Page 57 of The Heiress
The whole thing with Mom had drained me. Learning that her healing was a lot harder than mine. It had been exhilarating to reconnect with her, truly reconnect, to bare our souls and open up. I didn’t blame her, and I did forgive her. It’s just that I didn’t know how to express it.
Neither of us did.
When Elisha joined us, it was like all the pieces came together, the three of us needing each other. Well, I needed Elisha...but I didn’t know if my feelings were reciprocated.
Until now.
When she didn’t shove me away, or splash me in the face, or glare at me with icy scorn.
Much like a tennis match, I’d had my game plan worked out. I’d be in the pool first, self conscious of my pale, less-than-conditioned body. Yes, I’d been working out consistently, but after wasting away in the hospital bed, it was a hard road back to where I had been, toned and strong. And even though I’d made a lot of progress, being in the pool first was my preferred situation.
The first touch of her lips was exquisite, a gentle caress that sparked every pleasure receptor in my brain to fire, a feeling I didn’t want to stop. My fears of being rejected were soon vanquished as her lips pressed and parted, and her hands found their way to the back of my neck.
Fireworks exploded in my brain. Bliss in the kiss, my bravery rewarded.
As the heat of the water became apparent, I was in a mild panic as to how long the kiss should last. The temperature of the pool was set to 98°F, ideal for stimulating blood flow and relaxing the muscles, but it seemed a whole lot warmer intertwined with Elisha. Yeah, it was a contradiction that the Ice Queen was making me burn up. Actually, I think I was willing to endure third degree burns to stay in her arms.
A noise was what ultimately jolted us apart, a car from the next-door neighbor’s house. We retreated to our own walls, both of us raising ourselves up out of the water to sit on the side. The brisk night air immediately sent goosebumps over my body as we stared at each, her smile so wide and beautiful it seemed impossible that she’d been labeled an ice queen. Elisha Sakkari-Millar was the hottest girl I’d ever met. Only now I noticed tendrils of hair loose around her face and the glittering stone that pierced her belly button. For some reason, my heart rate shot off into the stratosphere.
I eased myself back into the water, the distance between us like a gulf as wide as the Pacific Ocean. With a few strokes of doggy paddle, I reached her, and with my hands running down her thighs, I gently pulled her under. She squealed, we splashed, we floated together down the length of the pool on our backs, catching the moonlight glow.
And we kissed again.
With no idea of the time, Mom’s voice pierced the darkness. “Phoenix? Elisha? Do you want hot chocolate?”
It seemed strange for Mom to be shouting from the patio loud enough for the neighbors to hear. Releasing Elisha, I bounced up out of the water, the pads of my fingers and thumbs wrinkled like a raisin. Elisha was nodding her head.
“Yeah, we’ll be there in a minute,” I called back. I picked up Elisha’s towel, holding it up for her. She shivered as she pulled the ends closer and then proceeded to dry herself and slip her silky kimono on. I draped my own towel around my shoulders and followed as she jogged toward the house.
At the back door, she smiled and said, “I’ll go and shower.”
“Me too,” I replied.
Mom had a tray of hot drinks and cookies set up in the living room. I’d been sitting on the couch for at least five minutes before Elisha arrived, wearing a pair of jeans and a pale blue blouse.
“Ooh, is that the top you bought at Maxim’s?” Mom asked.
Elisha did a twirl, holding out her arms to display the ruffles on the sleeves. “Yes, how does it look?”
“It’s pretty. Great choice,” Mom said, signaling for Elisha to sit on the couch—where I was.
“Half off,” Elisha said with a cheesy grin to Mom, taking the other end of the three-seater.
“A steal,” Mom said, giggling like it was their own private joke. “So how was the pool?”
“Good,” I said at the same time that Elisha said, “Hot.”
A flood of heat surged up my neck and I quickly picked up my mug of hot chocolate. Mom’s smug smile did nothing to alleviate my embarrassment and it occurred to me that maybe she’d been spying on us. Elisha picked up her mug and curled her feet under her, much the way Mom usually sat when reading a book. But Mom was on the recliner, feet elevated, proclaiming she shouldn’t have danced in her heels.
As much as I wanted to stay up and watch a movie, I couldn’t stifle my yawns. And despite the hydrotherapy session, my muscles ached, an indicator that I was a long way off of my peak fitness.
“I’m going to bed,” I said as I gingerly rose, trying not to look longingly at Elisha who seemed perfectly at home on our couch.
“That means we can watch our chick flick,” Mom said, almost cheering at my departure. “Goodnight, Phoenix.” She beckoned me over and kissed the top of my head. I hesitated as I passed Elisha, the sight of her dark eyes and luscious lips sending me into a spin.
“See ya,” I said, my voice weak and raspy.
Elisha smiled. “Goodnight Phoenix. Sleep tight.”
