She closed her eyes and inhaled and exhaled deeply. He was instantly back on top of the world again. He kissed her for a few more moments then took her by the hand and led her back to the table where Cristy and the regulars were seated.
Zach and Claire exchanged knowing glances, and Claire gave Adam a wink as if to say, “See, I told you so.”
He nodded and winked back, a secret understanding between them, and hoped his gratitude was apparent.
That night, Maddie joined him on the rooftop terrace, just like she had done the night of the first rehearsal. This time they snuggled on the couch. He sipped beer. She sipped wine. They talked and made out for hours. He was very careful not to make any moves that might scare her away. He tried to be respectful of whatever it was from her past that made her fearful.
Even though they had not yet been intimate, he knew he was falling in love with her. Those few days in which he didn’t know what would happen or what she was thinking were unbearable. The joy he felt when she came back to him was indescribable.
If this was all he could get from Maddie right now, if this was all she could give, he would gladly take it. Adam knew he would wait as long as it took, as long as she needed. This realization surprised him a little. He knew deep down that he really didn’t have a choice, after all. She had captured his heart.
Chapter 12
During the next few weeks, Maddie and Adam were inseparable, and it was wonderful. Their relationship grew stronger by the day. Sometimes Adam couldn’t believe things were going so well.
Maddie became a regular part of their crowd. They accepted her. She came to all of their rehearsals and performances. She was always there watching him, supporting him.
They spent many nights making out for long periods of time and doing some heavy petting, but he never pressured her for more, fearful of making any moves that would scare her away again. He figured she would tell him when she was ready, but he made it no secret that he wanted her badly.
Zach, Claire, and some of their friends had planned a skiing trip to upstate Vermont the upcoming weekend, and they invited Maddie and Adam to come along. Everyone booked cabins for the entire weekend. Maddie and Adam booked a cabin together. He secretly hoped this might be the weekend they would consummate the relationship.
When they got to the ski resort, everyone hit the slopes immediately. Maddie and Adam spent a good part of the day on the green and blue intermediate trails. When they got tired, they would take breaks in the lodge, snuggle by the fire, warm up for a while, have some refreshments, and then head back out.
The weather was perfect. It was a nice, sunny day. The weekend forecast called for clear skies and temperatures in the high forties all weekend. As they thoroughly enjoyed their time together, Maddie and Adam didn’t realize how late it was getting. The last lift to the top of the mountain closed at five o’clock. They jumped on the chairlift to take one last downhill run.
Maddie looked between her dangling skis to the ground far below and said, “What a beautiful view.”
Adam gazed at her and thought the same, exact thought. He smiled and nodded his head in agreement, but it wasn’t just the view of the landscape that he thought was beautiful. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. She turned to face him. He cupped her chin in his gloved hand and gently pulled her face closer to his so that he could kiss her more deeply.
After a moment, she pulled away from him and said, “I think I’m ready.”
Adam furrowed his brow and said, “Ready to try a black diamond trail? Let’s do it.”
She giggled and said, “No, I don’t mean that.”
He narrowed his eyes and turned to face her.
She looked up at him through her thick lashes and slowly repeated herself. “I think I’m…ready.”
And then it hit him. She wasn’t talking about skiing. His eyes widened as he inhaled slowly and absorbed the implication.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to pressure you into anything.”
She leaned over and kissed him gently as she whispered against his lips, “Absolutely.”
He involuntarily sucked in a breath. His heart beat fast in his chest as he became aroused. He pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. He knew he had already given himself to her the first moment he saw her, and now she was ready to give herself to him—completely.
Suddenly, the wind whipped around them and dark clouds gathered rapidly overhead as they approached the exit for the intermediate slopes. Below them a man flagged everybody to get off the lift and a blinking billboard sign flashed weather alerts, storm warnings, and trail closings. They continued kissing. The man shouted at them to get off. Maddie stopped kissing Adam and tilted her head slightly.
“What’s that sound? I thought I heard a voice.”
Adam twisted in all directions and looked for the source. They simultaneously looked behind them and spotted the man frantically waving his arms as the distance between them continued to grow. It was too late. They were so far past the lift exit at that point that jumping off would be quite a drop. Adam wasn’t sure they could make it without getting hurt.
They stared at each other, wide-eyed.
Maddie said, “What’s going on?”
Adam shrugged and said, “I think he wanted us to get off back there. It looks like we might be trying a black diamond trail today, like it or not.”
Maddie ignored his lame attempt
