Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
ELENA
Elena blinked as weak daylight filtered through the gap in the heavy drapes and cast a sheen across the four-poster bed, illuminating the outline of the body next to hers. Pillows had been discarded, the sheets were rumpled into a creased mess, and the comforter was wrapped around one of the posts.
As she lay there, stretching out her tendons and reminding herself how she’d ended up in bed with Daniel J Jackson, she waited for regret to kick in.
Sense and propriety had flown out of the window, replaced by a clawing need.
All the promises she’d made to keep her distance and not cross the friendship line had disappeared even before her lips had melted into his.
And she’d made the first move, it was her own fault.
Need had overridden restraint and she’d succumbed, urged on by the way he’d seemed to crave her. It had been intoxicating.
As for retaining professionalism, she’d broken the cardinal rule and slept with her patient. She’d expected to feel remorse this morning, mixed in with a dash of shame, all-consuming guilt, and a smidgeon of annoyance at her lack of moral restraint.
Instead, she felt surprisingly buoyant. Her body was buzzing, boneless and floppy, and fizzing with heightened sensitivity. To think she’d accused Daniel J Jackson of being a boring suit. The man was a revelation.
The mattress shifted softly as he rolled over, smiling sleepily as his eyes met hers, the sheet wrapped around his bare midriff. ‘You’re awake.’
‘I am.’ She trailed her fingers down his arm, enjoying discovering each new nuance.
His chest hair was soft, and he had a slight cleft in his chin she hadn’t noticed before.
Without his glasses on his brown eyes appeared lighter, flecked with hazel.
‘How did you get this?’ she asked, touching the curved scar on his bicep.
‘Failed attempt at a tattoo.’
She peered closer. ‘How come?’
‘It was during our tour of Europe,’ he said, with a sigh.
‘We were on the island of Kos and we’d booked a childminder to look after Connor for the evening.
After a night spent drinking too much Ouzo, Hugh came up with the brilliant idea to get matching tattoos.
He coped fine. I fainted after thirty seconds. ’
Elena smiled. ‘What was it supposed to be?’
‘A heart with Connor’s name on a scroll. The tattooist only managed one section before I passed out.’
‘You never got it finished?’
He shook his head. ‘I suffered the humiliation of a half-finished tattoo for years before deciding to get the thing lasered off.’
Elena grinned. ‘Made worse as Hugh had the completed tattoo, I’m guessing.’
‘Exactly.’ Danny shifted onto his elbow and rested his head on his hand. ‘I didn’t notice any tattoos on you last night. Do you have any?’
‘Looking closely, were you?’
‘I thoroughly investigated every inch.’ His smile was laced with a confidence she liked. ‘I don’t have the words to describe the hotness of your body.’
She laughed. ‘Hotness? Is that a real word?’
‘If it’s not, it should be.’ He gave her a playful smile and she felt her insides twitch in response.
Her fingers continued down his arm, enjoying the way her touch made the hairs on his skin lift.
‘In answer to your question. No, I don’t have any tattoos.
Luisa has loads, though. Although most of them are small and are hidden under clothes.
She has a dolphin on her ankle, reflecting her desire to travel.
A shooting star on her hip, in the hope if there is a heaven she’ll end up there, and a series of Japanese symbols down her back about the promise of a utopian afterlife. ’
‘Deep.’ He frowned. ‘And sad.’
‘I know.’
It was a ritual played put many times over the years.
Luisa would return home with a new tattoo, her parents would pretend to be outraged and scold her, Sofia would act shocked, and Elena would laugh and tell her youngest sister they’d spelled something wrong, causing Luisa a moment’s panic until she realised she was being wound up.
‘Luisa pretends the tattoos are part of her desire to rebel, but there’s more to it than that.
She has so little control over her life that she needs to exert control when she can.
’ Elena sighed. ‘I get that, it’s a miserable existence for her sometimes, and if getting inked helps her cope, then why not.
She claims we’re conservative by comparison, but her choice of tattoos reveals the pain she suffers underneath the bravado. ’
He nodded slowly. ‘Sofia doesn’t have any tattoos?’
Elena laughed. ‘Tattoos are not Sofia’s thing, she’s the conventional one in the family. Well, conventional compared to me and Luisa. Sofia’s always been the sensible one, the one who stopped her sisters from getting into trouble.’
He looked intrigued. ‘Like what?’
Elena shrugged, enjoying the way the movement sent his eyes lowering to her chest. ‘Nothing terrible. Luisa needs a chaperone on nights out to ensure she doesn’t drink too much and end up in an undesirable situation.
And with me, it’s more about controlling my temper and moderating my responses when provoked.
Sofia has an annoying habit of pointing out when I’ve overreacted …
which, before you say it, I’m well aware I can do sometimes. ’
He grinned. ‘You make up for it in other ways.’
She gave him a seductive look. ‘Care to elaborate?’
His hand slid under the sheet and grasped her hip, sliding her towards him in one seamless motion.
There was an ease to their movements she found surprising, as they were opposites in all other aspects, and yet it seemed their bodies were in perfect harmony.
He pulled her on top of him, his hands holding her hips and easing her closer as he kissed her.
It had been a long time since she’d experienced such an instant connection with someone.
It usually took her a while to warm up, it certainly had with Felix.
But with Danny it was like her burners were on full power from the off.
She laced her hands into his, moving to pin his arms above his head so she could regain the upper hand. He groaned in response to her tilting her hips.
Her skin was heating up, her toes tingling with pleasure as he moved under her.
It wasn’t so much consenting as her body demanding, needing him more than she’d ever needed anyone.
It might have been alarming had she allowed her mind to enter the debate.
As it was, she shut out all coherent thought and simply let her body take charge.
He sat up, lifting her with him so she was astride him, his face level with hers.
There was a moment’s pause, where he looked at her with such tenderness she melted a little and ran her hands through his hair, breathing him in, at which point he twisted her onto her back and slid between her legs.
It was a glorious feeling, warm and shuddering, making her breath hitch and tightening her insides as he moved against her.
And then someone knocked on the door.
Before either of them could respond, the door opened, and Connor appeared. ‘Breakfast is rea …’ his voice trailed off, his shock apparent by his backwards step. ‘Shit! Sorry. I had no idea. Sorry. Shit!’
By the time Danny had rolled off Elena with a groan, Connor had fled the room, the door banging shut behind him like the punchline to an unfunny joke.
Danny covered his face. ‘Tell me that didn’t just happen.’
Elena shuffled up the bed. ‘Okay, it didn’t happen.’
He rubbed his face. ‘Shit.’
She swung her legs off the side of the bed. ‘I guess that’s my cue to leave.’
He caught her arm. ‘I’m sorry, Elena.’
She turned to look at his stricken face. ‘It was hardly your fault.’
‘I didn’t lock the door.’
‘He still would’ve guessed what was happening.’
‘Yeah, but not in such graphic detail.’
‘He’ll get over it.’ She patted Danny’s hand and slid off the bed, searching for her clothes.
‘Will he? Our family isn’t like yours. What was it you said about your parents making up when they’d argued and disappearing into the bedroom? That never happened in our house. My parents had separate bedrooms for a start. I’ve always kept that part of my life away from Connor.’
‘Which you’ve admitted might not have been such a great idea,’ she said, locating her underwear.
‘Isn’t that how this daft dating pact came about?
A failure of communication about healthy relationships?
’ She pulled on her jeans. ‘You being intimate with a woman is perfectly normal, and maybe now he’s seen it, he’ll feel empowered to do the same. ’
He flopped onto the bed. ‘I wish I shared your confidence.’
‘The last thing he needs is for you to act embarrassed, or be awkward about it. The best thing you can do is to laugh it off. Go downstairs and show him everything’s fine and this was just a bit of fun. Two adults hooking up. It doesn’t have to be a big deal.’
Danny shot off the bed, striding over, his stark nakedness confronting. ‘Is that how you feel, like this isn’t a big deal?’
‘Whoa, calm down. I have no idea what this is,’ she said, softening her voice.
‘Maybe it is just a one night thing, maybe it’s something more, who knows.
Now’s not the time to get all deep and meaningful.
Connor’s the priority here.’ She rested her hand on his chest. ‘Whatever’s happening between us can wait.
My advice is get dressed, go to breakfast, act normal and show him there’s nothing to freak out about. You’re the role model, remember?’
Danny’s forlorn expression was heart-breaking. ‘You make it sound so easy.’
‘Well, of course it won’t be easy,’ she said, with an ironic laugh. ‘You’ll be cringing inside like you want to die.’
‘Oh, good to know.’ His indignation made her smile.
‘But you don’t let on, okay? Fake it.’ She let her hand slide lower down his abdomen. ‘Like I did several times last night.’
He caught her hand. ‘You did not.’