The Sanctuary

by Arika Stone

  The bathroom was luxurious, with imported limestone and beautiful poured concrete countertops. And there, in the corner, was a soaking tub, large enough for two, overlooking his picturesque town. He had drawn a bubble bath, lit candles, and, in lieu of a glass of wine, a joint was on the ledge ready to be burned.

  “You spoil me.” I turned around, ready to invite him to join me, but the door clicked shut.

  “Enjoy, I’ll be downstairs.” His voice was muffled through the bathroom door.

  I undressed and slid into the warm water. It flowed around me, relaxing my muscles and my mind. I lit the joint and inhaled, anticipating feelings of euphoria and relaxation. I was supposed to dive into writing and freedom. Instead, I’d stumbled upon a romance. It wasn’t what I’d come here for, but it had found me. Should I let it play out, or should I stop the game?

  As I continued to smoke, thoughts rolled through my mind. After Jude, I’d sworn off men. I knew I didn’t want to be blindsided again, but Val ignited a spark that caused every inch of my body to tingle. My reaction to him was completely out of character. Whatever we shared, I was curious to explore it.

  Perhaps it was only sexual attraction. I hadn’t had sex in several months, and the weed was weakening my inhibitions. Should I seduce him? Step out naked and ask for a towel? I closed my eyes and drifted into a blissful daydream.

  My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a piano in the distance. I wrapped a towel around myself and stealthily peeked out the door. I scanned the master suite; Val had cleaned up the mess. The only light was the sun’s rays through the far window. I saw him at a piano, which I must have missed earlier.

  I crept farther into the room. I didn’t want to disturb him, and I wanted to watch him without being watched. I hadn’t been able to stare at him since we’d first met at the coffee shop.

  His hands glided over the keys, stroking and caressing each one. His eyes were half closed and his lips slightly parted. He looked sated, and I imagined that was how he would appear after we made love.

  Seizing the moment, I strolled toward him, stopping inches away from the piano bench, pausing to catch his eye.

  “Why, hello, Eve…”

  “Would you mind if I joined you?” I dropped the towel to the floor.

  He scanned my body with lustful eyes. “You are beautiful.” He gently tapped the bench, inviting me to take a seat next to him. “Your mother named you appropriately. Oh, how you tempt me.”

  I sat and faced him. “Temptation is nothing until you taste the forbidden fruit.”

  It was the invitation he was looking for. With a quick swoop, I was encircled by his arms, his lips pressed into mine. His touch electrified me and caused me to lose my breath. He kissed my mouth with such fervor I was positive the lion could not be tamed. His hand slid slowly from my waist to the underside of my breast. But before he reached my erect nipples, he stopped and pulled himself away.

  Breathing heavily, he spoke. “I don’t want to take advantage of you.” His eyes searched mine for an answer.

  I laughed at his remark. Take advantage of me? If anything, I would be using him. He would be my Finnish lover.

  I knew his bed was nearby, and seducing him would be easier if I was in it. I rose from the bench and sauntered to the bed, my ass swaying with each swaggering step.

  I felt his eyes on me with each move I made. Eyes that were hungry for me. I sat on the bed. “Come here.”

  My words interrupted his visual inspection of my body. He rose from the bench and moved toward me, raising his shirt over his head and exposing his perfectly delicious skin. Val leaned in for a kiss, but I shifted my body backward toward the center of the bed. “Join me.” I motioned him closer with my finger.

  With a predatory smile, he crawled on his hands and knees across the bed until he was hovering over me. He lowered himself, kissing me passionately, and his hand cupped my breast as his thumb traced my areola before tweaking my nipple with his finger.

  He leaned down to kiss my nipples and forced my legs apart with his body to make room for him. My body shuddered in delight as his warm tongue flicked on my skin.

  “Oh…mmm…Val…” I was in heaven.

  He moved his way to my mouth, kissing me along the way. “You are beautiful,” he murmured before kissing me again. “And you taste like bubbles.”

  I couldn’t help but giggle. “I wonder why.”

  “Hmm…” He lowered himself onto me and began to kiss me again, but he did not rest his weight on me.

  “Val…” I purred as I traced my fingers down his perfect chest until I found what I was searching for, the button of his pants. I quickly got irritated and groaned my displeasure at being unable to undo his jeans and get to what I wanted.

  He relieved my frustration and solved what I could not by getting up and shedding them.

  His body was stunning, and there was much more of him than I’d thought there would be. In point of fact, he was bigger than any man I’d ever dated. I grinned, pleased with the Adonis before me. My body ached for his touch.

  “Beautiful…”

  He moved up my body, leaving not one inch of skin untouched. His mouth painted my lips with lust. His weight nudged my legs farther apart until I could feel the heat of his groin pressed against mine.

  “You are gorgeous.”

  “Are you trying to persuade me to sleep with you?” I teased.

  “I hardly think persuasion is necessary.” He winked.

  “And what makes you say that?” I asked, playing innocent.

  He moved his hand down my body, sliding his hand between my thighs. “This…”

  “Oh…I think you may be right…mmm…”

  His fingers worked magic on my clit. I was going to orgasm at any second. He withdrew his hand from my pussy and moved his focus to my breasts, fondling and sucking them until I thought I would explode. And suddenly he stopped again, drawing himself off of me.

  I opened my eyes in wonder; he was taunting me with sex. His green eyes were hypnotic; I wanted to submit to his spell. I heard the rip of foil and glanced down. He was unrolling a condom.

  I grabbed his wrist and tugged gently. “No need. I’m clean and on birth control. You?” I didn’t want to waste another minute; I needed to feel him inside of me.

  “I haven’t been with anyone since my ex, and we were both clean.” He tilted his head. “Are you sure?” His gaze questioned my intentions as he began to pull the rubber off his cock.

  “Positive. Now get back here.” I fluttered my eyes, trying to charm him into my arms.

  “Tell me what you desire.” He brought his face above my body so his breath danced on my skin and his hair caressed my cheeks.

  “You,” I purred.

  His lips grazed my cheek. “Tell me what you want.” His warm breath tickled my ear.

  “You,” I whispered into him again. My breath was shallow, and my dripping pussy was anxiously awaiting his touch. My heart was pounding. I was sure he could feel it through my skin.

  His lips circled mine, gently tracing them. “Tell me what you need.”

  “I need to feel you inside of me.”

  He covered my mouth with a scorching kiss, grasping each side of my face with his hands. Our tongues intertwined, and my body arched up to meet his. He moved his hands down my waist and around my hips, grabbing my ass and arching my back to meet his cock.

  “I want you…” My eyes fluttered closed, and I could feel his cock against my inner thigh. I wanted him to penetrate me, now.

  With his hands on my hips, he gave in to my desires. His cock entered my soaked pussy with ease. I gasped in passion, my body tightened around him, and my fingers clenched onto his arms. It felt so fucking good. With two strokes, I exploded in orgasm, my body quaking in delight.

  But he barely had begun. Val slowed his strokes, making them smoother and longer. He took his time and worked me back up to passion, thrusting harder and deeper as soon as he knew I could handle it again. He
found my sweet spot, which made me cry out in longing. He drove me to orgasm again before withdrawing from me.

  I felt empty without him inside, but I had no time to complain. He rolled over, pulling me on top of him. I paused for a moment before I decided to devour his luscious body. I traced his chest with my tongue, sliding my way down to his rock-hard cock. I felt a certain satisfaction as my mouth embraced him and he let out a moan. He grabbed my hair and pulled me toward him. I straddled him, longing to take the reins, but he thrust his cock into me and rolled over to take control.

  No sooner was he inside than I convulsed in a third orgasm. As my body rippled with the aftershocks, he released himself in pleasure inside of me.

  We lay there for a while completely exhausted from our rendezvous. Our limbs lay intertwined, our hair matted and tangled, skin sticky and hot.

  Val wrapped his arm around me. “Beautiful. You know, Eve, you are fucking beautiful.”

  “Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself.” I laughed and closed my eyes. I lost myself in his scent. It was a masculine odor, a mix of clean citrus and sweat. It made me want to stay in his arms for a very long time.

  “What do we do now?” His voice was husky and soft.

  “We go to sleep.” I was enjoying basking in my bliss.

  “That sounds beautiful too,” Val murmured as he stroked my hair and held me tight to his body.

  Chapter 5

  I’m downstairs making pancakes. Join me.

  Love, Val

  Not only had I found a lover in Finland, I’d found a charming bed and breakfast with a soaking tub. I quickly dressed in my panties and his button-down shirt, which was on the floor.

  However, as soon as I descended the stairs, I heard voices other than Val’s. But it was too late to retreat. I was already spotted.

  “Ahh Eve, good morning,” Val greeted me at the foot of the stairs. “Come down. I have a two people I’d like you to meet.”

  Val was fully dressed. I quickly wrapped my arms around myself to keep his shirt closed. I was embarrassed by my attire, but I had no choice but to say hello.

  “Excuse me, guys.” Val grabbed my hand. “This is Eve.” He motioned to them. “Eve, this is Sebastian, my manager, and Petra, my assistant.”

  I was quickly dismissed by them. Val ignored their rudeness, led me to the kitchen, and presented me with a steaming plate of fresh pancakes, strawberries, and coffee.

  “Am I in the way?” I motioned to his people across the room.

  “Oh, no, no. I apologize. I forgot to tell you last night, but I have business to attend to in Germany. I’ll be back tomorrow. Can I pick you up at eight?”

  “Eight is great.” I wondered how famous he was for all this pomp and circumstance.

  “I have a car scheduled to take you to the hotel when you are ready. Tell Petra, and she will call it for you. But I have to run. I’m late for my plane.” He kissed me on the lips before departing with his manager out the door.

  Petra eyed me from the dining room as I finished breakfast and headed upstairs to gather my belongings. I wanted to leave as quickly as possible; I could sense her feelers were out for me.

  Once upstairs, I peeked around. I didn’t go through his stuff, but I figured anything lying in the open was fair game. I scanned his dresser for any hints to who he was.

  I picked up his watch, a Tag Heuer. His taste was exquisite; we both enjoyed the finer things in life. I placed it down and fingered his cologne. I waved the bottle, inhaling the crisp, clean scent. This was how he’d smelled last night, and it was a scent I would forever associate with him.

  As I continued to search for clues, I tried to convince myself he was just for fun, but deep down in my heart, I could feel a tingle of guilt for my behavior. To further snoop would spoil my fantasy. The less I knew about my Finnish lover, the better.

  I walked downstairs, more confident being fully dressed. “Petra, would you mind calling that car?”

  She glanced up from her paperwork. “It’s waiting outside.”

  Her coldness could have frozen the gates of hell. “Thank you, darling. I’ll see you soon.” I shot her my best “two can play your game” smile and closed the door behind me. She wasn’t going to ruin my day.

  As I returned to the city center, I decided a bit of retail therapy would complement the radiant mood I was in. Five hours of non-stop shopping and several thousand euros later, I needed a taxi to help lug everything to the hotel.

  As I bustled through the door carrying my bags, my cell phone rang. I dropped my packages, scampering to find my purse. Whoever it was, I needed to share my happiness with them. I was ecstatic. It was Vicki.

  “Hei,” I answered.

  “Already speaking Finnish? Valo must be a good teacher!” Vicki exclaimed.

  I giggled. I was glad to hear she was in a better mood than the last time we’d spoken. “What’s going on?”

  “I discovered some pretty interesting facts about Valo.” Vicki was enthusiastic. “You stumbled upon a talented man. Not only is he an artist, but he’s a musician, a writer, and a pretty good dancer from what I saw. He also plays the guitar and drums…”

  “And piano,” I interjected.

  “Piano?”

  “Yes, he was playing it right before I seduced him last night. Or did he seduce me? Either way, add piano to the list.”

  “I want details!” she squealed. “I saw pics, Eve, and he’s hot.”

  “I know. And the sex. Best sex I’ve ever had. He made me come three times in a row.”

  We giggled like schoolgirls. It reminded me of how we had been in college. We talked for over two hours about work, Vicki’s beau, and, of course, Val.

  “I miss you, Vicki. It’s boring here without you.”

  “I’m sure he will keep you occupied. Anyway, I have to run. You should Google him.”

  I glanced at my laptop collecting dust on the coffee table. “Maybe I will. Night.” I clicked the phone closed and stared at the computer.

  No sooner had I risen from my chair than I heard a knock on the door. I couldn’t imagine who it could be. I squinted through the peephole and saw a hotel worker carrying a box.

  “Delivery!” he called out. I unlocked the door and accepted the package, knowing it had to be from Val. I opened the card, and sure enough, it was.

  The greatest pleasures in life are love and Fazer’s truffles. I will miss you tonight.

  Until tomorrow,

  Val

  First the flowers, then the food, the champagne, the bath, and now candy. It was becoming too much, too romantic, too overwhelming. I grabbed my computer and sat on the bed. Was I so used to inattentive men that I was frightened by this old-school romance? I pondered Val and my knowledge of his life. Did I want to Google him? Or was the mystery what I really wanted?

  The search engine box on my computer screen was daring me to type in his name.

  So I did. I never turned away from a dare, even one offered by my computer.

  I scanned the first page results, and nothing caught my eye. I saw music titles, art reviews, biography headers. I skimmed the list before stopping on the page six results.

  Sex Symbol Valo Ruska – Celibate No More?

  Although it was from some Euro-trash gossip blog, I began to read the article.

  Valo Ruska was spotted last night leaving the chic restaurant Chez Dominique with Eve Lauren. In a recent interview, Valo claimed he was celibate due to circumstance. He has often stated that he didn’t believe in casual encounters or one-night stands. And his groupies can vouch for that. Valo is infamous for being one of the most elusive rock stars to bed. Although Valo has been photographed with many women this past year, Crush observed these two smitten with each other inside Chez Dominique before heading to her hotel, Hotel Kämp, for a nightcap.

  My mouth dropped open. That’s why I'd seen so many people with cameras when we left the hotel. They were paparazzi. It made sense to me now. He’d told me he was living off his fort
une, and his music career had made him famous enough to talk about in the rags.

  I closed the laptop. It was too much to take in. I wished I’d never Googled him. I preferred my Finnish mystery man. The less I knew about him and the less the media knew about us, the better.

  I walked to the window and scanned the street. There were a few stragglers walking around, all with cameras.

  I immediately called the office and left a message for Kristen, my head of PR. This gossip needed to be contained within Finland.

  Chapter 6

  I could handle gossip. I could dodge the paparazzi. I could switch hotels. Or I could flaunt it. No matter what, they would win; there was no point in fighting it.

  Today was the perfect day to relax and unwind, especially since I would need all of my energy for my evening with Val. I flipped open the hotel directory and made several spa appointments before going to the gym for my morning workout.

  It was a wonderful, comforting day, but I couldn’t wait to return to my suite to prepare for my date. I was anxious to see Val again.

  “Hello.”

  I glanced up from my iPhone. The man who entered the elevator was tall, with espresso hair, steel-blue eyes, and a British accent. I acknowledged his existence with a nod.

  “Going up?” the man asked.

  I eyed him. He was carrying a small video camera in his hand. I ignored his question and pretended to be consumed with texting. I had no desire to play his game.

  “I hear Valo Ruska was here the other night. Have you seen him?”

  I raised an eyebrow and let out a sigh but did not move my gaze or utter a word. The elevator stopped at floor number six. The man stepped out and paused, waiting for me to follow. I quickly hit the button for the lobby and closed the doors.

  By the time the elevator descended the six stories, I was fuming mad. Whoever he was, he was paparazzi, and I would not stay on the same floor as him for the next three months.