Wildest Dreams

Chapter Sixteen

She Missed You

I stood in my dressing room wearing a pair of skintight, delicate, black silk undies that had an abundance of exquisite lace at the seat of my ass, a black satin, boned corset that tied up the front with a blood red ribbon that pushed up my breasts and a red silk, loose-fitting, camisole-type thing under it that had a short, dense, lace ruffle around the edge, a black ribbon that drew it tight against my flesh and showed serious cleavage.

I had one foot on the lounge because I was connecting the second of a pair of the silkiest, flimsiest, most divine black silk stockings to the back garter that ran from the corset over my booty to the hose.

And I was thinking that the underwear in this world rocked in a big way because not only was all this hot, it was also impossibly comfortable and those silk stockings, even in a parallel universe nowhere near as advanced as mine, were the most extraordinary pieces of hosiery I’d ever touched.

And I was also thinking that any man, especially one who commanded dragons, would dig this underwear.

In a big freaking way.

Yes, that was exactly what I was thinking at the same time wondering how in the hell to find that man and then find the words to apologize to him in order to sort our shit out (and I was thinking the underwear might be useful) when the door opened.

“Hey,” I started to say, turning my head to who I expected to be one of my girls leading in the two dressmakers but instead seeing Frey standing statue-still, hand still on the door handle, eyes aimed at my ass.

I went statue-still too and took him in.

Okay, it was safe to say from the look on his face he definitely liked the underwear.

And it was also safe to say from the panic that seized my innards that I was definitely not ready for him to see me in it.

This was why I put my foot down, whirled and ran across the room to the screen that had my robe thrown over it.

I got there. I even got my hand on the robe. But the silk was soon gone from my hand because Frey got there with me and he jerked it right out of my grasp.

Ho boy.

I turned to face him, eyes wide, breaths coming fast like I’d run a two hundred yard dash and not across a room, my mind reeling for the right words to say to sort our shit out but with one look in his eyes, both heated and enraged, not one word came to mind.

“I think,” he growled, “don’t you, that at the very least I’m entitled to see the woman who is supposed to be my wife without cover.”

I stared up at him, close to panting.

Yep, definitely enraged.

That was when I did the smartest thing I could do.

I retreated.

Quickly.

And Frey advanced just as quickly, invading my space with every backward step I made until I slammed against the wall and he pushed right in, hips to my belly, he pinned me to the wall.

Oh shit.

I had to arch my back to tip my head to look at him which pressed my belly into his hips.

Shit!

“Frey –” I started and his name was breathless but I stopped saying whatever it was that was going to come out of my mouth when I heard gasps from across the room.

And I knew the dressmakers had arrived and I knew Frey heard them too but he didn’t release my eyes and I couldn’t look away as he barked an obviously impatient and equally infuriated, “Out!”

My body jerked with the noise.

Oh shit, shit, shit!

The door closed.

Shit.

“Frey –”

He cut me off this time by saying, “I’ve come to inform you,” he paused, his eyes moved to my rising and falling chest then back to my face, “wife,” he spat and my stomach clenched, “that I’m away in an hour. Business. I’ll be gone at least a month, likely longer.”

That was when my stomach wrenched searing pain up through my lungs and even in my throat.

And because of this, all I could manage was a whispered, “What?”

“I’m away in an hour,” Frey repeated.

He was away in an hour.

In an hour he was away.

Without me.

“But… but the Bitter Gales –” I started.

He interrupted me to bite off, “Is there reason for me to escort you to the Gales?”

“Uh…” Oh shit. Think Finnie! “Yes, you… you’re, um… my husband. A husband –”

“I’m not, Sjofn, there are many things I am but one thing I know I am not and that is your husband.”

That hurt, God, it hurt so bad, I had to close my eyes and turn my face away from the anger in his.

And it wasn’t him saying he wasn’t my husband.

It was him calling me Sjofn.

I was not Sjofn. I was Finnie. His wee Finnie. I was not the Sjofn he knew and hated.

I was not.

But I’d asked for that.

Shit. I’d asked for it.

I felt my throat clog as my breaths kept coming fast, my breasts brushing his chest as they came.

Then I felt the tip of his finger glide along the dense ruffle at the edge of my camisole, light against my skin. Gentle, sweet and unbelievably sexy.

I closed my eyes tighter and my breaths came faster as hope budded at his touch.

Then his finger went away.

I missed it when it was gone and I clenched my eyes tight as the tears rushed up my throat.

“Enjoy your Gales, Sjofn,” he said softly but his tone wasn’t gentle, it was distant and that hurt too. “I’ll see you upon my return.”

He started to move away but I looked at him then and I knew, hells bells, I knew when I opened my eyes there were tears there.

Tears!

From me!

But they were there and I didn’t have it in me to make them go away.

And this was because I really, really did not want him to go away.

My chest still moved, rising and falling rapidly as my mind went blank to everything but the thought of him going. But he not only stopped moving away, he had grown completely still as his eyes stayed riveted to mine and there was no way to stop the one tear that dropped and slid down my cheek. I watched him watch it as it went all the way down, falling from my jaw and landing on my chest.

Then his gaze came back to mine when I decided what I needed to say.

And when I did, I whispered, “I change my mind, Frey. I really don’t like it when you call me Sjofn. Please don’t call me that anymore.”

I barely got out the last word when he was back in my space and one of his arms sliced around the small of my back, the other hand plunged into my hair, fisting and pulling back as well as tilting my head to the side and then his mouth slammed down hard on mine.

Instantly his opened, mine reciprocated and there it was.

I was back. He was back. And having him, I shot straight up the line of happiness toward bliss.

But this was not a gentle kiss, this was not sweet, this was charged, greedy and that was coming from the both of us. I took, he took and the way we took I knew there wasn’t ever going to be enough.

My arms had wound around his neck and I pressed deep into him. When I did, Frey didn’t break the connection of our mouths as he leaned deep into me, arching me back as his arm slid over my ass and I knew what he wanted.

I helped by hopping up and circling his hips with my legs. Even before I got them around him, he was turning, walking, still drinking from my mouth as he prowled to my bedroom.

Then I was on my back in the softness of my bed, his heavy weight on me and I arched up, tensing my limbs around him to push deep like I wanted him to absorb me.

It was then he tore his mouth from mine and his blazing eyes locked with my own.

“Do not let your body ask for that which you aren’t ready, my wee one,” he growled his warning.

And he did it while calling me his wee one.

God, I missed that.

“I know what I want, honey,” I whispered, watched his eyes flare then his arms went from around me, I felt his fingers at the sides of my panties and then I heard the material tear.

Yes.

Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes.

My hands went to his sweater at the back, clenching in, pulling up as his fingers went to the gusset of my undies, yanking them free.

“Hurry,” I whispered.

“Patience,” he muttered then he lifted his arms for me, I pulled his sweater free, baring his fantastic chest then his hand went immediately to his breeches.

“Hurry, baby,” I pleaded, pressing into him with my hips and rounding him again to hold him tight in my arms, loving the feel of his sleek, hard-muscled skin against my hands.

“Gods,” he muttered, eyes on mine and I knew my gaze was filled with all the hunger I was feeling for him then his head dropped, his mouth captured mine and his tongue invaded as his cock thrust inside.

My back arched and my low moan drove down his throat.

Oh yes. Yes. Yes, yes, yes!

God, he felt so fucking good.

Then he thrust into me, hard, fast, deep and not close to gentle and I lifted my hips to get him deeper, encourage him to go faster, help him to ride me hard.

I broke my mouth from his as it built, fast, God, so fucking fast, and hot, God, the heat was going to reduce me to ashes and because of that I couldn’t take his tongue anymore.

I shoved my face in his neck, held on and gloried in the fierce jolts his deep thrusts scored into my body as I begged against his neck, “Harder.”

I barely got out the word before my head flew back, pushing into the bed, my neck arching, my back arching, my limbs tightening and I cried out as it seared through me, burning brilliantly.

“Gods,” I heard him grunt as he kept driving into me, “Gods, you’re beautiful, my wee Finnie.”

I opened my eyes to see his on me, burning me anew and I held them as he kept driving into me, again and again until he thrust hard, deep, my body jerked powerfully with it but he stayed planted and his head went back, the veins in his neck stood out and his groan of release filled the room.

Yes. Oh hell yes.

When he was done he collapsed on me and my lungs compressed at his immense weight but I held it not but a second before he rolled so I was on top and he was still inside me.

My cheek was to his chest and that was all I could see but I could feel him inside me, the ache from his thrusts so freaking sweet, one of his hands was in my hair and his other arm was wrapped around me.

And all that was him under me, in me, all around me, I touched the top of the happiness scale and hit bliss.

Then I blinked.

Then I thought, okay, shit, now what did I do?

Before my mind could sort it out, my mouth decided.

“Um… suffice it to say, I don’t want you calling me Sjofn anymore.”

His body stilled under mine for a long moment then it started rocking like he was laughing. His fingers fisted gently in my hair and tugged even more gently but I knew what he wanted. I sucked in breath and with it, courage, lifted my head to look at him and saw his beautiful eyes warm on me.

Yes.

Oh hell yes.

“Does this mean my Finnie is back?” he asked quietly.

“Yes,” I answered quietly then my mouth kept talking, “and she missed you.”

At my words, his eyes closed instantly and he rolled me, disconnecting us (sadly). He laid me on my back but his big, warm body stayed pressed close to mine and I watched his eyes open.

God, I’d missed his beautiful brown-green eyes with their dark, thick fringe of lashes, especially when they were looking at me like they were looking at me then. Not that I’d ever seen that particular look, exactly. It was warmer, sweeter, and definitely better since it said he knew the feel of the most intimate part of me and, obviously, he really freaking liked it.

“Um… just for your information,” my mouth, clearly detached from my brain, kept going, “I’m not all that into this Gales business. So, you know, if you feel like company on this gig you’ve got going, um… I’m available.”

Frey grinned.

Then he said, low and rumbly, “Wife, if you think I’m going to further discover your significant charms in my cold cabin on a ship filled with my men, I must inform you that you are very wrong.”

I felt my eyes get wide and my heart swell.

“You’re not going?” I whispered.

“Gods, no,” he answered instantly.

He wasn’t going!

And he wasn’t going because he wanted to stay with me.

Woo hoo!

I grinned before I admitted, “Uh… that’s good since I actually was into all this Gales business mostly because I have a fabulous dress.”

That was when Frey’s grin became a fantastic smile.

Then, thinking about what he did on his ships, I tipped my head to the side and asked, “Isn’t your business important?”

“It was,” he stated, “it isn’t anymore.” My heart swelled so big, it felt like it was going to burst, his head dipped and his mouth touched mine before he pulled slightly away and muttered, “Ruben can deal with it.”

I nodded, agreeing eagerly. “He can. I don’t know him very well but he seems really competent to me.” And this, actually, was no lie.

His eyes held mine and I felt his body move the entire bed as it rocked with his laughter then he fell to his back, taking me with him so I was again on top. I lifted my head to look down at him and his hand held back my hair as his other one drifted down my spine.

Then he told me, “I’m afraid, my wee Finnie, your dressmakers are in for a long wait.”

Oh yes.

Hell yes.

“Maybe they’ll come back tomorrow,” I suggested.

His hand drifted over my ass, my eyes instantly glazed over as I felt his touch cause a spasm between my legs and he muttered, “I don’t think there’s any ‘maybe’ about that, wee one.”

I forced myself to focus on his face to see his focus was entirely on me.

Hmm. I liked that too. Seriously.

His fingers gripped my ass and his voice growled, “Kiss me, wife.”

I’d gone dazed again but that didn’t mean I didn’t whisper, “Okay,” and then, immediately, I did what I was told.

* * * * *

I stood between the door and the doorjamb, hiding the room from view but in no way hiding the fact I was wearing nothing but Frey’s huge sweater from Alyssa who standing out in the hall and looking at me with her eyes dancing.

“Uh…” I muttered, fighting the heat that was in my cheeks, “could you do me a favor and bring up some food?”

“Of course, my princess,” she said enthusiastically.

“Thanks,” I whispered, she winked, smiled brilliantly and hurried away.

Eek!

I closed the door and turned to the room.

It was hours (and hours) later. Frey was asleep in bed. After I’d carefully left his arms to pull the bell to order some much needed sustenance, he’d rolled to his side, commandeered a pillow and his arms were wrapped around it. His hair had fallen on his forehead and the covers were down to his waist.

He looked very hot. Hotter than ever. It was a wonder the bed didn’t spontaneously combust, he was that hot.

I kept watching him as I walked across the room and only pulled my eyes from all the glory that was my husband when I made it to my armchair. I scooped up Penelope who gave me a, “Mrrrr, Mummy, I was mrrrr sleeping.”

“Hush, baby,” I muttered.

Penelope hushed but only after I started scratching her ruff.

Cradling her close, I walked to the window and slowly and silently pulled the curtain open. The rush of the cold draft hit my bare legs and crawled upwards but, although I felt it, I didn’t really feel it.

I had other things on my mind.

I took in Fyngaard. Night had fallen. Torches were lit. People were out.

Life was going on in this world as it undoubtedly was in mine.

And I had finally become wife to my other world husband. There was no mistaking it now. I had five orgasms as proof (the first, two more with Frey inside me, one from his fingers (fabulous) and one from his mouth (so freaking good, I thought it might be supernatural and this was possibly not be wrong, considering his command of elves and dragons)).

And now that he was asleep, the lamps shining a glow on the room, the huge fire roaring in the grate banishing the cold but not quite holding back the chill, it came to me that I was screwed and not just in one way, in all ways.

In our love fest, birth control had not only not been mentioned, I didn’t even think about it.

And that was not smart.

In fact, I was wondering if any of this was smart.

It could not be denied it was good, the best by a long freaking shot. I couldn’t get enough of Frey, the more I had the more I wanted and, what was almost better, he definitely couldn’t get enough of me. He really liked my body and didn’t hide it and he also really liked my touch (however that came about) and he didn’t hide that either. Not even a little, either of them. And knowing both felt freaking great.

All the rumors were beyond correct. His skills were varied, they were vigorous and the man had stamina.

And it was worth it, yes, even worth the risk of pregnancy. Not only because it was fan-freaking-tastic but because it was with Frey.

And, by the by, right then, I wasn’t going to go there. Not then. Not until later.

Probably much later. Definitely stupid later.

But as I stared out the window unseeing at Fyngaard I thought that my parents had taught me to throw caution to the wind. Life was meant to be lived, every breath was a gift, every risk was worth taking.

But I had a feeling they weren’t thinking of something like this.

“Finnie,” I heard and, coming out of my reverie, my body gave a small start and I turned to see Frey was awake, he’d rolled toward me, his dark hair still on his forehead, his massive chest on display, his green-brown eyes were sexy-drowsy and he was up on a forearm in bed. “Come here,” he ordered.

My feet moved even before my mind made the decision to go and this was no surprise. A man looked like that, he was looking at you like Frey was right then looking at me and he told you to come there, you went there.

I dropped Penelope in the chair as I went and she instantly collapsed irately onto a haunch and started licking her foot.

I didn’t pay attention. My attention was elsewhere. When I got close, I watched Frey push up, twist and reach out to me. He caught my hips and guided me into the bed. When I climbed in on my knees, he pulled me to straddling him and dropped to his back. Then his big hands went under his sweater and up, gliding light and gentle over my hips then around to cup my ass.

My lids lowered and I licked my lips.

“My wife likes my hands on her arse,” Frey muttered, his fingertips stroking and I did, you bet I did, I liked it a lot.

“Mm,” was all I could mumble.

Frey grinned and his hands moved up. “Come here, love.”

I bent toward him and got close, resting my arms on his chest as he pulled the sweater up with his hands then they drifted lazily along the skin of my back.

“What takes you from our bed?” he asked quietly.

“I ordered us some food,” I answered quietly, staring into his somnolent green-brown eyes.

“This is good,” he muttered, his full lips curved slightly and I liked that so much I lifted my hand and held it against his face as my thumb moved out to touch his lower lip.

I barely touched it before he rolled me to my back then he shifted both of his arms so the backs of my knees were hooked in the crooks of his elbows, my legs spread wide, his hands in the bed. He loomed over me and I sucked in breath as my eyes took in all the power and beauty of him between my legs as I felt my exposed sex quiver.

His eyes held mine and kept hold as my breath started coming faster and my legs tensed against his arms in anticipation. Then his eyes dropped to look at me and I held my breath in reaction to the beauty I saw as hunger consumed his face, he shifted his hips and then he was inside me.

Oh God.

“Frey,” I breathed, his head lifted and I had the burn of his gaze as he moved slow, God, so slow and gentle, unbelievably gentle and deep, so, fucking deep.

I tensed my legs and clenched my sex tight around his cock and he growled low in his throat, his face growing dark, then he rumbled, “And I like my wife’s caress.”

I lifted both hands to trail my fingers on his chest. “Good,” I whispered then urged, “Faster, honey.”

He kept thrusting slow and sweet and whispered back, “No, wee one.”

“Please.”

In then out, taking his sweet time then, “No.”

He held my eyes and moved inside me as my fingers drifted wherever they could reach across his massive chest and tight abs and I did this awhile, his eyes locked with mine as he slowly filled me then glided away and back and back and it started building, unhurried, soft, then more and more until I couldn’t take it. It felt so good, he looked so good, I needed more and not having it was like torture. My fingers drifted down his abs, separating to curl around his sides to hold on as he kept driving slow, gentle and sweet.

God, he felt great. So freaking great.

“Please, Frey, faster,” I breathed, my legs beginning to clutch his arms, my sex clenching around his cock.

“No, Finnie.”

Pleasure rolled leisurely through me, burning a path so deep, my neck and back arched with it.

With effort, I righted myself, caught his now hungrier eyes and whispered, “You’re killing me, baby.”

“No, I’m not, wee one,” he whispered back. “Just feel me.”

“I feel you,” I promised and I did, oh yeah, I did.

“Watch me take you,” he ordered quietly, still going slow, deep, so, so sweet.

“I’m watching, Frey,” I breathed and I was and it was spectacular.

His eyes moved from my face down my body to our connection then slowly up again and by the time they made it back to my face my back arched, my legs hooked tight around his arms and my sex started spasming.

God, I was going to come. Just with this. I was going to come.

Oh God, so close.

“You’re beautiful, Finnie, but by the gods you have never been more beautiful than you are right now, spread before me, wrapped in my wool and filled with me,” he murmured and that was it, my hips jerked violently, my neck arched back and a slow, low, sweet whimper escaped me as a slow, deep, unbelievably sweet orgasm swept through me.

I hadn’t finished before he moved his arms, unhooking my legs and he dropped to a forearm on one side of me, his other arm wrapping around my back and he drove me down as he drove up, finally faster, harder, shifting his hips back and forth as he memorized every inch of the heart of me and he did this while I watched in deep fascination, holding him tight to me with all four limbs until his jaw clenched and a low, slow, sweet rumble tore out of his chest as he poured into me.

I loved it, every second of it from start to finish.

See? Totally screwed.

Again. Sex. Again. No birth control.

Okay, no. Again, fantastic sex. But, again. No birth control!

He stayed inside me and took my mouth in a kiss as slow, sweet, deep and wet as how he just made love to me then he released my mouth but stayed close and slid his nose along mine.

God, I’d missed that too.

Then his head moved back an inch, he caught my eyes and his were languid but they were also serious.

Hmm. Taking in that look, I was thinking it was uh-oh time.

“I’m best pleased to have you back, my Finnie,” he said gently. “Best pleased,” he repeated and my limbs got tighter then even tighter when he whispered, “I missed you too, wee one.”

“Frey –” I whispered but he cut me off.

“But mark this, I’ll not tolerate you going away again. It’s important you understand me. We are new, you and I, you needed time to come to terms with all you had learned, time, I will add, that I gave you and time that you took but I will tell you that you took too much of it.” Hmm. I couldn’t say he was wrong about that. Then he finished with, “But I won’t allow it again. Is this understood?”

I stared up at him.

He said he’d not tolerate me going away again.

He’d not tolerate me going away.

And, in about ten months, I was definitely going to go away.

Shit, I had to tell him.

Shit. Somehow, someway, I had to figure out how to explain what this was, who I was, where I was from and get him to believe me. Then explain to him we could have all of this and we could enjoy it, we had time, a lot of it.

But then that time would end and I would go home.

I held his eyes as fear started to rise inside me, panic, anxiety and something else, something far more painful, something I refused, at that point when I was hanging onto bliss, to understand.

Then I started, “Frey –”

“Don’t,” he growled harshly and I blinked at his sudden fierce tone.

Then I had to so I whispered, “But you have to know something about –”

“I know, Finnie.”

I blinked again as my heart skipped a beat.

Frey kept talking. “I know how you’ve come to me.”

I felt my lips part in shock, his eyes dropped to them then they came back to mine, warm and sweet.

“I know who you are, my love. I know how you’ve come to me. I know you are Finnie.”

Oh. My. God!

He knew I was Finnie!

“How –?”

“That doesn’t matter, just know I know and we don’t need to speak of it. We never need to speak of it. This is the now and you have no choice but to live in the now. You never have a choice but to live in the now. And this, my wee Finnie, this is where we will live. We will always live in our now.”

I felt my eyes start to fill with tears (yes! again!) because he knew and he understood and it felt like a weight had lifted from me. He knew about me, who I was and how I came to him and he apparently understood the way it was between us and that it would end and therefore we had to live in the now.

But even as that weight lifted and I started to feel light, immediately something else started to drag me down and I whispered, “Frey –”

He interrupted me by touching his mouth to mine.

When he lifted his head, his eyes held mine and he whispered, “You are not in the now, Finnie.”

I wasn’t. I was thinking about the future and leaving him.

Shit.

“Come to the now, wee one,” he urged and I nodded.

The now. That sounded like something Dad would say. Live in the now.

And I would live in the now with Frey. And I’d enjoy every second of it while I had it.

Then a knock came at the door.

I held his eyes.

Then, forcing myself into the now, I joked, “The now, apparently, means food.”

He grinned. Then he said, “This is good since I’m starved. My wife worked all my energy out of me.”

“Don’t pretend you didn’t like it,” I teased.

“I am not,” he stated with all seriousness and the weight of those three words made me go still under him as he continued, “It was beyond anything I could have wished it to be. You are, my wee Finnie, beyond my wildest dreams.”

Oh my God. Did he just say that?

I stared at him and it hit me not only did he just say that, he meant it.

Then my eyes flooded with tears and I whispered, “Oh shit,” lifted my face and shoved it in his throat as I burst into tears and I did this loudly.

Another knock came at the door.

Frey gently pulled out of me, rolled to his back, settled me into his side, hauled up the covers and held me close as he shouted, “Enter!” and I tensed but that didn’t keep me from continuing to sob into his skin.

The door opened, I shoved closer to Frey and held on tighter.

As did he.

Then I heard him order, “Leave it and us. Quickly.”

I smelled food and heard clinking and clunking then, shortly after that stopped, a door closed.

Frey held me tightly long after the door closed and I kept sobbing not realizing how badly I needed to do it but I’d apparently bottled a lot in because there was a lot coming out and in the safety of his strong arms, I let it go.

Once the sobs started to subside, one of Frey’s hands moved under his sweater and up to stroke the skin of my back as I snuffled and lifted a hand to wipe my face.

“All right, wee one?” he asked softly.

“Mm hmm,” I mumbled, nodding my head, resting my cheek on his shoulder and wrapping my arm around him again.

Frey kept stroking my back.

It felt really nice.

And it was then I thought of when we were riding to Fyngaard and Frey telling me about the villages, their names and their gods and what the rivers and forests were called.

He knew then. He knew.

It all came to me in a rush, his gentle explanations, his patience, those weird times when I’d watch him come to some understanding, times that were now not so weird.

He knew. And he’d known for awhile.

“When did you know?” I whispered to his chest.

“Finnie –”

I gave him a squeeze and repeated, “Tell me, when did you know?”

Frey was quiet a second. Then he sighed.

Then he said, “In my gut, when you kissed me back when I kissed you in the Dwelling of the Gods after we were wed. And every second I spent with you after I returned to the cabin, I knew you were not who you appeared to be. You are not a thing like her yet you look exactly the same. I knew something was not right with you. The elves verified it and shared with me that you are not of this world.”

I pulled in a quiet breath.

“Their message,” I guessed.

“Yes,” Frey confirmed.

I nodded and thought that was kind of cool that they knew. And hopefully, the next time Frey spoke to them, he would take me with him and I could ask them how they knew.

Then I got back to the now.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked softly.

His hand stilled at my back for a second then started stroking again when he answered, “Partly, it was because there was much you were taking in and I was concerned about you. But I will admit, my wee one, mostly it was because I enjoyed your response to my world, your blunders, your cover ups. They amused me.” I lifted my head and he looked right in my eyes. “Greatly.” He stressed then grinned before he said, “It was very endearing.”

I grinned back then stated, “You know, I should be pissed at you for keeping it from me.”

His grin turned to a smile, his arm curving around me and holding tight, he stated back, “I know.”

I started laughing softly and informed him, “It’s good you’re hot, Frey Drakkar, and good in bed and command elves and dragons or you’d seriously be in trouble.”

He kept smiling but his brows drew together. “Hot?”

I nodded. “Hot. Handsome, good-looking, pleasing to the eye,” I leaned into him, “hot.”

He tipped his chin back and laughed then, still laughing, rolled me to my back, his arm around my belly tucking my side into his front, he looked down at me and quit laughing.

“And it is good you are beautiful, Finnie Drakkar, or you would have a very pink arse for risking such a venture.”

I blinked at him.

Finnie Drakkar.

Shit, but that had a nice ring to it.

Then all his words hit me and I felt my brows draw together. “A pink arse for risking such a venture?”

He nodded and his face again grew serious. “This…” he hesitated, “travel to another world. It was foolhardy.”

What?

“What?” I asked.

“You had no idea what you would encounter and I know when you arrived, wife. I know you encountered a situation that was beyond your means to control it. As you know, I do not care for the other you.”

Boy, I knew that.

Frey kept talking. “I do not like to think of how I behaved with you, thinking you were her.” His face grew darker when he stated, “And I do not like to think of what could go wrong with this magic, where you could have been sent, what could have befallen you. It was reckless, my wee one, and you should not have done it.”

I stared up at him.

He was worried about me.

That was sweet and hot.

I didn’t tell him that. Instead I pointed out, “Frey, honey, I’m a princess, I live in a freaking palace, my Mom and Dad are king and queen and I’m married to a hot guy who is the rightful ruler of the land and commands elves and dragons. I totally did all right.”

“This is pure chance,” he stated firmly and I smiled.

“Adventure always is,” I pushed against him, taking him to his back, resting my torso on his, I dipped my face close as I wrapped my fingers around the side of his neck. Then I said quietly, “That’s the best part, baby.”

“Fin –” he started but I lifted my hand, touched my fingers to his mouth and got serious.

“My Mom and Dad, my real ones, back home,” I watched his eyes grow intense, which I thought was weird but I kept talking, “they lived every minute like it was their last.” I slid my fingers across his cheek and down to his jaw before I whispered, “And this was good for their lives didn’t last long. They left me behind, Frey, and I miss them. But I like knowing they packed as much as they could get in before they left me. And before they left me, they taught me not just to exist, not just to breathe in and breathe out, but to live. And I like knowing they’re smiling, wherever they are, knowing that I listened and learned and I’m living my life like they taught me how. Making every single breath I take count.”

He held my eyes even as he lifted a hand, sifted it into the hair behind my ear then glided it down through my hair to hold it bunched at the side of my neck.

“I would like to know about them, Finnie,” he said softly.

“And I’ll enjoy telling you about them, Frey,” I replied softly.

His thumb stroked my throat, his gaze still locked with mine and he muttered, “By the gods, you suit me, this craving for life, your thirst for venture.”

I grinned at him because I liked that he thought that, I liked it a lot.

“Can I tell you something?” I asked.

“Anything, wee one,” he answered.

I moved closer and had no idea my eyes got bright and my cheeks turned pink with excitement before I whispered breathlessly, “I cannot wait to get on your ship.”

He held my eyes for a second before his roamed my face. Then both his arms locked around me and held me tight as he burst out laughing.

I watched him laugh and I liked that too.

I liked it a lot.

When he finished laughing I tilted my head to the side and again had no idea my eyes were bright and my cheeks were pink with excitement when I asked, “Wanna hear about my world?”

His big hand cupped my jaw and he answered, “Absolutely. But go, wife, and get our food. You can talk while we eat.”

I grinned at him and whispered, “Right.”

Then I dropped my mouth to his, kissed him lightly and scurried off the bed. I quickly closed the curtain to shut out the draft, rushed across the room and grabbed the tray that had been set on a dresser and took it to bed.

Then I climbed in bed with my husband, ate dinner and shared my world with him.

* * * * *

“Finnie?” Frey called into the darkness.

“Mm?” I mumbled sleepily, about five seconds away from slumberland.

“You’re too tense with your bow.”

My eyes opened.

“What?” I whispered.

“You’re too tense with your bow,” he repeated. “You’re concentrating too much. You’re letting your brain muddle your aim. You desire so badly to do well, your entire body is locking just prior to release, this jerks your aim off.”

Oh my God. He’d been watching me at archery. When I thought he’d been keeping his distance, Frey had been watching, apparently closely.

I said nothing but my heart again swelled.

Frey spoke again. “If you relax, concentrate on your target, what your arms are doing, your fingers, your shoulders, your spine, focus instead on your body, your bow, the arrow, your target and not on what Atticus will think, you will see improvement.”

Oh my God.

He knew what I was thinking, what I wanted, why I was out there with Father.

He knew what was in my heart.

I remained quiet.

His arm gave me a squeeze.

“Do not worry, wee one,” he whispered. “Atticus will like you, whether your arrow can find the target or not. He won’t be able to help it.”

I closed my eyes as his words rushed through me and with them my Mother’s from earlier that day, not only her giving them but how she gave them, what that said about her, how she felt about me and last, but by no means least, what they said about how Frey felt about me.

Tension I didn’t know I’d been holding in my shoulders and neck released, I snuggled closer to Frey and tensed my arm around him.

Then I whispered, “Okay.”

His fingers slid up my side and curled in.

“Okay,” he whispered back.

My body melted into the warm hardness of Frey’s and seconds later, I was asleep.