by Koko Brown
“Ha! He’s bleeding!” Thoren yelled at the top of his lungs. “Eirik has drawn first blood!”
Ignoring Thoren’s sideline caterwauling, Eirik threw down his shield. He walked over to his childhood friend and held out his arm.
“Brother?” he asked, his voice now solemn.
Without hesitation, Bjarni took Eirik’s arm and clasped it. “Brother...”
In high spirits, and unwilling to savor his victory with a bunch of men, Eirik barreled his way through the throng of well-wishers. There lay a sweeter prize in his private chamber.
* * * * *
Reese paced back and forth in front of the fireplace. She’d been holed up in Eirik’s private bedchambers long enough. Long enough to rifle through his things in search of the tourmaline, which she hadn’t found, and even to grow concerned for Eirik’s safety.
Before she drove herself crazy, she flung herself down on the bear rug in front of the fireplace. Unable to sit still, she tore at her cornrows. Once she set her hair free, she then tackled the tightly wound curls with a whalebone comb, until it floated around her shoulders like a soft cloud. So preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn’t hear the bedchamber door open and close.
“Blessed Valhalla...”
Unmindful of her nudity, Reese jumped up from the rug, ran across the room, and threw herself into his arms. “I thought you weren’t coming back,” she lamented, and not minding how he crushed her to him. “I was going crazy with worry.”
“I like the way you worry.” His hand crept over her left butt cheek and squeezed. Her libido bubbled like a pot of water on high. “So you are happy I won?”
Reese couldn’t prevent the smile curling her lips. Despite the less than stellar circumstances in which she had been dumped, the whole idea of him fighting over was just so...so freakin’ hot!
He squeezed her again. “Are you happy?”
“Very happy.” Liking her response, he planted kisses along her collar bone at the same time walked them toward the bed. Her heart rose in her throat, threatening to cut off her breathing with its wild palpitations.
He stopped at the foot of the bed, and suddenly released her. Concerned, she asked, “You aren’t hurt, are you?”
“Not even a scratch.” He began to untie the laces of his pants. “Wait for me on the bed.”
Obedient, Reese did as he commanded. As he stepped from his trousers, her eyes devoured him. Tall and sturdy, his legs were muscular from exercise. His bare chest and arms were just as mouthwatering, and coursing with thick veins. When he took a step toward the bed, she noted he was unsteady on his feet. He’d tied his hair back in a low ponytail, which called attention to the ruddiness in his sculpted cheekbones.
He drew closer, and Reese stayed him with a hand on his chest. “What took you so long to return?”
His hand enclosed her wrist as he climbed on the bed beside her, sending goose bumps racing up her arms. And for the briefest moment, Reese forgot her question.
“I needed to cool off before I came back to you.” Cocking his head awkwardly, he nipped at her bottom lip. “If I had not, I would have come back here and rutted in you like a wild animal. Would you have liked that?” he asked, spanking her backside.
Reese bit her lip. The idea of him doing just that excited her. Reaching up, she grabbed both of the white-blond braids hanging on either side of his face and wound them around her fingers. With a gentle tug, she pulled his head down until their lips were level. She stuck out her tongue and traced his bottom lip. He tasted like honey...and beer. “You’ve been drinking.”
“Ja...I did not want to hurt you.” He fell onto the bed, and brought her with him. His hair had popped free of his tie and fanned around them like a gold silk. “So I had a pint of mead or two...or four.” Yawning, he pulled her into his side. “My fair Reese...hiccup...you deserve better.”
Heart in her throat, Reese choked out, “Are you letting me go?”
He curved over her, a beautiful hulking beast with his luxurious hair framing his face. His gaze burned into her. “Not before I’ve tasted all of you. Tonight, I grant you a brief reprieve. No more lessons until the morrow.” With a loud sigh he rolled onto his back, one arm flung his arm over his eyes the other still holding her tight. A moment later he was sound asleep.
Little did he know his pardon felt like more of a punishment than actual amnesty.
* * * * *
“Excuse me, miss. I’m looking for the October issue of Viking Special Ops?”
Did anyone else work around here? Grimacing, Reese shelved the latest installment of Saga and then turned around. Greeted by a wall of muscle, she looked up, and up and up. Gorgeous and insanely built, he flashed her a megawatt smile from behind a pair of Buddy Holly glasses. The dark rims helped to draw attention to his pale blue eyes. A bushy, golden beard concealed what would surely be a strong jaw line, and his blond hair was pulled up in a messy man bun. Reese almost purred. He was a wet dream come true.
“A unicorn.” Like the mythical creature, hot guys were rarely seen inside the walls of The Comic League.
“Excuse me?”
Her brain lurched back into action. “Do you need help?”
“I’m looking for Viking Special Ops volume 7.0.” He ran his hand over the yellow thunderbolt on his chest and his biceps strained the tight sleeves of his t-shirt. Reese ached to push her hands beneath the thin cotton to see if he possessed six- or eight-pack abs.
Knowing a guy like him was out of her league, and used to mediocrity, Reese shelved her wishful thinking. “We have a couple of copies left. Back of the store, on your left,” she said, pointing him in the right direction. Pretending to forget him, she turned back around and fiddled with a few of the books. A stickler for uniformity, she tended to straighten the inventory constantly, earning herself the moniker The Fixer.
“Can you show me, Reese?” he asked, startling her. She pivoted around and once again she lost her breath at the sight of him.
“How do you know my name?”
Smiling, he reached out and fingered her blue nametag. His touch in such a sensitive place rippled through her. Before she invited him to a dry hump in the stock room, and made a complete fool of herself, she asked him to follow her.
She felt his gaze on her. It was as palpable as if he’d touched her because her stomach was quivering madly and her knees felt like they were made of Jell-O. Not wanting to be anyone’s fan girl for any other reason than the fact he was gorgeous, she couldn’t wait to dump his fine behind in the Swords and Ammo section.
When they reached their final destination, she almost sighed in relief. “As you can see, we have volumes one through seven, even a special mini issue published two years ago. When you’re ready, bring your stuff to the check-out counter and Allen will ring you up.”
Reese couldn’t get away fast enough. She didn’t get far. Spinning on her heel, she barely took a step when his hand shout out and grabbed her wrist. A shiver ran through her, followed by a gnawing ache between her thighs as she imagined them dabbling in cosplay. He would look fantastic in nothing but a loin cloth channeling Tarzan, Man of the Apes.
“Stay,” he entreated. His voice was deep, blessed with a rasp that made her think of hot, sweaty sex. Spellbound, she allowed him to back her into the corner.
“Wh-why?”
“I want to fuck you, Reese.”
Umm, okay. She should’ve been offended, but his words stirred an alarming yearning inside of her.
His arm wrapped around her waist, his hand pressed into the curve of her spine. This up close and personal, she could see his beard was a mixture of blond, brown and even ginger strands. Without any warning he kissed her, his tongue latching onto hers, sucking gently. He tasted of honey and smelled like sunshine. And the weight of him ignited her senses, made her hot with desire. So much so, she didn’t protest when his fingers slid beneath the hem of her skater’s skirt and found her panties. His thumb latched onto the crotch and pulled, snapping t
he thin cotton. They gasped in unison when he slid two fingers inside her.
“Blessed Valhalla...you feel so good,” he whispered, pulling out and thrusting back inside. Shamelessly aroused and practically feverish, she clenched around him. “I think you are ready for lesson three...”
Reese’s eyes popped open. Instead of her bedroom’s white popcorn ceiling, wooden beams came into focus. She inhaled; the scent of a dying fire tickled her nose. Confused by her surroundings, she lurched onto her elbows. Head bent, blissfully unaware she’d awakened, Eirik’s hand moved between her legs.
It had all been a dream. Her customer simply a hipster version of the Viking. Even in sleep, she couldn’t escape this nightmare. Mood soured and needing a reprieve to gather her bearings, she grabbed one of the braids framing his face and pulled. Garnering only a grunt, she yanked again.
“Don’t trouble yourself, wench, I will give you want you want and then some.”
Reese ignored the excited thrill his arrogant words evoked. Misery loved company, so she was angling for a fight not sex. “I don’t want anything you give me, especially not that pole swinging between your legs.”
He moved so fast, she could only gasp in surprise when he caught her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Do not challenge me because you will lose.”
Unfazed by his threat, Reese jerked her head away. “I give you what you want...do not challenge me woman,” she mimicked.
“You dare mock me?”
He was serious. She could see it in his eyes.
Still, that didn’t keep her from pouring more salt on the wound. “I mock you and then some.”
He lowered his head at the same time he captured both her hands in one of his, and hauled them over her head. “Every battle is won before it’s fought,” he growled.
Reese met his kiss with a closed mouth. Lips pressed together so tightly they stung. But Eirik meant business. No more Mr. Nice guy. No more games. No more lessons. He squeezed her wrists so hard, she gasped. Seeing the opening, he took her mouth with a ferocity that left her breathless.
Eirik’s total domination ignited her libido to a mind-boggling level. She’d never been so turned on her life. Still, her brain wasn’t that fried she didn’t feel the hand planted between her thighs, the fingers playing with her pussy lips.
Reese closed her eyes, struggling to remain detached. She failed. A seasoned warrior, he proved to too much for her. The rhythmic thrust of his long fingers, the methodical swirl of his thumb on her clit had her careening like a train without wheels. Nerves frayed, she pulled out the white flag.
“Please...” she moaned against his mouth as he rimmed her sensitive slit.
“Is there something you want?” Low and raspy, even his mockery proved a seductive weapon.
If her hands weren’t still bound, she would’ve punched him. The Viking was a formative warrior both on the battlefield and in bed.
“Is there something you want?” he asked again, while sliding two hooked fingers inside her. He bottomed and then withdrew. Each stroke applied a subtle pressure to the walls of her sex. Overcome with lust, her hips churned against his hand.
Eirik pressed closer, his hot, hard body a potent catalyst.
“I don’t want you to stop,” she choked out.
With a smile curling his lips, he lifted her with his hand. “Look at me.” The moment their eyes met, his pace quickened.
Holy, completely by design, Batman! Voiced as an ardent command, it was also another tactic in his strategy. A means to shatter the remaining remnants of her resistance. Open her to another level of intimacy that sheer physical contact alone couldn’t quite reach, and made her woefully vulnerable.
Or maybe she was over just overanalyzing the current situation?
Either way, his intense gaze proved to be the missing ingredient. She felt the vibration ripple through her entire body. Restless, Reese tugged on her arms and turned her body away from him. A second later, she found herself still bound and flat on her back again. A scorching, predatory glint flashed in his eyes as he pushed faster and deeper. The tips of his fingers somehow always rubbing just the right spot.
“You’re going to make me come,” she groaned.
“More than once.”
His promise fried the last of Reese’s brain cells. The spasms slammed into her core and she cried out. Gaze locked with his and pride no longer a factor, she pumped her pussy into his hand. Riveted by the masculine triumph reflected in his eyes, Reese came harder than she ever had in her life.
Still shivering from the aftershocks, Reese felt the tension relax around her wrists as he released them. .
“I want something too.” Gingerly, he moved over her and settled between her legs. His cock pressed against her and his luxurious mane of white-blond hair fell around them like a curtain. “I want to be inside you. So much it hurts.”
Reese smiled. He’d won the battle, and yet he was seeking her permission to go in for the kill. If she weren’t careful she could fall for him. Hard.
Hot, needy and way too vulnerable she lifted her legs and wrapped them around his lower back. Like a heat-seeking missile, his cock slid along her pussy lips and into place. “I’m all yours Viking.”
With a feral growl, he gathered her in arms and sealed his mouth over hers. His approach so fierce it bordered on violence.
Bang, bang, bang
Eirik tore his lips from hers. “Go away!” he shouted, and then planted a kiss on her collar bone. In spite of the intrusion on the other side of the door, Reese strained toward him wet, willing and oh so ready.
“Eirik you must come quick!”
Reese recognized the boy’s voice from yesterday. The one who marched them down to the water for a plunge in the fjord.
“It’s Vida, Eirik! She’s quickening.”
One second Eirik was all over her, the next he was pulling away. Sitting back on his knees, cock jutting toward her, he shoveled his hands through his hair.
“I must go.” He stumbled from the bed in search of his clothing.
“Who’s Vida?
“One of my horses. She’s about to foal. She usually has a rough time of it.” He ducked his head to pull on a linen tunic. When he straightened, the deep V-neck collar showed off a good portion of his upper chest.
Reese licked her lips. The sight of him had her libido going again. Since she couldn’t do anything about it, she asked about her welfare. Shifting to a sitting position, she asked, “Will you keep me locked in here?”
“There are clothes on top of the chest for you to put on. You have free reign of the inner hall, but you may not go outside without my escort.”
Appeased, Reese watched him dress. Provided a front row view, she openly admired his strong physique. From his powerful shoulders to his tight ass, he was flawlessly proportional, like DaVinci’s Perfect Man. Even his feet were beautiful.
“You like what you see?”
“No complaints here.” Not in the least bit ashamed, Reese lay back and stretched her arms over her head. Gaze dark with lust, he stalked over to the bed. His powerful frame radiated frustration and hunger, inciting her like an aphrodisiac.
“Stop tempting me, woman. You know I cannot stay.”
Feeling powerful and in control, Reese twirled a loose curl around her finger. “I’m not doing anything, Viking.”
“Play your games. You will pay for it later.”
Reese had the word promise on her lips, but it died a quick death when Eirik slid a linked chain over his head. The tourmaline mocked her from its silver setting.
“What’s wrong?”
Everything. “Ah...no.”
“Are you sure? You look as if you’ve seen Odin himself.”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Reese muttered shifting her gaze to the fur coverlet.
He caught her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Admit it, my lovemaking has already turned your head to mush.”
“Be gone, Viking.” Reese swatted at his hand away.
/>
Chuckling, he sat down beside her and placed one hand possessively on her hip. “Something is amiss. Tell me what ails you.”
Reese searched his expression and saw nothing but a sincere concern for her well-being. Yet, despite his empathy, she knew she could not come clean. “Nothing is wrong...it’s just a woman thing.”
He looked at her for several moments as if not believing her lame excuse, but then he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. “Well, whatever it is,” he murmured, kissing her on the mouth once more before standing up, “I hope it soon passes; preferably before I return this evening.”
“You’ll be gone that long?” What was wrong with her? She was beginning to miss him already.
“We can’t make the foal come out. He will arrive when he’s ready.”
“Is...is the boy your son?” she asked as he headed toward the door. Even if she didn’t expect to be here for long, she was still curious about him as a person.
“I have neither children nor wife,” he supplied as he yanked the chamber door open. “So, do not worry your pretty head about sharing my bed with anyone.”
“What makes you think I would care about another woman?”
He stopped inside of the frame of the door and looked back at her. “I would like to think I have the same effect on you as you’ve had on me.”
And just like that, the Viking obliterated any kind of wall or barrier she would’ve erected to protect her heart.
Chapter Seven
Eager to stretch her legs and appease her grumbling stomach, Reese washed up and dressed. None too happy about her choice of clothing, which consisted of a tunic dress and an irregularly long apron, she left the room in high spirits.
Reese ran into her first wall in the outer hall. As she entered, all activity came to a standstill.
“Someone should check the needle on the record player,” she muttered, noting the open-mouthed stares and looks of distrust. Then, as if someone had turned the music back on, everyone went back to what they had been doing.
