thoroughly. Her breasts felt just as gorgeous
when they were soapy, but he regretted he couldn’t lick off the suds. He knew
edible soap existed—he’d have to look into getting some.
He used the washcloth to wipe himself down with efficiency
rather than anything else. After he’d shut off the water, he wrapped her in a
warm towel. She gave him a smile and a husky word of thanks.
Once they were dry, he unwrapped them both, dropped the wet
towels to the floor and swung her into his arms, carrying her to the bed and
laying her on the rumpled sheets.
He straightened and glanced around the room, remembering
that he hadn’t locked the door when they’d come in, too eager to get to the bed
and see her naked. As he crossed the room, he saw the abandoned cart with two
cold cups of coffee resting on it.
Recalling what had started this, the way she’d looked at the
sweets and then at him, obviously struck with the same idea as he was, he
picked up the desserts and stowed them away in the fridge. The raspberries
would look wonderful balanced on her nipples, inviting him to taste the sweet
juice, lap her up. The thought made his mouth water but he stopped only long
enough to chug down a glass of water because his lady was waiting for him in
bed.
Another time, they’d play. He promised himself that treat.
He fell asleep holding her close, listening to her gentle
snores and trying to memorize the way she snuggled in close to him. This time
he wouldn’t cut communication. He’d stay her good friend in everything.
And when the time came to part, he’d try to pretend he
didn’t want more than her friendship.
Chapter Five
In the car on the brief journey to the venue at Malmö,
Sabina clutched Hunter’s hand as if it were a lifeline. Darkened windows showed
a horde of people outside the car, kept at a distance only by beefy security
guards. He turned his head to her. “Scary,” she mouthed.
He smiled. “You get used to it.” She saw his throat working
and realized he was speaking for real.
A tap on her leg told her that Emmelie, sitting on her other
side, was displeased. Sabina faced her. “You should not speak aloud,” Emmelie
signed. “It puts you at a disadvantage.”
Sabina released Hunter’s hand and answered in the same
method, difficult because she didn’t want to move away from him. “It doesn’t
when I speak with Hunter. You know I can speak verbally.” She felt more
comfortable using her hands like this, ignoring the muffled pandemonium going
on outside. “In your house I will respect your wishes.”
Emmelie smoothed her perfectly coiffed blonde hair then
signed again. “They will laugh.”
Sabina frowned. Had they laughed at Emmelie? Unlike her,
Emmelie had been born deaf, so her intonation would be awkward. She’d never
heard Emmelie articulate anything except sighs, sounds of exasperation and the
occasional laugh. Her laugh had a braying tone to it, but it occurred so
infrequently that most people were glad to hear it.
No sign of a laugh today. Emmelie had boarded the plane that
morning with what seemed to Sabina suspicious equanimity. She’d brought work
with her and spent a lot of time texting during the short flight to Malmö. At
the airport, she’d stepped into the car that took them to their hotel without
complaint.
Now, a few hours later, they were on their way to the
concert. The stadium held nearly twenty thousand, so the roads were filling up.
The band had stayed put after the sound check, but Hunter had come back to pick
them up.
Sabina decided to go with the flow and drank up the new
experience, her excitement steadily increasing as they approached the stadium.
The slow inching through the crowd in the car with darkened windows felt to her
like something out of a story, but Emmelie took it in stride, busy on her phone
once more, until she’d stopped to talk with her son.
“They will not laugh,” she signed now. “If they do, I’ll
turn my back.”
Hunter waved his
when they were soapy, but he regretted he couldn’t lick off the suds. He knew
edible soap existed—he’d have to look into getting some.
He used the washcloth to wipe himself down with efficiency
rather than anything else. After he’d shut off the water, he wrapped her in a
warm towel. She gave him a smile and a husky word of thanks.
Once they were dry, he unwrapped them both, dropped the wet
towels to the floor and swung her into his arms, carrying her to the bed and
laying her on the rumpled sheets.
He straightened and glanced around the room, remembering
that he hadn’t locked the door when they’d come in, too eager to get to the bed
and see her naked. As he crossed the room, he saw the abandoned cart with two
cold cups of coffee resting on it.
Recalling what had started this, the way she’d looked at the
sweets and then at him, obviously struck with the same idea as he was, he
picked up the desserts and stowed them away in the fridge. The raspberries
would look wonderful balanced on her nipples, inviting him to taste the sweet
juice, lap her up. The thought made his mouth water but he stopped only long
enough to chug down a glass of water because his lady was waiting for him in
bed.
Another time, they’d play. He promised himself that treat.
He fell asleep holding her close, listening to her gentle
snores and trying to memorize the way she snuggled in close to him. This time
he wouldn’t cut communication. He’d stay her good friend in everything.
And when the time came to part, he’d try to pretend he
didn’t want more than her friendship.
Chapter Five
In the car on the brief journey to the venue at Malmö,
Sabina clutched Hunter’s hand as if it were a lifeline. Darkened windows showed
a horde of people outside the car, kept at a distance only by beefy security
guards. He turned his head to her. “Scary,” she mouthed.
He smiled. “You get used to it.” She saw his throat working
and realized he was speaking for real.
A tap on her leg told her that Emmelie, sitting on her other
side, was displeased. Sabina faced her. “You should not speak aloud,” Emmelie
signed. “It puts you at a disadvantage.”
Sabina released Hunter’s hand and answered in the same
method, difficult because she didn’t want to move away from him. “It doesn’t
when I speak with Hunter. You know I can speak verbally.” She felt more
comfortable using her hands like this, ignoring the muffled pandemonium going
on outside. “In your house I will respect your wishes.”
Emmelie smoothed her perfectly coiffed blonde hair then
signed again. “They will laugh.”
Sabina frowned. Had they laughed at Emmelie? Unlike her,
Emmelie had been born deaf, so her intonation would be awkward. She’d never
heard Emmelie articulate anything except sighs, sounds of exasperation and the
occasional laugh. Her laugh had a braying tone to it, but it occurred so
infrequently that most people were glad to hear it.
No sign of a laugh today. Emmelie had boarded the plane that
morning with what seemed to Sabina suspicious equanimity. She’d brought work
with her and spent a lot of time texting during the short flight to Malmö. At
the airport, she’d stepped into the car that took them to their hotel without
complaint.
Now, a few hours later, they were on their way to the
concert. The stadium held nearly twenty thousand, so the roads were filling up.
The band had stayed put after the sound check, but Hunter had come back to pick
them up.
Sabina decided to go with the flow and drank up the new
experience, her excitement steadily increasing as they approached the stadium.
The slow inching through the crowd in the car with darkened windows felt to her
like something out of a story, but Emmelie took it in stride, busy on her phone
once more, until she’d stopped to talk with her son.
“They will not laugh,” she signed now. “If they do, I’ll
turn my back.”
Hunter waved his
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