Son of Thunder (3 page)

“That’s not quite how I remember it,” she said. “But a bet’s a bet—if you win, we share a bed until this hunt is done.”

Heat lit through his entire body at the thought of being that close to the fiery redhead. He’d have to keep that in check until the right moment…unless he wanted to be shot, that is.

“Dinner is still a ways off,” he said, holding the map, “but I’m going to see what I can find while you work. I’ve hours to plan this, Liv Winter. Hours.”

Color crept into her cheeks, and she licked her lips. He wanted to taste those lips, could imagine using the table in a whole different way.

He could practically taste her skin under his tongue now.

Chapter Four

Friggin’ Viking!
How dare he leave her speechless with that near-smoldering look?

Gah.

When he returned from putting the map in the closet, she narrowed her eyes at him then looked back at the screen. He chuckled in response.

Up yours, Viking. Up. Yours
.

As she scrolled through places to stay near the lake, she wondered how he had actually ended up landing on her in the middle of the night. If Odin truly wanted his great-grandson to be in the middle of nowhere, with no humans around, she highly doubted Rune would’ve ended up with her right out of the gate. Her FBI logic told her that Odin knew a godkin was killing humans, and Rune’s punishment was a convenient way of getting a god on the ground with as little fanfare as possible. But if that was the case, it meant the King of the Norse Gods knew all about her, and that she’d been searching for a godkin for six years.

And
that
really pissed her off. If Odin knew and had waited so long to do something about it… The thought made her want to grab her gun and shoot him between the eyes…or maybe a bullet in the one eye he had left. Whether or not it killed him, she didn’t care. The action would make her feel better.

The problem with gods and their offspring? They thought they were better than mere humans, that humans were playthings who should worship them absolutely.

Screw that
.

“Your temper is flaring, Liv.”

She kept her eyes on the computer screen. “Really? What tipped you off?”

He laughed, and she heard a cabinet open.

“I meant that I can sense the fire in you grow. Not the anger from what I said earlier, but this is newer, deeper anger. What’s wrong?”

“Not your concern.”

The cabinet closed.

“It is when we’re supposed to working together as a team.”

The words were soft spoken, as if he cared that something was upsetting her. For some reason, that irked her even more. “I think Odin purposefully sent you to me.” She looked at him over the screen. “I think he knows there’s a godkin involved, I think he knows I’ve been hunting for said godkin for years, and I think your fight with your brother was the perfect excuse to finally send someone to deal with it.”

His expression went blank, giving away not one inkling of emotion. He seemed frozen in place as he stared. While she may not be able to read him, she recognized the stare. In her line of work, she had to be a master at it—he was thinking hard behind that emotionless gaze, weighing his words, contemplating what to say to her.

“You know I’m right,” she said. “And the blank stare doesn’t work on me, so just come out and say your piece.”

He grinned. “I should’ve known it wouldn’t. And I do agree. I hadn’t thought about it much until you said it. If Odin truly wanted me in a desolate place, I wouldn’t be here with you. And that means that he knew of you before he sent me through the Gate.” He crossed his arms. “You’re angry because he’s known for at least six years and has done nothing. That he’s letting a grandson roam free killing lowly
humans
.”

“Yep, I am. You gods think you’re better than us, and Odin letting a potential serial killer run amok just drives that point home.” Her eyes narrowed. “You play with us, and people like me are the ones who clean up the mess. We deal with the devastation your kind causes. Would you feel peachy with that weight on your shoulders? Would you be calm and collected knowing that a man birthed from the gods was killing innocent humans, and the high and mighty just let him do it?”

His arms unfolded, and he walked up to the table, staying—kudos to him—on the other side of it, out of her reach.

“I would not be calm, and I am not one of those gods who let injustices such as this one slide.” His gaze bored into hers, trying to prove that he meant what he said. “If I had known a godkin was killing innocents, I would have been here sooner. I’d have hunted him down and snuffed him out before he ever had time to get to the next kill. As I’ve done before.”

She wanted to believe him, wanted to believe the resolute look in eyes, the tightening of his jaw, the knit of his brows. But it was hard to do when she’d only known him for one day—though every cell in her body told her he meant what he said.

“I hope that’s the truth. I really do. Because if I find out this is all a game to you, I swear I will find a way to kill you. As in, even your healers won’t be able to bring you back to life in your current form.” And
she
meant every word. “Am I clear?”

He nodded. “Very.”

She straightened her shoulders, preparing to continue looking for places to stay. “Good. Now, get back to work finding something to make that feast with. I’m anxious to win this bet and get to enjoy seeing you an uncomfortable mess on the floor.”

…

Liv had a very good reason to be angry with the gods. He did not fault her in any way, and if he were being honest, he felt the same anger she did. Probably more so. Murderous godkin were taken care of immediately. It was highly frowned upon to anger humans, for one simple reason: humans controlled the fate of the gods. Without the mortal worship, their power diminished. Oh, they were still powerful in Asgard and other worlds, but not on the human plane.

That made it difficult to understand why, if Odin had known, he had not remedied the problem before now. Why did he use his great-grandson as an excuse to end it?

He left Liv to her work and concentrated on hunting down something to cook for her. Before long, it seemed, night had fallen, and after finishing her computer work and some phone calls, she excused herself for a quick shower. Since she’d already taken one that morning, he assumed it was to try to calm her anger and soothe her nerves.

He knew another, more delicious, way of relieving that kind of stress. But he was fairly certain if he even teased her about it, she’d get her gun and shoot him full of holes.

They would leave the cabin at eight o’clock in the morning in order to make good time to the lake. The sooner they arrived the better—the godkin wouldn’t go without a kill for long, especially if he had his father’s temper. Soosie’s kill site would allow him to connect fully with the godkin, which meant he’d be able to track the godkin’s location swiftly.

She walked into the room just as he set the last bowl on the table. He pulled a chair out for her and waved a hand over the food—roasted chicken, potatoes, and carrots, as well as a large salad. “This was all I had to work with.” He folded his arms, smirking a bit. “You’ve never had it like I’ve made it.”

She raised an eyebrow as she took a seat, seemingly unmoved. “I’ve had this meal a thousand times,” she said, putting the napkin on her lap. “It certainly smells delicious, but what makes you think it’ll be different this time?”

He winked, taking his seat. “Try it, then tell me what’s different.”

His words were meant as a challenge, and she smiled as she picked up her knife and fork.

“All right, Rune. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

He waited patiently as she started with a carrot, then a potato. All she gave him was a “Hmm,” then she cut a piece of chicken. He was hoping for more of a reaction, and frowned as she ate the chicken without so much as a glimmer of what she was thinking, or how good he damn well knew the food was.

She appeared to be completely unimpressed.

He growled, angry at her non-reaction. How dare she insult his cooking in such a way? He prided himself on his ability to make women practically fall on their knees in front of him just from one bite of food.

He shoved the chair back and stood, pointing a finger at her, but stopped when she giggled.

“Sweet Odin, Viking—you are touchy.”

“I dare you to defy how good that is.
Dare
you.”

“Oooh, a tantrum from a god.” She rolled her eyes. She picked up two carrots with her fork and lifted them to her mouth, but paused before eating them. “How original.”

That did it. “Woman, don’t test me—I’m a god, and you’ll lose.”

She raised that irritating eyebrow again, swallowing the carrots. “And now he threatens. ‘How dare you not fall into my arms when I’ve prepared this feast for you, woman.’”

His jaw clenched as she deepened her voice to mock him.

“‘How dare you mock a god!’” she added, then laughed.

Growling, he sat down and went silent, staring at her as she calmly ate the meal.

Every. Single. Bite
. Without a mention of the quality or a moan at the deliciousness of the food.

She patted her napkin at the corners of her mouth when she was finished, then took the last sip of wine. Damn the woman! Her lightly rosy cheeks stirred his desire. It rubbed uncomfortably against the anger, making him want to throw her over his shoulder and show her how a god dealt with such insolence.

Rising from her chair, she sighed. “Thank you for the meal, Rune. I’m going to retire to the bedroom now. We’re going to need sleep for tomorrow.”

He narrowed his eyes at her as she pushed her chair in. She ignored his reaction and turned from him, then disappeared down the hall, leaving him stewing in anger and growing need. A few moments after she’d left, he heard her open the bedroom door.

“Are you coming in or what?”

He froze with surprise. Was she…inviting him to her bed? Somehow he found that very unlikely.

She appeared at the edge of the wall, an amused smile dancing on her lips. He raised an eyebrow in response.

“Well, are you?” She winked. “After all, you won the bet.”

Chapter Five

Warmth greeted her when she woke, from her head down to her toes. Liv relaxed into it, welcoming the feeling. Then, she realized that heat came from something with a hard chest and muscled thighs. One of those thighs was currently holding one of her legs hostage.

Shit
.

She lay there, arm over his chest, trying to figure out how she’d ended up cuddling with a damn Viking god. She’d laid rules out before they’d gotten into bed: no touching, no trying to seduce, no touching, no moving toward her side of the bed and, oh yeah, no
touching
.

How the hell had this happened? And even more horrifying? She was on
his
side of the bed.

Double shit
.

“Good morning, Ms. Winter,” he said, and she clearly heard the amusement in his tone. “Are you always up before the alarm?”

Huffing her annoyance, she pushed up on her elbow and removed her arm from his chest. When she looked to his face, he was sporting a sexy smile, but his eyes smoldered with desire.

“Don’t read anything into this.”

“You drifted naturally toward the warmth of the body lying next to you.” He raised an arm then let it fall to his chest. “Nothing to be ashamed of…even if you did break your own rule about us touching.”

Rolling her eyes, she started to scoot away from him—he even let go of her leg—putting space between them. Because, gods help her, he was gorgeous, and running her hand over that chest hair would be almost impossible to resist if she stayed close. But as she reached behind her to untuck the blanket, his hand gripped her waist. Then he rolled them so she was on her back with him above her.

“Rune,” she said sharply, meeting his gaze with a steely one. “Let. Me. Up.”

His body covered hers, chest to hips—even through her light T-shirt she felt the heat from his skin, and it took every ounce of willpower she had not to arch up against him.

“I’ve been up for half an hour trying to calm the fire you’ve lit in me.” He lightly rubbed against her hip, and she gasped at how hard he was.

And large.

“I wouldn’t mind stirring this fire in you,” he said, his voice husky.

I don’t think so
…

His lips grazed hers, and she wanted more.
What’s one kiss?

A lot, as it turned out.

His lips were soft as they pressed against hers, and he slid his hand up her right side, grazing her breast. She sighed against the sensation, opening her mouth.

The moment their tongues met, her body lit on fire.

As if it had a will of its own, her right hand moved up his strong arm to his shoulder, then up to his soft-as-silk hair, holding his mouth against hers. As the kiss deepened, her leg lifted and settled over his lower back, and she pressed against his hardness. His cock pulsed against her skin, and she moaned in pleasure.

I should stop this
. Yet she gripped his hair tighter as his mouth moved down her neck, his tongue lighting a fiery trail along her skin.
But I’m not going to.

Nine months. That’s how long it’d been since she’d had sex, since she’d given in to her body’s needs. She wasn’t looking for a relationship—a thrice-broken heart had cured her of that desire—but she had no problem with a morning quickie, even if Rune was an arrogant god.

Right now, as he lifted up and gripped the bottom of her shirt, she wanted to get rid of the sexual tension that had been brewing since he’d fallen on her two days before.

His gaze burned into hers as she lifted up enough to get the T-shirt over her head. “By the gods, you’re beautiful.” He kissed her as he lowered her again to the mattress, and the need in her deepened. Tearing his mouth from hers, he slid down and found her nipple. He sucked just hard enough to draw a moan from her. She arched her back, offering him more.

And he took more, moving to her other breast, pleasuring her. She tried to move her hips, but his thighs had her locked in. She groaned, frustrated that she couldn’t get her legs free.

“Rune,” she murmured, her voice husky.

“I will quench this fire. That is a promise.” His breath made her shiver as he moved lower. That wonderful tongue trailed down, circling her navel.

Finally able to move, she squirmed upward, trying to get him closer to her aching clit. His hand gripped her hip as he nipped the skin just above her panties.

“Gods,” she whispered, lifting her head to meet his gaze as he slid her panties off. When they were off, she settled her legs along his thighs. She ran her gaze down his hard body and saw his thick staff, and she worried it would be too much for her. He was a god, after all, and she a mere mortal.

He moved over her, bringing her gaze back to his. A wicked smile spread across his face, and it stoked the fire in her already hot body. “Do you still want this?” he asked, voice thick with need.

“Yes. Condom. Nightstand drawer.”

The delicious weight of him left her, and she heard foil tearing, then he returned, covering her with his warmth.

He lowered his head as his cock rubbed against her, and he kissed her lightly. “Say please.”

She chafed at the order and kept silent, rolling her hips up enough that his cock slid against her clit—and she almost came.

She wouldn’t beg. Ever.

He chuckled then took her mouth in a hard, demanding kiss, stealing her breath.

The tip of his cock slid into her then withdrew. Entered, withdrew. Torturous movements that had her gasping for air. She rolled her hips, greeting each small movement, as she felt her release building hard and fast.

He broke the kiss, and she growled. But his gaze quieted her.

“I want you just as much, Liv.” He slid deeper on the next thrust, and moaned. “You’re so hot.” Further yet again.

She fought to keep her eyes open, to hold his gaze as their bodies moved in slow unison. Licking her lips, she rose up and kissed him again, quick and hot. “Stop teasing me. I want you all the way, hard and deep.”

This was going to be quick, and so damn hot it would probably burn into her memory as the best. Sex. Ever.

He groaned, and it rumbled in his chest.

“All the way, Viking. Deep and hard,” she repeated, demanding it in a low, husky tone.

He sank one of his hands into her hair, fisting it at the back of her neck, tipping her head. His mouth plundered hers as he thrust all the way in, filling her so completely she felt him bump lightly against her cervix. His tongue mimicked the movement of his cock, moving in and out of her mouth.

The heat was too much, though. Her back arched, breaking the kiss as he thrust harder, faster.

Soon, there was no sound but carnal moans. Words refused to come, caught in her throat.

He bit down on her shoulder, and she came—hard and fast, grinding up against him and gripping his back tight, nails digging in as sweet oblivion took her.

“Valhalla take me,” he choked out as he released.

He throbbed inside her, and her inner walls pulsed around him in response.

He partially collapsed against her after a moment, and she welcomed his weight, enjoying the feel of him. “That’s going to be seared into my memory,” she said, smiling against his neck.

He laughed, the vibration rolling through her. “Same for me, beautiful flame.”

She rolled her eyes at the new nickname then looked over at the alarm clock—two minutes until the alarm would sound. “Time to get up.”

He nipped her shoulder, and a shiver ran through her. “Share a shower?”

It was her turn to smile. “Tempting, but no. You shower in the other bathroom. I need to throw my things in the car, then we can eat a quick breakfast. I’d like to reach the lake by early afternoon. Since it’s a little over a four hour drive, we need to leave by eight o’clock, nine at the latest.”

Understanding swept his features, softening his gaze. “Of course.” He slid out of her slowly.

She let out a disappointed groan.

“I don’t like leaving you, either,” he said softly. “You are warm and wonderful.”

To her ire, her cheeks burned, which made him grin.

He kissed her once, then rolled off her. She pushed into an upright position, looking at him. “Meet you in the kitchen?”

He winked. “I’ll cook something.”

As if she needed the sensory overload of his delicious food. Narrowing her eyes, she said, “No food seduction—we need to leave.”

He chuckled. “As if I would do something as dangerous as risk that temper of yours.”

Rolling her eyes, she got out of bed, naked and unashamed. She didn’t miss his gaze flicking over her, and a small flame of desire lit within her, but she pushed it down, fast.

“Good. Because I’d hate to harm the god who could help me solve my best friend’s murder.”

With that said, she headed to the shower.

…

Almost four hours later, Liv turned into the dirt parking lot of a small country store.

“Have we reached Newport?” Rune asked, curious, as he’d not seen a sign announcing the town.

“Almost there. Ever had a maple Creemee?” Liv smiled and flicked him a glance.

His eyebrows arched as she shut the car off. “No. What’s that?”

A grin spread on her kissable lips. A mischievous one that made him wary and curious as to what she was up to. “Come on—you’re about to have the best ice cream ever.”

“It’s a little early for ice cream, isn’t it?” He took off his seat belt. Her car radio said eleven-thirty.

She chuckled, opening her door. “It’s never too early for a maple Creemee. Come on.”

Getting out of the car, he followed her to the steps of the store. The town they were in was small, quaint. He briefly wondered what the name of it was, but he doubted it was important. More important at the moment was figuring out why Liv had suddenly stopped for ice cream.

“Good morning, Liv.” The elderly woman behind the counter greeted them with a smile. “It’s good to see you, kiddo.”

“Good morning, Peggy,” Liv replied, returning the warm greeting. “This is my friend Rune, and he’s never had a maple Creemee.”

Disbelief swept Peggy’s face as her gaze met his. “Is this true?”

“It is.”

She shook her head. “Well, we’ll just have to remedy that, won’t we, Liv?”

“We sure will. Two small maples, please.”

Peggy picked up a cone and turned to the ice cream machine, artfully creating the alleged delicious treat.

Rune looked to Liv, seeing that mischievous smile again. He didn’t know what she was up to, but whatever it was seemed to be giving her a lot of pleasure.

Peggy handed a cone to him. “You first.”

He took the treat, eyeing both the women as he gave the ice cream a lick. What hit his taste buds was sweet, a tad sugary, and incredibly delicious.
Valhalla
, this really
was
the best ice cream he’d ever tasted!

Liv laughed, and Peggy chuckled.

“Guess he likes it, Peggy.”

“I guess so, judging by the wide-eyed gaze. Let me get yours.”

After Liv had paid for the ice cream, they said good-bye to Peggy and walked outside to a picnic table sitting in the grass. A small playground was nearby, but the area was deserted.

“So,” Liv said after she’d licked some ice cream, “what do you think of the maple Creemee?”

Watching her lick that damn treat sent heat through him. He was surprised his ice cream didn’t melt.

“I think”—he slowly licked around the dripping ice cream—“it tastes almost as good as you.” He watched her swallow, hard. Desire flickered in her gaze.

“It’s not going to happen,” she said, a little breathless.

Grinning, he replied, “We’ll see about that.”

She shook her head, and he delighted in the way she fought not to show how much she wanted him.

But as much fun as that was, he had to ask, “Why did we stop here? I won’t argue that this is, indeed, the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted, but this seems an odd time to take a break.”

After swallowing another bite, she cleared her throat. He didn’t miss the somber expression that briefly touched her face.

“Soosie’s and my families used to vacation around here when we were growing up. This is the store we always stopped at for this treat.” She smiled softly. “Soosie and I continued to come by this store when we took vacations—whether together or separately. Once I had plotted our route, I had to stop.”

“Tradition?”

“That, and the good memories of playing here, and of Peggy and her husband, who’ve owned this store for three decades.” She sighed then licked more of her ice cream, which was melting pretty fast. “Sometimes it helps to be around the good memories.”

He understood that completely, but her words caused a question to stir in his mind. “Considering what happened to Soosie, that she was taken from your home and dumped near it, why do you keep it?”

Her body grew stiff and regret coiled within him that he’d upset her.

“Because the good memories there outweigh the bad,” she said, her voice soft, “and because selling it feels like a betrayal of those memories. Besides that, it was one of Soosie’s favorite places to be—with or without me. I bought it as a place to get away from Boston and relax, and not have to stay in a hotel. She was up here without me as much as she was with me.”

He could understand that—the need to keep good memories close, to not let the dark win. “You have ties here as well, it seems.”

She licked her ice cream, and he wished for a moment that she’d stop, because despite the topic of conversation, watching her tongue swirl around made him hard. He’d be a rock by the time she finished.

“I do, but the house I chose was the best deal at the time, and when I walked inside, it screamed
home
to me.” She shrugged. “You don’t walk away from a place when it strikes you so strongly.”

“No, you don’t.”

She raised an eyebrow at the slight huskiness in his tone, a smile flirting on her lips.

“It’s your own damn fault, flame,” he accused, narrowing his eyes.

She laughed softly. “If you say so.”

Yes, indeed, I
do
say so
.

“How often do you come to Earth?” she asked, ignoring his building need, which was incredibly irritating.