Page 18 of Loki's Heart
“About you.” His gaze never left her. “Us.”
“There was no us until a few weeks ago that I knew of,” she reminded, unsure what else to say. Not daring to get her hopes up. “Even then, you’ve been with other women since. I know you have.” She shook her head. “So how could I possibly—”
“No...I haven’t.” He sighed. “I may have given the appearance that I have, but I haven’t...and now I know why. I understandwhat my godliness had already figured out.” His gaze dropped to his blade. “What this dagger just made clear in a way that is remarkable.”
“And that is?” she prompted.
“Love,” he said bluntly, seeming surprised the word came so easily to him. “For you.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “I think.”
Ignoring the way her heart leapt into her throat, she arched her brows. “Youthink?”
“I’ve never felt like this, so I have no way of being sure, but yes.” He nodded once. “I think I have loved you for a very long time. Since the beginning.” He gestured at her key. “And you love me too, yes?”
“Yes,” she confessed, seeing no point in lying anymore. She did love him, however heartbreaking that might be in the end. But what of how he felt? Love wasn’t something natural to a god like Loki. Thor, yes, but not his troublesome brother-in-arms.
He seemed pleased. Even excited. “This is good.”
“Perhaps,” she murmured. Their gazes held for a stretch as she thought about his conclusion about loving her. “The only problem is you shouldn’tthinkyou love someone but know it unquestionably.” She glanced from his blade to her key before looking at him again. “Which leads me to believe my holding your heart is at work on your emotions. That the blade is very likely picking up on that.”
“Yet here I sit confessing my feelings without the better part of my heart.” He sheathed the blade, pulled her onto his lap before she could stop him, dug his hand into her hair, and made her eyes stay with his. “This isn’t about you holding my heart, woman. This is so much more. It always has been. Always will be.”
“How can you be so certain?” She was too weak to pull away. To stop him if he decided to show her just how strongly he seemed to feel. “Loki, you’ve felt desire and lust your wholeexistence. So why are you so convinced now? You must sense how this wreaks of magical interference.”
“Or magical interference has finally made things clear.” He looked at her in a way that suddenly felt so familiar. “Perhaps we needed all this to happen so we could find whatever this is.”
“I believe you called it love,” she murmured, trying not to drown in the hypnotic way he looked at her. It wasn’t just lustful but kindred. Missed. “You’ve looked at me like this before, haven’t you?”
“I don’t know,” he said softly. Wondrously. His gaze dropped to her lips. “Maybe I did and didn’t even realize it.Recognizeit.”
“We can’t.” She put a finger to his lips when it seemed he was going to kiss her. “Yrsa feeds on desire.”
“In the dream state.” He removed her finger and traced her lips. “Not awake.”
“How do you know?” Little flames of pleasure ignited beneath his touch. At the feel of his sizeable erection beneath her backside. “Is it worth the risk?”
“Days ago, I might have said yes.” He cursed under his breath and trailed his fingers along the tendrils of fire curling down her neck. “But now...” His gaze grew tortured. “Now, you must give me a piece of your heart, Revna. Let me protect you as you have protected me. Let me keep you safe until we can be together as we should.”
“And how is that?” she wondered aloud when she merely meant to think it. “Once you’ve had me, you will tire of me. I may even tire of you.” However impossible to imagine. “We aren’t the sort to commit. To be in any kind of relationship. You said it yourself when you saw us lasting no more than a night or two together.”
“Or a week.” A small, almost wise smile curled his lips. “I get the feeling it will be far longer, though. That once we give in to each other, things will never be the same.”
“Even if that were true,” in some bizarre parallel universe, “you’re a god, and I’m a mortal. Since the start of creation, that’s a mix that cannot sustain, and you know it.” She sighed and rested her cheek against his shoulder when she would much rather feel him between her thighs. Finally enjoy his hot flesh against hers. “We’re not dragons. We’ll never be fated mates destined to find each other life after life. We’re...”
What? Two beings destined for passion in a blip of time. For love that can only ever be fleeting? Creatures made more of darkness than light. Fiery heat rather than peace and consistency.
“We’re hopeless, Loki.” Yet the idea of not having those short nights together, dying before passion had a chance to fully ignite between them, was more than her inner demon could bear.
So she gave him the answer she knew he wanted to hear.
Chapter Twelve
“Iwill give you a piece of my heart,” Revna murmured, making Loki's heart soar. Or at least the half he still possessed. “We will bind hearts.”
“Good.” Having clearly followed their conversation from afar, Cian joined them and nodded at Revna. “A wise decision, my friend.”
He made it sound so technical and temporary, but Loki didn’t care. Just as long as it helped keep her safe. Because he couldn’t imagine anything happening to her. Refused to accept an existence without her living, whether with him or not.
Nothing was stranger than contemplating having a woman by his side for as long as she would have him, but it had begun. Had likely been happening for a very long time. The Great War had just given him an excuse to be around her more often. To express his desire, if not all the deeper feelings he only just realized he felt. Feelings that had undoubtedly been there all along.