FYSPCKHKIS
Thor's Hammer
Tianna Xander
1/31/2007

MobiPocket.com

en

Thor’s Hammer

Rune Series: THURISAZ

By

Tianna Xander

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This
book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are
products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance
to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely
coincidental.

Thor’s
Hammer: Rune series: Thurisaz

Copyright
ã 2007 Tianna Xander

ISBN: 1-55410-761-X

Cover
art and design by Martine Jardin

All
rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization
of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or
other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written
permission of the publisher.

Published
by eXtasy Books

Look for
us online at:

www.Extasybooks.com

To
Bonnie Rose Leigh, critique partner extraordinaire…

Thurisaz

Thurisaz,
a representative of Thor, the Thunder God, is also the rune of destructive
force and vital eroticism.

In
Thor's Hammer, Thor needs to find a mate, and impregnate her in order to ensure
the survival of the Universe.

Throughout the
course of the story, he is forced to defend himself and his mate from Loki, the
Trickster who is determined to bring about Ragnorak.

Prologue

“The
scrolls clearly state that if all of the Gods haven’t produced offspring by the
tenth year of the new millennium, it will end life as we know it.”

Thor
heaved a frustrated sigh. “If living this life is what I have to look forward
to, I’m not sure that I want to continue being immortal.” The cold, demanding
women of Asgard were not what he wanted. They were selfish lovers, demanding
that he just have sex for sex’s sake. He didn’t want that. He wanted a
connection with the mother of his children. A bond. Love. Was that so much to
ask?

“You’re
thinking only of yourself, boy,” Odin, father of all Norse Gods slammed his mug
of mulled mead down on the golden table before him. “Think of others for a
change. We do not want our lives to end. It will not only end your life, son.
It will end the lives of all of us. There must be a balance. The universe has
balance, without another of your blood soon the lack of stability in the Nine
worlds will continue to collapse. Soon, there will be no way to reverse
it.”

Thor
stood straighter, willing his father to realize that he would not settle for
less.

“Then
I will have a mate of my own choosing. One who not only demands my body as the
Goddesses are so adept at, but one who is capable of accepting my love as well
as loving me in return.”

His
father stood quickly, his chair sliding out from beneath him to tip over onto
the floor. “Then find this woman. You have been doing little more than existing
since Siv refused you. Go, find yourself another. One who will love you as you
say.”

Odin
pushed him over to the scrying bowl on the table.

“Look
in the bowl for your mate. The fates will lead you to her.”

Within
moments, the waters began to churn. First, Thor heard a woman crying—heart wrenching
sobs that tore straight through him, leaving a hole, a chasm, in the center of
his chest.

As
the ripples slowed to a gentle wake then grew still as a mountain lake on a
windless spring morn, he looked into the scrying bowl. He saw the woman he
intended to be his future consort kneeling beside a grave.

“I
can’t do it without you, Dad. How can I raise Alex by myself?” She leaned
against the headstone. Moist earth beneath freshly laid sod stained her dress
as she sobbed at the graves of her parents. “How could you both leave me alone
with a ten year old boy to raise? I can’t do it. I just can’t.”

Her
sobs squeezed something deep in Thor’s chest he was sure died long ago. The
place where his heart had been. How many people had asked for his help over the
years? How many more would ask, his honor demanding that he help them because
they had gone down on their knees and begged it of him?

Sobs
wracked her body. A breeze ruffled her shining platinum hair and he longed to
reach out and stroke it. To offer her comfort within the security of his arms.
He clenched his hand into a fist when she looked up and cast a glance around
her, as if making sure she was alone. When she raised her face to the sky,
tear-filled eyes bored into his through time and space.

His
stomach clenched as he realized he watched the past. He hadn’t been there for
her then. Even when she’d asked, begged for his help.

“Please,
Thor, please, help me.”

Her
sobs nearly unmanned him and he staggered away from the bowl as precious years
passed. Where was he when this girl had needed his help? Wallowing in his own
grief, letting others cover for his loss of compassion? He returned to the
bowl, looking down into the glassy depths, waiting to see where he could find
her now.

She
still knelt in the cemetery, older now, dressed in faded jeans and a soft pink
blouse.

“As
the Gods are my witness, I will never allow another human being into my heart.
They all die. I will never love another. If Alex dies, I have no reason to go
on living. No reason to fight.”

Again
her tear-filled eyes seemed to stare straight into his. “I will never ask
another favor from any of you. Prayers are for the weak and weak minded. There
are no Gods. I wash my hands of you all.”

Her
words belied the fact that she still wanted to believe in the Gods. She was
just angry with them—angry at them all for ignoring her when she had needed
their love the most.

While
rage filled his mind, Thor swung his arm, his mighty hammer suddenly appearing
in his hand. He hit the onyx scrying bowl, knocked it from the table and sent
it flying across the room to smash against the wall. It fell to the floor in
pieces.

Turning
to his father, he knelt before him, his head bowed.

“I
ask your permission to go back to Earth and right the wrongs I have wrought
with this woman.”

Chapter
One

Emma
Thornton stood and brushed the grass clippings from her worn jeans. Humid and
unseasonably warm early fall air blew across the headstones, stirring the dried
flowers others had left for their loved ones. The crackling of dry leaves and
flower pedals somehow soothed her frazzled nerves. Leaving the fresh flowers
she picked from her mother’s neglected garden on her parent’s graves, she
turned to walk through the cemetery. With the warm rays of the afternoon sun on
her back, she could almost believe it was still summer, weeks before the
seemingly endless work of the harvest.

She
shook her head. “If it were only so.”

Glad
for the lengthy walk back to her car, she took the time to bring her emotions
in check for the long drive back home. Checking her watch after settling
herself in her car and buckling the safety belt, she grimaced. There were too
many long days and nights ahead of her, trying to bring the harvest in alone—not
to mention running her business.

Resting
her head against the steering wheel, she fought back the tears of frustration
burning her eyes and reached down to turn the key. The backbreaking work
certainly wasn’t going to do itself and she couldn’t afford to lose her crops.
Not with all of the medical bills there were to pay.

Emma
barely remembered the trip back home. Driving on autopilot had become a habit,
a bad habit—one that would likely end in a bed at the hospital with her
brother.

The
police determined he had likely fallen asleep at the wheel of his truck. With
no conscious driver, the vehicle veered off the road just before an overpass,
shooting over a one hundred and twenty foot drop. He was lucky—or so they said.
He could have been killed. But what kind of life would he have lying comatose
in a hospital bed with a feeding tube in his stomach?

The
driveway loomed long in front of her as exhaustion already took its toll on her
body. The wooded acres between the road and the farm lent privacy to her home,
also providing a natural wind block from the frigid northern winds. Dust flew
up from the road, leaving a cloud behind her for several hundred feet.

Lost
in thought, she almost missed seeing the large object lying in front of her
before it was too late. Jamming both feet on the brake pedal, she jerked the
wheel causing the car to fishtail on the loose gravel drive.

Adrenaline
rushed through her bloodstream. Her heart pounded in her ears as she fought off
the urge to vomit from nerves or exhaustion. Hell, maybe both. It was hard to
tell at this point. Her palms began to sweat as they held the steering wheel in
a death grip. She stared through the windshield at the large man lying face
down in the middle of her driveway.

“Oh,
my God. What next?”

Prying
her fingers from the steering wheel, she reached down and unclasped her
seatbelt. Then, almost as an afterthought, she reached up to turn off the
motor, pocketing the keys as she slid out of the car.

The
skin on the back of her neck began to prickle as she stood staring at the man.
Long legs, covered in worn, faded blue jeans stretched toward one side of the
one-lane dirt tract. His head nearly reached the other side. The man was huge!
What appeared to be a heavily muscled chest, encased in a once white t-shirt
moved steadily up and down as he breathed. She released a relieved sigh at the sight.
At least he wasn’t dead. That was a plus.

Checking
her watch again, she cursed her bad luck and approached the man lying prone in
front of her. She was losing daylight fast. During the harvest, every minute
counted and she’d already wasted too much time.

Visiting
Alex was not a waste of time, Em. You’ll never know when your last visit will
be. Take every minute he lives and treasure that gift.

She
stopped next to the man and stared down at him, the sound of her mother’s voice
ringing in her ears.

There
is always time for compassion, Emma. Never let the trials of life make you lose
that precious part of you. The ability for a person to feel compassion for
another, whether human or animal is the greatest gift given to us by the Gods.
Do not squander it.

Yet
her mother’s prized compassion got her shot by an armed robber when she tried
to help an old woman to her feet. She didn’t toss him her purse fast enough and
the man murdered her for it.

Adriana
Marie Thornton lived just long enough to tell her husband and two children that
she could never regret her choice to try to help the older woman that day. Her
mother merely held their hands in a loose grip and smiled, constantly repeating
her belief that compassion was her greatest God given gift.

Frightened,
Emma shook off the heartrending memory and approached the large man. She took
in his height and build, the farmer in her appraising his size. Maybe he came
looking for a job. She frowned. That still didn’t explain why he was
unconscious in the middle of her driveway.

A
little voice in her head whispered frightening things about murderers and
rapists as she moved toward the obviously unconscious man. Still, even as every
alarm in her system shrieked for her to turn and run as far and as fast as she
could in the opposite direction, she moved steadily closer.

Each
breath he took caused goose bumps to rise on her skin. It was almost as if she
could feel each exhalation. The sight of his huge upper arms as big as her
thighs made her stomach do little flip-flops.

Sandy
red hair sprouting from everywhere on his head and face, made him look like a
huge orange bear and had her staring with awe. The man was the personification
of the Norse God Thor. The only thing missing was that famed hammer.

Dropping
to her knees, she shoved with all of her strength and managed to roll him over.
She took her time assessing his injuries. Running her hands along his arms and
legs, she was glad to find that he didn’t have any broken extremities. His
breathing hitched when she ran her fingers lightly over his ribs and rock-hard
abs, looking for any obvious trauma. There didn’t appear to be any...She
frowned. Smoothing the dirt and hair from his face, shoving her fingers through
his hair searching for a lump on his head. Her fingers tingled, sending little
bolts of electricity up her arm to settle deep in her middle.

How
can she be attracted to a man she didn’t even know, especially a man with such
a scruffy beard covering his face? She looked closer. It appeared as though he
may even be handsome under all of that hair.

Quashing
the zing of sexual awareness that shot through her groin, she settled back on
her heels, wiped her sleeve across her forehead and sighed.

Get
a grip, Emma. The man is injured. You can’t possibly be attracted to an
unconscious man that has sprouted hair from his nose. She
grimaced at the sight. Was that really coming from his nose, or was it an
illusion of all that hair sticking out from every direction?

“I’ll
never be able to carry you to the car by myself, you know.” She looked from the
giant on the ground in front of her to her compact car. She reached out and
poked him in the shoulder.

“Hello!
Are you okay?”

Emma
grimaced at the stupid question. Of course he wasn’t okay. Men didn’t fall
asleep in the middle of driveways when they were okay.

She
wiped her moist palms on her jeans. Every female part of her body was aware of
the man lying prone in front of her car. The sun sank lower in the sky and
desperation fought with the hard won compassion her mother had tried so
diligently to instill in her.

Grabbing
his shoulders, she shook him with all of her might. “Wake up, damn it! I have
work to do and I can’t get to it until I know you’re not dying in my driveway.”

Patience,
Emma. Compassion. Her mother’s voice intruded again and she felt ashamed. Her
mother gave her life for another and not regretted it. Here she was, unwilling
to give up a couple of precious minutes.

The
man groaned and let out what sounded suspiciously like a snore and Emma finally
lost all patience. Standing, she walked back to her car, reached in and pressed
the center of the steering wheel.

The
loud piercing noise that emanated from the car even made Emma grimace. There
was something wrong with her horn. It certainly should not sound like a
shrieking cat in heat.

The
man finally stirred, sitting up with his hand on his head. He looked around for
a moment before his gaze finally settled on Emma.

Even
in the fading light of late afternoon, she stood mesmerized by the sapphire
blue of his eyes. So like her Thor. If she hadn’t already sworn off caring for
anyone, she could have fallen for her scruffy visitor for his eyes alone.

The
twinkle in those beautiful eyes promised good humor and compassion. The two
most important things he mother had always taught her to look for in a man.
Describing the characteristics of Thor, her mother told her that she would do
well to find a kind man capable of vengeance but filled with the same loving
compassion as her favorite Norse God.

Emma
hadn’t found herself a man, choosing instead to fall in love with the legends
of Thor. She would live her life alone, devoting her every waking moment to his
service. Until today. Today she had thrown away that childish dream. She’d
finally grown up and realized that there were no real gods. No all powerful
being watched over her and her brother, offering them protection and
compassion. No one would show up and make things right for them. It was just a
young girl’s fantasies intruding in the real world. Well, no more. It was time
to grow up. The only person she could rely on to help her and her brother now
was herself.

Crossing
her arms over her chest, she walked over to the man, knelt down a few feet away
from him and stared into his eyes.

“What
are you doing on my property?”

Chapter
Two

Thor sat
up and looked at Emma Sue Thornton. Large, compassionate sky blue eyes stared
into his as she fidgeted while she knelt across from him. He rubbed his head
and looked around, trying to remember what he’d done to get here.

Odin,
his father, removed his powers so he could live as a mortal. He hadn’t wanted
the temptation of taking her free will from her. He wanted her yes, but he
wanted her to choose him. He didn’t want to force that choice from her.

“I
don’t know how I got here...Miss.” He’d barely stopped himself from using her
name. He was supposed to be human. How would he know her name? “The last thing
I remember was accepting a ride from two nice young men in a pickup truck.”

She
sighed and shook her head. “The two nice young men most likely robbed
you and dumped you here.” She stood, reached out to give him a hand up. “Do you
still have your wallet?”

Thor
accepted her hand and stood, keeping her fingers imprisoned in his. He looked
down at her, every nerve ending in his body demanding that he take her and make
her his. He ignored the urge to throw her to the ground and bury his cock
inside her regardless of her protests.

“Wallet?”
Of course he didn’t have a wallet. He’d never needed a form of identification
in his life other than Mjolnir, his hammer. He made a show of feeling his back
pockets and looked down at her. “No. I don’t have my wallet. They must have
taken it.”

Staring
down into her eyes, he tried to figure out what it was about her that made his
balls ache. He wanted nothing more than to throw her on the ground and bury his
cock deep inside her. Yet, he knew he needed to keep control over his base
needs. Those feelings were the very reason his father had stripped him of his
powers before sending him here.

Thor
stood before the only woman in the universe worthy to have his children as
vulnerable as if he were a newborn babe. He never felt so unsure of himself in
his life. He needed to be with this woman. He needed to touch her, to feel her
body pressing intimately against his. He took a step forward, intending to wrap
her in his arms and stopped when she stepped back.

She
stared up at him with wide eyes. Lines of sorrow and fatigue marred her face
and suddenly his terrible need was gone. The steady ache in his balls was
replaced with the urge to help and comfort her any way that he could.

“I
heard that you needed a farm hand.”

Her
eyes widened. “How did you...?”

“It’s
a small town, Miss Thornton.” He lifted a brow. “You are Emma Thornton, aren’t
you?” He knew she was, of course, but she had no idea he knew that.

He
stuck his hands in the front pockets of his jeans to keep himself from touching
her and scaring her half to death.

“News
travels fast—especially bad news. I’m sorry about your brother.”

Before
she could tell him that she couldn’t afford a laborer, he made her an offer she
couldn’t refuse.

“You
won’t find a better deal anywhere. I’m cheap and good. I work for ten bucks a
day plus room and board. You can’t afford to say no.”

She
had to agree. He knew farming. Maybe not as well as he should for this modern
age, but he knew enough to know she stood to lose a hell of a lot more than
some food and a few dollars a day without his help.

He
watched her struggle with indecision. A cool breeze blew in from the west,
lifting her hair from her shoulders and exposing the gentle curve of her
throat. He swallowed thickly, wanting nothing more than to kiss the vulnerable
curve, nibbling his way to her shoulder and down to the rise of her breasts.

She
bit her lip. The action drew his attention to her full, inviting lips and
caused his cock to jerk in response. He met her gaze, watched as the indecision
left her eyes and she made her choice.

Sighing,
she held out her hand. “You have a deal, Mr....”

“Thor,”
He said with a grin.

Accepting
her hand, he welcomed the illusion of electrical currant that danced up his
arm. It only served to prove to him that she was the one meant to bear his
children.

“My
mother liked the name and,” he said with a shrug when she turned wide eyes on
him, “what father wouldn’t want his son named for a God?”

He
heaved an inner sigh, glad that he didn’t have to lie to her so far. Well,
except by omission. The less he was forced to do so, the better off he would
be.

“The
daylight is fast dwindling and the full moon isn’t for another five days,” he
said, turning toward her car. “Shouldn’t we get to work?”

Walking
around to the passenger side of her little car, Thor folded himself into the
front seat. Her scent surrounded him immediately. It wrapped itself around him,
his body absorbing it though his pores. The sensation moved down low in his
stomach, hardening his cock and squeezing his balls until just the smell of her
nearly sent him over the edge.

He
gritted his teeth and pressed his hands to his crotch, trying to hide his hard-on
and determined that he would not embarrass himself. If he wasn’t careful, he
may just lose control and empty his load in his pants like an untried youth. He
refused to humiliate either of them that way due to a lack of control.

His
flesh tingled and the fine hairs covering his body stood on end as she slid
into the seat next to him and started the car. Mimicking her movements, he
secured the seatbelt around him and waited as she drove them to the barn.

He
stretched as he unfolded himself from the car. Walking into the barn, he strode
around the combine. Knowledge flooded his brain on the operation of every piece
of equipment in the large barn.

“Where do you keep the keys for this monster?” he asked,
staring at the huge metal dinosaur. She grabbed a set of keys from a rack
beside the door and threw them to him.

“I assume you know how to drive a combine?”

Nodding, he caught the keys, climbed up into the large machine
and started the engine.

He
climbed back down without a word, hitched the large empty trailer to the large
farm tractor and strode back to the harvester, ready to get to work.

“We
have about an hour of daylight left,” he said looking up at the sky. “We should
be able to make two passes easily, before it gets too dark to see. Then we’ll
bring the trailer back and offload it into the truck.” He looked past her to
the second tractor and trailer sitting silently in the back of the barn.

“Tomorrow,
we’ll use that too. That way we can load the combine three times before we both
have to head back here to load the truck and start over.”

Emma
shook her head. “I wish we could, but the other tractor is broken down. Mr.
Hanson, our neighbor, is renting this one to us,” she called up to him before
turning to climb up on the tractor. She put on a headset and indicated that he
should do the same.

“Can
you hear me?” she asked when his was in place over his ears.

“Yes,”
he said with a nod. “I can hear you. After we’re done in the field, I’m going
to fix your tractor.”

Did
you hear that, old man? Either fix her tractor or give me the knowledge and the
parts to fix it for her.

“You’re
welcome to try. Two tractors would certainly make the going a bit faster.”

Thor
shifted gears and the machine lurched forward. He drove it out to the field
that he knew needed harvested first and lowered the mechanism to harvest the
corn.

He
was amazed at how far humanity had advanced as the machine cut the stalks,
removed the ears and ground the remainder of the plant into mulch before
dumping it back onto the field. After he made two passes, he slowed the combine
to a crawl and waited as Emma pulled along side him with the trailer. After the
flip of a switch, the corn dumped through a chute into the trailer she pulled
behind her. All the while, the huge combine kept harvesting the corn as they
moved across the field.

When
the trailer was full, she signaled him to turn off the chute and pulled away to
head back to the barn. Two more passes filled the hopper again and he headed
back to help her dump the corn into the truck that waited there.

She
smiled at him when he climbed down. “You drive that thing like my dad.”

She
put on a pair of heavy work gloves and began to activate the dump lever on the
trailer.

“Everything
went so smoothly. Just like—” Her voice broke and she turned away.

“Just
like when your father was here?” he asked, finishing her sentence.

She
nodded, letting him take over the chore of emptying the trailer.

“Everything
always ran smoothly when he was here. Until just before...” her voice trailed
off and she stared into space. “He’d climbed up on the roof to fix a leak. It
was something he’d done a million times before. Yet, that time he fell and
broke his neck.” She closed her eyes. “It was a stupid accident. He didn’t
anchor himself to the roof properly and it killed him.”

“You’re
angry at him for that aren’t you?”

Her
back was to him but he felt the anger rolling off her. The aura from her
negative emotions surrounded her and was so thick he could see it. Yet, her
posture alone would have given her anger away. She held her gloved hand
clenched at her sides, and her back ramrod stiff.

She
sighed, her shoulders slumping. “It doesn’t matter now. We need to get the
harvest in. That’s all that really matters now. I need this harvest.”

The
dump mechanism stopped, the trailer reached its highest point and Thor climbed
up to make sure the trailer was empty before lowering the box back down. He
watched as she climbed back up onto the tractor and pulled it away from the
truck.

Climbing
back onto the combine, he pulled it alongside the truck, flipped the switch
that sent the chute out to the side and started dumping the corn into the truck
as he watched her drive the tractor into the barn.

After
the equipment was stored away and he repaired the other tractor, they went into
the house. Emma fixed sandwiches for dinner and he nearly swallowed them whole.
He’d never been so hungry in his life.

“Sorry
it’s not more of a traditional supper...Thor. It’s just that there’s—”

“Not
enough hours in the day to work and cook. I understand. Besides food is nothing
more than a fuel for the body. It wasn’t meant to taste good.” He grinned
around a large bite of ham sandwich and winked. “Though, it definitely helps.”

She
smiled at him and suddenly the two sandwiches he’d just eaten felt like two
lead balls lying in his stomach. His heart slammed erratically in his chest and
his hand squeezed his glass of milk so tight it was a miracle it didn’t
shatter.

She
stared into his eyes for a moment, the smile slowly fading from her face,
replaced by sudden awareness.

Thor
watched, entranced as the soft pink tip of her tongue darted out to wet her
lips. A small smear of yellow marred the perfect dusky rose of her mouth and he
wanted nothing more than to lean over and kiss it from her lips.

Who
knew mustard could be sexy? His father said dryly. Kiss her and
get it over with before you both spontaneously combust.

Stop
eavesdropping on my thoughts, old man. I thought you were a God, not a voyeur.

The
sound of his father’s laughter rang through his mind and he found it difficult
not to smile.

Thank
you for cooling my lust, father. I must take it slow with her, lest she runs.

They
do not call me the Odin, the wise, for nothing, my boy.

Chapter
Three

Emma
woke slowly, her muscles protesting. She stretched and glanced at her alarm
clock.

“Damn!”

Scurrying
from the bed, she hurried to the bathroom and jumped into the shower, barely
able to hold back a squeal of protest as the cold water beat down on her skin.

“Nothing
like a cold shower to clear the cobwebs from your mind,” she whispered to
herself, shivering as she dressed.

She
frowned, wondering if last night had been a dream or if she’d really been lucky
enough to find someone to help her harvest the fields. Lucky enough, or stupid
enough... Hurrying to the window, she looked out over the west field. Four neat
passes had been cut into the stalks and ears of corn were stored in the
tractor-trailer box next to the barn. Another four passes would fill that
trailer and they would start on the next.

A
tingling shot up her spine and she bit her lip. Had she really trusted that
strange man enough to allow him to sleep in her parent’s bedroom?

Someone
knocked on the door and she jumped.

“It’s
past daybreak, Emma.”

She
closed her eyes when that wonderfully deep and husky voice filtered through her
door to make her womb clench and sent shivers up her spine. Fisting her hands
at her sides, she fought for control of her senses.

“Time’s
a wasting.”

She
rubbed her arms and shivered. The man had a voice to die for. After she
finished dressing, she looked in the mirror and grimaced. Well, she wouldn’t
have to worry about the man making any sort of sexual advances, that was for
sure. She looked like a bag lady with her holey jeans, frayed work shirt and
dark circles under her eyes. She frowned after a moment and stuck her tongue
out at her reflection. She was supposed to work in the fields today, not enter
a beauty contest. It was a good thing too. With the way she looked, any beauty
contest officials would probably set dogs on her.

Emma
followed the delicious aroma of coffee into the kitchen and felt her eyes go
round with surprise. Thor handed her a thermos full of the strong smelling
brew, two bacon sandwiches and a heavy picnic basket.

“Lunch,”
was all he said when he handed it over.

He
picked up a second thermos, took the basket from her, hung it over his arm and
grabbed one of the sandwiches out of her hand.

“What?”
he asked when she stared at him, still stunned. “You didn’t think both of those
sandwiches were for you, did you?”

“Actually,
I’m just surprised that you cooked.”

He
paused in the middle of taking a bite.

“You’re
not mad, are you?”

“Me?
Of course I’m not mad.” She took a bite of the sandwich and walked toward the
door. “I’m a bit surprised, that’s all.”

Her
father had never once thought of letting her sleep in while he fixed breakfast
and lunch for them. It had always been the other way around.

She
looked up at him and wondered why he seemed so attractive to her.

Are
you kidding? A man who cooks and thinks about letting you get some much needed
sleep while he wakes up before the dawn, fixes breakfast and makes coffee?
What’s not to love?

Still,
she’d never been attracted to a redhead before. Her tastes usually lead to
tall, dark and handsome men—not giant, red, and hairy men. The tall, dark and
handsome guideline became more like a rule in high school. Now though, looking
at Thor with his unruly mop of red hair and bushy beard, she realized the color
was growing on her.

“After
we’re through for the day, I want you to take a shower before we eat.”

He
frowned, sniffed his armpits and blushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I’d
become so...aromatic.”

Laughing,
she shook her head. “I’m going to cut your hair.”

She
had never shaved a man before in her life, but if he didn’t do it himself after
his shower, she was going to make the attempt. She wanted to know exactly what
he looked like underneath all that hair.

“What?”

She
almost laughed at his genuine look of horror.

“Cut
my hair? You’re not serious!”

She
smiled and nodded, leading the way to the barn.

“As
a heart attack, buddy,” she said, looking back at him pasting a grin on her
face. His expression was nearly enough to bring her to her knees. She was almost
afraid to uncover his face. “And the beard goes too. I find it hard to talk
with you when I’m trying to stare past all of that hair.”

His eyes had grown round and he just stood
staring at her speechless. You’d think she just told him he resembled a wooly
mammoth.

“Don’t
be such a baby, Thor. The way you’re acting, a person would think you’ve never
had your hair cut. You can’t possibly be afraid of a pair of scissors.”

He
just gave her a glare and pushed past her.

“You
are not cutting my hair.”

Emma
decided to drop the argument while they worked. Besides, it was all she could
do to keep her mind on what she was doing. She watched him as he worked through
the day. He didn’t take one break, constantly moving, bringing the end of the
harvest closer with each hour he spent on the farm. It was endearing the way he
always did the harder work, leaving the less strenuous jobs for her.

Around
noon, he
finally got hot enough to remove his shirt. She practically swooned when he
exposed all that hard tanned flesh. No amount of body building in a health-club
could build that kind of muscle. That kind of sinew could only be honed
by years of hard work brandishing heavy hand tools.

Watching
his muscles bunch and flex beneath his bronzed flesh, Emma could almost imagine
him as a hero in one of her romance novels—a hero in old England—a
blacksmith, swinging a large, heavy hammer.

The
similarities between him and the God she renounced came back to her than and
she pressed her lips together at the reminder. She would not begin to care for
this man. She refused to care for this man. If she needed to, she would sleep
with him and get him out of her system, but she would not allow herself to
become emotionally involved with the man.

Still,
she watched as the perspiration glistened on his chest, arms and back as he
worked.

She
closed her eyes, stifling the urge to wrap her body around him and beg him to
ride her like a racehorse—like the obvious slut she’d become.

She
shook her head. What in the world is coming over me? I’ve never felt this
way about a man before in my life! When did I start imagining myself having sex
with a man?

Looking
up at Thor, as he pushed the remaining corn from one of the trailers, she
realized when she’d started having such thoughts. It was yesterday when she met
Thor.

Thor,
what kind of name was that to give your son? Wasn’t that showing the Gods some
sort of disrespect or was it some form of flattery?

Staring
up at the hard planes of his body, she came to the decision that it wasn’t him
she was attracted to. She’d just been stuck here too long, caring for her
brother the last six years. With no time for a relationship or even casual sex,
her twenty-four year old virgin’s body was restless with all of the
testosterone emanating from the only man she’d been exposed to who was not
related to her.

Why
shouldn’t she be restless? She was only human. Women had needs too, didn’t
they? It just wasn’t natural for a woman to reach her age, never to have been
kissed by a man.

Reaching
into her pocket, she pulled out a hair tie and pulled her hair off her neck
into a ponytail. The sensation of her hair brushing against her shoulders made
her hot and she had begun to sweat.

She
lowered her arms, her hands lightly skimmed over her breasts, oblivious to the
show she was giving to her employee. Her sharp breath as her hands skimmed her
nipples drew Thor’s attention from dumping the trailer. He stared at her with
such intensity that her knees buckled and she almost fell to the hard-packed dirt
at her feet.

Everything
happened so fast, it was though it was a blur. Thor jumped from the box,
stopped the trailer from dumping and ran to her. He moved so fast, she could
have sworn he had been too fast for her eyes to see.

Catching
her up into his arms, he stared down at her for a moment. She felt his look
like a touch. It danced over her skin, heating her blood, nearly driving her
mad with the need to bury her fingers in his unruly hair and pull his head down
to hers.

Silently,
she begged him to lower his head and press his lips to hers. The attention of
any man, even this scruffy giant of a stranger was better than wondering about
what it felt like to be pressed intimately against a lover.

Slowly,
he bent his head toward hers, giving her plenty of time to pull away if she
wanted.

She
didn’t. She couldn’t. She had to know what it was like. She could only stand
and stare, speechless as his head lowered, his lips growing ever closer to
hers. She stood mesmerized as he lowered his mouth to hers and groaned.

The
soft touch of his lips sent electricity charging through her system. Lightning
seared every nerve ending as his large hands splayed over her back.

His
tongue touched her lips and she opened for him, impatient to deepen the kiss.
It was her turn to groan when he thrust his tongue into her mouth. Her legs
gave way again. She reached up, thrusting her fingers through his hair and held
him to her.

He
gripped her by the upper arms and pulled away after he brushed his lips across
hers a few more times. Holding her steady until she could stand on her own, he
looked out the door into the sunlight. His breathing was erratic and his chest
heaved with the effort to catch his breath.

“We
still have a lot of work to do.”

His
voice was deeper that usual. More husky. The sound danced over her nerve
endings and desire raced through her blood. It was almost as if he marked her,
branded her in some way and now she was his.

She
nodded and cleared her throat. She needed to make some kind of noise. To talk.
She had to do something to take her mind of that kiss—to rid herself of the
all-consuming need crawling beneath her skin.

“You’re
right,” she agreed, licking the taste of him from her lips. “We have way too
much work to do.”

Yet
when nightfall came and the fields were cloaked in darkness, what excuse would
they use then?

Chapter
Four

By the
time darkness fell, they had cleared the entire West field. Three large semi
trailers stood full, waiting for the big rigs to pick them up in the morning,
leaving the empties they would fill tomorrow.

The
two trailers Emma towed using the tractors were also full. A testament to her
determination to get her fields harvested. As was her decision to not visit her
brother until the next morning. He could tell she wanted to go. Several times
throughout the day, she pulled a worn picture from her pocket and stroked his
face with her finger.

Hungry
and exhausted, Thor wandered back to the house behind her thinking, if he was
so tired, how exhausted would she be? It barely bore thinking about.

As
he watched, she dragged herself up the back porch steps and into the kitchen,
automatically washing out both of the thermoses they used. She set them carefully
in the drain-board. After that chore was finished, she began another like a
robot.

She
moved through the kitchen like an automaton, tired, yet unwilling to sit—hungry,
yet unwilling to eat until she had prepared enough for the both of them.

He
tried to help, the only way he knew how, by staying out of her way and setting
the table. He poured cola from a two-liter bottle into two plastic tumblers and
turned to watch her as she continued to work.

Gritting
his teeth, he wondered how long she’d lived like this. She existed on too
little sleep and too much hard work. He wondered and blamed himself for his
ignorance. How many years ago had this woman gotten down on her knees and
begged him for his help? She’d still been a child then. Now she was a woman—a
woman with too many responsibilities, too many burdens and too little love and
understanding.

He
held her chair for her after she placed their sandwiches on the table, but
refused to let her carry the soup, afraid that she would spill it and scald
herself.

Swaying
on her feet, she barely seemed to notice when he grasped her arm and helped her
into her chair. She smiled up at him but he still saw the shadows of fatigue in
the heavy rings beneath her eyes, and the lines of stress bracketing her lips.

“Thank
you.”

His
eyes locked with hers. “You’re welcome.”

“I hope you like vegetable soup,” she said,
looking down at her bowl after taking a bite of her bologna sandwich. “I’m just
too damned tired to fix much else. I’m thinking we’ll have frozen pizza
tomorrow.”

He
nearly shuddered at the thought. “I’ll cook tomorrow. You don’t need to wait on
me. I’m capable of pulling my own weight. Besides, we were both out in that
field doing the hard work.”

She
had done the work of two men out there today but he didn’t think she would
appreciate the comparison.

“As
a matter of fact, why don’t you eat and go to bed? I’ll take care of the
dishes. You look exhausted.”

“I
am exhausted, but you should be even more so. You were up before me this
morning, remember.”

He
grinned. “Yes, but I had that nice nap in your driveway yesterday.”

She
frowned. “What were you doing passed out in my driveway, by the way?”
Her eyes widened. “Good Lord! I should have asked you that sooner. My mind was
on so many things, my brother, the harvest...” He half expected her to blurt
out the trip to the cemetery where she had renounced the Gods her family had
believed in for generations.

“To
tell you the truth, I actually fell asleep next to the driveway. I thought it
was a dirt road. I got a bit tired and sat down hoping for another ride. The
next thing I remember, you were blowing the horn of that dinky car you drive at
me.” He almost cringed when the words left his mouth. It was his first real lie
to her.

He
couldn’t very well tell her that he must have passed out when his father
stripped him of his supernatural powers. She would run from him screaming that
he was a raving lunatic. Hell, the night was young, she still could.

“Are
you telling me you just rolled into the driveway while you were sleeping?” she
asked, searching his eyes.

The
look on her face told him that she didn’t quite believe his story.

She
sighed at his nod and then shrugged. “Whatever. If that’s the truth, great. If
not, it’s not as if you owe me anything but the honest day’s work you promised
and you have already given me that.” Standing, she crossed the room to put her
dishes in the sink.

“Thanks
for offering to do the dishes.” She turned to him and grinned. “But if you
think it’s going to get you out of that haircut, you’re sadly mistaken.”

She
laughed when his mouth fell open.

“Don’t
be such a baby about it. Go take a shower and get your butt back down here. I’m
not going to bed tonight until I see what’s under all of that hair.”

Against
his better judgment, he left her doing dishes to go take the warm shower that
beaconed to him like a siren. Just the thought of being clean again was enough
to send him on his way.

His
father’s laughter did little to lighten his mood.

How
will anyone ever take me seriously if she cuts my hair and makes me shave my
face?

It
is your power that your people responded to, boy, not your fearsome looks.
Besides, it’s not as if you cannot appear to them as you always have. You
merely need to appear as a human to her. His father’s comments
didn’t help him much.

I
appear human to everyone.

Not
to her. To her, you are a great orange bear. Large, intimidating and rather
frightening.

That
comment gave Thor pause. I frighten her?

He
sighed. Studying himself in the mirror. He could see how his wild hair and
scraggly beard could be intimidating. It made him look rather like an unwashed,
unkempt bum. He grimaced. No wonder, Siv had refused him.

Turning,
he reached into the shower and turned on the water. He waited a moment before
climbing under the hot spray. It felt good to clean himself the mortal way.
Merely thinking his body clean was easier, yet it did not hold the comfort of
the warm water cascading over his skin.

After
washing the tangled mass that he’d mistakenly called hair, along with all the
other necessary parts, he turned off the water to face the mirror again.

What
would he look like with a clean-shaven face? He hadn’t been without a beard
since he was a youth. Remembering what he looked like as a boy, he grimaced.
His mouth was too big, his nose had a pronounced arc. Not to mention his eyes. Those
were both too big and too blue. He’d grown the beard to cover the fact that he
wasn’t perfect and as a God, he should have been.

Shave
it off or wish it gone and I’ll remove it. Either way, get it over with, you
infant. His father’s voice boomed through his head, a sure sign that
he was becoming impatient. If the woman is truly meant to be yours, she will
love you regardless of the ugly face beneath all that hair.

Thor
closed his eyes. His father was right. He knew it. Yet it didn’t give him any
comfort. Why was he even having these thoughts? Besides, he was the son of a
God. In truth, he was a God in his own right. It was ridiculous for him to fear
anything—especially something as simple as the stroke of a razor on his skin.

It
didn’t take long once he started. The job was done quickly and easily with the
scissors and new razor Emma had provided. To be honest, all in all, it had been
a rather pleasurable experience.

Reaching
up, he felt the smooth skin of his cheek. He tried to ignore the fact that his
mouth was still too big and his nose didn’t seem to fit his face.

He
shrugged at his reflection, got dressed in the clean clothes he found lying on
the bed and started downstairs to face the music. He was confident that she
wouldn’t mind that he wasn’t handsome because she was meant to be his. He knew
it.

Her
back was to him when he entered the kitchen. Her shoulder length hair was still
damp from her shower, its length wetting the back of the pink pajamas she wore.
The color looked good on her.

She
smelled nice too. A bit like berries. He could smell her across the room and it
made his cock jerk and his balls ache. She turned away from the sink, another
pair of scissors in her hands. Her mouth fell open and the scissors dropped
unnoticed to the floor.

This
is wonderful, father. I’m so ugly she’s going to pass out. I’ll never win her
over this way.

For once, Odin the wise remained conspicuously
silent.

* * * *

After
Thor left the kitchen to shower, Emma hurried to his room to set out clothes.
He was a bit larger than her father, but his pants and t-shirts should fit him
well enough. She tried not to smile at the picture of Thor wearing her father’s
large t-shirts when he was obviously an extra-large t-shirt kind of man. What a
show she was going to get with that knit cotton stretched over all that muscle.

She
set the clothes on the bed and hurried to her room for her own shower. She had
time. If he was like any other boy or man who didn’t want his hair cut, he’d
take forever to gather the courage to leave that bathroom. After changing into
her pink pajamas, she hurried back downstairs with the hair care kit.

She’d
just organized the implements on the counter when Thor walked into the room
behind her. She turned when she heard him and her mouth went slack. Her fingers
loosened on the scissors and they fell to the floor with a loud clatter.

Just
as she suspected, he was hiding a handsome face under all that hair. But she
hadn’t really expected this! The man was a god! A walking, talking, living,
breathing God. To think, he’d hidden all of that beneath that scruffy, scraggly
beard and long hair.

“I—I’m
only going to trim your hair,” she said, ignoring the electric trimmer on the
counter.

Using
a comb, she untangled the horrific mop of copper-colored hair and layered it,
giving it a fuller, more stylish look.

No
matter how she tried, she just couldn’t bring herself to cut it short like she
had planned. Not after combing his hair and feeling the smooth, silky strands
sift through her fingers. Leaving it long enough to run her fingers though, was
the only thing she could think about.

Pausing,
she frowned, fearing that running her fingers through the silky mass was her
main motivation for leaving it long. She couldn’t help it. She loved the way it
felt in her hands.

“There
you go.”

She
finally pulled the towel from around him and carried it outside to shake the
hair from its folds. Refusing to look at him, she busied herself with putting
away the hair cutting supplies. She had hesitated in uncovering him. The action
seemed symbolic somehow, like she had been unwrapping a present.

Yeah,
right, Emma. If you think he’s really attracted to you, you need to get a grip.
He only kissed you today because you are convenient. It’s not like all the
women in the county are beating down your door for a date with him.

Tears
burned her eyes at the thought. No one had ever kissed her that way before and
no one ever would again. That was a safe bet.

She
would have to savor the memory of that kiss for the rest of her life.

“What’s
wrong?” he asked as he walked up behind her. Heat radiated from his body,
causing goose bumps to rise on her skin.

How
does he do that?

She
had asked herself the same thing last night. She’d lain in bed, staring at the
ceiling, wondering. Why did he have such an effect on her? Why him, when no
other man had even turned her head?

Warm
hands rested on her shoulders and she closed her eyes. Heat from his body
enveloped her. She inhaled, loving his scent. Even though she knew he smelled
of the same soap her brother used, it was different on him somehow. Sexy. She
fought the urge to lean back and press her body against his. What was it about
him that turned her into such a quivering ball of need?

Chapter
Five

“You
smell good.”

The heat
of his breath against the back of her neck, made her shiver. Who knew that she
had such a sensitive spot just below her ear? Who could have known little tendrils
of desire would attach themselves to her suddenly, over-sensitive nipples and
burn a trail down to her nether parts.

Warmth
settled in her middle as an unfamiliar heat pooled between her legs. She fought
the urge to stiffen her spine. She didn’t want him to think he made her
uncomfortable. If anything, he made her feel alive for the first time in her
life.

Relaxing
against him, she sighed when his lips touched her neck softly. His calloused
hands brushed down her arms and wrapped around her to pull her rear back
against his hips. The press of rigid flesh between her buttocks was nearly her
undoing. Suddenly, she didn’t care that this man was a virtual stranger. All
she cared about was how he made her feel. What he made her feel.

“I
love the feel of your body rubbing against mine,” he whispered in her ear as he
nibbled gently on the lobe.

She
groaned when his thumbs brushed over her nipples, causing them both to pebble
against the soft cotton of her pajama top.

He
shouldn’t be doing this. She shouldn’t let him. Something deep inside her said
it was wrong, yet she was powerless to stop it. Her arms and legs felt like
gelatin and she couldn’t force herself to voice her protest.

Even
when her mind said no, her hand reached up and covered his. She pressed his
hands harder against her breasts and instinctively wriggled her bottom against
his hard cock.

“Yes.”

She
breathed the word out on a sigh. Swallowing thickly, she leaned her head back
against his shoulder, giving him better access to the curve of her throat.

“Every
time I look at you, I want to do this,” he said as he kissed the side of her
mouth. His hand trailed down to caress her stomach.

She
turned toward him, deepening the kiss. He pulled his lips from hers and she
whimpered a protest.

“Do
you know what else I want to do when I look at you?”

She
shook her head and gasped when he laved her ear.

“I
want to do this,” he said as he covered her mouth with his. He brought both
hands up to cup her breasts with his warm hands and lightly pinched her
nipples. “And I want to bury my cock in your tight pussy, Emma. Does that turn
you on?”

“Oh,
my God,” she whimpered as her legs gave out.

His
arms tightened around her, holding her pressed against him. The ridge of hard
male flesh that rode between her cheeks, coupled with the overwhelming
sensations of his lips sliding over her skin, had her breath coming in short
gasps.

All
of these new sensations were so wonderful, so new. The feel of that hard shaft
pressed against her rear, his hands expertly stroking her breasts was almost
too much to bear. Warm breath brushed her throat, sending shivers of delight
through her nerve endings.

She
couldn’t lie to him. Couldn’t deny the words he wished to hear. “Yes.” She
nodded, her tongue darting out to moisten her lips. “Yes, it does turn me on.”

Spinning
in his arms, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to
hers. Deepening their kiss nearly drove her mad.

A
little spear of doubt pierced her consciousness when his arms tightened around
her. He pulled her more firmly into his embrace, pressing every inch of her to
the front of his solid frame.

What
in the world had come over her? Why was she making out in her kitchen with a
man she barely knew—a man she was barely even attracted to?

Turning
her head, she broke their kiss. She gasped when he bent and covered the tip of
her breast with his warm, wet mouth and suckled her through the material of her
top.

He
thrust his leg between hers, his thigh pressing intimately against her creaming
pussy.

“Oh,
my. That feels…”

Her
breath left her lungs in a whoosh when he lightly bit down on the hardened nub.

Blood
roared in her ears. Her whole body grew hot and every nerve ending in her body
burned with the need for more.

Still
panting, she untangled her fingers from his hair and did the most difficult
thing she had ever done in her life. Placing her hands on his chest, she pushed
him away from her.

“I
can’t...” Not here, not now, and not in Mom’s kitchen with Alex in the
hospital in a coma.

What
right did she have to take this time for herself when her brother lay like a
broken toy soldier in a hospital an hour away? What right did she have to waste
this time that should be spent on visiting him and harvesting the fields so
they could eat this winter? So she could eat, because Alex was never coming
home. It was time she faced the facts.

“I
just can’t...” The words came out on a sob. Her face burned as she wondered how
she’d suddenly lost control. “I don’t know what came over me. I’m so sorry.”

She
backed away from him when he released her.

“What’s
happening between us shouldn’t be happening. I don’t want a relationship now.” Or
ever. I can’t afford to fall in love with you. Something horrible will happen,
you’ll die and it will kill me.

Her
lips still tingled from their kiss. She placed trembling fingers to her mouth
and looked up at him, her eyes wide.

Tears
fought for balance on her lashes as she stared up at him. She would never be
able to separate her feelings from her lust. With her, the two came hand in
hand. Something told her the two were already irrevocably entwined.

“I
can’t have a relationship with anyone now.”

She
looked up into his clear blue eyes and knew she could go no further with this
man. She could never make him her lover. To do so, would be the worst mistake
in her life.

* * * *

Thor
watched her. His thoughts raced as he did everything in his power to keep his
face blank. She wasn’t ready. She had been through too much in her young life
and she just wasn’t ready for a relationship. He needed to have patience but
wasn’t sure how much patience he could afford her before the repercussions of
his selfish behavior wrought havoc on the world.

If
she needed to lie to herself—if she needed to tell herself that she didn’t want
any emotional entanglements, that was her choice. His choice in the matter was
to prove to her the lie that it was.

Tears
she so desperately tried to hide still trembled precariously on her lashes.
Those tears revealed her feelings, telling him it was already too late. They
only served to prove to him that her emotions were already involved.

On
some level, she had to know that she would never be able to separate her
feelings from the all-consuming lust that filled her senses. The fates had drawn
him to her. She was meant to be his. She would be his. He only needed
patience.

She
stood before him, looking more beautiful than any other woman he had ever seen
before. Her platinum hair framed her face. Her pink, full, lips parted as she
stood before him panting, her body trembling with need.

It
was all he could do to keep himself from throwing her over his shoulder and
carrying her to his room. He clenched his hands at his sides, nearly overcome
with the desire to do just that and take the choice from her.

“Are
you sure that is how you feel?” he asked thumbing a tear from her cheek. “It’s
okay sweetheart. I shouldn’t have let it go that far. I lost control. I know
you aren’t the type of woman to have a casual relationship.” He brought that up
deliberately, wanting to remind her that, like it or not, her emotions were
already involved.

Bending
down, he kissed her gently on the cheek.

“I’ll
go to bed so you can think. Don’t stay up too late. You wanted to get up early
and drive into town tomorrow. You need your rest.”

Turning,
he left the room. He hated leaving her alone. She was so hurt and confused and
it was all his fault. Still, he knew she needed time to think, to come to terms
with the fact that he was quickly becoming a permanent part of her life.

As
he climbed the stairs to the second floor, he wondered how he was going to get
any rest tonight. The longer he stayed here without his powers, the more sleep
he required for his body to rejuvenate.

How
did humans do it? How did they spend long hours, day after day, abusing their
bodies without taking the proper rest they need? Yet, he could see why they
skipped the necessary sleep. He couldn’t imagine spending a third of his life
unconscious. How did they do it, knowing they would only die in a few short
years?

Her
scent hit him when he reached the top of the stairs and his body reacted,
hardened with need. Every time he looked at her. Every time he smelled her,
need slammed into him and made his chest and balls ache.

Be
honest with yourself at least. Your unruly prick gets hard every time you even
think about her. His father’s voice interrupted his thoughts. Go jerk off or
something. You’re too tense and it’s making her nervous. If you’re not careful
she’s going to run from you and if you don’t get her to the hospital tomorrow,
she will lose her brother and feel she has nothing to live for.

His
father’s words rang true. She would feel that she had nothing to live
for if Alex died.

I
know, I know. How can I even think about what needs to be done with you
yammering in my ear at every opportunity, old man? Then he
paused. Do you really think I frighten her?

Odin
chuckled. Don’t worry about it. If she were very frightened of you she would
never have kissed you. Besides, she’d be on the phone with the police right now
if she were.

What
is she doing?

Thinking
of you. Now get some rest before you make yourself sick. You’re not omnipotent
anymore.

Suddenly,
the annoying presence was gone and he sighed. He may have been omnipotent, but
he’d lived more in the last few days with Emma, than he had in the last several
hundred years. He stopped outside her door, breathed in her lingering scent.
Need hit him hard, his hand shot out and he leaned against the wall. No woman
had ever affected him this way before. He smiled. As far as he was concerned,
that was a good thing. It was just one more bit of evidence to prove she was
fated to be his.

Chapter
Six

Emma sat
up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. A strange man stood over her bed,
staring at her. His large frame wasn’t much more than a silhouette in the
darkness. The moon casting a silvery glow into her room, shielded his face from
her sight. Yet she wasn’t scared. If anything, she felt peace steal through her
body as though she had been drinking the fine mulled mead the Norse God, Odin
was said to favor.

“Who
are you?”

“I
am Odin. Your God. Don’t you recognize me?” He stepped closer to the window so
the lunar glow shed light upon his face. The man didn’t look a day over thirty.
Honey colored hair brushed his shoulders and his arms were huge. The man was a
veritable giant, yet she didn’t feel threatened in the least.

“You don’t look like an old wise man who hung
himself from the world tree for nine days.” She gave a soft laugh. No wonder
she wasn’t scared, she was dreaming. Her subconscious mind was attempting to
make her feel guilty for renouncing the Gods her family had revered for
generations.

“Eons,”
he said. “Your family has served mine for the good of all beings since the
beginning of time.”

“Then
it’s time we learned to survive on our own, don’t you think?” She said with a
scowl.

Reaching
over to the nightstand, she switched on the lamp and blinked. There was no one
there… and she was wide-awake.

* * * *

“Wake
up, boy!”

Thor
heard the words just before his body hit the cold, hardwood floor. He looked
up, giving his father a fierce look. The floor was damn cold and he was naked.

“What
in hell do you think you’re doing, old man?” Thor sat up and glared at his
father.

“I
was just in your woman’s bedroom having a look, when I realized something was
wrong,” Odin said, throwing Thor’s clothes at him. “Get your naked ass off the
floor and get dressed before I go blind. Your woman’s barn is on fire. Get out
there and to something about it before she loses everything.”

Thor
glanced up at his father, anger and disbelief crowding through his mind. If
he’d decided to interfere...

“You
didn’t—”

“Of
course I didn’t set the fire, you dolt. I came here to see your woman. I only
had a healthy curiosity to see what my new daughter was like. She’s got spirit,
that’s for sure. She talked back to me,” he said with a smile, obviously proud
his son had picked such a strong woman. His father paced restlessly next to the
bed as Thor rushed to don his clothes. “When I realized that all was not as it
should be I reached out with my senses to see who would do such a thing.” He
stopped pacing and leveled his gaze on his son. “Whoever it is, is not working
alone. Only another god would be able to cover their tracks well enough to hide
from me.”

Thor
looked up sharply. “Another god, but who?”

“I
don’t know who is behind it. If I did, you can bet I would be after them right
now. And you can be damned certain that I’m going to find out who it is. No one
messes with my family.” He looked out through the window, the occasional orange
light flashing across his face. “You need to get your ass out there before she
loses everything.”

Thor
ran to Emma’s room and pounded on the door.

“The
barn is on fire, Emma! Call the Fire Department!”

Father,
can you and mother make it rain?” He knew controlling the weather was an
uncertain prospect. It took the power of at least two of his kind. Still he
asked as he ran down the stairs, heading for the door.

We’re
already working on it. She’s handling that with some help from the fates. They are
pissed that someone is mucking about in their territory. They said this wasn’t
supposed to happen.

Thor
grimaced. Despite the fact that whoever it was, was hurting Emma, the Fates
meted out punishment cruelly when their plans were thwarted. And they could be
cold, hard, heartless bitches in the best of times.

Good.
I hope they figure out who it is. I’d like a piece of him myself. If there’s
anything left after the fates finish with him.

He
ran into the burning barn with little thought to the fact that he was no longer
an immortal. The intense heat from the barn grew every second he was inside the
building. His lungs burned every time he took a breath, the heat of the fire
searing the inside of his chest, burning his nose.

Grabbing
the keys for the combine, he climbed into the huge machine and started the
engine. Thankfully, it started on the first try. The large, clack-clacking of
the powerful diesel engine seemed comforting somehow. He was going to get it
out of here, along with every other piece of equipment she needed for the
harvest.

His
heart nearly jumped to his throat when a streak of pink covered in gray ran
past him, heading deeper into the barn toward the animals.

“Damn!”

Why
hadn’t he thought of them? All he could think of was saving the equipment to
save her harvest. Leave it to her to remember the animals. Until now, his whole
being had been centered on the combine and tractors. He hadn’t heard the
frightened cry of the animals. The two horses’ high-pitched screams nearly
chilled him to the bone as he started to climb from the combine in the now,
raging inferno. He had to get to her, to help her.

“No!”
She waved her hand and then pointed back to the combine. “You have to get the
equipment out. We can’t afford to lose it!” Emma yelled over the screaming
horses, the crackling of the flames and the eerie squeal of metal heating up
too quickly.

He
gave her a curt nod, settled back into the driver’s seat and put the harvester
in gear.

It
was just a damn good thing she kept the fuel in a one-thousand gallon tank that
was five-hundred feet from the barn or they would never have had a chance.

As
soon as he drove the combine clear, he shut it down, jumped to the ground and
raced back into the barn. He’d get her equipment to safety and then he would
get answers.

* * * *

“No!”
Emma screamed, when Thor ran back into the barn for the third time.

The
fire blazed hotter than ever. It was so hot, she couldn’t even get near the
barn. How had he been able to stand that horrible heat? It was suicide to go in
there again.

Tears
streamed from her eyes as the roof caved in. There was no way anyone could have
survived that.

It
was her fault he was gone. She slumped to the ground, covered her face with her
sooty hands and sobbed out her fears and frustration. The sound of sirens and
large trucks barreling up the driveway barely registered, until one of them
slid to a stop beside her.

Firemen
ran about, pulling the hoses from the trucks and sprayed what was left of the
barn.

A
paramedic rushed over to her, put an oxygen mask to her face.

“Was
there anyone else? Anyone in the barn?”

She
nodded her head and pulled the mask from her face.

“Only
one. He went in for the tractor and the roof collapsed,” she sobbed. “Why did
he go back in there? He should have known he’d never get out.” Not alive
anyway.

“He
was damned lucky, that’s for sure,” the man nodded his agreement. “Like you, he
has some minor burns, but what has me worried, is the fact that the blaze was
so hot and he has inhaled a hell of a lot of smoke.”

It
took a moment for his words to register.

“He—he’s
alive?”

The
man smiled and covered her mouth and nose with the oxygen mask again. He looked
back over his shoulder to a place just next to and almost behind the barn. She
was almost afraid to believe.

“Yes,
ma’am, he’s alive. He’s covered in dirt and soot but he’s definitely alive.” He
chuckled. “He wouldn’t let the rest of the guys treat him until I came over to
care for you. He must love you very much.”

Emma
barely heard the rest of what he said. She ripped the mask back off her face,
stood and ran to the area filled with rescue workers. She stopped when she saw
them pick Thor up and put him on a stretcher.

“So,
your name is Thor, huh?” A tall, slender, brunette EMT asked,
with a smile as she took his blood pressure. She frowned and then tilted her
head. “I guess you do sort of resemble him, only you don’t have a beard. Wasn’t
Thor supposed to have this big scruffy looking beard that made him look fierce
so people would fear him?”

Thor
glance toward Emma, his expression unreadable. He raised his hand and pointed
at her. “She made me shave it off.”

The
woman blinked. “She made you shave it off?” She shook her head and
laughed. “Somehow, I don’t see anyone making you do anything you don’t
want to do.” Then she grinned. “It’s just as well, you know. It’s better for
women everywhere that you don’t cover up that pretty face.”

Emma
frowned. Stepping up beside him, she laced their fingers together to show the
woman that he was already taken. The EMT had a
wonderful bedside manner, but she didn’t need to flirt with her patients.
Besides, Thor was her...

She
frowned again and bit her lip. What was he exactly? He was more than her
employee after that sizzling kiss earlier. And she must mean more to him
than a job and a roof over his head...

“How...”
She cleared her throat when her voice cracked—it was dry and sore, most likely
from the smoke she had inhaled. She needed a drink. “How did you manage to get
out of the barn before the roof collapsed?”

She
looked past him to the second tractor he managed to save.

“I
drove it out through the side when the roof started to go.”

“Oh,”
she said nodding.

Blinking
back the tears in her eyes, she smiled. “Thank you, but the tractor was not
worth your life.” Nothing is worth your life.

He
shrugged. “It doesn’t matter now. We have it and we can still bring the harvest
in. It’s a good thing we left the trailers sitting out here though. If we
hadn’t, they would still be in the barn.” He glanced over to the smoldering
pile if rubble that used to be the barn and made a face.

“Well,
they would still be in what’s left of the barn, anyway.”

He
sat up and started to slide off the stretcher.

“Hey,
hey hey! Stay right where you are. We need to take you in to the hospital. You
could have internal injuries.” One of the men tried to convince him to lie back
down.

The
female EMT rushed
back over to push him back down.

Thor
glared at her, grabbing her wrists, he pulled them from his shoulders.

“Do
not touch me.” He didn’t raise his voice, but somehow, he was able to make it
sound menacing, just the same.

Chapter
Seven

The
woman backed off, holding her hands in the air.

“You
need to go to the hospital. A doctor should check you over.” Her full lips drew
down in a frown.

“I
will be fine.” He stifled a cough and glanced at Emma. “I will only go to the
hospital with you and no other.”

The
expression on his face told her that he would remain inflexible on the subject
and stilled any argument that came to mind. He obviously wouldn’t budge on
this.

When
he stood up and stretched, Emma almost couldn’t look away, her gaze drawn to
the rippling of his chest muscles and the bunching of his biceps. Her mouth
watered at the thought that just a few hours ago, she had been necking with
this man in her kitchen. A sound caught her attention and she spared a glance
for the female EMT and
scowled.

The
woman was staring! Her mouth was opened slightly and Emma half expected her
tongue to start hanging out. Didn’t they teach these people to comport
themselves in a more professional manner?

Leaning
forward, she wrapped her arm around Thor’s waist and suppressed a grin at the
woman’s telling frown.

Under
the innocent guise of helping him walk, she kept her arm firmly around his
waist as she led him to the porch where they sat down to wait for the fire to
be contained and extinguished. The porch swing was narrow. They sat close,
their sides pressing against one another. Heat seeped from his body into hers
and her heart began to race.

She
looked over at him. How could she be sitting here next to the man practically
ready to jump his bones when he almost died saving her livelihood? The poor man
needed rest, not sex.

He
wrapped his arm more firmly around her, pulling her closer to his side. He
relaxed against her and sighed.

“I
like this. It’s nice. I think we should make a habit out of sitting out here on
this swing, looking at the stars.”

She
swallowed thickly. Was he planning to stay? Would she let him?

Resting
her head against the side of his chest, she made a decision. She would take
this time with him and whatever it held. If she was lucky and there was more,
great. If not, she would cherish every moment she spent in his company. It was
already too late to keep her feelings from becoming involved. She may be able
to lie about it to him and to the world, but it wouldn’t make it any less true.

His
arm rested comfortingly over her shoulder as they sat together. The close
proximity of his body to hers caused bolts of electricity to shoot through her
blood. Her blood burned and she felt her temperature rise several degrees. The
feel of his hard, hot body pressed against hers was heady, intoxicating.

Two
paramedics approached the swing where they sat softly swinging. One was the
woman who couldn’t seem to keep from gaping at Thor. She stared at the woman
who seemed to take such a liking to her new... She looked at Thor, still trying
to figure out what he was to her. A voice in her head said it quite succinctly.

He
is your other half.

Emma
frowned at the voice that sounded so much like the voice of Odin in her dreams.
She cast a glance at the man sitting next to her and felt the rightness of
those words.

Her
other half.

When
had she started thinking that way? And when had she become so possessive of him...and
why? Was it because he risked his life to save her farm? Could she really be
that shallow? She looked up at him, trying not to show what was on her mind.

Inhaling
deeply, she tried to ignore his musky aroma that seemed to seep into her pores.
Even the strong smell of smoke couldn’t cover up the man’s natural scent.

“You
really should be seen by a doctor, you know,” she said as they sat watching the
firemen run about, aiming their hoses at the barn. One truck had concentrated
on wetting the roof of the house down so a stray spark wouldn’t ignite the
older building. They were slowly bringing the blaze under control.

Several
police cars pulled into the yard behind the fire engines, the officers strolling
about asking questions of the firefighters as they took turns to rest and get
drinks.

He
stiffened next to her as the men, inevitably turned to indicate the two of them
on the porch. He turned, his gaze piercing hers. Was that suspicion she saw in
his eyes?

“I
will go if you will take me but I refuse to leave you here alone. I think the
Fire Marshall will find that this was no accident.”

Turning
his head toward the west, he stared out over the harvested field as if he
looked for something. Following his gaze, she squinted, but saw nothing.

She
licked her lips, nervous. “Are you saying that someone burned my barn on
purpose? Who would do such a thing?” She fisted her hands in her lap so he
wouldn’t see her trembling.

Her
gaze darted erratically over the floor of the porch seeing, for the first time,
the muddy footprints just outside her office window. Those prints had escaped
her notice before.

Her
heart stammered in her chest as fear lodged in her middle.

Who
would do such a thing?

The
acrid tasted of bile burned her throat and she gagged. Who would want to hurt
them? The question repeated itself in her mind as she tried to make sense of
it.

A
dim memory flashed in her mind—her mother’s face, tight with anger and her
father shaking his head.

No
we are not interested in selling. This farm has been in our family for
generations. Her father paced, obviously agitated with the person who stood
just out of sight. It’s entailed. It always has been. It will go to our son
one day. He glanced over at Emma. Or it will go to one of Emma’s sons.

It
wasn’t long after that overheard conversation that the accidents began to
happen—little things at first. The tractor broke down and needed constant
repairs. There was a fire in one of the fields close to the road. The fire was
blamed on a passing motorist tossing a cigarette out the window. The barn was
broken into. The well water suddenly became undrinkable and a new well needed
sunk. All of these were very expensive replacements and repairs. It made sense
now.

But
why?

Over
the next few years the accidents became more frequent. They were harmless at
first, then one day, one took her mother’s life. Somehow, she had found herself
in front of a robber’s unyielding bullet by doing nothing other than helping an
old woman.

Her
death devastated her father. Yet, he still wouldn’t sell to that unknown man
who called frequently to make offer after offer. Her mother’s death only served
to make him that much more determined to keep the farm. She had loved it here.

He
shook his head, a frown marring his handsome face. “I don’t know who would do
this. I only know that we didn’t leave anything in that barn that would have
caught fire. The tractors and the combine were sufficiently cool enough.”

“You’re
right, they were. We allowed them to sit for hours while we emptied the last
load in the trailers and cleaned out the horses’ stalls. There was no way the
heat of the exhaust could have ignited anything.” She frowned, thinking.
“Besides, if it had, it would have happened long before we went to bed.”

He
nodded his agreement. “You’re right. It would have happened while we were in
the shower at the latest.”

Heat
stole up her cheeks. The way he said that so casually, made it seem that they
had showered together. She glanced back over at the muddy footprints beneath
her office window.

Pointing,
she asked, “Are those your footprints?”

He
turned to look and swore. “No they aren’t and now we know that whoever set the
fire knows that you spend time in that room.”

He
stood to walk over to the window. Kneeling down, he picked up a piece of the
dirt.

“Were
you in there tonight?”

She
nodded. “Yes, just after my shower I...” her face blazed. “Oh, my God! I was in
there earlier after my shower. I—I...” She covered her face with her hands. “I
forgot to bring the laundry upstairs and I was so tired, I didn’t want to carry
it up to my room for fear that I would fall or drop it. I dressed in there...”

* * * *

Rage,
unlike anything that Thor had ever felt before rushed through his blood. For
the first time in his life, he felt that he could kill someone with his bare
hands. He clenched his fists, longing for the familiar weight of Mjolnir in his
hands. How he longed for his hammer so he could wreak havoc on the person who
dared to watch her dress, who dared to make his woman feel unsafe in her own
home.

“Go
get one of the policemen wandering around out there talking with the firemen.
They will want to ask questions soon enough anyway. Better to go get them, than
to wait here as if we have something to fear.”

He
still knelt by the muddy prints, afraid that if he stood, she would see the
killing rage in his eyes and it would frighten her. No, it was better that she
left him alone for a minute so he could regain control of his emotions.

The
Thunder God was not known for his patience or for his leniency when crossed.
No, he was known more as The Destroyer. He was easy going and loveable until
crossed, then he would invariably destroy what bothered him. Whomever it was
that stood outside this window earlier tonight and watched Emma dress
definitely bothered him.

He
knelt beside the muddy prints and clenched his teeth until he felt a muscle
tick in his jaw. There would be no place the person who left those prints could
hide from him once he found out who it was. The God who protected him wouldn’t
be able to protect him forever. It was only a matter of time before his father
discovered who the culprit was behind this. Then there would be hell to pay.

Thor
pointed out the muddy tracks when she returned with a police officer. He went
to his car, pulled out a disposable camera and took pictures, advising them not
to touch anything until detectives had a chance to investigate. Yes, the fire
had been set.

After
the emergency workers left they went back into the house and stared at each
other in the kitchen for a few minutes.

The
last thing he wanted to do was leave her alone again. He would never forgive
himself if something happened to her while he soundly slept in another room.
She nervously puttered around the kitchen, pulling out the first aid kit to
clean the few small burns he’d received that were already healing. She frowned
when she saw the mostly healed wounds.

“These
looked worse outside.”

“It
was dark and you were understandably upset.”

Father,
stop healing my wounds so quickly, she will know something isn’t right if they
totally disappear in the next few minutes.

The
burns began to burn immediately. Gritting his teeth, he was glad that his
father had been able to heal him as much as he had before she’d noticed.

“Why
don’t you go shower,” she said, putting the kit away. She looked down at
herself and made a face. “We both need another bath.”

“Yes.
Why don’t we go shower?”

She
stiffened at his words and he wondered if his meaning was totally clear. He
didn’t plan to leave her alone for another minute and this interminable waiting
would be done with.

She
licked her lips, refusing to meet his gaze. “Um...you go ahead, I’m going to
stay down here and read a bit.”

“No.
I’m not leaving you alone down here when someone has been spying in your
windows.”

He
shook his head and sighed at her suddenly wary expression.

“I
hadn’t thought of that.”

No.
Of course she hadn’t. She was too busy trying to get the thought of the two of
them naked in the shower together out of her mind. He didn’t need his powers to
tell him that. It was written all over her face.

Chapter
Eight

She
nervously brushed her soot-filled hair from her face. “I can’t shower with
you.”

“I
never said you had to shower with me. I merely stated that I would not be
separated from you again.”

“And
exactly what is that supposed to mean?” she snapped. “Are you just going to
stand in there and watch?”

He
shrugged.

Emma
blew a stray strand of hair from her face. Dammit, if the man was going to take
liberties, the least he could do was take liberties.

“You’re
just going to stand there and watch me shower?” She crossed her arms under her
breasts. “Uh, uh. I don’t think so.”

In
your dreams, buddy. If you want to see me naked, you can damn well seduce me
for the privilege.

She
stared into his smoldering blue gaze and shivered with anticipation. Somehow,
he knew exactly what was on her mind. The question is, would she allow it?

He
approached her slowly, his gait not unlike an animal trainer who wanted to gain
the trust of a wild animal.

She
frowned. Where in the world had that analogy come from? She felt like a wild
thing, all right. She felt like his prey. He moved still closer, as if stalking
her, and she wondered if she could manage to get out of this if she tried. She
shook her head, somehow knowing there was no way out of this. Tomorrow, she
would be a woman in every sense of the word.

She
trailed her tongue nervously over her lips, watching as his gaze turned more
intense. Every move she made, every small action, caused his body to harden
even more. Curious, she lowered her gaze to the bulge just below his waist. Her
face burned with renewed embarrassment as her womb clenched and she shivered.

There
was no hiding her reaction to him. He could read it on her face. Her life had
always been an open book to anyone who knew her.

* * * *

Cupping her cheek in his hand, he leaned
down, gently pressing his lips to hers. Her scent, her taste, was nearly enough
to drive him wild. Too many lonely nights rushed back to greet him as she
yielded, opening her mouth to his kiss. His tongue caressed hers, reveling in
the honeyed depths of her mouth.

His
eager and unruly cock jumped to attention when her fingers lightly traced the
muscles of his chest. His balls ached for release as he held her close to his
body, absorbing her heat, her scent. He would be ecstatic if she could just
crawl inside him where he could keep her with him and safe forever.

Part
of him wanted nothing more than to throw her over his shoulder, stalk to his
bedroom and relieve both their needs. He groaned when her inexperienced hands
played tentatively over his stomach. His muscles clenched involuntarily when
her arms wrapped around his waist and she cupped his ass. He fought a smile
when he realized the path of her hands mirrored his own as they followed the
same path over his flesh.

She
tipped her head to the side when he suckled the curve of her slender neck. Her
throaty groan was nearly his undoing.

“Stop
me now if you do not want this to go any further. I don’t think I’ll be able to
stop if you change your mind later.”

If
she didn’t stop him soon, he wouldn’t be able to let her go.

“Mmm...”

She
tilted her head back and moaned when his mouth closed over the peak of her
breast, suckling through the soft cotton of her pajama top. When she reached up
to thrust her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer, he took it as
consent.

He
picked her up, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist. His knees
nearly buckled when her moist heat settled over his rock hard cock.

Carrying
her up the stairs was an exercise in restraint. His mind demanded that he make
her first time perfect. But with her soft body pressed to his and her moist
heat beckoning his cock, his body demanded that he make her his. His only saving
grace was the knowledge that his ultimate satisfaction would come only with
hers.

“Your
room or mine?” he asked his mouth against her skin. He pulled his lips from
hers to kiss a trail to the shell of her ear

“Mine.”

She
groaned as he plunged his tongue inside the perfect shell. She shivered in his
arms, tightening her legs around his waist as he carried her to her room. After
closing the door, he placed her in the center of the bed. He walked to the
window and closed the heavy drapes. Someone had already spied on her once this
night.

When
he turned, he found that she’d lit a candle. The soft glow of the flickering
light cast her perfect body in a thin shadow. The curve of her hip, her full
firm breasts beckoned. The sight of her sliver-blonde hair spilling across the
pillow drew him to her like iron to a lodestone.

He
crossed the room, determined to hold on to his control. To make this night one
she would always remember with fondness, not regret.

* * * *

Emma
stayed on the bed awaiting his next move. He made her nervous just standing
there and staring at her like that. He looked like some huge predatory animal
and she was nothing more than his prey.

Her
gaze dropped from his eyes to his chest. Now, that she could stare at
all day! In fact, she had on several occasions throughout the last several
days. She frowned at the small red splotches that still marred its lightly
tanned perfection. His well-formed pectorals danced under his skin as he moved
closer. Lowering her gaze, she fixed her eyes on his tight abs. She nervously
licked her lips when she noticed the top two buttons on the fly were undone,
revealing a thick thatch of red-gold hair just below the waistband. Apparently,
he chose not to wear the boxer shorts she’d set out for him.

God’s,
he’s beautiful!

Her
face heated when she noticed the gap at his waist getting wider as the now
obvious bulge beneath his fly grew larger.

“You
only have to tell me to leave you alone and I will,” he said. “But keep in mind
that soon I will reach a place where I will not be able to stop. You must be
certain this is what you want.”

She
looked up sharply. Did he change his mind? Didn’t he want her anymore? She
looked away, not wanting him to see the disappointment that she knew would be
in her eyes.

The
bed dipped as he sat beside her. Placing his hand on the rise of her hip, he
brushed his hand up under the edge of her pajama top. Goose flesh rose on her
skin. The warmth of his hand left a fire trailing in its wake. Her body began a
slow burn for him as his hand moved slowly closer to the underside of her
breast.

He
leaned down to kiss her as his hand closed over her plump breast, his thumb
grazing her nipple.

He
kept eye contact as he slowly lowered his head. Her eyes grew round with fear
or anticipation she wasn’t sure which. Was she really ready for this? She
turned her head just before their lips met and he grazed her cheek with his
kiss.

“Umm...shower.
Remember?” She wrinkled her nose. “We both smell like smoke and burning manure.
At least I do.” She pushed at his hand that still rested under her top.

“Why
don’t you go into the other bathroom and I’ll shower in here?”

She
hoped he’d forgotten his earlier promise to shower with her, or at least watch
her shower. She shivered at the thought and frowned. The man was still a
virtual stranger to her. The thought of them showering or his watching
shouldn’t turn her on so much. Her mother would be appalled!

Her
heart sank when he looked at her and grinned.

“Oh,
no, sweetheart. I’m not leaving you alone for a second.”

Emma’s
face blazed at her relief. She did want him to shower with her. She just didn’t
want to admit it.

“I
barely know you. I can’t shower while you’re in the same room with me.”

He
merely grinned again and raised a sandy colored brow.

“I
bet you can.”

Quick
as a shot, she rolled over and jumped from the bed, running for her bathroom.
She’d just reached the door when he caught up with her, scooped her up and
carried her into the bathroom shrieking.

After
he closed and locked the door, he set her on the floor and leaned back against
her only route for escape.

“Come
here,” he said, holding out his hand.

She
crossed her arms under her breasts and stubbornly shook her head. She wasn’t
going near him. He was not going to undress her and shower with her. She
wouldn’t be able to bear the embarrassment. He would see her too skinny legs
and bony hips. She was never going to undress in front of him and that was
that.

He
put his arm down and crossed his legs, still leaning against the door.

“I’m
patient. I can wait a long, long time, Emma. You’re going to get awfully tired
of standing and I don’t think the only seat in here is all that comfortable.”

His
eyes still blazed with the passion they shared earlier. No doubt, because he
was certain that he was still going to get her naked. Uh, uh. It so wasn’t
happening.

“I’ll
make a deal with you.” He stood up straighter, pushing himself away from the
door.

“What
kind of deal?”

“I’ll
strip first and you can let your fingers explore every inch of me while I try
to convince you to let me shower with you. If you still refuse in...” he
glanced at his watch. “…ten minutes I’ll let you take your shower in peace.”

“I—I’m
not undressing in front of you,” she stammered as he started unbuttoning the
rest of the buttons on his fly. Still, she kept watching her eyes glued to his
crotch. Lord, the man was sexy as hell. She couldn’t keep herself from staring
as his hands kept slowly slipping button after button from their confinement.

His
cock jumped out before he got to the last button and she covered her eyes.

“Put
that away! I don’t want to see that.” She fought the urge to peek out between
her fingers for a better look. She’d covered her eyes before she was able to
get a good look at it. She lowered her hands. Maybe if she opened her eyes just
a bit... No! You are not going to open your eyes. He’s trying to seduce you,
stupid. If you don’t look, you can’t be tempted.

Boy
was she wrong. The rustle of his jeans as he peeled them from his body was
enough to make her scream. Her body was already creaming just from the
knowledge that he stood naked only a few feet from her.

She
felt his breath on her neck as he lowered his head to sniff at her hair.

“Have
I ever told you that I love the way you smell?” He whispered in her ear.

She
whimpered softly has he blew gently on the curve of her throat, his warm breath
stirring the hair on the nape of her neck—and her blood.

Oh,
she was in so much trouble. He wasn’t going to quit until his time was up or
until she agreed to shower with him. And, of course, the shower would lead to
other things...

How
could she feel this way about him so soon? She wasn’t some kind of
nymphomaniac. She had morals and scruples...and apparently a healthy libido.

Goose
bumps rose on her skin when he circled around her. She squeezed her eyes shut
determined to keep her hands and her heated looks to herself.

The
first kiss on her neck was her undoing or, maybe it was the second. By the time
he’d reached around her from behind and cupped both of her breasts in his hands
to caress her already hard nipples, she knew she was a total goner. She leaned
back and moaned, loving everything he did to her.

“You’re
supposed to touch me.”

She
shook her head. “I can’t.”

He
moved back around her, stood in front of her for a moment before he brushed his
hands up under her top and pushed it over her head.

Her
face blazed as she waited for him to tell her how small her breasts were.

“You’re
beautiful, Emma,” he breathed against her collarbone, his mouth trailing lower
to capture her left nipple between his lips.

Her
legs gave out and he reached up to hold her to him. Her fingers tunneled
through his hair as she gripped his head and pulled him tighter against her
breast.

Gods,
she was such a goner!

Chapter
Nine

Thor
wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her perfectly shaped
breasts. The dusky tips hardened under his stare. He sucked one into his mouth,
then the other, laving, worshipping each one with his tongue before moving up
to kiss her neck. He reveled in her unique scent.

She
squirmed in his arms when he brushed his hands down over her flat stomach to
the flare of her hips. He squeezed her shapely ass and pulled her tight against
him. His cock pressed against her lower abdomen and he almost groaned with the
need for release.

“Turn around,” he whispered hoarsely. “I want
to watch you in the mirror as I worship your body.”

Holy
Shit!

How
was he ever going to keep control of his raging lust? This woman could turn him
on with a look, a touch, a soft sigh from those luscious lips. Surrounded by
her sweet scent, with her softness pressed against him, he could barely think
about anything besides burying his rock hard shaft into her tight, wet sheath.

He
reached around her, splaying his hand over her flat belly. The contrast of
their skin amazed him. He didn’t tan well. Leaving his body to tan at the same
rate a human male of his coloring left his body looking a bit pale and wan. Yet
the soft, creamy skin of her stomach was still a few shades lighter than his.

Reaching
down, he unbuttoned her jeans. The zipper slid down easily with a whispered
hiss.

Her
sharply indrawn breath when he pushed his fingers beneath the waistband of her
panties gave him pause. He stilled his hand. His body demanding he continue to
push through her soft nether curls to reach the treasure he knew he would find
between her legs.

“Do
you want me to stop, love?” he whispered in her ear.

He
watched her reflection, noticing her eyes were still closed. The knowledge made
him smile. The longer she kept them closed, the sharper her other senses would
become. Namely that of touch.

“Well?”
he prompted. “Do you want me to stop?”

He
began to pull his fingers from under her panties. He refused to give up, but
perhaps, she needed a bit more time.

“N—No,”
she whispered as her body began to tremble. “Don’t...don’t stop.”

Her
tongue slipped from her mouth to moisten her bottom lip. His cock jerked in
response. He almost shook with the tremendous need to bury his hard prick
inside that luscious mouth.

Almost
sighing with relief, he pushed his hand back under her panties, dipped his
fingers through her slick folds and circled her clit.

She
reached up and grabbed his arms as her legs gave out.

“Like
that, do you?” he chuckled into her ear.

Emma
whimpered something incoherent and nodded.

He
watched her in the mirror, nearly awe-struck by her beauty. This woman didn’t
need him. She was already a Goddess.

“You’re
so beautiful like this. I love that I can do this to you. You’re head is thrown
back, pressed against my shoulder, making easy for me to do this,” he suckled
her neck, nibbling his way up to her ear.

She
panted in his arms, her breaths coming in short gasps as his hands roved over
her flesh.

“Your
full, wet lips are parted, giving me all sorts of ideas.”

He
thrust his tongue into her ear and she whimpered.

“It
humbles me to be the one who has made your eyes glaze over with need. Your body
creams for mine, readying itself for our coupling. Do you feel it?”

Her
glazed eyes stared at the mirror, watching his hand as it moved under her
panties. Her jeans slid down her hips to her knees. She stood in his arms
panting with her desire as he talked and fondled her into a frenzy of lust.

Her
hips jerked, pressing her ass tighter against his cock. She moved her hips back
and forth, her inexperienced body instinctively knowing exactly how their
bodies fit together.

He
gritted his teeth, forcing his body under his control. He would not let his
unruly shaft make demands her virginal body couldn’t handle. He refused to take
the chance of hurting his passionate Goddess.

She
turned her head, brushing her lips against his. Thrusting his tongue against
hers, he coaxed her to do the same. He suckled the soft wet velvet as it
brushed against the inside of his mouth. Their tongues danced, mated as he took
her over the edge of her first climax and he swallowed her inarticulate cry of
ecstasy.

* * * *

Emma
was lost. The sensations he introduced her to, were unlike anything she could
ever have imagined. The brush of his lips against her skin, his fingers buried
between her legs nearly overwhelmed her. Yet the physical stimulation hadn’t
been enough for him.

“In
the shower, Emma. Now. I want to see all this glorious skin covered with
nothing but soap suds and my hands.”

He
had to start talking. Why did that seem so sexy to her? Her resistance was
gone. She couldn’t wait to peel off the rest of her clothes and shower with
him. When he led her into the shower, she took control.

Soaping
her hands, she washed every inch of his hard body. Her hands slid easily over
his quivering pectorals. They jumped and twitched when she paid special
attention to the cleanliness of his nipples. She ran her tongue over each one
after rinsing the soap from his skin. Nervous, she kept watch on his
expression. He seemed to like it and as long as he didn’t stop her, she was
going to let her fingers do some walking.

She
soaped her hands again and squeezed behind him, lathering his back. She drew
soapy designs over the ropey muscles of his back and then paid special
attention to his rear. Her hands trailed down over his tight rear, loving the
feel of the firm flesh beneath her fingers.

Reaching
around him, she lathered the hard, uneven expanse of his washboard stomach.
Before she could chicken out, she lowered her hands a bit more and took his
hard length into her hands.

He
sucked his breath in with a hiss and she paused. When he didn’t tell her to
stop, she stroked her fingers down over his length. He began to shake and she
smiled. Resting her head against his back, she stroked his shaft until his hips
began to jerk and he covered her hands with his.

“Enough.
You’ll make me embarrass myself.”

She
let go, unsure of what he meant.

“My
turn,” he said turning around.

He
stared down at her with a gleam in his eyes that made her nervous. She licked
her lips and cast her gaze toward their feet.

Big
mistake.

She
felt her eyes widen when she got her first glimpse of his erection. She knew it
felt big, but she never thought it was huge!

“You’re
going to put that where?” she asked with a squeak.

“Sh...”

He
kissed her softly, his tongue dueling with hers as she clung to him with the
hope that her legs wouldn’t give out.

The
man knew how to kiss, that was for sure.

He
pulled his lips from hers and lathered her body. Massaging her shoulders and
neck, he relaxed her even more than the hot spray already had. He paid special
attention to her breasts, the crease of her hip and between her legs.

When
his mouth covered her breast and his fingers sank into the creamy flesh between
her legs, she grabbed his biceps in an effort to stay on her feet.

Too
soon, he straightened and gently pushed her beneath the warm spray to wet her
hair. He lathered her tresses, thoroughly washing and massaging her scalp. He
lathered his own when he set her beneath the spray to rinse the shampoo from
her hair.

She
turned the water off and stepped from the shower. Grabbing a towel, she began
to dry herself until he held out his hand, his eyebrow raised.

Her
face blazed as she handed him the towel. She still wasn’t used to his heated
gaze traveling over her body and somehow, now that they were out of the shower,
she was embarrassed where she hadn’t been before.

Perhaps
because she’d had time to think and come to her senses when he rinsed the soap
from his hair.

Even
though her body still hummed with desire, she began to have doubts. Should she
listen to her heart and have this one night? She could have this one night with
him where she could repay him for risking his life. That’s all it was. He most
likely figured he deserved this and all of his pretty words were only designed
to turn her on and make it easier for him.

Pain
stabbed through her chest at the realization. No. She refused to care for him,
refused to become involved. She would have this night or maybe another in
payment for the injuries he received while saving the tractors. It was the
least she could do.

Gritting
her teeth, she tipped her chin up and stared into his eyes. People did this
sort of thing all of the time. She could do it. It didn’t make her easy, or
slutty, it made her practical. He was here, she was here and they were slaking
a mutual desire. And if it hurt, just a bit, to think of this night in such a
callous way, it was her problem. She wouldn’t want him to expect anything more
from her than tonight, anyway. Right?

She
let him dry her off, holding his shoulders as he lifted each leg to dry her
feet. He was gentle, she had to give him that. She only hoped he would be as
gentle when it came time for the actual act. He was a big man—all over—and to
be honest, the size of his penis scared the crap out of her.

Chapter
Ten

“Um...I
don’t think I can go through with this,” she said, still staring at the size of
his massive erection.

She
didn’t either. She didn’t want to seem like a tease, but how was she supposed
to know the man was packing a baseball bat between his legs? Okay, so maybe
that was an exaggeration, but it was still huge.

He
kissed her again, chasing away a bit of her reticence. He could kiss the socks
off an Eskimo that was for sure. Still, she responded against her better
judgment. What could she do? The man was hot with a capital “H” and he knew
exactly where to put his hands to keep her breathless and wanting.

He
thrust his fingers through her hair, tugging slightly on the strands. The
sensation was different, a little rough but not really painful. Her body
responded with enthusiasm when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her
against his solid form. The press of his hard body against hers, his heat and
his musky scent nearly drove her wild.

Warmth
pooled in her middle and her stomach did flops as she realized that soon, she
would be in her bed with this man, letting him pleasure her. She inwardly
cringed when she realized she would most likely beg him to pleasure her. She
could only hope that she would do the same for him as well.

Her
flesh tingled as goose bumps rose on her skin wherever he touched her with his
warm calloused hands. His touch alone was almost enough to send her over the
edge. Bending, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.

His
hair hung around his shoulders in wet ropes, the moisture slowly dripped from
the ends and onto her breasts. Tracks of water slid down his muscled chest and
she longed to sensuously lap them from his body with her tongue. He didn’t need
a towel, she would be happy to lick every drop that ran down his perfect form.

Laying
her down in the middle of the bed, he held her gaze with his as he climbed in
next to her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if he expected what
he was about to say to be painful.

Starting
at her knee, he ran his hand along the smooth skin of her thigh to her hip and
cleared his throat.

“Do
you want this, love?”

It
didn’t take long for her to make up her mind. The man was a god. His hard body
was nothing short of pure male perfection. She nodded.

“Yes,
I do.”

He
would be gentle with her. She could see it in his eyes. Thor didn’t strike her
as the type of man to take his pleasure, grunting and heaving over his partner
to leave them still needing a release. No. He had the appearance of a slow,
careful lover who would be certain of his lover’s gratification before
indulging his own.

He
closed his eyes at her reply, almost as if he were saying a prayer, or thanking
his God. Whatever it was, it didn’t take long and soon his sapphire eyes stared
at her with an intensity that she almost couldn’t fathom.

What
drove a man like him to wander the world working for little and owning even
less? His reasons weren’t really important now, but the questions still nagged
at her. She was about to take a giant step with this man and she knew next to
nothing about him.

She
licked her lips and watched his eyes darken to near cobalt. The intensity of
his gaze sharpened and she swallowed thickly, wondering what it would be like
to live with a man like this forever, to bear his children.

She
groaned into his mouth when he wrapped his arms around her. His tongue rasped
against hers and their tongues danced and parried with one another. He pulled
her closer, their bare skin slipping and sliding together as they held each
other close.

He
pulled away to look into her eyes and her mouth went dry. Cupping her chin in
his hands, he kissed her oh, so gently before dropping his head to her breast.
He suckled her nipple for a few moments before moving lower to tongue her belly
button.

“You
are mine,” he growled against her skin. “Tonight, you will become a woman. My woman.”

She
knew he didn’t really mean that. It was just a ploy to make her feel better
about succumbing to him, but she didn’t care. She was past caring as the desire
she felt flowed through her veins. She knew an intrinsic part of her would
never be the same again.

She
stiffened when he moved to lie between her thighs. Her face burned with a
combination of lust and mortification as he dipped his head to her needy flesh.
His tongue lapped against her nether lips and she groaned, needing more.

She
buried her fingers in his hair, a silent invitation, a fervent plea. Slowly,
his warm velvet tongue dipped into the slick folds and stroked a part of her
that she never new could bring her such intense pleasure. Lightning bolts shot
through her blood as he suckled the little bud into his mouth. The erotic pull
nearly drove her mad. Her head tossed on the pillow, her eyes squeezed shut as
every muscle in her body tightened, reaching for some elusive...thing.

He
brought her to a fevered pitch, his mouth working on her flesh until she
couldn’t bear the pleasure. It was too much, this...thing she sensed was just
out of reach. If only she could...

“Oh,
my God, Thor!” she keened as her climax overtook her. The pleasure-pain finally
pooled in that one spot between her legs and she screamed out her pleasure as
he eased one thick finger into her tight channel. The strange discomfort
changed to the ultimate pleasure in the blink of an eye and she howled out
another release as he continued to suckle that small bundle of nerves.

Finally,
when she lay on the bed panting, he crawled back up her inert form, kissing his
way up her spent body. He pushed her thighs apart, kneeling between them. She
didn’t know what to do, to think. Her whole world had just been turned upside
down and there was still so much she didn’t know. How much more could she take?
How much longer would he draw this out?

Would
he never show her what it’s like to be a real woman?

* * * *

Thor reveled
in the fact that she’d called his name during her climax. As he crawled up her
body, he lapped at her skin, nipping the sensitive undersides of her breast,
and suckling away the slight ache.

Raised
on his arms, he stared down into her lovely violet eyes. Her damp silver hair
spread around her like a halo and at that moment he would be happy just to
stare at her forever. He loved looking at her. The way the shadows caressed her
body, the way the flickering light from the candle she lit danced over her pale
skin. She was beauty personified. His gaze was drawn to her chest. Each breath
she drew, each soft sigh raised and lowered the creamy mounds for his
inspection.

She
took his breath away. He paused, holding himself over her until he could catch
his breath. So he could breathe. The very sight of her was enough to make a man
want her for his own. He wet his dry lips. How could just the sight of this
woman cause his mouth to go dry and his heart to race? He didn’t know and he
didn’t care. All he knew was that she would be his.

Balancing
over her on one hand, he reached down between them to fondle his ever-hardening
shaft. He stroked it as he imagined her yielding body beneath his and plunging
into her soft, wet folds. He took a deep breath. He had to regain some
semblance of control or he would ravish her here on the spot. Determined to be
gentle with her, he lowered himself between her spread thighs.

Breathing
deep, he struggled to hold on to what little control he had. His lungs labored
for huge gulps of air as he positioned himself at the entrance to her virginal
channel. He leaned down to lap at her nipple, knowing there wasn’t an inch of
her that he hadn’t already kissed and caressed. Her body was his temple and he
planned to worship and be worshipped daily.

He refused to just thrust into her like some
mindless animal. He moved forward slowly, gritting his teeth as he pushed the
head of his cock into the opening of her tight sheath. Her cream covered his
shaft as he pushed through her tight folds.

His
breath hissed out between his teeth as his cock felt like it was being bent in
half by her too tight channel. Soon he reached the barrier that proclaimed her
still untouched and stopped. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he held himself
over her, his shaft half buried in her clasping hole.

“Tell
me you’re sure. Tell me you want this. That you want me.” His entire body
trembled with the need to sink his flesh into hers. Still he waited for her
confirmation.

She
looked up into his eyes, her own filled with trust. The sight nearly unmanned
him. She had no reason to trust him this way, especially after he’d failed her
so miserably.

“I
want this, Thor, more than you know.”

She
reached up to caress his face. Turning his head, he kissed her palm and then
smiled down into her eyes. He wanted this woman forever. He wanted to hold her
to him, reveling in her scent, the feel of her body pressed against his and the
soft wetness of her woman’s heat.

“You’re
sure?”

“I’ve
never been so sure of anything in my life.”

He
thrust his rock hard flesh through her virgin’s barrier and groaned. He held
himself still, waiting for her inner flesh to stretch and accommodate his size.
It was the most challenging thing he’d ever done. How could he hold so still
when everything in him wanted nothing more than to plunge his hard cock into
her woman’s flesh over and over?

She gasped, and when he would have withdrawn she wrapped her
legs around him, locking him deep inside her.

He
took a deep breath, hoping he would have the power to maintain his control when
everything within him told him to claim her as his in every way possible. To
ram his hardened shaft into her slick softness until he would never find his
way out.

Her
channel clasped him like tight, wet velvet. Gritting his teeth, he slowly
withdrew and then plunged deeper into her channel. His balls ached as they
slapped against her rear. He’d never been so content, felt so alive before now.
Somehow, this woman made him feel as though he had come home. There was nowhere
on this earth he would rather be than buried balls deep in her clasping flesh.

He
withdrew again, slowly moving from her flesh, unsure if he was being careful
for him or for her at this point. The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass
himself by shooting his load off too soon like an untried youth. It wouldn’t do
either of them any good. This was his one chance to prove to her that the
physical act of love could be enjoyable for both parties and he refused to blow
it.

She
whimpered when he withdrew again. “Please, Thor. I—”

He
leaned down to kiss her lips, his tongue caressing hers as he eased back into
her.

“Please,
what?”

“I
need...” She paused, her expression clearly stating that she didn’t know what
she needed.

“I
need...more.”

Chapter
Eleven

She whimpered
when he withdrew again. Would this strange pressure never cease? Now that she
knew what to expect, she couldn’t wait to see what was next. He leaned down and
lazily lapped at her nipple. The cool air hardened the dusky tip and she
groaned.

“Please,
Thor, I—”

“Please
what?” he asked, moving up to kiss her lips, his tongue caressed hers as he
eased is hardness back into her. His mouth moved back down her throat, to her
breasts. He suckled each hardened peak in turn, gently using his teeth to
heighten the sensation.

“I
need...” she paused, confused, unsure of what it was she needed to make the
pressure build into another orgasm. Threading her fingers through his hair, she
pulled his head to hers. “I need...more.”

He
groaned as she tentatively thrust her tongue into his mouth. The sound gave her
a semblance of confidence. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him
closer. Tightening her hands into fists, she grabbed his hair, holding him to
her with determination. She needed this. She needed him.

His
body trembled as he continued to gently thrust into her. She squeezed her legs
around his waist, pulling him deeper. He groaned again and finally gave in to
her request. Raising himself up on his knees, he grabbed her hips and pulled
her closer. The action tilted her hips up a bit more, giving him better access
to thrust into her.

She
gasped when his hard cock drove into her harder and he rotated his hips. The
movement caused his shaft to rub a spot inside her that nearly made her scream.
The musky scent of their lovemaking, the sensations and the intense pleasure
was almost too much to bear.

He
grasped her behind the knees and pushed her legs forward. The position opened
her up to his long slow thrusts. The stretching sensation, a pleasure that
bordered on pain, kept her so near the edge of another climax all she could
manage to do was continue to scream his name.

She
threw her head back onto the pillow and reached up to squeeze his arms. His
large biceps flexed under her fingers. He groaned above her and then leaned
down to take first one, then her other nipple into his mouth.

“I’m
going to cum soon, Emma. I want to take you with me when I do,” he panted above
her. “Reach for it, baby,” he coaxed. “Cum again for me.”

The
pressure kept building. A strange burning began deep inside and heat spread
throughout her body. The heat and tingling grew and flared out from her middle.
She was going to cum again. She felt it.

Emma
looked up at him. His sapphire eyes gleamed down at her, the flickering
candlelight reflected in his expressive eyes.

A
cool breeze wafted in the open window hampered by the drawn drapes. The air,
cool and inviting, was just one more sensual assault on her senses. Her nipples
puckered, drawing tighter. The turgid peaks tightened until the little buds
were diamond hard.

She
stared at up at him, mesmerized. His strong jaw, perfect nose and sensual smile
made her heart thump in her chest. She couldn’t look away.

He
smiled down at her. His every movement, every one of his measured thrusts was
designed to take her closer to the edge. His body moved above hers with a
practiced expertise she tried not to think about.

“You’re
so hot, Emma, so wet, so tight. I’m getting close. You make me see stars,
love.”

The
sound of his voice was sexy—too sexy and seductive to resist. The slight,
unrecognizable accent turned her on. She wanted to hear him talk more often, to
tell her stories. She wanted him to tell her children stories with that
peculiar accent.

The
thought scared her. She shouldn’t be thinking of him in that manner. Men like
him were free spirits. He wouldn’t thank her for tying him down. In fact, he
would come to hate her for it. She couldn’t, she wouldn’t do that to him. She
watched him through her lashes, trying not to cry. How would she ever be able
to let him go?

When
he picked up the tempo, all thinking was a thing of the past. Their bodies came
together forcefully. Over and over, his member drove into her harder and
harder. The heat surrounded her. It consumed her. The friction from their
joined bodies built to a fiery conflagration of mutual desire, lust and need.

A
hoarse moan escaped his throat as she dug her fingers into his back. Her legs
quivered, her thighs clenched. Sweat beaded up on her skin, giving it a warm
sheen.

“I’m
cumming. Oh, my God, Thor!”

He
threw his head back and growled her name, joining her in mutual pleasure. Hot,
thick jets of semen bathed her insides. The warm wash of the sticky fluid splashed
against her womb, warming her from the inside out.

Still,
he drove into her. He expertly flexed his hips as he groaned loud and long
through his orgasm.

A
brief worry about birth control flickered through her mind. She dismissed it
easily when she realized that she didn’t care if he made her pregnant. If she
had his child, it would only mean she wouldn’t be alone after Alex was gone and
Thor left.

Content,
she held him to her when he would have rolled to the side. She hoped he didn’t
mind. She wanted—no—needed this closeness now. He gave in, collapsing on top of
her and pinned her to the bed.

She
wasn’t uncomfortable in the least. The warmth of his body seeped slowly into
hers. It relaxed her, even as his weight crushed her to the firm mattress.

Comfortable,
she stayed beneath him, content to have their legs tangled together as she
stroked the sweat-dampened hair from his face.

After
a moment, he lifted his head and looked into her eyes. He stared down at her,
his own eyes seemed tortured, lost.

“I
need you again, love,” he whispered against her lips.

He
began to rock over her again. His shaft grew impossibly larger with each gentle
thrust. She reveled in the heat of his body pressed against hers as the
pressure and heat began anew

“I
know that you were an innocent, you can’t possibly be ready for this...” he
bent to lap at her breast. “But I can’t seem to help myself.”

He
kissed her gently, almost reverently.

“When
I look at you, touch you, even smell your unique scent, I lose all control. All
reason escapes me until the only thing I can think about is burying my cock in
your slick, silky softness.”

Emma
moaned, wrapped her arms around his head as he bent to suckle her breasts once
again. There was some line, some connection between the sensitized tips of her
breasts and her womb. Every time he closed his lips over her breasts and
suckled, it sent a burning, tingling sensation through her body, straight to
her weeping pussy.

Her
world was filled with nothing but the sensual delight of his warm lips upon her
quivering flesh. How could she go from a complete innocent to this wanton woman
who would do almost anything to be with this man?

Before,
their lovemaking had been fast and furious. But, now he was slow and gentle.
She keened his name again as another orgasm overtook her. Her body shook and
trembled with renewed need as he continued to slide his thick shaft into her
slick channel. She loved the knowledge that her body’s cream covered his large
member as he rocked above her.

The
very gentleness the two of them shunned before, in their haste to taste each
other and slake their lust earlier, now drove them both quickly over the edge
of ecstasy.

Emma
drifted on a cloud of relaxation, barely clinging to consciousness. She reveled
in the knowledge that for now, at least, she wasn’t alone. There was comfort in
the knowledge that she had someone to hold, to cling to, even if it was only
for a little while.

What
happened now was uppermost in her mind. She refused to think about the future. Tomorrow
would come soon enough, carrying with it the reality of her life. The knowledge
weighed heavily on her mind. The routine visit to the hospital that she’d
mentioned to Thor was not routine at all. Tomorrow she would force herself to
walk into her brother’s sterile room and tell him goodbye.

It
was about time that she faced the facts. Her baby brother, the only person left
in this world who gave a damn about her, was dying. Hell, according to
everything the medical professionals had said, he was dead already. It was time
she came to terms with the fact that her brother was never coming home.

She
stayed in the bed beside Thor, soaking up his warmth. Her body had suddenly
gone cold at the realization that it was late and it was already tomorrow. In
only a few hours she would finally tell the doctors to take her precious
brother off life-support.

She
rolled over and watched Thor as he slept. Golden lashes rested on his cheeks,
his red-gold brows slashed over his eyes and she smiled, remembered the
expressiveness of those two slashes. His tendency to give her a sexy look, with
one raised brow, made her smile.

Her
fingers itched to touch his perfect face, to smooth over the fine lines she
knew were caused by laughter. The man had a wonderful sense of humor. He was a
hard worker, a knowledgeable farmer and a breathtaking companion. It was hard
to believe some smart woman hadn’t snatched him up before now.

She
frowned at the thought. Perhaps his freedom had made him the man he was today.
Would she be the one to change all that? Did she really want to be the one who
tied the tether to this free spirit? Or would she simply enjoy him while she
could and hope that he would decide to stay?

She
slid from the bed and headed for the open window. She needed to think and she
always thought better while looking at the stars.

Thinking
to don her robe first, she tied the sash tight around her waist before pulling
the drape gently aside. She moved slowly as to not make any noise that would
wake Thor. The poor man needed his sleep to recuperate from his burns, even
though they weren’t quite as bad as she originally thought.

She
stared out into the night praying for answers before she caught herself and
scowled. She would not pray to that fickle God any longer. She had thoroughly
washed her hands of the Asgard Thor and would never ask for his negligent
attention again.

A
movement below caught her eye and her breath caught in her throat. Someone was
down there, doing something to the trailers the corn was in. She rushed back to
the bed and shook Thor.

“Someone
is outside messing around the trailers and the crib. We have to stop them from
doing whatever it is they are up to before they cause more damage,” she
whispered. She didn’t want to alert their intruders that they were about to be
caught.

Thor
sat up, his eyes gleaming in the night. Emma stepped back, her hand to her
throat. What made him look so surreal, so...otherworldly?

She
took a breath and shook her head. It was nothing more than her imagination.
There was nothing extraordinary about this man other than the way he made love
and quite possibly the size of his… Her face burned at the thought.

Watching
him dress as they both donned their clothes was both a shame and a treat. She
loved the way his muscles bunched and gathered as he dressed, but hated seeing
him covering them up. The man had an ass to die for.

She
smiled to herself when he grabbed the same weapon her father kept just inside
the kitchen door, a ten-pound sledgehammer. Now it was Thor’s hammer, she
grinned. No. She covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. That wasn’t his hammer.
Thor’s hammer was a very useful tool that he always kept close and tucked away.

Her
face heated at her own inane thoughts and she covered her face with her hands.
Thor’s true hammer was between his legs.

Chapter
Twelve

“I don’t
understand what someone would want to do out there.” She bit her lip as she
sipped her coffee.

By
the time they had both dressed and gotten outside to investigate, the intruder
or intruders were long gone. There wasn’t much evidence to even support the
fact that they had been there. Only two sets of tracks remained—one, she said
was a size similar to her brother’s, the other very large, like Thor’s. If he
hadn’t been in her room with her, she may have believed him a part of this
obvious plot to chase her from her ancestral land.

Her
plate of pancakes sat cold in front of her. The pat of butter congealed in the
center. Sticky, tar-like syrup held her fork glued to the plate. She had only
taken a bite or two before pushing the plate away with a grimace.

“Perhaps
they were just looking for another way to sabotage your harvest.”

She
nodded. “I’m sure that’s what it is, too. They must know that I can’t take much
more of this. I don’t have much more money. The bank account is nearly
depleted. They must know that if I lose this harvest, I lose everything once
and for all. I won’t be able to pay the mortgage and the farm will go up for
auction.”

“It
won’t come to that. I have a few... connections.” He gave her a level stare and
covered her hand with his own. “It will not come to that.”

She
lifted her shoulder in a shrug, acting like she didn’t care. “You can take the
day off, if you want. I’m going into town to visit my brother.”

“You’re
going to the hospital?” he narrowed his eyes. “You aren’t going there on the
pretence of seeing your brother just to get me to see a doctor, are you?”

She
shook her head, her emotions clearly swamping her.

“I
wish that’s all it was.” She sighed and pushed a trembling hand through her
hair. “I’ve thought about this for a long time. And prayed. I’ve prayed so long
and so hard for him to get better that I’m sick of it.” She thinned her lips.
“But there is no God. I’ve prayed for my mother, I’ve prayed for my father,”
she chuckled mirthlessly. “But what did it get me?” She looked around the
spotless kitchen and waved her arm. “It got me an empty house.”

“I’d
like to go with you, if you don’t mind.” He stood, rinsed out his coffee cup
and put it in the dishwasher.

“Why?
You’ve already said you don’t want to be seen.”

He
nodded. “And I still do not wish to be seen by a doctor. I would like to meet
your brother, though.”

She
gave him a startled look. “Why?” she asked, pacing in front of him.

He
turned to look at her. Her agitated state was obvious as she paced across the
large kitchen. Her body language told him she wanted him to go. But she
obviously couldn’t voice her need.

“I
would like to meet your brother. To let him know that, at least for now, his
sister is cared for. I know you love him and he must have been a wonderful boy
for you to still cling to his memory the way you do. I want to meet someone who
is capable of garnering such love, loyalty and devotion.”

“He’s
going to die.”

The
words came out on a sob as she leaned back against the refrigerator. Her legs
gave out and she collapsed to the floor.

“He’s
going to die and there’s nothing I can do about it. I don’t know what I’m going
to do without him. He’s all I have left.”

Her
words hit him hard. The pain was sharp. The wound deep. She was right, to an
extent. For years, her brother had been all she had left. But not any more. She
had him now.

He
knelt down and gathered her in his arms. She sobbed against his chest and he
wondered how many times she had sobbed out the same sorrows while she prayed
for the help of her God.

He
couldn’t think about that now. He refused to drown himself in his own pity while
she cried her heart out against his chest.

“Then
I should go with you. You shouldn’t be alone to do this. You won’t be in any
condition to drive when it is over.”

She
nodded. “You’re right.” She pushed against his shoulders and stood. “I’ll never
be able to walk down the corridor, let alone drive all the way back here.”

Reaching
across the counter, she pulled a paper towel from the holder attached to the
underside of a cabinet and wiped her eyes before using it to blow her nose.

“Just
let me get my purse and we can get the hell out of here.”

* * * *

They
arrived at the hospital too early. The nurses in the ICU, reluctant to allow
Emma see her brother before the official visiting hours began, sent them away.

“You
should be seen by a doctor while we’re here and it’s not like we don’t have
some time to kill now.”

She
turned to examine one of the exposed burns on his arm. He tightened his
muscles, refusing to flinch. The way he figured it, if she even remotely
thought he was in pain she would drag his ass to the emergency room and he
didn’t want that. There was no telling what modern medicine could find out
about his blood.

“I
feel fine. There is no reason to waste the time of these people when I can
clearly see they are needed elsewhere most urgently.”

Finally,
after arguing with him for several minutes, she apparently realized he wasn’t
about to budge on the matter. So she shifted tactics.

“You
said you would see a doctor if I brought you,” she twisted his words in an
obvious attempt to get him to let the medical professionals check him over.

The
woman was tenacious as well as devious. He stifled a smile at the thought.
Under certain circumstances he liked that in a woman.

“No,”
he said shaking his head. “I did not. I said I would go with you to the hospital
and no other. I did not agree to let another man poke and prod at my person.”

She
crossed her eyes. What a baby!

“Why
do you always talk so funny?”

Uh,
oh. She was beginning to think that it was strange how he seemed to slip in and
out of his strange, antiquated speech. He’d spoken like this for centuries. He
was finding it hard to stop now. Apparently old habits do die hard.

He
shrugged. “I didn’t realize that I was.”

Obviously
deciding to give up on getting him seen, she steered him toward the cafeteria.

“Why
don’t we get something to eat? By the time we’re finished, we can go in and see
Alex.”

He
agreed. He wasn’t all that hungry, but maybe she was.

He
followed her down the brightly lit corridor, admiring the shape of her ass. He
loved a nice ass and Emma had the nicest that he’d seen in some time. Her hips
swayed from side to side as she led him down the hall. He wanted nothing better
than to grab her and drag her into one of these rooms and fuck her brains out.

“I
thought maybe you would be hungry after all that has happened over the last
several hours.”

She
watched as he chose a cup of coffee and a bagel from the cafeteria shelves and
he smiled at her.

“I
rarely eat much when I’m upset.”

He
plunked his tray down on a table in the center of the room and straddled the
chair with his legs before he sat. He gave her a crooked grin.

“It
never failed to worry my mother.”

“Hmmm...”
she took a sip of her coffee grimaced and put two more packets of sugar in it.
“I’ll bet it did. Moms can be like that.” She glanced at her watch.

“Or
big sisters who are used to playing at being a mom, too, I’ll bet.”

She
gave him a noncommittal shrug.

“Yeah,
I suppose.” Taking a deep breath, she let it out on a sigh. “You don’t
understand. I’ve raised my brother since he was eight. When…when my mother
died.”

She
stared down into her coffee and wrapped her fingers a bit tighter around the
cup, turning her knuckles white.

“Then
my dad died when I was eighteen. He left Alex and the farm in my custody until
Alex is ready to take over. The way—” Her voice broke. She straightened her
shoulders and cleared her throat. “With the way things look now, I’ll never be
able to hand over the reins.”

He
stared at her. Impotent rage at his neglect of her during her time of need
raced through his blood, a lightening storm of seething emotion. How could he
call himself her God, her protector when he hadn’t been there for her when she
needed him the most?

* * * *

Emma
didn’t want to lose her brother. Yet today she had to agree to let them take
him off the life-support. The doctor had already told her several times that
there was minimal brain activity. If his brain couldn’t even function enough to
keep his body breathing on its own, there wasn’t much hope.

Despair
lodged in her chest. A sob caught in her throat as she finally faced the fact
that this could likely be the day of her brother’s death. But, with the bank
account dwindling and the insurance company about to stop paying the bills, she
didn’t have much of a choice.

She
raised her head, knowing her eyes were filled with her sorrow.

“How
do I do this, Thor?” her voice broke on a sob. “How do I walk into that room
and tell them to take my baby brother off life-support and then sit there and
wait for him to die?”

She
buried her head in her hands and cried. She cried for the losses and hardships
she’d had to suffer through. There were so many in her young life. How many
more would she be forced to endure?

She
ignored the varied stares from the other cafeteria patrons. Pity would only
make her cry harder. What she needed now was a way to become angry. Anger was a
good thing in a situation like this. Perhaps she could make it work for her.
Who knows? With any luck, perhaps she could force the tears back.

How
can I do it? How can I ever make that choice?

Reach
out and I shall be there to comfort you in your time of sorrow. My heart aches
for you, my child. Reach for your God. He is there willing, waiting to help
you.

Emma’s
eyes widened. She looked around. There wasn’t anyone behind her and she knew
Thor hadn’t said anything. Had she finally taken a dive off the deep end?

She
shook her head.

You
did not hear that voice of a strange man in your head. What are you thinking?
You are not hearing the voices of strange men in your head at all.

Studying
the wisps of steam from her coffee, she busied herself with putting cream and
sugar in the dark brew. It didn’t take long to stir it in and she soon found
herself with nothing to do again.

I
am your God, Odin. Listen to your heart, child. Ask Thor for help and this time
he shall deliver.

I
am not hearing voices in my head!

Oh,
God! She’d finally irrevocably gone off the deep end. Now she was hearing
voices. What was next, wearing a tinfoil hat?

Tears
ran down her cheeks as she stared across the table at Thor, as she contemplated
the loss of her sanity. He was so strong, so caring. It would be so easy to
fall in love with someone like him. Shaking her head, she swiped her hand over
her eyes. She couldn’t let herself fall in love with him. If she did, and he
died too, it would kill her.

Chapter
Thirteen

Thor
stood up quickly. His chair slid noisily across the smooth tile floor. Several
people sat staring at Emma, during what should have been a private moment for
her. He scowled at the gawking people, giving them his fiercest glare so they’d
give her some small semblance of privacy.

He
strode around the table and pulled her up into his arms. She stood easily,
letting him press her face against his chest. She reached out automatically and
wrapped her arms around his waist.

His
heart ached for her. It was his fault she had gone through such terrible times.
It was his fault that her prayers weren’t answered years ago. He should never
have been so caught up with his own troubles that he couldn’t sense the needs
of one of his people.

Yet
he knew the conundrum. Had her prayers been answered all those years ago, she
wouldn’t be the woman she had become. A woman worthy to be the consort of a
God.

He
tightened his arms around her, pressing his cheek against the top of her head.
After a few moments, she pulled from his embrace and wiped the tears from her
eyes.

She
laughed softly, trying to lighten the mood, but the sound came out more of a
croak. He reached up with a napkin and gently held the napkin against her nose.

“Blow.”

He
felt nine times a fool, dragging that damned paper napkin over her face. Big
and clumsy, his hands shook as he did his best to comfort her, even as he
feared accidentally harming her in some way.

She
cleared her throat. “We should go to his room now,” she said, checking her
watch again.

“I
want to spend some time with him before—” Her voice broke and she shook her
head.

Holding
her hand up, she shook her head again when he would have pulled her into his
arms once more.

“Please,
don’t be nice to me.” Her voice quavered when she spoke. Grabbing another
napkin from the table, she blew her nose. “I’ll break down if you’re nice to
me. I need to be strong today. For Alex.” She sighed when her words came out on
soft hiccups. “He doesn’t deserve to lay in that hospital bed with tubes
sticking out everywhere. I have to be strong enough to let him go.”

Thor
let her lead him up to her brother’s room where he waited silently for her to
say her heartbreaking goodbyes.

Father,
if you’re going to help this boy, now is the time. He
said, reaching out with his senses trying to figure out if his father was even
with them. The hospital officials have been hounding Emma to remove the boy
from the life-support machines. Those machines are holding him to this life.

Move
closer to the bed, son. The boy is too far gone. I can’t heal him through you.
I must return your power to you and you must heal the boy. Even though you are
with him, you will find that you do not have the power to heal him in one day.
It will take several visits, but it can be done. When you have finished with
the healing, then I shall strip you bare of your powers once more.

Following
his father’s instructions, Thor moved closer to the bed. He placed his hands on
Alex’s arm and stomach and closed his eyes. Reaching within himself, he found
his power lagging and weak from disuse. Still, he felt the surge as he began to
pour it into the injured boy.

Burning
hot energy rushed from him and into Alex’s body, repairing the swollen tissue
of his brain and healing his damaged organs. Heat built up inside his own body,
making him sweat as he forced the healing energy into Emma’s beloved brother.

Using
up his energy this way was taxing, especially when his powers had begun to wan
from neglect over the centuries.

Even
though his family and the others were what these people knew as gods, they were
only omnipotent when others believed. The less people believed in them, the
less power they had. Soon, one day, they would be no more.

Every
century that passed reduced the number of believers. Soon, his people would be
mortal like everyone else. They were only gods by the grace of those who served
and worshipped them.

His
powers exhausted, he staggered back from the bed. Even after expelling every
bit of energy he held within him, the boy still lay like the dead upon the narrow
bed in front of him.

He
was too late. He had waited too long. He raised his eyes to Emma, who looked on
with barely disguised despair and knew that he had failed her. Losing her love
and her belief had weakened him.

He
fell back, slamming against the wall behind him. His knees buckled and he felt
himself inexplicably sliding to the floor in a disgraceful heap.

She
rushed to his side.

“I
told you that you needed to see a doctor, you stubborn creep,” she said,
pushing the hair from his face. “God, you look so pale! I’m going to find a
nurse.”

She
started to leave and he grabbed her arm.

“I
don’t need a damned doctor,” he grumbled wearily. “I need sleep. I’ll be fine.”

He
let his eyes drift closed, hoping to gather enough energy to at least stand. It
wouldn’t do to have the hospital staff come in and find him on the floor like
this.

The
door opened beside him and a nurse and doctor walked into the room.

“It’s
time already?” Emma asked, darting a look at her brother.

Sparkling
tears caught on her lashes before they fell to her cheeks, glittering like
gems. He wanted to brush those tears from her face, but was still too weak to
stand. He clenched his hands at his sides, berating himself for his continued
selfishness that put her in this situation.

The
nurse bustled around the small room with cold efficiency, unplugging equipment,
removing the tubes that snaked down her brother’s nose and throat, helping him
to breath.

The
steady beep and whoosh of the life-support, still attached to the tube anchored
in his chest suddenly stopped and they all stood in the room surrounded by the
eerie silence.

Alex’s
chest did not rise and fall on its own, and after a full minute, the doctor
checked his watch.

“Eleven
twenty-two, Mrs. Harper, Let’s call it.”

Suddenly,
Alex sucked in a huge gulp of air. The heart and brain wave monitors started to
go crazy and his chest began to rise and fall in a steady rhythm.

The
doctor rushed to Alex’s side and, putting his stethoscope to his ears, listened
to the boy’s chest.

He
looked up at Emma and smiled.

“Against
the odds, your brother has begun to breathe on his own.” He looked at the
monitors and frowned. “And his brainwave activity has increased quite
drastically.”

He
strode to the foot of the bed and picked up Alex’s chart.

“That’s
strange, his records show that yesterday...” His voice trailed off and he
looked around the room, clearly at a loss for words, his face pale. “I do
believe that we have all just witnessed a medical miracle.”

He
looked back at the boy in the bed. His color had improved in just the few
moments that he’d been breathing on his own. The doctor shook his head in
obvious disbelief.

Thor
heaved a sigh of relief. Emma’s brother may not be out of the woods, just yet,
but at least he had improved enough that the medical professionals were no
longer so eager to give up on him.

Before,
there had been no hope that he would survive. At least now, Emma had his
recovery to look forward to. At least now she had hope.

She
rushed to her brother’s side. She buried her head in his neck, whispering her
love to him. Thor could hear her and hoped to one day hear those words said to
him with such feeling, but only if Emma was the one speaking. He knew she
didn’t want to live without her brother and he’d had obviously fought,
struggled to stay with his sister.

She
gazed down at her brother. Perhaps now she would finally be able to rest,
finally be able to smile and not feel guilty because she laughed while her
brother lay dying. And she would find the place where she no longer felt guilty
for stealing small moments of pleasure for herself.

* * * *

With
every breath Alex drew on his own, Emma’s guilt at having stolen a few moments
of paradise in Thor’s arms lessened. Even though she loved Alex with everything
in her, she needed that time. Perhaps it was her turn to live. She had always
put her wants, her needs aside to care for him and their father. Maybe it was
time that for once in her life, that she took control and seized a few moments
for herself.

Gazing
down at her brother, so still and pale, she watched the steady rhythm of his
chest. She listened to the soft sound of his breathing and smiled. It was a
beautiful sound.

She
looked over at Thor and frowned. Why did he look so pale and tired? The
normally small laugh lines around his mouth and eyes were deeper, more
pronounced.

He
stood leaning against the wall, his shoulders slumped. She’d never seen anyone
look so tired in her life. It was almost as if he had somehow given Alex all of
his energy and now stood here on the very edge of death himself.

What
a ridiculous thought, Emma. Of course he did no such thing. He’s merely tired
because neither of you got any sleep last night.

“You
should see a doctor while you’re here. You’re so weak you can barely stand.”
Should she put her foot down and make him go? Could she?

“I
have already told you,” he said shaking his head. “I’ll be fine. I’m just
tired. After a few hours of sleep, I’ll be good as new.” He looked up at her
and winked. “I didn’t get much sleep last night, you know.”

Her
face warmed and she turned to look at her brother.

“It’s
not very nice of you to bring that up in here, you know,” she whispered. She
turned to open the blinds. “I feel like letting some sun in. Do you think he
knows the sun is shining on him?”

“Yes,”
he said with a smile as he pulled himself up off the floor. “I think he knows
the sun is shining and I would bet that he can even hear the smile in your
voice.”

He
cast a sideways glance at her brother.

“Now,
are you going to introduce us or are we men supposed to do all of the work?” he
teased.

The
heart monitor changed rhythm for a moment and Alex’s hand jerked in response.

“Did
you see that?” She pointed and clapped her hands. “He moved. He really moved!”
she danced over to Thor and threw herself into his arms. “He’s really going to
get better, isn’t he?”

“He
certainly is, sweetheart. At least if I have anything to say about it.”

Chapter
Fourteen

Emma
returned to her work with new vigor. She now had hope that her brother may
recover. The odds that he would survive this ordeal increased every day. Now
that her worry wasn’t as sharp, she threw herself into her work, rushing to get
the harvest in and preparing for Alex’s eventual return home.

The
next few days were spent working on the farm, her nights on getting to know
Thor. She’d refused to sleep with him again. She wasn’t sure what it was that
happened between them, but at least she was smart enough to realize that her
lapse into such slutty behavior was an aberration. An aberration she didn’t
dare allow to repeat itself.

Each
moment she spent in his presence tested her will, her determination, to keep
him at arm’s length. Each moment inexplicably brought her closer to him. She
knew that soon, her needs would overcome her good sense and she wouldn’t be
able to stop the heated necking that had become a nightly occurrence. To make
matters worse, she wasn’t sure she wanted to stop it.

Wiping
the sweat from her brow, she looked up. Watching his muscles flex and relax as
he worked had quickly become a habit. God the man was the epitome of male
perfection. She lifted the glass of ice water she’d just fetched from the
cooler and took a long, slow drink.

Holding
the plastic tumbler to her forehead, she attempted to keep the heat of the day
at bay. With no breeze, the sun beat down on them mercilessly and she was fast
reaching a point where she would no longer be able to keep going without a
rest.

Tipping
the glass to her lips once more, she sucked an ice cube into her mouth and spit
it out in her palm. She ran the sliver of ice over her neck and between her
breasts until it melted so much, she dropped it. She scowled as it slid down
between her breasts, then looked up to see Thor’s gaze riveted to her chest.

Her
face burned, whether from lust or the sun, she wasn’t sure, and she didn’t want
to explore it. His heated stare made her nipples pebble beneath her sports bra
and she suddenly wished she’d worn more clothes.

She
set her glass down and donned the worn work gloves once again in an attempt to
pretend nothing had happened. Still, she felt his heated gaze like a touch. His
sapphire eyes blazed with intensity. They burned a fiery trail over her flushed
skin that made her nether parts ache.

Heat
pooled in her middle as creamy moisture rushed between her legs soaking her
panties. She licked her lips and sighed. How much longer could they go on this
way? She was like a cat in heat. Every night she wanted to rub her body against
him and beg him to take her over and over again.

But
what would that accomplish, she thought with a scowl. Other than
relieving a small amount of sexual frustration? Nothing.

She
barely knew the man. She found it hard to believe that she had entertained the
notion of sleeping with him the first time, let alone again. Who was he? Other
than a handsome drifter who had promised to help her bring in her harvest, she
had no idea.

She
climbed back up onto the tractor and backed it into position by the last
trailer. Soon the corn would be in and they could start haying the other
fields. She would need it for the horses this winter. Yanking on the lever, the
trailer tipped and the corn began to pour into the other box.

The
slick mud on her boots caused her to slip and she caught hold of the trailer
with a squeal. Quick as a blink, Thor was behind her, his arm around her middle,
squashing her against his hard frame.

“You
should be more careful, Emma.”

His
breath brushed against her neck. The small hairs at her nape stood at attention
and her nipples hardened into diamond-like peaks.

“I—I
slipped,” she explained unnecessarily. She gestured down to her feet. “The mud
on my boots...”

He
held her against him as he backed down off the trailer. Her body pressed
against his, his already hard shaft pressing between the cheeks of her bottom.

He
sniffed her hair. “You always smell so good.”

“I
smell like dirt and sweat,” she said, making a face. “I can’t possibly smell
good. You’re losing your mind, Thor. Now put me down.”

He
shook his head, his soft hair brushing against her neck.

“I
don’t think so.” He kissed her shoulder. “You’ve been trying to ignore me all
week.” He breathed into her ear, his tongue dancing around the outer shell.
“I’m not going to let you do it today.”

He
still held her close when they reached the ground, her back to his front. He
wrapped his other arm around her, cupping her breast in his warm palm.

“I’ve
dreamed of this moment. I dreamed that one day I would catch you off guard and
you wouldn’t be able to refuse me.”

He
nibbled on her shoulder, his tongue darting out to soothe the slight ache. His
thumb brushed over her nipple, and she gasped at the lightning-bolt of
sensation that shot through her blood.

Her
body trembled and her legs turned to mush. Still, he held her in his strong
arms and assaulted her senses.

She
felt his hard body behind hers, his fingers expertly bringing the tips of her
breasts to hardened peaks. He tongued her ear, causing shivers of desire to
course through her body as his hand worked lower over her stomach, to cup her
mound in his hand.

She
whimpered when his fingers tightened, rubbing her sensitive bud through her
thick jeans. Reaching down, she covered his hand with her own, whether she
tried to help or stop him was a mystery—even to her.

“I
want nothing more than to strip you bare right here, right now. I want to sink
my cock into your slick depths and fuck you until you scream.”

She
whimpered again. His words nearly driving her over the edge.

“Please,
Thor. I can’t.”

“Shhh...”
He whispered in her ear, causing gooseflesh to rise on her skin. “Of course you
can. Not here, though.”

He
picked her up and carried her into the shed she’d turned into a makeshift barn.
The interior blanketed them in darkness and intimacy while outside, the sun
still shone down upon the fields. Sitting her in the thick pile of clean hay,
Thor gave her a kiss that curled her toes and a rumble sounded in the distance.

“Mmm...”
she smiled softly. “God of Thunder,” she teased.

He
chuckled as he slowly removed his pants, unwrapping himself like a present for
her gaze.

She
licked her lips, as he slid the jeans from his hips. His hard cock jutted from
the open fly and slapped against his ridged stomach. A drop of clear fluid
eased from the tip and she licked her lips in anticipation. She was through
trying to deny this thing that was happening to them. Through being afraid of
what the future held. If he left her after their loving, so be it. But at least
she hadn’t been afraid to take the chance.

He
sucked his breath in between his teeth with an audible hiss as she cupped his
sac and slid her eager tongue around the head of his shaft.

“Shit!”
he gasped as she licked the length slowly. He fisted his hands in her hair, his
hips thrusting forward in an attempt to get her mouth to engulf his massive
organ.

She
smiled up at him, lowering her lashes in what she hoped was a seductive pose.

“Do
you like this?” she asked, already knowing the answer. His hips jerked as she
licked the length like a giant all-day sucker. She tried to remember all the
things she’d read about in the several erotic books she’d bought over the last
few years.

Finally,
she covered the head of his shaft with her mouth and took him deep. Humming,
she watched as he squeezed his eyes closed and groaned. Even though she felt
him slide partially down her throat, she still couldn’t take his full length
into her mouth. She worked his hard cock for a few minutes, moving her fisted
hand at the base of his cock, to further heighten the sensation.

After
a few moments, she slid her mouth back up his large shaft and let the head of
his cock pop free, watching as it hit his stomach with an audible smack.

He
shuddered and dropped to his knees.

“I
don’t know how much more of that I could take,” he panted against her skin as
he bent to draw a nipple into his mouth.

She
reveled in his attention for a moment before she pushed him away. Hands on his
shoulders, she grinned.

“Well,
we’re about to find out.” She pushed him back into the hay and kissed her way
back down to his straining erection.

“How
does this feel?” she asked, taking his length into her mouth. She started to
hum again and Thor squirmed beneath her.

“It
feels...” he paused, pushed her hair away from her face and watched her mouth
work his large shaft while her hands massaged the tight sac between his legs.

She
sucked harder, pulling her mouth slowly from his shaft as she watched him watch
her head slowly bob up and down on his hard cock. It was heady, knowing that
she could drive this man so out of control that he could barely speak.

“It
feels wonderful, Emma.”

He
threw his head back into the loose hay as she continued to work his thick
shaft. His hands fisted in her hair, alternately pulling and caressing as she
continued to suck on his hard member.

“I
don’t know how much longer I can last, love,” he panted, his fingers pulling
her head to him. “If you don’t want me to...”

She
raised her hand and rested her fingers against his mouth for a second,
effectively telling him it was okay. She wanted this. She wanted him out of
control and pulling her to him like she was the only woman in the world that
would ever do for him.

“Arrgh!”
he cried as he began to thrust his hips up into her mouth. She took him all the
way, even as his hot cum began to shoot down her throat. She gulped down the
thick fluid, her nipples pebbling against the material of the sports bra. Her
hands massaged his scrotum as he shot the thick jets of hot fluid past her
lips. White cream trickled from the corners of her mouth as she attempted to
swallow every drop of his thick cum.

He
lay on his back panting, his fingers still tangled in her hair. Rolling over on
his side, he propped himself up on his elbow and smiled.

“My
turn.”

Chapter
Fifteen

Emma
gasped as he drew her down over his hard muscular frame. Pushing up her top,
his mouth closed over one nipple as his thumb and forefinger closed over the
other. Electricity sizzled through her blood as he drew on the hardened nub,
nipping the sensitive peak as he suckled.

She
tunneled her fingers through his silky hair, gasping at the wondrous sensations
rushing through her. Heat pooled in her middle. Thick cream coated her panties
and her nether parts twitched with anticipation.

“Please,
Thor, I...”

He
shook his head and chuckled. “No mercy, no sympathy. You’ve made me wait. Made
us both wait. You’ve teased us both mercilessly with your beautiful body and
the sensual smell of your denied arousal.” He shook his head. “The only way you
are going to stop me tonight is to look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t
want this. That you don’t want me.”

He
stopped, kissing and nibbling her skin for a moment to look up into her eyes.

“Tell
me you don’t want this and I’ll stop.”

She
shook her head, unable to tell him she didn’t want it. She wanted him. She
wanted all of him and right now, if he demanded answers, she would give them
truthfully.

“Please,”
she whimpered as he watched her, waiting.

“Please,
what?” he asked, kissing and laving the underside of her breast. “Please make
love with you? Or please stop?”

She
nodded. Unable to voice her wants and needs. Afraid to tell him what she wanted
would make her look wanton and cheap.

“Well?”
He raised his brow. “Which one is it? Do you want it or not?”

Still,
she couldn’t voice her desires, instead she showed him. Reaching up, she
tunneled her fingers through his hair and pulled his head down her. Keeping her
hands fisted, she held him to her breast until he began to suckle anew.

“I’ll
take that as a yes,” he said with a chuckle as he switched to her other breast.

Reaching
up, he peeled her top away and tossed it over his shoulder. He stared at her
bared breasts with something akin to adoration in his eyes.

Her
face warmed beneath that heated gaze and she turned her head, squeezing her
eyes shut, embarrassed.

He
smoothed his hand over her face, his fingers gently massaging the curve of her
lips. He pushed his hands through her hair, kissing a burning trail down over
her collarbone, to the rise of her breast. She arched up into him and he lifted
his head to kiss her gently.

“Never
be ashamed of your body again, baby.” He suckled her nipple into the moist heat
of his mouth then withdrew, blowing lightly on the moistened peak.

The
cool air on the wet bud caused it to pebble harder. His hand wandered lower,
found the curve of her hips. She sucked in her breath as his large hand skimmed
over the sensitized flesh of her mid-drift and she gasped as he sank his
wet-velvet tongue into her navel.

Unbuttoning
her jeans, he slid them down over her hips and inhaled deeply.

“I
love the scent of your arousal and the unique smell of your natural musk.” He
inhaled again, closing his eyes. “The taste of your rich cream is like
ambrosia. A food fit only for the gods.”

He
pressed his lips against the triangle of soft curls and sucked in another deep
breath.

“You
are a Goddess, Emma. You are my Goddess.”

Emma
whimpered as he snaked his tongue between her nether lips and groaned.

“God,
Thor, stop talking. If you don’t stop, I’m going to cum as soon as you touch
me. It’s too sexy,” she panted, waiting for him to pull her into his mouth. Just
stop talking and give me action already.

Crying
out, she spread her legs wide, offering herself to him like a wanton. Her
breath caught in her throat as his lips closed over the pulsing nub and he
suckled her into his mouth.

Fisting
her hands in his hair, she held onto him as her mind and body spun out of
control.

His
expert lips drove her over the edge of her climax. She keened his name in a
loud, piercing wail.

Not
waiting for the aftershocks to stop, Thor pushed two of his long, fingers
through her slick folds and thrust them inside, against her stomach. He hit a
sensitive spot inside that had her crying with ecstasy beneath him again.

Her
muscles clenched tightly around his thick fingers, drawing down on them as yet
another climax overtook her.

He
kissed her, swallowing her screams as his mouth moved languorously over hers.
His tongue explored every hollow of the inside of her mouth, thrusting his
velvet tongue against hers as he continued to take her over the threshold of
another mind-numbing orgasm.

She
moaned when he bent his head, drawing the peak of her breast into the welcoming
heat of his mouth. How would she ever live without him again? They had only
made love once and already she couldn’t get enough of him. She couldn’t wait to
have him pounding inside her again.

She
ran her hands over his body, feeling his hard muscles. His firm buttocks
clenched beneath her fingers as she squeezed the rounded cheeks. He bore down
on her, his weight barely registering as he moved between her legs.

“Tell
me you want me,” he begged as he positioned himself over her, the head of his
penis at the entrance to her waiting channel. “Tell me you want this.”

His
fingers tested her entrance, made sure she was ready for him to impale her with
his hard shaft. His eyes burned with passion as he gazed down at her, waiting
for her consent.

She
lifted her head, stroking her tongue over his chest, drawing on the flat
light-brown nipple.

He
groaned, still positioned above her, still awaiting her consent.

“Yes,”
she whispered against his skin, her teeth nipping gently. “Yes, Thor. I want
you more than I can say.”

* * * *

With
those words of consent, Thor groaned as he finally pushed forward through her
thick folds and settled deep within her tight sheath. The head of his cock
settled against the mouth of her womb and he stilled, waiting, trying to regain
his control.

“You’re
so tight, Emma,” he said, unable to move, barely able to stand the tight
clenching of her muscles around his cock.

His
balls tingled, already aching for release as he settled himself more firmly
inside her. He withdrew, slowly. The tight folds of her pussy clenched his
cock, as he pulled free of the slick embrace. He quickly drove back inside her
again, unable to bear the pressure within her, unable to bear the world
without.

Thunder
rumbled again as he eased in and out of her, trying desperately not to lose
control. His father had forgotten to remove his powers from him and he didn’t
want to hurt her. He attempted to direct the power outside of him, to the
weather.

Lightning
crashed, hitting the ground near the shed, a boom of thunder followed soon
after and still he couldn’t stop himself from driving into her silky softness.
He closed his eyes and a rainbow of colors danced behind the lids as he
continued to spiral farther out of control.

The
feel of her hands and mouth on his skin was enough to drive him over the edge
and he finally lost all control, all reason. He pounded into her with abandon,
knowing his eyes had taken on the otherworldly glow of one of his kind.

Emma
screamed out her orgasm as he drove into her, his body demanding that he slake
his lust once and for all. He threw his head back and roared out his release as
her body tightened around him, milking his shaft until there was little energy
left within him.

He
collapsed over her, aftershocks shaking his body as she gently stroked his
sensitized skin.

Her
hands stopped stroking him as he panted over her and she pushed at his chest.

“Thor,
what are you?”

The
sound of clapping came from the open doorway.

“Why
he’s Thor, God of Thunder. Didn’t you know that?”

Emma
squealed at the sound of the strange male voice and tried to cover herself.

The
intruder snorted and looked away.

“Like
I even want to look at your body.” His upper lip curled in a sneer and he
inhaled deeply.

“Ewww, Thor, it smells like nasty human sex in here.”

“Get
out, Loki,” he growled, dressing Emma with a thought. “You’re the one behind
all of the accidents aren’t you?” His eyes narrowed as he contemplated killing
another of his kind for the first time in his considerably long life.

Emma
looked between them, her eyes growing wide.

“Thor...?
Loki...?” She shook her head with disbelief. “This can’t be happening. She
looked down at the clothes covering her and bit back a hysterical laugh. “Tell
me this isn’t happening.”

Loki
scoffed. “Dream all you want, human. The only reason he is here is because he needs
to get you pregnant.” He strode around them, resting his hip against the outer
wall. “He needs offspring or the whole universe is kaput.” He laughed. “His
Goddess spurned him for another and now he has to sink down to your level. A human.”
He said the word like it was a curse.

Tears
began to flow from her eyes and she looked over at Thor, before lowering her
gaze to the ground.

“Get
out,” she whispered, not able to even look at him.

“You
don’t understand, Emma.”

“What
am I saying?” she asked looking around the shed. “Never mind, stay here as long
as you want. I’m leaving. And don’t you dare follow me.”

She
ran from the shed. The sound of Thor’s roar and splintering wood followed her
into the sunlight and she ran into the house, to her room. How had things
gotten so out of hand? How had she fallen in love with the very God who had
left her family to suffer for all those years? She pressed her hands to her
mouth to stifle another hysterical giggle. She’d fallen in love with a God?

The
words Loki spat in her face came back to her. He must really hate Thor to go to
such trouble just to make him fail at getting offspring. And why did the future
depend on his children?

The
sound of the splintering wood came back to her as she realized a desperate man,
immortal or otherwise, would carry a weapon.

“Oh,
my God, Thor!” She ran from the house back to the shed, her love overcoming her
anger. Falling to her knees beside her wonderful lover, she pushed the hair
from his face. Those wonderful sapphire eyes gleamed back at her, filled with
pain.

“I’m
sorry, Emma. I never meant to hurt you.”

He
raised his hand and cupped her cheek. Strange, iridescent orange-red blood
covered her breast as his hand fell away from her cheek, striking her chest on
the way down. Her lover was her God. She eased back for a minute, remembering
his kindness. Remembering the long hours he’d toiled in the fields so her crops
could be harvested. How weak he was after their visits to her brother, her
brother who’d grown stronger, while her lover’s great strength waned...

“No!”
she looked up at the sky. “Odin, father, please help him. Help your son. I
believe in you. I believe in him. I love him. Please don’t let him die, I beg
you…!”

Chapter
Sixteen

Emma
knelt on the straw-covered floor and cradled Thor’s head in her lap. Tears
streamed down her face, falling onto his forehead and into his hair. She moved
her hand, caressing his forehead as the droplets ran down her cheeks.

“What
would you do to save him?”

She
jerked her head up, surprised to see the man who had been in her bedroom the
other night. Though she shouldn’t be, she supposed. The man had claimed
to be Odin, after all. She swallowed thickly as she sat contemplating the
possibility of facing the All-father.

“Anything,”
she said with conviction. “I would do anything.” She tilted her head to the
side and narrowed her eyes. “Are you really Odin?” She pressed her lips
together when he turned his full stare on her. Perhaps she would be better off
not saying anything. She didn’t want to make him mad. Frowning, she inhaled
deeply when he nodded. “I always thought Odin was an old man with one eye and a
beard.”

He
laughed. Though how he could laugh at a time like this was a mystery to her.
His son lay dying at his feet, covered in blood, with his head held in a
mortal’s lap.

“That
is merely one of my disguises. You wouldn’t have me walking about creation
telling people that I’m God, would you?” He shook his head with disbelief.
“They would lock me away faster than I can blink.” He winked at her. “Not that
I couldn’t get out of it. But it’s such a bother.” He waved his hand in a
gesture that spoke volumes on his opinion of that particular shape he’d taken.

“Did you really think that a God would appear
that way all of the time?” he asked, curling his lip. “I’m a shape-shifter.
What makes you think I would choose to keep such a fearsome countenance all of
the time? Hell, woman, I would scare more people to death than help them, in
this day and age.”

“I
guess I never thought that much about it.” She shrugged, still brushing the
hair back from Thor’s face. “Will you save him?”

Odin,
the All-father, studied her and frowned.

He
stared at her and she stubbornly lifted her chin.

“Let
the fates take me, instead.” She cast a quick gaze down to Thor’s still form.
“I don’t care anymore. I’m tired of the people I love dying. I don’t want to
live like this anymore. Tell them to take me so long as they let him live.”

She
looked down, watching the blood as it oozed from Thor’s wound. His breathing
was shallow, nearly non-existent and she knew he had little time left.

If
he is a god, how can he become hurt?

“How
could this happen? I thought he was a God. Isn’t he supposed to be immortal?”

“He
is the God humans made him.” Odin said with a shake of his head.

He
settled down on his haunches next to her.

“We
are not gods. Not like you think, at any rate.” He sighed, rubbing the back of
his neck. “How to explain?”

Emma
remained silent, knowing his last words were merely thoughts spoken aloud.

“Our
people came here eons ago, near the beginning of time. Our ability to shift our
shape and bring people over to immortality gave us the illusion of being gods.”

He
bowed his head and folded his hands between his knees.

“We
are a proud people with special powers who rely on the energy of others to
sustain our way of life. Without your belief and the belief of others like you,
we would not exist.”

Emma’s
mouth dropped open.

“Do
you mean to say that you have perpetuated this myth throughout time merely to
survive? You’ve...” She took a deep breath and choked back a sob, realizing
that she, and her family, had lived a lie for generations. “You’ve perpetuated
this belief system merely for your own survival?”

He
shook his head. “No not just for our survival. We give back to those who
believe. We always give back in the form of answered prayers.”

She
closed her eyes. “Answered prayers?” A derisive snort escaped her throat and
she shook her head. “Not always.”

“Yes,
always.”

She
opened her eyes, knowing they were filled with the fire of betrayal. He lowered
his gaze when she glared at him. He knew. She almost laughed. Of course he
knew. He was the All-father, the wise one who knew all. What his wisdom didn’t
tell him, his two ravens did.

“Who
answered my prayers, All-father?” she asked, gently laying Thor’s head
on the cold ground. “Who was supposed to answer my prayers?”

He
looked down at Thor and a sharp pain stabbed her heart.

“You
were my son’s charge and he failed you. That is why he came himself, to save
your brother, the last of your family, from the same fate that befell your
parents.”

She
closed her eyes again, but not before the tears escaped and slid down her
cheeks. What could she say to that? Even with all she’d just learned, she
didn’t want him to die. She couldn’t bear it if he died.

“Will
you save him?”

Odin
nodded. “Under one condition.”

“And
your condition?”

“That
you allow me to take you to Asgard to await Ragnaroc with the rest of us.”

She
looked down at Thor, a shaft of betrayal driving though her heart. It was he
who should have saved her mother and father, yet she couldn’t bear the thought
of his life being extinguished for all time.

“Will
I...” She searched for the words before clearing her throat to try again. “Will
I be with him?”

Odin
stood and stared deeply into her eyes.

“Make
your decision wisely, Daughter. You will live with it a mighty long time.”

“I
don’t want to be with him. He has betrayed me and my family. I can’t trust him
again.”

She
gazed down at his silky red-gold hair spilled out on the ground, framing his
gray face. “I don’t want him to die.” Her gaze met Odin’s and she blinked. It
almost hurt to look directly into his eyes. “But, after this, I don’t ever want
to see him again.”

“I
can give you over into the care of the Valkyries. You are no longer a maiden
but,” he gave her a crooked grin. “I don’t think they will mind a new face for
a while.” He stopped then rubbed his chin. “What if you should change your
mind?”

“I
really don’t think I will, sir.” She smiled wanly. “But I would like to think
that you are a kind and benevolent god and would allow me to change my mind at
least once.”

“Perhaps,”
he said with a nod. “Do you have any stipulations before our deal is struck?”

“Just
one, sir. I want to remain here on earth at least until my brother reaches the
age of eighteen and is old enough to care for himself. I’d really rather wait
until he’s twenty-one, but I won’t insist.”

“Done.”
He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “Prepare yourself.”

He
closed his eyes and the world tilted. Emma stood awestruck as he raised the
power of life between his hands. The ball of white energy glowed between his
hands before he thrust it at her, enveloping her with it. The ball of energy
grew in size until it enveloped both her and Thor in its blinding circle of
light.

Suddenly,
she felt a sharp pain in her side and she looked down. Blood seeped from a deep
wound in her side and she looked up at Odin, her mouth agape.

“You
said I could stay.”

It
was the last thing she said before she stumbled forward and fell on Thor’s
motionless form.

* * * *

Emma
woke, only to find herself lying in her own bed.

Alex
banged through the door. “Hey! I’m hungry. Are you going to lie about all day,
or are you going to come downstairs and fix me something to eat?” He hung his
head. “I suppose I could just fix myself a bowl of cereal.”

He
banged back out of the room, his backpack hitting the doorframe as he left, the
rollerblades on his feet making him clumsy.

She
looked around her room, rubbed her head and frowned. Could Alex’s hospital stay
and her subsequent visit from Thor, all been a dream?

No
child. You have until the boy is eighteen to right your world, then you shall
come to us in Asgard or Valhalla. Either way you shall belong to us after that.

What
of Thor, did he live? She shook her head. He must or they wouldn’t expect her
to join them in two years. The deal had been made to save his life.

She
brought a trembling hand to her head.

“What
the hell happened? Why can’t I remember Alex coming home from the hospital?”

Suddenly,
false memories assailed her. His eventual recovery. Picking him up, bringing
him home, hugging him until he pushed her away, angry and smothered. Gone a
long time, she had missed so much.

Who
was here, taking her place as she recovered from that mortal wound in Asgard?
Who did so well in playing the part of imposter? Pain assailed her from those
memories. She knew she would never be allowed to see the one she loved, ever
again. The one she loved hated her, couldn’t bear the site of her. Her love was
torn asunder by the fickle jester, Loki—it infuriated her—no, him. The thoughts
confused her. Whose thoughts were they?

She
gasped when she realized she visited Thor’s memories. It was he who had taken
her place while she healed in Asgard. He who visited Alex in the hospital,
talking to his comatose body. He disguised himself as her, joked with Alex
after he awakened and hugged him the way he knew she would have done, all in
her stead. Now he gave her the gift of those memories—the precious gift of
watching her brother growing stronger every day. Of watching him return home.

Putting
her hands to her head, her gaze darted around the room and she steeled her
resolve. She wouldn’t forgive him. She couldn’t. It had been his neglect, his
selfishness that put her family into this situation. Regardless of the reason,
he had made them vulnerable to Loki’s attack. She could never forgive him for
that.

Pain
knifed her chest when she saw that she only had him to blame for her troubles
and him to thank for her brother’s recovery. Who said love conquered all? She
shook her head. No, she didn’t love him. She refused to love a man who could be
so caught up in himself, in his own needs, that he could ignore the very people
he depended on for his own survival.

She
would live and she would love again, and if not, she would at least know that
her brother had a shot at a normal life. Odin promised her that Alex would find
a wife and have children. The mortals responsible for their troubles would be
found through Loki, once he himself was found.

Emma
didn’t give a rat’s ass if he did take her place, talking her brother from his
coma as she healed in Asgard. Thor could rot in the hell he’d made for himself.
She never wanted to see him again.

Chapter
Seventeen

Thor
hovered just outside her second-story window, feeling like a voyeur. He’d used
his powers to push her curtain aside just enough to see her. He’d do as he was
told and stay away from her, lest he incur his father’s wrath, but he refused
to never see her again. The thought was too horrible to be borne.

She
sat at her dressing table, facing the mirror and combed her hair. The large
comb slid easily through her silken locks. The shoulder length tresses gleamed
silver in the muted light of her bedroom. Fat tears ran from her eyes, and slid
down the silky soft skin of her face and neck.

His
heart slammed painfully in his chest as he watched her and sighed. He touched
the pane of glass that separated them. Cold from the glass seeped into his
fingers, and his heart broke for what he’d lost.

“I’m
sorry, Emma. I did not mean to neglect you or your family.”

Thor
bowed his head, knowing that no matter what he did, it would never bring back
those she loved.

He
almost laughed. It’s funny how her family had always considered him this
all-powerful being, yet he couldn’t seem to keep his own love life straight. He
shook his head and shoved his hand through his hair and barely stopped the moan
from escaping his throat. Instead, he shook his head and sighed.

Emma
stopped combing her hair, mid-stroke and her back stiffened. She turned to look
at the window through narrowed eyes. Standing, she strode over to the window
and pulled the drapes closed with a frown.

Praying
she would leave it open just a crack, he remained outside watching her,
dreaming about what could have been, had he not been such a selfish ass.
Instead, she pulled them fully closed and he was locked outside without even
the comfort of looking in.

He
bowed his head when the curtain stopped swaying. The crack was gone and he
could no longer see his love. It was time he faced the fact that she would
never allow him into her life again. He raised his hand, tempted to use his
powers to open the curtain, just a little. Shaking his head, he lowered himself
to her porch to the swing where they sat in such companionable silence not so
long ago.

Bittersweet
memories assailed him as he sank down onto the swing. She had leaned into him,
holding his hand as they sat in this spot, swinging softly as they both watched
the sinking sun set over the horizon. He had been such a fool. He didn’t even have
the comfort of thinking he should have told her the truth from the start,
because he knew if he told her the truth, she would have had him committed.

Thor
leaned forward, rested his arms over his knees and clasped his hands. There was
nothing left for him here. Perhaps, in time, she would forgive him, but until
then, it was past time he went home and made himself busy by checking on his
other charges. How many others had suffered from his unintentional neglect? It
was time he found out.

Standing,
he stretched and looked out over the hewn fields and felt a surge of...something.
Was it pride? In the way she’d been able to finish her work, even after her
heart had been torn asunder.

It
was time he made the effort to rebuild his life. It was past time that he let
his people know they weren’t forgotten. His plans now were great and to see
them realized, he would need every ounce of power and self discipline that he
possessed.

A
soft smile curved his lips as he made his plan. Since losing Emma was not an
option, he had to figure out a way to win her back. That it wouldn’t be without
a fight was a thought that had never crossed his mind. Oh, he had no doubt that
she would fight him tooth and nail. He smiled, prepared to love every minute of
it. His would be a hard won victory, but that would only make his prize that
much sweeter.

After
checking on his people and leaving them in the capable hands of the fates, he
returned to Emma’s farm and made plans.

What
surprised him was her sudden contact with a local realtor. Did she plan to
sell? Tired of the constant accidents, had she finally decided to get rid of
her property? He shook his head with disbelief. No, that was impossible. There
must be another reason she contacted those people.

Every
time he looked at her his heart ached. Not to mention his balls. He wanted
nothing more than to sink himself inside her again and revel in the silky soft
embrace of her wet velvet sheath. His body tingled at the thought of her satiny
skin sliding over his as he thrust himself inside her.

Reaching
down, he grabbed his constantly hard shaft in his hands and squeezed. He needed
to regain control of his thoughts. Running about with his mind on having sex
with his glorious Goddess would not serve his purpose well. He needed a
well-formed plan to get her back. Perhaps if he took the time to ease the
tension coiled around the base of his cock, he could think clearly again.

He
flashed himself back to Asgard, into his private chambers and lay down upon his
bed. Undressing himself with a thought, he lay back with his head on his
pillow, as one hand tightly gripped his shaft. His other hand reached down to
fondle his balls as he slowly slid his hand over the rigid flesh.

He
closed his eyes, imagining his sweet Emma’s lips caressing the head of his
massive shaft as he slowly pumped his hand up and down the length. She would
lick and kiss the head before slowly engulfing it in her heated mouth. Warm
moist heat, enclosed his flesh as he wished his fantasy to slide down over his heated
flesh.

Mere
moments passed when he clenched his teeth, ready to spill his seed. His balls
tingled and fire flowed through his veins as jets of semen shot from the head
of his cock, arcing up over his bed. He arched his back, the imagined sensation
of Emma’s mouth driving him mad as the ropes of cum shot from his shaft.

After
a moment, he lay back on his bed, his seed spent. Yet his need for her was
stronger than ever. Nothing would take the place of his Goddess in his life. He
must make her forgive him. There was no other choice.

He
wished himself and the bedding clean and stood. There was naught else to do,
but make her realize that she loved him. But how could he do it when she
wouldn’t allow him near her? He smiled sadly. There was a way. There had to be
a way. He would find it and he would have her again.

Thor
stood, a feral grin on his face. He watched himself in the mirror as he shifted
his shape into one he knew that she would never be able to resist. When she
came to love him in this guise, he would reveal himself to her. He could only
hope that she would forgive him, not hit him over the head with something and
call his father in on the situation.

“Now
to put myself in a position where she will want to take me home...” He paused.
“No. Lying about who I am is what got me into this mess to begin with,” he said
with a sigh. He changed back to himself. “What can I do to let her know how
sorry I am?”

Send
her flowers, you dolt! Give her chocolates, gifts. A way to a woman’s heart
usually leads you through a few expensive stores first.

Stay
out of my head, old man. I don’t remember asking you for your opinion, he
answered his father with a scowl.

Still
the idea had merit. He glanced back into the mirror and dressed himself. If he
was going to win her back, he would have to work at it.

Chapter
Eighteen

Emma
made her way down to the kitchen to make Alex some breakfast before school. She
inhaled deeply, loving the crisp, clean scent of the early morning air. The
surprisingly strong smell of roses wafted through the opened window and she
stood enjoying the treat. A noise outside drew her attention and she opened the
door to see what it was.

A
mountain of flowers sat on the porch. Roses in every color, daisies, calla
lilies and other flowers she couldn’t name sat on every flat surface of the
porch. Only a narrow walkway to the steps remained open.

Who
would send her flowers, especially so many? Reaching out, she grabbed the card
that stuck up from a large bouquet of red roses on the table next to the swing.
She absently glanced at the retreating florist’s van as she went back inside,
closing the door with her foot.

With
trembling fingers, she opened the note.

Dearest
Emma,

I
was a fool. I know that now. Please forgive me.

T.

Tears
burned her eyes and she closed them. Crumpling the note in her clenched fist,
she vowed to carry the flowers to the burn barrel later. Their presence on her
porch would only serve to remind her of all she had lost. She couldn’t bring
herself to forgive him. How could she? It was his negligence that ultimately
brought about her parent’s death.

Don’t
be so sure about that, child. The blame rests on the person or persons
responsible for the accidents. You should hold them accountable for their
horrible acts, not on one lonely man with so many vying for his attention.

She
ignored the voice in her head, proclaiming to be Odin. If she didn’t, it would
drive her mad.

Alex
clomped down the stairs, minus his rollerblades this time. He sauntered into
the kitchen, his stuffed book bag slung over his left shoulder. The black
t-shirt that he had haphazardly tucked into his cargo pants was covered by a large
dragon-print button-down shirt. Headphones rested over his ears, the cord
leading down to one of his large pockets.

“What’s
for breakfast?”

“Eggs,
toast and sausage,” she said, setting a pan on the stove. “Just give me a few
minutes.”

She
popped the pre-cooked sausage into the microwave and punched the reheat button
and busied herself scrambling the eggs. “Can you put some bread in the
toaster?”

Alex
did as she asked and looked out the window over the counter. He whistled.
“Whoa! Where did all of the foliage come from?” He strode over to open the door
and wrinkled his nose. “You got a boyfriend?” He turned an accusing glare on
her. “How come I haven’t met him? I’ve been home a couple of weeks now.” He
closed the door hard and the glass rattled in the frame. Hands on hips, he
stood glaring at her.

Emma
couldn’t miss the hurt in his eyes. She could tell he wanted to meet the man
who would send her so many flowers and was upset that she hadn’t introduced
him. He probably thought she was ashamed of him or something.

She
turned the heat off under the eggs before she moved the pan from the burner. “I
didn’t introduce you because we broke up before you came home from the
hospital.”

She
pulled two plates from the counter, set them on the table and served the eggs
straight from the pan before she pulled the sausage from the microwave.

“He...”
she paused. “He wasn’t right for me. For us. He was too self-absorbed. When
things didn’t go his way, he closed up, keeping himself away from people. Out
of reach. I couldn’t deal with that.”

The
toast popped up. Alex brought it to the table on a saucer and set it between
their plates. “So you left him?”

She
nodded as she sat down. “I couldn’t bear the thought that he would leave us as
soon as things got rough.”

“Makes
sense, I suppose,” he said with a shrug as he lathered butter and a thick layer
of grape jelly onto his toast. “Were you worried about him leaving us, or just
you?” He slid her a glance from the corner of his eye. “Cause, you know, I
don’t want or need someone who wants to be a father figure in my life. Dad was
a hard act to follow.”

“You’re
right there,” she said, nodding her agreement and giving him a sad smile. “He
was a great dad.” She blinked back the tears that threatened and looked down at
her eggs, no longer hungry. She pushed her plate toward Alex. He grabbed it and
scraped her breakfast onto his plate the typical teenage boy, always hungry. It
made her want to smile.

“Thanks.
I have an exam today and I can’t concentrate if I’m hungry.”

“What
class?” She rested her elbow on the table, her chin in her hand and watched him
shovel the food into his mouth.

“History,”
he answered, as he pushed a huge piece of sausage into his mouth before
guzzling down a half glass of milk.

“Is
old Mr. Hamilton still teaching that class?”

“Yeah,”
he said with a grin, his mouth stuffed to near bursting. “He asked about you.”
He added that tidbit after he chewed what was in his mouth, swallowed it and
washed it down with the last of his milk. He waved the empty glass at his sister
and she stood to get the gallon jug from the refrigerator.

“And?”

“He
wanted to know if I was just as stubborn and academically lazy as you were in
his class.” He laughed at her frown. “I told him that you didn’t have a lazy
bone in your body. That, usually, you are up before dawn and still going strong
late into the night.”

Emma
winced when he crammed a whole slice of toast into his mouth and chewed.

“Thanks
for sticking up for me. He was always riding me about how I never worked hard
enough. He basically said that when he signed my yearbook. He wrote that I
would go far if I ever learned to apply myself.”

“The
jerk!” Alex scowled down at the rest of his sausage as if it was somehow at
fault for the teacher’s comments.

“Don’t
get too mad at him. He was right. I could have done better. But if I had, I
would have gotten scholarship offers then Dad would have made me leave and I
wouldn’t have been here when he died.”

“Yeah.”
He swallowed thickly. “I don’t know what I would have done if you wouldn’t have
been here.”

“Well,”
she said, clearing her throat and swallowing around the large lump lodged
there. “Let’s not dwell on things we can’t change.” She stood, grabbed her
plate and the empty saucer and rinsed them out in the sink before putting them
in the dishwasher. “Do you want me to fix you something for lunch?”

“Nah.
Today is pizza day. I figured I’d eat that.”

“Okay.” She knew how much her brother
loved pizza. “You need to get to school. I think I’m going to go buy a lottery
ticket. I dreamt some numbers last night and I figured what the heck. I’d give
it a try.”

After
driving Alex to school, since she was in town anyway and the image of those
numbers were still flashing in her mind, she drove straight to the nearest
store.

* * * *

Thor
watched with undisguised delight as the first part of his plan took shape. He
whispered the numbers into her mind again as she told the woman behind the
counter which numbers she wanted.

“Five,
nine, thirteen, twenty-seven, thirty-three and forty-two.”

“Is
that it, honey? You just buyin’ one ticket?”

The
woman looked at her as though she expected more numbers to pour out of her
mouth. Thor scowled. The one she had would win her enough money to rebuild her
barn. Why would she need another?

“Yes,
just the one. I only dreamt up the one set of numbers.”

“Oh,
you’re one of those.” The woman said with a sneer.

Emma
gave her a strained smile, and left the store.

Invisible,
Thor followed her back to the house and watched, stunned, as she threw every
one of the flower arrangements he’d sent her into the burn barrel and set them
on fire. The stench of burning greenery filled his lungs and he stubbornly told
himself that it was the smoke from the fire that burned his eyes, not the utter
sense of loss he felt at watching those small symbols of his undying love going
up in smoke.

Chapter
Nineteen

The
flowers arrived daily for the next two weeks. Every day Emma took them to the
barrel behind the shed and burned them. Finally, after the sixteenth day, she’d
had enough. She looked up toward the sky, and called to Thor.

“Okay,
we need to talk. I refuse to go on like this.” She waved her arms, indicating
the plethora of foliage on her porch. “This wastes my time everyday, Thor. Get
your butt down here and tell me what the hell you expect from me.”

She
leaned against the porch rail, looked over at the framework of her new barn and
smiled. The lottery ticket she bought had been a winner, a big winner, and the
five numbers she matched had given her enough money to rebuild her barn.

“I suppose your love would be too much to ask?” he said from just behind her.

She
gasped and turned, holding her hand to her chest.

“You
scared the crap out of me, dammit.” She slapped his arm with a scowl. “Don’t
ever do that again.” Her eyes widened when she realized what she’d just done.
She was too comfortable with him. What would he do to her for slapping a god?

He
stared down at her, his expression intense and she swallowed thickly. He
smelled so good. He always did. His scent, a mixture of sandalwood and citrus
always drove her wild. Clenching her fists, she stubbornly raised her chin and
vowed to ignore the strange pull he seemed to have on her.

She
itched to reach out and unbuttoned his shirt to check the two spots where Loki
had stabbed him. The last time she’d seen his chest, it had been covered in
blood, two angry looking wounds marred his perfect pectorals and upper abdomen.

Could
he scar? She hoped not.

“I’ve
missed you.”

It
was all he said. He just stood there, staring down at her as if he would never
get enough of just looking into her eyes.

“I
will never get enough of looking at you.”

She
groaned. “Don’t say that.” Don’t be nice to me. Don’t look at me with those
wonderful sad eyes. I can’t take it. She licked her suddenly dry lips and
looked down with a groan when he grinned at her.

“Please
forgive me.”

Emma
shook her head. “How can I?” She paced away from him and wrapped her arms
around her middle. “How can I forgive you? It was neglect, just as surely as
not feeding my animals would be. Or not caring for an infant’s needs.”

He
nodded, then rubbed his face with his hands.

“I
know and I will regret that for the rest of my life.”

Have
you considered how long that is? She wasn’t sure if the inner voice she
heard was hers or Thor’s that time.

You
are punishing him for another’s misdeeds. Blame should rest solely on the
person responsible for the events that took your parent’s lives. Another god is
responsible for this, not my son. The sound of Odin’s voice did little to
sooth the raw pain of her heartbreak.

She
gaped when Thor sank to his knees in front of her.

“Forgive
me, Emma. Take me back into your life and love me. I may be a powerful being
but, like you, like anyone, I am not perfect.”

Her
mouth dropped open. She tried to say something several times but what do you
say when someone whom you’ve worshipped as a god for most of your life
prostrates themselves in front of you? How could she not forgive him?

“I—I…”
She’d started to say ‘I can’t’ but she couldn’t make herself say it. She didn’t
want to live her life alone anymore. She loved him, faults and all. Maybe it
was time she forgave him for being a bit human.

She
knelt before him and took him into her arms, unable to stand seeing the pain
reflected in his eyes, unable to be the cause of that pain any longer. His arms
wrapped around her. She closed her eyes and sighed.

The
farm, all of their surroundings fell away and Emma realized that she was home.
Home wasn’t the house, the land or even the family she grew up a part of. Her
home was right here in his arms wrapped in his warm embrace.

Snuggling
deeper into is arms, she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. How could
she live the rest of her life without him in it? How could she refuse a god?

He
buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply. “I’m a man first, baby.
Remember that. And I need you.” Pulling back, he tilted her head back with his
thumb to stare into her eyes. “I’m going to kiss you.”

She
licked her lips, nervously watched his eyes darken to near cobalt as they
followed the trail of her tongue over her lips and smiled at his intense
expression.

“Well,
what are you waiting for?”

Apparently,
he didn’t need a second invitation. Butterflies took flight in her stomach as
he covered her lips with his. The warm pressure set her heart racing and
moisture pooled between her legs.

“I
love you,” he said, still feathering kisses over her face and neck. “I love you
more than my own life.” He covered her lips with his again. His hand burned a
trail down her back to her rear as he cupped the mound in his palm.

Emma
moaned into his mouth. The sweet torture of his lips on hers was nearly too
much to bear. Thrusting her fingers through his hair, she held him to her as
his tongue plundered her mouth.

“Oh,
man. Get a room, will ya?”

The
sound of Alex’s voice was like a bucket of cold water being dumped over her.
She pulled away from Thor with a groan and covered her face.

“I
guess you two got back together, huh?” he asked, looking between them with a
grin. He held out his hand to Thor. “I’m Alex. I guess you’re the boyfriend she
dumped?”

Thor
smiled and shook his hand. “Hi, Alex, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Thor.”

“Cool!
Named after the God of thunder. How awesome.” He turned to look at his sister.
“You never told me he was a god, Emma.” He chuckled at his own joke.

“Well,
I never thought you’d meet.” How much did she tell him? Did she dare tell him
that he was the Thor of Norse legend or should she merely make light of
his joke?

He
has the right to know, love.

Emma
closed her eyes and savored the endearment for a moment.

You’re
right. He does have the right to know.

Standing,
she held Thor’s hand and faced her brother.

“We
have something to tell you, Alex. Thor is the Norse God we’ve worshipped
all our lives.”

Alex
just stood gaping at her as if he thought she had a screw loose.

“You’re
kidding, right? You don’t really believe that...” he let his words trail off as
he looked between them. “You son of a bitch!”

He
threw himself at Thor and began punching him. Thor merely stood and waited for
him to tire, taking his blows as if they were nothing, the mere buzzing of a
fly around him. Barely a nuisance.

After
a moment of shock, Emma grabbed her brother and dragged him away from him.
“What are you doing? Leave him alone!” She placed herself between them.

“He’s
taking advantage of you. He’s no god.” He turned to look at her. “You have more
sense than that. I know you do. Why are you acting this way?”

“Because
he is Thor, Alex. He can prove it to you, just give him the chance.”

Alex
stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I won’t be as easily duped
as my sister.” He flicked a gaze to Emma when she gasped. “I don’t think you’re
stupid, Sis. I just think that he’s somehow blinded you to the fact that he
can’t possibly be who he claims.”

Thor
smiled. “Very well. The challenge has been made.” He snapped his fingers.

Emma
and Alex looked around themselves, their eyes wide.

A
circle of standing stones stood to their right and a castle to the left. A
mystical power emanated from the circle, surrounding them. The power was
strong, tangible. Emma felt it. She cast a glance at Alex and smiled. The
expression on his face was priceless. His mouth hung open, his eyes were wide.
Yet he wasn’t looking at the landscape as she had been. He was staring at Thor.

“My...”
He paused and swallowed. “My sister’s boyfriend is Thor?” He frowned. “I
thought you had a wife.”

Thor
shook his head. “She left me years ago. Nearly three hundred years ago. I began
to fade out. I was shaken when she left me for another. I’m ashamed to admit
that I neglected the needs of those who believe in me.”

“Oh,”
Alex said, a look of awe on his face. “Do I...Do I need to kneel or bow down to
you or something?”

Thor
frowned. “Have I ever required that of you in the past?”

“Well,
no.”

“Then
why would I now? Now that you are the brother of my Goddess.”

Alex’s
eyes widened and he turned to Emma. “Goddess? You’re going to be a friggin’
Goddess?”

She
swallowed, unsure of how to answer his question. She knew she would be Thor’s
consort, but no one had ever told her she was going to have Goddess status.
Turning to Thor, she raised her brow.

“Well,
inquiring teens want to know.”

“When
you took the injuries in my stead, you proved to the Norns that you are worthy
to be added to the ranks of our people. They said it was your destiny to become
my Goddess in every way.”

“Excuse
me,” a beautiful young redhead approached them. “Is one of you called
Alexander?” she asked looking between them.

Alex
stepped forward. He pulled his collar away from his throat. “I am.” His voice
cracked and he coughed. “How did you know I was here?”

She
gave him a blinding smile. “I am Calla. I am a first level Kyrie. I fear that I
will never be a full-fledged Valkyrie. They say I do not study hard enough and
that I m far too attracted to boys.” She smiled again. “Especially the handsome
ones like you. I do like dark hair.” Reaching up, she stopped herself, just
before she touched his hair. “May I?”

Calla
feathered her fingers through his hair at his nod and laughed. “It is as soft
as it feels.”

Blushing,
she apologized. “I’m sorry. They also say that I do not think before I act.”
She looked down at the ground. “Would you like to see Valhalla with me? I think
your sister and Thor need to have some time alone.

He
nodded and swallowed thickly. “Yes. I’d love to.”

“Good,
why don’t we go see the dragons first? They’re so colorful...”

Their
voices trailed off as they moved away from Thor and Emma.

Emma
turned to Thor. “We do need to talk.”

“I
know we do, baby. But I need to feel your body against mine first. I need to
hold you in my arms at least for a few minutes. Can we do that?”

Chapter
Twenty

Emma
reached up, feathering her fingers through his thick hair as his lips covered
hers. Closing her eyes, she reveled in the knowledge that he wanted her. That
he had chosen her to become his consort. No, his Goddess.

All
thoughts flew out of her head when his arms tightened around her, crushing her
to him. His hands caressed her shoulders, back and hips, moving seductively
over her body as he enfolded her in his embrace.

She
felt a strange shifting under her and opened her eyes. The standing stones were
gone. They were no longer outside. She assumed they were now in the castle they
had been standing in front of. Thick stone walls surrounded them. A monstrous
four-poster bed sat in the center of the room, beckoning her. She wanted this.
She wanted to reaffirm her love for Thor more than anything.

Yes,
her home was wherever he was, in his arms and in his bed.

Thor
lifted her in his embrace and cuddled her against his chest as he carried her
over to the bed. He laid her down in the center of the soft mattress, and
slowly lowered himself over her.

Emma
closed her eyes, loving the feel of his warm body against hers. He lowered his
head, pressed his lips gently against hers, silently begging for entrance. He
tenderly eased his tongue into her mouth. The warm wet velvet brushed against
her teeth, caressed every hidden place within the moist heat in an exquisite
dance of seduction. She moaned. Her hands reached up to pull him closer,
tighter against her.

He
moved his mouth from hers, his lips gliding lightly over her skin, skimmed
gently over her hammering pulse. Blood rushed through her veins as her body
moved instinctively against his, crying out for his possession.

She
wrapped her arms around him. The wave of unrelenting desire was so
overwhelming, that she clung to him tightly as the world spun around her.
Caught between his hard, muscular body and the bed, she reveled in the heavy
sensation of his weight pinning her in place. God, how had she managed to keep
herself away from him, away from the passion just a touch, a look ignited in
her?

His
hand skimmed down her body over her stomach and hips. Her clothes melted away
as his hand moved slowly, almost reverently over her body. The cool air brushed
her exposed skin, a soft and sensuous caress. Thor raised his head. His
sapphire gaze glittered down at her exposed flesh.

She
arched her back, pushed her aching breasts up, inviting him to kiss the soft
mounds. He reached up, cupped her breast in his hand and brushed his thumb over
her taut nipple.

“Your
skin is so soft, like silk in my hands.” He lowered his head to kiss the
hardening nub.

“I
love the way your flesh heats against me, the way your body trembles beneath
mine, the way you enjoy the stroke of my hands.”

Her
head thrashed on the satiny comforter. She fisted her hands in his silky hair,
demanding—without words—that he continue the sensual assault on her senses.

His
mouth found hers, moved to her jaw, temple and eyes. Each kiss was gentle,
feather-light. Her body responded to his words, his gentle caresses. Thick,
creamy heat pooled in her middle, settled between her legs.

A
large calloused hand slid over her stomach, down to the juncture of her thighs.
He dipped a thick finger into her slick folds and she moaned. His head lowered
to her breast and she held him as the heat spiraled and carried her away on a
wave of pure sensual pleasure. Each slide of his fingers in her wet folds, each
pull of his mouth on the sensitive tip of her breast, drove her closer to the
edge of insanity.

She
gasped as his fingers drove deeper, rubbing a spot inside her that made her
scream his name in ecstasy.

“Thor!”

He
chuckled against her breast, laving his way down her to her belly and lower
still to her soft, creamy center. She longed to have him inside her.

“Please,”
she begged, as his tongue found the crease of her hip. He tongued the sensitive
flesh and she ground her hips up toward him.

“Do
you like this?” he asked, delving his tongue deep into her wet folds.

“Yesss,”
she mewled. Her hips undulated above the bed, searching for another taste of
the paradise of his hot mouth.

Another
long, slow lick up the center of her exposed slit and he pulled back chuckling
again at her agonized moans.

Pushing
her thighs apart, he separated her folds with his fingers and lowered his head
to suckle on the little nub.

Emma
screamed out her climax as she held his head to her, her fingers buried in his
golden hair. Her back arched off the bed, her thighs clenched around his head,
keeping him trapped between her legs.

He
slowly pulled back, to look at her. He sat up straight, resting on his heels,
his cock jutting out in front of him.

She
licked her lips. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to take his thick
length into her mouth and suck him dry. She wanted him at her mercy, begging
her for relief. She sat up and took him in her hands.

He
sucked in his breath in great gulps, his eyes closed. She smiled. Knowing she
could do this to a man was heady. Knowing she did this to a God was a powerful
emotion indeed. She got to her knees and pushed him down onto the bed.

“My
turn,” she breathed in his ear, laving the outer shell. She suckled the lobe
into his mouth and he swallowed.

“Are
you sure you wan—”

“More
sure than anything in my life,” she murmured, her fingers against his lips.
“Now, lay back and enjoy.”

She
kissed him gently, trailing her tongue over the seam of his lips. When he
opened for her, she plunged her tongue into the moist depths of his mouth,
exploring every inch. Pulling back, she trailed kisses down his neck, suckling
his flesh over his slamming pulse. Her hands skimmed down over his chest and
rock-hard abs, the flesh-like satin over steel.

He
sucked in his breath as her fingers skimmed over his belly, feeling the rigid
muscles and the uneven expanse of his washboard stomach. She stopped when her
fingers reached the coarse hair at his groin.

She
smiled when his hips jerked involuntarily as she pulled her hand away from his
heated flesh. Emma followed the same trail with her mouth and tongue. Laving
his nipples, she marveled that she could bring him to such a fevered pitch.
When she lowered her head and tongued his naval, his hands came up. Tangling
his fingers in her hair, he pushed her head down to his groin and his
burgeoning shaft.

Wrapping
her hand around the base of his erection, she ran her tongue around the velvety
head. She smiled at his sharply indrawn breath. Her tongue stroked over the
length of his cock, and she relished the fact that she could take him so close
to the edge. His body stiffened when she lowered her mouth over his shaft. She
pulled back to lick the clear fluid that oozed from the tip. She lowered her
head once again, her mouth engulfing him, taking him far down her throat as he
thrust his hips forward, over and over.

After
a few minutes, he pulled her up and away from him.

“Not
like this, baby. Not this time. I want this to be good for you too. If I spill
my seed now, I will not be able to give you your woman’s pleasure.”

With
almost no warning, Thor threw her back onto the bed and covered her body with
his own. His weight pressing her into the bed was erotic, sensual. He slid his
foot up and down her leg, as he looked down into her eyes.

“I
love you, Emma,” he said, his gaze searching.

“I
love you, too, Thor,” she breathed against his chest.

He
shuddered above her when she lapped his nipple. She brought her legs up and
wrapped them around his waist. Thor raised himself up on his elbows and
positioned himself to enter her, stopping just before he slid into her tight
sheath.

“Look
at me,” he said, kissing her closed eyes. “Look at me and know it is your god
and your lover who takes you now.”

She
opened her eyes, met his gaze and he thrust forward up to the hilt. His sac
slapped her bottom as his cock slid forward and touched the mouth of her womb.

He
lowered his head, to take her nipple into his mouth. Each strong pull sent her
closer to the edge of another orgasm. Her muscles clenched around him and he
groaned against her breast. Still, he suckled harder. His teeth scraped her
nipple, an erotic abrasion. The pleasure-pain drove her over the edge of
another mind-numbing climax.

Her
muscles clenched and she screamed his name. Her legs, wrapped around his waist,
pulled him to her, over and over.

The
muscles in his neck bulged, the roped muscles on his back clenched as her nails
scraped the sensitive flesh. After a few more thrusts he threw his head back
and let out a roar as his orgasm over took him and he emptied his seed into her
womb.

Thor
lowered himself over her, panting. The soft sheen of perspiration covered his
body as he kissed her gently. He rolled to the side, taking her with him and
tucked her beneath his arm, warm and safe.

She
rubbed her foot up and down his leg, loving the feel of the closeness, the way
he held her as if he would never let her go. She drifted to sleep, floating on
the languorous sea of contentment, lying in her lover’s arms.

* * * *

Thor
cast a glance back to Emma before he left. She looked so beautiful resting in
his bed, wrapped in his blankets. She belonged there. With luck he would soon
have children to balance out the powers of the worlds. He needn’t worry about
the death and destruction that had once awaited them.

Turning
he opened the door to leave, thinking to only be gone for a moment before he
returned to his lover’s arms.

A
flash of light, bright as the sun blinded him for a minute and when he was able
to see again, Emma was gone.

“No!”
He roared, his voice so loud and fierce, thunder was heard in all the nine
worlds.

Chapter
Twenty-one

Thor
nearly fell to his knees in a moment of despair. How did this happen? The magic
of another of his kind was not supposed to function in his home, just as his
magic would not function in another’s home. It was a safeguard among their
people. Even though they attempted to remain equitable with each other, it did
not always work out the way one would expect.

Instead
of wallowing in his own grief, he strode through the door in search of his
father. There had to be a reason someone had been able to use magical powers in
his personal space. He looked for Odin in all the usual places, when he
couldn’t find him, he resorted to telepathy.

Alfader,
someone has breeched the machtlos code. They have entered my home and took my
woman.

That
does not surprise me. Loki has been restless lately and I would not put it past
him to be up to mischief. I have already sent my ravens Hugin and Munin in
search of her. My wolves shall go with me and search as well. They may be old,
but their noses are just as strong as ever. He chuckled mirthlessly. You
know how hungry and greedy they are. I didn’t name them Geri and Freki by
accident.

Thor
felt as though he should feel a certain sense of comfort, knowing that his
father was helping him. It bothered him that someone could actually do
something of this magnitude without his father knowing about it. Yet, he knew
his father didn’t have any desire to bring about Ragnarok. It would mean
the end of his own life, as well as the end of the nine worlds.

Hugin
and Munin have communicated with me, son. Hugin has found her thoughts and
cries echoing throughout the Crystal Caves of Valhalla. Munin remembers seeing
Loki near there on their last hunt with the wolves.

At
least he had a direction. Even if she weren’t there, the trip would give him
something to do. He flashed himself to the nearest location to the caves
possible and began to walk.

It
wasn’t wise to use any power so close to the caves and he hoped he would not be
forced to. The caves would magnify his power and wreak havoc on Valhalla. The
repercussion would be so strong, that the damage may even carry over to Asgard.
He could only hope Loki knew that, as well.

* * * *

Emma
woke on a raised bed of glass. She sat up and looked around herself. No, it
wasn’t glass. It appeared to be crystal of some kind. The clear cool stone she
found herself lying on was uncomfortable to say the least.

“What
happened?” she murmured, glancing around. Noticing a light at the end of a very
long, ice-blue tunnel, she stood and began to walk toward it. She didn’t notice
the shackles that bound her legs to the wall until she fell, flat on her face.
The hard crystal cut into her hands and knees as she scrambled to her feet.

Staring
down at the glowing bonds on her ankles, she tried to remain calm, even as the
fear rushed through her mind, recommending she panic. She shook her head. No.
Panicking was not the answer. She reached down and attempted to release the
manacles trapping her inside this crystal prison.

What
are these damned things made of? She examined her ankles closely. No
ties, no hooks or locks, how are they fastened?

She
tried to ignore the panic that began to set in. She didn’t want to play the
part of a shrinking violet. She merely wanted her man to know he could count on
her to be calm in a crisis and he didn’t even have the common decency to rescue
her before she totally lost it.

Cold
from the hard stone seeped into her bones. Strange noises made her jump. The
distant shriek of birds in the distance was both reassuring and frightening.
Gooseflesh pebbled on her skin as the illusion of courageousness she’d woven
around her started to crumble.

Tears
ran down her cheeks as she realized that whoever was responsible for everything
that had happened on Earth, must be the person who brought her here. Thor had
mentioned something about Loki. Perhaps he brought her to this place, this
prison.

Covering
her face with her hands, she attempted to muffle her sobs. Still, every few
minutes, she jerked on the strange cord, with the hope that it would finally
snap and release her. Hope diminished with each futile tug.

After
what seemed like days, she returned to rest on the raised crystal platform that
she’d woken upon, curled up into a little ball and cried. She was hungry,
thirsty and she needed to go to the bathroom. Whoever imprisoned her in this
place apparently didn’t care about her needs. The obvious reason she’d been
brought to this place blindsided her. Someone brought her here to die.

* * * *

Thor was
in a rage by the time he reached the caves. It could take days to find her
here. The caves stretched on for miles, with numerous catacombs. The passages
split off in several different directions, each of them thousands of feet in
length.

He
looked around him. The sparkling cliffs were beautiful, as usual. Made of pure
crystal, with semi-precious and precious stones, they sparkled in the bright
light of the sun. Prisms of color danced over the landscape, a lovely display
of color. He’d wanted to bring Emma here one day to show her the beauty of the
cliffs, but he had never wanted her to see them under these circumstances.

Taking
a deep breath, he closed his eyes and searched inside himself, trying to find
her in his thoughts. Perhaps, if he tried hard enough, he would be able to
connect with her on some telepathic level and find her that way. His magic may
not work here, so close to the caves, but perhaps his connection with her went
deeper than that, deeper than the magic.

After
a few minutes, he felt her somewhere deep inside a little corner of his mind.
She was indeed here. He focused on her soft sobs as she contemplated her
demise, alone in a crystal crypt. When he sensed her hunger, he berated himself
for not thinking of the likelihood that no one had fed her.

Rage
boiled deep in his gut as he felt her emotions, her hunger, her fear. Even
knowing the consequences he would suffer from the Norns for harming another, he
wanted nothing more than to kill Loki at that moment.

By
the time he found her, she lay curled up on a crystal ledge, sleeping. Her
swollen, red-rimmed eyes were closed. Her hands, pressed together under her
cheeks, were her only pillow. Her red nose and eyes almost glowed against her
pale skin. He thinned his lips and scowled at the golden cord wrapped around
each of her legs.

Sitting
on the edge of the cold stone, he cupped her cheek, hoping to wake her gently.
Her eyes flew open and she pulled away from him with a shriek, her eyes wild.
Her wide-eyed gaze darted wildly around the cave before it finally fixed on his
face.

“Thor!”
She hugged him fiercely, sobbing onto his shoulder. “I—I thought you would
never get here. I tried to be brave, I really did.”

Reaching
up, he smoothed her hair and pressed his cheek against her head, relieved that
she was finally where she belonged, in his arms again.

“Shh...”
he whispered into her hair. “I got here as quickly as I possibly could.” He
wrapped her more tightly in his arms. “I was afraid I would never find you in
the catacombs. There are hundreds of passages, covering hundreds of miles. Our
connection with each other is what made it possible for me to find you.”
Setting her away from him, he stood and pulled his hammer from the sheath at
his back. “Whatever you do, don’t move. I don’t want to hit you.”

He
pulled the cord taut and lifted his hammer. A loud crack rent the air as he
slammed the hammer down on the cord. The cord snapped and, no longer connected
to the other end, untied itself and slithered from her ankle.

“Now
for the other one.” Raising his hammer, he aimed for the other one. “Don’t
move.”

Emma
squeezed her eyes shut with a nod and sat frozen on the crystal bed.

With
another loud crack, she was freed from her bonds. Thor sheathed his hammer,
lifted her into his arms and carried her from the caves.

An
hour later, they left the caves and he still carried her in his arms. The
bright light of the sun still shone down on the sharp rocks of the cliffs. The
colorful prisms danced around them in a beautiful display and Emma’s mouth
dropped open as she gawked at the crystal cliffs surrounding them.

“My,
my. That was quick. How did you manage to find her so quickly without your
magic, oh great and mighty Thor?”

Thor
stiffened, his arms tightening protectively around Emma when he heard the
irritating voice behind him. He turned and faced the prankster, Loki.

“You
wouldn’t understand, fool. You would have to care for someone other than
yourself, first.” He scowled at the other man. “That is something quite
impossible to do since you don’t seem to have a heart.”

He
set Emma down on her feet and pushed her behind him when Loki stepped forward
with a sneer. Tall and thin, his wavy blonde hair covered his narrow face. It
fell over his eyes as he paced erratically in front of them. Though the women
always admired Loki’s looks, Thor just didn’t see it. If they only knew that
the outside packaging didn’t come close to the self-absorbed God he’d become,
they wouldn’t wait in line to grace his bed.

He
looked from Loki, then back to his mate who watched Loki with undisguised
horror. Perhaps good looks were overrated.

“Don’t
underestimate me, Thor.” He waved his arms around. “Everyone always
underestimates me.”

“Perhaps
there is a reason people do, Loki.” Thor knew his words had the desired effect
when Loki stopped his pacing, and strode straight toward him. He stopped just
inches from Thor’s grasp and he knew if he pushed Loki just a little more over
the edge, the God would overstep the boundaries, the rules set up to protect
each other from attack.

So
long as Loki attacked first, Thor could not be blamed for defending himself.

“What
did you say, Thor?”

“What,
not only can’t you plan an abduction properly, but you can’t hear now as well?”
Thor laughed, and just as he’d planned Loki struck out, flashing a golden sword
into his hand and swinging it in a giant arc.

Sparks
flew as hammer met sword. “Then a battle it shall be, Loki.”

Chapter
Twenty-two

Wallowing
in his own self importance, Loki danced around Thor waving the magical blade. Thor
frowned. How did the fool plan to win when he couldn’t even stand still long
enough to strike?

Still,
Thor resisted the temptation of a first strike. It must be perfectly clear who
the instigator was in this matter. The Norns were fickle creatures at best.
They did not like others meddling in their affairs. And everything having to do
with life, death and destiny was their affair.

A
breeze blew in off the cliffs. The warm, sultry air tickled his nostrils with
the scent of warm soil and rock. The sun slowly moved ever lower in the sky as
Loki continued to dance around him. Thor’s arms grew heavy. Holding his hammer
became too much of a burden and he longed to set it down in the grass. Yet he
held still it. It was his. Why shouldn’t he hold it?

He
shook his head, trying to focus on his target. His eyes grew heavy, his arms no
longer able to hold his beloved hammer.

Emma
screeched a warning into his mind, but she was too late.

Loki
attacked. Lunging forward, he swung his magical blade and knocked the hammer
from his hand. Tired as he was, he dropped to his knees in exhaustion. What the
hell was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he focus?

“It’s
some sort of trick. Don’t let him put you to sleep. He’ll kill you. Dammit,
Thor, wake up!”

He
shook his head to clear it, finally seeing the draining spell for what it was.
If it hadn’t been for Emma, Loki would have had him right where he wanted him—lying
unconscious on a slab waiting to be sacrificed. He stood and bent to pick up
his hammer.

“Shut
up, bitch!” Loki screamed, his face mottled red with rage. “I would have had
him if not for your big mouth, damn it.”

He
moved to strike at Emma. Thor stepped in front of him, throwing his hammer up
to block a killing blow.

“This
is between us, Loki. She isn’t a part of this.”

“Of
course she is.” Loki looked at her and sneered, his usually handsome face
filled with so much hate, he appeared demonic. “If it wasn’t for your lusting
after her like some rutting pig, we would be able to await Ragnarok in
peace. Instead, you decide to finally give a shit about your believers and go
sniffing after her, in some misguided attempt to buy more time for the nine
worlds.”

He
struck again, quickly and without warning. Thor expected nothing less from the
trickster god. He deflected the second blow meant for his love and attempted to
tamp down the rage boiling in his gut for the so-called “God” who would attack
an unarmed human woman.

Thunder
rumbled in the distance, lightning slashed through the sky. Clouds gathered,
blocking out the light of the sun. Gathering his power around him and Emma like
a cloak, he raised his hammer to the sky, leaving himself wide open for Loki to
strike.

Bolts
of lightning struck the ground where the trickster had stood. He appeared
behind them, once again ready to strike out at Emma. Thor threw himself in
front of her, ready to take the sword in her stead.

Winds
ripped around them as his distructive power continued to rage in the storm
around them. Lightning struck the face of the crystal cliffs, the force of the
blow causing explosions as the shards of crystal and gemstones rained down upon
them, driven by the wind.

Desperate,
Loki attempted another blow. Just as Thor raised his hammer to the sky for a
killing blow, three beautiful women appeared before them.

You
shall stop this at once, Loki.

Thor
lowered his arm, took Emma’s hand and knelt before the three women, pulling her
down beside him.

“The
Norns,” he whispered to her, “Stay on your knees and keep your face averted. Do
not do anything to draw their attention to you.”

He
stood and bowed to the three women. “I...” He glanced down to Emma, excluding
her would draw their attention just as quickly as including her would. “We
welcome your intervention. Loki is attempting to kill my mate or me, to bring
about Ragnarok.”

The
three women looked at Loki and spoke as one. “How do you answer this charge,
fool?”

Loki
sneered at Thor. “The legends clearly state that every one of us must have
children or the end of the world will come. Even I have children. Yet
Thor does not. And instead of fathering his children on a Goddess as befits his
station as the blood son of the Alfader, he goes to earth and sniffs around
this human as if she is a bitch in heat.”

“And
who are you to make this decision, fool?” The three looked at each other,
obviously communicating amongst themselves. “Do you not trust us to do what is
right, to ensure that all life unfolds as it should?”

They
folded their hands on front of them and took a step forward toward Loki.

“Why
do you wish to bring about the end so soon?”

One
stepped forward. The soft breeze caused her silvery hair to billow behind her.
Like the others, her beauty was almost painful. She looked directly at Emma,
and Thor stiffened. He wanted to step in front of her, yet knew it could be
considered an insult to the three sisters. No one tempted the Norns, especially
this one.

“I
am Urd, your fate. Everything that happens to you is my doing,” she flicked her
gaze to Loki and frowned. “Unless someone meddles where they do not belong.”

She
turned to indicate her sisters. The redhead stepped forward. Her hair blew
around her like fiery strands of crimson silk.

“This
is Skuld, your being. Everything you are, everything you will ever be, is
approved by her first.”

Urd
nodded to Skuld and she stepped forward. She rested her hand on Emma’s head.

“You
have shown us that you have incredible strength, both physical and emotional.”
She smiled softly. “Your heart is as big as Loki’s ego. You are an acceptable
mate for Thor.” Bright waves of energy flowed from her fingertips, “I bestow
upon you power befitting the mate of a god. From this day hence you are a
goddess.”

Skuld
stepped back to flank the last Norn who still stood silent. Her black hair hung
straight over her shoulders, untouched by the wind. The shining ebony black
strands didn’t move on the wind as did the hair of her other sisters. Urd waved
her forward.

“This
is my sister Verdandi. She is necessity. Everything you need comes through
her.”

“I
gift you with many children, knowledge and health.” She smiled. “I also gift
your brother with health, since his health is necessary to your well-being.”
She looked to Urd. “Now for your fate.”

Urd
took another step toward Loki. Ignoring Emma, she addressed the trickster god
instead.

“Loki,
your fate lies in our hands. There is no defense, no excuse for meddling in the
affairs of fate.” She looked back at her sisters, then turned back to him at their
nods. “Intruding on destiny is a serious offence. I would be well within my
rights to end your existence.”

“But—”

Urd
held up her hand when he would have continued.

“Do
not interrupt me! You have taken it upon yourself to end the lives of many humans
all for your own gain. I do not want to know why you wish to bring Ragnarok
to us so quickly. Even now the roots of the great tree are rotting away. A few
millennia and the battle will be upon us.’

“If
the time was right for such a battle, my sisters and I would not still be
pouring mud and the waters from the Well of Fate over its branches. If
time for the battle was near, we would bring our efforts to an end.”

She
paced slowly in front of Loki who had gone silent, his eyes cast downward.

“Your
hatred of the human race has been noted. We realize you no longer wish to be
immortal. Death comes to the most brave and valiant of our people, fool. You
are neither. Your death will not serve us.”

Skuld
and Verdandi stepped forward, flanking their sister. The three of them stood
still, their arms raised to the sky, their eyes glowing white. Again the three
voices rose as one.

“Punishment
of the god Loki has been set. He shall live the rest of his life as a human. He
shall die a human unless he learns the human capacity for love.”

“No,
you can’t do this!” Loki cried, running forward in an attempt to stop the
spell.

A
ball of pure white light shot from the three sisters as he approached. It
surrounded him before he disappeared.

The
three sisters turned back to Thor and Emma.

“Nothing
lasts forever, sister. Even we shall, one day, meet our fates.” They smiled
down at her, then Urd separated herself from the others.

Placing
her hand on Emma’s head she whispered into her mind. I gift you with
immortality. Your love for Thor knows no bounds, I feel it within you. Your
love for him. I also feel your love of your brother. She smiled softly. I
also gift you with the knowledge of his fate. Your brother, Alexander, shall
have a long, long life. You needn’t worry about him any longer.

With
that she stepped back, and looked at Thor.

“The
two of you shall return to earth to care for Alexander.” She paused then turned
to Emma. “He shall need your help for many years to come. We shall inform Odin
that you will return in six years to fulfill your half of your bargain with
him. He will agree,” she said with a small smile, her brow raised. “No one
tempts the fates.”

Epilogue

Six
months later:

Emma
hurried back up the stairs after fixing Alex his breakfast and getting him off
to school.

She
jumped into bed and snuggled up next to Thor.

“Your
feet are cold,” he mumbled, covering her feet with his own to warm them. “Go
back to sleep.”

Wrapping
her arms around him, she giggled. “You sure do sleep a lot for a god, mister.”
She tickled his sides until he rolled over and kissed her.

“Mmm.
You taste good.”

“So
do you.” She kissed him again. “I figure we have about two hours before our
farmhand wakes up and needs breakfast. Wanna play?” She waggled her brows
playfully and reached for his cock. “Good, you’re already hard.”

Emma
leaned forward and kissed his neck, suckling his ear. Trailing kisses over his
chest, she grinned when his breath hissed out as she suckled lightly on his
flat nipples. His hand fisted in her hair as she moved lower, tonguing his
bellybutton.

His
cock was rock-hard. She took him into her mouth and hummed as she fondled his
sac.

Thor
grabbed her head, holding her. He thrust his hips up as his fingers massaged
her scalp.

“I
love the feel of your mouth on my skin, Emma.” His words came out on short
gasps as she lightly scraped her teeth over the sensitive flesh of his cock. He
groaned, tightening his hands in her hair before he pulled her head back up to
kiss her deeply.

He
rolled them over, buried his face between her breasts and inhaled deeply.

“You
always smell so good. Like vanilla and sunshine.” He gave her a lecherous grin.
“It makes me want to eat you up.”

“Light
my fire, baby,” she breathed against his lips.

She
arched her back into his hands and moaned as he gently pulled and twisted her
nipples. When his lips brushed over her skin, took one dusky peak into the heat
of his mouth, she groaned. Every touch, every soft caress of his lips made her
tremble. Gooseflesh rose on her skin as he moved his head up and laved the
shell of her ear.

“Are
you ready for me?” he asked, his gentle hands gliding over her flesh. His hands
were everywhere stroking the hardened peaks of her breasts, his warm mouth
following the same path. His hands left a fiery trail over her skin to the
tight curls at the apex of her thighs. Long fingers dipped into her wet sheath,
circled around her swollen clit.

“I
love how you’re always so wet for me. How your juices run from your beautiful
pussy like honey.”

Slowly
trailing kisses down her body, Thor paused to gaze lovingly down at her moist
center before he lowered his head. He swiped his tongue through her wet slit
and she mewled his name. Reaching down, she fisted her hands in his hair. He
grabbed her legs, threw her thighs over his shoulders, lifted her hips into the
air and suckled her nether lips.

When
his wet velvet tongue brushed over her clit, she whimpered, knowing he would
tease her before he would allow her release. He teased them both, she knew. His
body thrummed with desire, his muscles tense as he circled her clit with his
tongue.

Sobbing
out her intense need, she ground her hips against his face as his tongue danced
over her sensitized flesh. He brought her close to the edge, then stopped,
leaving her gasping as he waited for the urge to climax pass. Then he started
all over again, until he finally brought her over the edge.

“I’m
cumming!” she screamed, squeezing her legs tight around his head. Waves of
pleasure washed over her as he continued to suckle and lave her clit gently. Her
hands released his hair and she collapsed onto the bed, her muscles slack.

“I
love to hear you scream as you cum, baby,” he said kissing his way back up her
limp body.

He
moved between her legs, positioning himself at the entrance to her dripping
channel.

“Please,
Thor” she begged. “Fuck me.”

Suddenly,
he thrust forward, driving into her with his hard shaft. All sense of time and
place left her as her muscles clenched around him. He groaned. His long, thick
shaft filled her, pressed deliciously against her womb as he rocked above her.

“You
feel so good, baby,” he breathed in her ear. “I’m not going to last this time.
Every time I think about you carrying my child, it saps my control.” He moved
into her again, his thrusts measured and gentle.

“I
want you out of control.” Emma wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him
deeper. “Please, Thor!” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her nails
scoring his back.

Grabbing
her hips, he quickened his pace, thrusting into her deeply. He finally gave her
what she wanted, what she needed.

“Yes!
Oh, my God, Thor, I’m cumming!”

Thor
rose above her, the muscles of his neck stood out as he threw his head back and
growled her name. He stiffened above her as her muscles clenched around him,
his hips jerked against her, his orgasm taking control. After a moment, he
collapsed next to her on the bed and drew her into his arms.

He
rested his hand on her rounded stomach and chuckled into her hair when the baby
moved beneath his fingers.

“She’s
a feisty one, your daughter,” he said, caressing her stomach. “Shall we name
her after your mother?”

“What
if it’s a boy? Can we name him after my father?” She yawned and snuggled deeper
into his embrace, closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

* * * *

The
Norns stood over the large scrying bowl. After the water churned, then stilled,
they watched for a moment as the two lovers slept in each other’s arms.

“She
will go into labor in two months and sixteen days. It is unusual that a couple
would choose to be ignorant of the child’s sex, is it not?” Verdandi asked, a
slight frown marring her beautiful face.

Skuld
smiled. “I think it is a wise decision that they wait. They await the event
with more excitement if they do not know the sex of their child.”

“Or
how many.”

Verdandi
and Skuld turned to Urd, each of them raising a brow.

“You
cannot make a statement like that without explaining yourself,” Verdandi said,
receiving a nod of encouragement from Skuld.

Urd
stared down into the scrying bowl. A small smile flitted across her face.

“She
will have twins, gifting her husband and the Alfader with two beautiful
daughters to fawn over.”

“What
of Loki?” they asked in unison.

The
water churned again, then settled to a smooth, glassy surface. Loki appeared in
the glistening water sleeping, a frown marring his face as he unconsciously
fought the sheets that wrapped tightly around him.

“He
will never learn to love,” Skuld said, a sneer on her face. “He is too selfish
and too pretty.”

Verdandi
nodded her agreement. “He will die in a few short years. He will die an
unloved, bitter old man. It is such a shame. He could have known such
greatness.”

Urd
kept her own council as she stared down into the bowl. The corners of her mouth
turned up in a soft smile. “He shall meet his destiny.”

About
the Author

Tianna
Xander is the author of several paranormal, time-travel and science fiction
romance novels. She loves reading everything from romance novels, murder
mysteries and encyclopedias, to handbooks on solar energy. Tianna is the first
to admit she spends far too much time surfing the internet and chatting with
her online friends and critique groups.

Having
written four novels and working on at least one more at any given time, Tianna
still finds time for her family, friends and her many pets. She currently
lives in Michigan with her husband, two children, a pair of cats, two big dogs
and one occasionally terrorized Netherland Dwarf bunny. Her life is anything
but boring.

eBook Info

Identifier:

FYSPCKHKIS

Title:

Thor's Hammer

Creator:

Tianna Xander

Date:

1/31/2007

Publisher:

MobiPocket.com

Language:

en