Helsinki Sunrise (6 page)

She closed her eyes and allowed her fingers to trace Adam's strong, square jawline. His days without shaving prickled beneath her fingertips. It excited her. She tipped her face upward, and brushed a finger across his lips before losing herself in his kiss.

Wouldn't it be nice if he could stay?

Her eyes flew open and she jumped to her feet. What was she thinking? Lying around dreaming of things that couldn't be, instead of getting to work turning the screws tighter on Adam?

First thing Eveliina did was fill the cottage with the delicious aroma of freshly brewed coffee. She poured a cup and sipped the hot liquid while she busied herself with phase two of “Operation Missionary Elimination”.

After making dough for
Pulla
, she kneaded the sweet bread mixture until it was smooth and satiny. She placed the dough in a mixing bowl, covered it with a clean dishtowel, and set it outside on the banister in the sun. Eveliina hoped Adam would be gone long enough to allow her to bake the Finnish bread. There'd be nothing as tempting than to walk into a cottage filled with the aroma of coffee and freshly baked sweet bread buns, especially after a long, hard row on the lake.

While the dough spent the next hour rising in the warm sun, Eveliina lit a fire in the sauna. There was no way she was going to miss her sauna, or dip in the lake, today. That done, she looked around the cottage. She had to keep busy, keep her thoughts away from Adam. She pulled her laptop from its case and set it up on the dining room table.

Might as well start on some designs for work
.

When she left home yesterday, she'd wondered how long it would take her to turn on the laptop. If not for Adam's presence, she might have disappeared into blissful nothingness for two weeks. Not now. She shoved the laptop lid open. In her need to find things besides Adam to occupy her mind, Eveliina had fallen prey to her own temptation.

She'd made progress on the first design when she remembered the dough. It would have risen more than enough by now. She saved her work.

On the kitchen patio, Eveliina removed the dishtowel and punched the dough down before covering the bowl again and leaving it to rise once more. The action reminded her of Adam. He showed resilience, too. Except for this afternoon. Had she struck a nerve? Said or done something to crack his firm foundation? Would he soon break and fall?

Part of her hoped not.

She pushed the thought aside and checked the sauna fire, soon returning to her laptop and the land of pirates. More lines and more calculations went into her design as the digital picture took shape. She did a quick test render and smiled, satisfied with the outcome.

Stopping work to finish making her sweet bread, she brought the warm bowl inside the kitchen and turned out the soft elastic mixture onto a floured surface once more. Eveliina shaped it into small round buns before coating them with a sugar and butter topping. With the care of a craftsman, she added her own touch. Cupping her hands around the outside of each bun, she pushed her palms toward each other, creating a more oval shape before denting the buns in at the top with her fingers. She stood back to take a look. What would Adam think of her heart-shaped
Pulla
?

Before she crumbled to the urge to change the shape back to ordinary, she popped the buns into a hot oven for twenty-five minutes. As soon as they were baked, she'd head for the sauna. That was one sure way to rid her body of the tension that had built up over the afternoon. Perhaps she was the one who should have gone rowing. Adam was a difficult thought to get out of her mind, especially since she'd gotten up close and personal, and touched the forbidden fruit.

After arranging the hot buns on a cooling tray beside her laptop, Eveliina paused to look out over the lake. The yellow canoe glided through the water toward the cottage. Adam's timing couldn't have been more perfect.

She slipped into her bathing suit, wrapped a soft white towel around her body and disappeared inside the sauna. She wished she could see his face when he found the hot sweet bread on the table, smelled the coffee simmering in the pot. She smiled at the thought of what he'd find kindling in the sauna.

 

 

 

 

7

 

“Eveliina,” Adam called as he tied up the canoe beside the jetty. Grinning, he jogged toward the cottage. He would ignore all she'd tried to do, and was guaranteed to still do, forgive her past and future transgressions, and love her like Jesus loved her.

“Eveliina,” he called again as he opened the kitchen door. The smell of coffee and fresh baking assailed his senses. Loving her like Jesus would be hard when she seemed determined to make his life unbearable.

Adam covered his nose with his hand, determined to keep temptation at bay. “Eveliina?” he tried again, softer this time. Perhaps she was upstairs sleeping. He gingerly climbed the wooden staircase until he was able to peek over the last step. The room was empty. Where could she be? The other boat was still moored, so she hadn't left the island. Had she gone for a walk in the forest? Perhaps he should look for her—it was getting late, albeit not dark. He needed to explain. She had to be confused by his sudden retreat. Would she be worried about him? He'd been gone for hours.

On his way down the ladder, Adam spotted the cause of the second delicious aroma that filled the living space. Heart-shaped buns? Maybe she had been a little worried, after all.

Heading for the door by the sauna, he stopped to examine the buns closer. Adam knew he shouldn't, but she seemed to have taken such care in making them. One tiny peek couldn't hurt.

They looked sweet and delicious, like the blueberry pie still on the table. A smile tickled his lips as he stared at the pie. With its one slice removed, it too had taken on a heart shape of sorts.

He glanced across the table at Eveliina's laptop. She'd already been working? Guess she wasn't going to unwind like she'd claimed. He walked around the table until he stood in front of the laptop screen. A blond-haired man with icy blue eyes stared back. Adam didn't like what he saw. The man's narrow eyes were set too close, his lips too thin, his face too sullen. And what was with the strange sun tattoo on his right hand? Some Nordic cult?

Suddenly it struck him. Could this blond in the desktop background be Eveliina's boyfriend? The fact she could have one hadn't crossed his mind. Why wouldn't she? She was beautiful, full of spunk, and certainly knew her way around a kitchen. Adam found the thought of her being in love with someone perturbing.

A tall ship sailed across the laptop screen, interrupting his musing about Eveliina's qualities and her relationship with the man in the photo. An animated pirate swung down on a rope, jumped overboard and landed at the bottom of the screen. Standing in front of the blond man, the pirate whipped out a long sword. He waved it around and with each swish, part of Blondie disappeared, then the ship, until the screen was black. The pirate gave a chuckle and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

Adam smiled. Vanquished by the crazy pirate.

Perhaps the blond's an ex-boyfriend.

Without warning, a single bright red word flashed across the black screen.
Savant.
But neither the pirate, nor Blondie, had looked like wise men to Adam.

The photograph reappeared and Adam had no doubt the same sequence he'd just witnessed would repeat.

As he stepped onto the deck outside, Adam felt heat emanating from the sauna. He called Eveliina's name again and slowly opened the door.

“Hello, Adam. You miss me?” A giggle followed her bold question. “I'm just messing with you. Come inside. Join me. You're already half-dressed for the occasion. You may want to get rid of that T-shirt.”

As Adam's eyes adjusted to the darker room, he prayed Eveliina was dressed for the occasion. Thankful to see her seated on a white towel in a full bathing suit, Adam stepped inside and closed the door. He removed his shirt, discarded it on the bottom bench and sat down on the wooden slats.

“Adam…” She patted the bench beside her. “Come up here so we can talk. I don't bite, I promise. You'll get the full benefit of the sauna higher up. It's far hotter here.”

Adam had no doubt it was hotter, in too many ways. But they did need to talk, and Adam had to show her she didn't intimidate him.

Before he could take the first step up, Eveliina passed down another request. “Would you mind throwing another ladle or two of water onto the rocks?”

Obliging, Adam filled the ladle and splashed water over the heated rocks on the furnace. Steam hissed, sending humid heat rushing to the roof. Already perspiration drenched his skin. He should have grabbed a towel.

He splashed cold water on his face, ready for the heat, and headed to the top bench, T-shirt in hand.

For several minutes, they didn't say a word. He'd barely begun to relax when she broke the silence.

“See, I told you I don't bite.”

Adam wasn't so sure. From where he sat, she looked rather hungry. He felt a little like the roasted sacrificial lamb about to be served on a slatted wooden platter.

“Tell me about your afternoon, Adam. Did you have fun out on the lake? Were you rowing the entire time?”

Clasping his hands together, Adam briefly rested his arms on his legs as he gathered his thoughts. He turned to her and proceeded to tell Eveliina about his afternoon on the lake. But the details of his time spent in prayer, seated on a log at the far side of the lake overlooking the Mikkola cottage, he kept to himself. He didn't deem it appropriate to tell Eveliina he'd spent two hours solid with only her on his mind as he interceded before the throne of God for her salvation.

“I'm sorry I rushed out of here earlier.” Chit-chat over, it was time to apologize and explain.

“Did I say something wrong?”

He shook his head. “No.” Letting out a heavy sigh that he made no attempt to conceal, Adam continued. “It's just…the blueberry pie”—he pointed at Eveliina—“you…it was all overwhelming. Attractive. Tempting. I had to clear my head.”

“You find me attractive? A temptation?”

“What man wouldn't? Look at you.” Adam shook his head. “I'd be a liar if I said I didn't find you attractive, too.”

“And the missionary cannot lie, can he?”

“Amongst the many things I can't do, no. I have to remain true in everything—to my God, to my fellow man, to myself.” Adam lifted his T-shirt, and wiped the sweat from his face and neck. “But I came to an important decision out there on the lake.”

Eveliina shifted closer. Placing her hand lightly on his thigh, she whispered in his ear. “And that is?”

Adam grinned. “I'm really looking forward to our salmon dinner.”

 

****

 

This couldn't be happening. He was supposed to want to leave, not stay. Eveliina had to get out. Things were getting too hot in the sauna, especially after Adam's declaration that he found her appealing. Instead of making things difficult for Adam, all she'd managed to do was make things difficult for herself. She cursed beneath her breath for finding herself relieved that he wanted to stay.

Eveliina stepped down the two wooden benches. She reached the floor. There was far less heat down there. She raised a ladle of water and threw it onto the rocks. Then another, eager to see how much heat Adam could stand. Two ladles would make things rather hot on the top bench.

“I'm out of here,” she announced, scooping a final ladle of water. Deciding against another dousing of the rocks, Eveliina flung the liquid in Adam's direction.

A yell rang out as the cold water struck its intended target.

With a laugh, Eveliina headed outside, looking behind her as she hurriedly navigated the steps leading off the deck. Soon she was on solid ground, running toward the jetty, Adam in hot pursuit.

“I'll get you for that.”

Eveliina was certain he would. She'd make sure.

Reaching the end of the jetty, there was nothing else she could do but dive. She didn't mind, though. This was all a normal part of their sauna culture. Adam probably didn't know, so she played him like a puppet on a string, enjoying every minute of it.

She broke through the water to the sight of Adam standing on the deck. A shiver ran through her body. How good he looked in the light of day.

Splashing water his direction, she yelled. “Come on in. The water's great.”

“Isn't it bad for the heart to jump into something so cold after being inside something so hot?”

“Depends on who you're jumping with.” She dove underwater, coming up for air as she reached the jetty. The wooden walkway soaked as she rested her arms on the jetty. Her gaze followed Adam's body from his toes, to his legs, shorts, and stomach, finally resting on his beaming face. “Come on in, Adam. If it's not good for your heart, it's at least great for your circulation.”

Despite her persuasion, he still hesitated.

Eveliina's eyes narrowed. She jutted her chin at him. “
Mammanpoika
.”

Adam chuckled and shook his head. “I have no idea what you just said, but it didn't sound too flattering.”

“Mamma's boy…” She stretched out her arms and lightly brushed Adam's calves with her hands. “Are you a mamma's boy, Adam? Scared to get into the water? Afraid to get a little wet?”

Adam pointed at his chest, laughing. “Me? A sissy? Never.” He dove into the lake.

As he surfaced, Adam punched the air. “Whoo.” The grin she was fast becoming accustomed to, swept across his face, lighting his eyes. He ran a hand through his wet hair. Water droplets plummeted back into the lake.

“I'm so glad to see you're no coward, Adam Carter.” Eveliina swam up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Actually, I have a confession to make.”

“Really?”