To save the Valkyrie who broke his heart, the Fae Sea God makes a deal with the Demon Prince of the Aerial Kingdoms, but Pazuzu has a history of stealing the women Manannan loves.
***
When Mist visits her parents' home in California, she assumes th...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Heart thundering, I barely took in our tropical surroundings of black sand, volcanic cliffs, and waves crashing on the shore behind me. Blood flowed like warm honey in my veins after our kiss, heating my flesh and creating a restlessness that the light breeze did nothing to calm or cool. My entire focus was on the sea god in front of me, the connection of our fingers twining together, sparking up from the point of contact. Those deep ocean blue eyes held my gaze as his hand rose to brush my hair back from my cheek.
"I've yearned to have you in my arms again, to have you look upon me with warmth, with caring." His deep baritone shivered over my skin, and he swallowed, the motion rippling his strong throat. "Shells, Mist... I... I was half a soul without you. There is no one else for me. It's you... from the moment I met you with Loki all those months ago... the only one I've wanted is you."
Emotion formed a lump in my throat and I blinked away the tears clouding my vision. I'd never forgotten my first impression of Manannan, rising out of the sea with his flowing blue locks caressing an impressive physique. With lethal power evident in his thickly muscled build not hidden by the tight silver skinsuit or interlocking silver and blue scale armour, it was easy to see why Midgardians had carved statues to Poseidon, worshiping Manannan's most famous identity. Yggdrasil's roots, I'd barely restrained myself from reaching out to touch him, to desire almost overwhelming to feel the chiseled swell of muscle across his chest and shoulders or bite those full lips turned up in sensual twist.
And the heated look in his eyes as he'd admired my form.
Yeah, he'd made every feminine inch of me sit up and take notice, despite the seriousness of the quest Loki and I had been on to recover Loki's soulmate and my friend. No question that he'd made an impression that wasn't as innocent as the admiration I'd had for him as a young girl. I'd be a liar if I'd not admitted I'd wanted him then, too.
But the timing hadn't been right. Not with Shannon missing.
Nor later, when he joined us on Alfheim to search for her, to guide us to the Atlanteans and their queen. I scowled. Their queen that he'd then spent the night with before she released us to continue our quest.
Manannan's eyes searched my face, head tilting slighting before a small smile appeared. "I didn't have sex with the Atlantean Queen when I guided you and Loki there. I've not had sex with anyone other than you since we met, Mist."
How did he know what I was thinking? With a snort, I pulled my hand from his and stepped back. "Do you take me for a fool? Loki and I both saw the evidence on your neck the next morning."
Manannan's smile widened and inclined his head. "Indeed. And Queen Eithnu did attempt to be most persuasive. We'd been occasional lovers for a long time. I don't deny it when Elatha and Eriu are most likely my children... although I can't be positive on their parentage." He moved closer, cupping my cheeks and holding my gaze. "But she also respected my decision when I told her my heart lay elsewhere."
