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Ogun snapped his mouth shut and shrugged. “Maybe I’ll tell you another time.” His gaze lifted to Torsten for a brief second, seemingly unsure of himself.
“We should follow the witch’s example and get some sleep,” Torsten suggested. “You snuggle Fyrcat and I’ll keep Jovi warm.”
“If you want privacy to have sex, just say so,” Ogun said, an impish twinkle in his eye.
“I am going to wring your neck at some point, dwarf,” Torsten replied.
“You’ll have to catch me first,” Ogun said. “Go on. I’ll guard the witch while we wait for the grumpy one to return.”
***
Torsten
Jovi stood awkwardly beside me, eyeing the space in the hollow trunk. The dying oak was a rare find in this part of the woods. I patted the space beside me. I didn’t know what to say or what to do to make her more comfortable.
“Do you want to take a quick sponge bath? I think I can melt a little of the snow with my body heat.”
Jovi smiled. “Is that a transparent ploy to get me naked?”
“No! I meant…” I covered my face with my hands and groaned. My hands had barely left her body since that kiss, so perhaps she had reason to think I was just trying to get her naked, as she’d said. “Look, my intentions are pure. I promise. It’s been a long day and getting clean might help you relax.”
Jovi chewed on her bottom lip and I felt myself grow hard at the sight of the plump red flesh. “It’s a little cold for that out here.”
“It’s just a suggestion. You look stressed.”
She laughed. “We’re about to meet the goddess who bound you into sexual slavery. I don’t think she’ll take your rejection lightly. Even if she puts it aside for the moment, there will be a reckoning for it later.”
“Probably, but I won’t let her touch you. I fought Thor and I’ll fight Freya.”
Jovi smiled and turned her back to me, slipping the sleeves of her blouse down to expose her collarbones and the tops of her breasts.
“Start here.”
My heart beat a little faster as I scooped up a handful of snow and held it between my hands. It melted quickly. She jumped when the cool water touched her skin, goosebumps rising in the wake of my fingers.
“Is this good or bad?” I asked.
“Good,” she sighed. “Though I wish it was a warm shower, instead of freezing. This whole winter thing sucks.”
I snorted. “That’s an understatement.” Pushing myself closer to her, I used my shirt to wipe away the now grimy water of her back. We were both coated in the ash of Muspelheim.
“Do you want me to do you next?”
Oh yes, I wanted her to do me. Just the feeling of her soft skin under my hands was enough to bring back a lifetime of memories. It was all I could do to keep myself from throwing her to the ground and tearing her clothes off.
“It’s a bad idea,” I said with a regretful sigh.
She sighed too. “That’s a shame.”
“When we’re through saving the world,” I promised. “I will ravish you then and only then. When it’s safe.”
She craned her neck to look at me, flashing me a wicked smile. “I’ll hold you to that.”
“What did you talk about with Skarde?” I asked before I could stop myself. As soon as the thought entered my head and I imagined the two of them together and alone… I squeezed my hands into tight fists, melting more snow, fighting back the urge to hit something. If he’d touched her, kissed her…
She shrugged. “He wasn’t making much sense. He said that we couldn’t be friends which was hurtful, not to mention confusing. Then he started going on about houses. It was weird.”
That was… surprising. We still didn’t know if Jovi and Eir were the same person. And as far as I was concerned, until we had concrete proof that Skarde’s claims were true, they weren’t. Skarde’s mate could still be out there and I would have expected him to pursue her, no matter what.
