by K T Grant
“And he adores you like Konrad does me, and vice versa,” Svana replied with assurance.
“He’s always been there for me, even after our father’s death.” She traced the diamond in the silver bracelet Omar had given to her as a graduation gift from grad school. “He’s a great big brother, who has always protected me. I guess he felt he had to because I didn’t really have a mother growing up.” She cleared her throat as it clogged. “Based on your research, you’re aware my mother died after giving birth to me.”
Svana revved the engine and then lowered the clutch, slowing the car down. “Yes, I know. A horrible thing to happen. The birth of a baby should be a joyous occasion.” She sent Kennedy a sympathetic smile. “It’s not easy losing a parent, even when the children are old enough to take care of themselves.”
“I think my mother would have liked it here. She and my father traveled a lot before I was born.” She relaxed in her seat, thinking back to the photo album Omar had given her of her parents’ travels in Europe and elsewhere during their short marriage.
Svana drove down a long winding road past some houses until she reached a metal gate at the end. She pressed a button and, after it opened, drove through. “Welcome to my home. I it call Háleit, which means sublime. You’ll understand why when I show you the house and the back area.”
As they came over a small incline, Kennedy was met with a fantastic view of the mountains and rolling hills in the distance. In front of it was a modern house made of wood and concrete with an abundance of windows, surrounded by a tall white fence. Svana used the same remote to open the door to a two-car garage and drove in. On the other side of the garage was a bright-red scooter, a couple of mountain bikes, and a silver Jeep.
Svana shut off the car and sat while the interior lights faded. Kennedy waited for her companion’s lead.
“What if I wanted you to stay the night? Would you?”
The tingling in her chest floated down to her belly, making her lock her knees together to stop it from going lower. “But we have to be back at your office first thing in the morning.”
“If you don’t mind getting up early, I can drive you back to your hotel to shower and change.” She skimmed her hand down Kennedy’s arm to rest on her hip.
“Are you expecting us to have a late night?” She swallowed hard, her nerves swelling inside her, along with a prickling sensation, much like an electric current coursing up and down her arms and legs.
“We’ll see how the next few hours go. But if you do want to go back to your hotel, I’ll drive you.” Svana shifted over, close enough for her mouth to touch Kennedy’s.
She closed her eyes and waited for Svana’s mouth to meet hers. But all she felt was air. When she opened her eyes, the other woman had a sneaky smile in place.
“Not yet.” Svana finally opened her car door.
She combed her fingers through her hair, not bothering to smother her frustrated growl. Svana loved to tease her. She hoped this wasn’t another game. If so, she was a glutton for punishment. But better equipped with knowledge of how Svana ticked, she wouldn’t be as clueless as she was the first time they were together.
The likelihood of her returning to her hotel room tonight slipped away. She might regret her decision in the morning, but at least it would be another memory she could take home with her, to prove she wasn’t just taking the same old steps through life like she had been for the last decade. She wanted to be greedy and experience something wonderful and all-consuming with Svana.
She exited the car with a purpose. She would be the one to seduce Svana this time, to control the situation and prove she still had passion and desire she had ignored for so long, in part out of respect for Candice who continued to haunt her memory.
She followed Svana out of the garage and through a dark hallway. Svana flicked a switch on the wall, and the room brightened. She paused before entering, studying the modern interior with tall windows reaching up to the ceiling. A wooden staircase with a metal railing went up to a second level sitting area and, beyond that, a few rooms.
Svana dropped her purse and briefcase on the kitchen counter. “The house was built five years ago.”
“Your bedroom is upstairs?” She stepped in farther and stared out the windows at the back of the house.
“I’ll give you a special tour of my bedroom later on. But, first, you should see the back. The view there is amazing. It’s my own private oasis.” Svana went to the sliding glass doors to turn on a series of switches. Lights came on outside. Svana opened the doors and moved out on the deck.
Kennedy hugged her arms as the cold swirled around her. She stared in wonder at the wooden patio featuring an in-ground pool complete with a waterfall and rocks. Steam floated up from the water; a glow rose from the lights at the bottom of the pool. Clouds and stars painted the sky, and a rainbow-like shimmer hovered above.
“The Northern Lights.” She moved to the edge of the deck, as if it would bring her closer to the amazing view. She even lifted her hand, waving it in front of her. The colored lights wavered as if waving back in hello.
“Yes. They’re the reason I bought this land and built the house here.” Svana moved next to Kennedy, and inhaled deeply. “I try to soak in my baths one night a week to relax.”
“You have your own personal Blue Lagoon here.”
“My bath is the real deal, although I don’t have silica mud to offer for your face.” Svana caressed the side of Kennedy’s throat and rubbed a piece of her hair between her fingers. “But I can offer you something to drink, this relaxing heated bath, and great conversation.”
“Just conversation?” She felt quite cheeky as she rested her hand on Svana’s hip.
“You want me to be blunt and say I want you naked so I can have you every which way, spread out on my deck, screaming as loud as you can as I make you come?” Svana twined a strand of hair around her finger and tugged.
The short sting in her scalp made her nipples tighten. She dug her fingers into Svana’s hip. “I’ve never had sex outside, especially in the cold or in a hot tub.”
“I’ll be your first, then.” She nipped Kennedy’s bottom lip with the edge of her front teeth. “Get naked and in the water while I make us some drinks.”
She swept her palm over Svana’s ass and squeezed in response.
***
“I still can’t believe I’m sitting naked outside in below freezing temperatures in a geothermal bath in Iceland.” Kennedy sighed, and her head fell back as Svana cupped her breast and circled her nipple with her thumb.
Svana had yet to kiss her but caused havoc on her body with every touch and caress. In part, it had to do with the vodka cranberries they drank. At first, they talked of simple things, enjoying their drinks and company. But when Svana finished her drink, she decided to use her hands in creative ways, touching Kennedy carefully and slowly on her chest and on her thighs, arousing her to the point she was floating away, but her nerve endings were on fire. Svana knew how to draw out the sexual torture. When Kennedy climaxed, she wanted to come hard and fast, and definitely screaming Svana’s name up at the night sky.
“I’m surprised as much as you are.” She slid her arm behind Kennedy’s shoulder and hid her face in the crook of her neck.
“Aren’t you going to kiss me?” She tweaked Svana’s nipple, and stroked her stomach.
Svana stopped her before she went lower, the swirling water creating a blanket of warmth. She spread her fingers apart and stroked the soft skin hidden in the depths.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, tilting her face closer in the hopes of tasting her lips or perhaps reacquainting herself with the barbell in Svana’s tongue she had fun licking less than two nights ago in her hotel room.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had a guest in my hot tub, especially another woman.” She rubbed her nose along the side of Kennedy’s throat. “The last one was Vala, but it was in the summer, and like I said before, she’s only a friend.”
&n
bsp; “I believe you.” Kennedy ran her finger over her earlobe, enjoying her shudder and the way her legs entangled with hers. “It’s difficult for you to date?”
Svana lowered her body in the water up to her chin and frowned. “I don’t have any time. Also, I’m well-known on the island, not just as the CEO of Landvik, but from my celebrity status as a former one-hit wonder.”
“You’re more than just a one-hit wonder. I bet if you revived your musical career, your fans would go wild.” Kennedy also sank down in the water, allowing just her head in the open, even though her hair stiffened from the chill in the air.
Svana scooped up water and wet her hair, not seeming bothered by the chill, even with goose bumps pimpling her neck and shoulders. “Ah, maybe one day. Anyway, what’s the deal with you? Why are you dating a man when it’s obvious you’re into women?” She circled a finger on the top of Kennedy’s shoulder. “I don’t think it’s because you’re bi, or curious. You’re as gay as I am.”
Kennedy shivered and dipped lower in the water, not just to warm up, but to remove Svana’s hand. She shifted over to the left, wanting some space in case she divulged her past and why she turned to Fabian for comfort and security even though she always had more of an attraction toward women than men.
“It all goes back to Candice, my girlfriend,” she admitted and tucked her knees to her chest.
“You probably think I’m nosy, but it may help to talk about her, and your relationship.” Svana hung her arm over the edge of the pool. “It doesn’t take a genius to see it eats away at you still.”
“Why do you care either way if I talk about a former girlfriend?” Kennedy said in a much harsher tone than she wanted.
She shrugged, and perched her cheek on her fist. She bumped her foot into Kennedy’s. “I want to get to know you better. That’s all. You intrigue me. If you’re afraid I’ll use what you tell me against—”
“Maybe you expect me to break down in tears so I’ll end up in your bed,” she groused, knowing she would soon be rolling around naked with Svana. It was inevitable.
“You’ll end up in my bed tonight, but the only tears you’ll cry are ones of pleasure as I make you come more times than you can count.” Svana flicked the tip of her tongue in the corner of her mouth, near her mole.
Kennedy rubbed her knees on the tips of her nipples, the sensation, along with the rushing water making her ache. It would be easy to straddle Svana and suck her breasts, moving things in a much better direction. She felt a strange connection now, regardless of the shaky way their relationship had started. She never talked about the emotional aftermath of Candice’s death, other than with a therapist she saw for a few years. Only Omar understood the ramifications of her actions that still troubled her to this day.
“You’re the first woman I’ve had sex with since Candice. Fabian was the first man I ever had sex with.” She blew out a self-conscious breath. “I lost my actual virginity just last year. Sad, huh?”
Svana arched her eyebrows and rolled her tongue between her teeth, her metal barbell flashing. “The first time I had sex with a man, I should say a boy, I was sixteen. He was the son of some music producer. My first time was forgettable, and, after that, I only wanted vaginas and not dicks.”
Kennedy covered her mouth and laughed. “I went to an all girls’ private high school, so it wasn’t until college I had my pick of any guy to lose my cherry to.” She rubbed her palms together, noting how waterlogged her fingers had become by the way they pruned. “But I wasn’t interested in any at college because once I met Candice, who was my roommate my freshman year, I was in love.”
“I can honestly say I’ve never been in love.” Svana frowned and snagged her frosted drink, taking a healthy gulp.
How sad. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop from blurting that out. Being in love with Candice had been wonderful for the short time they were together, regardless of the horrible aftermath. She still loved Candice even though she had been gone for more than ten years, and she could barely remember her face or voice.
“I loved being in love with Candice. I think she felt the same way.” She may have had stronger feelings than Candice, but she didn’t care. “If we had been more mature in the way we handled our relationship, we wouldn’t have caused so many problems and….” Something lodged in her throat, and she coughed.
Svana squeezed Kennedy’s nape, giving her enough courage to continue. “My selfishness and stupidity caused Candice’s death, and essentially my father’s.”
“You shouldn’t blame yourself. I’ve been there, done that with my family’s plane accident.” A mournful tone entered Svana’s voice. “It took me a long time to realize I wasn’t to blame.”
“Your situation is completely different from mine.” She curled her arms tighter around her knees. “You’ve done your research on me, so you know all the details of Candice’s death and my part in it.”
“Facts don’t always give the full picture. Tell me your side. I’m not going to judge you.” Svana hung her arm over Kennedy’s shoulders, bringing her near. “I don’t have any right to judge.”
She snuggled into Svana, viewing the horizon and the darkened sky with a flickering of stars among the slight purple glow of the lights she never thought she would see in a million years. It felt comforting to witness this scene, and to be with Svana. What would be the harm in mentioning one of her darkest secrets? She already felt a kinship with Svana because of their personal loss and regret.
“By our junior year of college, we were failing school. We would miss class and not do any work, just go to parties. My father wasn’t like Candice’s father who spoiled her and just gave the school more money to make sure she would graduate. When I came home from winter break, my father and I had a huge fight about my grades. I-I blew up at him and said I didn’t care about school and I only wanted to be with Candice. She would have access to her trust fund when she turned twenty-one. I told him I was gay. He said he would disown me. I-I snuck out of the house and went to Candice. We headed down to Mexico to some resort.” She rubbed her mouth with her wrinkled fingers, finding it difficult to swallow. “We treated it like our honeymoon and promised to love one another forever, like we were married, even though it wasn’t legal.”
“Did your father or Omar or Candice’s parents try to find you?” Svana combed her fingers through Kennedy’s hair.
“Omar did.” She rubbed her nose. “One night we were at a party, like most nights, and she did something so stupid. She had been drinking too much and took some pills or smoked something. She…OD’ed.” She blinked away the sting in her eyes. “She died at the hospital. I called him for help. He flew down and took me home.”
Svana cupped Kennedy’s chin and cursed. “We’ve been in the water too long. Your eyes are swollen because you didn’t take out your contacts—”
“My eyes are swollen because I’m trying not to cry. It’s not a big deal.” She curled her fingers around Svana’s equally pruned fingers. “Is this your way to get me in your bed?”
Svana’s eyes shone. “If you’d like to think that, then yes. But maybe it’s my way to stop you from beating yourself up, which is my fault. I should have never pushed you to—”
She dropped a kiss on Svana’s mouth. “You didn’t make me do anything. I’m not going to break down in tears and fall to pieces just because I’m talking about Candice’s death. Talking about what happened with my father and his heart attack may make me weepy though.”
“He didn’t disown you after her death?”
“No. He welcomed me back, but we never had the same relationship we had before I met Candice.” She sniffed and stared down at the water. “Six months after I came home, he died of a heart attack. It happened a day or two after I told him I was definitely gay and couldn’t pretend I wasn’t, even for him.”
“Ríða þetta.” Svana whipped her hand in the water and stood. “Enough of this. Your father didn’t die because you’re gay. You do know that, ri
ght?”
“Um.…” She gripped the ledge and stood, almost falling back in the pool as she shivered from the chilly air and her shaky emotional state.
“Let’s go inside and warm up.” Svana tugged her toward the stairs.
“You have goose bumps on your ass and back.” She pointed out with a giggle, woozy from the cocktail of the elements and discussing her past for the first time in years.
Svana grabbed two fluffy white towels from a heated drying rack, tossing one to Kennedy as she guided her inside the house. Kennedy wrapped the large towel around her. The rise in temperature encased her in its wonderful warmth.
Tucking the towel under her arms, Svana opened the refrigerator and took out a pitcher of water. As she poured the water in a glass her hand shook.
“What’s wrong?” Kennedy asked, using part of the towel to dry the ends of her hair.
Svana presented the glass to Kennedy. “I’m angry at myself for forcing you talk about something that’s better left in the past. I upset you and ruined the mood. I’m…sorry.”
She finished drying her hair, bewildered by Svana’s reaction. “You didn’t push me into anything. I wanted to talk about it. If you’re worried I won’t stay the night—”
“It’s not about getting laid,” Svana huffed and poured another glass of water, drinking more than half of it down. “I’ve never experienced a love like you did at such a young age, not even in my prime, which I guess is now, seeing as I’ll be forty this year. I feel like I’ve missed out.” Regret floated in her eyes, making Kennedy’s chest tighten. “You’d think I’d have a long list of lovers, both men and women, left behind from my crazy days as a singer and then as a millionaire CEO.”
“You’re just dedicated to your work and your family. When would you have time for love?” She asked, her throat now dry. She sipped her water and moved to Svana’s side. She didn’t touch the pensive woman next to her, although she was close enough if Svana wanted to turn to her for some physical relief. “Other than my disaster with Candice, there hasn’t been anyone.”