The Sanctuary

by Arika Stone

  No man had ever spoken to me this way. It wasn’t what he said; it was how he said it. He wasn’t pretentious; he was sincere. I enjoyed the romantic notion of it. I briefly thought of Jude before throwing caution to the wind. “I’d love to join you for dinner.”

  “Where shall I pick you up?” Val pressed on.

  “I’m at Hotel Kamp. How is seven for you?” I asked.

  “Seven’s perfect.” Val reached for my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly. “Until then.”

  I attempted to keep my cool as I left, glancing back once to catch Val wink at me. As soon as I was safely out of earshot, I dialed Vicki.

  “Vicki, did you get the report on him?” I asked before she could mutter hello.

  “Hello to you too, and, yes, I did. Didn’t you get my voicemail?” Vicki asked.

  “No, I didn’t. And?”

  “He’s clean. Nothing to worry about.”

  “I have a date with him tonight. If you don’t hear from me by tomorrow, get worried.”

  I hung up and rushed back to my hotel. I had an evening to prepare for. Hopefully, it would be an evening to remember.

  * * * *

  The phone buzzed in the room, causing me to practically jump out of my skin. It was seven p.m., and he was right on time. I picked up. “Hello?”

  “This is Antti from the front desk. I have a gentleman named Valo Ruska here for you.”

  “Okay, send him up.” I forced my earring into my ear as I hung up and gave myself the once-over in the mirror. If I’d been a guy, I’d fuck me. Playing dress-up always made me feel sexy. I could be someone else, an alter ego. I could stop playing the dominant boss and let a guy wine and dine my submissive side.

  There was a knock on the door. I opened it and was greeted by an armful of flowers. “For you.” Val extended the bouquet. “You look beautiful.”

  I backed away so he could enter. “Why, thank you.” I kissed him on the cheek. “Let me put these in water. Would you like a glass of wine?”

  “I will have to decline for now. Perhaps after dinner, though.”

  He stood out with his dark, well-fitting jeans and light gray shirt, which was partially hidden by his eclectic tuxedo jacket and a turquoise scarf. His style was finished with his hair neatly tied under a newsboy cap. He looked like an artist and a very fuckable one at that. His accented English was irresistible. And he was interested in a possible nightcap. His lust was as strong as I’d felt it to be the day before. The game was on.

  “I have a car waiting.” He offered his arm, which I accepted, and we descended downstairs in the elevator.

  We exited the hotel, and his driver opened the door for us. Val extended his hand outward. “After you.”

  I entered the car and peered out the window. A few tourists with cameras were standing outside snapping pictures.

  Val sat next to me. He went to place his hand on my leg but rested it on his lap instead. The driver pulled away, and our evening began.

  “So where are we off to on this lovely evening?”

  “I booked a reservation at Chez Dominique. They combine French recipes with Finnish ingredients. I’m sure you will be delighted with it.”

  Chez Dominique. I was surprised. Either Val had extremely good taste or was out to impress me. Chez was one of the top restaurants in the world. I wondered how he’d secured a reservation on such short notice. He might not have been a criminal, but who was he?

  I recognized the city center. “I was down this way today. I visited the art museum.”

  “So you assumed you would first find me at a museum, and when that didn’t pan out, you searched for me in a lingerie store?” he teased.

  Our eyes locked. His smile was contagious. I bit my lip, “You were on my mind today, but I didn’t expect to see you again.”

  “Ahh…you weren’t going to call. I suppose fate is funny. We were meant to meet again.” He motioned toward the window. “We’re here.”

  He got out of the car and offered me his hand as I stepped out. We entered the posh restaurant, and I was impressed by the glamorous and chic décor. Chez Dominique was not only world renowned for its cuisine but also for its modern, trendy atmosphere. I was no stranger to this life where the elite hobnobbed and men of means impressed their arm charms. How could an artist be so well-to-do unless he was famous? Val intrigued me on many levels.

  The maître d’ escorted us to a table near the back, away from the hustle of the more populated part of the restaurant. Val seated me and proceeded to take the chair next to me. I eyed him, hesitant about what to say. The waiter arrived, and Val addressed him in incomprehensible Finnish. For the first time I felt completely foreign and lost in the conversation.

  “I hope you don’t mind. I ordered for us.”

  “No, not at all. I just wish I knew what you’d said.”

  He leaned in. “You’ll pick up the language if you force yourself to live in the culture. How long do you intend to stay?”

  “I don’t have a deadline. I could leave as quickly as I came, or I could stay for an extended period if I find a reason compelling enough.” I watched him to see if he picked up on my not-so-subtle hint.

  “So, if you fancied, you would leave tomorrow?”

  “If I wanted to. I have no ties here.”

  The waiter interrupted us to pour champagne before leaving the bottle and departing the table.

  Val raised his glass in a toast. “Cheers. Tell me more about you, Eve. What makes you tick?”

  I wasn’t sure how I should interpret his words. Did he want to bed me or get to know me? “I’m not sure how to answer that,” I muttered, taking another sip of champagne.

  “You can answer any way you fancy.”

  “Stop being so elusive and get to the point,” I replied, staring him in the eye.

  “I’m not the one who started this game. I can’t get a direct answer from you.” He paused. “If you want this to be real, then you must be real.”

  I sighed as I gazed into his green eyes. “I own my own company. I’m overworked, stressed, and had a skin-crawling itch to just go. I’ve traveled the world, but I’ve never been here. It’s unexplored territory. It’s cold, dark, and moody. It fits how I feel at the moment.”

  He remained silent, waiting for me to continue, but I didn’t. It was his turn to share.

  “And you?” I continued. “This…” I motioned around the room. “This is life for me every day. So when I bump into a total stranger who tries to romance and impress me, it makes me wonder, are you real?”

  He reached across the table and took my hand into his, slowly circling the racing pulse in my wrist. “To some extent, yes, this is real. I don’t live like this every day; you would sooner catch me at a local pub than here. But I have the means to afford such luxury when I am in the presence of someone worthy of impressing.”

  Although his words were eloquent, they were also smooth, too smooth. But I could tell from the way he held my hand and spoke directly to me that they were heartfelt. Something told me I could trust him, but I wasn’t sure if I could trust myself. I had too much on the line to fall in love.

  “Thank you.” I nodded. “You wanted to know what makes me tick?”

  “Yes. What makes Eve Eve?”

  “That depends. If I was in New York, work would be making me tick. I submerge myself into whatever I am working on. I am consumed by it. It’s all or nothing for me. But recently, I felt the urgent need to leave. I cleared my calendar, tied up loose ends, and flew here. I wanted adventure, something to breathe new life into me.”

  “So you came here for adventure, and you’ve been feeling moody and dark.” Val pressed for more answers.

  “Don’t you think this is a bit too deep for a first date?” I questioned. “How about you, Val? I know nothing about you. You tease me with your charming good looks and irresistible accent, but you’re still a mystery.”

  “I write, I paint, I sculpt. I live. I can do what I want, when I
want. My success is past me. I am living off the fruits of my labor.” He took a sip of champagne, pausing before continuing. “There once was a time when I had two loves in my life, my career and my fiancée. Unfortunately, my career won. It wasn’t until I lost my fiancée that I realized love was my inspiration in life.”

  I grinned through a champagne buzz. “We’re very similar, you know.” I drew myself closer to him.

  “How so?” I felt his breath on my skin as he spoke.

  “We’re both passionate about what we love.”

  Through the next several courses, I became more comfortable around him. He was funny, unique, quirky, romantic, sexy as hell, and we clicked. He understood me. It felt as if I had known him for years.

  “I have one more place to show you before we go home,” Val said as we entered the car. He placed his arm around my shoulders, and I slid comfortably into his chest.

  “Where to now?” I asked.

  “It’s a surprise.” He nuzzled his lips next to my cheek. My heart fluttered like a butterfly trapped in my chest. My body ached for him to touch me, to feel his silky fingertips graze my face and embrace me in a kiss.

  The car pulled up to a stadium.

  “What are we doing here?”

  The place appeared deserted.

  “I have something for you inside.” He pulled me into the tower, and we took the elevator to the top level.

  “Here we are,” Val stated. The doors of the elevators opened to an enclosed observatory deck. “This is one of the best places to view the city.”

  I gazed upon Finland’s capital; the twinkling of lights reminded me of my own backyard landscape at home. “Val, it’s beautiful up here. Thank you for a wonderful evening.” I hugged his waist, admiring the golden glow of the city below us.

  He embraced me, wrapping his hands around my body. “What can I say? I’m a romantic at heart.”

  His fingers were strong and inviting. He pulled me gently toward him for a kiss.

  Suddenly, there was a loud click and a flash of light upon us, disrupting our interlude. A string of firm but unintelligible words were spoken by a man in an official suit. Val grabbed my arm to follow him. He turned and laughed.

  “I guess we’ve been caught.”

  We ran toward the elevator, hand in hand, security following in our wake. Val put his face close to mine. “Our first date and I’m already getting us in trouble.” He sweetly kissed my cheek as we made our downward descent to the car.

  Chapter 3

  The sunlight stroked my face, but it was the smell of brewing coffee that awoke my senses. I opened my eyes, not knowing where the aromatic scent could be coming from. I tried to get up, but my head felt as heavy as a watermelon. Not wanting to move from my hangover, I rolled over and realized the bed linens were disheveled. I scanned my hotel room. Val’s black jacket was on the chair in the living room, his shoes, shirt, and socks on the floor. I eyed my own attire; I was in nothing but panties, my bra, and a T-shirt.

  “Good morning, darling.” Val’s words fell to my ears.

  I turned to the magnificent man who stood before me in half-naked glory. He was thinner than I’d imagined him to be, with lovely ripped abs and protruding hip bones that led straight down to a half-zipped pair of jeans. He held a cup of coffee in his hand and offered it to me.

  “How are you feeling?” He sat down, seeming concerned.

  I managed to sit up and take his offering of caffeine, but I was confused. “Forgive me for asking this, but…” I stopped myself. I didn’t want to offend him and ask him if we’d slept together because, if we had, I didn’t remember a thing.

  Reading my mind, Val responded. “No, we didn’t. You fell asleep in the car, and I brought you up. When I went to lay you down, you woke up and made a beeline for the bathroom.”

  “I’m so sorry.” My face suddenly flushed with embarrassment.

  “Don’t be. I’m glad I didn’t leave. I didn’t want anything to happen to you. It was my fault for ordering more liquor than either of us needed. I hope you don’t mind. I sent your clothing down to be dry cleaned.”

  I rubbed my eyes. This was completely embarrassing, and I fully expected him to make a beeline out of the hotel room now that I was awake and functioning. I wanted to crawl under the covers and never leave the room again.

  “Don’t worry. Let me tell you a story.” He placed his hand on my leg, rubbing it slowly. “When I was thirteen, I kissed my first love. Not only was it my first love, but it was my first kiss too. I didn’t have the courage to kiss her, and we were at a party, so I got drunk. Because I was nervous and drunk, right after the kiss, I threw up, on her. She never spoke to me again.” He smiled as if he understood my dilemma.

  I returned his smile. “Thank you.” I took a sip of the coffee. It was as perfect as the man sitting next to me. “I have a confession to make. I’m not a drinker.”

  “Obviously.” His tone was sarcastic.

  “Seriously, Val. I hardly drink. If I’m attending a function, I’ll have a glass of wine or champagne, but I’ll only sip it. I don’t know what I was thinking last night. I didn’t want to not drink what you ordered because it was the proper thing to do. I’m a smoker, not a drinker. If you want me intoxicated, pot is my vice of choice.”

  He chuckled at my statement. “If I would have known that, I would have cooked dinner and entertained you from the comfort of my living room.” He reached for his cigarette pack, which was on my end table. He opened the pack, lit a cigarette, and pulled out a joint. “Will this make you feel better or worse?”

  “Probably worse. I would love nothing more than aspirin and a hot bath. Unfortunately, I can’t locate an available suite with a bathtub anywhere in Helsinki, or I would be there.”

  “Get dressed.” He tapped my leg and got up, and his gorgeous manliness showed with every move of his skin. “I have a wonderful soaking tub and a sauna. You are welcome to anything in my home.”

  My gut reaction was to decline his invitation because we’d just met, but I stopped myself. After all, how bad of a guy could he be? He’d taken care of me while I was sick. “A bath would be lovely.” I scooted off the bed and began to throw a few things in a bag.

  “By the way, someone named Vicki called several times for you. Your phone woke me up. I assured her you were alive and you’d call her when you got up.”

  “Where’s my phone?”

  Val tossed my phone across the bed. He began to dress as I dialed Vicki. The way he moved his body and the way his clothing touched his skin were instant turn-ons. I wished he’d stay undressed.

  “Hello?” Vicki said. There was a brief pause. “Eve? Hello?”

  I was too distracted by Val’s sexiness to pay attention to her words. “Sorry. I’m here. You called?”

  “Having a bit of Finnish fun, are we?” The sarcasm from Vicki’s voice was as thick as molasses.

  I had no time to entertain her. “Does this have to do with business, because, if it doesn’t, I am currently busy at the moment.”

  “You have tea at four p.m. with the president today. Is that business enough for you?”

  “Please respond that I am unable to make it due to being under the weather.”

  “I’m sure you are,” Vicki said coolly. “We have a ten a.m. meeting on Friday, New York time. Please don’t forget.”

  “Did you have to be somewhere today?” Val questioned as I closed the phone.

  “I had a meeting, but it was rescheduled.” I figured the less Val knew about my personal affairs, the better off we were. I had no interest in telling him the president of his country was calling.

  “I’m ready when you are.” Dressed, he was as handsome as he was undressed.

  I pulled on jeans and a sweater. I tossed the bag over my shoulder and headed toward the door.

  Val followed closely behind, removed the bag from my shoulder and placed it on his, scooping my hand into his.

  “Let’s get you used to Finnish life,”
he said as we walked out of the hotel. “The tram is a few blocks from here, and my home is a twenty-minute ride. You may want to remember it’s the number four.”

  “And I’ll need to remember this why?” I teased.

  “Because home is where your heart lies.”

  Chapter 4

  “Welcome. My studio is there.” Val gestured to an adjacent building as he opened the front door.

  I studied his house. It was dark and covered with dead ivy branches. The harshness of the weather had beaten the ivy down, and while the bricks underneath were old and worn, the windows had been rehabilitated to their original luster. It was so aged I wasn’t sure if this could be considered a home, and I was positive that inside would be the complete opposite of the opulence I was used to.

  I stepped inside. I was wrong. The interior mixed Old World charm with sleek, Euro modernism. The first floor was one massive room, divided by furniture. Everything was clean and contemporary except for what I assumed was the original fireplace.

  “Your home is marvelous.” I walked around observing the few pictures and knickknacks he’d decorated with. It was quite clean for a man’s home.

  “I’ll be right back. Make yourself comfortable.” He strolled up the stairs.

  I sat on a sleek black couch in the living room and continued snooping. There wasn’t much art work or anything exceptionally remarkable to investigate. As I scanned the room, my gaze stopped at an aged wooden door. I wondered where it led to.

  I heard Val descend the stairs and approach from behind. I felt the heat of his skin as he leaned down and whispered in my ear, “I have the perfect cure for your headache.”

  He extended his hand and I took it, allowing him to guide me around the couch. He led me to the second floor, into his master suite. It was as gorgeous as below, but I could tell this was the part of the house he lived in.

  “Pardon the mess, I was out all night and didn’t expect company.” He winked at me as he led me through a maze of clothing, books, cigarette packs, papers, and a guitar, all strewn chaotically about before we’d reached the bathroom.