"I will take that as a yes." Laughter was in his voice as he turned his attention to my other breast, one hand starting to move downward. I sucked in my stomach, but needn't have worried—his hand kept drifting lower until he reached points south.

"I'm sorry, I don't wax," I blurted out, suddenly mortified. What if all European women were naked down there, or at least trimmed? "I tried a bikini wax once, when my girlfriend was getting married, and she begged me to try it with her, but I almost passed out from the pain, and swore I'd never do anything like that again."

His hand, which had paused a moment as I babbled, nudged my legs apart. "You make the most interesting bed talk, Pia. I assure you, I am not shocked or horrified. And please relax, my love. Your legs are as tense as a tightrope walker's."

I made an effort to relax and just enjoy the ride, wondering if I should bring up the subject of condoms now, or wait until things got a bit more heated. I assumed it would take Alec a while to regain his stamina, so it probably could wait.

That was my last coherent thought as his fingers dipped down into sensitive areas, his tongue swirling at the same time across one tender nipple. His fingers danced as I writhed on the bed, my hands clutching his shoulders as he spun me higher and higher. It didn't take long to send me flying, and I had a horrible feeling I shouted out something completely inappropriate as my body burst into a nova of pleasure.

His laughter wrapped around me in a cocoon as I regained my senses. "You are so very responsive, my adorable one. That does wonders for my ego."

I was about to tell him that there was no need for his ego to doubt his abilities when he rolled me onto my side and snuggled up behind me, his breath brushing my ear as he spoke. "I am delighted to have found you, Pia. More delighted than you can ever know."

I lay for a bit in confusion, listening as his breathing evened out and eventually fell into a sleepy rhythm. My emotions were in a tangle, disappointment raising its ugly head. Despite the orgasm, I felt as if the whole experience had ended too abruptly, as if it was unfinished.

"Don't be ridiculous," I whispered to myself. "Just because you didn't need the condoms doesn't mean anything. He's a man, and they can't do these things as frequently as women can. Be happy he didn't just roll over and go to sleep as soon as he got his jollies."

The words made sense but felt hollow nonetheless. Perhaps Alec had intimacy issues. Perhaps he was tired, and just didn't have a lot of stamina that evening. Perhaps he was one of those once-a-night guys, and that was that.

"Stop finding fault with the poor man," I murmured, and snuggled back against him, enjoying the feeling of a warm body spooned up behind me.

Besides, I had two more days in Iceland. There would be other opportunities.

Chapter 5

Mindful of the horrors of morning breath, I kept my mouth firmly closed as I rolled over to see if Alec was awake. To my utter disappointment—and, if I was strictly honest, a lot of relief, since I'd been wondering how to make it to the bathroom without him getting a good look at my butt—the bed was empty of insanely handsome, green-eyed men.

"Crap," I said aloud, then cocked an ear to listen for sounds of occupation in the bathroom. There were none, but the bathroom door was closed.

"Good morning," I called out brightly as I snagged my bathrobe from a nearby chair and pulled it on, adjusting it so that it left some cleavage showing while covering less savory parts. "I hope you don't mind that I'm one of those annoying morning people. I've tried to be a little less chipper in the morning, but I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about it. I'll just order us some breakfast, OK?"

There was no dissenting comment, so I dialed the number for room service and placed an order for a breakfast for two.

"Coffee or tea for breakfast, Alec?" I asked, one hand over the phone.

I frowned after another moment of silence.

"Madam?" the room service person prodded.

"Um… how about one coffee and one tea," I said to cover both bases, then hung up and went to the bathroom door. "Alec? Do you prefer coffee or tea?"

No sound of running water greeted me. There was a faint scrabbling sound, however, a sort of odd rustle that had me suddenly panicked. What if he'd slipped and hit his head on the counter? "Alec, are you OK in there?"

Silence met my question, silence that was broken only by what sounded like a whimper.

"I'm coming in. I hope you don't mind, but if you're hurt or stuck or something, I can help."

The bathroom faced southeast, and I knew from previous mornings would be filled with morning sunlight diffused through the privacy glass. I opened the door slowly, relieved to see that there was no man hunched over the toilet injured or being sick. That relief immediately turned to horror as the door swung all the way open.

"Oh dear god!" My skin crawled as I ran forward at the sight of the bloodied body that lay slumped up against the cupboard beneath the sink, the handle of a knife protruding from the chest. "Oh my god!"

It wasn't a man's body—it was a woman. A woman whose eyes opened slightly as I squatted next to her, unsure of what I should do. There was so much blood, sprayed on the wall and door opposite, splattered on the floor and sink and shower glass. "Don't move. I'll call the aid unit," I told the woman, then did a double take when I realized I knew her. "Anniki?"

She made a horrible mewing noise, her hands fluttering toward the knife as I spoke. "Take… it."

I stared in horror at the bloody knife. Only the handle was visible, the blade having clearly been sunk deep into her chest cavity.

"Take…"

I touched the hilt, giving it the slightest of tugs. If it wasn't in as far as I thought, perhaps she just didn't have the strength to yank it out.

It didn't budge.

"I'm sorry, Anniki, but I don't think that's a good idea. On the cop shows I've seen, they always leave things in people when they take them to the hospital."

"Take…" She gasped, her eyes opening wide suddenly. Her hands grabbed me with a strength that startled me, her fingernails digging into the soft flesh of my palm.

I bit back a yelp as pain laced my hand.

"Let justice roll down like waters," she said, her voice taking on a strange, distant timbre, "and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."

"What… ? I don't…"

"You must right the wrongs," Anniki begged. "Promise me!"

"I promise!" I said hastily, trying to pull my hand back, more than a little sickened at the sight of all the blood. The way her fingernails dug into my flesh, I assumed some of it was going to be mine. "I swear to you that I'll do anything you want, only let me go call for some help first."

A horrible gurgling noise rose from deep in her chest as she released my hand, reaching for her neck, her hands so slick with her own blood that her fingers fumbled with the clothing. "Take it. Follow the light. Make things… right. Be the stream."

The gurgling noise grew as she whimpered with frustration, her hands finally closing around a thin chain worn around her neck. She pulled it off slowly, the chain cutting into her flesh for a second before it snapped. "Remember the light. Always remember…"

Her hands closed around mine, cold and wet with blood. I stared in horror that seemed to have no end as her eyes rolled back in her head. Her hands dropped limply to the floor, and I knew with absolute conviction that she had just died.

Every atom in my body recoiled with revulsion, my brain screaming at me to get away from the dead person. I don't know how long I stared with dumb incomprehension at her slackened face before my gaze finally drifted to my hands. They were covered in blood now, deep, crimson, crescent-shaped welts on my palm indicative of just how hard she'd gripped my hands. My blood mingled with hers as I stared in horror down at myself—it wasn't just my hands that were bloody; my arms and much of the front of my bathrobe were soaked red.