Page 30 of Trapped with the Ice Queen

“Alex,” Vivienne said softly, breaking the silence. Her voice carried no demand, only an invitation. She reached out, her hand hovering in the space between them, waiting.

Alex’s eyes flicked to hers, the firelight reflecting in their depths. She hesitated for a moment longer, then stepped forward, taking Vivienne’s hand. Alex’s fingers were rough but warm, their touch grounding.

“You don’t have to,” Alex murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I know,” Vivienne said, her thumb brushing over the back of Alex’s hand. “But I want to.”

The simplicity of the admission seemed to disarm Alex, her shoulders softening as she allowed Vivienne to guide her closer. Vivienne rose to her feet, her fingers still tangled with Alex’s, and stepped into the space between them, closing the gap. The warmth of Alex’s body was a comfort, steady and real, and Vivienne leaned into it, letting herself be enveloped in the moment.

“This isn’t just…” Alex began, her voice faltering.

“I know,” Vivienne whispered again, cutting her off gently. She cupped Alex’s face in her hands, her touch light but deliberate, coaxing Alex to meet her gaze. “It’s not just that for me either.”

The weight of her words hung in the air between them, and for a moment, Vivienne worried she’d said too much. But then Alex leaned forward, resting her forehead against Vivienne’s, her breath warm against her cheek.

“Okay,” Alex said, the word a quiet surrender.

Vivienne smiled, relief and possibility blooming in her chest. She tilted her head, her lips brushing against Alex’s in a kiss thatstarted soft but deepened quickly, the tension between them finally breaking. Alex’s hands found Vivienne’s waist, pulling her closer, and Vivienne melted into her, her fingers tangling in Alex’s hair.

When they broke apart, both of them were breathing heavily. Alex’s eyes searched Vivienne’s, her expression unguarded in a way Vivienne hadn’t seen before.

“Come to bed with me,” Vivienne invited.

Alex nodded, her hand trailing down to find Vivienne’s again, and allowed herself to be led, her usual confidence replaced by something softer, more vulnerable. They climbed into the bed together, the quilt pulled up around them, cocooning them in shared warmth.

For a moment, they simply lay there, facing each other in the flickering candlelight. Vivienne’s eyes danced across Alex’s face, as if trying to memorize every detail, and she reached out, her fingers brushing over the scar on Alex’s cheek.

“Does this still hurt?”

“Not anymore,” Alex said, her voice rough but tender. “Not like it used to.”

Vivienne nodded, her handsliding down to rest in the middle of Alex’s chest, feeling the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. “Good,” she said. “You don’t deserve to carry pain forever.”

She felt, more than heard, Alex’s breath catch, her eyes narrowing as though she were about to respond, but Vivienne didn’t give her the chance. She leaned in, pressing her lips to Alex’s again, this time with more urgency. Alex responded in kind, her hands finding Vivienne’s back, her touch strong but careful.

Vivienne shifted, taking the lead and surprising herself. She guided Alex’s hands to her waist, encouraging her touch, and Alex obeyed, her usual dominance melting into trust.

She could tell Alex wasn’t used to this—not being in charge. Alex’s movements were more hesitant, as if unsure of what to do.

Vivienne leaned in to kiss her then looked in her eyes. “Can I?” She motioned to take off Alex’s shirt, and Alex nodded slowly, lifting up her back to let Vivienne remove the shirt.

Vivienne pulled it over Alex’s head andgently put it on the floor by the bed, along with her own shirt.

“You’re beautiful, you know that?” Vivienne said before she could stop herself.

Alex stayed quiet for a few beats before she whispers a quick “thank you,” clearly not used to the affection.

Vivienne leaned down to kiss her, but before she could sink deeper into the kiss, Alex rolled her over so she was on the bottom now. Alex deepened the kiss, and Vivienne could feel all the passion they’d been holding back.

Vivienne ran her hand down Alex’s body, feeling all her curves. She reached Alex’s waistband, and tested the waters by letting her fingers dip a little beyond the waistband. When she didn’t feel any resistance from Alex, she maneuvered her hands to unbutton her pants, letting it stay open. She decided to let Alex decide how far she was willing to go, but Vivienne didn’t have to wait long because Alex wriggled out of her pants, leaving her just in her panties.

Vivienne responded in kind, shimmying out of her own pants and kicking them to the floor. She didn’t feel as exposedas she had expected. None of the same fervor from the last couple times were there, and all that was left was a deep desire from each of them.

Vivienne reached up, pulling Alex on top of her, feeling her weight press down on her. Alex rolled to the side, surprising Vivienne, and they lay side by side again, facing each other.

Before Vivienne had time to think, Alex closed the gap between them and kissed her, drawing her body closer until they were flush against each other. Vivienne could feel Alex’s hands slide down the side of her body, over her waist, along her hips, down her leg, tracing her silhouette. Vivienne inhaled deeply, trying to commit the touch to memory as she instinctively pressed closer against Alex, even though there wasn’t any room between them.

Alex’s hand made their way back up her leg and made a diagonal line before her fingers stopped right at her entrance.

---