with subtle makeup. Heidi
had had enough by then, so she escaped to her room to dress, whilst her mother
relaxed for a few more minutes.
The dress
she had made for herself was red wine coloured stiff taffeta, a tight
sleeveless bodice, bisected with a much redder coloured sash that tied behind
her in a bow, the dress then fell to the floor, covering the perfectly matching
heeled shoes. The hair dresser had set small reddish flowers into her hair, and
with the mink coloured faux fur shrug, she felt appropriate. She hoped that she
hadn’t let her mother down, or that she wouldn’t look dreadful compared to the
beautiful Eleni. But there was nothing that she could do about that. As she
pondered how Cosmo would react to her dress, she suddenly realised that how
Eleni looked was incidental. He wanted her, and after the previous night she
had no doubts.
As she re-entered
her mother’s room full of strength, confidence and bravado she paused, there stood
Eleni. All that seemed to evaporate as she studied Eleni; she wasn’t sure what
to think. She was clad in scarlet, a tight dress with spaghetti straps, hugging
every curve of her body without leaving very much to the imagination, and
finishing just below the curve of her buttocks. There was neither much of it,
not any real class to it. Suddenly, Heidi felt regal, she may not be skinny and
beautiful like Eleni, but for once she felt right. For once Eleni had shown her
lack of class. And that only reinforced Cosmo’s words to her earlier.
When she
emerged from the bathroom, her mother stared at her, amazed at the way the rich
colour enhanced her daughter’s dark hair, the smoothness of her skin, her
height, her elegance.
“You look absolutely beautiful Heidi.
Breathtaking.”
Heidi smiled,
so pleased that her mother approved, “all eyes will be on you, and I hardly can
compare to such a beautiful bride.”
“Yes you will look beautiful
Barbara.”
Heidi almost
burst out laughing, but managed to contain it, Eleni’s comment was pointless, a
way of driving into a conversation that didn’t include her, she’d not seen her
mother’s dress, so in all honesty she had no idea how her mother would look.
Where she’d previously have been concerned, pushed onto her back foot, all of a
sudden she Heidi felt strong, important, and classy. Her mother had looked at
her with adoration, so much so that Eleni felt threatened. Cosmo had told her
that morning how he’d never felt about anyone the way he felt about her. Three
definite strikes in her book.
Beaming, she
led her mother into the bedroom, closing the door behind them with the comment,
“sorry Eleni, I just need to make some final adjustments!” She knew that was a
bitchy thing to say, but this was HER mother. Not Eleni’s. She wished she could
have photographed the model’s stunned face. This victory would be short lived,
she knew that, but she was still going to enjoy her moment in the spotlight of
favour.
Her mother
as expected looked beautiful. The dress was simple yet extremely flattering,
and the cream velvet fur trimmed wrap that matched the style of Heidi’s gave an
almost Christmassy feel to the outfit. Perfect.
“Beautiful Mum!” Heidi
exclaimed, and the two women shared a rare hug, an emotional moment where
they’d lacked so many.
Heidi was
the last person other than her mother and Lucas to arrive at the marquee. It
was a winter paradise. Everything was white, and crystals caught the glint of
so many minute lights scattered around the room, glass snowflakes at the
windows, white drapes on the walls. Heidi had to pause to take everything in.
It was faultless.
She walked
slowly to the front, having a seat reserved in the front row next to where her
mother would stand. As she moved most eyes were on her, normally she’d have
shunned that sort of attention, but today she felt great, so with her head held
high, she shimmied down the aisle and into her seat. Feeling eyes on her she
turned to her right to see Cesare and Nikos smiling. Next to them was a still less
than pleased Eleni. As her scanned past her, she felt her heart skip a beat. There
was Cosmo, beautifully groomed, his dark hair immaculate, the black dinner suit
looked divine, and the hot appreciative gaze in his eyes sent shivers to her
toes. With a gulp she turned to the front.
Suddenly her
mother was waltzing down the aisle to the music of Nat King Cole, pleasure
lighting her eyes as she came to stand next to Cesare. Cesare was shaking;
Heidi could see that as he placed a hand on the small of her mother’s back. Lucas
and Nikos moved in to flank the couple, and the simple service commenced.
There were
no hiccups, but as her mother read her vows Heidi felt the tears well in her
eyes. She was happy, so happy that her mother had found Cesare, and as she told
him just how her life had changed since meeting him, it was all Heidi could do
to contain the tears. When she did manage to smile, she realised that Cosmo was
watching her intently. So she gave him his own smile. No one noticed the
exchange as all eyes were on the happy couple, but it was almost as comforting
as an arm around her shoulders, knowing that he was aware of her distress; that
he was looking out for her.
“I now pronounce you husband and
wife.”
