Page 70 of Vacation with the Ice Queen

They strolled along the moonlit shore, waves lapping gently at their feet. The resort lights gradually faded behind them as they followed the crescent beach toward more secluded stretches. Stars emerged above, scattered across the velvet sky.

"What happened this afternoon?" Lila asked finally, her voice gentle but direct. "One minute we were connecting, and the next..."

Serena's steps slowed. "Nothing happened."

"Something did." Lila stopped, turning to face her fully. "You've been somewhere else all evening, going through the motions."

For a moment, Serena's professional mask slipped, showing something vulnerable beneath. "I got seven messages from the board while we were at the lagoon. Walter's making moves against me. Ashley thinks he's building a coalition."

"I understand your company matters to you," Lila said. "But that's not all this is about, is it?"

Serena looked out toward the horizon, moonlight silvering her profile. "What do you want me to say, Lila?"

"The truth. Whatever it is."

"The truth." Serena's laugh held no humor. "The truth is that in eight days, I'm leaving. I'm returning to New York, to a board that's questioning my leadership, to a company I've spent fifteen years building, to a life that has no space for... this."

The words landed like stones, heavy with the reality they'd both been trying to navigate.

"And that scares you," Lila said softly. It wasn't a question.

"It doesn't matter if it scares me. It's reality."

"It matters to me." Lila stepped closer, close enough to see the subtle tension in Serena's jaw, the careful control in her expression. "Your feelings matter to me."

"And yours to me," Serena admitted, the words sounding almost wrenched from her. "Which is precisely the problem."

"Why is that a problem?"

"Because I don't have anything to offer you beyond these days. Because whatever this is between us has an expiration date we can't ignore." Serena's voice tightened. "Because I'm afraid of hurting you. Of being another Sophie."

The admission—honest and raw—touched Lila deeply. This wasn't rejection; it was protection. Misguided, perhaps, but coming from concern rather than coldness.

"I'm not afraid of being hurt," Lila said, reaching for Serena's hand. "I'm afraid of never really living because I'm too scared of pain."

"That's very poetic, but?—"

"It's my truth," Lila interrupted gently. "I know you're leaving. I know this is temporary. But right now, you're here. I'm here. And what's between us feels real."

The waves continued their endless rhythm against the shore as Serena struggled visibly with herself. When she finally spoke, her voice had lost its defensive edge.

"It does feel real," she admitted. "Frighteningly so."

"Then be here with me," Lila said, stepping closer until their bodies nearly touched. "Not in New York, not in the future, not in the past. Just here. Now."

The tension between them shifted, transforming from distance to another kind of energy entirely. Serena's eyes darkened as they dropped to Lila's lips.

"I don't want to talk anymore," she said, her voice low and decisive.

Before Lila could respond, Serena closed the remaining space between them, capturing her mouth in a kiss that held none of the gentleness of their earlier exchanges. This was hunger and heat, control reasserted through physical connection rather than emotional withdrawal.

Lila responded instantly, her body remembering the night before, wanting more despite the conversation left unfinished between them. Serena's hands tangled in her hair, drawing her head back to deepen the kiss, an unmistakable assertion of dominance that sent heat spiraling through Lila's core.

This was Serena reclaiming safe ground—physical desire instead of emotional vulnerability. Lila recognized the deflection for what it was, even as her body arched into the touch, craving the connection regardless of its motivation.

As Serena's mouth moved to her neck, teeth grazing sensitive skin, Lila knew they were leaving important things unsaid. But with those hands moving across her body with such certainty, with the night wrapping around them like a private cocoon, she couldn't bring herself to pull away.

Serena’s hand cupped Lila’s cheek, her thumb tracing a line along her jaw before tilting her head back. Serena's lips met hers in another searing kiss, their tongues dancing together in a familiar rhythm. Lila's hands found their way to Serena's hips, pulling her closer, wanting to feel the heat of her body against her own.

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