Eye of the Beholder

Right then and there he determined that he would never, ever complain no matter how she wanted to decorate. It was worth it just to see that look on her face.

He reached for her, pulling her into his arms and pillowing her head against his chest. She settled in with a sigh, her arms wrapping around his waist.

“I might never leave here.”

That would be good. At least I know she’d be safe. Not that he actually believed it. Jamie was too vibrant, too alive to remain cooped up for long. He’d already seen the signs of restlessness in her, which was one of the reasons she and Jeff would be going with him to free Fenris. He had no idea what the Wonder Twins would get up to if he left them behind. He smiled. Jordan was getting to him if he was thinking of them by her nickname for them. “Yeah, it’s a nice place.” Not as nice as his had been, but if it made her happy then that was all that mattered.

“No.” She leaned back in his arms, her expression filled with wary hope. “I mean, here.” She tightened her arms around him, making her meaning clear.

“Are you sure?” Because if she teased him again his cock was going to rebel and just jump right off his damn body. Hell, she’d probably be able to put a leash on it and take it for walks.

“Are you sure?” She bit her lip, sighing when he leaned down and brushed a soft kiss over the tiny hurt. “I’ve seen your girlfriends, remember, so no lying. Not a one of them was the cute brainy type with wildly curly hair and extra personality.”

The fierce look on her face hid the uncertainty he could still hear in her voice. “Would you believe me if I told you they were all practice while I waited for you?”

She leaned back in his arms and waved her hand, making a face. “What is that smell?” She sniffed, ignoring the grin slowly taking over his face. “Phew, that bullshit is nasty.”

God, he loved this woman. “I’ll take that as a no.”

The half-amused, half-aggravated look was one he knew well. She usually wore it when she felt someone had said something extraordinarily stupid. She’d given him the same look when she’d been sixteen and unwittingly won his heart.

He pulled her in closer. “Okay, how about I’m not a perv who’s into little girls. And not one word about Vikings and fourteen-year-olds, got it?” When she shuddered he added, “Back then you lived to be maybe thirty. Marrying at fourteen was normal.”

She coughed, “jailbait” into her hand.

He began slowly walking her back toward the bed, unable to keep the big grin off his face. He felt like he was glowing with happiness. He looked at his arm. I am glowing with happiness. “You are so weird.”

“I’m weird? I’m not the umpty-bazillion-year-old god here.”

He paused, the grin—and the glow—fading. He knew now what the real problem she was having was.

“How much does that bother you?”

She blew her hair off her forehead, ignoring it when it landed right back where it had been. “Tyr?

You’re older than my grandfather.”

He sighed, secretly delighted when she used his real name. “Right.” He absently stroked her back, trying to figure out how to get around this admittedly large stumbling block. “But I’m not a psychopathic asshat.”

Humor flashed briefly across her face before irritation settled back in. “I’ve seen the goddesses you, ahem, date.”

The way her nose wrinkled as she made little quotation marks with her fingers was so cute he just had to kiss the tip of her nose. “I haven’t slept with a goddess in over fifteen years.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Fine. I’ve seen the Barbie dolls you’ve slept with.”

“I never slept with a plastic woman.”

“Boobs are supposed to move. Many a silicone chip gave its life so that Cindy What’s-Her-Face could have double D’s.”

His hand went from absent to firm, sliding down to her ass. He petted it, loving the feel of the firm globes.

“Travis.”

“Hmm?”

The irritation was slowly giving way to humor. “Barbie dolls.”

He blinked, his gaze narrowing in to the soft cleavage revealed by the soft green shirt she was wearing. “What were we talking about?”

“Sex.”

I can get behind that.

“With other, blonder women.”

Or not. “I’m sorry, honey, but I have no intention of sharing you with anyone, male or female.”

Because if anyone besides him touched her that way he’d be forced to kill. His vision began to mist over at the thought of what her ex might have touched, might have tasted. He’d wasted so many years. Right now he couldn’t even remember why he’d waited.

“Tyr. Sex.”

His vision miraculously cleared. “Yes. Tyr. Sex.” His mouth homed in on the side of her neck, biting, licking and sucking until a huge, dark hickey appeared and her breath came in deep pants.

“Oh god.”

“Mmm-hmm.” He nibbled his way up her neck to her ear, drawing the lobe between his teeth and worrying it gently.

“But—”

“Let me love you.”

Let me love you. If only he knew. She was dying inside for him to love her just as much as she loved him.

No matter what, she did love him. Ancient Norse God of Justice or three-eyed purple alien, she loved him. So she didn’t fight him when he pulled her shirt slowly up and off of her. She didn’t protest when his hand slid down her torso, cupping her breast and thumbing her nipple until it throbbed with want. She didn’t utter a single word when her bra was removed. After all, she’d already decided to give herself to him, nerves be damned.

She undid the button and zipper of her own pants, watching the mist creep across his eyes as she did so. It was strangely exciting to watch, to know that she was the one who made him lose control like that.

She licked her lips and the mist covered half his iris, the white slowly bleeding into the blue, his jaw clenching.

He bent down to lick her nipple, drawing it slowly into the warm, moist heat of his mouth. She arched back, trusting he would keep her from falling.

With a wild groan he moved again, pushing her back onto the bed. “I waited so long for you.” His shirt was quickly removed, his heavy lidded gaze never leaving her naked breasts. “I almost lost you.” His shoes, socks and pants came off next, a ragged moan escaping him as she slipped her fingers under the edge of her jeans. The blue of his eyes was almost gone. When she actually started to stroke herself he shuddered. “Fuck, Jamie.”

“Yes. Fuck Jamie.”

That did it. The blue of his eyes were completely gone, his skin taking on a luminescent shimmer as he reached for her jeans, tugging them and her shoes off. He rested his hand atop hers, silently encouraging her to continue, learning the rhythm she used to pleasure herself. He smiled as he dipped his fingers inside her pussy, slowly fucking her with them as she stroked her clit.

He leaned down and took her nipple into his mouth, balancing himself on his right arm, his hand smearing her juices around her asshole. “Tyr.”

He shuddered. “Not yet. Some day, when I’ve made you ready, but not yet.” One finger dipped in, the burning sensation making her gasp. At the same time he took her other nipple, the blooming pleasure making her arch into