To Vex A Valkyrie (Southern Sanctuary - Book 9)

by Jane Cousins

  “Yes, you know… acceptable, passable, competent.”

  Fen raised himself up on one elbow. “Acceptable? Passable? Competent?”

  Brodie nodded. “Mostly.” She reminded, in case he’d forgotten.

  “Yes, of course. Mostly adequate. Mostly acceptable. Mostly passable. Mostly competent.” Fen repeated slowly and carefully, mulling over the Valkyrie’s words. Any other woman, he’d accuse them of fucking with him. But as his gaze travelled over her glistening skin, the high colour flushing her cheeks and the bright sparkle in her fractured snowflake eyes, he had the sudden realisation that Brodie was shutting him out. Despite the physical evidence regarding how much she’d enjoyed their encounter.

  The sex had been great. The Valkyrie had been with him every step of the way. Matching him, pacing him, urging him on so they could burn white hot. Flaming high into the night sky. But here she was now, denying all that. Denying him. Denying herself. Why?

  Perhaps his Valkyrie had this level of great sex every time… but he found that hard to believe. What they’d done together, it had felt different, unique… at least to him. He’d never been so in-sync with a partner before.

  Neither dominant or submissive, but equals, from start to finish. Compatible was too clinical a word… perfect perhaps… but that word vaguely freaked him out for some reason. Hmmm, and if he was freaked out by how good it had been between them, then it was very likely that Brodie was freaking out as well.

  It would explain the sudden shuttered look. The half assed compliment couched more as a criticism.

  Her reaction kind of pissed him off, burning off any residual reservations he might have about repeating the act. One taste was good, but two would be even better. He was in no danger of becoming addicted to the Valkyrie, he assured himself. It was just sex here they were talking about, not attachment, not commitment, and certainly not love. Just sex, plain and simple. Really, really, good sex.

  And yes, it might be his male ego talking, but he refused to let her get away with saying what they had just done together was anything less than amazing. He nodded slowly, his eyes sweeping down over her nude splayed body, his own tightening in immediate response. “Okay, I agree.”

  Brodie frowned slightly. “Agree to what?”

  “To the challenge you just issued.”

  Brodie sat up abruptly, her dark hair streaming down over her shoulders and breasts. “Challenge? What challenge?”

  “Come on, Brodie. You can’t give me a mediocre score like that without allowing me to re-sit the exam.” He reached over and brushed the glossy waves back over one shoulder. Seriously, he could spend a lifetime staring at the Valkyrie’s breasts and never tire of the view.

  Brodie batted his hand away. “Exam? What are you talking about?” Her heartbeat began to speed up, there was heat in Fen’s cerulean eyes that made her suddenly very aware that she was naked.

  “Sorry, I should have spoken plainer. I meant the sex.”

  “The sex? No.” Brodie’s eyes widened, no, not going to happen. She leaned over the side of the sun-bed, grabbing her discarded damp towel, holding it up, shielding her body from Fen’s admiring view. “There’s no need for that… I told you that what we did already was-”

  “Mostly adequate.” Fen finished for her dryly. “That’s kind of damning with faint praise.”

  “I didn’t mean it that way.” Brodie clutched the towel tightly to her chest as Fen grabbed a corner and tugged gently, but with no real strength.

  “Well, it sure didn’t sound particularly complimentary.”

  “Um… well maybe mostly adequate wasn’t a fair assessment.”

  “You’d be prepared to drop the mostly?” Fen enquired, giving the towel another half hearted tug.

  “Yes.” Brodie was holding onto the towel so hard she almost knocked herself in the jaw when Fen let go abruptly. Hissing out a breath as one of his calloused, large, warm hands came to rest on her knee. “Yes, that seems fair.” She desperately agreed, anything to get him to stop touching her.

  Fen appeared to think about it. His thumb idly tracing back and forth across her kneecap in an incredibly distracting manner. “A solid adequate ranking then? Hmmm, no, sorry. I think I can do better if we just-”

  Brodie jumped slightly as his hand began to slide up her thigh, hurriedly she clamped her hand down over his to halt its progress. “It was great, okay? Really good sex. No need for another round. Anyone who asks, give them my number, and I’ll heap praise upon your head.” Freyja, what was she saying?

  “So you’re willing to recant your earlier declaration completely?”

  “Yes. Yes.” Brodie struggled to keep the towel clutched to her chest and Fen’s warm, insistent hand imprisoned at the same time.

  “That’s very kind. But I won’t take charity, though you could do me a solid and drop the towel.”

  Brodie shook her head, the knuckles on her hand clutching the towel almost white. “I’m good.” She croaked out, finding it hard to swallow. Harder still as Fen’s free hand slowly trailed up past the hand Brodie had trapped, dancing ever so lightly over the skin of her inner thighs. Eek, no, she clamped her legs together, effectively trapping his second hand.

  Fen looked up at her, grinning, enjoying the play of dappled moonlight over Brodie’s ivory shoulders. Damn, he wanted to kiss that skin, hell, why shouldn’t he? It wasn’t like Brodie had another hand spare to stop him. Leaning forward he placed a heated, soft, gentle kiss on Brodie’s right collarbone.

  Brodie’s insides liquefied. Heavens, one - barely there - kiss on her shoulder and she was coming apart. She bit back a whimper, she wanted him, damn it. And why exactly was she holding out again? Oh, because she was wary of becoming addicted to Fen Valhalla. Well, hadn’t that boat already sailed across the river Styx?

  How much more damage could having sex with Fen a second time cause?

  See, she was already making excuses up so she could indulge. She needed to stand firm, stay strong.

  Fen chose that moment to lean across and graze a feather light second kiss on her left shoulder. Fen grinned at her. “Drop the towel, Valkyrie. You know you want to.”

  She did. She really, really did want to. But there was such a thing as Valkyrie pride, something she had in spades. Tilting her head, she gave him a challenging look, before glancing down at his two trapped hands. “Make me.”

  Fen chuffed a laugh. “Challenge accepted.” Leaning over, he sank his teeth into the towel, ripping it away with a quick, hard toss of his head, flinging it to the ground.

  Brodie found herself laughing in surprise. She did love this delightfully tricky man… say, what? It was too late to pursue that thought any further as suddenly Fen was looming over her, his hands mysteriously free, pushing her backwards, his body coming to rest on hers, his lips claiming hers.

  And any idea of thinking went completely out the window.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Awake suddenly, Brodie opened her eyes cautiously, all her instincts alerting her that though there was no threat, she needed to be wary.

  “So?” Fen was leaning up on one elbow, eyeing her with focused, bright, cerulean interest.

  Damn the man, he looked gorgeous, his skin flushed, dark stubble clinging to his jaw and throat, making him look dangerous and touchable all at the same time.

  Sparkling sunlight filtered through the thick green canopy, dappling the courtyard.

  “Hmmm, what time is it?” Brodie shifted her gaze away from the sight of too tempting Fen, all but looming over her.

  “Almost noon.”

  “Noon?” Heavens, they’d almost slept the day away after a long exhausting night of sexual gymnastics. Fen befuddling her with drugging kisses or taunting her with soft challenging words any time she’d even looked like she might catch her breath, or recover her common sense, and call a halt to the proceedings. “We should-”

  Fen blocked her attempt to scramble off the sun-bed by giving her a gentle but firm push back down
onto the mattress.

  Heat unfurled low in her belly at his display of strength, uh-uh, no way. She wanted him too much to give in, clenching her hands into fists to stop from reaching for him. Cold turkey, that was the only way she’d break her Fen habit.

  “We should get ready.” Brodie was still doing her best not to look at him, a difficult feat given the man was naked, his heated flesh pressed up against her body in a most distracting manner. “Elijah-”

  “We have plenty of time to shower and eat before we set the trap. Now come on Valkyrie, stop being obtuse.” Fen grinned, his eyes sparkling with humour. “And I don’t want to hear any of that barely adequate crap.” He couldn’t resist teasing her. He had sensed her entire body tensing when she’d woken just now, and the wary look in her eye and the way she could barely look at him… well, he didn’t know why, but after what they had shared together he wanted some acknowledgement.

  He wanted Brodie to admit… to admit what?

  This wasn’t just his prowess as a lover that was on the line. The sex had been mind blowing, proving beyond doubt they were perfect for one another in every facet of their lives. And he wanted Brodie to say it, say the words… tell him she felt the same way. That the two of them belonged… what the fuck?

  What the hell was wrong with him?

  One night on the mattress with Brodie and he was about to fold like a deck of cards. Sure he lo… liked her. A lot. But why did he keep pushing for more? It was almost as if he wanted… Goddess, it was almost like he wanted her to declare she felt the same way about him. Tell him that one night wasn’t enough. Would never be enough.

  Shit, was he talking commitment here? Attachment? Fuck. He fought the urge to scramble off the sun-bed and dive to the bottom of the pool and stay there until his world made sense again.

  Instead, he forced himself to remain completely still, and don’t drop the smile, asshole, you started this whole thing, you finish it. And then go fight a fire or something. Anything to keep your mind off the insane thoughts concerning Brodie Buchanan that are floating through your head.

  Brodie was too busy trying to hide her body’s reaction to Fen to notice that the sparkle in his eyes had dimmed, or that his teasing smile suddenly looked kind of forced. Reaching up, she used the excuse of getting her hair under control to move several inches away from him.

  A little bolt of disappointment searing through her that he didn’t follow her, close the distance, continue to press his body against hers. It was the first time since they’d laid down together that he’d allowed any space to separate them. Funny how being apart from Fen was as distracting as touching him. She couldn’t seem to win.

  Um, perhaps more space would help, a lot more space, a cold shower, and facing off against a thousand blood thirsty demons… make that two thousand demons.

  In order to get that space, she needed to answer his stupid question. She ran through a list of descriptive words, discarding each and every one as being too truthful, too revealing. Mind-blowing. Spectacular. Fun. Special. It was on the tip of her tongue to blurt out the word – right, they’d just been so damned right together, it was scary. Really scary. Scary how good it had been. Scarier still to think she would never have that again with Fen. Freyja help her.

  Perhaps the only way to survive this with some semblance of her pride intact was to tease Fen in turn. “You will live long in my memory, Fen Valhalla. I will recount your abilities to bards and they will write songs of your stamina, skills, and impressive attributes.” Brodie waited a beat. “Satisfied?”

  “Now we’re talking.” Crap, could he sound any more stilted? Sliding away from Brodie he scooped up a discarded towel to wrap around his waist. Hopefully hiding the evidence of his continued arousal. You’d think seven… no, eight rounds with Brodie would have exhausted his attraction to her. But this woman wasn’t just any woman. Crap, he had a feeling he was only getting a tiny glimpse of how much trouble he might be in. They needed a distraction. Lots of distractions. “Hungry?”

  “Yes.” Brodie sighed in relief. Fen wasn’t going to pursue this any further. “And I need a shower.”

  “Yes, definitely.” Fen was looking around, anywhere but at the sight of Brodie sliding off the sun-bed; naked, gorgeous, and way too tempting. “You head that way.” He pointed off to the left. “Bathroom is second on the left. I’ll take the other bathroom. We meet in the kitchen in fifteen?”

  “Sounds good.” Sounded easy. Brodie frowned, scooping up her shellan from the floor, it had lost the shape of the red bikini sometime during the night. She totally needed some alone time, but did Fen seem a little too eager to get away from her? Hold on. They’d had sex. He’d gotten her to admit that it had been pretty great sex… damn the man, was he ticking off some kind of box? Nailed a Valkyrie, time to move on?

  Fen watched Brodie stomp off, her toned ass twitching, a gut deep hunger gnawing at him to hunt her down and take a bite from it.

  Goddess help him.

  * * *

  Everything with Brodie was proving to be a series of firsts.

  Best sex… ever. And now the world’s most incredibly awkward morning-after. No eye contact. Barely any conversation, other than - is there any milk?

  Fen shovelled another large spoonful of cereal into his mouth, in order to avoid the temptation of breaking the silence. Any other woman, he’d be laughing, joking and teasing. Maybe getting prepared to go their separate ways with a kiss and a hug. Or, maybe, if they felt like hooking up again, arranging another date. But this wasn’t any other encounter. Nor was it just any woman.

  His body was practically trembling with the need to reach out and touch her. Oh sure, he wanted to sweep the dining room table clean, grab Brodie, lie her down on top of it and take her. But he also would have been just as happy to reach over and run a finger down the smooth ivory perfection of her arm. See! He’d gone fucking insane, there was no other explanation.

  Don’t think. Just eat. He shovelled more food into his mouth. He had showered and shaved. All that was left was to fuel up, and head over to Hidden Cove to lay the trap. Bada bing, bada boom. Capture one flying Fabio with fire issues, and Brodie would be stomping out of his life once and for all.

  Damn, and the thought made the milk curdle in his stomach.

  That didn’t stop him from shovelling more cereal into his mouth. Polite innocuous conversation was beyond him, worse still, he was scared if he opened his mouth he might say something he would regret. Like, stay. Don’t leave. Let’s see where this thing between us leads… ugh, madness, sheer, unmitigated madness. There was nothing for it but to eat more cereal.

  Brodie kept her eyes down, attention focused upon the bowl of cereal in front of her. Well almost completely focused, the occasional swift glance in Fen’s direction barely counted. Trust the man to look all kinds of gorgeous, his dark hair damp but drying fast, his freshly shaven jaw practically gleaming. She fought the urge to reach over and find out how smooth his skin felt.

  Grrr, even the way he was filling out the plain navy t-shirt and those faded jeans that hugged his thighs and butt were causing her problems. By the Sword, it was so unlike her to be so easily distracted. She blamed Fen.

  In fact, she blamed Fen for everything. Her feelings. Last night… the great sex, it had been completely his fault. And let’s not forget the way she still felt this morning, definitely Fen’s fault.

  Given how hot the sex had been, the attraction between them should have burned itself out. It certainly seemed to have worked for Fen. He smiled, was polite, but he’d barely looked at her since he’d walked into the kitchen. Couldn’t even be bothered to make small talk… the bastard. It was so unfair, how come he got to move on and she still felt… all these annoying feelings for him?

  Perhaps the fault lay with her? She swallowed the derisive snort that threatened to escape. Of course the fault didn’t lay with her. She was a Valkyrie. Strong, beautiful and perfect. No, the fault definitely lay with Fen. So then… why didn’t he
want her anymore?

  She stood up abruptly. She needed to kill something, or at the very least maim someone very, very badly. And if they didn’t leave soon, well, her only available target was sitting across the table still blithely shovelling cereal into his mouth as if he didn’t have a worry in his big, fat, stupid, gorgeous head. “We should go.”

  “Ugh.. hdky.. finkejed yet.”

  Through his mouthful of cereal, she got that he wasn’t finished yet. But she didn’t care. So she gave him the look. The look that said I can go through you the easy way, or the hard way, you choose.

  Fen pushed his bowl away and stood up, grabbing his phone from his pocket. “I’ll let Elijah know we’re on our way. We can take the Portal from here to the Hidden Cove Beach Bar.”

  “Good.” Brodie stomped away, the heels of her gold, knee high boots striking the wooden floor loudly.

  “Um.”

  “What!?!” She fought the urge to call Raven and brandish the sword at Fen to keep him at a distance.

  “Er.” Fen pointed in the other direction, wondering what had gotten into the Valkyrie. “The Portals that way.”

  “Of course.” Brodie swept past him, the tail end of her intricately braided hair swinging out and almost slapping Fen in the face.

  What the hell? Fen watched her stomp by, tight ass twitching in tiny dark blue shorts.

  It looked like the Valkyrie had already dismissed him from her life. He should be happy, right? Fuck that, the gall of the woman. He found himself stomping after her.

  * * *

  “Why isn’t anything happening?” Brodie discreetly scanned the blue skies overhead, trying not to squint thanks to the bright sunshine. The white sand was soft under her bare feet, and the warm lapping ocean tickled her toes. Grrr, bloody perfect blue sky day.

  It felt like they’d been walking back and forth for hours. So far they had Hidden Cove Beach all to themselves, except for their discreetly hidden dozen or so Enforcer watchers.