“Jerry, seriously? Are we sleeping on ice too? Cause I don’t think that’s going to be good for your love life, sweetheart.” I shivered in my wet cape and tried to wiggle my frozen toes. “Not at all.”
“Wait and see, my love.” He held my hand as we approached the desk.
I could tell he was trying not to laugh. Ha. The joke might be on him if I refused to sleep with him.
Luckily for the desk clerks, there was a cloth runner over the desk then computers just as you would expect in any high-end hotel. Every hotel worker wore a uniform in blue and gold. The men and women working behind the counter were obviously the top of the chain, their uniforms consisting of blazers and pants with a fancy logo on the breast pockets. To my relief, English seemed to come naturally to all of them. Of course Jerry knew a dozen or more languages and showed off his Swedish when he checked in.
“Of course, Mr. Blade. Your special suite is ready for you and Mrs. Blade.” The clerk answered in English anyway as he took our American passports.
I gave Jerry a narrow look. He knew I was keeping my last name. This century my Highlander was going by Jeremy Blade, which was fine with me. But I was not going to be “Mrs. Blade.”
“Thank you.” Jer didn’t correct the mistake. Of course he wanted everyone to know he’d finally tied me down. “Did my cousin leave something in the suite for us?”
“Yes, indeed. And nothing has been disturbed since she left, per your orders. No one will be coming in to clean or bother you.” The clerk actually winked at me. “We deal with honeymooners on a regular basis, you understand. If you decide to have the sheets changed, need fresh towels, or require anything, merely press 9 on your telephone and it will be done while you are out of the room on an excursion. There will be no need for you to ever be disturbed.”
“Excursion?” I took a brochure from a stack beside the computer. “What do you offer?”
“Madame, there are many wonderful amenities that you might enjoy. A cable car ride over the mountains while you both enjoy your own private steam bath.” The clerk’s eyes twinkled. “My wife and I have taken that one many times. It lasts approximately an hour and a half. Most, um, relaxing.”
“Oh, Jerry, we will definitely do that one.” I slid my arm around his waist.
“Can you book it for us for tomorrow night?” Jerry was already imagining it, I could tell.
“Very wise to get it set up now. It is very popular.” The clerk typed in something. “I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until next week for that one. But the reindeer sleigh ride is also very romantic and I can set you up for that one right away. The drivers are very discreet and we can arrange a picnic supper for you in an ice cave. Add champagne and you will find it most rewarding.”
“We won’t need a driver. I can handle a sleigh myself.” Jerry kept his arm around me. “I like the sound of a sleigh ride, Gloriana. Just the two of us to see the Northern Lights.”
“Have you ever driven a horse drawn carriage, sir? It’s not anything like steering a car, you know.” The man shook his head like he already knew the answer. “The reindeer are well trained but need a firm hand. Our drivers also know where to take you so that you can enjoy privacy safely. Not all the ice caves are right for a getaway. Global warming. It is something we deal with here in the North on a daily basis.”
“Trust me, I have driven all kinds of horse-drawn carriages. Who do I need to talk to about this?” Jerry leaned closer and slid a large bill across the counter. “As long as we have a map …”
“Certainly, sir. Sven is the man in charge of the stables. Convince him you can handle the reindeer and I’m sure there will be no problems.” The clerk smiled and tucked the bill in his pocket. “Now I see Madame is shivering. Can’t have that. Was it snowing outside?”
“No, her sled had a spill.” Jerry glanced around. “I assume the chalet I requested is heated.”
“Certainly, sir. It is not one of our ice chalets. It is made of wood and fully heated with all the luxury appointments that I’m sure you and Mrs. Blade are accustomed to in the finest hotels. There is also a fire going in the fireplace.” The clerk typed some more. “If you will set her wet things outside your door, I will have our very experienced dry cleaner get to work right away restoring her things.” He looked up, his face serious. “We are so very sorry, Madame. May I send a bottle of our finest Vodka to your room as an apology for the mishap? It is sure to warm you, Mrs. Blade.” He smiled tentatively, probably worried about a lawsuit. Americans had a certain reputation for being difficult. It was easy to read that in his mind.
“I don’t think so.” I leaned against Jerry. “My husband will take care of warming me. But I appreciate the offer. I know accidents happen. The driver was most apologetic. No harm done.”
The clerk laughed with relief. “Of course. It is your honeymoon.” He sighed, looking wistful. “I myself have been married for ten years. But we still enjoy a cuddle on a cold night. Eh?” He went back to his computer. “Now be sure to let us attempt to clean your clothes at our expense. And if anything was damaged, we will replace it, of course.”
Jerry grinned, obviously as eager for me to get warm as I was. “Excellent. Now we are more than ready to get to our room.” Jerry looked around. “I assume our chalet is outside.”
“Yes, sir. Your bags are already there.” The clerk signaled and a bellman hurried over. “Viktor, take Mr. and Mrs. Blade to the Sluten Suite. Here are your keys.”
I frowned. “Did he just call us sluts?”
Jerry laughed. “Sluten means club or exclusive. It’s their best chalet. Relax, wife.” He leaned closer. “Are you mad because he’s calling you Mrs. Blade?”
“I’m dealing with it. But back home I’m still Glory St. Clair, remember?”
He kissed the frown line between my brows. “Not liking it but I know. Your independence is just one thing I love about you. Now let’s get you out of those wet things. It’s surprisingly warm in here but he’s right, you’re shivering.”
We followed the bellman, Viktor, as he pointed out a beautiful restaurant, explaining the menu of continental cuisine. Bet he’d be surprised when we never ate there. Then he told us where the workout facilities were. Fat chance I’d ever get on a treadmill. I was stuck with my extra pounds and no amount of walks or runs to nowhere would ever get rid of them. Finally we came to another wooden doorway.
“There’s a great venue for dancing down the hall to the right.” He pointed to another wooden doorway. “Tonight is a seventies discotheque event. This part of Sweden has wonderful vodka and we feature drink specials nightly. Plus there is a good disc jockey. If you like to dance, you might enjoy it.” Viktor made a dance move that almost knocked Jerry into me.
“Oh, Jerry!” I held onto his arm. “You know I love to dance.”
“Yes, Gloriana.” He sighed. “And you know I’m not Patrick Swayze. But I’ll do my best.” He turned to Viktor. “What time is the dancing?”
“There are brochures in your room with all the details.” The man grinned. “I understand, sir. My wife drags me to dances too. I just stand there and she treats me like a May pole. You have those in America?”
Jerry laughed and clapped Viktor on the shoulder. “No, but I know exactly what you mean. The ladies do all the work and we’re there to make them look good.”
“Exactly, gentlemen.” I couldn’t help it. I could hear my teeth chattering. “Where is this room where we are staying?”
“Sorry, Madame.” Viktor stopped in front of yet another fancily carved wooden door. “We’ll be stepping outside now. To a covered walkway out to the individual chalets. Yours is at the very end because it is the largest. While I’m sure you’ve noticed that the main building of the hotel is carved out of solid blocks of ice, the rest of the Ice Palace is a combination of ice and wood. There are cold suites and warm suites. You have chosen a warm one and it’s built of locally grown wood.” He laughed. “Well, imported from Denmark anyway. You will find it very
comfortable. The ice portions of the hotel change from time to time as thaws take place but we are nearly at our deepest winter now so you need have no worries about the main structures. In the summer, we don’t rent the smaller cold places.”
“Good to know in case we come back. I understand there is almost no night in the summer here. Midnight sun, they call it.” Jerry grinned at me. “That must be interesting.”
I wasn’t talking. We were hurrying down a path that was obviously packed snow topped by a carpet runner. There were chalets of varying sizes that we passed set back from the main walkway, some farther than others. I couldn’t concentrate on any of it because I was so damned frozen in my wet clothes. And these two men were chatting like old friends!
“People who like outdoor sports really enjoy it.” Viktor stopped in front of yet another fancy wooden door and used a modern key card to open it. “Here we are. I can show you where everything is if you wish.”
“No, that’s fine. We’ll figure things out. Thanks, Viktor.” Jerry handed him a wad of bills. “My wife is cold and wet. We need to get her into a hot bath.”
“The bathroom is--” The bellman was trying to point to it but Jerry slammed the door in his face.
“I thought we’d never be rid of him. God, Gloriana, your hands are like ice, even through your gloves.”
“I know. Hot bath, sounds good.” I threw off my cape and sat on a bench. I was very afraid my new suede boots were ruined. I unzipped them and tugged them down to drop them on the floor beside me. I was glad to see our luggage had been deposited next to the king-sized bed.
“I’ll bet the hotel can fix the cape and boots, don’t worry.” Jerry didn’t have to read my mind to know what had me frowning. “I’ll start the water in the tub.” He headed for what I could see was a luxurious bathroom. The entire building was well appointed.
Thank God Jerry had opted for the warm room. A brochure on a table had pictures of the cold rooms. We could pick a night to try one if there was one available. Insane. The platform bed in those was a block of ice covered with furs that would supposedly make it comfortable. Yeah, right. I’d always been partial to pillow-top mattresses.
A fire roared in the large stone fireplace and I moved closer. I was chilled to the bone and quickly shucked my damp clothes. By the time I’d dropped my bra and panties onto the pile, I had at least stopped shivering in the warm room. Central heat. Thank goodness. Because my nightwear consisted of sexy and very skimpy nighties.
“Your bath is ready.” Jerry’s voice was low and almost a growl.
I loved the way he looked at me. As if he couldn’t ever get enough. Considering I wasn’t exactly a skinny Minnie, it was enough to make a woman throw back her shoulders and do a sexy strut. I sauntered over to him and trailed a finger down his open parka.
“You’re overdressed. You promised to wash my back.” I glanced into the bathroom. Enormous tub with jets. Ah, yes. We were in the slut suite for sure and I was more than ready to bring it. “Get naked and join me.”
He didn’t have to be told twice. I pinned up my hair and had just settled into the blissfully warm water with a sigh when I felt him at my back. His legs bracketed mine and I knew that once more my man was ready to make me very happy.
“This soap smells funny.” He held it in front of my face. “I recognize it but can’t think… What is this scent?”
I sniffed. “Hmm. Oranges.” I laughed. “I read once that it’s an ancient aphrodisiac. As if we need that.” I sighed as he rubbed the bar between my shoulder blades.
“I’m not complaining. I like it. And no, we don’t need it but anything that puts us in a loving mood is all right by me.” He soaped his hands then brought them around my back to work the soap onto my breasts. “How’s that?”
“Wonderful. You always know how to please me, Jerry.” I sighed and leaned against him. We were in no hurry. Three weeks to relax and play. I’d left my cell phone in airplane mode and hadn’t even considered turning it back on yet. He hadn’t checked his messages either. We both had competent people handling our businesses back home and we deserved this uninterrupted time together.
“You’re not falling asleep, are you?” Jerry kissed behind my ear. “I know we won’t have much daylight here, but our body clocks may not realize it.”
“Mmm. I’m not about to fall asleep. I was counting our blessings.” I turned in his arms, an awkward business that sloshed water onto the marble floor. I saw that we had a half dozen or more fluffy towels with bright blue embroidered letters on them. Good. So I didn’t worry when I sloshed some more as I got comfortable, my legs around Jerry’s waist.
“Blessings. Yes, we certainly have those.” He set the bar of soap on the tiled ledge next to him and pulled me against him. “Thank you for marrying me, Gloriana. I know it wasn’t what you planned.”
“I don’t plan, Jer. Haven’t you realized that by now? Because things keep happening that would have messed up anything I ‘planned’.” I kissed his chin then his jugular. As usual his blood called to me but there was plenty of time for that later.
“It’s true. We have had some mishaps through the years.” He brought his hands around and used his thumbs to rub my nipples. I felt the touch all the way to my inner thighs.
“Mishaps. Yes, I guess that’s one way to put them. Everything from demons to my parents showing up from Olympus.” I licked his ear and felt that wonderfully male part of him jerk between my legs. Oh, I did know what pleased my man.
“Yes, you do come with some baggage.” He kissed me deeply then, drinking in my taste as if he could never get enough.
I was feeling the same way. Jerry, my lover. My soul mate. By the time we pulled back and smiled at each other, I knew there were things I wanted to say. From my heart.
“I think I’ve always been afraid to make long-range plans, Jeremiah.” I raised my hands out of the water where they’d drifted down his body to set them on his shoulders. “But that stops now. I want us to think about the future. Make plans together. Set goals, work toward them. What do you think?”
“I’d like that.” His smile reached his eyes, warm dark brown eyes that could be hard as stone when he was acting the warrior. “Any idea what you want to aim for? A string of shops? A new home? Tell me, Gloriana. What do you want in the future?”
I ran my fingers through his thick dark hair then closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against his. I tried to concentrate but the warm water and the smell of his body and his blood overwhelmed my senses. What did I want in the future? I couldn’t imagine wanting more than what I had right at this moment. I had a man who loved me completely, every bit of me. I had enough money to live comfortably and friends who would always have my back. I shivered, suddenly wondering if there was another shoe ready to drop somewhere. Glory St. Clair had never had things easy. Never.
“What is it, lass? Surely there’s not something you’re afraid to tell me. Not after all we’ve been through together.” Jerry pushed my head down to his shoulder and just held me there, his arms strong and comforting. “If I can’t give you what you want now, I’ll find a way to make it happen.”
“I’m scared, Jerry.” I said this against his skin, the words barely a whisper. He heard me, of course. Vampire hearing.
“Why? Surely you know by now that I’ll protect you with my life.” He ran his hand over my head, careful not to dislodge the pins that were keeping it from getting wet. “Has someone threatened you?”
“No, that’s just it. For the first time in a long while, I’m completely happy. No threats, no problems.” I sighed and kissed the skin over his heart. “No reason to be worried at all.”
“Then stop your nonsense and remember what you said a while ago.” He pushed me away from him so he could look me in the eyes. “This is our time, Gloriana. To be happy, to have fun, to play and forget the rest of the world. Soon enough we can go home and let reality try to bite us again. As it always does.”
I smiled and kissed his
mouth, lingering over it until he grasped my head again, not so carefully this time. I was the one to push back when he was ready to take me then and there.
“Wait. I want to go back to the original question.”
“What question?” He had managed to slide his cock into me, making me gasp. “I think I have the answer right here.” He slid his hands onto my hips and held me so he could begin to move. “What do you think?”
“I think you’re distracting me.” I let him do it until I was beating on his shoulders with my fists and screeching his name. We both came with a shout and the bathroom floor was awash. More water there than was left in the tub.
“Well, that was interesting.” I climbed out and grabbed one of the thick terry robes the hotel had provided, waiting until I was out of the flooded bathroom before I slipped it on.
“Interesting and very satisfying.” Jerry wore the matching robe and pulled me close to the fireplace. He added a couple of logs and poked the fire until it blazed again.
“Now about that answer.”
“To a question I have forgotten.” He grinned at me and pulled me into his lap when he sat on a bench conveniently placed in front of the fire.
“It was what did I want in the future, you silly man.” I snuggled closer. “I know you never forget anything, so don’t start trying to claim that now.”
“I was letting you off the hook. That seems awfully serious for a honeymoon. If you don’t want to think ahead, I understand.” He pulled my robe closed, obviously still worried that I was chilled.
Chilled? Our romp in the tub had warmed me through and through. “That’s just it, Jer. I agree. I don’t think ahead. Never have. So asking me what goals I have or plans for the future is getting me all stirred up.” I wiggled in his lap. “And not in the way you want me to be on a honeymoon.”
Real Vampires and the Viking Page 2
