The Sanctuary

by Arika Stone

  “Why? It’s the little things that make it real. This, this is real. The bullshit of dating has been cut out, and we can get down to the core of the relationship.”

  His words made sense. It took months to become acquainted with someone when there were only weekly dates and scattered phone calls. There was no way to really know a person until you lived with them.

  I glanced at his reflection in the mirror. His five o’clock shadow was beginning to appear, which made him even more handsome. I envisioned how the roughness would feel rubbing against my inner thighs and clit.

  “May I borrow that?” He pointed to my eyeliner. It was a strange request, but I handed it over. I watched him apply and smudge it. I’d never dated a man who wore makeup, let alone mine.

  I eyed him from head to toe. He was in tight dark jeans, expensive boots, a black shirt topped off with a military-style jacket and several scarves around his neck. His hands were adorned with several thick, chunky silver rings. His hair was loose, wavy, and flowed to his shoulders. And now the makeup. It was the first time I’d seen him playing the role of rock star. It made my pussy throb and my blood pressure increase. I couldn’t wait for this night to end so I could fuck him again.

  I flirtatiously dropped my mascara wand, bending over, pantyless and exposing my rear for him to see. I rose slowly, catching his eye. He playfully smacked my ass and released an evil laugh.

  “I’m going to ravage you tonight for doing that.” He grabbed my hair and pulled me back, pressing his body against mine. He pulled my head farther, arching my neck so I was looking up at him. “Just you wait. But it’s getting late. We need to go.” His playfulness changed as he released me from his grip.

  I dressed quickly, slipping into a little black dress and heels. Val reentered the bedroom and eyed my outfit. He approached me. “Take off your panties,” he said with a straight face.

  His voice was demanding; I tried to resist. “What? Why?” I protested humorously.

  “Take off your panties,” he said again, growling, confirming his command.

  I contemplated saying no but stopped myself. Was the sexy rock star beckoning me to be his slave? My curiosity got the best of me. I slipped off my panties and dropped them on the floor, waiting to see where it would lead.

  “Let’s go.” Val headed toward the door.

  “Not the reaction I was expecting from you,” I called out, following him.

  “Oh, you’ll have plenty of reaction tonight,” he mumbled as we headed into the crisp autumn night. The air was chilly, and my nipples stiffened, the turgid points obvious through my dress. I wrapped my coat around myself to hide them.

  “Don’t think I didn’t see that,” he whispered, opening the door to the car. “I want you to lift your dress when you sit down so your pussy is touching the seat.”

  I shot him a sideways glance. I wasn’t sure what his intentions were, but I did as he requested.

  The car drove off to his parents', leaving the safety of our home behind. I touched his arm. “What’s going on?”

  His eyes danced. He leaned down into my ear and murmured in a guttural voice, “I’ve fucked you, I’ve made love to you, and now I’m going to dominate you.” He paused, opening his mouth slowly, softly touching the outside of my ear. “I want you to follow whatever I instruct you to do. You will relinquish control to me.” His hand slid under my dress.

  This was the first time I had seen him like this, commanding, in charge, and so fucking sexy. I had seen the sensitive artist, the normal guy, and now the demanding star. I had three different men to sleep with. I was a lucky gal.

  I eyed him lustily. “All right, I’ll play your game.” I knew exactly what I was in for, or so I thought.

  Val leaned in and bit my neck. “Open your legs.” His hand pressed into my thighs, spreading them apart. His fingers worked my clit, flicking away at it furiously. I clenched my legs together and muffled a moan. I didn’t want the driver to hear me.

  “Open your legs,” Val growled again.

  I knew what he wanted, to keep me floating in semi-orgasmic agony without allowing me to release. My pain was his pleasure for the evening.

  I inhaled deeply, staring out the window. I needed to take my mind off of what he was doing, or I would go mad.

  “You’re in luck. We have arrived,” he whispered as we pulled in front of a quaint home.

  Chapter 11

  “I can’t do this.” I was completely aroused by our encounter and too flustered to meet his parents.

  But before he could respond, his mother answered the door. “Val!” she greeted her son, embracing him.

  “Mum, this is Eve. Eve, this is my mother Maaria.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  I attempted to shake hands, but I was welcomed into open arms.

  “Eve, you’re more beautiful in person.” Maaria winked at her son as she took me by the arm, leading me inside.

  We stepped into the small, warmly decorated home. I immediately noticed a commotion in the living room. Val pursued his mother into the kitchen, and I followed.

  “I thought you said only Eero and Jenni were coming to dinner. Why did you invite everyone?”

  “Nobody has seen you in years,” she stated before proceeding in a whiplash of Finnish. Even though I knew not a word of what she said, I could tell Val was not happy.

  Maaria turned to me, ignoring her son. “Would you like a glass of wine?”

  I thought for a second. My nerves were on edge, and I needed a drink. “I would love a glass, thank you.”

  I accepted the wine and sensed a warm hand on my arm, followed by a kiss on the cheek.

  “Hei, I’m Jenni, Val’s sister. It’s nice to meet you. How long are you staying for? We can go shopping when he’s on tour.”

  Jenni was a bubbling, gorgeous brunette with striking green eyes like her brother. She spoke so fast I had a hard time keeping up with her heavily accented English.

  “Let me introduce you to everyone.” Jenni kept her grasp on my arm, pulling me toward the family.

  After a long list of names I could hardly pronounce, we moved into the dining area to enjoy dinner. I sat between Jenni and Val, both of whom were vying for my attention, explaining what was going on.

  Halfway through dinner, another gentleman came bustling through the door, seating himself abruptly across from Val.

  “How nice of you to join us,” Val said, staring coldly across the table. He pointed his knife. “Eve, this is my brother, Eero.”

  I sensed an uneasy aura surrounding the table. Eero and Val started rambling in a string of incomprehensible, angry words.

  Jenni giggled in my ear. “Sibling rivalry at its finest.”

  Mikko interjected, quieting his two boys. Val abruptly got up from the table. “Please excuse me. I am going for a smoke.”

  I had never felt more uncomfortable. I glanced at Jenni and Maaria for advice. Maaria motioned I should follow. I gladly accepted her cue and headed after him.

  “Is everything all right?”

  “He can never be happy for me. He always has something to say.” Val lit a cigarette. “And he comes storming in here just to be the center of attention, as always. We’ll be leaving shortly.”

  Jenni joined us on the porch. “Don’t let him get to you, Val. He’s doing this to bug you.” She lit a cigarette. “Fuck him. We’re here to celebrate you two.”

  “Celebrate?” I questioned.

  She draped her arm across my shoulder. “We read you are engaged.”

  My jaw dropped opened. “Engaged?” I shook my head. “No, we’re not engaged.”

  “Mummmm…” Jenni yelled through the door. “Where is the paper?” She headed inside, returning with a newspaper.

  I grabbed it and read:

  Valo was spotted wearing a blue sapphire ring on his wedding finger, along with a solid band. Sources close to the two say the couple has been living together and is happily engaged. When we spoke to Eve this
morning, she neither confirmed nor denied their relationship.

  So that’s where my words to Mr. Press ended, as a fictitious engagement announcement.

  Jenni glared at her brother. “So, why the rings?”

  “Because I like them? This is rubbish. Why do you and Mum believe these things? Why didn’t you call me?”

  “Umm…Hello? You never answer your phone.” Jenni stomped out her cigarette with her shoe and headed inside, announcing the breakup of our non-existent union.

  “We better get going.” Val extinguished his cigarette. I followed him, saying our thank yous and goodbyes as quickly as I’d said hello.

  Once in the car, Val’s mood immediately changed. “Now back to the festivities.” He turned and caught my mouth with his, sliding his hand up my thigh.

  I pulled away. “You can’t turn me on and off like a light.”

  “Oh yes I can, and I did.” His eyes hungered for me. “Come here.”

  He pulled me on top to straddle him. My naked flesh was touching his jeans, and I felt his cock slowly rising, pushing against the tightness of its confines.

  Val wrapped his arms around my hips, grinding me into his crotch. His hand made its way under my dress, squeezing my ass.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this in here.” I motioned to the driver. “You never know where this will end up.”

  “Stop being so anal. Maybe you need a nice stiff one in the ass to relax you, eh?” he said with a playful slap.

  I could see how this night was going to end. It wasn’t the first time he’d mentioned my ass in conversation.

  “I’m not into anal sex.”

  “That’s because everyone who ever tried didn’t know what they were doing. Now, shhh…I thought you were a team player.” His hands were firmly planted on my ass, pressing my cheeks apart, making me feel exposed and on the edge. “I planned to take you out dancing, but the thought of you bending over in the bathroom is stuck in my head. It’s consumed me all night. I think we’ll do something else.”

  He rattled off something in Finnish to the driver, who changed direction at his command. Val released his grasp of me, grabbed his jeans, unzipped them, and shifted down. His hands slipped to my hips, lifting me up before he penetrated me.

  “Oh my God!” I whispered in his ear. I couldn’t believe he was fucking me with another person in such close proximity. I bit my lip, trying to hold my moans. It was the perfect position to hit my G-spot. The whole situation was arousing, and the possibility of getting caught was an adrenaline rush. We fucked for a few minutes before the car pulled up to a building with no front windows, only a steel door with a bouncer.

  “Do you like being watched?” Val asked as he slid out of me. “Or do you prefer watching?”

  I didn’t know how to respond. I looked again at the building. Where was he taking me? “I think I prefer to watch.” From the gist of the evening, I assumed watching was the safer of the two answers.

  As we walked up to the unremarkable door, the bouncer gave us the once-over. He nodded to Val before allowing us access inside.

  I could tell as soon as we walked in we were in a sex club. We were greeted by a beautiful dominatrix. Val whispered in her ear, and she pointed up a flight of stairs before shooting me an “I could eat you for breakfast” stare.

  Val turned to me, “My friend Andrei owns this club.” He interlaced his fingers into mine, holding my hand as we walked up the stairs. It was the typical vibe: loud music, intoxicated patrons, and smoke-filled air. Val led me through the crowd, weaving in and out.

  We navigated our way to the upper level to the VIP area. Val spoke to one of the waitresses, who nodded and headed off.

  “Let’s sit and relax.” He pulled me onto a couch. “I ordered champagne.” He had a mischievous look in his eyes.

  “What are we doing here?” I wondered what he’d planned. The last time we’d had champagne I’d wound up too drunk for my own good. I didn’t want to do anything stupid in public.

  “You agreed to relinquish control, no?”

  “Yes, but…”

  “Then trust me.” He scanned the room. “Instead of questioning it, enjoy the experience.” He pulled out a joint from his pack of cigarettes, lit it, and passed it to me. “Besides, if I was going to fuck you, we’d be downstairs.”

  I inhaled deeply, holding my breath, hoping the pot would loosen me up. I glanced at the dance floor below us, and from up here, all appeared normal. Many were dancing, some were socializing, some looked ordinary, and a few were in fetish costumes.

  The waitress stopped by with a bottle of bubbly, and Val handed me a glass.

  “I don’t think I should drink.” I didn’t want to overdo our partying. I was afraid of the consequences. The marijuana was enough.

  “One drink won’t hurt.” He tapped the glass in my hand. “Cheers!”

  A few drinks and one joint later, Val had me on the dance floor, moving me in ways I hadn’t experienced in years. It felt good to be free and uninhibited in a place with such immense sexual energy. It was as if everyone’s libido was feeding off of each other’s. I felt alive.

  Val drew me into him and kissed me on the mouth, forcing his tongue into mine. He grasped the nape of my neck, tugging on my damp hair. He pulled away and grabbed my hand. “I want another drink.”

  We headed down a ramp to a room below us. It was as crowded as the dance floor, only the crowd here was more into socializing than grinding. Val led me through the room and into another, curtained off in the far corner. The mood of the room immediately changed. The lights were bluish purple, the music was sensual, and there were less people.

  We made our way to the bar. As we waited for our drinks, I heard moaning. Val led me into the area in which sex between consenting adults was allowed. I glanced at him uneasily.

  He noticed my worry. “Some people come here to watch. Some like to be watched.”

  “I didn’t know you were into swinging.”

  “I’m not.” He took a swig of his beer. “But I like to watch,” he said with a wink.

  We lingered in the club, working our way between the floors, dancing and observing the couples. I had to admit he was right. Watching created an entirely new level of desire in my body. It was overwhelming and titillating at the same time. I wanted to pounce on him, but my fear of getting caught kept my inhibitions in check. The last thing I needed was to be spotted having sex in public.

  “Did you enjoy yourself?” he asked as we left the building, arm in arm.

  “I would have enjoyed it more if I had you.”

  “We can go back,” he teased, pulling me toward the door.

  “No. Let’s go home.”

  We sat hand in hand in the car, and the sights and sounds of our experience stewed in my mind. I couldn’t help but wonder what it would have been like to have fucked in public. The idea of being watched was arousing.

  We arrived home. I was thankful for the comforts of the familiar. He eyed me from the kitchen.

  “What’s on your mind?”

  “Nothing in particular. This evening was eye-opening to say the least.”

  “Why?”

  I shrugged. “I knew it existed, but I’ve never been exposed to that scene.” I eyed him hungrily. He was gorgeous clad in his rock-god gear. I was horny. “I’d rather experience you.”

  “Good, come downstairs.” He opened the door to his sanctuary and trotted down the steps.

  I followed him. I could hardly see him in the shadows, even as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. He struck a match and tossed it toward the fireplace. The flame caught, and I smelled wood beginning to burn. But even with the warmth of the fire, the room had an eerily dark atmosphere.

  “Come here, my love.”

  I stood silently on the bottom stair. A chill ran up my spine, causing my body to shake and my nipples to get hard.

  He walked over and took my hand, guiding me into the room. “Come, Eve.”

  Like a slave followi
ng her master, I stepped onto the stone floor, my heels clicking on the hard surface.

  He began to undress, removing his scarves and coat, shedding them onto the floor before slowly undoing the buttons of his shirt. I observed him in demure silence. His body was beautiful, and the golden cast of the fire radiated deep shadows and bright highlights across his flesh.

  “Why don’t we go upstairs?” I asked.

  “Is this making you uneasy?” He approached me, placing his hands on my arms and gently caressing them.

  “A bit.” I exhaled lightly, and my body vibrated with nervous anticipation.

  “It’s exciting, isn’t it?” His fingers traced their way to the straps on my dress, wrapping his fingers under them and slowly sliding them off my shoulders. A second chill ran up my spine. His touch cascaded across my skin and brought goose bumps to my flesh.

  His eyes danced. “I want you to submit to me. Live in the moment and experience all I will do to you.” He ran his fingers delicately over my shoulders and collarbone before trailing to the center of my chest. Using the tips of his fingers, he touched my dress ever so slightly, causing it to drop from my body.

  He wrapped his arms around my waist, drawing me into him. His arms clenched me, lifting me up onto him. I draped my legs around his waist; my petite frame was easy for him to hold against his chiseled body.

  Holding on to me, he carried me to the bed and laid me down. He towered over me, observing me as he undid his jeans, pulling them off before joining me in bed.

  He pressed his body into mine and spread my legs as he lowered himself onto me. He grabbed my hair and drew my head back, exposing my neck. I felt his lips brush against my flesh, and they sent tingles across my body. Without warning, he bit into my neck, pressing his teeth into it before releasing me.

  “The pain pleasure continuum,” Val murmured, studying my body. “First pleasure.” He circled my nipples with his hands. “Then pain.” He pinched my nipples between his fingers and thumbs, pulling them upward before freeing them with one final hard squeeze.

  “Ouch!” I shrieked. The pulling pinch hurt.

  “Shh…none of that. Close your eyes. Indulge your senses.”