Page 128 of Defensive Desire

My throat tightens. "Mom used to talk about that boat. Said it was the fastest in the harbor."

Emma's hand covers mine. "Everyone remembers."

Her drawings are bringing my mother's stories to life, stitching together pieces of myself I thought were lost forever.

I'm seeing this village through my mother's eyes and Emma's heart, and suddenly I'm not the enforcer anymore, not the retired hockey player.

I'm just Anja Kane's son, finding his way home.

"C'mon," I say, standing abruptly. "There's something else I want to show you."

I take her hand, leading her out of the cabin and through the village's winding paths. Snow crunches beneath our boots as we follow a narrow trail that cuts through dense pines.

Emma gasps when the trees part, revealing the frozen lake stretching out before us like polished glass. The sun catches on ice crystals, turning the surface into a field of diamonds, and at the lake's edge sits a small wooden building, smoke curling from its chimney into the crystal-clear sky.

"A sauna? You've been holding out on me!" Emma's eyes light up as we approach the small wooden building at the edge of the frozen lake.

"Not just any sauna." I unlock the weathered door. "This one's been here for over a hundred years. My grandfather built it."

Inside, the small space smells of woodsmoke. Stone steps lead up to wooden benches, and an ancient stove waits to be lit in the corner. I start the fire while Emma explores, running her fingers along the smooth wooden walls.

"It's beautiful," she breathes.

"The real Finnish experience," I explain, adding water to the heated stones, watching steam rise. "We get hot as hell in here, then—"

"Then what?" Emma cocks an eyebrow, sensing my playful tone.

I grin. "Then we jump in the lake."

"Thefrozenlake?" Her eyes widen. "You're insane."

"Trust me, Coffee Witch."

An hour later, we're both stripped down to nothing, sweat glistening on our skin as the sauna's heat wraps around us. Emma's hair is piled on top of her head, tendrils clinging to her flushed neck.

She looks like a goddess, all soft curves and pink skin.

"This is amazing," she murmurs, leaning back against the bench. "I feel like I'm melting."

I sit beside her, our bodies touching from shoulder to hip. "The trick is to stay until you can't take it anymore. Then the lake feels... incredible."

"Yeah. Still not convinced about that part," she laughs, but the sound catches in her throat as I trace a bead of sweat down her collarbone.

"You will be."

The sauna's heat makes everything slow and dreamlike.

I watch another drop slide between her breasts, and can't resist leaning down to taste it, my tongue tracing the salt from her skin.

She gasps, fingers threading through my hair.

"Logan..."

"Mmm?" I move lower, pressing my lips to her nipple, sucking it into my mouth and swirling my tongue around the hard peak.

"I thought..." She swallows hard as my hand slides up her thigh. "I thought Finns were supposed to be reserved in saunas."

I look up, meeting her eyes through the steam. "Good thing I'm only half Finnish."