Series: Snapshots of the Past
Series: Snapshots of the Past
Story: The Nobel Laureate
Chapter 31
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: Jed was shocked to find that he liked Sven; Jed and Abbey decided that he should take up the offer to run for congress over a candlelight dinner for two that Jed had planned; Jed teased Abbey about the possibility of more surprises
Summary: Jed continues to have some fun with Abbey!
Rating: NC-17
"Are you taking me to a restaurant?"
Jed heard the question, but that wasn't one he expected. It took him a moment to turn away from his window to face his wife. "We just ate."
"I meant for a late dessert."
"You said you couldn't eat another bite"
"I know, but that could have been part of your plan when you ordered such a big meal."
"Yeah, because I'm all about the conspiracy." When she didn't respond to his crack, he turned back towards the window.
Then, several seconds later, Abbey called his name. "Jed?"
"No, Abbey, we're not going to another restaurant."
"Are you taking me to a club?" she asked.
"Nope. It's not a club."
"I'm going to keep guessing, you know."
"I know." He may have pretended to be annoyed, but he wasn't really. This was their game. Part of the fun of surprising Abbey was driving her wild with suspense. He loved her questions, the relentless way she pestered him, and he even loved that sometimes, when she was feeling really desperate for answers, she would slam him with frivolous threats she didn't really mean.
"Eventually, I will guess correctly and then you'll be in the uncomfortable position of ruining the surprise or lying to me."
"And I should choose the latter, right?"
"You do and you'll be sleeping on the couch for a week when we get back."
"Promises, promises."
The only thing that irked her more than his nonchalant attitude was that he took joy in the fact that it bothered her. "You're mocking me."
"Abbey..." he had to swallow a hearty laugh. "I'm really not. Though I must admit, I'm always amused watching the way you become frantically unhinged when you're not in the loop."
"I'm getting a headache and I bet you are too. So do us both a favor and tell me where we're going."
"I don't have to." Jed gestured out the window. "You can see for yourself."
Abbey leaned over to glance outside at the four-deck steamboat illuminated by a parade of lights. She looked to Jed for confirmation. "A steamboat?"
"It's quaint. That's what you said when we boarded a steamboat to Djurgården Island this morning." He got out of the car and took her hand to help her.
"Yes, but you had to have planned this a while ago, so why did you choose a steamboat?"
"Because by tomorrow, you'll agree that a ship is too pedestrian for this adventure."
"Adventure, huh? Now you've really piqued my interest."
"Oh NOW I have? As opposed to before when you were pouncing on me with questions?"
They boarded the boat, but Abbey stalled almost immediately. Holding on to the railing and gazing out at the water, she recalled a few romantic dinner cruises through the narrow locks of the River Thames when they lived in London.
Then she looked back fondly at the trip they took to Venice and the midnight gondola rides - under a cluster of stars - that sparked her love for cruising at night. Nothing could compare, she had told Jed all those years ago and now, as she stared into his eyes, she could see that he, too, remembered those words.
Though she was enchanted by the moonlight dancing above, after a few minutes, the December chill proved to be too much to handle, so she followed her husband as they made their way to their bridge-deck cabin, the Royal Suite.
It was much larger than Abbey expected, yet just as intimate as Jed wanted. She approached the closet with her coat and in front of her, she was stunned to find a familiar cocktail dress. She fingered the fabric, a rich burgundy velvet contoured to fit the swells of an hour-glass figure.
"Jed?"
"Yeah?"
"My dress is here." She held it out for him to see.
"Yeah."
"It was at the hotel. What's it doing here?"
"I had Alexander drop it off. You'll need it tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow night?"
"Yeah." He pursed his lips together and grinned.
"You're driving me crazy!" What's more, she knew he was doing it on purpose. If he really didn't want to be badgered for the rest of the night, he wouldn't have left her such cryptic clues.
He smirked. "What else is new?"
"Wherever we're going, we're getting there by boat."
"That's right."
"But you won't tell me where we're going?"
"Nope."
"It's not funny anymore."
"I don't think it's funny."
"Then why are you laughing?"
"I'm not laughing. I'm smiling."
"Just tell me why you won't you tell me."
"Abbey?"
"Yeah?"
"You ask way too many questions."
Jed embraced her with a kiss so warm that Abbey nearly melted in his arms. He gently pushed her backwards. The backs of her knees hit the mattress and before she could regain her balance, she fell onto the bed. He climbed on top of her then and framed her face with his hands, pausing when he locked into her pretty green eyes. Finally, he kissed her again.
"Jed?" Abbey murmured between kisses. "Jed?"
"I'm not telling you anything else, Abbey."
"I was just going to tell you to make sure the door is locked." He jumped out of bed and Abbey laid back with a Cheshire-cat grin, watching him curiously as he crossed the room in both directions. "What are you doing?"
"Stand up."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to tear your dress and I'm afraid I will if I don't get you out of that thing right now." He raised his brow and winked at her and within seconds, she was on her feet.
Turning her around, he unzipped the sexy black number she had worn that evening. As it slipped effortlessly over the gorgeous curves of her body, Jed was instantly mesmerized. She stepped out of her shoes and he helped her with her hose, two pairs of hands gliding them down her legs until she stood before him completely nude.
Abbey moved closer. Her finger twirled around the top button of his shirt. She didn't even wait to tear it open. They got rid of his pants next, but before he was out of his boxers, he urged her onto the bed. His strong, masculine hands then rubbed her shoulders, pressing deeper into her flesh when she moaned in pleasure. His mouth open, she felt his breath tickle her neck as he straddled her back and leaned forward.
"Hon?" she called out in a whisper, laying on her belly.
"Hmm?"
"Tell me this isn't your way of keeping me quiet."
Still on top of her back, Jed dipped his head to the side so he could see her face. "This is my way of showing you that you're just so beautiful, I can't help myself. If you wanna interrogate me some more later, go for it, but right now, I want to make love to you."
His statement alone sent a tingle up her spine. She gave him a quick kiss, then looked straight ahead, resting her chin on the back of her hand. "Okay. We'll do your thing first."
He reached down to pinch her rear. "Don't cheapen it."
"Ow!" Abbey chuckled. "Every good turn deserves another, Babe."
"I'm counting on it, Sweet Knees."
It took hardly any time for all the lingering questions Abbey had to fade softly out of her mind as she squirmed beneath him. His massage alone was enough to force her to surrender her curiosity, but when he bent forward to gently nibble on that sensuous little spot just below her ear, she completely unraveled.
Maybe it was the wine with dinner or the late night cruise that spurred her desire. Or maybe it was just that she enjoyed the flirtatious banter with Jed so much that her body was craving his touch. She wouldn't admit it to him, but there was a small part of her that thrived on the way he teased her as playfully as he had tonight. It reinforced his love for her and to Abbey, these romantic overtures were enough to make her as cooperative as putty in his hands.
She felt him dismount and move beside her. The featherlight tip of his nails barely scratched the skin above her spine and her hair fell in cascading waves over his head when he kissed her neck. His fingers wandered over her backside and the tender slope of her rear. Just as beautifully sculpted as the rest of her body, he noted as he urged her to separate her legs.
He sat between her open thighs. One finger grazed her center. He smiled, knowing she was already way ahead of him. She gasped when he cupped her there. One, then two fingers slid into her feminine depths while his thumb caressed her sensitive little nub and the folds of skin that sheltered it.
As she lay writing beneath him, her legs spread out and her fists clawing the sheets and balling them up so tight that her veins were nearly popping out at her wrist, he realized this wouldn't last much longer. He expected his ministrations to just get her started, but she unexpectedly clenched her muscles and bore down on the hand between her thighs. He used his free hand to rid himself of his boxers and with his other hand, he pushed up harder against her, stroking her repeatedly until she quickly reached a shattering climax.
And before she came down from that high, he grabbed her at the hip and flipped her onto her back, replacing the fingers inside her with his throbbing shaft. In one swift motion, he penetrated her while he smothered her with a shower of wet kisses in the soft valley between her breasts. She struggled to catch her breath. His face buried in her skin, Jed tucked his hands under her body and lifted her up to him.
Abbey, who was threading his thick mane of chestnut hair, paused to wrap her legs high around his waist when he lifted his head. She arched herself so fully into his frame and squeezed him so erotically that he couldn't wait another moment. He searched her eyes to be sure she was ready and the instant he saw that she was, he gripped both of her palms in his as he began to thrust deeply inside her.
Afterwards, a breathless Jed collapsed to the side of his wife, still cradling her at the waist and holding her tightly in front of him. Her fingers ran up and down the length of his arm until she yawned a little while later. Jed kissed the back of her head, then pulled the covers up over their bodies.
The wake-up call came rather early the next morning. Jed's hand snaked around the nightstand as he reached groggily for the phone. It was still dark out, but when he glanced over at the clock, he noticed there was only an hour left before sunrise.
"Abbey?" He shook her gently. "Abbey, wake up, hon."
"Huh? What's going on?"
"You know, for someone who's used to being woken up by a pager when she's on-call, you're an awfully deep sleeper when you want to be."
"We're on vacation. Why are you waking me?"
"We have to go."
"Go where?"
"To breakfast."
It took her a few minutes to sit up and wipe her eyes of the cobwebs. "You're kidding. It's the middle of the night."
"Nah, it just looks much darker because of where we are. It's actually seven in the morning."
"Then why am I so tired?"
"Because we didn't get to sleep until almost two."
"Good. Then let me sleep some more."
"Sorry. It's time to get up." He tugged on her hands to pull her up.
"Jed, I wanna sleep!" She fell back against her pillow.
"Okay, suit yourself. But just so you know, if you go back to sleep, I'm leaving here without you and I won't be back for several hours."
"I'm not a child, Jed. I can deal."
"And when I get back, I won't tell you where I went or what I did."
"I'll get over it."
"Okay."
Her blanket tied securely over her head, she ignored him rummaging around the cabin to get dressed. But inside her little cocoon, she couldn't help but wonder where he could possibly be heading at such an early hour.
She pulled back on the sheets far enough so that her eyes peeked over the hem and she watched him slide into a pair of blue jeans and a green Dartmouth sweatshirt. He also put on his wool overcoat and a pair of black leather gloves, making her think that wherever he was going was obviously not on-board the vessel.
She sat up once again. "Are we docked?"
"Yep."
"Where?"
"Somewhere north of Stockholm."
"Where exactly?"
"Honestly, Abbey, I couldn't tell you exactly where we are, but if you get up and come with me, you'll find out for yourself." He held out a pair of jeans he had packed for her along with her favorite red sweater.
"Jeans don't really go with mink."
"The mink is for tonight. The boots and the jeans are for this morning."
"It just never ends with you, does it?"
"Nope." He patted her rear as she headed into the bathroom.
"Jed, is it even safe out here?"
Just as the hour winded down and the navy blue sky began to fade into a lighter hue, Jed pulled a reluctant Abbey along a path up the slope of a hill towards an open field. Standing in the center of the icy landing, she covered her mouth with her hand in amazement. In front of her sat the most colorful hot-air balloon she thought she had ever seen.
"Back home, you said you wished we had time to see more of Sweden. This was the best I could do." He observed the way she looked at it, circling around the basket and staring at the envelope above.
"But...Jed..."
"Hold that thought. We're going to miss sunrise if we don't take off now."
"No, wait!" She grabbed his arm and jerked him still when he tried to take her hand. "You're afraid of heights."
"And fire," Jed added as he led her to the balloon's basket. "And let's face it, fire is how this baby flies."
"Yeah, so why are we doing this?"
"Because you're gonna love it."
"Not if you're miserable the whole time."
"I won't be. That's what this is for." Jed held up the picnic basket he had arranged for their in-flight meal. Among an assortment of breakfast pastries, he took out a couple of tall flutes, handing her one and keeping one for himself in hopes of drowning his fears in a chilled glass of orange juice mimosa.
"You're incredible." Abbey shook her head and smiled.
"I think once we're in the air, I'll be fine, but in the meantime, I'll just close my eyes and hold on to you. What do you say?"
"All right. Let's go."
They clinked their glasses and Jed took a long sip of his champagne cocktail, then wrapped his arms around Abbey and nodded to the pilot as soon as they were ready. He tried to talk himself out of it, to reason with his stubborn brain, but as if hypnotized by the sheet of ice that covered the ground, Jed's eyes were drawn to the launch pad as they lifted up into the air.
Abbey felt him tighten his grip and she turned in his hold, leveling his mouth to hers so she could distract him with a fast and furious liplock erupting with sensuous passion and lasting until after the first glimmer of sunlight broke over the horizon. And even then, she refused to allow him to look into the envelope, for that's where he'd see a ball of fire burning into the balloon.
His instructions were clear - look straight out into the open air. Don't look up, don't look down. It wasn't his daredevil personality that stopped him from remaining loyal to her orders, it was simply a shot of reverse psychology.
It didn't last long though. Soon, Jed relaxed against the wicker railing as he and Abbey became helplessly enraptured by the lush Swedish countryside coming to life under a radiant glow of red, orange, and amber streaks.
"Look at that mansion right there." Always the navigator, Jed pointed out landmarks that Abbey would have otherwise missed.
"Wow, it's huge!"
"Not counting all the castles and royal palaces, I bet it's the biggest private residence in the country. I'll tell you a secret."
"What's that?"
"That's where we're having dinner tonight."
"Whose house is that?" she quizzed him.
"You'll find out tonight."
"What happens tonight?"
"We're having dinner there."
Disappointed, Abbey smacked his shoulder. "Why do you do that?"
He laughed. "Because you love it."
If he only knew how right he was. If he only knew how much she liked the way he set up this excursion, dropping clues that would fuel her curiosity throughout the day. Though she was frustrated at not having all the answers, she relished watching him prance around, his face beaming with subtle expressions of triumph as if she'd never reclaim the upper hand.
She treasured the trouble he went to, not only to dazzle her with surprises, but to give her just enough information to keep her asking a barrage of questions, for she realized long ago that Jed knew that despite her staunch protests, piecing together the mystery made the experience that much more enjoyable.
He knew that because he knew her. Just as she told him the night before, she knew his heart. But what she left out was that he knew hers too.
This was the man she loved from the innermost depths of her soul. She adored his elegance and his class, the fact that he was extravagant enough to take her to a five-star French restaurant, a midnight cruise along the coast of Sweden, and a hot-air balloon ride over the charming hamlets of the snowy countryside, yet unpredictable enough to book a 1930s steamboat rather the cruise liner she expected.
It was typical Jed.
And as Abbey rested her head on his shoulder, she tucked her hand under his coat and coiled it around his waist so she could feel as close as possible to this sweet, caring, thoughtful man beside her for the rest of their four-hour journey high above the ground.
TBC