AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Eventually we crested a rise, and below us a bright, shimmering jewel was revealed. Lit up from beneath, a vast series of turquoise blue waters lay spread jaggedly over a long area, complete with lighted bridges, boardwalks, and covered awnings. The whole thing was obscured by what looked to be steam rising up fromeverywhere.
“Is that—”
“The Blue Lagoon,” my driver said, smiling. “Geothermal spa set in a lava field. We’re going there.”
“Is it warm?”
“Thirty-nine degrees.”
I squinted down, trying to peer through the steam. “That doesn’t sound very—”
“Celsius.”
“Oh.”
“That would be about a hundred and two,” he reasoned, “in your American units of temperature.”
I chuckled. “Thanks for doing the math.”
“Most welcome,” he replied. “Makes sense to warm you up a little before wehuntyou.”
I caught his eye in the rear-view mirror again and he winked. I smirked back at him.
Not five minutes later I was being escorted into the Silica Hotel, at the far edge of the gorgeous blue lava pools. The place was large but not enormous, with a sleek, modern-day aesthetic that blended well into the jagged lava-formed countryside.
“Here’s where you and I say goodbye,” my driver said, tipping his hat again and smiling with his eyes. “It’s been a pleasure.”
He was gone before I could dig anything out of my pocketbook for him, and my bag was already being rolled down a hall. With the check-in already apparently done, I was handed a key and escorted to a room at the far end of a beautifully-paneled hallway.
The whole way, I was taking in the many sights and sounds. Locals, chatting excitedly in Icelandic. Foreigners, speaking all different languages as they padded over the warm wood floors that led to and from the many outdoor boardwalks.
Everywhere I looked there was floor-to-ceiling glass, allowing me to peer out over the snow-blasted tundra. Way off in the misty distance, I could make out the shadowy forms of the giant, lava-rock mountains.
My room was clean and utilitarian, exactly as I expected it would be. It had modern square-cut furniture and smooth, featureless walls. The cabinets — in lieu of a dresser — were plain. The ‘bar’, empty and open. A dark panel of glass served as a television over a shelf that was supposed to serve as a desk. I only knew that because it had several outlets and charging ports, lined up in a strip.
There was also a crisp, freshly made bed. In fact… there were two of them.
That little bastard.
I dropped my things and set my hands on my hips with a sigh. In some ways Elliot was a total enigma. In others, he was wholly predictable.
“All business,” I sighed into the empty hotel room. “No pleasure.”
For some reason my hands wandered over my lower belly. I thought about last night, which was now twelve-plus hours and almost three thousand miles away. It was entirely possible the deed was done. Especially after how thoroughly the others had plundered me last night, I might already be pregnant.
That would be a damned shame.
Had I really just thought that? Shit. It was our goal, wasn’t it? The guys’ dream, to start their family? It was selfish of me to want to drag it out any longer than necessary. As much as I’d had last night, it hadn’t been recreational. The whole thing had been for a much larger purpose.
All business, no pleasure?
I flopped onto the bed, staring up at an entirely different ceiling. Fine. Maybe it could be businessandpleasure. After all, why the hell not?
“Two birds, one stone,” I said out loud, just as the door to my room opened.
My head whipped sideways in alarm. I was relieved to see Elliot step inside, and begin removing his coat.
“Were you just talking to someone?” he asked.
