Chapter 36
IVY
The heat settles over me the moment I step inside. It wraps around me like a thick blanket. It isn’t sharp or suffocating, but there’s a hint it could get that way.
The sauna is darker than the rest of the apartment, the wood-paneled walls absorbing the low light until everything feels muted, softened at the edges. The air feels thicker and quieter. Like sound doesn’t carry the same way, and anything spoken will stay close instead of drifting.
Like the room holds onto things.
“You’ll like this,” Soren says. His voice lands lower in here, closer, shaped by the space.
I nod and step further inside, the warmth settling deeper into my skin with every movement. The door closes behind us with a soft, final click that echoes just enough to register.
And with it, something shifts. There’s no outside in here. No distance. No easy exit.
I sit first, adjusting slightly against the heated wood, the warmth pressing through the backs of my legs, my spine, sinking in gradually rather than all at once.
I can tell straight away that this is a top-of-the line sauna. Soren holds a remote control so minimalist it could be anything at all. But I have no doubt this room has a million settings that can be adjusted at the touch of a discreet, well-designed button.
He sits beside me. Close enough that I’m aware of him. Not touching. Not yet.
The heat builds slowly, seeping inward, loosening muscle by muscle, unwinding something beneath the surface I didn’t realize was tight.
My shoulders drop. My breathing deepens. The constant background noise in my head—the low hum that never quite switches off—fades without me noticing when it happens.
Everything narrows. Softens. Stills.
We sit in silence for a while. It doesn’t feel empty. It feels full in a way I can’t quite explain, like the quiet itself is doing something rejuvenating.
For a second, I think of everything I’ve shared with him, and I feel a prickle of unease. Maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut. He probably thinks I’m beyond repair.
They say not to unload all your baggage on a new flame, and here I am baring my soul. Telling him things I’ve never spoken out loud.
Giving him ammunition to destroy my psyche if he so wishes.
But then the thought is gone, replaced by warm sensations.“This is nice,” I murmur, my voice quieter than usual, shaped by the heat.
“It is.” His voice lands close again. Closer than before.
The silence stretches, but it doesn’t feel like waiting. It feels like space being held open.
I shift slightly, my gaze fixed on the grain of the wood in front of me, tracing the lines with my eyes as if that might keep me anchored.
The heat presses in around us, the space small and contained, holding everything exactly where it is.
I don’t move. Even as the air grows heavier. Even as I know I should probably step out, take a break, cool down. I don’t. I’m not sure if it’s the heat… or the way he hasn’t moved.
“Why did you get this?” I ask, studying him. “It seems like an interesting choice of purchase.”
“Why do you say that?” He raises a brow.
“Saunas are trending. At least, according to social media,” I smirk. “You don’t seem like the type of guy that follows trends.”
He shakes his head. “Oh believe me, I’m not. I’ve been interested in the benefits of saunas for ages. It’s good for the nervous system… inflammation reduction, healing, reducing anxiety and depression. I got it with you in mind. ”
I look up at him. “You got this with me in mind? How long have you had it?”
I glance around—it does look brand new.
His expression shifts, as if he’s avoiding my question. “Oh I mean, I just thought you could benefit from it, too. That’s all. You run hot when you’re overwhelmed.”
I don’t quite buy his response—it seems like there’s something underneath it that he’s not willing to share—but it’s awkward. So I do what I do when I feel awkward, and I make the first joke that comes to mind. “Maybe you can get a matching teeny tiny sauna for your spiders.” I grin at him.
His expression completely shifts. He glares at me, and I almost flinch under the iciness of his gaze. “They would die. They do not do well in hot weather. They need sheltered, cool locations.”
Wow, okay. Note to self: Don’t make jokes about his spiders, even innocent ones.
Because apparently Soren has no sense of humor at all when it comes to them.
He quickly seems to realize his overreaction, because he physically shakes his shoulders, as if resetting himself. “Sorry. You know how protective of them I am,” he says. “Character flaw—spider dad.”
I smirk. Who knew spider dads were a thing? Of course I would find myself with one. An uptight, overprotective one at that.
“Anyway, you can use this whenever you want,” he says. “We can. I thought it might be fun to… experiment in here.” His eyes take on a new depth, the storm once again beginning to swirl.
“Oh really?” My interest is piqued, my core suddenly awake, any thoughts of spiders pushed far to the side. “What did you have in mind?”
His eyes trail down my body. “You have far too many clothes on for what I was thinking.”
My pulse jumps, my skin beginning to tingle. “Should I remedy that?”
“Don’t ask,” he says. “Just do it.”
I peel off my tank top. My clothes are sticking to me now, the fabric trickier than usual to maneuver.
But it doesn’t seem to faze Soren. “Good,” he says. “I want to see all of you.” His intent is obvious, lust in his eyes as I undo my shorts and pull them down.
I stand there in my bra and panties for a moment.
“My god, you’re so fucking hot,” he says.
He’s hard—I can see the outline of his length through his pants.
My clit throbs as I stand in front of him, as if I’m on display.
“Keep going,” he encourages me. “As cute as your lingerie is, I want to see what’s underneath.”
“Like what?” I play it coy. My mood is still teasing, and we seem to be more aligned on this topic than the last.
“Like your gorgeous tits and your pretty pussy.”
I can feel the arousal pooling at my entrance. I’m so ready for him to take me in this gorgeous heat.
I turn so my back is to him. “Can you help me?” I ask.
I’m perfectly capable of unclasping my own bra, but in the moment I want this to be more interactive.
He doesn’t hesitate, flicking the clasp open with one hand.
“Thank you,” I say from underneath my lashes as I turn back around, my hands holding up the front of my bra.
“Show me,” he groans. “Don’t make me wait. I need to see them now.”
I smile, letting the delicate lace fall to the floor.
My breasts spring free, bouncing a little before settling in place.
“God, I love your tits,” he says. “Come here.” He yanks me to him, taking a nipple in his mouth while he palms the other breast. He squeezes the free nipple between his thumb and forefinger and bites down on the other.
I yelp at the sensation, a zip of electricity shooting straight from my nipple to my core, my stomach clenching with desire.
He pulls his head back slightly. “You’re sexy when you yelp at my touch.”
Then he goes back to tugging on the metal bar with his teeth, causing slickness between my thighs.
“Remove your panties,” he says. “I told you, I want to see your sweet pussy.”
I turn my back to him again, feeling cheeky.
I lean over, my cheeks on display as I grip each side of my thong and pull my panties down, revealing myself to him from the back.
“Fucking hell, Ivy,” he groans. “You’ll be the death of me, looking like that. I swear.”
I glance over my shoulder as he tugs down his pants, his cock springing free. Hard and ready for me.
Without warning, he yanks me back against him, his strong arm wrapping and squeezing across my breasts.
I gasp as he positions his cock directly at my entrance and pulls me down on top of him.
“Fucking hell,” I pant as his cock stretches me from the inside out, my pussy spreading to accommodate his girth.
“Ride me, little poison,” he growls. “Show me what you’ve got.”
I tilt my hips, using the edge of the sauna bench as leverage as I ride him, facing away.
His hands reach up and cup my breasts, rolling my nipples between his fingers again.
Then his hands tighten on my hips. “Not like that. Slower.” His grip is rough, digging into my flesh as he guides my movements.
“God, your pussy feels so fucking good,” he grunts. He reaches forward with one hand and massages my clit.
I moan as the coil tightens within me. He knows exactly how to touch me—the combination of being filled with his giant cock while he plays with my clit almost too much to bear.
“You like that?” he whispers in my ear. “You feel how your body reacts to me?”
“Yes,” I whisper. “I love it.”
“I know you do. You’re taking my cock so well,” he pants. “Good girl.”
The words undo me, and I convulse on top of his cock, coming all over him.
“That’s it. Come all over me, baby,” he groans.
His cock tenses. “Oh fuck,” he groans. “I’m coming too.”
His cock pulses inside me, and I feel him release deep in my core as my pussy continues to clench and release around him.
Finally, once the pulsing subsides, I lay back against his chest and he wraps his strong arms around me. We lean back against the back sauna wall, both spent, as our ragged breaths slowly return to normal.
“Is that what you had in mind when you got this sauna?” I pant softly.
“Among other things,” I feel his lips curve against the small of my neck. “But yes, it was on my list to take you like this. You fit exactly how I imagined.”
Once again, I get an odd feeling in my gut at the way he mentions me in relation to the purchase of this lavish piece of equipment—the inference he bought it with me in mind.
But is that so bad if he did?
If he got it with the thought of getting naked with me in the wet heat?
The more I think about it… I don’t mind at all.