Christmas In Norway Tour

Leah grabbed my hair with both hands and pulled my face tighter against her. Her thighs pressed inward, trapping my head, holding it in place. She arched her back, and her movement pulled my head away from my body, stretching out my neck. Physically locked in place, I was in an emotional lock as well. I wanted to do anything and everything to please this wondrous and beautiful woman.

I listened to Leah's urgent and erotic pleadings for me to continue as my face felt the ripples moving within her, but there was something even deeper passing between us. Years of mutual unfulfilled need suddenly and intensely met. Every glorious sensation magnified several times over. There was nowhere in the world I would rather be than right here. I looked up at Leah's face and saw the longing, the intensity of her building orgasm. She let out a long, deep breath. Her head tipped back, "Ahhhhhh!"

I felt her contractions, and the warmth of her inner fluids as they gushed out below my chin, followed quickly by a second "Ahhhhh!" As her legs slightly parted, I released her clit and moved down to the source of her nectar. I closed my eyes and began lapping at her wetness. Leah still held my hair and began guiding my tongue while making quick, small thrusting movements with her hips. Leah wasn't done!

Leah yelled out, "Oh! Oh! Oh!" timed to the movement of her hips as she rubbed my face and nose into her. A final long "Ohhhhh!" and another gush from her vagina announced the arrival of a third orgasm. We remained thus, for several minutes, trying to catch our breath. Then Leah's hands moved to the sides of my head, and she lifted my face and we saw each other. "Come to me," she said.

I untangled myself from Leah's legs, and slowly advanced up her body, planting kisses along her torso. I fought the urge to caress her erect nipples and instead continued up to kiss her neck, her chin, and finally her lips. "Hold me," said Leah.

I tucked my right arm beneath Leah, and rolled both of us over onto our sides, pulling her into position facing me. My left arm reached over her and hugged her closer, my attention drawn to her amazing blue eyes.

I said, "When I look into your eyes, I see the land of Vikings, the blue waters of the fjords, and clear blue skies."

Leah smiled, "When I look into your eyes, I see a man searching for the freedom to find someone he loves."

Leah was absolutely right, her words lovely, and my words trite in comparison. I was falling in love with this woman and wanted to find better words, for her, and me. I recalled cliches for inspiration. The ideas were fine, but the words failed. I thought about what Leah just said about finding love. I thought about the Advent stars hanging in the windows. And I thought about my journey from Minnesota to Norway. After spinning these around in my head, I found something worthy of Leah.

"Some say eyes,
are windows to the soul,
I find those words untrue,
so, I am forced to revise."

"When I look into your eyes,
I see where love resides,
some claim it an illusion,
but that would be unwise."

"Deep within your eyes,
I see what was, is or could be,
a pathway from your heart,
on which your love relies."

"The true beauty of your eyes,
is wonderfully revealed,
by how they look at me -
not by color, shape or size."

"I've been captured by your eyes,
as wordlessly they say,
more than passes lips,
despite a thousand tries."

"In the mirror of your eyes,
I am reflected back,
confessing secrets of my heart,
so, I hope you realize,

that the light within your eyes,
was a guiding star for me,
It led me to your love,
even through the darkest skies."

Leah's cheeks rose and her eyes narrowed. A tear escaped. "Stop it, Gunnar! You're making me cry again. My eyes are going to be all red."

I replied, "Then your eyes will remind me of the red and blue of the Norwegian flag."

Leah frowned, then smiled while shaking her head side-to-side. "That was bad, Gunnar. Cute, but bad. I would love to stay here with you the rest of the day and finish what we started, but we need to get back to my home. There is still much to prepare for Christmas. The next steps we take together will be a special moment for me. I don't want to feel rushed. I want to savor it and remember every detail."

I understood and felt the same way. After reassembling Leah in her bunad, we quickly packed everything up and left the hotel. Arriving at her house, Leah and I carried my clothes up to the spare bedroom. I thanked Leah once again, then kissed her.

Leah softly whispered, "Jorunn is downstairs!"

I replied in the same whisper, "Then kiss me quietly." And she did.

I spent the remainder of the day doing my laundry, once Leah showed me how to use her Norwegian washing machine. Leah opened the clothes drying rack, and when done, I laid my clothes out to dry.

For dinner, Leah prepared salmon fillets with boiled potatoes. As Jorunn and Leah washed the dishes, I sat on the center seat of the sofa, reflecting on the day. When they finished, both Jorunn and Leah rushed into the living room, extremely excited, and sat down on either side of me. Jorunn turned on the television and switched to Norwegian National Television. I wondered what the fuss was about.

"Five more minutes," yelped Jorunn.

After a brief introduction, an old black-and-white movie started. Both Jorunn and Leah snuggled up tight against me and I put my arms around them. It felt great. The show, called "Dinner for One", featured a 90-year-old countess celebrating her birthday. She invited four friends but outlived them all. Her butler decides to impersonate each of the four missing guests. As he slips into each of the roles, he drinks a toast, and quickly becomes intoxicated, leading to numerous sight gags. It felt good to laugh along with people again. It was rather short, and when it ended, Leah told me it was the most repeated television show of all time and is quite popular in Scandinavian countries and northern Europe.

Leah and Jorunn went around rearranging and straightening Christmas decorations, then announced it was time to make Julekurver. I heard of them, but never actually made one. Made of paper, they are heart-shaped and filled with sweets.

We quickly cleared the dining room table, then covered it with red and white paper, a plastic rule, a plastic circle, and scissor. Leah and Jorunn both moved quickly, folding a sheet of paper of each color, and I followed their action. Then it was time to measure and cut, and fortunately, they slowed down to allow me to keep up. Using a circle, we marked a half circle and cut the excess away. Then cut strips into the paper, not going all the way across. We wove the red and white papers together in a checkerboard pattern and unfolded them into a perfect heart shape. I thought the process rather inefficient and decided to show off my engineering skills from 3M by making a fancier one. As I unfolded it, Jorunn and Leah laughed, and a moment later, I discovered one way not to make a Julekurver.

After a long and active day, I was tired, so I went to bed. Both Jorunn and Leah were talking softly in the living room as I drifted off to sleep.

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Chapter 14 - A nocturnal visitor

December 23rd - Just Before Midnight

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I was startled awake when I heard my bedroom door close, followed by a soft, "Shhhh!"

I listened closely in the total darkness for footsteps and heard someone approach my bed. Leah must be ready to resume what we started back at the hotel! A hand pulled back the covers, and instinctively I slid toward the middle of the bed to make space. Leah slid in next to me and drew the covers back over us.

Leah moved and shifted, and a hand found the back of my head. I expected her lips to follow, and they did. Soft and gentle, a wonderful way for my nocturnal visitor to say hello. Leah told me at the hotel she did not want to feel rushed, so there was no urgency. Her lips retreated, and her hand slid down to caress my cheek, as delicate fingers gently stroked me.

I reached out and found her left shoulder as Leah faced me, then marveled at the smoothness as my hand traced her arm downward. Approaching her hand, I extended further to touch her hip. I began softly rubbing, but her ass beckoned, and my hand moved to cup and squeeze her firm cheek. My fingers began shooting sensations of warmth, softness, and inner firmness directly to my brain. I pulled Leah tight against me and discovered she was already completely naked.

Leah swung her left leg over me and moved to an upright position, straddling my crotch. Beneath my boxer shorts, my erect cock fought for release. Her hand found my cock within its shelter but did not liberate it. Instead, her hand pushed my cock flat against my lower stomach, and she slid forward, trapping it with her pussy. Leah began slowly gyrating, and even through the fabric of my boxers, I felt her pussy lips spreading as they slid along either side of my hidden cock.

The hushed sounds of Leah cooing and moaning barely reached my ears, as dampness built between us. I reached up with both hands, found her small breasts, and used my thumbs to tease her nipples to an erection. A heavy breath followed by a long 'uhhhhh' brought me close to premature orgasm, but this was not what Leah wanted, so I held back.

Leah must have sensed I was close. She stopped gyrating, lifted herself, and then began inching herself up my torso. She paused for a moment and sat on my chest, then her hands reached out to touch my face. Two fingertips began touring my facial features as if Leah wanted to memorize every feature of my face. In the darkness, my senses heightened, her fingers swirled, and circled, and glided over me. I never would have imagined how erotic it felt.

Leah resumed moving higher, her knees passing over my shoulders until they rested on either side of my head. I reached up to confirm what lay just inches above my face and grazed the same hairy splendor I sampled back at the hotel. Inhaling deeply, I picked up traces of the same body wash on her thighs. I was ready to dive back in, so I reached up and grabbed Leah's hips, then pulled her pussy down toward my awaiting tongue. I paused as her short curly hair began painting her scent onto my face. The scent of arousal overpowered my senses. But? Something strange? I froze.

"Why did you stop, Gunnar?" From the darkness came Jorunn's voice!

I was stunned. I couldn't reveal the real reason I stopped was uncertainty. Jorunn's pussy smelled different than Leah's! I hadn't noticed any difference between Leah's and Jorunn's tall, fit bodies. If there were any, they were undetectable in the darkness, especially with only my brief exposure to Leah. "I can't do this with you, Jorunn."

"I want to make love to you tonight, Gunnar. More than anything in the world. Am I not pretty enough? Has not enough time passed since your wife's funeral? You are the only man in the world I can love without fear of being hurt."

"Jorunn, you are an incredibly beautiful woman. For months, I fantasized about holding you in my arms, kissing you, and wishing to be exactly where I am now. But yesterday, I met your mother."

Jorunn asked, "Did she order you not to have sex with me?"

I replied, "It's not that. I think I'm falling in love with Leah. We spent a wonderful day together, and she swept me off my feet. If that love turns out to be mutual, I am prepared to pledge my heart totally to her and her alone. A lifetime commitment, one I will never dishonor. The only reason you and I got this far tonight is that in the darkness, I thought you were Leah. I never would have done it otherwise."

Jorunn shifted positions and lay next to me in the bed. In the darkness, Jorunn whispered, "You are so unlike my father. He always put himself first. I was ready to give myself to you tonight. You could have kept quiet and let it happen. Then lied about it to my mother in the morning. But you didn't. You are a better man than my father ever was, and I know you will make my mother happy. Please don't be afraid to give her, and yourself, a chance. She really needs someone like you in her life."

I heard a soft sob and reached out to touch Jorunn's face. She was crying. Jorunn came into my bedroom tonight, looking for someone to love. She didn't know about Leah and me, or what happened between us at the hotel. I very much doubt her mother would have told her. I admired what Jorunn just did. She was sacrificing her chance at love so that her mother might have one.

Silence followed, before Jorunn finally said, "What you have shown me, Gunnar, is that there are still good men in this world. But I am still afraid to look for them."

I thought back to the day Jorunn and I went sledging. "Remember what you told me at Korketrekkeren? You don't need to be afraid of looking for a man, Jorunn. What you need to be afraid of is being too afraid to try looking for a man. Promise me that you will push off, just like riding a sledge, and start looking. When you reach the bottom of that scary hill, you will no longer be afraid, and someone you love will be waiting there for you."

"I will, Gunnar. I promise. And thank you." Jorunn climbed out of my bed and closed the door as she left.

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Chapter 15 - Christmas Eve

December 24 - Morning

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I woke up in the guest room bed. Hearing noises in the kitchen, I dressed and went downstairs. Leah smiled and said, "God Jul", then made me scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. Afterward, I enjoyed a slice of fruited Christmas Cake with coffee.

"Leah, there is something I need to tell you. Jorunn came into my room last night looking for a man to love. In the darkness, I thought it was you. It took a moment for me to realize it was Jorunn, and I stopped myself before going too far. Jorunn and I talked, and I confessed my love for you to her. She understood, and asked that I give that love a chance. I want to do that. I asked Jorunn to no longer be afraid to look for love, and she agreed."

"Thank you for telling me, Gunnar. I have struggled to get Jorunn to go on dates after her father hurt her so badly. You must be a special man to find a place in her heart. I trust Jorunn, and now I trust you. So you will know, I will come to you tonight, bearing a lighted candle."

I said, "That sounds romantic."

Leah replied, "Wait until you see what I will be wearing."

Jorunn came down later for breakfast, and after eating, announced she would be working on edits and voiceovers for her recent videos. Since they were related to Christmas, she wanted to finish them to post them later tonight.

Just before lunch, Leah led me back to the television and as we snuggled on the couch, she turned on "Tre Notter til Askepott", a 1973 Czech reenactment of Cinderella, dubbed into Norwegian. The story was familiar, with Cinderella granted three wishes. It was enjoyable, but the dubbed dialog did not quite match the lips of the actors, so I needed to concentrate on what they were saying. Leah mentioned that this show is so popular in Norway, that storms of protest arose one year when they decided not to broadcast it. They ended up sending it out later in the holiday.

Jorunn joined Leah and me for lunch. We ate Risengrynsgrot, which is rice porridge cooked with milk, sugar, and vanilla. We each had a bowl, and hiding in one of the three bowls was an almond. I suspected possible cheating such that I would be the one getting the almond, but as it turned out, Jorunn got the lucky bowl. As her prize, Leah gave Jorunn a chocolate-covered marzipan pig, an oddity for certain, but part of the tradition. There was porridge left over, and Leah said she would use it to make Riskrem, the delicious rice dessert eaten after tonight's dinner. Solveig's Riskrem was one of my favorite parts of the holiday season, and I was looking forward to tasting Leah's.

Leah turned to me and said, "If you want to eat, you must help in the kitchen."

Cooking was not something I knew very well, and after Leah led me into the kitchen, I let her know that. But since we were alone, I moved behind her, pulled her blonde hair aside, and nuzzled her neck.

Leah said, "If you don't stop, Gunnar, it will take longer before we eat."

I helped Leah remove a large roasting pan from the refrigerator and put it in the oven. "That's a strange-looking piece of meat," I said.

Leah replied, "It is called Ribbe, or roasted pork belly. It is one of the most popular Christmas meals in Norway. I scored the fat layer on top two days ago into a checkerboard pattern. Once cooked, the bottom meat stays tender while the cracklings on top get crispy."

Leah handed me a vegetable peeler and pointed to a bag of potatoes. I needed no further instructions on this. While I worked, Leah flittered around the kitchen, preparing the side dishes. She looked genuinely happy, and we talked and laughed and told tales of Christmases long ago.

Just as we pulled the Ribbe from the oven, church bells began ringing from multiple sources. It was 17:00.

"It seems like an odd time for church bells," I said.

Leah replied, "In Scandinavia, a new day traditionally starts at sundown, not midnight. Following the old ways, Christmas Day has arrived. It is time to eat."

Jorunn joined us in the mad flurry of activity as places were set, and food moved from the kitchen to the dining room. On the table was Ribbe, boiled potatoes, meatballs, gravy, sausages, sauerkraut, prunes, and lingonberries. Leah poured each of us a tall glass of juleøl, a dark spiced ale, brewed during Christmas all over Norway. She said at one time, a Norwegian king made it illegal to NOT brew Christmas Ale. Everything was delicious, and I ate until I could stuff in no more.

After dinner, we cleaned up and went into the living room to enjoy coffee, cookies, and a small bowl of Riskrem. I wondered why Leah brought out four bowls of Riskrem. Three topped with whipped cream and a berry sauce, one with only a blob of butter in the middle.

Leah said, "We set out a bowl of porridge every Christmas for the fjøsnissen. The tradition evolved from the days when farming families would offer porridge to their barn elf, or nisse. The nisse takes care of the animals in the barn during winter so they don't get sick. If you don't do this, the fjøsnissen will play tricks on you."

As we nibbled, Jorunn set the bowl of porridge outside the front door for the fjøsnissen. Then we sat and watched an American Christmas movie on television. After it ended, Leah announced it was time to open the presents. I suspected this would happen and was glad I bought a gift for both Leah and Jorunn. We each dispersed, returned with our packages, and placed them under the Christmas tree.

As expected, Leah and Jorunn shared the most gifts for each other, opening the usual mix of chocolates, clothing, and kitchen items. Then Jorunn handed me a gift from her. I opened it and found a DVD labeled, 'Christmas in Norway Tour', along with a link and instructions to download the video if I preferred. Jorunn told me she made an hour-long video of all the things we did together over the past week, adding music and voiceovers so I would remember the now-completed tour. In exceedingly small letters, at the bottom of the instructions, I saw a link for a story with a similar name and suspected it might be one full of adjectives.

Jorunn then opened my gift to her. I remembered the small camera she used this past week and bought her a new top-of-the-line Sony digital camera. From her reaction, I did well.

Leah then opened my gift to her. I purchased a genuinely nice Advent star to hang in her window, since she did not have one. It was large and electrically lit and after opening it, she wanted to hang it up right away, which we did. Then we went outside to see how it looked. Leah kissed me and whispered that the Advent Star possessed a special meaning for her this year, a sign of brighter days ahead.