Across the Music (Across the Ocean Book 2) (23 page)

"Oh." I reply lamely, popping another cube of melon into my mouth to calm the butterflies down. Gunnar smiles knowingly, and returns to eating his bread roll. Chewing several times, he swallows and takes another sip from his juice box.

"So," he continues, "you're staying at a friend's place while here in Iceland? Is it a long term thing? Are you happy with these arrangements?"

"Yes, my friend Hilary. She's supposed to be making a work trip soon out of the country though. She said I could stay as long as I wanted, and we go pretty far back." My face crinkles in displeasure at the thought of spending so much time alone. It's not that I can't be alone; I just prefer to have somebody around.

"Really? What will you do when she's gone?" I shrug as though I wasn't just thinking about that.

"I guess I'll just hang around, maybe take extra shifts at work to keep busy. Unless you guys wanted to make music. We need to finish a song for the wedding, don't we?" Gunnar nods at this, a small shy smile lifts the sides of his mouth.

"You could stay here if you didn't want to be alone. We like having you around, and nobody else needs this bed." He shrugs as though it's no big deal, and I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. Having time to be around them more, as well as the music making, feels nothing short of awesome.

"Oh, I'd love that. You're sure?" I try to keep the eagerness out of my voice, not wanting to sound to desparate. Gunnar merely scoffs playfully at me, waving a hand in dismissal.

"Of course I'm sure. I would bet money that Loki will be happy with this arrangement." He stands up to leave, brushing crumbs off his pants. "Thanks for the lunch company. Bring a bag over and make yourself at home. I'll leave a spare key on the kitchen table." His face has held a steady smile ever since I said yes to this arrangement, and I can tell he's trying to remain cool and composed.

"Thank you, for everything Gunnar." He nods graciously at me and leaves me alone in my room.

The last four days have been wonderful. With Sophie around, everything feels different; brighter and sweeter. Coming home from work is no longer a boring routine with the same things. I'm so glad I asked her to stay with us. She wakes up before it's time for Loki and I to leave the house in the morning; providing us with a tasty breakfast.

This morning is fried eggs and toast with a few orange slices. Loki and I are sitting at the kitchen table gobbling up our food while Sophie sits at the table across from us drinking a cup of coffee. Wrapped in a fluffy powder blue robe, with her hair pulled messily onto the top of her head, she looks rather domestic sitting in my kitchen, and I quite love it.

After the first morning of mild awkwardness with Sophie waking up at the same time as us and seeing us out, I think she designated herself as the woman of the house. We never asked or implied any expectations of any work needing to be done by her as payment for staying with us, and I like to think that she took some of the chores around the house upon herself as a way to create a pleasant routine for herself and us.

"I have a shift tonight at the restaurant, so I won't be here for dinner." She mumbles sleepily into her coffee cup, breathing in the steam blissfully.

"What about practice?" Loki asks between bites of toast.

"We can just practice after I am done, unless you're too tired by the time I get back home."
Home.
A thrill runs through me as she says this. My home being her home. I love this. I would love to wake up to her every morning if I had a say in it, and I know I'll be super bummed when she goes back to her friend's house.

Both Loki and I nod enthusiastically. We've been having so much fun making music almost every night; some songs we'd been unable to finish for a few years are now finally coming together with Sophie's help. She's perfect at completing us.

"Definitely. I'll stop by and bring you lunch if you don't mind keeping me company?" I've brought lunch for her every day, nothing incredibly fancy. It's given me the opportunity to make sure I get one on one time with her to get to know her better. Maybe I'll be able to change her mind about the whole friends only deal sooner than later. One can hope.

Seeing her every day in all kinds of moments; freshly woken up, after a long day, right before she goes to sleep, after a shower while wrapped in her towel while she hurries to her room after leaving the bathroom, the steam escaping the confines of the hot and damp room. Nothing has diminished the effect she's had on me. My mouth waters when she walks passed me in the hallway, the pecan scent filling my nostrils and turning her into my favorite dessert in my mind's eye; naked and ready for me in my bed.

Just thinking of putting my hands on her skin is enough to give me a partial hard-on. She's driving me slowly crazy in the very best way, and I cannot get enough. She says funny and strange things since she's from New Zealand, and her accent is sexy yet with the right language, incredibly naughty sounding.

"I'd love that, thank you." Her warm smile leaves a wisp of warmth to curl and float throughout my body. I stand up and take the few steps around the table to give her a quick peck on the cheek before departing for work. She lifts her face towards mine, lips pursed to catch my cheek at the same time before she relaxes them back into her usual soft smile.

"See you at lunch then." I say before grabbing my jacket and slide on my shoes in the hallway.

"Later, mate." Is all I hear before I'm out the door.

I've been counting down the minutes until lunch. I don't think I can wait any longer before telling her how I feel. Maybe it's not the right choice, but I constantly feel the words ready to burst out of my mouth at any time, having to forcibly hold back the words. Never having felt so compelled before by any other woman, this is rather difficult and strange for me. I just need to get it off my chest, and either she'll have me or she won't. If she doesn't, well maybe I'll move on without this never ending 'what if' list my brain keeps coming up with.

Loki and I haven't spoken much about Sophie, really. We seem to understand that it's a delicate subject. I know he's interested in her, but I honestly have no idea how strong those feelings could be towards her, or if he'd ever make a legitimate move on her. To be quite honest, I have to admit that the thought of him asking her out on a date and her accepting would feel like a stab to the ribs with a serrated edged knife. I haven't admitted this to him, though. Casually sharing a woman in bed was fine before, but sharing in a serious relationship isn't something I think I can do.

If I had to take a guess, I would wage that Sophie is still fairly interested in me. The vibes I get from her when she smiles, or leans one shoulder closer to me when we're on the couch, how I've caught her staring at me and watched her look away quickly with a blush creeping onto her cheeks. I just need to talk to her.

Glancing at the clock on my computer monitor, I realize that lunch is only ten minutes away. The voice actor in the sound-proof room is reading a popular erotica novel that has been recently translated into Icelandic. Listening to the woman reading some of these sexy parts of the story haven't helped with my libido being on high alert.

Pushing the button on my talkback mixer in order for the voice actress in the booth to hear me through her headphones, I clear my throat before speaking.

"Do you want to head to lunch now, or wait the ten minutes until actual lunch time?" I ask her with a hopeful glean to my voice.

"
Já
, I'm hungry and need to stop by the bank. Let's do it." Her husky voice rasps back at me, and I perform a happy fist pump in the air since the woman can't see me from her room. I pause all of my equipment and stand up as the woman steps out of the booth.

"Do you think we'll end up recording the third book as well?" She asks me conversationally while she pulls on her jacket. I shrug as I slide into mine.

"Árni hasn't confirmed or brought it up. I'll let you know if I hear something different." We smile politely at each other and both leave the studio, heading in opposite directions once we reach the parking lot. I've got to grab everything for lunch with Sophie and figure out what I'm going to say.

I was ready for Gunnar when he came home for lunch. I don't know why we don't meet up at places, since I'm able to take the bus, taxi or even walk to wherever we'd want to meet. I think there is just something more intimate and personal about meeting in his home together, sharing quiet and peaceful moments together as we each learn a little more about the other.

I normally take time to go for walks and write lyrics or do some mild shopping to keep the kitchen full as thanks for letting me stay, after Gunnar comes for lunch. I've appointed the tasks of keeping the house clean to myself, since I found it made me happy to do so. I know its not expected of me, but I feel like something in me is right for taking care of
my
men, as I often like to look at it.

I'm handy in the kitchen, since I had to learn how to cook for my father and myself as a teenager. I'm quite good, if I do say so myself. Both Loki and Gunnar have been nothing short of appreciative of my cooking and cleaning. It's different doing these things for people who appreciate you for it, and don't make it into a heavy burden, like my dad did.

Getting to know Gunnar these last few days has been wonderful. I've learned that he used to play popular LAN type games with all of his Tálknafjöður buddies when he was a teenager, as well as having won several chess competitions. So his nerdy side peeked it's head a little, and I loved it. I also learned somehow that when they were younger, they would share their porn and even masturbate in the same room together while watching it. Somehow, I found this to be extremely interesting.

How can someone who is so handsome really have the whole package? Kind, generous, smart, easy-going, good-humored... the list could go on and on. There has been nothing that I've learned that I haven't liked, and I've even opened up to him. It's hard not to when he gives me one of those dazzling smiles matched with those blue eyes coaxing me to share little details about myself.

I hear the lock in the front door, and the smile slides easily onto my face in preparation for the awe I feel every time I see his beautiful face. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by this moment, the way the breath is stolen from my lungs as my eyes fall upon him. Does he harbor some magic power that steals the life right out of me? No, I feel so alive in that moment, the thrill shooting all over my body and into my tingling fingertips.

I walk quickly to the doorway from the kitchen into the hallway, admiring him as he slides his shoes off and shrug off his army green jacket.

"Welcome home." I beam up at him. His eyes catch mine, and his breathing labored in a way that means he must have taken the stairs up here rather quickly – he must be excited to see me. A splotch of pink on each of his cheeks confirms it. He leans towards me to give me a peck on the cheek, but our depth perception must be askew as his lips brush the side of my mouth. My own lips almost instantly turn and open to his, and our lips are on top of each other before I even realize what has happened. The moment is fleeting as he pulls back, abashed at having kissed me and obviously concerned that I might take it the wrong way.

"Sorry for that, but I think this is the best welcome home I've had in my life." The blush on his cheeks is now covering his throat as well at his admission, but the smile stays wide and charming upon his lips. I can feel my own blush in response, and I just grab his hand and pull him into the kitchen behind me.

We both sit down in our chairs, and Gunnar holds up a white greasy bag without any markings on it. I recognize it instantly. I brighten up, my eyebrows lifting in surprise and my face radiating glee.

"You brought me a sweaty béarnaise burger, didn't you?" My voice raises to a high and squeaky pitch. Gunnar laughs at me and nods simply, pulling out two paper-wrapped burgers and two small bags of french fries for us. He reaches into the bag one last time to pull out a little plastic container of béarnaise sauce for the fries. I'm clapping in excitement by the time he's done, greedily grabbing for my burger and partially unwrapping it just enough to where I can take a huge bite. My eyes roll back in my head in bliss and I moan loudly and obnoxiously.

"Oh my god," I say through a mouthful of burger "this is so absolutely incredible, words cannot express my gratitude." I chew and moan intermittently. Gunnar has dug into his burger as well, but seems to be enjoying watching me enjoy my own burger. My head tilts back as the flavors fill my entire mouth, and I'm taken straight to food heaven.

We finish off both our burgers, me with a flourish. I'm quite sad that I've eaten it all. Gunnar sticks the last bit in his mouth as I'm snatching the last bits of fries from my little bag and dragging them deeply through the béarnaise sauce, then shoving them into my mouth. I'm a pig, absolutely disgusting, and I don't care one bit.

I pull a napkin out of the white bag and begin to wipe my fingers and mouth. Over the paper, I see Gunnar looking at me seriously, uncertainly. A prickle of dread begins at the back of my neck, and I swallow heavily, putting the crumpled napkin back into the bag.