make sure you two sit down and have a good, long discussion when you come home. I don’t want to see either of you get hurt."
" I promise, I will tell him everything when I come home on Sunday evening." And I would. It was the right thing to do.
Niklas didn’t seem surprised or upset when I told him I would have to stay a day longer in Copenhagen. I was already packing when I sprang the news on him. He was reading in bed, engrossed in the last book of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy. He nodded and then asked me if I was going to sneak in a visit to the Louisiana Museum of Art.
" Maybe," I said as I continued packing my suitcase. "It depends on how long the meetings run."
" You should try to see Anton and Ingrid while you’re there," he said without looking up from his book.
Anton and Ingrid were two of my closest friends from my college days in the US. They'd moved back to C openhagen after close to fifteen years in the States, when Ingrid became pregnant with their first child. Meeting them now… no, maybe it wasn’t a good idea. I still hadn’t told Niklas about the sperm bank and the idea of artificial insemination. Every time I thought about bringing it up, something held me back. Was it fear that he would say no? Or was it simply that I wanted to avoid his trying to talk me out of it?
" Maybe," I said again. "The schedule is pretty tight, but I might be able to meet them on Saturday."
" Do you have to work on Saturday as well?" he finally lowered the book and set it beside him on the mattress. "I thought your boss refused to work weekends."
" We’re having breakfast with the Danish team on Saturday. Thursday and Friday are the meeting days." The lie slid out so easily and left a bitter taste in my mouth.
" Ah, well, you should make some time to see them, if you can. I know how much you miss them." He watched me steadily. "You okay?"
I nodded. "Just tired. It’s been a long day and now I have to get up early tomorrow."
" Come to bed."
" In a minute. I'm nearly done packing."
Niklas peeled off his shirt and tossed it at me. It lan ded in my suitcase. I shook my head and moved it aside.
" Come to bed and I’ll make it worth your while."
He grinned at me and began easing his boxers off. I zipped my suitcase and then set it on the floor. I tried not to feel guilty. I was living with a man who was und eniably sexy. His firm body was still tan from our summer in the US. The golden brown trail of hair that started at his chest drew my eyes downward to the thick thatch of pubic hair along his gorgeous cock. I was so in the mood for him… even if a part of me was still angry with him.
I grinned as I walked over to his side of the bed. "How worth my while will you make it?"
He reached for me and pulled me into bed with him. He unbuttoned my blouse and pushed it away. I arched up to meet his touch as he dragged his palm across my naked breasts. "I love it when you don’t wear a bra," he said and then took my right nipple between his teeth and gave it a gentle tug. I pulled at him, not wanting foreplay but still loving the way it felt when he teased me with his fingers and his mouth. As we kissed, his cock stirred and nudged my thigh. I opened my legs wider; I was so ready for him. I whispered for him to fuck me, to take me, begged him to do whatever he wanted to me. My body buzzed for him, I was so turned on that when he finally slid inside me, I was trembling and anxious to feel even more of him.
We made love, and then curled around each other, drifted off to sleep, woke up, made love again. Later, when both of us were too tired to move or even mind the damp sheets, Niklas kissed my neck and kept his arm coiled around my waist.
"When you come home, we can look into adoption," he said softly. His voice already had that slow, sleepy quality. "It might not be easy…but we should try."
I squeezed his hand and said "okay" softly. I was glad for the dark. I thought for sure the guilt would show