The Sanctuary (19 page)

Val studied the picture. “For some reason they look familiar, or maybe it’s the buildings in the background. I can’t place my finger on it.”

I flipped the photo to the back, to see if there were any clues.

Timo (brother-in-law), Sofia (sister), Illona and Hanna, Helsinki, 1990 was written in my father’s handwriting.

I dropped the photo onto the coffee table and stepped away.

“This is good news. You probably have family here.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” I walked to the bar and pulled out our stash of weed, removing a joint and pouring another glass of Merlot.

He followed after me, removing the drugs and alcohol from my hand. “This isn’t going to solve anything.”

I took the wine from him. “No, it’s not. But it will help me sleep. Can I have that please?” I pointed to the joint he was holding. He was reluctant but handed it over anyway. I sat down on the couch and flicked on the TV, pretending the photos had never existed.

I lit the joint and took a sip of wine. It was good to be home. Relaxation at last. No parties to plan, no functions to attend to, no high-strung employees to rattle my nerves. No nothing to bother me, except those damned photos.

Over an hour past as we sat in total silence except for the drone of the television. The drugs and alcohol kicked into my system, and my mind was a mesh of thoughts I couldn’t control.

I broke the silence. “I miss my parents. I feel like I lost out on being a part of a family.”

He moved next to me, cradling me in his arms. “But you have family. Would you like to find them?”

“No. I mean, what would I say? I wouldn’t want to intrude and impose myself on someone else’s life.”

“What if they wanted to know you? They obviously knew about you. You vacationed with them at least once.”

His words made sense, but yet, I didn’t know what to do. “I wouldn’t know what to say to them. There is nothing but blood that connects us.”

“I’m sure they will have information for you. It’s your father’s sister.”

I sighed and shifted myself down, resting my head on his lap. “I don’t know.” The combination of the wine and weed was doing its job nicely. Sleep was setting in, sealing off my thoughts.

Val picked me up. “Let’s go upstairs.” He carried me to the bedroom, placing me on the bed beside him, spooning me in his arms. “Everything happens for a reason, and we’ll get through this together. I promise. You’re not alone in life anymore. You have me.”

I woke up the next day feeling revived and refreshed. I showered and decided the past was behind me and I should let sleeping dogs lie. Rehashing my past was already too painful for me to deal with, and my energies were better off spent focusing on my new life I was creating. I bounced downstairs and was greeted by comfort—Val had his paper and smokes in hand and coffee already brewed.

“Good morning, sweetheart. How did you sleep?”

I leaned in for my morning kiss before grabbing coffee. “Amazingly, I slept very soundly.” I gazed out the window. “It’s moving day, huh?” I saw men unloading his wares from the studio and loading up a large trailer headed for Paris.

“I am hoping everything will be in order by the time we arrive. I’ll have to go to the gallery to ensure everything is in place as soon as we land. By the way, I have located your family. They are living in Eira on the waterfront.”

“I don’t want to discuss them. It’s in the past.” I knew Eira was an expensive district. My father’s family must have done well for themselves here.

He eyed me over his paper. “Don’t you want to know about them?”

“Not really.” I paused. “How did you locate them?”

He ignored my question. “Your aunt is an interior designer. She owns her own firm near the city center, and your uncle is an architect.”

The information began to interest me. I wondered what other similarities we shared. “What else do you know?”

He put the paper down. “I thought you didn’t want to know?” he said, teasing me.

“I’m not running to visit them. I only want to know what you know.”

He lit a cigarette. “You have already met your aunt.”

“I have? What do you mean?” I questioned him with my eyes.

“You met her at the gallery show in October. They purchased a sculpture of mine. I knew the faces in the picture were familiar.”

My mind raced. The night of his show was a blur to me, too many faces, too many names to remember. “You know them?”

“Not really. I know of them through my shows. They are art collectors.”

My emotions were mixed. “Well, I have to meet Jenni, and then I’m off to class at the university. I’ll be back this afternoon.” I gave him a quick kiss on the lips and picked up my gym bag, which was on the floor.

“I’ll be home all day if you need me.”

Over the next week, our lives slowly fell back into place. The gallery show in Paris was successful, bringing in international clientele and rave reviews in the newspapers. Val was making a name for himself as an artist and secured several private commissions for his work. I fell into the role of his fiancée marvelously, redecorating and tossing more personal touches of me into our home. We complemented each other nicely, spending many late nights side by side, me with my writing and him with his art and music. Val dropped the subject about my family. He knew not to pressure me with it.

The night of the presidential ball arrived, the
Linnan juhlat
, “the party at the castle” it was called. It was Independence Day in Finland. It was going to be a lovely evening spent together.

I placed my earrings on, watching Val’s reflection in the mirror behind me as he dressed. I loved it when he dressed formally. There was something sensual about a man in black tie. “You look handsome tonight.”

He approached me from behind, giving me a quick kiss on the neck. “And you look beautiful as usual. How lucky am I to have such a gorgeous fiancée?”

“Oh stop with the flattery.” I laughed. “It will get you everywhere.”

His eyes twinkled. “So, what’s underneath that gown?” He eyed the deep navy dress I was wearing, trying to envision my flesh.

I giggled. “You shall find out when we get home.”

“How about now?” He attempted to ruffle the dress upward.

“Stop!” I playfully smacked his hand. “The car will be here any minute. You don’t want us to be late, do you?”

“We could make a grand entrance.” He wrapped his strong arms around me, kissing me on the weak spot on my neck. “Why don’t you remove whatever is underneath this?” His hands dug into my sides, sending shivers up my spine.

“Why don’t you do it for me if you insist on me being a whore?”

He knelt down and slid his hands up my dress. “You’re wearing a garter?” His eyes lit up.

I looked down upon him. “You’ll need to work if you want what’s underneath.”

“You tease.” His hands quickly made their way to my hosiery, unsnapping the clasps before hastily ripping off my panties. His hands spun me around, pushing my back against the vanity.

“Val, no…”

He flung the dress over him and pressed his tongue onto my lips, sliding up and down, spreading my pussy apart.

“Stop it! You’re going to make us late.” I pressed down on his head to make him exit my dress, but he continued flicking his tongue against my clit. I backed off, moving away from him, “Stop!”

He reappeared, tossing my dress upward as he made his exit. “I guess I’ll have to find a quiet corner in the palace and have my way with you then.”

“You will do no such thing. That is so disrespectful,” I chided him.

“You have no worries about disgracing my country. Only I will be shamed.” His eyes danced.

I knew from the look on his face he was serious about fucking me during the ball. The idea of being naughty was a complete turn-on to him. His cock was bulging through his pants. He kissed me hard on the mouth, pushing me into the door of the bathroom. I could smell and taste my pussy on his beard.

“You should go wash. You wouldn’t want to greet the president with me on your lips.”

“All the better. Now everyone will be able to smell what I love.” His lips turned upward into an evil grin.

“Oh, you’re such an ass sometimes.” I hit him playfully on the chest. “Let’s go. The car is outside.”

“I can’t wait to ravage you this evening.”

I glanced over my shoulder as I made my way downstairs. He was a master of seduction and knew all the right buttons to turn me on. From the way his tuxedo fit his lithe frame to the way his hair cascaded around his face to the words he used. I couldn’t wait until our flesh became one tonight. My body tingled with desire.

“Can’t we stay home?”

“And miss out on all the fun?” He grabbed our jackets, opening the front door for me.

Twenty minutes later, we arrived, walking the red carpet, performing for the camera and press. Once inside, we were both warmly greeted by the president before heading to the cocktail hour. The presidential palace was grand and elaborate with massive columns, beautiful inlay wooden floors, gothic arches, decadent ceilings, and marvelous crystal chandeliers. It truly was a palace fit for royalty.

Val led me around the room, speaking to several people of high society whom he knew. He introduced me to various guests, all of whom made important contributions to Finnish society—heads of medicine, artists, philosophers, and politicians. His demeanor was perfect. He presented himself as a well-rounded, eloquent, and schooled artist. I didn’t know what was sexier, watching him interact with the upper class or the thought of us fornicating among them.

“This is all so boring, so stiff.” It was a good hour and half into the party. “Why don’t we do something to liven things up a bit?” His eyes were seductive, and I knew exactly what game he was playing.

I turned to him, our arms touching. I nonchalantly scanned the great hall. “There is nowhere to go.” I casually sipped my drink. “It’s not like we can stand up against the mirrors and do it.”

“Follow me.” He winked and turned around, heading toward the far corner of the room to a staircase, which led to the second-story balcony.

I followed his lead. The mere thought of declaring our own independence was extremely titillating. “Where are we going?” I stopped behind a column, making sure we were traveling unnoticed.

“You’ll see. Follow me.” He beckoned me to follow with a come-hither gesture of his hand.

“And what will we do if we get caught?” I asked, scurrying after him down the hall.

“We will laugh and apologize.” He reached a decadent, gold-accented door, wiggling the handle to see if it was unlocked. He opened the door with a soft click and peeked inside. “All clear.” He held the door open, grabbed me by the arm, and shoved me inside.

“Where are we?” I glanced around. There were books lining floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves and windows on the far wall, casting eerie dim shadows across the room.

“Who cares?” He grabbed me and thrust me against the wall, snatching my dress hastily and hoisting it upward to my waist. His hand plunged between my legs and spread them apart, rubbing my pussy to ensure it was wet enough to fuck. He leaned in to kiss me, seizing my throat with his other hand. “We need to make this quick before someone notices our absence. And you need to be as quiet as a mouse.” I heard him unzip his pants in one fluid motion. Using the wall as leverage, he raised me up. I wrapped my legs around him to hold my position. His firmness slid into my softness, filling me up as he drew me down into him.

I moaned but was quickly silenced by his hand over my mouth.

“Shh…we need to be quiet,” he scolded. “And if you’re not quiet, you’re going to get a spanking when we get home.”

“I don’t think so,” I whispered into the shadows.

“You may get one anyway. You’ve been a very bad girl.” There was a touch of humor in his voice combined with seriousness. I couldn’t tell what fate had in store for me later.

He pushed harder into me, thrusting his hips upward toward my cunt. “How much control can I take, Eve? How much can I do?”

“Ohhh…” I moaned again under his words.

He slapped me across the face playfully. “Didn’t I say to be quiet?”

“Maybe I want you to spank me.” And with those words, my body began to quake on his.

He groaned in pleasure from my words and from the way my body responded to him. “I’m going to fucking come, Eve.” He growled deeply in my ear. “Where do you want me to come?”

And then it hit me, if he came inside of me, it would drip down before I could make it to a bathroom.

He grumbled again in my ear. “Tell me, Eve, where do you want me to come? In your pussy? Or maybe you would be able to hold it better in your ass.”

His cock grew bigger, throbbing from the mounting pressure. His dominating words caused me to orgasm in pleasure again. I dropped my legs from his waist, and he released his grip. I slid down to my knees. The only way I would be able to hide our rendezvous was if I accepted him in my mouth. He grasped my hair firmly and pushed my head toward his cock, plunging it deep inside my mouth as he climaxed.

He withdrew his penis. I gripped my lips together, not knowing what I should do. Val saw the anxiety on my face and cackled as he zipped up his trousers. Speaking firmly to me, he said, “Swallow it.”

I shook my head. I needed to find somewhere to spit.

He pushed me against the wall, holding my mouth and nose closed. “Swallow it,” he commanded.

I had no way out of this. There was no other way to hide our indiscretion. I closed my eyes and swallowed it as quickly as possible. He removed his hand from my mouth.

I eyed him in the shadows. My heart beat rapidly. I loved when he had his way with me.

“Tell me, Eve, how much control may I take tonight? Do you love me enough that I can be completely free with you later?” He approached me and squeezed my nipples through my dress. “Give me permission to fuck you like I’ve never fucked you before. Let me know your body is completely mine. Indulge me, Eve. Let me take you as I wish.”

As much as I loved him, I did not know if I could let down my guard. “I think we should go before we are noticed missing.” I walked past him and placed my hand on the door. His hand covered mine.