Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
His hands grip my hips, guiding me as he thrusts deeper and harder, our bodies slapping together with each powerful stroke. My breasts bounce wildly, our skin slick with water and soap. I arch my back, meeting each thrust with abandon.
A wave of need crashes over me as I feel myself growing closer to the edge, the sensations building higher and higher. The water from the shower seems to merge with our sweat, a hot, wet cocoon around us, sealing us away from the rest of the world, a world that doesn’t feel like mine anymore, a world that has moved on without me. All that matters at this moment is the desperate need I have for him, this connection that seems to transcend all boundaries, if not time.
As Tuoni continues to thrust into me, I can feel him swelling even more, his body growing more and more taut. My own climax is just a breath away, and I know that together, we’re going to shatter.
With a moan that echoes off the tiles, I feel his body tense, his cock pulsing inside me one last time before he releases himself. A wave of warmth floods me, and it pushes me over the edge. Pleasure courses through my veins, washing away any fears and doubts that might still be lingering, replaced instead by the raw, unadulterated bliss of this intimate moment. I come hard, my cries filling the space, my soul feeling as if it’s in orbit.
As we collapse against each other, our breathing slowing, our bodies still joined together, the water cascading down around us, I know this is what we both needed. This connection, this passion, this release. It’s more than just sex to me; it’s a bond that transcends any obstacle, any distance, any uncertainty, and in this moment, I’m grateful to have found it here, in the warm, strong embrace of the death god’s arms.
It might be the only thing I have right now, the only thing keeping me from spiraling out of control.
And so we simply hold each other, our hearts beating in sync, our bodies still connected. The water continues to fall around us, steady and pure, pulling me back into the present, into the now.
As we finally break apart, I see the satisfaction and contentment in Tuoni’s eyes, the warmth in the silver. There’s silence between us, only the sound of the shower and our breath that slowly returns to us. There isn’t much to say when our bodies have already said it all.
Finally, he pulls out of me, and we get to work cleaning up. He shampoos my hair, and I do the same to him, adding conditioner after. By the time we finally turn off the faucet and step out of the shower, I feel like a whole new person.
He takes one of the towels and wraps it around me before he ties one around his waist in a rare display of modesty. Perhaps this world is rubbing off on him already.
And that’s when I remember.
This world.
My world.
And everything we have to go through to get where we need to go.
It all seems impossible.
“Hanna,” Tuoni says, reaching his warm fingers under my chin and tipping it up so I meet his gaze. “One step at a time. Let’s get food first, shall we?”
“Am I that easy to read?” I ask him, grabbing a towel for my hair.
“Only when you’re in despair,” he says, holding my hand to his mouth and placing a kiss on my knuckles. “If we had more time, I’d fuck it right out of you, but I think you need to eat first. I don’t want to meet this Hangry Hanna.”
I can’t help but laugh. “No one does.”
Chapter 14
Hanna
The Pick-up Line
It doesn’t take long for us to dry our hair (yes, I used a blow-dryer on Tuoni for the first time—he wasn’t a fan, no pun intended) and to change into our new old clothes and head down into the lobby for dinner. I don’t really feel like roaming the streets of Helsinki looking for a restaurant when the one in the hotel seems okay to me. Besides, we’ll be able to charge it to the room and hopefully get away without paying for it in the end.
The place is busier than I expected, but the hostess is able to seat us at a round table in the bar area. Despite how modern the hotel looks, the bar is all dark wood and darker corners, the perfect place for two escapees from the underworld to plot their future.
Death looks around appreciatively. “This is my kind of establishment. Perhaps I shall open a joint like this in Tuonela. Maybe a meeting place for the gods.”
“Anything is better than having to dive into the bottom of the sea to get to a grotto,” I point out, looking over the menu.