Fire And Ice 25

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"Thanks for coming early with me, sweetie," I said. We were standing on the balcony overlooking the enormous atrium of the National Art Museum.

Stephen smiled. "You know why I did," he said as he watched the male servers in their tight black uniforms below us.

I patted his arm and smiled. "Whatever works for you."

Beautifully dressed men and women shed their cashmere and fur coats, dropped them off at the coat check, and headed for the bar. Beautiful gowns shimmered and expensive jewelry twinkled everywhere. Drinks in hand, couples looked around for other high powered Washington couples, and found seats at the tables surrounding the dance floor while the orchestra played at the far end.

"Well, all the prep is done. Barring any major catastrophes, all I have to do now is fawn over donors. Shall we join the beautiful people?" I said.

Just at the moment, a woman walked away from the coat check and I stood stock still watching her. She looked like a ghost or a creature out of a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale. Her hair was completely white, pulled back into an elegant bun near the nape of her long neck. She looked up at the balcony and we made eye contact briefly. I gasped quietly. Her eyes were blue and her stunning off-the-shoulder gown matched. She looked like an icicle glittering in the sun.

She requested a glass of champagne at the bar, and then walked to one of the tables to sit. She was alone, but her husband or date could have been in the restroom. Her expression was difficult to read from this far away.

"Christina?" my friend Stephen said.

"Sorry. I just caught sight..."

"Yeah, I saw her. Wow. But I'm way more interested in that waiter over there...."

I laughed. "Of course you are."

Stephen offered his arm to me and I took it. I had to lift the hem of my deep burgundy dress as we walked down the stairs to the main floor.

The rest of the evening passed pleasantly enough. Stephen and I ate some of the appetizers servers brought around, danced together a couple of times, and chatted with museum donors. But my eyes kept returning to her. The man she'd been talking with had moved on, and other men had come and gone in the seat next to her. That was unusual for her not to have a steady male escort.

Stephen caught me eventually. "She's straight, you know, sweetheart" he said.

"I'm not sure...."

Stephen sighed. "I am. Just once I want you to go after something that's actually available."

"Some

thing

? Shame on you. Is that any way to refer to my next heartbreak?"

We smiled at each other. We'd known each other since college and had both been down that road many times.

"You're going to try anyway, aren't you, sweet cheeks?" Stephen asked.

"You know I am."

He squeezed my hand. "Go get 'em, tiger."

I tucked my dark brown chin-length hair behind my right ear and walked towards her.

"I don't think we've met."

She slowly swung her head, gracefully moving her long neck. Swan Lake, I thought.

"No, ve have not met" she said. Her language was formal and she spoke with a Eastern European accent. "Dr. Volkov is...vas...my husband."

"Oh, you must be Nadya. I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," she said simply.

I watched her face. She looked more thoughtful than sad, but grief is a funny thing, and everybody grieves differently.

"May I join you?"

"Please."

"Dr. Volkov - Felix - was a good friend to the museum and to me. I will miss him."

"Yes," she said. "He spoke fondly of you as vell."

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to attend the service in Basel."

"It vas wery nice. Felix had many friends."

There was something about her comment that made me wonder about their relationship. She hadn't said "we" have many friends. I'd known Felix was married, but other than to tell me she was a "very great beauty," he hadn't talked about her much. He was right about her beauty.

"It was nice of you to come to the museum party; you didn't need to do that. I hope you have had a good time."

She looked hard at me for a moment, then softened. "I like it. It is good to get out."

"Yes. How long will you be in the States?"

"A couple veeks only. I have some business here and my niece lives in New York, so I vill visit her there before I go home."

I took a breath and a chance. "May I take you out to lunch while you are D.C.?"

She looked at me for a moment.

"I would much prefer a museum visit. If you are not tired of art, that is."

I smiled. "No, I never of tire of art."

"Good. There is an exhibit at the Corcoran I vould like to see."

"Wonderful. I haven't seen the current exhibit. When would you like to go?"

"Tomorrow if that is not too soon for you."

Oh crap, I thought. I'd have to rearrange my schedule and my assistant Ginny wouldn't be happy with me. But Nadya was the widow of one of the museum's biggest donor. When billionaire donors say jump, I ask how high. The fact that this woman made my motor run was secondary, I told myself.

"I can arrange for us to have a private tour if you'd like."

"No. I prefer to have my own reaction rather than have someone else tell me vat to think about the art."

I smiled. "I can understand that. What time would work for you?"

"I have financial meetings in the morning. Vat about 3 o'clock?"

That would mean I would only miss one meeting. "That would be perfect."

She honored me with a small smile then. "Shall ve meet there?"

"It's a date," I said. I instantly regretting my choice of words, but she simply laughed a little.

"Good. I vill see you then."

We both rose from the table and I watched her walk to the coat check. Her slim hips swayed as she moved gracefully away.

"She's a hottie, isn't she?" Stephen said in my ear, almost making me jump. "Did you make a date?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did," I said. "Hottie isn't really the word I'd use to describe her though. She's more like a long tall ice cream soda."

"Down, girl. Let's get you home before you start drooling."

************************

When I dropped Stephen off at his place in Adams Morgan, he took my hand before he got out.

"I do worry about you, you know, Christina. You deserve so much more than you think you do."

"I know you worry. But this new therapist is awesome and I'm starting to feel...strong."

"Not strong enough to ignore the Ice Queen, though."

"Hey now." I took a breath. "It's all good, sweetie. No matter what happens, it's not going to kill me, I promise."

"Good to know," Stephen said with a grin.

"Say hi to Gary for me. Let's do brunch soon."

Slipping into queen mode himself as he got out of the car, Stephen said, "Well that would be just

fabulous

."

Smiling, I shut the door of my red Audi, waved, and drove home to my townhouse on the Hill.

************************

Fortunately I was too busy with meetings the next day to spend much time daydreaming about Nadya. At 2:30, I told Ginny I was leaving and headed to the Metro. She's beautiful, I thought, as I boarded the train to Dupont Circle, but it's not like she and I had some amazing chemistry. I'll have a nice afternoon, try to keep her interested in supporting the Museum of Art now that Felix is gone, and that will be the end of it. Just doing my job, ma'am.

That lasted until I saw her waiting for me in the lobby of the Corcoran. She looked like an icicle in her shimmering grey skirt and blouse. I'd like to lick that icicle, I thought, and then shoved the thought aside as I walked towards her.

This time she graced me with a wider smile.

"It is good to see you, Christina. I'm glad you could meet me."

"The pleasure is all mine, Nadya."

"The exhibit begins on your right," the young woman at the front desk said.

I stretched out my arm gesturing to Nadya to take the lead. I was being polite, but had an ulterior motive, of course. I watched the muscles in her legs and ass as she moved in front of me. She was taller and thinner than the women I'm usually attracted to, but she was not frail. The image of those legs wrapped around my hips flashed in my brain for a moment, and I almost fell up the ramp that led to the gallery.

Nadya turned and looked concerned as I stumbled. She reached out and touched the top of my right hand.

"I'm alright. Just being clumsy."

The exhibit room was dimly lit. The walls had been painted a silvery grey. In the middle was a tall rectangular cement block, with two strips of grass in the middle separated by a miniature stream. The sound of the water gurgling over the rocks was amplified somewhat and seemed to come from everywhere in the room.

"Oh, I...." Nadya started and then fell silent. The lighting, the visuals, and the sound all created a feeling of sacred space. Neither of us said anything, drinking in the feeling of reverence in the room.

We stood there quietly for quite a while. A strange feeling started to creep over me. There was something charged, almost sexual, about the room.

I thought it was just me, until Nadya turned to me with a strange expression on her face. She almost looked like she was in a trance.

"I...have changed my mind, Christina. Vould you be terribly disappointed if ve do not see the rest of the museum?"

"No, not at all. Are you all right?"

"Yes, I...have not eaten enough today, I think."

After we gathered our coats, we exited the museum into the cold afternoon light.

"There is a wonderful restaurant just around the corner," I said. "Would you let me take you for an early dinner?"

Nadya seemed to wake up, and she smiled. "If you vill allow me to buy you dinner, then yes."

"I insist," she said when I started to object.

I acquiesced. While I do more than ok as the Director of Development for a major museum, I'm no billionaire.

"As you wish," I said and pointed the way.

************************

We settled at a table in a corner at Hannah's and ordered a light meal. The late afternoon light seemed to make her skin glow, and it took my breath away. I could feel heat starting in my pussy, and struggled to focus on what Nadya was saying.

"I am not ready to talk about vhat ve have just seen. I need to let it sink in," she said. So we talked about art in general, and her life in Germany, and our backgrounds. As we ate, I told her about falling in love with art the first time I saw a Rothko. And then discovering Matisse, and Picasso, and Chagall.... She listened attentively, her eyes never moving from mine.

Once the waiter poured coffee for us and removed our plates, she was ready to talk about the art we had just seen. "I have never experienced such a piece of art," she said, looking straight into my eyes. "Can you explain it to me?"

"I'm not sure I can. The artist believes that each viewer experiences the art differently, and that no response is wrong."

"Ah," Nadya said. "And how did you experience it?"

I hesitated. "I felt strange," I said. "A little...off balance."

Nadya smiled and rested her hand on top of mine on the table. "I felt it too."

Almost absent mindedly, she started to stroke my hand with her thumb. I felt my clit start to hum from the touch.

"Your eyes," she said, looking straight into them.

"Yes?"

"They seem to have fire in them."

Between her caresses on my hand and her eye contact, I felt flustered.

"I'm sure it's just the afternoon sun," I said.

She smiled. "Perhaps. But you are a passionate woman," she said. "I can tell. And I like that."

I had no idea how to respond.

"But there are some things I ought to tell you before we go any further," she said.

"Oh?" How much further were we going?

"Yes. First there is the matter of Felix's support for the museum."

"He was a very generous..."

She cut me off. "Yes, I am aware. Ve may not have been close in some vays, but ve agreed about how important is it to support the arts. You have nothing to vorry about, Christina. I vill continue the support ve have given in the past."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "I can't tell you how grateful I am...."

She interrupted me again. "I am not a normal donor. You do not need to "butter me up" as if I vere a lonely middle aged man trying to prove he can still 'get it up.'"

I snorted in surprise at her remark. "No, you are definitely not like some of the other donors."

"I vanted you to know that so you do not think your behavior vill affect my donations in any way."

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"I vish to ask you something, Christina, and I vant you to feel free to say no. I do not vish to coerce you into anything."

"Coerce me into...what?"

"Felix and I lived separate lives but he and I had many things in common, including a strong interest in our own sex," she said.

"Ah," I said, for lack of anything better to say. I'd never suspected that Felix was gay, but that explained why I'd never felt any sexual vibes from him. He'd always just felt safe to me, even when he took me to expensive, romantic restaurants.

"And I find you...intriguing," she said. "Your friend last night...with the brown hair," she said. "He is not your lover."

It was a statement, not a question.

"No. He is an old friend."

"Good. Because I vould like very much to fuck you," she said.

I was drinking when she said it and I almost spewed my water.

"Oh dear...vas I wrong about you?"

"No, no. It's just that I've never been propositioned so...honestly. And by someone I just met," I said.

"I am used to getting vhat I vant," Nadya said. "I am not asking you to be my girlfriend. I am asking you to spend the night vith me. That is all."

"Your honesty is refreshing. I think I'd like that."

She removed her hand from the top of mine. "Good. Let us go now," she said.

************************

We took a taxi to her hotel. She had the penthouse suite, of course, at one of the best hotels in the city. Once we removed our coats – hers was a mink, pale ivory with muted strips of mixed black and brown – she offered me a drink.

"Scotch, brandy, beer, something else?"

"Brandy would be nice."

She filled her own glass with a couple ice cubes and poured scotch over it. The carpet was plush and soft and we both removed our shoes once we sat on the sofa. There was a wall of windows and we could see the lights of the whole city below us.

"It's beautiful," I said, looking at her.

"Yes, I like to stay here because of the view," she said.

As we started out the window, she slid her hand over mine on the back of the sofa. She slid over the expensive leather towards me. She leaned towards me and kissed me, barely. Would she be so detached and controlled in bed? It was as if a cool breeze passed my lips. She took her tongue and traced my lips with it. Her tongue was almost icy from her drink when she touched it lightly to my lips.

"Ohhh...." I moaned.

"You heat up quickly, I see. That is good. I hope you vill not burn out too soon."

I didn't respond except to pull her head towards me again and kiss her deeply. I tasted the scotch. I moved my tongue around her mouth passionately. She backed out of the deep kiss and went back to delicately nipping my lips and kissing me with quick light kisses, keeping me wanting more.

Her right hand moved under my ass and squeezed gently. She pulled me down so I was lying on the sofa and lay on top of me. She moved her right leg between my thighs and pushed it against my pussy. I moaned again. Then she took her hands and ran her nails up and down my arms, raising goosebumps.

I threw my head back, surrendering to her pace. She lifted off my body and sat down and the edge of the sofa. She unbuttoned my blouse and removed it. My breasts – a respectable 36C, were covered in a red lace bra. She pinched my nipples quickly several times.

"Unhhhhh...."

She drew her hands downward over my stomach, dragging her nails. She ran fingers around the waist of my pants and my stomach muscles spasmed. Her elegant hands unzipped my black dress pants and I raised my hips so she could remove them. She lay them over the arm of the sofa. She turned back to me and exhaled.

"Oh, you are lovely...and vet." She took a finger and ran her nail along the dark spot in the center of my panties, and I inhaled sharply.

"Yesssssssss...."

Leaving my pussy, she dragged her nails down my legs and back up again. I shivered. She hooked her fingers under my silken thong and pulled it down and off my legs. Then she took her nail and traced circles over my bare covering of pubic hair. It felt like fire coursing through my body.

My chest lifted towards her of its own volition and then fell back to the sofa.

"Oh, please, Nadya...."

"You Americans are so impatient," she said, smiling.

"I..."

"Hush," she said.

But I couldn't contain myself anymore. I sat up and with my left hand drew her head towards me. I lowered my mouth to hers and kissed her passionately. I wanted to rip her beautiful silver grey dress off, but reminded myself it probably cost the same as my monthly mortgage payment.

I moved my hands to her shoulders.

"May I undress you?" I said.

Without a word we both stood, and she turned. I unzipped her dress and slid the silk garment down her lithe body. She turned back to me.

Her breasts were small, barely B cups. Just enough to fill my hands; just the way I like them. They were bound in a beautiful light blue satin demi-bra, which I quickly removed. She had small pale pink areoles, her nipples slightly darker, drawn up and hard. I ran my hands over them and relished the feel of the hard nubs on the sensitive skin of my palms. She sighed.

All she had on now were white thigh high stockings and a pair of ice blue panties. I bent over to remove them.

"No," she said suddenly.

I stopped instantly. "Oh...."

"Leave them on," she said more softly. "I have a treat for you."

"More of a treat than this?" I said, looking hungrily over her beautiful svelte body.

She laughed softly.

"Perhaps ve should move to the bedroom," she said. "I'm just going to freshen my drink. Vould you like more brandy?"

"No, thank you." I felt light headed enough without more alcohol.

"I vill join you in the bedroom in a moment."

************************

The bedroom was as elegantly appointed as the living room, with another wall of windows looking in a different direction over the city. I stood there looking out the window waiting for her to join me. When she came in, she walked straight into the bathroom.

"Vhy don't you lie on the bed for me?"

If I thought I was turned on before she came out of the bathroom, it was nothing like the electricity that went through me when she came out. She was still wearing the white thigh highs, but now she also had on a black leather harness on, with a bright blue dildo. The contrast of the lady like stockings and the harness was confusing and exciting all at the same time.

My legs spread unconsciously. She climbed up on the bed, cat-like as she moved between them. She drew herself up and sat on my pelvic bone, her knees on either side of my legs.

I reached out to stroke her cock and pushed it into her clit when I reached the base. After a few more strokes, I let go and reached up to cup her breasts in my hands. Then I wiggled up so I was sitting up. I ran my mouth around one of her areoles, then the other. I flicked one nipples with my tongue then sucked on it. I switched back on forth, squeezing the nipple I didn't have my mouth on.

"Oh, that is good" she said.

Good? My pussy was on fire and I could barely breathe.

Nadya ran her nails up my arms and down the sides of my back. When she reached my ass, she surprised me by pulling me hard towards her so I was lying underneath her. Her breathing was heavier. Good, I thought. Maybe she's starting to lose her composure.