Coming Home (Sequel to This Time Around)

Chapter Twenty-Six

He rubbed his face with both hands and sighed softly. “We need a vacation, love.”

“Just you and me or all of us?”

“I think you and me mostly. But I don’t want to leave the children just yet, either.”

“Loki, you’re a prince. You can take two vacations.”

He grinned. “This is true.”

With that, he took the cup from her and before she could protest, he slid down, pulling her atop him. As her hair spilled forward, he gathered it in both hands to pull back, whispering, “I have missed you, McKenna. Missed waking up to this every morning.”

“I’m still a mess.”

“No, you’re not,” he murmured, his eyes holding hers. “You are beautiful.”

“I’ve got red, puffy eyes, a runny nose and blotchy face. I’m a bridge troll.”

His laugh was low and throaty. “Perhaps, but you’re my bridge troll. And I’ve missed you.”

He drew her down and kissed her softly. He released her hair, letting it fall all around them as he slid his arms about her and held her tight. She lost herself in his kiss, forgetting about how she could barely breathe through her nose, how swollen her eyes had to be, just letting herself melt into him once more.

When she sank into him, she trembled from head to toe, fighting to breathe this time not because of a stuffy nose, but because of the magic that sparked between them. Her head came to rest on his chest, and his hand slid along her hair as he whispered, “Oh… love…”

“Mmmm…” She shivered as his fingertips swept along her bare back, and she let her eyes close. “I don’t care if I ever move again.”

“That makes two of us,” he murmured.

After a few minutes, she lifted her head. “Loki?”

“What?”

“Who was the woman in the bar?”

His eyes clouded with confusion. “What?”

“Heimdall gave me this,” she stretched toward the nightstand, catching the edge of the drawer with her fingertips to tug it open. She shifted slightly, which made his breath hitch and made her chuckle in turn. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. It felt rather nice, actually.”

She smiled as she stretched a little further and managed to pluck the small gold cube from the drawer’s depths. Loki sighed as she shifted again. “Darling girl, keep it up and you’re going to awaken a monster.”

“I’m hardly afraid, you know.” She smiled down at him. “I’m rather fond of that monster.”

He grinned and it was her turn to suck in a sharp breath as fire flashed through her. “How do you do that?” she asked with a breathless laugh.

“I’ll never tell.”

“Evil.”

“You’re just realizing that?”

“Anyway…” She set the cube on his chest. “Heimdall gave me this. He said I could see you with it.”

“I have one like it. A gift from him back when I was sent back to the dungeon and you back to Asgard.” His eyes grew serious as he lifted the cube with his right hand. “And you saw me with a woman?”

“Yes and no. It looked like a bar. She was blue. With blue hair. Like an overgrown Smurfette.”

“A what?”