Page 195 of Love Among the Ruins
EPILOGUE
Four months later …
ELENI
Flames danced in the open fireplace as the housekeeper opened the door wide and welcomed them in. Dominic greeted her as if she were an old friend.
Eleni’s nerves fluttered in her belly and apprehension steeled her gut. In an attempt to calm herself down, she focused on the rustic splendor of Dominic’s parents’ home in a place called Aspen.
Outside, everything was carpeted in a thick layer of lush snow. Even the trees were white, and as they passed huge mansions and hotels, from their log cabin not far from here, all she’d seen was white snow and fairy lights.
She felt like a child seeing a miracle for the first time. She'd never seen snow before and her insides squealed like a class full of excited children.
It was all so new to her. She’d never been to the US before, and she’d just about recovered from spending a few days in New York in Dominic’s penthouse there.
She looked around at the jeweled opaque chandeliers which were suspended from the high ceilings and gave a charming ambiance to the place. Family photos adorned the walls, and she squinted at what looked like pictures of the boys when they were young, eager to see them up close and properly later.
Dominic squeezed her hand again, reassuring her.
“Eleni,” an older woman, striking, gorgeous, poised—everything she expected Dominic's mother to be—came towards her with outstretched arms and hugged and kissed her. “We meet at last. We have heard so much about you, dear.”
“Hey, mom,” Dominic went to kiss and hug his mother, but his mother came straight for Eleni.
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Steele,” Eleni said.
“We’ll have no formality here. Please call me Susan.”
“I have a little gift for you from Greece.” Eleni held out a boxed gift set. She’d bought the finest honey, olives and olive oil from a quaint little shop in Athens. Dominic’s mother gushed and told her she shouldn’t have, then thanked her, and kissed her on the cheek again.
Next to her stood a man who looked much like she imagined Dominic might decades from now. He stretched out his hand. “Wonderful to meet you.”
Knowing Dominic's history with his father, Eleni tried not to be too judgmental. Mr. Steele eyed her with what looked like trepidation. She wanted him to like her. She wanted to be accepted; for her sake, for Dominic's sake. Her heart stilled as he remained quiet, and then he took her hand in both of his. “I'm sorry, for your loss, Eleni.”
“Dad,” Dominic groaned in a strained voice.
“Honey.” Susan nudged her husband lightly; a move which didn't go unnoticed by Eleni.
“It's ... it's okay,” Eleni said, remembering the conversation she’d overheard a few days before, when she'd been looking for her panties which Dominic had ripped off the moment they’d walked in from dinner. Earlier, at a fancy restaurant near the Empire State Building, Dominic had been unable to keep his eyes off her cleavage. She’d deliberately worn a dress that showed off more than she usually would. She liked that Dominic wanted her. She loved the way he looked at her, and she lusted for the things he did to her.
They hadn’t been able to keep their hands off one another once they returned home. A fast and frenzied bout of lovemaking followed, with Dominic holding her up against the wall, her legs wrapped around him as he slammed into her.
She’d later found her panties thrown carelessly over a lampshade and slipped them back on, not intending to eavesdrop, but unable to stop when Dominic’s father had called, wanting to know about their travel plans to Colorado. Dominic had urged his father to not talk about the accident because he didn't want to upset Eleni.
“I'm sorry,” Dominic's father repeated. “But I can't welcome you to my home, and not make any reference to what happened. My family is profoundly sorry for your terrible loss.” His hands remained over hers, as if he needed her to hear his apology. In that instant, he didn’t seem so scary.
“I appreciate that, Mr. Steele. Thank you, for saying that.”
“Call him Robert, dear. He’s not as important as he thinks he is. Shall we have drinks?” Susan asked, gently pulling her husband away with a smile.
“Come and sit,” Dominic suggested, keeping her firmly by his side. “You okay?” His eyes pierced into hers as they sat down on huge soft sofas in front of the roaring fire. Once more it felt as if there was just the two of them here. The fire, his parents, the sound of the champagne cork popping, all slipped into the background.
“Yes.” She prayed he wouldn’t kiss her. The man sometimes, but never in the office, mercifully, went into PDA mode, not caring who witnessed their public displays of affection.
Everything Dominic did was to protect her and to keep her safe. He hadn’t offered to come on the climb with her, somehow understanding that she needed to do this alone.
But even when she’d climbed Mount Kilimanjaro a couple of months ago, she hadn’t known his reach, his need to keep her safe.
It had taken her seven days to do it. The trekking agency she'd gone with was brilliant, and she hadn’t needed to worry about food, water and camping equipment. She just had to cover enough ground every day, and she’d gone slowly, at a pace which suited her.
