Bbcpie.23.09.23.melanie.marie.sauna.temptation: ^hot^

“Just… impressed you can take this heat.” Melanie’s mouth was dry, and not just from the steam.

Marie solved the choice by closing the distance. The kiss was soft at first, then saltier, deeper. When they broke apart, the sauna’s thermometer read 85°C, but Melanie felt much hotter.

Melanie laughed, too quick. “The sauna.” bbcpie.23.09.23.melanie.marie.sauna.temptation

The heat in the private sauna was thick enough to taste—cedar, eucalyptus, and the clean salt of sweat. Melanie adjusted the thin towel on her lap, watching rivulets trace down Marie’s spine. They’d been friends for two years, ever since Marie joined the same boutique law firm. But this weekend away—a “relaxation retreat” Marie had insisted on—felt different.

The temptation wasn’t a lightning bolt. It was a slow, deliberate melting—like the ice Melanie had poured over the stones minutes ago, surrendering to steam. She could say this is a bad idea (boss-subordinate, age gap, the retreat’s thin walls). Or she could lean in. “Just… impressed you can take this heat

“I’m not accusing you.” Marie reached out and brushed a damp curl from Melanie’s forehead. Her fingers lingered. “I’m telling you I’ve been watching back.”

Melanie’s heart kicked. “Marie—” When they broke apart, the sauna’s thermometer read

A long silence. The hiss of water hitting hot stones. Then Marie shifted, moving to sit on the same bench, close enough that their knees almost touched. “I booked this sauna for us because I wanted to talk without the office walls,” Marie said. “And because I’ve noticed you watching me for months. At the copy machine. During depositions. Last week at happy hour.”