"Stop!" She burst into another peal of laughter as he jerked forward on the ropes again. "It hurts! Oh, it hurts!"

Alex slid his next foot forward. "You think you hurt." The ropes he'd attached to his waist jerked again on the cookie sheet. "I'd like to see you tug me around on a cookie sheet."

Sarah laughed harder. Suddenly, his load lightened so much he knew she had fallen off even before he heard the snow-m.u.f.fled thump of her landing. Without the weight to hold him back, Alex shot forward too fast and lost his balance. He went a.r.s.e over elbow into a pile of drifted snow; his skis tangled like taffy.

Thankfully, they'd reached the restaurant. It even looked like the snowplow had managed to get through the main street, so all he had to do was crawl another few yards and climb over the mountainous drift and he'd be all clear. For the moment, Alex was just content to lie in his crumpled heap and listen to Sarah laugh.

"Alex, are you all right?"

Her nose and cheeks were red as raspberries, and her eyes shone with tears of laughter. Most of her hair was tucked up inside the ugliest ski cap he'd ever seen, but a few dark curls had managed to escape around her face. Snow covered her from hat to boots as she climbed to her feet. She looked so lovely he didn't even mind having to watch her from a pile of snow.

"Whose bright idea was this anyway?" he growled as he struggled to get to his feet. It was obvious he'd only be able to do that by kicking off his skis, so he did. Sarah reached out and grasped his hand to help him up. He took her offered mitten, not because he thought she'd really be any help, but because he wanted to touch her.

"Yours." She showed no shame at all. "Totally yours, as I recall. I was completely content to stay in by the fire, but no! You had to traipse out into the wilderness in search of steak and potato."

"Sarah." Alex held up his secret weapon. "You do realize I have a handful of snow, don't you?"

She shrieked and tried to run, but the snow was too deep. She only managed to tangle her feet and fall next to him in the drift. Her lips were like ice against his, but their kiss soon warmed them both. His tongue stroked the velvety inside of her mouth and she responded. They stayed there, kissing, long enough for his fingers to grow numb even through his heavy gloves.

"Think we can make it over this mountain?" Sarah pointed at the ma.s.sive mound of snow pushed up by the plow.

Alex tipped an imaginary hat at her. "Race you!"

The climbed over the top, slid down the other side, and landed right in front of the door to The Foxfire. Some civic-minded person had been along the sidewalk earlier with a snow blower. Though the blizzard had dumped several more inches since then, the way was at least clear enough for them to get inside.

"It's dark," Sarah said. "And cold."

Alex could fix that, and he did. Leading her back to the kitchen, he turned on the lights and lit the oven. Within minutes, the industrial size oven had warmed the room considerably.

"We need to get our clothes off." Sarah shivered. "We're both soaked."

Alex pulled her closer for another kiss. "Sounds like a good idea to me."

Sarah pushed him away gently. "We could've done that at my house, stallion. We came here to eat, remember?"

She began peeling off her layers of clothing, and for a moment, all Alex could do was watch. She tugged off her hat and set free the coiled ma.s.ses of her hair. It tumbled around her face in wild disarray. She didn't even bother to comb through it, which he loved. He could think of any number of his female acquaintances who would have been mortified to be seen in such a state, but Sarah didn't care.

Next came her bulky field coat and mittens, the two pairs of thick sweatpants and her sweatshirt. Finally, she wore only a thin set of insulated underwear that clung to her like plastic wrap. Her perfect b.r.e.a.s.t.s and hips were completely outlined by the thin fabric, and he swallowed heavily. What made the sight even more erotic was that Sarah obviously had no idea about the way she looked. That, coupled with the fact his p.e.n.i.s was still half-erect from all the foreplay earlier, made him take a step back to keep from charging over to her and ravishing her right there on the kitchen floor.

"C'mon, Alex. You're going to catch a chill."

He physically had to shake himself in order to clear himself of the spell he'd been under. She was right. Already he felt his sodden clothes making him shiver.

She watched him with the same intensity with which he'd watched her undress. Their eyes locked as he stripped down to his final layer, boxer briefs that did nothing to hide the way he was feeling at the moment. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband, but paused. Alex knew as well as any man the difference even one article of clothing could make. He didn't want to destroy the sensuality of the moment.

"Look at you." As if in a daze, she reached out to run her hand along the smooth curves of his chest. At her touch, his erection strained against the black fabric of his briefs, but he forced himself to remain still. Sarah caressed his nipples and softly rolled them beneath her fingertips. She let both hands slide along the rippled flatness of his stomach and moved closer until he could feel her breath on his skin. Still, he didn't move.

Slowly, almost reverently, she traced the waistband of his briefs and dipped her fingertips slightly inside. His knees felt weak. She stared at him hungrily, taking what looked like an almost masculine delight in the sight of him. Her intense study of his body was incredibly erotic, and Alex didn't want to break the mood.

Sarah dropped gently to her knees in front of him. Still keeping her eyes fixed on his body, she languidly tugged his briefs down, over his thighs, and finally to the floor. Alex clenched his jaw. He wanted to see her face, but Sarah didn't look up.

"Hmmm." There it was again, that wordless sound of approval. Or maybe "Mmmm." He still couldn't be certain. Either way, the noise kicked his arousal up several more notches.

Without warning, Sarah closed her mouth around him. The wet heat of her mouth made him groan. His knees nearly buckled, but Sarah's hands, now on his b.u.t.tocks, kept him standing. Blindly, Alex sought the edge of the counter with his hands to keep himself steady.

She made love to him with her mouth, a slow and steady movement that brought him to the edge within minutes. As if sensing his impending climax, she eased off and teased him with her lips and teeth. She cupped his rear and held him close, then moved him away from her.

Sweat broke out on his brow. His fingers were white-knuckled, gripping the edge of the counter. His other hand twined in her hair, tangling in her curls. It took great effort not to pull it hard enough to hurt her.

She was doing things to him that no woman had ever done, and it was better, more intense because it was Sarah kneeling before him. The woman he loved. He moaned her name, and she paused to press a kiss just below the navel.

Alex could wait no longer. It was no longer good enough to receive such pleasure; he wanted to share it with Sarah. No longer so careful not to pull too hard, he tugged her upward. She gasped, but the sound had more pleasure than pain in it.

With one swift movement, he lifted her onto the counter. Their mouths molded together, and her hands clutched his shoulders. Without breaking the kiss, Alex slid her long underwear down past her hips. He pushed them off her feet and into a tangled heap.

He slid into her with one smooth thrust that had them both groaning. Sarah wrapped her legs around his hips, her arms stretched back behind her to support herself on the countertop. Her head was thrown back, and the sleek line of her throat begged for him to kiss her there.

They moved together like clockwork dancers freshly coated in oil. Every thrust into her slick heat had him wanting to last forever, but as Sarah rocked her hips against him Alex knew he wasn't going to last even two minutes. He slipped his thumb against her swollen c.l.i.toris and pressed gently in counterpoint to his thrusts.

"Alex." Her eyes opened.

Alex brought his mouth down on hers again, though kissing her made the position awkward. Neither of them cared. They had reached the point where any movement could only increase their pleasure. The rocked together, Sarah's fingers clawing now into his back.

She let out a cry that was different, and he knew she had reached her o.r.g.a.s.m. The thought sent him spiraling into his own climax, and he whispered her name with his final thrust.

Her eyes met his. She was smiling. A thought sprang into his mind, and he saw the look in her eyes change at the same moment. She had thought the same thing.

"I didn't use anything."

Sarah nodded. "I know."

They moved away from each other slightly so Sarah could slide off the counter. She busied herself for a moment with the dishcloth he handed her. When she had finished and slid her pants back up around her waist, she turned to look at him.

"I'm on the pill."

Relief flooded him, but it was still no excuse. Not in today's world where loving someone could mean killing them. Alex folded her hand in his.

"A couple of years ago, I decided I wasn't going to sleep around anymore. I went to a walk-in clinic and had all the tests done. I'm clean. You're the first woman I've slept with in two years."

He saw relief in her eyes. "I haven't had any tests, Alex. But I haven't had unprotected s.e.x--ever. Not once. No one's ever gotten me so carried away before." She grinned ruefully. "Until you."

They kissed again, and Alex marveled how easy it was to be with her.

"Hey." Sarah finally broke away. "Didn't you promise me food?"

He had. It was short work to throw a couple of steaks on the grill, make a quick salad and open a bottle of wine. They ate like wolverines and finished the meal with two slices of cheesecake.

Sarah patted her mouth with a napkin. "I'm stuffed."

They shared a grin. Conversation had flowed from one topic to the next without pause. It was nice to be so comfortable in each other's presence that neither was embarra.s.sed.

"Sarah, does it bother you that I'm not Jewish?" The question had been bothering him for some time.

For a long moment, she merely stared at him. "No one's ever asked me that before. Usually it's the other way around."

"Does it?"

She shook her head. "No. I don't think it matters what faith you are as long as you try to follow it the best you can. I'm not the greatest Jew in the world, Alex. I don't observe all the rules. But my faith is important to me. It isn't just not eating pork, or going to synagogue, or never sitting on Santa's lap. And it's not just having a bubbe instead of a grandma, or saying 'Oy!', or understanding Woody Allen movies either. It's not something I'll ever give up, if that's what you mean."

Awkwardness overtook him for a moment. "I don't go to church."

She smiled. "That's okay by me."

"My family does, but I don't." He tried hard to say what he meant without sounding stupid, or worse, patronizing.

Now she was looking at him curiously. "It's okay, Alex. Really."

"I never dated anybody Jewish before." He nearly choked on the weight of his foot in his mouth.

Now she was frowning. "Maybe I should ask you if it bothers you."

"No!" He was making a mess of things. The last thing he wanted to do was spoil the mood. "No, Sarah, that's not what I meant at all."

"Then what did you mean?"

"I just wanted to know if you cared that I wasn't because it could make a difference, couldn't it?" He paused. "I mean ... if you wanted to marry someone who wasn't."

She licked a bite of cheesecake from the tines of her fork and studied him carefully. "I've always imagined I'd have a Jewish wedding. The wedding canopy, the bride circling the groom, the whole bit. And I never imagined having a Christmas tree in my house. I guess it is more important to me than I realized."

Alex wanted more than anything to be the smooth sophisticate so many people a.s.sumed he was. As it was, he was lucky his voice came out sounding normal instead of all crunched together and wobbly, the way he felt even bringing up the subject. Sarah was looking at him curiously.

"I've never been to a Jewish wedding. Maybe I'll have to learn more about them."

She smiled slowly, her face turning rosy. "Maybe you will."

He linked the fingers of one of his hands through hers across the table. "What are we talking about, Sarah?"

She squeezed his hand. "Hmm. I'm not sure. You tell me."

She had to know what he was hinting about. She was on his wavelength, just like she was with everything else. Suddenly, Alex grew giddy from staring into her eyes, from the subject of their conversation, from the food and the heat in the room ... simply from being with Sarah. He had to kiss her again just because she looked so lovely with steak sauce at the corner of her mouth.

But when he opened his mouth to tell her he loved her enough to ask her to be his wife, something inside him froze. He loved her; there was no fear about that. But asking her to marry him was something altogether different. Was he ready for that? Was she? Did he want to risk getting shot down now, when for the first time ever he had fallen so completely, head over heels for someone?

"Maybe I'll have to add matzo ball soup to the menu," he said instead of spilling his heart.

The instant the words left his mouth, he regretted them. He could tell by the look on Sarah's face she had expected him to say something else. But she smiled when he did, allowing the moment to pa.s.s without comment.

He could see her eyes following the lines of his face. She touched his cheek softly, then his lips. She smiled again, though somewhat sadly.

"You are so beautiful," she murmured. "Everything about you is wonderful."

"You're beautiful, too."

She shook her head. "No. Not like you. Not like Rivka."

Alex clenched his fingers around hers. He forced her eyes to meet his. "You are beautiful to me. Don't ever let me hear you saying otherwise. You are pretty and smart and funny. You smell like heaven. You are the most wonderful woman I've ever known. Believe that."

She smiled, and this time it was genuine. Tears sparkled in her blue-ice eyes. She pressed his hand against her cheek. "I do."

He was sorry again he had wimped out, but there was nothing he could do. He leaned across the table to kiss the woman he loved. The moment had pa.s.sed and his opportunity with it. He would have others. If only he could find the courage to make them.

CHAPTER 8.

Sarah snuggled further into the depths of her comforter. It was a glorious Sat.u.r.day morning. She had hopped out only long enough to raise the shade before burrowing back beneath the heavy bedspread. Now, the bright sun shining through the window told her she had slept luxuriously late. Her flannel pajamas were soft and comfortable, her stomach wasn't rumbling, and she didn't have to go to the bathroom. She had no place to be and nothing to do. It was heaven.

Unfortunately, she had forgotten to turn off the ringer on the bedroom phone.

Just as Sarah was contemplating whether to go back to sleep or dive into the latest Stephen King novel she'd been saving as a special treat, the beastly thing rang. She could ignore it and allow the machine to pick up. After the fifth ring, she realized the brief power outages created by the blizzard had knocked the answering machine out of commission.

"h.e.l.lo?" The tone was one she used for telephone solicitors.

"Sarai!"

Rivka sounded slightly less hysterical than she had three days before, but only

slightly so. Sarah sighed. There went her peaceful Sat.u.r.day morning. "What's wrong?"

"The opening!" Rivka moaned theatrically. "I'm sick about it."

Sarah switched into soothing mode. "Riv, I thought you were okay. It's not for three weeks."

"This d.a.m.n snow has the mail backed up! People aren't going to get their invitations in time to RSVP! My paintings are still in Pittsburgh and won't be shipped until next week! Then I have to hang them. The printer's been closed for three days, so my prints are behind schedule!"

Sarah snuggled down into the covers. "Calm down. We have plenty of time. I heard a snow plow go by this morning, which means the streets are cleared.