Ice

by Lyn Gardner

  Alex slipped another finger inside of Maggie, but when Maggie mimicked her, a low, hungry, sexy sound rose from Alex’s throat. “Oh, Jesus,” Alex said in a breath, feeling her climax approaching. “Oh, don’t stop, Maggie. Please…please, don’t stop.”

  Maggie had no intention of stopping. Plunging into Alex, she pillaged her tight, wet opening with fervor. In and out, Maggie worked her fingers as Alex did the same to her, and when she felt Alex curl her fingers, pressing them against the soft bundle of nerves that would send her over the edge, Maggie mirrored the movement. The result was immediate, and Alex began to buck wildly against Maggie’s hand.

  Out of control, and with release seconds away, Alex’s thrusts grew frantic. With every stroke, her need announced itself in the form of guttural sounds of pleasure until, with one final push, Maggie sent Alex over the precipice.

  Crying out, Alex buried her head in Maggie’s shoulder as the pulsating waves of splendor washed over her. Flexing her hips as nectar spilled from her body, she tightened her legs around Maggie’s hand, arching and relaxing as each spasm exploded within her.

  The feel of the pulsing orgasm around her fingers was amazing, and Alex’s sounds of pleasure filled Maggie’s ear. Her body now throbbing once again, she clamped her legs tightly around Alex’s hand. Unabashedly, Maggie squeezed her walls around the stilled fingers inside of her and with only a few more thrusts of her hips, she drove herself over the edge.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Maggie wanted nothing more than to stay wrapped in Alex’s embrace, but the need to use the bathroom forced her to extract herself from the woman’s hold. Grabbing some clothes from the floor, she softly padded from the room, visiting the bathroom first before heading to the kitchen to make some tea. After filling the kettle with water and placing it over the fire, Maggie relaxed on the sofa and gazed into the flames. Exhaling a sigh of contentment, she closed her eyes and in an instant, the memories of the night came flooding back.

  It had been a sensual thrust and parry of want and need. With tender words, gentle caresses and whispers of encouragement, they had awakened things in each other that neither had believed possible. A passion so urgent that sleep took a back seat to desire, and a thirst that could only be quenched by the nectar that flowed from their centers; they had feasted on each other until exhaustion finally won out. Smelling of sex and with bodies dampened by sweat, they slumbered safe and sated; their minds empty of dreams for reality had become so much sweeter.

  Maggie let out a low, sexy chuckle as she opened her eyes. She was totally in love with Alex, and it felt bloody wonderful. The sound of the water boiling brought her to her feet, and as she went about making the tea, another smile graced her face. Her life would never be the same…and she was looking forward to every single minute of it.

  Alex let out a sigh as she stretched across the bed to pull Maggie back into her arms, but when she came up empty, she opened her eyes and frowned. She was alone. For a split-second, memories of Debra came rushing back. Quickly pushing them away, Alex swung her legs over the edge of the bed and instantly wished she hadn’t. It had been a long time since she had made love through the night, and chuckling to herself at the soreness in her muscles, she slowly got to her feet. Reaching for the ceiling, Alex worked out the kinks and listened as a series of soft little pops worked their way down her spine. Flexing her neck and shoulders, she quickly donned her shirt and socks and strolled to the bathroom.

  A few minutes later, with teeth cleaned and hair combed, Alex padded down the hallway in search of Maggie. Coming around the corner, she spotted the object of her desire standing in the kitchen wearing only an oversized shirt and socks that matched her own. Silently, Alex stood there and admired the view.

  Feeling as if she was being watched, Maggie glanced over her shoulder and when she saw Alex’s lecherous look, she smiled. “Good morning, sweetheart.”

  Instantly, Alex’s smile widened, the simple term of endearment squelching any anxieties about the possible awkwardness of the morning.

  “Good morning,” Alex replied, her voice low and sultry.

  Turning around, Maggie stood her ground as she took in the view. Able to ogle without the fear of getting caught, she took her time and allowed her eyes to travel, and travel they did. Appreciating Alex’s beauty from her narrow calves to her muscled thighs, Maggie’s gaze paused at hips barely hidden by plaid fabric, and then again, at the roundness of breasts visible through the gape in the shirt before raising her eyes to meet Alex’s. Curious as to why the woman was continuing to stare back at her with an impish grin, Maggie said, “What?”

  “I want to kiss you,” Alex admitted, taking a step closer.

  “I was kind of wondering what was taking you so long,” Maggie said, an eager smile spreading across her face.

  Two quick steps and they were in each other’s arms, and the good morning kiss soon became so much more. At first slow, almost tentative, as feelings stirred, lips opened and tongues explored. A few minutes passed before they finally pulled apart, and a slight blush appeared on Maggie’s cheeks as she felt the need between her legs.

  “I made tea,” she whispered, trying to regain her composure.

  “I see that,” Alex responded, glancing at the mugs on the counter before leaning in to kiss Maggie’s neck.

  With a sigh, Maggie relaxed in her arms. Delighting in the feel of the wet kisses on her skin, when she felt Alex push the shirt aside to expose even more skin, Maggie said weakly, “You don’t…don’t want any tea then?”

  Tracing Maggie’s ear with her tongue, Alex smiled at the question. “Erm…not just yet,” she said as she found the buttons on Maggie’s flannel top. “Maybe in a while.”

  “Oh…” Maggie breathed, moaning softly as Alex cupped her breast.

  On the verge of making love standing in the kitchen, Alex pulled away. By the heated expression on Maggie’s face, Alex was well aware of the answer before she asked the question, but she asked it nevertheless. “You wouldn’t consider returning to the bedroom, would you?”

  Taking Alex’s hand, Maggie grinned and nodded her head, unable to deny what they both already knew. Leading Alex down the hall, as they got to the bed, Alex sat on the edge and pulled Maggie between her legs.

  “I want to look at you,” Alex confessed in a whisper. Not waiting for a response, Alex unfastened the remaining buttons of Maggie’s shirt and pushed it from her body.

  Maggie blushed immediately, totally unaccustomed to this kind of perusal from a lover. The ones in the past had always seemed to be in a rush to get her into bed, rather than admire what they had before them. Maggie was quickly finding out that Alex Blake was like no other lover.

  Unhurried, Alex took in every freckle, line and curve of Maggie’s body. Although they had spent the night together, it was in the shadows of firelight. With the shutters now open to allow in the natural light, the sun’s rays streamed through the frosted panes and lit up the room.

  For a few moments, Alex remained spellbound by Maggie’s beauty, and when she finally moved, it was slow and deliberate. Placing her hands lightly on Maggie’s hips, Alex pulled her close, and leaning forward, began placing tender kisses across Maggie’s belly.

  Maggie closed her eyes, running her fingers through Alex’s hair as she savored each caress. Never before had a lover ignited her passion so skillfully. In the past, utterances were rare to pass her lips, but it was impossible for Maggie to stop her deep, throaty sounds of pleasure from filling the room.

  Slowly, Alex moved her kisses north. Covering the roundness of one breast and then the other, she revisited the first and nibbled at the taut peak. Inwardly smiling at the feel of Maggie squirming in her arms, Alex continued to feast on the nipple until Maggie grabbed her by the hair and forced her to look up. Finding herself consumed by a kiss filled with animal urgency, when Alex felt Maggie push her to the bed, she went more than willingly.

  Wasting no time, Maggie straddled Alex and after practically
ripping the shirt from her body, she captured Alex’s lips in another voracious kiss. Unable to hold back the words that had haunted her though the night, when their lips parted for an instant, Maggie looked into Alex’s eyes, exhaling the words, “I love you,” before they became lost in the passion of the morning.

  ***

  Their day had been filled like their night, and neither found a need to venture from the bedroom until their stomachs began to growl, and the hearths held only ash. As Alex gathered more wood, Maggie prepared dinner, and shortly after the fireplaces were stocked and their appetites satisfied, they returned to the bedroom in search of sleep.

  Under the quilt, naked and warm, Maggie appeared to have nodded off almost instantly, but Alex remained awake, thinking about the past two weeks. As she looked down at the woman in her arms, she noticed Maggie’s crucifix, and ever so gently, Alex reached over and ran her finger over the gold cross.

  Without opening her eyes, Maggie asked with a grin, “Admiring my jewelry?”

  “Amongst other things,” Alex quipped at her sleepy partner.

  Chuckling, Maggie rolled to her side, finally opening her eyes and smiling up at Alex. Noticing the pensive look on Alex’s face, she asked, “What are you thinking about?”

  Smiling softly, Alex replied, “I was thinking that I never thanked you for saving our lives.”

  “I think you’ve got that backward, sweetheart. You saved our lives, not me.”

  Shaking her head, Alex smiled softly as she pushed a few strands of hair behind Maggie’s ear. “How much do you remember about the crash and finding this place?”

  Thinking for a moment, Maggie said, “Just bits and pieces, I’m afraid. I remember being in the plane, and then everything started to spin, and the next thing I knew you were yelling at me to wake up. I honestly don’t remember much after that other than it was really cold, and I was…I was sure I was going to die.”

  “I know how you feel.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “After I got you out of the plane, we headed north like Busby told us to do. I have no idea how long we walked, but it felt like hours. When I finally found this place, I thought that everything was going to be okay, but when we got here, all the windows and doors were locked.”

  “What?”

  “It’s true. Every bloody one of them was padlocked,” Alex said, nodding her head. “I was so angry. We survived a plane crash and found a cabin in the middle of a blizzard, but without a key, we were going to die. I searched everywhere. I can’t tell you how many times I walked around this place…and then…and then I lost hope. There was nothing else to do, so I came back around front, pulled you up onto the porch and waited to die.” Seeing Maggie’s shocked expression, Alex offered her a weak grin. “I was so tired, darling. We had walked for so long, and when you couldn’t, I carried you. I was thirsty. I was hurt, and I was so bloody cold. I couldn’t think anymore. It was like ice invaded my brain, numbing my will to live. All I wanted to do was fall asleep, and even though I knew I wasn’t going to wake up, it…it didn’t seem to matter anymore.”

  The memories of that night came flooding back, and Alex frowned. The taste of defeat hadn’t been pleasant. Taking a ragged breath, she said, “As I was sitting there waiting for the inevitable, I propped the flashlight between us, so we wouldn’t have to die in the dark, and that’s when I saw this,” Alex said, pointing to the tiny gold cross. “I hadn’t noticed it before, but as I sat there with you in my arms, it shined brightly in the light. To tell you the truth, at first I thought it was a sign for me to make peace with God, you know? One final prayer to be said before sleep took us both, but then I remembered something.”

  Engrossed in Alex’s story, Maggie blurted anxiously, “What?”

  Smiling at Maggie’s impatience, Alex explained. “I notice things, things that other people miss sometimes. I guess that’s part of what makes me a good cop, I don’t know, but as I stared at your necklace, I remembered seeing something that I thought seemed a bit out of place.”

  “Such as?”

  “A crucifix.”

  “I don’t understand. Why would that be out of place?”

  “Even with the limited light I had that night, it was fairly easy to see that this place is quite rustic. Log walls, wood railings and all the hardware except for the padlocks was black iron.”

  “So?”

  “When I trudged around the cabin the first time, I noticed that there was a white cross hanging over the door to the small storage shed. I thought it was a bit odd that it was there and not over the front door, but at the time I was more concerned with finding a way inside, so I paid it no mind. It wasn’t until I saw your necklace when I remembered the crucifix, and the fact that it didn’t belong…at least not there. So, I went back and took it down, and that’s where I found the key.” Lightly fingering Maggie’s necklace, Alex said, “So you see, you saved our lives, because if you weren’t wearing this, we wouldn’t be here.”

  Processing what Alex had just told her, Maggie said, “By what you’ve said, you believe in God – yes?”

  “Yes, I do. There’s been a few times in my life when I found it hard to believe that there was one, but I just can’t grasp that there’s nothing or no one out there. Why?”

  “Maybe God saved our lives, so we could finally be together.”

  With a snort, Alex said, “Nice thought, but there are a lot of homophobes in the world that would dispute your theory, vehemently.”

  “I don’t care about them.”

  Raising an eyebrow in disbelief, Alex asked, “What happens when we get back to London?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Maggie, I don’t live behind doors anymore.”

  “I know that, and I don’t want you to.”

  “So what happens when we go out on a date and some creep says something, or we run into an old friend of yours? How are you going to handle that?”

  “To tell you the truth, I haven’t thought about it,” Maggie said, relaxing against a pillow. “If someone says something stupid, I don’t know how I’ll react, but when we run into someone I know, I’ll introduce you as my partner. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Some wouldn’t,” Alex said, thinking back to a time when another woman broke her heart.

  “Sweetheart, do you really think that I’d be here with you like this and say the things I’ve said to you, and then return home and act like none of this has happened? I’m not going to pretend that I don’t feel the way I feel about you, Alex. It’s taken me three years and a plane crash to finally come to terms with this, and I have no intention of changing my mind. You’re stuck with me, so you sure as hell better get used to it!” Maggie said, flashing Alex a toothy smile.

  Surprised at Maggie’s tenacity, Alex couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s not all I need to get used to. I seem to keep forgetting that you have a temper.”

  “And it’s a Scottish one at that,” Maggie replied in her best Scottish brogue.

  The thickened accent brought a smile to Alex’s face. They hadn’t spent a lot of time talking about their return to London, but now that the subject had been brought up, Alex had a few other things on her mind. “Okay, so I have another question.”

  “Jeez, I think I liked you better when you weren’t talking.” Although Maggie had meant it as a joke, when Alex’s face fell, she quickly added, “I was just kidding, sweetheart. What do you want to know?”

  “What about your father and…and your boyfriend?”

  “Ex-boyfriend,” Maggie said firmly. “Remember?”

  With a nod, Alex said, “Right, I stand corrected, but what about your dad? How do you plan to hide this from him?”

  “I don’t.”

  “What?”

  “When we get home, I’ll tell him,” Maggie said matter-of-factly.

  “Darling, look…um…this isn’t like you found a new dress or got a new puppy—”

  “You think I’m moving too fast, don’t yo
u?” Maggie asked, hearing the hint of worry in Alex’s tone.

  “Maybe…well…yeah, I do.”

  “I thought you liked it when I moved fast,” Maggie said with a twinkle in her eye.

  Rolling her eyes at the innuendo, Alex said, “I do, but you’ve got to be sure—”

  “Why do you keep thinking I’m not?” Maggie asked as she sat up and faced Alex. “Sweetheart, I’ve been in love with you since the day we first met. Yes, we’ve only just found each other, but I don’t see a point in denying what I feel anymore. I’ve wasted enough time, and when we get back home, I have every intention of telling my father about us.” Cupping Alex’s chin in her hand, Maggie continued, “Look, I’m not stupid. I know he’ll be upset, and probably worried that I’m making some huge mistake, but if I tried to hide this, which I wouldn’t, that would hurt him more than anything. For so long, it was only just him and me, and we’ve never had secrets, and I’m not going to start now. I can’t do that to him. He loves me and I love him, and he’ll be okay with this. I promise.”

  Unable to come up with a counterpoint, Alex leaned over, and kissed Maggie lightly on the lips. “I hope you’re right.”

  “I am, sweetheart, trust me,” Maggie replied, followed quickly by a tremendously long yawn.

  “I think someone needs some sleep,” Alex said, reaching over to turn down the wick of the oil lamp.

  Alex had no way of knowing that sleep was the last thing on Maggie’s mind until she rolled onto her back and found herself being quickly straddled by the naked Scot. Laughing at Maggie’s playfulness, Alex said, “Hey, I thought you were tired. What the hell are you doing?”

  “I think it’s called making up for lost time,” Maggie whispered as her hands traveled south.

  ***

  The next morning, Maggie shuffled into the kitchen to find Alex up to her elbows in sudsy water. “Whatcha doing?”