* * * *
Glenn looked at his cell phone in dismay. This wasn’t going to make Xonra happy. Already he could tell she was getting tense about the renovations. The two weeks were up and the kitchen wasn’t finished yet. The cabinets and counters were done, the floor and backsplash were tiled, and the washer and dryer were installed, but they were still waiting on the stove.
The painting couldn’t start until everything else was done because the workmen might mess up the paintwork installing other things, and the range hood couldn’t go in until the stove was there. The two items were being delivered together. Now there was a week’s delay on the stove.
Glenn took the elevator up from his office in the Planning Department on the sixteenth floor to Morgan’s workspace was on the twenty-second floor in the Design Department. He walked through the large, open, brightly lit space and tapped Morgan on the shoulder. “Want to grab a coffee?” he asked.
“Sure. Back in ten,” he said to a man working nearby. The other man looked up, nodded, and looked down again.
“What’s the problem?” Morgan asked as soon as they reached the break room on this floor.
“There’s a week’s delay on the stove. We weren’t going to get the painting done until everything was finished. We could get them to paint while they wait for the stove though, and just hope anything minor could be touched up okay after the stove is done. That’d save two days at the other end,” he said.
Morgan nodded looking thoughtful. “Yes, that’ll mean we’re only three days late instead of five. I don’t think much touching up will be needed really. The stove people will be professionals and if the renovation crew installs the stove and the range hood, it’s in their own best interests not to mess up the paint job.”
“That’s true. I’m just a little worried about Xonra. She’s been very good, but I think she’s rather over the whole apartment in a mess, thing. I mean, she isn’t nagging or grumpy, but she isn’t as light and happy lately either.”
“What we need to do is think of a nice treat for her. Something to take her mind off the shambles at home and make her smile.”
“Like what?” Glenn hadn’t been able to think of anything special and even he was getting tired of eating takeout every night because they couldn’t cook in the apartment.
“Let’s go away for a couple of days. Three days, two nights, or maybe three days and three nights. Long enough for a nice break but not so long work piles up and we all have to work unpaid overtime to catch up again,” said Morgan.
“Right. The last time we did that we went to Berisford Village and ended up embroiled in Jeremiah J. Curlin’s illegal antics.”
“Don’t be such a pessimist, Glenn. Other people take vacations every year and never come across anything bad. We’ll find something fun to do that’ll be the perfect break for us all.”
“Like what?”
“I haven’t thought of it yet, but I will. Give me a day or two. Meanwhile, let’s ask Xonra to book a few days’ leave and we will too. Which days were you thinking of going away?”
“Shouldn’t we work out where we’re going first?”
“Not this time. We’ll pick something where time doesn’t matter. Something where nothing can go wrong.”
Chapter Four
Morgan grabbed Xonra into a hug. “Hurry up and pack your bags, sweetheart. It’s time to go on vacation.”
“I love the idea of a vacation. Work has finally stopped being so very busy, and I’m ready to rest. My boss didn’t complain when I asked for leave, so this is the perfect time to take it. But where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.” Glenn echoed Morgan’s behavior. Morgan had been adamant that they should just let Xonra relax and get her giggling effervescence back.
“That’s not terribly helpful. What do I need to pack?” She was standing by the closet, the door open and she hauled her small carryon bag out of its depths and laid it on the bed.
“Nothing really,” said Glenn with a snigger.
Morgan grinned at her and she shook her head at both of them. “Yes, undoubtedly we’ll spend time in bed, but what about the rest of the time. Come on, be a bit helpful here. Do I need a sunhat? A bikini? Hiking boots? Or a snowsuit?”
Morgan realized he did need to give her a few clues, but no way was he going to spoil the surprise. “We’re not leaving the state, and you might need your bikini.”
She gave him a long searching look, and then packed the bikini and a sarong, a sunhat, some T-shirts and shorts, as well as lingerie, jeans, and a pretty dress into the small suitcase.
“Anything else?” she asked.
“That will cover it,” he said, glad not to have to give her any more clues.
“I want this to be a time of complete relaxation for all of us. We really need the break,” said Glenn.
“I have to say, I hadn’t realized how enervating it is to have workmen in the apartment constantly. It’s not that I don’t appreciate what they’re doing. I like it very much, and they’ve been endlessly polite and helpful. But I’m over the constant noise of hammering and sawing, and the smells of varnish, and paint, and soldering,” said Xonra.
Morgan gave her a hug and picked up her luggage.
“Not to mention having to be up and dressed by seven every morning. I’m looking forward to not getting up until we want to,” said Glenn.
“Hell yes, me, too,” added Morgan, leading the way out of the apartment.
Glenn grabbed their two small bags which were waiting, packed, by the front door, and Morgan checked the door locked behind them.
In the car, they talked and laughed and relaxed. Glenn was driving and Xonra had insisted on sitting in the backseat, so he was able to turn side on and watch both Glenn and Xonra as they traveled. He could almost see the tension drop away from her shoulders as they left the city, and before long her eyes were sparkling with joy and she was giggling at his and Glenn’s jokes.
I’m glad we decided to go away. It’s what we all need. Time to just be together again and relax. I can’t wait to see what she thinks of the resort.
They stopped on the way for a meal, and talked for a long time while he dipped fries in ketchup, Glenn ate a second burger, and Xonra sipped her soda.
“It really is wonderful to be on vacation. Thank you,” she said kissing him and then Glenn.
Morgan’s heart pounded faster. She wasn’t much of a person for public displays of affection, so the fact that she kissed them both in a restaurant meant she really was relaxed and happy. That was awesome indeed.
It was dark by the time they arrived, but the resort was well lit and Glenn had no trouble finding the entry.
Xonra sat up fast in the backseat. “What did that sign say? Nakations?”
“That’s right,” he said, trying to keep the smile out of his voice.
“What are nakations? I mean, they aren’t what I’m thinking of, are they?”
“But I don’t know what you’re thinking,” he said, unable to keep his voice steady.
Glenn pulled into the parking lot and stopped the car. “We’re here,” he said, unnecessarily.
Morgan climbed out of his seat and hurried to the trunk of the car to get the luggage so he didn’t have to answer the questions he knew Xonra was burning to ask him. She was here, they were here, and the next few days were going to be wonderful, he knew it.
* * * *
In was dark but the parking lot was well lit, and Xonra could clearly see a high fence of what looked like woven thatch or something similar, extending from the parking lot away from the road. The front of the building was brightly lit, with a sign indicating the entry, but there were no windows onto the parking lot, so she couldn’t see inside. Nakations sounded a lot like naked vacations to her, but maybe she just had a dirty mind. Certainly whenever she was around her men, she thought about sex. Sex with them was amazingly good every time, all the time. Maybe she just needed to get her thoughts out of the gutter.
She walked over to the entry and the automatic door opened for her. A counter stretched across the far wall, looking like every other hotel she’d ever visited. The foyer wasn’t small, but it wasn’t filled with stores, or a coffee shop, or a Wi-Fi hotspot either. It was just an opening from the parking lot into the building, and there were three elevators against the side wall.
Morgan walked across to the counter where there was a smiling young man in a neat uniform. “Welcome to Nakations,” he said.
“Hi. I’m Morgan McLean and we’ve booked a room for three nights.”
Xonra and Glenn had followed him across to the registration desk, but Xonra stood back a little bit, trying not to appear rude or intrusive.
The clerk beckoned her and Glenn forward and handed out three swipe cards. “These cards operate the elevators and are coded for your room. Everything else is open access. You must cover your genitals if you enter this foyer or go out to the parking lot. Everywhere else, nudity is encouraged. The gardens are perfectly safe to experience barefoot, and if you stay on the sand paths on the hiking trail, you don’t need footwear there either. However if you plan to leave the sanded pathways, please consider wearing shoes. Enjoy your nakation.”
Xonra’s mind was exploding. Her wild guess was correct. Nakation meant nude. Holy shit! They were spending three days in a nudist resort. No wonder the men had told her not to worry about what clothing to bring with her.
She followed Glenn over to the elevators and looked at her card to see where to swipe it, but Morgan had already worked out what to do. He pressed the button for the elevator and when it arrived he swiped it over the reader and it rose to the sixth floor. Still in a daze, Xonra stepped out of the elevator, looking for the signs telling her which way to go. Six ten was a large room with a big window overlooking a beautiful garden. Xonra stood at the window and drew in deep breaths until she was ready to assimilate all the facts.
“A nude vacation?” she asked, turning to the men.
“A nakation,” Morgan corrected her.
“So we can truly relax,” added Glenn.
Xonra wasn’t at all sure she could relax if dozens of people were going to see her naked body, but maybe they’d stay in the room most of the time.
As if he’d read her mind, Glenn shook his head. “Yes, we will be spending a lot of time in bed, but we’re also going to experience all the things the resort has to offer. The gardens, the hiking trails, the restaurants, the swimming pool, the tennis court, everything.
Suddenly Xonra giggled. “Tennis courts? What if the shot goes wild and the ball hits you somewhere delicate?”
“In the balls?” suggested Morgan.
Xonra laughed. It wasn’t much of a joke, but it made her laugh until she hugged her men.
“Thank you. This will be quite an experience for us.”
* * * *
Next morning, Glenn sensed Xonra’s hesitation about heading downstairs for breakfast naked. “Everyone else will be naked. They’ll all be too busy eating to worry about you. But if you turn up dressed, they really will stare at you,” he said.
She groaned but said, “I guess that’s logical. I just feel that everyone else will be twenty years old, and trim, taut, and terrific.”
“But you have both of us, so they’ll all be jealous of you anyway,” said Morgan, strutting around like a cover model.
That made her laugh. Glenn picked up his room card and they left for breakfast, all completely naked. He held the swipe card up. “No pockets. Don’t let me forget this, will you?” He didn’t like the thought of having to go back to the reception desk to get another one. Besides, he wasn’t allowed to be naked in the foyer. He’d have to borrow a towel or something to wear first.
“No pockets? Now that’s a disadvantage I hadn’t thought of,” said Morgan.
It was a buffet breakfast. People entered the room at one side of it, grabbed a plate, and walked the length of the counter, filling their plate with fresh fruit, hash browns, bacon, scrambled egg, fried egg, and tiny sausages. At the end of the counter was a toaster where the bread went in one side and slowly progressed through, coming out the other side cooked. There was jelly, honey, and peanut butter to go on the bread, and yogurt to go on the fresh fruit. By the time they chose a table to sit at, Glenn’s plate was piled high with a mountain of food and Morgan’s was the same.
As usual, Xonra had only a fraction as much food as them. “You really need to eat more. This is awesome,” he said, swallowing a mouthful of crispy bacon.
“I like fruit and it’s pretty awesome as well.”
They were here for three days. Maybe he could get her to try bacon and egg tomorrow.
While they ate, Morgan read snippets out of the resort brochure to them. “Listen to this. “Walking clothes-free along the hiking trail makes people feel more connected to the environment. It’s also more comfortable because the body temperature regulates itself much better without clothing.”
“Uh-huh. Until you get sunburned on something that’s never seen the sun before,” said Xonra.
“Don’t worry. I’ll rub aloe vera on it for you,” Glenn teased her.
“Seriously, I think it’ll be good to feel the breeze on our skin. Not sunburn, no, but wind might be nice,” said Morgan.
Glenn smiled at his friend. He loved Morgan so much, and sometimes the man hit the nail on the head so perfectly, like right now. This was a whole new experience for them and he wanted it to be exciting for Xonra as well as for him and Morgan.
Xonra was looking down at her bowl of fruit, swirling yogurt through the chunks of melon. He glanced around them, but no one was staring. People were talking to the other folk at their table, or busy eating their own breakfasts. And there was a true range of body types. Not everyone was runway-model slim, or body-builder built. They were just as different as in any hotel anywhere. He knew that would reassure Xonra. He didn’t understand why she worried about her figure. It looked damn good to him and he loved that she was soft and feminine. But he also knew she considered herself overweight, which was just bullshit as far as he was concerned.
“Where do you want to go first, Xonra? Along the hiking trail, or through the garden? I think we should save the swimming pool for the afternoon when we might need a rest.” Actually he was hoping they might all have a rest in bed, and some sex as well, but he definitely thought the morning was the time to go hiking.
“Maybe the hiking trail?” she suggested.
“That sounds good to me,” said Morgan, dropping the brochure onto the table.
“Wait up, Morgan. Did you see where the trail starts?” asked Glenn, reaching for the brochure.
“There was a sign by the elevator, remember? This way was the restaurant and the other way was outside,” said Xonra.
That did sound familiar. He’d been concentrating on finding food and hadn’t really looked at anything else. “All right. Shall we go for a hike then?” he suggested.
“It seems really weird to be naked,” said Xonra softly.
“Just enjoy the breeze blowing on your skin,” said Morgan.
* * * *
Morgan thought Xonra was enjoying herself, but she was also a little hesitant. He didn’t understand why women were more hung up on their body shape than men. She looked perfect to him. He’d never been interested in really skinny women. He liked to suck breasts and cuddle soft flesh if he was with a woman. Hard muscles and rough edges were what he wanted in a man. And with Glenn and Xonra, he had everything he’d ever wanted, and so much more as well.
This nakation was going to be perfect. Their room was amazing, the food was awesome, and now they’d begin doing some fun stuff. After lunch, maybe they’d go back to their room and stay there until dinner time, but right now he was ready to explore.
This was what the three of them really needed. Time to be together and relax with no worries or stress. There’d been too much tension in their lives lately. Moving in together was essential. They couldn’t have manage
d any longer dividing their time between two apartments. But it had also created a hell of a lot of hassles along the way. They’d had to go through their mutual possessions and chose what they’d keep and what they’d discard. Mostly that had been an easy enough decision. They had absolutely no need for two dining tables and sixteen chairs after all. But other decisions had been much more difficult.
They’d all tried hard to be reasonable and logical, but there was still a sense of loss. Hell, even saying goodbye to the perfectly good and functional coffee pot he’d started the day with for the past three years was kind of sad in a way. And he knew it’d been harder for Xonra who really looked after all her things carefully. None of her china was chipped the way some of his had been. He guessed it was a girl thing, to some extent, but he also understood that she needed to get out of the apartment and relax. To let the world and all its stress and tension disappear for these few days.
That was why he’d chosen the nakation. People released their worries and burdens and the trappings of the external world when they removed their clothing. Civilization was a mask people wore along with their jeans or buttoned-down business clothing. When they took off all their garments, they could also shrug off the everyday concerns that went with them.
Well, that was the theory anyway. He felt relaxed and free, and he sure as hell hoped Xonra and Glenn would feel like that, too.
The foyer area by the elevator held a large glass door opening out into the garden. They stepped outside and immediately the sun warmed his skin even as the breeze blew lightly across it. Morgan stood quite still, totally amazed. Sure, he’d read the glossy brochure. He was the one who’d chosen this place for their time away, after all. But until this very second, he hadn’t understood how erotic it could be to stand on the grass and feel the soft green shoots cushioning the soles of his feet and tickling his toes. His back was warming up nicely in the sunshine, yet his hair was moving slightly in the breeze.
Triple Treat: Back for Seconds (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 4