CHAPTER 40

CHAPTER 40

Elin had missed this. It hadn’t been all that long since she’d last touched Ingrid, but it had still been too long. Ingrid was removing her shirt as they sat there on her sofa, and Elin was watching, not being able to help her smile: Ingrid loved her. The thing she never thought possible had actually happened: Ingrid Olson was in love with her. And they were going to tell the world that they were together.

“What are you thinking about?” Ingrid asked, dropping her own bra to the floor.

“That I can’t believe this is happening.”

“That we’re about to–”

“No, that you love me,” Elin replied, shaking her head. “I just never thought it would happen. I never thought I’d have the courage to tell you how I felt; but that if I did, I assumed you’d tell me you were still waiting on your future husband. I didn’t know this was possible.”

“Well, it is. And it’s not just possible – it’s reality, my love.”

Ingrid cupped Elin’s cheeks, and Elin’s smile widened.

“What?” Ingrid asked.

“That’s what Elizabeth calls Palmer all the time.”

“My love?”

“Yes,” Elin replied.

“Would you prefer something else?” Ingrid asked, reaching for Elin’s shirt. “Let’s see… I’ve called you ‘sweetheart.’ I don’t remember; have I called you ‘dear’ yet?”

“I don’t think so,” Elin said, laughing a little as her shirt hit the sofa. “But that’s what my father calls my mother, so…”

“Ah, I see.” Ingrid nodded. “Well, there’s always ‘babe’ or ‘baby.’ ”

“I like ‘my love,’ ” Elin replied, unbuttoning Ingrid’s pants. “I don’t know that I’m a ‘baby’ or ‘babe’ person.”

“Well, you are a Queen.” Ingrid winked at her as she reached to unbutton Elin’s pants. “Can we go to the bedroom?”

“I thought Sarah wasn’t–”

“She’s not. But I want slow. If I only have you for a few hours, Elin, I want all of them to be spent touching each other.”

Elin nodded and said, “Yes, my love.”

Ingrid stood up and kicked off her pants, leaving her in only her panties before she took Elin’s hand and they walked the short distance to her bedroom. Then, Ingrid sat on the end of the bed and watched as Elin removed her bra, kicked off her shoes and pants, and stood there in only her gray underwear. Elin stared at the near-naked love of her life, and in that moment, she felt more confident that she was making the right decision to tell her country that not only was she gay but that she was madly in love with her former private secretary.

“I love you,” Elin said as she lay Ingrid back on the bed and slid on top of her.

“I love you, too,” Ingrid replied, sliding her hands immediately inside of Elin’s underwear, gripping her ass, and pressing Elin down against herself. “I’ve missed this.”

Elin laughed a little and said, “You’ve missed tickling me?”

“I’ve missed all of it.”

Elin sat up and pulled Ingrid’s panties off before she stood and tossed her own aside. Then, she lay back on top of her as Ingrid spread her thighs in order to allow Elin to settle between them.

“I’m staying tonight,” Elin stated as she slowly began to rock.

“You said you–”

“I do. I’ll just wake up earlier. I don’t want to be without you tonight, Ingrid. I just…” Her hips continued to move as Ingrid’s hands slid up and down her back. “You can’t move into the palace until we’re married, but I have a private residence I never use that’s technically mine. My parents gave it to me when I finished law school. We can move in there. Well, you can, and I can stay there whenever I can.”

“When we get married?” Ingrid smirked up at her.

“Yes,” Elin replied confidently. “When you become my wife, Ingrid, I hope you’ll move into the palace with me. We can keep the residence, too. We can go back to the island whenever you want. We–”

“You don’t have to sell it to me, Elin,” Ingrid interrupted. Then, she gasped as Elin pressed her lips to Ingrid’s neck. “Oh, that’s good, though.”

“Yeah?” Elin asked.

“Yes, you can keep doing that.”

“I will,” Elin replied, kissing that same spot again. “One day, I’m going to ask you to marry me.” She kissed Ingrid again. “The country will call you their Queen Consort.” Elin moved her lips to Ingrid’s jaw. “My nieces and nephews will call you ‘Aunt Ingrid.’” She stared down at Ingrid. “I’ll call Sarah my sister, and you’ll do the same with Lillian and Mari.”

Ingrid ran her hand through Elin’s hair and said, “I know there’s the whole big, televised ceremony, but…”

Elin’s instinct was to worry that this was too much to say right now; Ingrid had only just told her for the first time that she loved her. And here Elin was, projecting their entire futures while they made love. She allowed herself a moment to look into Ingrid’s green eyes, seeing that future there and knowing that it would all be okay.

“Can we do something small, too?” Ingrid requested. “Just for our families? I think my stepdad and mom would really like that. And I know I would.”

Elin nodded and said, “Whatever you want, my love.”

◆◆◆

“Ingrid, I need to hop in the shower. I’m running to the farmer’s market, and they run out of the best stuff before eight.”

Elin pulled back at the shower curtain a bit and said, “Not Ingrid.”

“Holy shit! There’s a Queen in my shower,” Sarah Anne yelped.

Elin laughed and said, “Sorry. I’ll be out in a minute. I have to leave early myself.”

“Where’s my sister?”

“In bed. She’s still sleeping.”

“Well, you better not plan on leaving her another note, Elin.” Sarah crossed her arms over her chest.

Elin smiled and said, “I woke her up before I came in here and told her I had to run. I’ll kiss her before I go, too.”

“So, you two had a good night last night?”

“We did, yes,” Elin replied.

“I’m glad. I wasn’t planning on stopping by this morning, but I forgot my market membership card – it gets me the restaurant discount. I figured I’d just take a shower here, too, but I didn’t expect you to be using it.”

“Well, I’d be done by now, but you’re still talking to me,” Elin reminded.

“Oh, shit. Sorry, yeah.”

Sarah made a wide motion with her hands and then left the bathroom. Elin laughed and returned to her shower. A few seconds later, the door opened again. She peeked her head out, expecting to see Sarah Anne again but seeing a very sleepy Ingrid instead.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” Elin said.

“For what?” Ingrid asked, stepping out of her clothes. “I just wanted to take a shower with you before you left.”

“Your sister is here.”

“I know. I saw her.” Ingrid climbed into the shower.

“She’s going to know you’re in here with me.”

“So?” Ingrid wrapped her arms around Elin’s neck and pulled her in for an embrace.

“I told her I was almost done,” Elin replied, wrapping her own around Ingrid’s waist.

“Five minutes!” Sarah yelled from the other side of the door. “So, no shower sex!”

Elin laughed against Ingrid’s neck. “I think I could probably get you there in under five minutes.”

“Oh, I know you can, but I just wanted to hold you before you left.”

“You didn’t have to get into the shower with me to do that,” Elin replied, pulling back to look at her.

“I know. I wanted to, though. Wash my hair for me?”

“Of course,” Elin replied.

A few minutes later – though, she doubted it was under five – they were dried and dressed and heading out into the living room where Sarah Anne was sitting on the sofa, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor.

“I made you coffee and you tea,” she said first to Ingrid and then to Elin. “I guess I’m the kind sister.”

“Well, Ingrid is a pretty kind sister, too,” Elin replied.

“I am?” Ingrid asked, resting her tired head against Elin’s shoulder as they stood there.

“Yes. She asked if I could, perhaps, work out a little trip for the two of you to St. Rais to revisit certain hot springs,” Elin said.

Ingrid lifted her head and looked at her quizzically. Okay, it had been Elin’s idea. But Sarah Anne didn’t have to know that.

“You did?” Sarah asked. “Really?”

“Do you want to go?” Elin asked.

“Of course, I do,” Sarah replied, shooting up off the sofa. “When?”

“Whenever you’d like,” Elin replied.

“When can you get away?” Ingrid asked Elin.

“It’s not for me; it’s for you two,” Elin said, kissing her on the cheek. “Just name the days, and I’ll work out a reservation for you two. I can get a few private tours booked for you as well.”

“Really? We didn’t have money for that stuff back then,” Sarah said.

“Of course,” Elin replied.

Sarah glared at her. “Wait… Is this because you two just had sex in my shower or something?”

“We did not have sex in our shower, Sarah,” Ingrid replied, laughing at her sister. “Come on,” she added to Elin, pulling her into the bedroom. “I know you have to leave, but can I make your tea to-go?”

“Sure,” Elin said, kissing her sweetly on the lips.

“And, I guess…” Ingrid pulled Elin against herself. “I have another question.”

“Okay…” Elin wondered why Ingrid seemed a little nervous when that was usually something reserved for her.

“When, exactly, could I potentially move into that private residence you mentioned?”

Elin laughed, pulled her in for a hug, and said, “After the ceremony, if you want.”

“I want,” Ingrid replied.