At least the hotel room was clean, and Holger entered the bathroom hoping that some cold water on his face would do away with his fatigue. Tatjana stood behind him, her back turned as she stripped off her torn clothing and attempted to adjust the temperature of the water in the tiny shower. Holger was exhausted by the night’s events, and while he towelled his face, he walked to the bed and dropped the gun on the nightstand. Thoughts were making his head swim. They were almost home and free, but his time in the Jaeger Corps had taught him that this was the most dangerous phase of every operation. You could almost taste safety – but you were far from the finish line. Their enemies knew they were still in the area and would try to guess which route they would use to leave the country. And they had the home-court advantage. Was the high-speed boat still the safest option? Or would a train to Helsinki be better? Or maybe the low-budget bus route from the Oktyabrskaya Hotel across from the Moskovsky train station? Holger stuck to the plan and threw his towel onto the bed. Suddenly, he felt Tatjana standing behind him, and he turned around and noticed the tears in her eyes. Her glistening body was still steaming from the 392shower, and Holger hugged her. Tatjana had attempted to cover herself in one of the hotel’s scanty bath towels. She seemed to have recovered faster than he had, but something about her expression didn’t seem right. She looked wary, almost as vulnerable as she had in the studio; then, she had been scared for her life, and it had shown in her eyes. Everything about her, everything she thought or felt, he realised now, he could read in her eyes. She would never be able to hide anything from him.
‘I can’t come with you to Denmark. I don’t have a visa. I haven’t even brought my passport,’ she said as a shiver went through her body.
‘Put my jacket on, you silly girl; you’re freezing. My passport is in the pocket, and we just need to get you one like that. Lawyers’ wives are entitled to a visa in Denmark; didn’t you know that?’ he answered and held her out in stretched arms.
Tatjana looked frightened as she secured the towel covering her body.
‘Do you really mean that? If you knew how much I’ve longed for you since you arrived in Moscow… So, you’d better be honest. Why has it taken you this long to tell me about your feelings for me?’ she asked, her voice loaded with tenderness and caution.
Holger felt his throat dry and could not get a word out. Instead, he pulled her close and stroked her hair.
‘You’re right. I’m totally in love with you, and I should have told you that earlier,’ he said, kissing her gently.
This time, it was Tatjana’s turn not to answer. She pressed herself tightly against his chest and let her soft lips kiss his neck. She slowly moved her kisses upwards and let her tongue play with his ear. Holger quivered with desire, and his impatient mouth found 393hers. Their tongues passionately kissed as his hands wandered down her back. He caressed every centimetre of her; their kisses got more urgent. Panting, he wriggled free and stepped back to enjoy seeing her wet body only covered by the towel.
‘You’re so beautiful,’ he whispered and held her gaze.
Tatjana’s eyes mirrored his lust as she read his mind. Slowly, she let the towel drop to the floor and enjoyed standing exposed entirely in front of him. He was the man she had come to love. She took his head between her hands and pulled him towards the bed. Quickly, he let his Panerai watch slip to the floor. He had always frowned at men wearing their watches in bed. She managed to get his pants off in the short distance to the bed. She revelled in his kisses on her neck and moaned softly as her hand wandered down his body, searching for his cock. When she felt his blood pounding between her fingers, she pushed him back until they toppled onto the bed. He nimbly slid between her legs and passionately kissed her soft breasts. He realised she was ready to receive him, and impatiently he thrust inside her. She wrapped her strong legs around him, and their ragged breathing quickened until they reached climax. He tried to hold back but quickly gave up the attempt to bridle his desire. His vision blackened, and in the next instant, he erupted inside of her. As Holger was gasping for air, it was clear that he hadn’t been with a woman in a long time.
‘I’m so sorry. I just couldn’t… couldn’t hold back,’ Holger murmured, struggling to bring his breathing back under control.
‘Don’t apologise; it was lovely. I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment,’ Tatjana smiled and pushed herself tight to his chest.
They just lay there with their sweat-soaked bodies wrapped around each other for a while. Eventually, Tatjana rolled over, 394picked up a pack of cigarettes from the nightstand, and lit a cigarette. She dragged on it deeply before passing it to Holger. It was the first time he had tasted tobacco in years, but sex and a cigarette was a great combination. Their lovemaking had drained him of energy, and with half-closed eyes, he handed the cigarette back to Tatjana. Soon, they both just lay with their eyes closed and a smile on their lips. Words were not needed, and they both escaped into their own thoughts, hiding from the problems ahead.