The Swede

by Maureen Smith

  “What!” She sat up and snatched her pillow, whacking him on the head as he burst out laughing.

  Grinning broadly, she stretched out beside him, propping herself up on one elbow to study him at her leisure. Her grin softened into a smile as her eyes roamed over his thick eyebrows, the hard contours of his cheekbones, the strong bridge of his nose, the rugged curve of his jaw, his full but firm lips. He was achingly beautiful yet breathtakingly masculine.

  The ink he sported only magnified his utter maleness. A mosaic of black and gold tribal tattoos wrapped around his left bicep, a tribute to the Rebels. The hard bulge of his right bicep sported a blue and yellow Swedish flag.

  Smiling, Scarlett reached out and traced the waving flag, pausing when she felt a small raised bump. “What’s this?”

  Viggo tensed ever so slightly. “An old hockey injury.”

  “Really?” She gently rubbed the scar. “What happened?”

  His lashes flickered over his eyes. “I don’t remember. It was a long time ago.”

  She sensed he was lying. Before she could probe further, he caught her hand and began caressing the music notes tattooed onto the inside of her wrist.

  “What drum beat is this?” he murmured.

  She smiled, tingling from his touch. “It’s the intro from Led Zeppelin’s ‘Moby Dick.’ One of the best drum songs ever from the greatest rock drummer of all time.”

  “Agreed. John Bonham was awesome, and so is your tattoo.” Viggo smiled, admiring the narrow bar of drum sheet music. “I thought you’d have more.”

  “More what? Ink?”

  “Yeah. You’re a rock star, so I expected you to have more than three tats. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. The tats you have are hot as hell. I just figured you’d have a few more.”

  She sighed. “I get that a lot.”

  “So what gives?” he teased. “Don’t tell me you’re too squeamish to get more ink.”

  “Of course not.” She scowled and rolled her eyes. “I signed a stupid contract.”

  His eyebrow lifted. “A contract?”

  “Yeah,” she grumbled. “My parents bought me a car when I turned sixteen, but it came with a parent contract. One of their stipulations was that I couldn’t get more than three tattoos before my twenty-fifth birthday, and they had to sign off on any tats I wanted.”

  Viggo grinned. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously.” She did another eye roll.

  “Your parents are pretty strict, huh?”

  “They don’t like tattoos. They’re not too crazy about piercings either, but they let me get them as a compromise.”

  Viggo tweaked her pierced nose. “So you sold out for a set of wheels.”

  “I did,” she confessed with a sigh. “I really, really wanted that car. But just wait till I turn twenty-five next year. I’m gonna get all tatted up.”

  “Hmm. Don’t get too tatted up.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’d be a damn shame to cover up all this beautiful brown skin,” Viggo said, brushing his lips over her bare shoulder. “Leave some for me to savor and enjoy.”

  His words coupled with the heat of his breath on her skin made her shiver. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she whispered.

  “Please do.” A lazy smile curved his mouth as he brushed her tousled hair off her forehead and searched her face. “This might sound crazy, but I can’t shake the feeling that we’ve met somewhere before.”

  Scarlett’s heart stopped. Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod! He remembers!

  The way she was staring at him made him grow very still. He cocked his head to one side, watching her closely. “Have we?”

  She smiled enigmatically. “Have we what?”

  “Met before.”

  Staring into his eyes, she decided right then and there not to tell him. She wanted him to remember on his own the moment he saw her for the first time. She wanted the memory to strike him like a bolt of lightning, jolting his senses and taking his breath away. She wanted the moment burned into his memory as indelibly as it was burned into hers.

  Leaning down until they were nose to nose, she murmured, “Maybe we met in a past life.”

  His eyes glinted into hers. “A past life, huh?”

  “Yes.” She nuzzled the line of his jaw until she reached his ear and whispered, “You were a fearless Viking warrior. And I was a powerful goddess who came to you every night, wherever you were. I would slowly undress you using just the power of my mind. Then I would trail kisses all over your body, healing your battle scars before I slowly mounted you and made sweet, passionate love to you.”

  “Holy shit, that’s hot,” Viggo breathed.

  Scarlett chuckled and nibbled his earlobe, eliciting a shiver and a soft groan.

  He tangled a fist in her hair and dragged her face down to his so he could give her a deep, drugging kiss.

  Sighing with pleasure, she hooked a leg around him and then shifted to straddle his waist. His hands drifted down her bare back, igniting waves of shimmering electricity that made her shiver and arch.

  When he cupped her ass, she purred in satisfaction. “Mmmm…”

  He looked up at her, his gaze piercing her soul. “I can’t be without you, Scarlett Rain.”

  “Nor I you,” she whispered.

  A little voice in her head warned her that she was setting herself up for heartbreak.

  But it was Christmas Eve. So she’d worry about the potential heartbreak later.

  Chapter 15

  Scarlett

  Baby, It’s Cold Outside

  * * *

  It was snowing when she woke hours later entangled in Viggo’s strong, protective arms.

  They hadn’t bothered to close the curtains before going to bed, so she could see the swirling flakes of snow falling outside the window. The streets of downtown Buffalo had been turned into a winter wonderland.

  Lying there in Viggo’s arms, she’d never felt so wondrously warm and content. She wanted to stay right where she was, but her bladder needed emptying.

  When she lifted her head from the pillow, Viggo’s arms tightened around her and he spooned her closer, branding her with his body heat. Branding was definitely the right word, because there was something unmistakably possessive about the way he was holding her.

  But when she looked over her shoulder at him, he was still asleep, his thick lashes fanning his cheeks. Her heart squeezed in her chest as she lay there watching him. When her full bladder demanded relief, she reluctantly disentangled herself from his arms, slid out of bed and padded soundlessly to the bathroom.

  She found herself smiling as she sat on the toilet, reliving every moment of last night’s sexathon. They’d made love several times during the night, making up for lost time. Viggo had been fiercely insatiable, giving her more orgasms than she could count. She ached deliciously between her thighs, a hot throbbing that intensified as the erotic memories undulated through her mind.

  She flushed the toilet, opened the door and quietly washed her hands at the sink. There was enough light for her to see her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a crazy mess, her eyes were soft and satiated, and her lips were even puffier than usual. She looked well fucked.

  Which she was.

  She wanted to brush her teeth, but she didn’t want to make too much noise. So she settled for rinsing her mouth with mouthwash.

  Viggo was still sleeping when she came out of the bathroom area. He lay on his stomach with his head resting sideways on his muscular forearm. His tousled blond hair fell over his face and a night’s growth of golden stubble glinted on his jaw.

  He was so fucking sexy it was ridiculous. Just looking at him melted her insides.

  Smiling, she crept to the bed on little cat feet and slithered under the warm covers.

  Without opening his eyes, Viggo hooked an arm around her waist and drew her to his side. She went with a soft giggle, melting as he kissed the top of her head and murmured, “Merry Christmas Eve.”

 
She shivered at the sound of his gravelly morning voice. “Merry Christmas Eve to you, too.”

  He nuzzled her hair. “Did you sleep well?”

  “I did,” she purred. “You?”

  “I’ve never slept better.”

  “Same.” She sighed blissfully, burrowing into the hard muscles of his chest and sucking up his heat. “I dreamed of a white Christmas. Looks like we’ll be getting one.”

  He followed her gaze to the curtain of snow falling outside the window. A lazy grin curved his mouth. “I don’t think we’ll be going anywhere anytime soon.”

  She tilted her head back to grin up at him. “You sound a little too happy about that.”

  “Do I?” His grin spread. “Maybe I am.”

  “Happy about being stranded in Buffalo?”

  “Happy about being stranded with you.”

  His words were like music to her heart. She snuggled against his warm chest, smiling when he rested his cheek on top of her head. She could stay curled up in his arms for the rest of her life.

  Gazing out the window, she sighed contentedly and started singing “White Christmas.” She could feel Viggo smiling against her hair.

  When she stopped after a few lines, he protested. “Why’d you stop? Keep singing.”

  She giggled.

  “I’m serious. Keep going.”

  She sang the rest of the holiday classic while he listened quietly.

  When she finished the song, he held her tighter and whispered, “God, I love your voice.”

  A tingle of pleasure warmed her. “I’m glad you feel that way.”

  “You know I do.” There was a grin in his voice. “I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve played your singing telegram.”

  She chuckled. “I’m sure my sexy getup contributed to your repeat viewings.”

  “Well…”

  She poked his ribs, making him laugh.

  “You can’t make a video of yourself dressed like a lingerie model and not expect me to jerk off to it as often as possible.”

  Her lips twitched. “Did you still watch it even when you thought I was a cheater?”

  “Uhh…”

  “Wow. Seriously?”

  He grinned. “The little head doesn’t always agree with the big head. ’Cause I’m a man, woman,” he crooned the Tame Impala song. “It’s the only answer I’ve got for you.”

  Laughing, Scarlett sat up and climbed on top of him.

  He grinned up at her, folding one arm behind his head and using his other hand to knead her thigh, a lazy caress that sent shivers straight to her core.

  She licked her lips. “So what should we do with ourselves today?”

  His eyes gleamed. “I have a few ideas.”

  “I bet you do,” she teased, feeling his cock twitch against her backside. She wiggled her hips a little, laughing when he groaned.

  She ran a fingernail down his chest, raising goosebumps over his skin. She loved how she could affect him with a simple touch. It made her feel intoxicatingly powerful.

  She circled his belly button with her fingertip, smiling when his abs contracted. How many times had she fantasized about this while lying alone in bed at night? How many times had she fantasized about making love with this beautiful man, feeling his hard-muscled body above and beneath hers? How many times had she fantasized about touching him like this?

  Her finger trailed lower, stopping just above his groin. Feeling his cock swell and harden, she leaned over him and nibbled along his stubble-rough jawline, drawing a low growl from deep in his chest.

  She laughed, then moaned when he palmed her ass cheeks and squeezed possessively. She stared down into his eyes, shivering as his right hand slid over the curve of her hip and stroked her belly. When he cupped her breast, liquid heat shot to her core. Biting her bottom lip, she pushed her aching flesh into his hand, craving more of his touch.

  He watched her face as he slowly circled her nipple. The pleasurable sensations caused her thighs to clench, squeezing his sides.

  His eyes were heavy lidded, his smile one of lazy male satisfaction as his hand moved from her breast to her mouth. “I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect setup than this,” he murmured, caressing her bottom lip with his thumb.

  Her mind was hazy, drugged by his touch. “What do you mean?”

  “For the first time in weeks, we don’t have anywhere to be. No practice or rehearsal, no games or shows. We don’t have to leave this room if we don’t want to. And no one can reach us except by phone, which we don’t even have to answer.” His eyes glittered. “Think about that, baby. Think about the amazing gift we’ve been given with this snowstorm.”

  Scarlett grinned at the prospect of them staying in bed with nothing to do but make love all day, stopping only for food and bathroom breaks. It sounded like absolute heaven.

  “It is a gift,” she leaned down to purr in his ear. “Now I have the perfect opportunity to catch up on sleep and binge watch—”

  Viggo slapped her bare ass cheek, making her cry out as a tingling burst of heat flooded her sex.

  In one deft move, he flipped her over and pinned her beneath his big body. Laughing between gasps, she wrapped a leg around his hip, pulling him closer and shivering at the thickness of his cock pressed against her stomach.

  “I can’t believe you just spanked me.”

  His eyes glinted. “You know you liked it.”

  “I did.” She grinned. “You bring out the kinky in me.”

  Smiling, he leaned down and took her mouth in a slow, lazy kiss that curled her toes and made her pussy contract. His lips were soft and slippery, the hot stroke of his tongue addicting. She moaned and arched into him, wanting him inside her even though she was still sore from last night’s marathon lovemaking.

  Lifting his head, he smiled into her eyes. “Don’t move.”

  She smiled dazedly. “I don’t think I can.”

  He winked and then rolled out of bed with the powerful grace of a huge panther. As he sauntered toward the bathroom she stared after him, enjoying the flex of his thighs and buttocks, the way his cheeks hollowed as he moved. Hockey players had the best asses. All that power skating really worked the glutes to mouthwatering perfection.

  She was still smiling when he came out of the bathroom and washed his hands at the sink. When he started brushing his teeth, she quickly blew into her hand to make sure the mouthwash was still working.

  Yep. She was good to go.

  Viggo came around the corner and started back toward the bed, his massive cock swinging against his thigh as he walked. She couldn’t believe she’d had all that man meat inside her. It was a miracle she’d been able to get out of bed and walk this morning.

  She laughed as he dove under the covers and climbed back on top of her. Her laughter dissolved into one long sigh as he branded small kisses over her face, neck, shoulders and breasts.

  She ran her hands down his broad back to the dip at the base of his spine. When she squeezed his scrumptiously round ass, he shuddered against her. That made her smile as her hands glided back up to tangle in his hair. He had such luxurious hair. It felt like pure silk sliding through her fingers.

  “Ah, Scarlett,” he murmured against her breasts. “What’re you doing to me?”

  Her heart flipped over. “Nothing you haven’t been doing to me since we met.”

  His eyes flicked up to hers, melting her with just a look. “I’m never letting you out of this bed.”

  “Never?”

  “Ever.” His hands slid beneath her to cup her ass, pulling their bodies tighter together while his lips sipped at the corner of hers.

  Whispering his name, she opened her legs and wrapped them around his hips, locking her ankles. He let out a low rumbling groan and slowly pushed his way inside her slick heat.

  They stayed like that for a moment, bodies joined, his cock pulsing thickly inside her as their gazes fused.

  Then he started pumping his hips, her head went back on a mo
an, and no other conversation was needed.

  * * *

  Two hours later they came up for air, washed up and ordered room service. Since they were both starving after skipping dinner last night, they got appetizers, vanilla milkshakes and bacon cheeseburgers with steak fries.

  There was a slight chill in the air so Scarlett turned up the heat, then swapped out her robe for gray leggings and the ribbed gray sweater Viggo had worn yesterday. It was humongous on her, hanging to her knees and completely swallowing her up. His amazing scent clung to the expensive fabric, saturating her senses. She buried her nose in the sleeve, sighing as she drew his smell into her lungs.

  When she opened her eyes and saw him standing there, she almost died of embarrassment.

  He slowly looked her over, a pleased smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “That looks perfect on you.”

  She grinned sheepishly. “Even though I’m swimming in it?”

  “Still perfect.”

  She melted into a puddle. “I’ve always wanted to wear something of yours.” Holy crap, that sounded weird and stalkerish. She instantly wanted to snatch the words back.

  But Viggo just smiled, tipped her chin up and leaned down to brush a soft, sweet kiss across her mouth. “Du är min.”

  You are mine.

  Scarlett melted even more.

  When their food arrived twenty minutes later, the room service cart was wheeled into the room and turned into a table draped in white linen. They sat by the window so they could watch the falling snow outside. It was so warm and cozy. All that was missing was a fireplace.

  While they ate, they laughed and talked about everything and nothing.

  “Who’s your favorite K-pop group?” Viggo asked.

  “Of course I love EXO and BTS,” Scarlett said. “But I’m also a huge fan of HOTSHOT. They’re so good! They should be even more popular than they are.”

  “Agreed. They’re criminally underrated.”

  “Aren’t they? It’s crazy, right?”

  “Totally.”

  Scarlett grinned at Viggo. She loved that they shared the same diverse taste in music.