by S. T. Bende
“Hmm. What did you say?”
“I asked why you’d go change somewhere else. You can just change here.” Tyr pulled off his pants. Now he stood in front of me wearing nothing more than a pair of black boxer-briefs. He had thick thighs that strained against the cotton fabric, his muscles stretching down long legs. His underwear rested low on his hips, and clung tightly to the contents underneath.
Oh hot bejeebus, the man was a god. In every conceivable way.
“Stare as much as you want, prinsessa. It’s all yours.”
My head snapped up and the blood returned to my face in a rush. Oh my god. This is mortifying. “I wasn’t staring at you. I just, erm…”
“Relax. I don’t mind. But now it’s your turn. I showed you mine, you show me yours.” Tyr winked.
My hands clutched my makeshift pajamas as my pulse pounded in my ears. Accepting Tyr as a god had been a cakewalk compared to what I was about to do.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“WHAT’S THE MATTER, BABY? It’s not like you’ve never been in your underwear in front of a guy before.” Tyr crossed the room and gently tugged the pajamas out of my hands.
“Actually, uh…” My cheeks positively blazed.
Tyr held me at arm’s length as recognition dawned. “Really?”
“I went to a girl’s school.” I shrugged. “I had dates, but never anything long-term. That seems like the kind of thing you do with someone you’re serious about, you know?”
Tyr watched me without blinking, his expression unreadable. After half a minute, I couldn’t take it anymore and averted my eyes. Obviously he’d done this, probably a jillion times over a thousand years. Standing there in his underwear was no big deal to him.
But it was a huge deal to me.
“Say something,” I mumbled.
Tyr pulled me to him and pressed my back with his palm. My face rested against his chest, and I inhaled the smell of spruce and pine that was so divinely Tyr. His scent, combined with the absolutely to-die-for feeling of being held against his naked chest, was almost enough to make me forget everything we’d been through. Almost.
“Let’s just get some sleep. It’s been a really long day.” Tyr’s voice made his chest vibrate against my cheek.
My eyes stayed locked on the ground. “I disappointed you,” I whispered.
“What?” Tyr pulled back so he could look at me. “Gods, no. Why would you think that?”
“Because… because…” Because you’re an immortal sex god and I’m a virgin.
“Baby, listen to me.” Tyr tucked a finger under my chin and lifted my head so I was forced to meet his gaze. “You did not now, nor have you ever, disappointed me. I just don’t want to pressure you into something you’re not ready for. And it’s not like I don’t have the time to wait.”
“You’re not upset that I’m a virgin?” I whispered the last word. It made me sound so lame.
“Not at all. I didn’t realize I’d have the pleasure of being your first.” Tyr winked. “Nice choice, holding out for a god, by the way. You’re going to have one Hel of a ride.”
“Tyr!” My palm made a loud noise against his bicep as I swatted him. Tyr wrapped long fingers around my wrist and held my hand in place.
“Seriously, we don’t need to rush into anything. Much as I would love to throw you on the bed and show you exactly what you’ve been missing out on, I’m looking forward to doing a lot of other things to you first. Starting with this.” Tyr released my wrist and wrapped his fingers under the hem of my cardigan. He pushed further, lifting the T-shirt underneath. The pads of his fingers brushed the skin of my abdomen, and I inhaled sharply. “Relax, baby. It’s just clothes.” I exhaled, and raised my arms. Tyr met my gaze, and waited until I nodded. Then he gently tugged the layers up, over my head and tossed them on the ground. When he’d finished, he ran his palms down the sides of my bra, along my ribs, and stopped just above my hips. “See? No big deal.”
Right. Standing in my bra with the Norse God of Hotness in his bedroom was no big deal. And my Meemaw cheated at cards. Snort.
My breath shallowed as Tyr pulled me closer. He kissed a line from my ear down to my shoulder, pressing the washboard that doubled as his stomach against my belly. His skin was hot against mine, something I registered at the same moment as something deep in my abdomen burst into flames. Breathe. It’s just clothes.
“Now these.” Tyr knelt down and slowly unzipped each of my boots, removing them with unnerving slowness before tossing them to the side.
“And these should probably come off, too.” Tyr rose so he was on his knees. He wrapped both hands around my waist and brought his mouth to my belly button. It was warm, and soft, and my abdomen practically exploded at the touch. My eyes were locked on Tyr’s unruly hair as he licked a languid trail around the contours of my stomach, outlining the softly-defined muscles and pausing just above the top of my low-cut jeans. He took the waistband between his teeth and gave it a tug. At the same time, he glanced up at me with his telltale half-smile. I sucked in a jagged breath. He’d managed to undo the button and turn my heart into a jackrabbit on Red Bull in one singular movement.
“Oh my god,” I whispered.
“Yes?” Tyr responded with a grin. Then he ran his nose along the line where my stomach met my pants, and slowly unzipped my jeans. He hooked his thumbs inside the band, and tugged. I lifted one leg, then the other, as I shimmied out of my pants and stood there in nothing more than my bra and panties. Thank the maker I’d worn the lacy white set. Between God’s generosity and the wonders of the underwire, my girls were being displayed to their maximum advantage.
But it was my bottom half that seemed to hold Tyr’s attention. The lacy scrap of fabric barely covered the essentials, and Tyr’s hands palmed my backside as he raised himself up from the floor. He gave a gentle squeeze, sending a tremor shooting up my spine. The blood in my belly pulsed violently. Hot bejeebus. If it felt like that when he touched me there, what was it going to feel like when he… he…
I swayed on my feet, and Tyr swooped in to lift me in his arms. “You okay, prinsessa?” he asked, concern evident in his eyes.
“Never better,” I murmured. Despite my ragged breathing and lack of equilibrium, it was true. I was out of my element in every conceivable way—hunted by a killer wolf, stripped to my undies by a smoking hot Norse deity, and about to spend the night in the bed of the God of War. But I’d never felt more alive. Apparently, following my heart was a lot more exciting than following my schedules.
Tyr shifted me to one arm and pulled back the covers with the other. He lowered me onto the soft mattress and climbed in beside me, tucking his impossibly long legs under the down comforter. He pulled me closer and threw the blankets over me, then nestled my body against his. We lay skin to skin, the borrowed sweatpants forgotten. My entire body vibrated with anticipation. As much as this intimidated me, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.
“Good night, prinsessa.” Tyr stroked the muscles in my lower back as he kissed my forehead. He lay his cheek against my hair, cupped my bottom with his palm, and said softly, “Sleep well.”
What? That’s it?
“Good night?” I hadn’t meant the words to come out on a question, but the squeak in my voice betrayed my disappointment.
Tyr tilted his head so he pressed his forehead to mine. Our eyes met, the question dancing between us. It hung in the air for a long moment before Tyr gave me his trademark half-smile. “Not tonight. You’re exhausted, and probably overwhelmed. It’s been forty-eight hours since you found out I’m immortal, got attacked by a wolf with a grudge, and were invited to move in with the greatest guy in all the realms.”
“Were ordered, more like it,” I corrected. But Tyr slid his leg between my thighs, and a thousand nerve endings I hadn’t realized existed sprung to life. The sensation wasn’t the slightest bit unpleasant.
“Details,” Tyr murmured, brushing my lips with a soft kiss. “Point is, you’ve had en
ough change for one day. And much as I want to play with all of this…” he squeezed my bottom, “I’m going to be good for once in my existence and let us both get some sleep. There’ll be plenty of time for me to blow your mind later.” He slipped his tongue inside my mouth and swept it lightly over mine. His palm squeezed again, bringing my hips into his. The thousand nerve endings did a frantic tap dance, and I felt a slow build in the base of my stomach. My hands stroked Tyr’s chest, and I kissed him back, moving my lips against his with a pace that built to match my desire. But when I shifted to climb on top of Tyr, he rolled away with a groan.
“Mia, you are not helping me be good.”
“Who said I wanted you to be good?” I murmured.
“You’ll thank me in the morning. When all of this sets in, and you realize what an enormous two days you’ve had.” Tyr rolled back so he faced me. He stroked my cheek with one finger. “Baby steps, prinsessa. There’s a whole world to explore between this” —he kissed my lips softly— “and this.” He pressed his hips against mine, and I let out an involuntary moan. He tilted his head to whisper into my ear, “And I don’t want you to miss out on a single thing.”
“Okay,” I whimpered, excitement building at the idea of all the single things Tyr might be talking about.
“Now go to sleep, troublemaker.” Tyr tucked an arm around me and stroked the small of my back. His kiss was sweet, his lips lingering just long enough to leave me lightheaded.
“Night,” I whispered. My fingers trailed a line along the stubble of his jaw, down his neck, and came to rest on the hard planes of his chest.
And then I fell asleep, wrapped safely in the arms of the God of War.
****
“Where do you think you’re going?” Tyr stood by the front door with his arms folded across his chest. In dark jeans and a navy blue Henley, he was so delicious I wanted to jump into his arms and beg him to finish what we’d started the night before. But Art History started in less than thirty minutes, and I’d need a lot more than half an hour for him to do what I was hoping for.
“I’m going to class.” I held up the backpack Henrik had brought sometime in the middle of the night, when he’d delivered the rest of my things. “Why are you still here? I thought you were going straight to the dwarves to deliver the ingredients after breakfast.”
“Apparently Hreidmar is not accepting visitors at this time.” Tyr’s eyebrows made a small V.
“Hreidmar is…?”
“The dwarves’ leader. And he’s busy. I spoke with his servant while you were brushing your teeth.”
“You did?” I tried to move around Tyr, but he was impassive. “How’d you do that? Doesn’t he live in another realm?”
Tyr reached into his pocket and pulled out his iPhone.
“Let me guess. There’s an app for inter-realm FaceTime, too.” I shook my head.
“Henrik developed it a few years back.” Tyr stuffed his phone in his pocket and recrossed his arms. The wrinkles between his eyebrows deepened. He looked really stressed out.
“Well did you explain that you sort of need this chain, like, yesterday? On account of the satanic wolf attacking and all?” I moved for the door again, but Tyr stepped to the side, blocking me.
“Mmm. Something like that. And yes, he’s aware. But you don’t push dwarves. What I’m asking is a big favor, and they don’t tend to do things out of the goodness of their hearts.” Tyr frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t get me wrong; dwarves have made some remarkable treasures for Asgard— Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir, is one of them. But they do so on their own terms, and in their own time. And their gifts always come at a great price.” His arms still crossed, he rubbed lightly at his right elbow.
“What’s the price going to be for the chain?” I tried to reach around him, but Tyr stared at me and leaned against the door. There was no getting past him now.
Tyr’s fingers tightened around his arm. “Why don’t we go back to the kitchen? I’ll make another pot of coffee.”
“Because I’m going to be late for class,” I reminded him. He just blinked at me, the poster god for overbearing-ness blocking my path to a timely exit. “Tyr, I really need to go.”
“I don’t think so.” Tyr reached behind him and turned the deadlock. “You’re not leaving this house.”
“Excuse me?” There was no way to keep the incredulity out of my voice. Just because he was having a standoff with some dwarf king didn’t mean he got to boss me around. Again.
“I said you’re not leaving this house. There’s a homicidal canine just waiting for you to set one foot outside the protection.”
“Are you crazy? I’m not missing class. There’s no way I’ll be able to keep up if I start ditching lectures.” My fingers gripped my backpack so tight, my knuckles cracked.
“I’ll forge you a sick note and you can get notes from someone. What classes do you have today?” Tyr didn’t move.
“Art History and Calc II. Both of which are really complicated. I’m not skipping.”
“Charlotte can give you her art notes, and Henrik will pass you in Calc II. Solved.” Tyr looked unaccountably pleased with himself. Bless his heart, the poor thing was delusional. The whole wolf deal must have gotten to him.
“That’s not going to work for me,” I said sweetly. Rule number one dealing with crazy people: kill them with kindness. “Charlotte’s super smart, but I’m already kind of lost in Art History, and I need to be there to understand the pieces. And I don’t want to just get a pass in Calc II because I’m dating my TA’s roommate. I want to earn an A so I don’t fall behind for the next series of equations. Math classes build on themselves, and I’m planning on going to a top graduate school. Now, if you could kindly let me through the door, I would very much appreciate it.” I reached for the deadlock.
“Forget it, Mia. It’s not happening.” Tyr flexed his arms. At six and a half feet, and what looked like a solid ton of muscle, he should have been intimidating. But he was standing between me and my academic future. Hell hath no fury like an Ahlström facing mediocrity.
Forget killing him with kindness. If that god made me get a B, I’d just plain kill him.
“Oh, it’s happening.” I glared at him. “I agreed to live with you; I didn’t agree to give up my entire life. Look, I’ve done a pretty decent job compromising. I didn’t push you when you wanted to go off bear hunting without me. I didn’t go ballistic when your BFF locked me in the house so the two of you could wrestle the crazy wolf. I’m living in your house, even though it’s way too soon to even think about a step like this, and even though my parents would freak out if they knew I’d moved in with a guy I’d only been dating a few months. But dang it, Tyr Fredriksen, I will not skip class for you. That is just asking too much.”
We stood, locked in an angry stare-down, neither of us willing to budge. He might have been revered and honored in Asgard, but right now he was pushing my very last button.
“Fine. You may go to class.” Tyr finally surrendered. “But I’m coming with you.”
“You’re not enrolled. What are you going to do there?”
“I’ll watch you.” He grabbed his keys and his wallet, pulled his leather jacket out of the closet, and unbolted the front door. “After you.”
I stared at him as he opened the door, then I walked onto the porch. “You can’t just go to my classes and stare at me. That would look really weird.”
“Not my concern, baby.” Tyr closed the door behind him and strode to the Hummer. He held open my door so I could climb in. “The only thing I’m worried about is keeping you safe. If you’re so intent on leaving the protection of this house, then I’ll have to bring the protection to you.”
“Are you going to put me in a personal glitter bubble?” I fastened my seatbelt as Tyr started the car.
“Kind of.” He handed me a lighter as he pulled out of the drive.
“You want me to start a campfire?” I questioned.<
br />
“Henrik built this for you. I may have lied when I said I used a device to cloak us on the beach, but it was a pretty genius idea. I had Henrik develop the technology you thought I used when I cloaked us. That little thing distorts the air around you, so you appear invisible. Be careful using it, since people won’t be able to see you, and they’ll run into you if you’re not careful.”
“Are you serious? He really did that?” I fingered the lighter. Henrik was even smarter than I’d thought.
“He really did. I’ll shield you manually today, since I’m with you, but if we get separated, I want you to flick that thing once. You’ll stay hidden until you flick it again. Fenrir won’t be able to find you.”
My mouth formed a tiny circle. Freaking brilliant—that was what Henrik was. Brilliant, and just a tiny bit scary. If he could build this, who knew what else he could create?
We drove through the woods in silence for a few minutes before Tyr pulled onto the main road. He grinned as he accelerated.
“What?” I asked.
“I’ve never been to a college class.” He chuckled. “This is going to be a first for me. Those are few and far between.”
“Yeah, well Art History’s a good place to start. We’re finishing up paintings of Norse gods. You should feel right at home.”
Tyr raised an eyebrow. “They’re teaching you about me?”
“They’re trying to. I’m finding the entire subject slightly unbelievable.”
“I’ll be sure to set you straight.” Tyr steered into a parking space and jumped out of the car. He opened my door and offered his arm as I climbed out. “Don’t be too offended if your friends ignore you today.”
“Why on earth would they do that?”
Tyr waggled his fingers at me. “We’re cloaked. Just don’t go talking to anyone, or you’ll freak them out. Watch.” Tyr took a few steps sideways and stood next to a brunette getting out of her car. “Hello,” he said quietly. The girl whipped her head around, then narrowed her eyes and walked toward the Humanities building. “See?” Tyr asked. “Humans are fun.”
