Magni

by Janice M. Whiteaker

  Christine chewed on her bottom lip. “I think Rhea might already know something’s going on.”

  A little bit of the tightness in Magni’s chest eased. She would tell Rhea. He could see the wheels turning behind her blue-green eyes. Not that he wouldn’t call Rhea later to make sure.

  “Thank you.” Her voice was soft. She was watching him closely, her eyes roaming his face. Christine reached out, almost pulling her arm back once before continuing on to gingerly run her fingertips along his scalp just above his temple. “I like what you did with your hair.”

  It was the first time she’d touched him. So far he was the one who initiated physical contact every time. Not that he minded. Magni had no problem letting a woman know he desired her. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t appreciative of the tables being turned. Especially after what happened in his shop. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Christine said.

  You don’t know what I want.

  That was the other reason he was here. To figure that out.

  Magni sat as still as he could, scared that one wrong move would spook her. Her soft touch continued across the close cut hairs on the side of his head, wrapping around his occipital bone and down his nape. Christine’s eyes followed her hand as she continued the slow torturous caress around his neck, sliding over the skin just above his collar bone to brush through the bit of hair peeking out the top of his v-neck shirt.

  When her eyes moved up to his they were bright, almost glowing. Her lips parted as her gaze dropped to his mouth. Her tongue peeked out, licking across her bottom lip as she pulled it between her teeth. Slowly she shifted on his lap, her hands starting at his shoulders, running up his neck to rake through his beard on their way to stop at his jaw.

  He couldn’t take his eyes off her. This was another side of Christine. One he’d only glimpsed briefly that day in the street when he pulled his lips off hers. And then he couldn’t enjoy it.

  Now he could.

  Her eyes were intense, focused. Her knees slid on either side of his thighs and Magni’s enjoyment of the situation ended abruptly.

  An involuntary groan pushed out as she seated her body over his. The thin fabric of her pants doing little to buffer the sensation of her core dragging against his straining dick. The black pools of her pupils spread as Christine let out a little gasp. Her eyes didn’t leave his face as she leaned into him and covered his mouth with hers, her lips opening immediately to let her tongue slide over his.

  The taste of her filled his mouth as her body moved against him, her hips slowly torturing him with a perfect push of friction across his cock. His hands gripped her thighs. It took everything he had to hold still. Let her guide him. Show him what she liked. What she wanted.

  How she needed it.

  She pulled back, her lips full, cheeks flushed. He let one hand slide up, over her hip to the center of her stomach, up between her breasts. Jesus he was trying, but not touching her was killing him. He continued on, up her neck to cup her cheek. He was trying to be sweet. Gentle. What she needed right now.

  Christine turned her head into his hand, catching the tip of his index finger between her lips, slowly pulling it into her mouth, her tongue swirling around the pad before pulling back, her cheeks hollowing as his finger slid free of the wet heat.

  “Jesus.” Magni couldn’t look away from her. Christine was the sexiest woman he’d ever seen. Full lips, flushed cheeks, soft in all the right places. And she was hell on his self-control.

  Christine sat back on her heels and tipped her head to one side, studying him closely. “Huh.” She climbed off his lap.

  “Wait.” He grabbed for her but she was already out of reach. What in the hell just happened? Everything was going so well and then—

  Magni jumped up, wrestling with the suddenly constricting waistband of his jeans. “What’s wrong?”

  She turned to him and shrugged. “Why are you even here?”

  How did they get here? One minute Christine was on top of him sucking off his finger and the next she was cold as ice. “What in the hell are you talking about?”

  She shook her head. “Do you just feel bad for me? Poor single Christine. Maybe I’ll throw her a little something to make her feel better.” She snorted. “Because I’m not single because I have to be big guy. There are plenty of men who are more than willing to give me what I need.”

  If there was a button that would make him forget all his good intentions it was the one Christine just pushed. With a sledgehammer.

  “Do you now?” The beast inside him pushed up, bearing his teeth at the thought of all the men who wanted to get their hands on her. The woman his beast wanted to make theirs. Magni’s head lowered as he moved toward her. “And is that what you want? Other men?”

  He saw the muscles of Christine’s neck constrict as she swallowed, her eyes widening as he advanced on her. She took a sharp breath and straightened her shoulders, meeting his gaze head on. “I want a man who desires me.”

  Magni almost smiled as the pieces snapped into place. “You deserve a man who desires you.”

  Christine nodded. “I do.” Her chin tipped up and her jaw set.

  All he wanted was to give her what she wanted and now, Magni had a pretty good idea what that was.

  She let out a sharp yelp as his body collided with hers, pushing her back against the living room wall, cupping her head with one hand and gripping her hip tightly with the other. Magni pressed himself into her, letting Christine feel just how desired she was as he leaned into her ear. “And why do you think that’s not me?”

  “I didn’t—” Her words broke off as he sucked on the tight muscle running up the side of her neck. Her pulse raced under his tongue as he lapped at her skin, letting his teeth rake over her flesh. “I—”

  “You what sweetheart?” He slid his hand around to cup her rounded bottom, pulling her harder against his throbbing erection. “You didn’t realize what you did to me?”

  He reached around with his other hand, pulling her up, lifting her feet off the floor. Christine grabbed at him when she realized her body was suspended in the air, wrapping her arms and her legs around him. Playing right into his hand. He growled in her ear as he dragged the length of his cock between her legs. “Which is funny because I feel like I’ve made it pretty clear for you.”

  She gasped as he pushed her higher, moving her chest in front of his face. “But just in case, let me spell it out for you.” He shoved up her shirt and buried his nose between the fullness of her breasts. “I want to be buried inside you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in the world.” He nipped at the swell of fullness spilling over the top of her lace bra. “I want to hear you scream for me when I make you come.” Magni hooked one finger in the cup, pulling it down until the rosy pink of her nipple barely peeked out at him. He ran his tongue across the smooth skin, the sound of her whimper making him reconsider what he was about to do.

  “Only that’s not going to happen today.” Slowly he lowered her to the ground.

  “But maybe if you’re a good girl at the doctor tomorrow we can work something out.”

  10

  “I wish you would have told me what was going on sooner.” Rhea turned into the small lot at the back of the bed and breakfast. She turned in her seat to face Christine. “It bothers me that you would try to go through something like this alone.”

  “I’m not going through it alone. I have a wonderful doctor to take care of me.”

  Rhea cocked her head to one side. “You know what I mean.”

  It turned out the mammogram was the easiest part of her day so far. Between the crappy night’s sleep she got and the wrath Gail unleashed this morning when she found out what was going on, getting her boobs smashed between freezing metal sheets was cake. “It’s just difficult to tell people things they don’t want to hear.”

  It was why she worked so hard to help Rhea when she first showed up here. When you were like they were it was imperative to protect yourself. Luckily R
hea’s particular set of skills didn’t carry the lasting weight Christine’s did and she was able to move through life open and mostly unaffected. If Christine didn’t love her so much it would be easy to feel jealous of her friend and the closeness she was able to enjoy with people.

  Rhea’s nostrils flared and her brows came together. “Telling someone they can’t sing is something they don’t want to hear.” She reached across the console and grabbed Christine’s hand with hers. “That their friend is sick and needs their support is something people want to know.”

  Christine nodded but was still unconvinced. Over the years she’d learned the hard way, on more than one occasion, that most people didn’t realize what they wanted to know. Or what they didn’t. Not until it was too late.

  Rhea squeezed her hand. “Everything will be okay.”

  Christine jumped as knuckles rapped on the window beside her. Gail stared through the glass at them. “Are you getting out?”

  Rhea sighed. “She’s going to be mad at you forever for not telling her.”

  “No she’s not.” Christine collected her purse from the floorboard.

  “I can hear you guys.” Gail stood back as Christine opened her door. “And Rhea’s right. I will never forgive you.” She wrapped her arm around Christine’s shoulders. “I baked you cookies anyway.”

  Rhea came around the car and hooked her arm through Christine’s. “Maybe I should piss you off.”

  Gail leaned forward and gave Rhea a wink. “You have immunity.”

  Christine looked at Gail. “How does she get immunity?”

  “She made me a nana.” Gail tugged them toward the garden that flanked the back side of the bed and breakfast. “But I’d consider giving it to you too if you want to start thinking about Jerrik’s future.”

  Like hell she would. Even if it worked out in the end, telling Gail what she saw in Hagen’s future was still a mistake. One Christine didn’t intend to repeat. Especially since Jerrik would lose his mind if he had to go through what Hagen did. Gail’s younger son didn’t have the patience to deal with their mother’s meddling.

  “I’m guessing Jerrik will be just fine without my input.” Christine bumped her friend with her hip. “I’m sure there’s no shortage of women trying to figure out how to snag him.”

  “But I need to know which one is the right one.” Gail opened the back door to the enclosed porch. “That way I can speed the process up.” She looked at Rhea. “Annabelle needs a cousin to play with.”

  “Don’t drag me into this.” Rhea gave Gail a pointed look. “If you want to meddle at least own it.”

  Gail’s jaw dropped, a look of complete shock on her face. “What?” She only managed the feigned innocence for a few second before she started laughing. “Fine. I want to meddle.” She held her fingers up, pointer and thumb a tiny bit apart. “Just a little.”

  Rhea grabbed one finger in each hand and spread them apart, widening the gap as far as she could.

  “I can’t help it.” Gail dropped her hand. “It’s my job to make sure they’re happy.”

  Christine opened the back door and almost laughed. “Speak of the devil.”

  Jerrik and Hagen stood at the kitchen counter each with a mouthful of cookie, both looking like a deer in the headlights. Rhea looked at Gail. “You didn’t hide them?”

  “Of course I did.” Gail rushed around the long table to the kitchen area. Her eyes went wide as she looked at the mostly empty platter in front of her sons. “You ate almost two dozen cookies while I was outside?”

  “We were hungry.” Jerrik choked as he tried to talk around the cookie filling his mouth. He took a swig of milk. “We were out in the woods all day.”

  Gail snatched the platter with what remained of the cookies off the counter and brought them to the table. “How did that go?”

  Hagen looked at Jerrik. “Eventful.”

  Jerrik grinned at his mom. “I’m sure you’ll hear all about it tonight at dinner.”

  Gail propped her hands on her hips and looked from son to son. “How about you tell me now.”

  “Let’s just say they got what they came for.” Jerrik polished off the last bit of milk in his glass. “I think Magni made one guy piss himself this morning.”

  Christine took a cookie off the plate, acting uninterested in the conversation. She took a bite and was just beginning to chew when she noticed Rhea watching her. Rhea raised an eyebrow.

  “He was all wound up today. I don’t know how he managed but it was like he was in three places at one time.” Jerrik rounded the table and reached for the plate. Gail slapped his hand. Hard. He didn’t flinch, just went around the table and tried to get it from the other side. “We had two groups out before the sun came up and Magni had grown men screaming.” He managed to snag another cookie and avoid his mother’s swinging arm. “I had to go find one that ran off. Took me a half-hour to figure out where the guy went.”

  “Magni might be good in the woods but he’s still a pain in the ass.” Gail glared at Jerrik as he backed off the tray smiling at her around the cookie in his mouth. She propped her hands on her hips. “I still haven’t had the chance to have at him for acting a fool the other day.” She looked at Hagen. “Did you give him what he deserved for that?”

  Hagen’s eyes slid to Christine. “I handled it.”

  Gail nodded once. “Good.” She grabbed her apron off the hook by the back door. “He needs to learn he can’t just go around doing whatever in the hell he wants.”

  “I’m pretty sure he can.” Jerrik stopped at the swinging door that led to the front hall. “I gotta go. I gotta sit with Kari.”

  Hagen’s brow lowered. “I thought it was Magni’s turn to babysit.”

  “It was.” Jerrik shrugged. “He called in a favor.” He snorted. “Maybe he’s got a date.”

  Gail’s laughter filled the kitchen. She wiped a tear from her eye. “What woman in her right mind would put up with that man? He’s a pain in the ass.”

  Jerrik shrugged. “There’s no accounting for taste.” He pointed to Hagen. “I mean look at what this one managed to land.”

  Hagen’s growl was low as his eyes narrowed at Jerrik.

  Jerrik waved his brother’s threat off. “I’ll see you guys later.”

  “I’m heading out too. It’s almost time for the sitter to go home.” Hagen rinsed his glass in the sink. He looked at Rhea. “You ready?”

  Rhea looked at Christine.

  “Go home to your baby.” Christine smiled. “Thank you for going with me today.”

  Rhea grabbed her in a tight hug as she passed. “I’m happy I could be there for you.” She pulled back and held Christine at arm’s length. “Let me know and I will make sure I have a sitter whenever you need me.”

  Christine nodded, feeling a little more emotional than she wanted Rhea to realize. “Okay.”

  Rhea gave Gail a quick hug on her way to her husband’s side. Hagen caught a strand of her fire-red hair between his fingers as she reached him and leaned down to brush his lips over hers.

  “I missed you wife.” Hagen’s words were so soft Christine almost couldn’t make them out. He tucked Rhea under his arm and gave Christine and Gail a wave as they left through the same swinging door Jerrik used a few minutes before.

  Christine smiled. Her vision of Hagen was one of the last she had. Last she allowed herself to have anyway. It was after she decided to keep anything she saw to herself and try her best to snuff out the gift that was more burden than asset. But the vision never went away no matter how hard she tried, no matter how carefully she worked to block it out. Now she knew why.

  Because Rhea was just as important to her life as she was to Hagen’s.

  But even though it was well received, at least by his mother, and everything worked out well in the end it was the exception. Most of what Christine saw as a young woman before she learned to muffle her gift didn’t play out nearly as happily.

  Like her vision of Magni.

  �
�Would you like to stay for dinner?” Gail pulled out a large cast iron skillet and set it on the stove. “I’ve got chili and cornbread on the menu.”

  Gail wanted her to stay. Not because she needed help or wanted company, but because her friend wanted to be just that. A friend. A real one. It was sweet and kind and not at all as terrifying as Christine expected.

  When Christine came this morning to tell her where she and Rhea were headed Gail threatened to abandon all her guests and come along. And would have if Rhea hadn’t convinced her mother-in-law it was best for her to stay in case Annabelle’s sitter needed something.

  But even though she couldn’t come, just knowing Gail was supporting her gave Christine a strength she didn’t know she needed. Letting people on the other side of her wall was a risk she hadn’t wanted to take but now she had and nothing horrible happened.

  And she did it because of Magni.

  “I am really tired.” Christine leaned back in her chair. Tired didn’t begin to cover how she felt. She was exhausted. Emotionally. Physically. Whatever other ways there were. Her brain was only functioning at half-speed right now. She’d been so wound up waiting for today and now it was like she was coming off an unwanted high.

  And it still wasn’t over.

  “I think I’m just going to go home and put on my pajamas and relax.” It sounded good in theory and hopefully it would be as great in practice.

  Gail’s face fell. “Okay then.”

  Guilt tugged at Christine. “Maybe tomorrow?”

  Her friend brightened. “Promise?”

  Christine gave her a nod. “Promise.”

  “Go home and sleep then.” Gail pointed across the divider, her face serious. “But you call me if you need anything. Rhea got her turn. Next time you need something it’s mine.”

  “Yes ma’am.” She got up and winked at the woman who might just toe the line between friend and surrogate mother if Christine would let her.

  Christine stepped out the back door and onto the porch. The sun was starting to drop in the sky as the evening eased in. She’d been gone almost all day, stopping for lunch and spending some time shopping with Rhea before heading home.