Page 93 of Vacation with the Ice Queen

"Morning," Serena said, voice husky with sleep. "How long have you been watching me?"

"Not long." Lila brushed a strand of hair from Serena's face, allowing her fingers to linger against warm skin. "You look younger when you sleep. Less..."

"Terrifying?" Serena offered with a small smile.

"I was going to say 'guarded,' but sure, let's go with terrifying."

Serena laughed, the sound still rare enough to feel like a gift. She stretched beneath the sheets.

"What time is it?" she asked, the habitual question of someone whose life ran on precise schedules.

"Does it matter?" Lila countered, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

Serena looked momentarily startled, then thoughtful. "I suppose not. Not today."

The small victory—Serena choosing presence over scheduling—warmed Lila more than the sunlight streaming through the windows. She settled back against the pillows, content to simply exist in this bubble of morning peace.

"I need to teach a class at eleven," she said eventually. "It’s a resort commitment I can't reschedule."

Serena nodded, accepting this without the flicker of annoyance that would have appeared days ago at any disruption to her plans. "Of course. Would you like breakfast before then? I could order something."

"Mmm, that would be nice."

Neither moved to make it happen, the warm cocoon of tangled sheets and shared body heat too perfect to disturb. Outside, birds called from flowering trees, and the distant sound of waves provided a gentle rhythm to their morning sanctuary.

"Four days left," Serena said quietly, acknowledging the countdown that ticked between them.

"Four days," Lila agreed, refusing to let it dim the perfect moment. "What should we do with them?"

Serena turned on her side, propping herself on one elbow to look at Lila properly. Morning light caught the blue of her eyes, transforming them from their usual ice to something closer to tropical waters.

"I have some ideas," she said, a hint of mischief in her expression that Lila had rarely seen. "If you're willing to trust me with the planning."

"The CEO wants to take control? I'm shocked," Lila teased, trailing her fingers along Serena's collarbone. "What did you have in mind?"

"A few experiences I think you might enjoy. Places on the island you haven't shown me yet." Her fingers traced patterns on Lila's skin, raising goosebumps despite the morning warmth."That is, if you haven't already planned how to spend our remaining time together."

The thoughtfulness behind the offer—Serena wanting to create memories for them both—touched Lila deeply. This wasn't the woman who had dismissed their connection as a temporary distraction just days ago. This was someone trying to be present and engaged.

"I'm intrigued," Lila said, watching emotions play across Serena's face—hope, excitement, the shadow of their future goodbye. "Though I reserve the right to veto anything involving spreadsheets or quarterly projections."

"Deal." Serena sealed the agreement with a kiss that started as playful and quickly deepened into something more heated, her hand sliding beneath the sheets to map the familiar contours of Lila's body.

Breakfast, it seemed, would wait a little longer.

Later, wrapped in Serena's robe that smelled faintly of her expensive perfume, Lila sat on the terrace watching resort staff cleaning debris left by the night's storm. The island looked freshly washed, colors more vibrant against rain-darkened sand, flowers holding crystalline droplets that caught the morning light.

Serena emerged from the bedroom dressed in simple pants and a sleeveless blouse, looking more casual than Lila had seen her outside of yoga sessions. She carried two mugs of coffee, handing one to Lila before settling in the adjacent chair.

"I called room service," she said. "Breakfast is coming in fifteen minutes."

"Perfect."

They sipped in comfortable silence, the simple domesticity of sharing morning coffee striking Lila with its unexpected sweetness. Such an ordinary thing in most relationships—thisquiet togetherness before the day properly began—yet it felt profound between them.

"Four days," Lila said softly, echoing Serena.

"I plan to make them count."

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