Heartkiller

Chapter Twenty One: You are the One

Yes, I have done my evil, I've done my good
Just believe me, Honey, I won't let go of you

September 20, 2008

The couple walked side-by-side down the hallway of the hotel. The walls were a soft champagne color with a brown vine pattern as an accent, and the floor was carpeted with a velvety rug whose design matched the walls. Avery and Ville walked further along, tugging their suitcases behind them, until they reached a set of double-doors with the numbers “326” etched on the face of them. On the space of the wall beside the doors, there was a golden plaque that read "Honeymoon Suite" in black cursive letters, and she squeezed his hand and squealed from the excitement.

“Oh, I can’t wait!” she yelped. Using the hotel room key, she slid the card into the slot on the door; there were two brief clicks and the door unlocked.

“Me neither.” Ville replied with a smile, and she turned the doorknob to unveil a spacious suite.

The couple rolled their suitcases inside, and they were immediately hypnotized by the breathtaking views of Turks & Caicos’ beaches seen from the large windows of the living room. They stopped in their tracks, and Avery gasped.

“Damn, that’s gorgeous.” Ville remarked.

“Mhmm.” she agreed.

Ville closed the door with the back of his foot and went to the windows to admire the view. She followed close behind and stood beside him as they marvelled at the magnificent aquamarine expanse. The Caribbean seas contrasted with the white sands of the beaches. There were some people trying to surf on the waters and others on jet skis. Everyone seemed to be basking in the warm sun and enjoying the paradise. Ville put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest so that she leaned against him. Her hand was placed over his heart, and her head was tucked underneath his chin.

“I can’t believe this is a real place. It looks so… unbelievable.” she said. “I’m so glad we decided to come here. New York and Helsinki are great, but I mean, this is just… incredible.”

“Indeed. We need a change from all the dismal snowy weather.” his deep voice noted, and, due to her close proximity, reverberated through her. He took her hand in his. “C’mon, let’s go look at the rest of the suite.”

They turned away from the windows to see the living room, which had stark white walls, crimson couches, and deep mahogany hardwood floors. In the middle, there was a glass coffee table, atop which rested a vase of vibrant red roses. A few stock paintings decorated the walls. To the right of the living room was a doorway leading to the bedroom. The bed was in the center of the room and had a bedside table on either side of it. On the opposite wall was a dresser, and to the right of the bed was a doorway leading to the bathroom. Once they walked inside, Ville plopped onto the grey round bed, which took up a decent amount of the available space, and pulled Avery down on top of him. She burst into a fit of giggles and took his face in her hands to plant a kiss on her lips.

“I’d imagine we’re going to be spending a lot of time in this room,” Avery said teasingly with a smile.

“Oh, you’d be wise to make that assumption!” he said and rolled over so that he was on top of her.

His instinct was to start kissing her neck, an action which he knew tickled her. She giggled and let him leave his mark on her skin, though she still squirmed from the sensation. His teeth gently nicked the space, and she hissed softly; immediately she pulled his face into her line of vision, and her eyes ran over his features. Avery lifted her head to tug his lips with her mouth and brought herself back against the bed with her catch. He exhaled in the midst of the kiss, and she let him go slowly, pecking his lips a final few times.

“I love you.” she whispered.

“I love you, too, Avery Valo.” he replied, and her mouth stretched into a wide grin at the words.

“Mrs. Valo.” she reflected. “It seems like that’s been a long time coming. I can’t believe it took six months to plan that wedding!”

“You know some people are engaged for much longer, sometimes even years, before they’re married.” he pointed out as he rolled to lay beside her.

She grumbled in disbelief. “I don’t know how one can bear the wait. The past few months have been agonizing. I feel like it took forever to finally reach the satisfaction of adding ‘Mrs.’ to my title. Oh, ‘Mrs. Avery Louise Valo.’ It has a nice ring to it.”

“I would agree.” he chuckled.

“You know, I think I would have been satisfied if we had just eloped, you and me.” she interlaced her fingers over her stomach. “Maybe a quick thing in a chapel just so we could get... here.”

“But then we wouldn’t have the wedding photos to cherish in the future.”

“That’s true. I can’t wait to see how they turned out.”

“I’m sure they’re lovely. Did I tell you how beautiful you looked in that dress?”

“Many times,” she giggled and faced him. “Though it doesn’t hurt to hear once more.”

Ville smiled. “Did you enjoy the ceremony?”

“Every second. And you?” she answered.

“The same.”

“I’m glad.” she smiled. "I'm glad to be able to call you mine. Officially, I mean."

Ville grinned and kissed her again. He let his hand crawl underneath her shirt and slide up her warm skin. As his tongue started to beg permission to enter her mouth, she decided to stop him before they were able to get very far. With her hand against his chest, Avery gently pushed to signal him to pull away. He did so, and his eyes searched her face looking to understand what was wrong.

"First, presents." She explained and sat up in bed. “I’ve been so anxious the whole plane ride here so that I could finally give it to you. We can’t do anything else yet. I can’t wait to see what you think!”

Avery stood and went to the living room; she rolled their luggage back into the bedroom in order to retrieve the small package she had safely packed for him. She lay her suitcase flat on the floor and opened it up. Leaning on one elbow, Ville watched as she searched through her belongings. There were piles of clothes that had been neatly folded and stacked into the suitcase, and she had hidden his present amidst the clothes. Carefully, she sifted through the stacks of fabric until she could feel the crisp wrapping paper of the present. She took it out and closed the suitcase. Returning to the bed, she handed the present to her husband and eagerly waited for his reaction.

He took the package and pat the space beside him so that she would sit down. The gift was wrapped in turquoise paper and had a champagne colored ribbon that was tied into a bow; she had taken care to choose colors to match the ceremony’s theme. On the surface, Avery had written the words ‘to my sweet prince’ to address him. Ville turned the box over in his hands and attempted to figure out what was hidden underneath the wrapping paper. He shook it gently and could hear the muffled sound of a hardcover hitting the side of the box.

“Is this another book or something? Don’t tell me you know yet another avid admirer of Poe from whom you’ve stolen away a precious work for me.” he said, referring to the Tamerlane collection she had gotten him months ago.

“No, no, nothing quite like that. I was considering it, but that’s something to save for a birthday or something. A wedding present called for something more personal and… provocative.”

Ville raised his eyebrow and was intrigued by her response. “Really? Like what?”

“I’m not going to tell you! You have to open it.” she replied. Her mouth was stretched into a broad grin, and her eyes were twinkling with anticipation.

He pulled one tail of the bow to unravel the ribbon; then, he slipped his index under one end of the paper and tugged off the tape. Every moment felt painfully slow for Avery to watch, and she was bubbling with excitement. He followed the side of the fold and pulled off the wrapping paper completely. There was a charcoal black box inside with his name engraved in silver. Ville carefully slid off the top of the box to reveal a red book inside, and he looked up at her, signalling for an explanation.

"You have to open it to find out." She deflected, and he started to lift the cover of the booklet.

"You've gotten my mind racing. What could this--oh." Ville reacted as he took in the images before him.

It was a booklet of pictures of herself that Avery gone to a studio to have taken, and Ville lingered on each facet of every image. The first photo was a black and white one of her torso wearing nothing but a pearl necklace whose beads hid the most alluring parts of Avery’s body; because it had been lathered with coconut oil, her skin glistened from the studio’s bright lights. Her gaze was directed off-screen, and her bottom lip was held gingerly by her teeth.

"Wow." He breathed.

"Surprised?" Avery beamed and lurched closer to him.

"Pleasantly. I... I love it. You look incredible. Thank you for this."

He adjusted his posture so that he sat up and turned the page; the next photograph had her in black lacy panties that hugged her hips while her long blonde tresses hung over her breasts. Her eyes were lined in a brown kohl pencil, and she had a hypnotic look that captivated his attention.

As he proceeded to the next image, he asked her, "When did you get these photos done?"

"A few weeks ago... It was a female photographer. No men allowed at the shoot." Avery emphasized. "Don't worry."

"I'm not--"

"Yes, you are." She deadpanned. "It was just a bunch of girls. No other guy saw me like this; you have nothing to be concerned about."

"Okay." He accepted.

"I wanted you to have something to keep especially when you're on the road, if you ever miss me." she said as she took his arm into her hands and curled into his shoulder.

"I’ll always be missing you! Darling, they're amazing. Thank you." Ville smiled and kissed her lips. “I’ll have to keep ‘em safe and hide ‘em from prying eyes.”

“You better.” she quipped.

Ville flipped through the book carefully and studied every image, letting his eyes run over the contour of her body. There were close to fifty pictures with her in a different pose and an ingenious way to cover her most intimate parts. It took his breath away to see her in such a profound manner. When he finished, he closed the book and returned it to the box. Keeping the present aside, he looked down at Avery, whose head was perched on his shoulder.

“Alright, shall I give you your present now? Or later?” Ville teased to which she pouted her lips. Without delay, he bent to kiss her. “Now it is, then.”

He went to his suitcase and opened the zipper on the top cover to pull out a small grey box with a silver ribbon. It was kept safe and easy to reach, and he returned to the bed with it. Avery opened her palms and let him drop the box into them. He sat down beside her while she studied the exterior.

“Oh, a jewelry box. That’s always a good sign.” she noted.

“Go on and open it.” he nudged.

Avery tugged away the ribbon and took off the cover to reveal a heart shaped locket. The silver piece was engraved with a flower, at the center of which was a red ruby.

"Babe... it's beautiful. Thank you!”

"You're welcome. It belonged to my grandmother, and I know she would have wanted to give you something to welcome you into the family."

"Wow." Avery said and opened the locket to reveal a baby picture. The child was wearing a floppy hat that was far too big and a blue striped shirt. With a dumbstruck look, the child had his head tilted to one side. She immediately grinned. "Aww, who's this?"

"Hmm?" Ville peered over her hands to look inside. "Oh, that's me. Sorry, I meant to take that out."

"Don't. I like it here. You look adorable.” she cooed at the picture. “How old were you?"

"I must have been about... two years old, maybe."

"How cute! Ville, I love it. Thank you." She said and raised her head to give him a kiss.

"You’re welcome. I’m glad you like it.” he smiled.

"Alright, we can’t away this amazing weather. Do you wanna go outside now? I'm itching to try jet skiing like we saw earlier!” she exclaimed.

“Yeah, sure.”

““Lemme change first."

Avery put the necklace back into the box and placed it in her suitcase to keep it safe. She then pulled out a red bikini set that was sticking out from the pile of clothes. She stood and went to the adjoining bathroom to change out of the outfit she had worn from the airport.

When she walked into the bathroom, she took a moment to admire the reflection of her ring finger in the mirror as her hand rested against her stomach; the diamond of the engagement ring shone from the light and almost overshadowed the silver wedding band. She couldn’t seem to wipe the smile off her face. She was married. After tying her hair back into a ponytail, she undressed from her jeans and blouse top, letting the garments fall to the floor. She took off her undergarments as well and put on her swimsuit top.

As she stuck her legs into the bikini bottoms, she called out to Ville, “Babe? You think I should take off the engagement ring when we go out into the ocean?”

“Uh, it’s up to you, love.”

She stood and adjusted the straps. “I think I’m gonna leave it here. I don’t want it to slip off and get lost.”

She tied a wrap skirt around her waist and picked up the clothes off the floor. Avery walked out of the bathroom to see Poe’s dark eyes staring back at her; Ville had changed into a pair of swim trunks and was hunched over something he held in his hands. After dropping the clothes on top of her suitcase, she went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind; she kissed his shoulderblade and rested her head against his back. He turned around and tossed the watch he had held onto the bed; in exchange, he lifted Avery off the ground and wrapped her thighs around his waist. She curled her arms around his neck to stabilize herself while a mischievous grin graced his face. He let his mouth find its way to her jawline and started planting a line of kisses on his way to her lips.

She erupted into a fit of giggles and barely managed to ward him off, “We’ll never get outside at this rate, Ville. When we get back, I promise we can have… our round of cardio.”

“Okay.” he reluctantly agreed and allowed her to dismount.

She removed her engagement ring and placed it on the dresser in the bedroom. After putting her wedding band back on her finger, she grabbed his hand. He put on a loose t-shirt, and they slipped on sandals before they started for the front door.

“Got everything?” he asked.

“Yep. Do you have the keycard?”

He patted his pockets to check. “Yeah, I got it.”

"Then, lead the way, my dear."

Ville walked towards the front door of the suite, and although she walked behind him, Avery held his hand. She let the door close behind her, and they walked towards the elevators. After she hit the 'down' arrow, she turned to face him.

"Are you excited?" She asked, bubbling with elation.

"A little nervous, to be quite honest. Finns don’t really interact in water sports like this."

She sheepishly grinned. “Well, I appreciate you going out of your comfort zone. I’m sure you’ll have fun.”

The car descended to the lobby, and they got out once the doors opened. There were a few other guests in the car with them, and everybody dispersed in their separate ways. The couple walked out of the main entrance of the hotel and made a left; the building was near the ocean, and the sands of the beach were only a few yards away. Avery took off her sandals and held them in her left hand, holding Ville’s hand with her right. With every step they took toward the ski rental cabana, the white sand scrunched underneath her feet and tickled her toes. When they reached the wooden steps leading to the store, she slipped on her sandals again.

"Hi, how can I help you?" the attendant asked. He had jet black hair and light brown skin that contrasted with the red T-shirt he wore. It was evident that he had an accent, but Avery couldn’t quite place it.

"Hello, we’re interested in going jet skiing." she replied.

"Okay, great." He pulled out a pamphlet with the rates and pointed out the important details. "We charge a flat rate for the first hour and an additional fee for every hour after that. There are different packages, depending on how much time you want to spend out on the waters."

"What do you wanna do?" Ville whispered to her.

"Um, I don't know. It's already 3, so the sun is gonna set soon. Do you think… two hours is enough?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Yeah, that sounds good. We can always come back tomorrow if we want." He replied and turned to the attendant. "We'll take 'em out for two hours."

"Okay, are you staying at the hotel? I can bill it to your room."

"Yeah, room 326." Ville said as he pulled out the room key.

The attendant took the keycard and swiped it into his system. While he handled the services, Ville turned to his wife, who had her elbows perched on the counter.

“I’m getting nervous now,” she admitted quietly.

“Too late now, missy!” he exclaimed with a staggering laugh. “You’ve dragged me out to do this, too. You can’t back out now.”

“I know, I know.”

They returned their attention to the attendant as he handed Ville a receipt. “Sign here, please.” Ville took the pen on the counter and signed his name. “Okay, go ahead down this way, and make a left at the corner. Go all the way down to the docks and hand the staff these passes, and they’ll get you set up.” he finished as he handed the couple two red cards and two lifejackets to take.

“Thank you.” Avery said.

They put on the lifejackets before leaving the counter, in case it needed to be exchanged for a different size. Both jackets fit correctly, so they walked in the direction of the docks. After they rounded the corner, the couple could see several jet skis stalling in the loading area as a few staff members helped the tourists onto the vehicles. They walked towards the staff members, and a burly man in a red staff shirt and beige shorts approached them.

“Hallo! How are you folks doing today?” the man asked enthusiastically.

“We’re doing well.” Avery said with a grin.

“I’m Danny,” he introduced and extended a hand.

“I’m Avery, this is Ville.” she replied and shook his hand.

“Newlyweds?” he guessed.

“That obvious, huh?” Ville chuckled.

“Yeah, it is,” Danny said with a boisterous laugh. “I see a lot of newlyweds around here, so you kind of pick up on things. Dead giveaways. Sappy smiles, and you know... the whole nine yards… It’s a good thing, though, don’t worry.”

“Okay, if you say so.” Avery replied with a grin.

“How can I help you out today?” he asked, and Ville handed him the passes. “Alright, two hour session. Okay, have you been jet skiing before?”

“Nope.” Ville replied.

“Okay, let’s get you set up. I’m going to walk you through the controls; it’s not very complicated, so I’m sure you’ll pick it up quickly. You listen here, too, miss, alright?”

“I’m listening.” she said, and folded her arms over her chest, peering toward the jet ski that he was pointing to.

“So, now this here is your brake, the most important one. Just twist the handle back, and you’ll feel yourself slowing down. The handle on this side is your gas, and you twist this forward to go faster. There’s the emergency brake right here, and you pull the lever down. If, for some reason, the brakes aren’t working, pull that one down really good.” he said. “Got it?”

“Mhmm.”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, then. It’s like driving a car or… you know, any other vehicle. There’s nothing difficult about this. Anyway, boat safety: this area over here is reserved for jet skis, so you only need to beware of other vehicles.” The man said as he gestured to the open bay area that was visible. “If you go around the bend on the right, you’ll go into the open ocean, which I wouldn’t suggest if you’re a beginner. The currents can get pretty rough out there. If you around the bend on the left, you’ll see some calm waters, and it’s nice and peaceful. Wherever you are though, be careful and make sure you’re aware of what’s around you. Um, anything else?” he thought to himself. “Oh yes, sea life. The waters here are too shallow for sharks. You may see a jellyfish or two, so be careful. The waters are quite clear, as you can tell, so you can see pretty far deep into the ocean. Don’t let that fool you. It does get pretty deep.”

“Okay, we’ll be sure to watch out.”

“Right, and if anything happens, we have lifeguards that are patrolling the area, so just get someone’s attention. Make sense? You guys ready to head out?”

“Yeah, let’s go!” Avery said excitedly.

“Okay, you can get up on this one, ma’am.” he said and took her hand to stabilize her as she climbed up the back of the jet ski.

Once she had been set up, the man helped Ville up onto the jet ski, though not quite as carefully as he had helped Avery. Ville settled into the seat and took a second to gauge his bearings. He mentally went through the controls to make sure he didn’t have any last-minute questions.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Yeah.” he replied, and she immediately revved her engine, causing her vehicle to fly forward.

Ville was caught by surprise at her speed, but the shock quickly wore off. He started his vehicle and maneuvered out of the docks to catch up to her. She was soaring through the waters, and he rushed his own jet ski with speed. The couple was highly competitive, and they edged ahead trying to outrace the other. Once they were in the middle of the open space, Ville slowed down and she pulled up beside him.

“Tired already?” she teased.

“No, I was just letting you catch up so you wouldn’t feel so bad.” he countered before fleeting away across the tops of the water.

Avery grumbled and sped to get beside him. He revved his engine even more, though, and was soon leaps and bounds ahead of her. She didn’t give up, and steadily gained speed; within a few minutes, she surpassed him. They were near the edge of the open expanse of water and could either turn into the calmer backwaters or head out into the ocean. Heeding the earlier warning they had received, Avery decided to head into the calm areas, and she made a left turn around the bend of the cliff. It was quite a sharp turn, and she almost fell off the jet ski; by maintaining a tight grip on the handlebars, though, she was able to withstand the force.

Ville followed behind her, but he wasn’t as lucky. When making the turn, he was caught off guard by the sharpness of the curve and flung off the vehicle, landing in the water with a splash. The strength of the force was enough to send him rather deep into the water despite the lifejacket he wore. Avery had had her back to him, but she turned her vehicle around when she couldn’t hear him coming up behind her. When she saw the empty jet ski, she became alarmed and circled back to where his vehicle was, keeping her speed low in case he came out of the water beside her. She came to a stop beside his vehicle and stood up to try to elevate herself to a higher vantage point from which she could look into the ocean.

“C’mon, c’mon. C’mon, baby.” she muttered to herself.

Her eyes were desperately searching the blue waters for his face to come up to the surface. The longer it took though, the more she worried. Her heart was racing inside her chest, and she could feel her face getting warm from the tension. On this side of the cliff, there weren’t many lifeguards and any other tourists who were present were too far away to have seen what had happened. Realizing that he wasn’t going to come up, she readied herself to dive into the water. She brought her right leg over the seat so that it was placed beside her left. She shifted her weight to find her balance and avoid tipping the jet ski over her. Bringing her hands up over her head, she took a deep breath and was about to jump inside when she saw something. It was a very faint shadow that was reaching for the surface; slowly, it got bigger and darker.

Avery relaxed her shoulders when she saw two hands fluttering to the surface of the ocean; soon, she was able to see his unmistakable vine tattoo. Within seconds, Ville’s head bobbed out of the ocean, and he sputtered out some water. After coughing a few times, he took a gasp of air. When she finally saw him, she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding in. He grabbed the edge of his jet ski to keep himself afloat as he gathered the energy to hoist himself back onto it.

“What happened?” she asked, her heartbeat relaxing to a regular pace.

“I lost my balance as I came around the bend.” he explained, still panting. “Can you help me back up?”

“Yeah.”

Avery was pulled up right alongside his vehicle. She sat down on her seat and held one side of his vehicle down while Ville pulled himself up from the other side. She acted as a counterweight to the pull of his body to avoid capsizing the vehicle on top of him. He put his hands on the seat and pulled his upper body up; once his torso was out of the water, he was able to pull the rest of his body onto the vehicle. Once he had settled into his seat, he craned his neck to give her a kiss.

“I’m fine, Ave. It’s okay.” he reassured after seeing the worried look on her face.

“C’mon, do you wanna go back to the dock? Maybe we can go do something else.” she reasoned.

“What? What are you talking about? No, I’ll be fine.” Ville soothed. The fall hadn’t bothered him much, at least not enough to go back inside. “Let’s go!”

Ville sped forward. He turned his vehicle around to head back into the calmer waters, and he was careful about his turn this time. She sighed at his stubbornness and started her own jet ski to catch up to him. She wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth or if he was trying to ameliorate her worries so that she would enjoy herself. Truthfully, this paradise location wasn't the ideal honeymoon destination for the couple, who was more accustomed to the freezing temperatures than such pleasant weather. However, it was for this very reason that the two decided to fly out to the islands; they wanted to step out of their comfort zone and do something adventurous together. Seeing how eager Avery had been to try something new, Ville overcame his initial reluctance and reasoned that the most important thing was that whatever happened would be in the company of his love. As long as she was by his side, it didn't matter where they were or what they did.

They spent the rest of the time racing from one end of the space to the other. Since there weren’t many people cruising on the calm waters, they had a large portion of the area to themselves. Both of them were quite competitive, and the time seemed to fly by.

At the end of the second hour, Avery called out to him over the rush of the water. “Babe, it’s time to go inside.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

The two rode side-by-side back to the docks. When they came to the bend, Avery let him go first, hanging a few paces behind him to make sure he was okay. He had learned his lesson; he made a wider turn and held on tightly to the gears to keep himself from slipping. She then followed behind him, and they reduced their speed considerably as they neared the docks. There were quite a few vehicles making their way through the small opening of the docks, so it took a few minutes for them to get inside. The couple then pulled up to the loading stations where another staff member was present to help them down.

“Did you have fun?” the staff asked.

“Mhmm, we had a blast,” Avery said.

“Yep, now it’s dinner time.” Ville replied as he dismounted.

Once Avery had gotten off the vehicle, they waved goodbye to the staff and started to walk back towards the hotel. The sand of the beach was magnetized by her wet sandals, and she swore at herself for not having taken them off. Her hand was tightly held in Ville's as they made their way across the white carpet of the beach.

“Maybe we should have brought a towel.” he noted.

“Yeah, our hindsight is… 20/20.” she joked.

They went up the steps to the hotel entrance and made a left in the lobby to go towards the elevators. There was already a group of guests huddled near the doors, but thankfully, two empty cars were available by the time the couple reached the elevators. They got into one, and Ville let go of her hand to adjust the strap of his sandals. The car made a few stops and the other guests had disembarked, leaving Avery and Ville alone.

“Have fun today?” she asked.

“Surprisingly, yes. Did you?” he replied.

“Yeah… it was good. Next time we do this though, I’m going to win.” she winked.

“Ha! We’ll see about that, darling.” he scoffed with a smile.

The accident he had had still bothered her, but she didn't want it to overshadow her mood. Avery deluded herself into believing that nothing had happened for the time being so that he wouldn't be worried. In order to allow the couple to enjoy their honeymoon, she filed away the incident into the back of her mind. Her tone remained jovial.

They got off at their floor, and the couple walked down the carpeted corridor to their suite at the end of the hallway. Ville took the key out of his pocket and slipped it in; after hearing the two clicks, he turned the door handle and went inside first. She closed the door behind her and took off her slippers near the doorway to avoid tracking sand throughout the suite. Ville was almost in the bedroom but circled back to the front doorway when he saw what she was doing. He approached her and took off his own sandals.

“Good call.” he pointed out.

“I’m gonna go shower before we go to dinner. Get all this sand and shit out of my hair.” she said before walking into the bedroom.

Ville peeled off his T-shirt, which was drenched from the ocean spray, on the way to the bedroom whereupon he threw it on top of his suitcase. While he stood at the foot of the bed, his eyes followed the trail of articles of swimwear that Avery had left behind, and his gaze landed on the heels of her feet as she waited at the bathroom entrance. His eyes traced the contour of her bare skin, lingering on the fullness of her derriere, until they reached her blue orbs staring back.

She peeked over her shoulder and waited for him to make eye contact with her before she offered, “Join me?”

Ville’s mouth stretched into a sheepish grin and he nodded. She walked further inside to turn on the faucet to let the water become warm enough, and she took the hairtie out of her matted wet locks. Since she knew the shampoo and conditioner the hotel provided would not be suitable for her hair, she had brought her own travel size bottles, which she now set on the bathroom counter. Meanwhile, Ville stripped off his swim trunks and walked onto the linoleum floor. Avery stood in front of the mirror, and he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. After moving her hair to her left shoulder, Ville attached his lips to the base of her neck under her right ear.

It started out with a kiss, soft and gentle. Avery smiled at the touch and held her hair out of the way, allowing him to play. He placed a trail of kisses on her skin, which was salty from the sand and water, from behind her ear to the middle of her shoulder. At that point, he stopped and rested his nose against the curvature of the joint; Ville tightened his grasp around her waist so that she was pulled closer to him. He took in a deep breath, and his sinuses were permeated by the smell of saltwater and a faint jasmine scent. Avery let her tresses fall freely and caressed Ville’s cheek with the back of her index finger.

“I love you.” she whispered.

“I love you, too. I love you so much. I love you so so much.” he agreed with his nose still pressed against her.

She writhed in his grasp and faced him. Her bare nipples brushed against his skin causing a chill to run up his spine. With her arms around his neck, Avery reached for his mouth; she was hesitant so as to tease him. Upon contact, she only allowed her mouth to grab his upper lip clumsily for a few seconds before drawing back. His body mirrored her movements so that he could close the distance between their mouths, but Avery didn’t allow him to get any closer. She unravelled her arms from his body and took his hands in hers. Looking down at them, she noted how much smaller her hands looked than his. She smiled. Dropping his left hand, she guided him to the bathtub behind him.

She drew the curtain back and got inside first. The warm water hit her already wet blonde ringlets, and she brushed away the water that landed on her face. Ville, who still held her hand, got inside the tub and gently pushed her against the wall. He closed the shower curtain behind him. His hands flanked the sides of her face, and he grazed her lips with his mouth, keeping their proximity close. The water fell against his head and trickled down his back. With his mouth placing urgent kisses along her jawline, Ville fondled her supple breasts. Her eyelids closed involuntarily, and she let herself revel in the moment. His actions were slow and steady; they weren’t in any rush.

Avery let out a satisfied sigh and smiled. Her tongue leaned against the roof of her open mouth as if to prevent her from saying anything. She then opted to involve herself and turned her cheek so that her lips were once again in contact with his mouth. Their tongues danced an erotic tango within the ballroom of their mouths. Avery snaked her hands around his neck and tangled them into the wet mop of curls as she started to take control. For a moment, he let her. Ville let her believe that she was going to have a moment to overwhelm him. It gave her the confidence to make her way toward his neck in order to leave her mark. As she neared the base of his neck near his collarbone, he smirked and moved to take charge once more.

His right hand slithered up the inside of her thigh, and her movements relaxed when she realized what he was doing. When his hand stroked the sensitive skin, her breath caught in her throat. She waited for him to continue. She waited to feel his fingers, his talented mindless Finnish fingers, slide inside her, but they never did. Her eyes opened to see Ville staring at her expectantly.

“Shall I continue?” he teased.

Her lip quivered, and her eyes looked eager. She nodded and muttered, “Please.”

He rubbed small circles with his finger, but he was still not quite inside. His fingertips drummed near the opening and threatened to make an entrance. Avery held her breath waiting to feel the folds of tissue push away, but they didn’t; instead, Ville removed his hand from between her legs and cupped her cheek. His hands gripped the sides of her face and he connected their mouths again. Her eyes widened to reflect her surprise. His tongue slipped inside her mouth and entertained her. He continued on as though he hadn’t just threatened to please her. Though it was a delightful sensation, she was annoyed by his torments and decided to give him a taste of his own medicine. Her hand crawled down his side and wrapped around his member. Avery wanted to tease him the way he had her but she wasn’t given the chance. He immediately flicked her away, and his hands buckled her arms behind her tightly, though not enough to hurt her. She was shocked by the action and she didn’t understand why he did that. He pulled away from her lips.

“No, it’s all about you today.” he explained in a gruff voice.

Cocking an eyebrow, she asked with a smile, “And why is that?”

“You’ve been made mine. Nothing else can bring me quite as much satisfaction.”

“Really? My, my, Mr. Valo. You really know how to get a gal all hot and bothered.”

Ville grinned and started to brush his lips gently against her neck. He mumbled into her skin, “I should hope so.”

He restrained her arms behind her back and the position caused her breasts to project outward even more. Ville made his way to the area, leaving kisses as track marks on her skin; he then buried his face in her bosom and kissed her once more in the small space between her breasts. Her back was arched because of the way her arms were held behind her, and she struggled to gaze down at him. His upper lip curled into a smirk, and he shook his head from side to side, letting the warm supple skin of her breasts cup his cheeks with every movement. Avery couldn’t help but erupt into a fit of giggles at the sensation.

“I thought you said this was all about me?” she asked, though a wide grin still graced her countenance.

“A moment of weakness,” he admitted, glancing up to see her. “I couldn’t help myself.”

While maintaining eye contact, he placed kisses as he moved toward her left nipple. Once there, he placed a kiss and paused to rest his lips. His eyes closed and he concentrated on the sound of her heartbeat, which accelerated due to the proximity of his mouth to her sensitive skin. The corners of his lips lifted up at the observation, and he opened his mouth. The warmth of his tongue pressed against her nipple, and she widened her eyes. Her breathing quickened. Ville’s tongue traced the circumference of her nipple and her body rocked, struggling to break free from the grip he had on her wrists. She wanted to pull his face back up and away from her breasts; he was toying with her very easily, and she felt helpless. She was so far beyond aroused and had no control over the situation.

At her efforts though, Ville tightened his grip on her arms and pulled her closer to him. She had no room to move. He sucked gently on her left breast. She was too restrained to wiggle out of his grasp, so she had to stand there helplessly as he worked his magic. It was a few moments of sucking and kissing the area, and Avery started to grunt and moan. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and her vision was starting to blur. When Ville decided that he was finished, he placed a final kiss and stood up. A childish grin was a clear indication of his elation. He let go of her wrists.

“We should take a proper shower.” he noted as though he hadn’t done anything. As though he hadn’t sent her mind reeling only moments ago. He reached for the hotel soap on the shelf behind her and took the bar out of the wrapper.

“You fucking tease.” she spat.

Ville chuckled. He turned the soap bar in his hands until they became bubbly. He started at her neck to spread the soap, but she didn’t let him.

“Don’t play with me.” she warned.

He tilted his head to signal his acceptance and allowed her to cleanse herself. She took the soap out of his hands and lathered some onto her skin. She spread it around, causing the grains of powdery sand to flake off. When she finished, she handed the bar of soap to him and he washed his skin. They only spent a few moments to take an actual shower so that they could quickly return to titillating the other. Once their bodies were clean, Ville set the soap back on the shelf. When he turned back to face her, Avery immediately pulled his face and kissed him softly. He lifted her up by her thighs and she wrapped her legs around his waist; her back was against the tiles of the bathroom wall to steady her weight. Her wet hair was in her face and she smoothed it back on her head

He placed kisses on her jawline to distract her attention when he pushed into her. An unsteady moan escaped from her lips at the action. As he moved in and out of her walls, Avery held herself up by keeping her legs and arms wrapped around him, and her head bobbed back and forth with every movement. Her fingernails desperately clutched the skin on his back, leaving behind red scratches on Poe’s somber eyes. He grunted with every other push of his member into her tight walls, and he readied himself for what was to come by gripping her waist close to his body. Their bodies rocked together for a few minutes, and Avery was panting. Though they were already wet from the shower, a layer of sweat formed on their skin.

As he neared his climax, Ville adjusted his position to gain a better hold of the wall. With one hand holding Avery in place, he gripped the tile of the walls with his other hand. When he came inside her, she released a loud moan that echoed because of the acoustics of the room. Her back arched and her chest plunged closer to him; her lips were left agape and gasping for air. The corners of his lips twitched upwards as he contained a smile; he settled with a kiss to express his satisfaction. Once he pulled out, he gently set her back on her feet and her body relaxed into a slouch. The linoleum of the bathtub felt slippery and she nearly lost her balance; her knees were still weak from the stress her body had just been under. Ville placed a few final kisses on her lips and tucked her waves behind her ear.

"Damn, baby." She whispered.

“I’ll let you finish up in here.” He chuckled before stepping out of the bathtub. He closed the curtain behind him, leaving her alone with the tepid water beating down on her skin.

It took a moment for her to find her place, but she did. Avery took a few uncertain steps out of the bathtub to grab her shampoo and conditioner off the bathroom counter. As she returned, she took cautious steps since her feet were soaked. After climbing back into the tub, she took the small bottle of shampoo and unscrewed the cap. She squeezed the bottle and a clear liquid poured into her hand. She rubbed her hands together and massaged the suds into her scalp to wash out the bits of sea salt that remained. After rinsing it out, she applied conditioner, focusing on the ends of her hair. While the product set into her strands, she reached for the soap and washed her body again to kill some time. Avery waited a few minutes before finally rinsing out all the conditioner and remaining soap from her body. She turned the faucet off and opened the curtain. There was a fresh white towel on the stand that she picked up and used to dry herself. She wrapped the cloth around her body and used another one to wrap around her hair. She opened the bathroom door and saw Ville sitting at the edge of the bed, reading a novel. He had already dressed in a pair of slacks and a black button-up T-shirt. The sleeves had been pulled up to reveal the tattoos underneath. His head perked up at her entrance.

“I’ll be ready in twenty minutes, but… you can’t see until I’m ready.” she said, her voice tapering out. “It’s a surprise.”

Ville smiled. “Okay.”

He stood up and walked to the living room with the paperback in hand. Once he was out, she went to her suitcase and opened it up. Ruffling through the different articles of clothing, she found her strapless red pleated dress. It had been folded neatly to avoid creasing the fabric, and she carefully pulled it out. Avery then took out her blowdryer from the luggage as well and returned to the bathroom. She let the towel around her body drop to the floor and slipped into her dress. After setting it at the right height, she pulled the zipper on the side of the dress and secured it to her body. She smoothed down the pleats and looked up with a smile. It looked perfect.

She took the towel out of her hair and shook her head to get rid of any remaining water droplets. She plugged in the blowdryer and changed it to the correct heat setting before turning it on. The hot air quickly dried her long, blonde tresses; within minutes, her hair rested neatly against her back. She used some mousse to tousle her hair and give it a piecey look; she wanted to keep her hair simple, so she took the strands above her ears and twisted them back, securing them with bobby pins. Avery returned to her suitcase and pulled out her makeup bag. As she walked into the bathroom, she sifted through the bag to find her foundation. When she got to the counter, she set the bag down and applied the makeup evenly to her skin. After setting her base, she contoured with a light bronzer and added a peach-plum blush for some color in her cheeks. She then took a caramel eyeshadow and blended it onto her lids, using a darker brown to add some dimension. To draw attention to her blue eyes, she used a black eyeliner to create a cat eye effect and used the blackest of mascara. For a final touch, she applied some mauve lipstick. Once she finished, she gave herself a once-over to make sure she had remembered everything.

“Jewelry!” she whispered.

Avery walked to the dresser in the bedroom and put on the engagement ring she had taken off earlier in the day. Ville’s present to her was in her suitcase, and she pulled the box out. She was very careful with the antique, and pulled the silver necklace out of the velvet of the box. She placed it on her neck and secured the back. Her hand picked up the heart-shaped locket and she smiled. Finally, she pulled out a pair of diamond stud earrings and fit them into her earlobes. She returned to the bathroom to admire her reflection in the mirror once more. Everything seemed perfect. After slipping on a pair of beige heels, she walked out of the bathroom and stood in the doorway to the living room; Ville was sitting on the couch reading his novel, but the clicks of her heels signaled her entrance and he looked up to see her.

“What do you think?” she asked.

His mouth fell agape. “You look… regal. Amazing, darling.”

Ville set the book down on the coffee table and stood up. They walked toward each other, and he put his hand on her cheek to cup her face and kissed her.

“I have to stop myself from taking you right here, right now. We’re going to leave this suite so filthy if we’re making love everywhere.” he commented.

“That’s the idea.” she winked. “It is our honeymoon, after all.”

Ville reluctantly declined. “No, no, it’s getting late. We should get to dinner.”

He took her hand in his and started to walk towards the door. They were halfway there when she remarked seductively, “You know, Ville, I, uh--I’m not wearing any underwear… if that will speed things along.”

He immediately stopped in his tracks at her words. Avery had known just what to say to get what she wanted. He turned wordlessly and picked her up; she held her weight against him as they moved toward the couch.

“Who’s the tease now?” he asked and she responded with a fit of laughter.

“Oh, please.” she scoffed as he set her down on her back. “With those sleeves rolled up and showing off your ink like that? Still you, my dear. Still you.”

“Whatever.” Ville murmured and started kissing her lips.

Meanwhile, her hands traveled south and unbuttoned his slacks. She pulled the fabric down as far as she could, and he peeled away from her so that he could remove them further. Ville lifted up the skirt of her dress, exposing her. Without warning, he pushed into her and Avery’s eyes widened, though she stayed silent. Her head was against the seat of the couch, and her left arm reached behind her to grab the side of the furniture to keep herself steady while he rocked his hips into hers.

Their bodies moved like the ebb and flow of the ocean wave: in and out. With each push into her, Ville tightened his grip on the sofa’s arm to steady himself. They had been quick this time by avoiding the foreplay altogether. No playing and teasing. As a result, their satisfaction level went from zero to sixty without warning, without any foreplay to ease them into the sensation. Ville’s movements quickened as he reached a climax. He came inside her and they yelped from the ecstasy. When he finished, he rolled off of her even though there wasn’t enough space on the couch for the two of them to lay comfortably side-by-side. After taking a second to catch his breath, he stood up and fastened his slacks. He used his sleeve to wipe the sweat off his forehead. Ville extended his hand to help her up, and she gratefully accepted the offer. She sat up and set the skirt of her dress correctly. She wiped the sweat off her neck with the back of her palm and proceeded to fan herself with her hands to dry her skin.

“How does my hair look?” she asked.

“Uh…” Ville started. He didn’t know how to respond. The strands at the back of her head were sticking in various directions from the friction earlier. He smoothed down her locks and fixed the bobby pins so that they were secured correctly. “You look good.”

Avery smiled. “Okay. Ready?”

“Yeah, let’s go. I’m ravenous.” he said and she stood up to lead them to the door.

The couple took the elevator down to the lobby. There was a restaurant in the hotel, so they decided to eat there. Once they had explored the island more, they could venture elsewhere for food, but they decided to stick to what was convenient for this first night. When they exited the elevator car, they walked past the front desk to the entrance of the restaurant. They walked through the open wooden doors and were greeted by a sea breeze. The restaurant was outdoors and built on a dock overlooking the ocean views. The bright smile of the moon accompanied the guests, and tiki flames were interspersed throughout the restaurant to provide additional lighting. A host approached the couple and directed them to a table. Avery clasped her hand with his as they walked to the first dinner of their honeymoon celebration.

When they returned from dinner, Ville slipped off his shoes on the way to the bedroom, leaving them haphazardly placed in his trail. Avery closed the suite door behind her and locked the deadbolt; she shook her head at his behavior. She had noticed throughout the dinner that he was exhausted, so she didn't object now. After slipping off her heels, she went to the bedroom just in time to see him plop onto the mattress. He had unbuttoned his shirt and dropped it on the floor but hadn't bothered to change his attire otherwise. He lay on his stomach and was starting to drift into the early stages of sleep.

"Goodnight, Ville." she said softly.

"G'night, Ave." He muttered under his breath.

She picked up his shirt off the floor and put it on top of his suitcase. While he had been worn out from the day, Avery was not as eager to go to sleep. Her mind was too troubled to relax even after such a long day, and she kept herself preoccupied for as long as she could to delay having to lie awake in bed. She wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, she knew that much. Her analytical worrisome mind needed time to gnaw and to process the accident Ville had had this afternoon. No, she wouldn’t sleep very much, if at all.

Avery took her time changing out of her dress and into cotton pajamas. Once she had done so, she stood in front of the bathroom mirror and combed through her hair. She used short slow strokes to prolong the process moreso than to protect her ends. She paused and set the comb down on the counter; after walking to the bedroom's entrance, she leaned on the doorframe and crossed her arms over her chest. Ville countenance appeared so calm, cool, and collected. In contrast, she was a wreck after what had happened earlier in the day on the ocean. Even though he had only disappeared in the water for a few seconds, it was enough to cause a panic. It was enough to scare her into realizing how easily she could lose him. Avery pushed herself off the wall and returned to the counter to tie her locks in a braid. Her long brunette hair curled and tied into a neat, perfect braid. She used a hairtie to finish the end and smoothed back some flyaways. Once her hair was out of her face, she washed off her makeup with the hotel soap and pat and her face dry with a towel.

She gathered the dress and toiletries to put them back in her suitcase. It could have waited until morning, but she was stalling. Her steps into the bedroom were light to avoid waking Ville, though judging by his soft snoring, he was out like a light. Once she put away the toiletries and worn clothing, she rubbed her eyes to try to clear the panic and disbelief from her mind. Then, and only then, did she reluctantly crawl under the sheets next to her husband.

Her eyes stayed wide open. She turned to her side and tucked her hands underneath her cheek. Now came that which she had tried to delay: she had been able to keep the jet ski accident out of her mind as long as she was preoccupied with Ville, but now that she was left alone, the thought consumed her. It worried her that he could disappear so easily. One second, in the blink of an eye, he was gone. He had disappeared, and the stalling vehicle had been the only indication that he had ever even existed. She hadn’t thought much about his safety before this incident; nothing had happened to cause any doubt. Now, though, her mind wandered to unlikely circumstances and near-death experiences that he could have. Just like that, in the blink of an eye, he’d be gone. Then the only sign of his existence would be the hole in Avery’s chest where her heart used to be.

Ville pulled her close to him while he slept. She looked down to see his strong arms enveloping her waist and securing her to him, their spooning bodies engulfed by the large bed. Even in the midst of his sleep, he still feared that she'd slip away from him; the fear of losing the partner was something the two shared. He subconsciously breathed in the scent of the jasmine shampoo in her hair. She squirmed in his grasp so that she could turn to face him. His eyes were closed, and his chest rose and fell with each labored breath he took. She could feel the warm air hit her skin in a regulated pace. He looked so peaceful, and she admired his calm demeanor.

The faint glow of the moonlight was all she had to illuminate his countenance, but she didn't need it. She had memorized his face on many occasions in the past as she sought his visage for some solace in the midst of stressful nights. Avery knew where every blemish and mark lay. She knew the angle with which his cheekbones hid underneath his olive skin. She could trace out the shape of his pale pink lips from memory. And while she knew every little thing about him, she still marvelled at the sight of his face as though it were a new discovery. He was beautiful, and she was charmed to be able to call him her own. She smiled and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek; at the touch, his sleepy eyes suddenly blinked awake; the motion startled her. His eyes, dulled by the weight of sleep, peered at her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She whispered.

"It's alright, love." He said with a soft groggy voice. He closed his eyes and cleared his throat before asking, "Why are you still up?"

"I couldn't sleep." She shrugged.

Because of this, concern colored his features. She was supposed to be happy today, and everyday moving forward; he wanted to know what was bringing her down. The sleep was overwhelming him, but he couldn’t let this go. Ville rolled over and switched on the bedside lamp to see her expressions clearly. He pulled her even closer into his chest and kissed her forehead. His nose was brushing against the side of her cheek, and he mumbled into her skin, "What's wrong?'

His breath felt hot, and it tickled her skin. She replied, "It's nothing. Don't worry. Go back to sleep."

"Ave... What's bothering you?" he said and brought his green eyes into her line of vision. The ferocity of the orbs alone was enough to convince her to speak, albeit begrudgingly.

She sighed and admitted, "Baseless fears."

"Of...?"

"Of losing you." She replied in a small voice. She didn't like to let him in. She didn't want to add to his own troubles, so she was unhappy about having to express her concerns. His forehead wrinkled, and he was confused. Why could she possibly be afraid of losing him?

"Losing me?” The corners of his lips twitched. “Darling, I'm... I'm not going anywhere."

"It’s not about that."

"Then what are you talking about? Where is this coming from?'

"Nothing..." she exhaled. "Nothing, it’s nothing. Go to sleep, come on."

She caressed his cheek and closed her eyes, trying to signal that she didn’t want to discuss this. He wasn’t dropping it, however, and pressed further for details.

"No, Avery. Tell me. What happened to make you suddenly feel this way? How can I make it better?"

She opened her eyes to dismiss him again. "I’m freaking out unnecessarily; it’s no big deal. Don’t worry about it. I didn't mean to bother you with this.”

"How can I just let it go?” He was somewhat amused by the absurdity of the suggestion.

“It's not out of the blue. I'm just overreacting to what happened today…” she slowly started. “When you fell off the jet ski this afternoon, there were a few seconds when you didn't come up and I… I was scared that I had lost you."

“What?”

“Yeah… I held my breath waiting for you to come to the surface, and I-I don’t know. When you didn’t appear right away, I was scared that I lost you forever. I didn’t see when you went overboard, so I didn’t know if -- if maybe you hit your head on something or what happened. I was thinking about it now… and I just blew it out of proportion and psyched myself out. I can’t sleep because I have all these unlikely scenarios playing through my head about how you’ll disappear.”

"Oh, honey,” he soothed and kissed the tip of her nose. His eyes twinkled. “I’m never going to disappear. You have me. You have every part of me.”

“I’m not talking about you leaving me, Ville. A part of me doesn’t even consider the possibility of that happening. I know that you love me. I'm more certain of that than I am of anything else in life. But..." She sighed. "I’m more concerned about if… maybe something happened to you, and you were taken from me. That wouldn’t be fair. That… I don’t know how I’d deal with that.”

“But I'm always with you no matter what. Right here." He said and set his index finger over her heart.

“You can’t tell me that.” she said and rolled her eyes. “Would you really be satisfied with your representation of me should something bad ever happened to me? If you could never see me again, would you be satisfied with the person you’ve known me to be and the experiences we’ve had? If you’ve been left with only memories of our lives together?”

Without delay, he replied curtly, “Of course not.”

“See? Then how could you possibly expect me to do the same?”

“Because you’re different.” he replied helplessly, as if believing that that was a sufficient response. He knew Avery, though, and he knew that this wouldn’t be the end of it. That was quite an unsatisfactory answer for her, and she pressed him.

“How? How is that situation any different?”

He didn’t want to answer the question because he didn’t know how to. He was trying to calm her fears so that she would be safe if anything had ever happened to him. However, he couldn’t make himself believe the same things. How could he go through the days if he couldn’t turn and see her wondrous smile? How would he move on if he had ever lost her?

“Close your eyes.” he instructed as an idea came to mind.

“What’s that going to do?”

“Just close your eyes.” She obeyed, and he continued. “What do you see?”

“You.” she replied and opened her eyes. “Ville, you have to know by now that I am forever invested in you. I love you dearly, with every fiber of my being and like I’ve told you on many occasions before this: I can’t imagine my life without you. You consume my every thought. You are on my mind every waking moment. You haunt my dreams.”

“Then don’t you see that I’ll never truly be gone? I’ll never really disappear?”

"That's not good enough! The image of how I see you doesn't do Ville Hermanni Valo any justice. You… “ she gasped a breath, almost scoffing at the suggestion that he could live on in her memories. “The real thing is so much better."

“What do you want me to say?”

“I want you to…” she bit her lip. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I expect of you. I want some consolation or some guarantee that you’ll be alright no matter what. Else I’ll always worry about your well-being.”

“That’s not a promise I’m at liberty to make.”

“I know.” she exhaled with disappointment. “I know. I just… I wish it was possible. It would really make me feel a lot better to know that you’ll always be safe.”

Ville stayed silent and kissed her, not knowing how else to console her. She smiled ever so slightly to acknowledge the gesture and the intent behind it. She knew there was nothing else he could do or say that would help her.

“Let’s go to bed. Good night.” she whispered and caressed his cheek.

He turned off the bedside lamp and pulled her closer to him. Ville placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and closed his eyes, drifting to sleep quickly. He wasn’t satisfied by how the conversation ended, but he didn’t want to push her any further. He had to trust that if she needed help or consolation, she would come to him.