Page 38 of Vacation with the Ice Queen

Something in her expression, open and genuine without being naive, drew Serena closer. She moved through the water until only a few feet separated them, close enough to notice the subtle flecks of gold in Lila's hazel eyes, visible even in moonlight.

"Why aren't you swimming?"

Lila looked surprised. "I didn't want to intrude on your private moment."

"You already have." The words held no accusation, simply observation.

"True." Lila considered for a moment, then stood. "Would you prefer I leave or join you?"

The question hung between them, weighted with possibilities Serena wasn't ready to explore. Logic dictated she request solitude, resume her professional distance, and reestablish appropriate boundaries.

Yet logic seemed to hold less sway in this moonlit bubble outside normal time.

"Join me," she said, the invitation shocking her even as she extended it.

Without hesitation, Lila reached for the hem of her dress, pulling it over her head in a single fluid motion. Beneath, she wore only a simple pair of small panties. Her breasts were as perfect as Serena had imagined, soft and round on her athletic figure, nipples prominent in the moonlight. She placed her dress beside Serena's folded pajamas, the domestic intimacy of the gesture striking in its normality.

Serena averted her eyes, offering privacy despite the public setting. She heard the subtle splash as Lila slipped into the water, then turned to find her gliding beneath the surface.

Lila resurfaced several feet away, water streaming from her honey-blonde hair now darkened to amber. Droplets caught the moonlight as they ran down her face, her neck, her shoulders,over her breasts. The sight triggered an unexpected tightness in Serena's chest, a sensation she refused to probe further to analyze.

"Perfect temperature," Lila observed, floating with easy confidence. "Not too warm, not too cool."

"Precisely regulated, I assume," Serena said, retreating to facts as safe ground.

"Actually, it's solar heated. The resort uses thermal collection panels hidden throughout the landscaping. Entirely sustainable." Lila moved through the water with practiced grace, her strokes barely disturbing the surface. "Elara believes luxury and environmental responsibility aren't mutually exclusive."

The comment reminded Serena of her peripheral knowledge of Elara Silver—another woman who had abandoned corporate success for this island lifestyle. The comparison made her uneasy.

"A convenient philosophy when selling sustainability to the one percent," she noted.

"Perhaps." Lila floated on her back, seemingly unbothered by Serena's cynicism. "But effective. This resort's carbon footprint is smaller than a typical family home in the suburbs."

Serena found herself moving closer, drawn by the conversation despite her internal warnings about maintaining distance. "You sound like you believe in the mission."

"I do." Lila's voice held conviction without evangelism. "But that doesn't mean I think everyone should abandon their careers for island living. Different paths work for different people."

The acknowledgment disarmed Serena's prepared arguments about practical realities versus privileged escapism. Lila wasn't judging her choices, simply explaining her own.

They circled each other in the water, a careful dance of approach and retreat. Moonlight caught the water droplets on Lila's skin, making her skin glow. The parallel wasn't lost on her;they were two women marked by time in different ways, meeting in this moment outside normal constraints.

"Why did you come out tonight?" Lila asked, the question gentle yet direct. "To the pool, I mean."

Serena could have deflected with a comment about insomnia or exercise, but something about the night's strange intimacy pulled the truth from her.

"I couldn't stand still any longer," she admitted. "Everything felt... confined. Restricted." She moved her arms through the water, feeling its resistance and support simultaneously. "I needed to move without purpose."

Lila nodded as if this made perfect sense. "The body knows what it needs, if we listen."

"That sounds suspiciously like wellness philosophy," Serena said, though without her usual dismissiveness.

"Guilty." Lila smiled, the expression visible even in the dim light. "Though it's also neuroscience. The body sends signals long before the conscious mind recognizes needs."

The scientific framing made the concept more palatable to Serena's analytical mind. "A physiological early warning system."

"Exactly." Lila moved closer, her proximity causing an inexplicable acceleration in Serena's pulse. "Like how tight shoulders might signal stress before you consciously register feeling overwhelmed."

The example reminded Serena of their morning massage and how Lila’s strong hands found tension Serena hadn't realized she carried. The memory sent warmth through her.

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