Page 46 of A Tale of Two Vikings

“What are you doing here?” she practically shrieked, sinking lower in the water. The room was dim, lit only by a few wall torches. Still, she was naked, for Asgard’s sake!

“Come to take a bath,” he said, already beginning to disrobe. He undid his belt and tugged his tunic over his head.

“You already took a bath,” she pointed out.

“A man can never be too clean,” he said, then winked at her.

That wink did odd things to her breasts and woman-place. She could swear she actually tingled.

But Helga was no fool. She knew exactly what the rogue was about. He was putting her at a disadvantage in this game of seduction she had started. She’d known from the beginning that he was a much more experienced player, but she hadn’t expected to be outwitted so early. Well, the game was not yet over.

He’d pulled his hair back off his face with a leather thong. His chest was bare by now, and he sank down onto a stone bench to remove his half-boots.

“Stop! Stop right there!”

He stopped.

“You are not getting in this bath with me, naked.”

“I’m not?”

“Nay. ’Tis not proper. Besides, men are not supposed to be in the bathhouse this time of night.”

“Is that a rule?”

“It is.”

He smiled. “Guess what I think of rules.”

Helga rolled her eyes at the hopelessness of arguing with the dolthead. Besides that, she’d lost the power of speech once he’d peeled off his braies and loincloth.

She should look away.

She really should.

But she didn’t.

To give the man credit, he didn’t feign false modesty. Nor did he preen. He stood, hands on hips, and let her look her fill. He was a beautiful man, no doubt about it, from his finely sculpted face with its cleft chin to his wide shoulders, narrow waist and hips, and long, sinewed legs. Even his narrow feet were good-looking. And of course there was that part in between which was impressive indeed, as far as those things went.

“Dost like to look at me, m’lady? Nay, you do not have to answer. I see that you do. Know this, I would enjoy viewing your nude body even more. Wouldst like to give me that pleasure?”

Not in a million years! Oh, what was wrong with her? This was the perfect opportunity to launch her plan. All she had to do was stand. All? Hah! It is everything…exposing my skinny body to a man. Can I stand the scrutiny…and probably rejection? Yea, I should stand. Go ahead, Helga, close your eyes and stand.

But she hesitated too long, and Vagn walked into the circular pool and sat down opposite her on one of the lower steps so that water lapped at him up to his waist. He spread his arms out along the edge with his legs extended under the water. The pool was large enough for two full-grown men to stretch across it, so she was in no danger of his touching her from there. For some reason, that did not comfort her. He could look, which he did…hotly. And he could talk, which he proceeded to do…hotly.

“I want you, Helga,” he said without warning.

“For what?” Dumb, dumb, dumb. Even I know what he meant by that.

He smiled, slow and easy. Words were not necessary.

“Wanting is not the same as getting.” Has my tongue lost its connection to my brain?

“For most men mayhap. But, me”—he rolled his shoulders—“I usually get what I want.”

“With women, you mean.” His arrogance knew no bounds. To her chagrin, she found it oddly appealing.

“With women,” he agreed. “You started this game, Helga. Oh, do not try to deny that fact. What I want to know is, what are you about?”