by James, Taki
Freyr pulled into the empty lot designated as the meeting spot and Vanessa was glad that she recognized nearly everyone. Two were friends that she’d met through Baxter. And there was also the tiny blonde her ex had thrown her over for. Vanessa glimpsed Baxter’s curly head of hair poking under a hood of his SUV. She smiled over at Freyr, knowing now that she got the better end of the deal when it came to men.
“Tracy, darling. Adam,” Vanessa said as she slid out from her seat. She greeted the auburn haired woman and her husband with a brief hug. “I was hoping to see you two on this trip.”
Tracy and Adam Carmichael were two people she’d been sad to lose contact with after her horrible breakup with Baxter. Like Vanessa, Tracy was a PR person. She worked for many of the big names in Chicago politics, which Vanessa had tried for a bit and hated. How the girl managed to remain so tiny considering the fact that she was the mother of three of children, Vanessa never knew, but wished she had the secret. Sometimes, she felt as if she gained weight just by breathing.
Tracy laughed. “Yeah, well it took a while to get Baxter to invite you.” Tracy assessed Vanessa from head to toe. “You are looking really good. What is your secret for that glow you got going on here?”
“It’s called being pregnant and feeling queasy,” she said with a little laugh.
Tracy squealed at the word pregnant. She pulled Vanessa into a tight hug, refusing to let her go until Freyr cleared his throat to gain her attention. Tracy turned to face the new man in Vanessa’s life. When she got a clear look, Vanessa had to wonder if Tracy knew she was doing an impression of a snake when its jaw came unhinged. It was actually pretty funny watching the glazed look in her friend’s eye. She reached over to tap Tracy on the shoulder to bring her back to reality.
“Tell me this is the father of your baby,” Tracy said.
Freyr extended his hand. “Freyr Njördsson.- I am pleased to make your acquaintance.” Tracy had trouble taking his hand in a handshake. Thankfully, Freyr had already turned his attention to introducing himself to the husband. While the men made small talk, Tracy gave Vanessa the third degree on her relationship. Vanessa, of course, left out a few very important details that Freyr would not want known.
In the corner of her eye she saw Baxter and his blonde strolling near, the blonde practically hanging off Buster’s arms. Looking at him now, Vanessa wasn’t sure what it was that had attracted her to Baxter in the first place. Sure he’d been a stockbroker and was relatively tall and somewhat good looking. He’d been the first educated black man she’d dated in a very long time, so it had meant something to her at the time. To think she’d been planning on marrying him until she found him in bed with his current girlfriend, Karen “the busty tart”. Vanessa wasn’t even sure of the girl’s last name at this point.
Well, looking at the two together, she had to admit they were a perfect match, jackass and skanky hoe. Vanessa had to control her urge to laugh at her own joke. She must not have done as stand up a job as she thought since she ended telling Tracy what was on her mind, to the other woman’s amusement.
“Vanessa Harris,” Baxter said. It did not escape her notice that he pulled the blonde closer to his side in a move obviously designed to remind her of his betrayal and that he had apparently upgraded himself at the expense of her feelings.
Vanessa smiled. “Baxter. I see the years have been treating you kindly.” He did look like he’d been taking care of himself. He still had that gym physique he’d always been so proud of and the designer labels he simply could not be seen without. But, he still needed a major overhaul on his personality before he could remotely become a decent individual.
He frowned from what she was sure was an expectation to a different response. But again, even if she were still pissed, she’d still give him the “kill ‘em with kindness” routine her mother was so fond of. “Have you gained weight? You’re looking a little larger,” he said.
Vanessa looked down at her changing body. “What can I say? Some of us are just healthy like that.” She turned to Freyr, who had touched the back of her hand. There was a slight frown to his features that looked absolutely adorable on him. She reached on her tip toes to plant a quick kiss on his lips. “Freyr, I want you to meet Baxter and his girlfriend Karen.”
Freyr nodded his head in acknowledgement, clearly not impressed with either. It was rather unfortunate, because Karen was very impressed with him. She pushed forward, moving away from Baxter in her attempt to be noticed. “That’s a strange name for a gorgeous man like you,” she said with a titter of laughter. “However did you come by such a name?”
“He’s Scandinavian,” Vanessa answered for him. She would bet her whole life savings the woman had no clue what area of the world she spoke of. From the woman’s intent frown, she knew she’d been right.
Baxter sneered at Freyr. He yanked his girlfriend back to his side, holding her as if frightened that Freyr would pull her away from him. Freyr hid his smile in Vanessa’s hair. Vanessa wasn’t so kind to hide her own amusement.
“That would explain your last name,” Tracy said, breaking away some of the tension. “Which country specifically do you originate?”
Freyr shrugged. “Sweden. I moved here about a year ago actually.” Adam nodded as if it made sense. Vanessa thought it might. Adam was a history professor and had studied the Vikings and Norse mythology for a number of years as his research topic, not that Vanessa had ever understood half of what he’d said back in the early days of their friendship. Looking back, she kind of regretted that she hadn’t tried harder, but honestly, white people history had never really been her thing. Black history for that matter either, but having grown up with a pro-black dad, she really had never had a choice but to learn about what it meant to be black in America.
Vanessa’s stomach chose that time to complain about the lack of food. “I’m hungry, Freyr.”
Freyr nodded. “Do you have a craving?” When she shook her head, he went through the cooler in his trunk to see what was packed. While she waited for her snack, she ignored Baxter’s snorting laughter at her expense. Let him think that she was just a fat cow looking for a meal. She was pregnant and entitled to eat whatever the hell she wanted.
Freyr brought back an apple she was suspicious of. She didn’t know what Idunn’s apples looked like to know if she was being turned into an immortal or not. She knew he explained the whole story about her needing the apples at this stage in her pregnancy, but she couldn’t help the slight fear that eating the apples could turn her into an immortal before she’d made her decision about whether she was willing to take that next step. Her stomach made another sound reminding her of the presence of one who needed nourishment. She sighed, but took a bite of the apple anyway.
Baxter wanted to ask questions, but the pressing need to be on the road before the traffic hit pushed them all to get in their trucks to hit the highway. Vanessa was glad to lean back in the seat’s embrace and get some sleep. “Maybe this wasn’t the best idea,” she finally admitted. “Pregnant women shouldn’t go anywhere.”
“That is the exhaustion speaking. You will be fine after you sleep some.”
“You’re probably right.” Vanessa closed her eyes, taking his suggestion to heart. It was a long drive to Minnesota and she needed her rest if they were going to do activities on this trip.
Vanessa had Freyr stopping nearly every hour for a bathroom break or something to eat. She drank more water than she was used to and could literally feel her waistline expanding with every morsel of food she consumed. Freyr, at least, always made her feel better by eating whenever she ate. Sometimes they were joined by the others in the group.
Baxter always tried his best to get rise out of Vanessa, even after learning that she was pregnant. He’d yet to realize it was Vanessa keeping Baxter from getting his ass handed to him by Freyr. Her Norse lover had been nearly growling non-stop when Baxter so much as looked her way, let alone anytime Baxter opened his mouth to speak.
S
even hours later, they finally reached the camp grounds. Vanessa had slept most of that time in between stops. Looking around, she wasn’t sure she’d be staying a whole week. She’d forgotten that she was practically allergic to nature. There were no love for bugs in her heart. It made her very glad for Freyr’s thoroughness in packing, because he had at least not forgotten the bug spray. She promised herself that she would give her man a present later, just for bringing the most important item.
****
The men worked on setting up tents, then planned to set about fishing for dinner while the ladies were chosen to figure out the other food situation. The fishy smell caused nausea in Vanessa, so she knew cleaning fish was out of the question. Karen had demanded she be the one to make the salad for lunch, which neither of the other two other women complained about. It would keep the woman occupied enough that Vanessa and Tracy could play catch up. Tracy brought many different kinds of cold cuts in her cooler for sandwiches. Vanessa knew Freyr packed much of the same along with the apples from Idunn that were to be kept inside the vehicle, so other than what the men planned to supplement, they should be fine for the duration of the trip.
“I’m hoping to have a relaxing week,” Tracy said later as she lounged with Vanessa on fold out chairs she set near the lake. They had a view across the water where the men were in their rented boat, trying to catch some fish. Karen had gone with the full intention of trying to work her way into Freyr’s pants, much to Baxter’s consternation and Vanessa’s amusement.
Vanessa nodded. “I know. This whole pregnancy thing is so new to me that I just don’t know what to do.”
Tracy patted her hand. “Have you bought the baby books yet? Those are pretty good and helped me a lot when I had my first child and with the internet, there are so many websites about having babies I’m sure you’ll learn all you need to know.”
Vanessa was aware of all that. It was just; having to read about it would make the baby real, well realer than her growing pooch made it. She sighed. What was the point in denying it all? It was going to happen anyway. “I might have to go check the books out. Freyr says my pregnancy is different from when his ex-wife gave birth to his son.”
Tracy perked up at that bit of news. “He has a child?”
Vanessa nodded. “He lives in Sweden. According to Freyr, he was angry about the divorce and didn’t want to come.” Vanessa didn’t dare mention that the son was also very grown and older than the two of them put together.
They both went back to staring over the lake. The warmth of the sun filled Vanessa with a sort of peace she never got in the city. There was something wonderful about nature, something most did not understand. She felt that she could actually relax. If Freyr were correct in that being in Asgard felt mostly like this, she felt that she could maybe give up everything just to live with him and raise the baby. If felt kind of nice to have no outside responsibility other than to take care of herself. The sun began to set by the time the fishers were finished with the boat. Adam came to collect the other two women, while Freyr took care of gutting the fish and skinning them.
Vanessa thought it best to simply wait inside the tent for the smells to be done before she ate her meal with the others. They had a nice little fire going, with everyone settling down on blankets while they ate. Baxter kept staring at Vanessa with Freyr every time they shared even the briefest of kisses. She had no idea what was wrong with her ex considering he was supposed to be over her and very happy with his girl, but for the most part she ignored it. Freyr gave her more than enough cause not to pay attention to Baxter’s attitude.
She snuggled deeper into Freyr’s embrace. Adam regaled the group with stories about some of the funnier moments during his class lectures. “So then my student shouts out in class, so the Vikings didn’t have horns growing out of their heads?”
Freyr found it more amusing than the rest. “It was the English who purported the Vikings grew horns out of their heads, which then led to the idea that the Vikings wore horned helmets and sailed in dragon ships.”
It took many years of working in conjunction with Archaeologists to dispute many of the legends told. Freyr used to enjoy some of the digs he’d volunteered on. But he would not tell any of the others in the group about how the true knowledge of the Vikings came about.
He rubbed circles around Vanessa’s belly. It should be interesting, he thought, to raise a child in the current world. His son Fiolnir was a great warrior like him, with centuries of battle experience to call his own. This child, be it a girl or a boy, would never know a battle field where warriors fought with swords. There was a part of him that appreciated that bit of knowledge, but then, there was the majority of him that felt sad that he would not share the art of war with this new child. Battle training had been the best bonding experience for his eldest.
He glanced down at Vanessa’s peaceful face. If the child were a female, he wanted her to look like her mother, with skin so dark it was beautiful. He leaned down, pressing his lips to her ears. “You are so beautiful,” he said. He watched the smile appear on her lips.
“Thank you,” she whispered back. “You’re pretty good looking yourself.” She tangled her fingers in his long blonde hair, tugging his lips to hers. Being aware that there were other people around, Freyr didn’t do very much more than press his lips to hers.
It wasn’t long before Vanessa was ready for more. Before he sat up, she nipped at his jaw. Freyr chuckled slightly. “I take it you are ready for bed then.”
Yes, she was very ready to get to bed. She just wasn’t sure if she and Freyr were ever going to get to sleep this night. Across the fire Tracy yawned. “I think Adam and I are going to bed.” Adam seemed confused by his wife’s words until she elbowed him in the ribs. His face lit up, causing everyone to laugh. After Tracy and Adam disappeared into their tent, Vanessa escaped with Freyr right behind her, leaving Baxter and Karen as the only two by the fire. Freyr didn’t take the time to think much upon that.
Vanessa couldn’t get enough of Freyr’s taste. It was just so unique, so spicy and yet so sweet. She pulled his bare skin tighter against her. She could spend hours kissing him alone, especially when he pressed the whole of his body to hers. She didn’t want him to keep his weight on his hands where she couldn’t feel all his skin.
Freyr chuckled. He settled his hips in the cradle of her thighs, grinding his swollen erection against her sensitized body. She tossed her head back with a small moan. Freyr trailed his lips down her throat, making sure to nibble at every bit he could reach. He lowered his body slightly, gently pillowing his chest against her breasts. His hair surrounded her, creating a veil to close out the rest of the world. She trailed her hands along his spine, enjoying the way he shivered. Freyr nipped his way down the rest of her body, pausing at her stomach. He ran his hand over it as his icy eyes took notice of her face. The sight was just so beautiful. The sheer joy on his face, Vanessa wondered if this weren’t all just a dream she was having. And if this did turn out to be a dream she didn’t want to wake up at all. She couldn’t imagine what her life would be like if she no longer had this sort of happiness. She took a deep breath to contain the tears trying to water her eyes. Now wasn’t the time to get lost in thought, not when she had Freyr taking such good care of her body.
He planted a kiss, trailing his tongue down toward the curls hiding her treasure. Vanessa eagerly spread her legs wider. His eyes found hers watching his every move. Eyes fully locked, he lifted her knees over his shoulders. He parted her lower lips with his thumbs and trailed a long lick across her exposed flesh. She tossed her head back, presenting her neck. Vanessa bit her lip to hold back her moan. She rocked her hips against his working mouth, not sure if she were trying to press closer or to get away from his seeking tongue. There was no escape from his masterful touch. He sought out her every secret, alternating between long slow strokes and fast strikes. He circled around her clit, never fully touching her enough for her climax before his lips surrounded the little
button of nerves. Her thighs gave a spasm as all her muscles tightened as a wave of pleasure flowed right through her. Her lover didn’t stop there. He continued to suckle at her flesh until she was pushing his head away from the too intense pleasures. Freyr crawled up her body, a beautiful smirk upon his lips. The sheen of her juices shone in the slight lighting adding to the feral look in his eyes. He licked a slow trail across his lips, his pink tongue attracting her whole attention. A moan left Vanessa’s lips at the sight.
It made her want to drive him just as crazy as he tended to drive her. She pushed at his shoulders. Freyr raised an eyebrow, but he did as requested. This time, it was she trailing kisses down his body. She loved the taste of his skin, from the saltiness of his sweat, to the taste that was simply Freyr. She loved the way the muscles in his stomach jumped when she nipped at his sides where he was slightly ticklish. She loved the sound of his hiss whenever she trailed her fingers, lips and tongue over the bare skin of his groin and the way his muscles always clenched. His hard flesh bumped against her chin, drawing her whole attention. Vanessa lowered her head, swirling her tongue around the tip of his penis. The slightly salty taste of his pre cum touched her tongue.
She fairly purred her pleasure. Freyr grasped her hair in his hands. “Turn around,” he said. It took her only a moment to figure out what he meant. Quickly, she spun until she straddled his face. She took him in her mouth, enclosing just the sensitive head between her lips. He was the first uncircumcised man she’d ever bedded, but by far he’d proven the most fun to taste. The way his foreskin hid his smooth cockhead enticed her to always want to play further. Freyr’s hips bucked. Vanessa moved with him, suckling like he was rare candy. Her tongue swirled around the head, pushing back the foreskin just a bit. His thighs tensed underneath her hands. Vanessa couldn’t possibly think to hide the smile on her lips. She had him right where she wanted him and figured she’d be safe going in for the kill.