21. Rune
Chapter 21
Rune
W hen Ella and Sam disrupted the moment I was having with Finn on the couch, I was teetering on the line between horrifically embarrassed and straight up pissed. Now it seems I have a second chance. That doesn't mean I don't feel some guilt about turning down Ella’s invite.
When Finn goes out to help Sam load some firewood into the back of his vehicle (a donation for the bonfire at the ice village party), I follow Ella into the bathroom.
“You don't mind that I'm not coming with you guys, do you?”
“Why do you think I suggested that in the first place? I figured you'd turn down the invite and Finn's hero complex would jump into play one way or another.” Ella quickly changes out of her swimsuit into a warmer set of clothes.
I spin around. “What the fuck, Ella.”
“I know, I’m a genius. Besides, you have a sex addled look. It’s making me hot and bothered, even though I know for a fact that I’m going to get some today.”
Oh, great. “And just where are you going to get some ?”
She winks.
“I feel like you should not be encouraging this,” I mumble, glancing out the window. Finn's carrying an armload of wood across the driveway. It's freaking attractive.
“Please. You’re both consenting adults. From where I stand, you both want this. Do you have an actual reservation or are you just overthinking?”
“I don’t know. What if I’m just using him to scratch an itch? And using him the wrong way? I had plenty of the bedroom activities with my ex. It was fine, but I want more than that.”
“ It was fine , she says,” Ella mocks with an exaggerated eye roll. “Tell me your ex sucked at sex without telling me that he sucked at sex.”
“You’re missing the point.”
“What I’m missing is some special adult time with my boyfriend. Which, for the record, is what we're actually heading straight off to do now that I've successfully pawned you off on Finn. You don’t have to do anything with Finn if you don’t want to. If you’d rather sleep alone tonight, just ask him to bring you back to Mom’s house. Although I may or may not be there tonight, doing really raunchy things with Sam.”
“Doesn’t he have a cabin nearby that you guys can use?”
“I prefer my bed. Stop panicking and enjoy your little love adventure.” She opens the bathroom door and strides into the kitchen, decked out in sweats, her swimsuit tucked into a plastic bag.
The front door opens just wide enough for Sam to poke his head in. “You ready to go, Ella?”
“Just getting my coat on,” she assures him. Lowering her voice, she adds, “I left you a little present in the backpack, but it’s your call if you want to use it or not. I’m one hundred percent sure that Finn’s not going to pressure you into doing anything. If you want what he’s offering, take it. If not, don't. He'll respect your decision either way.”
“Is it that simple?” I wonder aloud.
“It better be.” She plants a disgusting kiss on the side of my face, cackling at my expression as she walks out the door.
Leaving me alone in Finn’s house.
I sit awkwardly at the table, waiting for him to come back in. When he does, he takes a long look at me, a tiny crease forming between his brows. I tense, wondering how well he can read me…hopefully not very well. My thoughts are just embarrassing. Maybe he knows that, because he relaxes somewhat and pours himself a cup of coffee from the glass carafe before joining me at the table.
“You want to go back to your aunt's right away, or do you want to stick around for a while longer? I wouldn't mind hanging out in the hot tub for a bit, but I can do that later if you're dead set on leaving me.”
And there it is. Another notch on the stick of Finn's many attractive traits: making either choice sound just fine, removing the pressure that I’d built up for myself in my head.
“I don't mind staying a little while longer, if that's ok.”
He smiles. If I didn't know better, I'd say he looked pleased. “You want to join me in the hot tub, or are you just going to watch?”
“That all depends on whether Ella thought to leave a suit for me.”
A little digging in said bag tells me she did, in fact, leave a swimsuit. A very skimpy string bikini that only just covers my bits. It's far less coverage than I'd have with my underwear and bra. Is this her grand plan? I stand in front of the bathroom mirror, debating whether I'm confident enough to pull this off. I'm typically more of a crop top and swim shorts type girl.
Through the door, I hear Finn call out. “I'm heading outside. There's beer in the fridge if you want one.”
I wait until I hear the sliding door open and close before finally emerging from the bathroom, a towel wrapped over my swimsuit. Through the window, I can see Finn walk across the patio to the hot tub, his magnificent body on display in the fading afternoon light. He's all lean muscle, which I remember vividly from the first moment I saw him. I catch the slightest glimpse of those incredibly well-defined abs before he slides into the steaming water. My knees feel a little weak.
While I stand still, debating what to do, Ella’s words replay in my head. If you want what he's offering, take it. If not, don't.
Okay but seriously, is it that simple?
Because there is no doubt in my mind: I most certainly want what he offered earlier on the couch.
So maybe I’ll just head out there and see what happens. Let my raging hormones make some decisions for once. Taking a deep breath, I grab a beer and walk outside.
Finn's head turns the moment the door slides open, his gaze pinned on me as I make my way across the patio. The stones are heated and warm against my bare feet. Pushing away the shyness, I unwrap the towel and set it on one of the patio chairs that’s been cleared of snow. Cautiously, I put my toe in. It's scalding, but I'm not about to stand here, my body on full display. I force myself to step in quickly, hissing a little when the water reaches my waist. My boobs, barely covered in this skimpy suit, are still more than visible, but I can't seem to force myself any lower. Not until I acclimate to the temperature.
“It's really hot,” I say.
“I think that's where it gets its name,” Finn teases, his expression a mixture of amusement and—well, you know. Since my boobs are pretty much in full view.
It takes a couple minutes, but finally my body grows accustomed to the temperature and I sit down, the water coming up to my shoulders. I let out a sigh, relaxing in front of one of the jets.
“It feels like an exotic destination vacation out here, surrounded by all these snowy trees,” I comment.
“I wasn't sure you were going to come out,” Finn says, taking a sip of his beer.
“I wasn't either,” I admit.
“But you did.”
“Yeah.” Obviously.
“What made you change your mind?”
Besides seeing how he looked without a shirt? “I just figured it would be nicer to hang out than stand around inside and overthink.”
That pulls a smile out of him. A real one that crinkles the corners of his eyes. He lifts his bottle and taps it gently against mine. “Cheers to that.” With a quick glance at my chest, where the top of my bikini is just visible, he adds, “And cheers to that suit. You look stunning in it.”
I burst out laughing. I saw what I looked like in the bathroom mirror. Stunning was not one of the words that came to mind. “Courtesy of Ella. It's a little small.”
“Is there such a thing?” Finn looks serious, apart from the little smirk that tells me he's up to play. “I would imagine you'd look just fine with nothing at all. The suit is just a nice extra.”
Another line thrown out. A test to see what I want.
“I thought the rules were: No skinny dipping in my hot tub,” I say lightly, trying to mimic the tone he took when Ella suggested such a thing.
“Those rules are for your cousin and in mixed company. They don't apply to you.”
“Really.” The way he's looking at me now sends a jolt of pure heat swirling low in my stomach. Heat that has absolutely nothing to do with the freakishly scalding temps of this hot tub. I take another swig of beer, then set it down on the side and tuck my hands under the water to hide how they're shaking. From nerves or anticipation, I'm not quite sure.
His eyes are dark, hooded. “You call the shots, Rune.”
“Generous of you.”
“Trust me: generous really isn’t the right word for it.”
“Oh?”
“Try desperate. Or enamored. Or better: wholly captivated.” His eyes are all-consuming, so intense that I couldn’t look away if I wanted.
“Those are good words.” I don’t know what I’m saying. Shut up, Rune. Just stop talking.
“I’m wondering how I managed to convince you to spend time with me, wondering what I have to do to get you to stay a little longer.”
Because I know what I want—and maybe to test his sincerity a little—I reach back to tug on the strings of my bikini. I tied them tight, intending to make sure there weren't any embarrassing nip slips. After a moment of struggling they loosen and I pull the whole thing off. I drape it over the side, next to my beer; a flash of hot pink against the muted browns and grays of winter.
Finn lets out a low, breathy laugh. His eyes don't leave mine. “Bold, Rune. What's your plan now?”
What is my plan? I don't have one. I'm operating on pure instinct and desire. I lean back against the wall of the hot tub, my body still mostly covered by the bubbling water. “Now it’s your move.” My voice comes out deeper than usual, less timid. I don't know this part of me. I've never explored it before. But Finn—Finn makes me feel safe. Confident. Desirable.
When he reaches out his hand, I take it. I let him pull me across the hot tub and settle me on his lap. It's impossible not to feel how hard he is. I'm basically wearing nothing. My breasts are now fully exposed above the water, nipples tight from desire and the cold air. I feel mildly unhinged. I want to rub myself up against him, run my hands over every part of his beautifully sculpted body. I want to rip off the rest of my swimsuit and do all kinds of things with him.
“Feel that?” he says in my ear, moving against me. “I've been hard for you all day.”
That sounds uncomfortable. “I'm sorry,” I say.
“I'm not.”
We look at each other and lean in at the same time. It's a slow, intentional kiss. One that makes my toes curl, my body long for more. My attention wavers between the masterful way he strokes into my mouth with his tongue and the way his hands slide up my legs, pulling me tighter against his hard length. If I was on fire before, this is an inferno. I shift against him, my eyes fluttering closed at the pressure, the maddening hint of friction.
“You sure you’re okay with this?” he asks, breathing hard.
I choke out a laugh and gesture to my bare chest. “Yeah, I'm pretty sure I am.”
He bites back a smile. “Right.”
And with that, he lowers his head to my breast, pulling it into his mouth as I arch backwards. I can't help the strangled moan, the way my hands grip his arms. I’m on fucking fire and all I want is more.
I reach down and stroke him. He shudders against me.
“Rune, what do you want?”
“That stupid question again,” I mutter. If I were thinking critically, I might be impressed with his integrity. But right now, all I want is to not think.
He takes me by the wrists, pinning my hands behind my back. I writhe in his lap, so turned on with how his eyes heat even more.
“Use your words and tell me exactly what you want,” he grits out.
I pin his gaze with mine. “I want to get naked and do you.”
I am unprepared for the sudden flash of desire mixed with vulnerability. He leans until our foreheads are touching. “It would be my pleasure.”
“Finn?” I whisper. “You can keep holding my hands like this, if you want.”
He gives a short laugh, but complies. “Getting a little kinky, aren’t we?”
I could burn with how he’s looking at me, watching my reactions to the way he changes his hold so that one of his hands spans my wrists. His other hand grasps my shoulder, trails down my breasts, rolls a nipple. An embarrassing moan is wrung out of me. Through the haze, I realize that Ella was probably right: maybe Sebastian actually was terrible at sex. I don’t remember ever being this turned on with him. We’re not even fully naked yet.
Finn apparently notices the same thing, because he hoists us both out of the pool and carries me into the house, my legs wrapped around his middle.
I’m about to object when he sets me on the couch and turns away—but it’s only to add some logs to the dying fire. He stares at me, approval evident as he drags his gaze up and down my body.
I've never felt so appreciated, so beautiful. But I'm not a painting. I want to do things. I rip off my bikini bottoms at the same time that he drops his trunks. I am purely, utterly without words. He could be a fucking statue—that famous Michelangelo one—his muscles are so perfectly put together, down to the deep V that leads to the exact part of his anatomy that I want the most right now.
“So,” I say.
His eyes brighten and crinkle around the edges. “So,” he repeats. “I don't even know where to begin. I have so many ideas when it comes to you. So many places that I want to explore.”
“Better get started then, huh?”
He laughs, low and rough, as he reaches me, pressing me down with his hand until I'm laying on my back, my legs falling open for him. He runs a gentle finger up my center, smiling as I draw in a quick breath. He does it again, his other hand worshipping my breast at the same time, sending threads of pleasure coursing through my whole body.
“I could play with you all night,” he murmurs, watching me closely. It's terrifyingly intimate.
“Please don't,” I say. “Just fuck me already.”
“Bossy much?” he asks, but doesn't sound at all displeased. I shriek as he drags me up against him. “Couch or bed?”
“Bed, in this case.” I don't want to risk the welfare of that beautiful couch. Finn drags me to him, our naked bodies fully flush. I wonder if we’ll even make it to a bed. It feels so very far away.
But somehow, despite barely breaking our kiss, we stumble up the stairs and down the hall to a bedroom. My eyes widen when he flips on a low light, taking it all in while Finn goes into the attached bathroom to dig out a condom. There’s a king-sized bed in the center and an entire wall full of windows facing the lake, complete with a bench and cushions that look perfect for reading. It's nicer than any hotel I've ever stayed in and three times as cozy.
I turn to say as much when I catch the sight of him watching me. All other thoughts empty out of my head and I hold my hand out for the condom, indulging in the feel of him in my hands as I slide it onto him. Then his mouth is on me and he's dragging me to the bed, pulling me with him.
Together, we’re a raging fire: hot and passionate and determined. Every touch is pure luxury as he works his way up and down my body with his mouth. Then, with a clever twist he's underneath me, settling me into position. His hands stabilize me as I seat myself deeply onto him. My breath catches at the sheer decadence of him inside me. Fuck and fuck again.
Sweat beads on Finn's forehead as we move in tandem, every roll of my hips met with a thrust of his own. He seems to sense the moment my energy flails and he flips us around, driving himself into me from behind. I try to brace myself against the pillows, but his hands hold me exactly where I need to be. Where we both need to be.
I’m so close—creeping closer to the edge with every breathtaking thrust of his body. When his hand reaches around and finds my clit, I see stars.
His grip on me tightens as his body shudders with his own release. For a long moment, I can only pant, trying to catch a full breath. He plants a trail of kisses along my neck before slowly pulling himself out, leaving me to collapse in a boneless heap on the cloud that is his bed, chest heaving from exertion.
“I've never—that was—” Words truly fail me.
“I know,” he says, staring back at me with the same look. Wide-eyed and amazed. “Rune, I know.”
His hand trails up and down my arm, soothing my heart rate. I want to stay here forever. Right here, like this. So I'm immensely relieved when I return from cleaning myself up in his bathroom and find that he's turned the sheets down. He must have gone downstairs; my phone and a glass of water are sitting on one of the nightstands next to the bed.
He lifts the sheets to help me slide under them, both of us still naked. A massive yawn threatens to split my jaw.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know if I can keep my eyes open. I’ve had more exercise today than I’ve ever had in my life.”
“So stay with me. Sleep here tonight,” he says, like it's the obvious choice. Maybe it is.
I roll over and shoot a quick text off to Ella, in case she actually is expecting me back. Then I let Finn tuck me into his arms, kissing me gently on the curve of my ear as he pulls the blanket over us. Exhausted and fully sated, I nestle into him. The last thing I'm aware of is his arms around me; the soft pattern of his breath lulling me to sleep.