Page 22 of Thunder Thighs
"Huh. I thought you knew. It's Thor's Shipbuilding."
She jerked, a strangled sound coming from her throat. She coughed twice, the blockage immediately clearing. I handed her a glass of water – urging her to breathe.
"You okay?" I asked, briefly wondering if I'd need to perform a Heimlich maneuver.
"Yo-you-your company is called Thor's Shipbuilding?" Her voice sounded strangled.
I rubbed a hand over her back, frowning. "Yeah. Are you sure you don't need-"
She threw her head back, roaring with laughter. Heads swung our way, tourists and locals alike gaping at Ella as she lost all control. Tears ran down her face as she bellowed laughter.
"You-you-you're," she gasped around new fits of laughter. "An ac-act-actual Viking!"
I shrugged, now seeing the humor in the situation. "I mean, I wouldn't say yes but…"
"Oh my god. I can't." She continued to giggle, brushing tears, and beaming at me.
"Is this funny?"
"All my life I've asked for a god to come tame these thunder thighs." She slapped her beautiful legs, beaming at me. "And you arrived. This glorious Viking of a man, ready and willing to plunder my pussy. And best of all? You're a god of thunder. Thor's fucking Shipbuilding, if that isn't a sign, I don't know what is." She started laughing again, her joy contagious.
"Baby, you can call me whatever you want." I told her pulling her close, one hand slipping under the table to cup her center in the dark. She froze, laughter dissipating as desire took over. "Just as long as you call me yours."
She rolled her eyes, groaning. "That's so corny."
"But true," I withdrew a hand, slipping it into my back pocket, pulling the small pouch free. "I love you, Ella. I know we're just starting our lives together but I want to do this right."
I handed her the velvet pouch, watching as she pulled the drawstrings open. She held out a hand, tipping the pouch, a ring tumbled out, landing in her palm. Princess cut white diamond surrounded a band decorated in Celtic knots with sapphires. She looked up at me, her eyes wide.
"Marry me."
Her beautiful eyes filled with tears even as her lips moved to deliver the answer I'd hoped for.
"Yes."
We kissed, me sliding the ring on her finger, her sobbing tears of joy.
"I'm so glad it was here," she whispered against my lips.
"This is the only place it could be. It's the first place I saw you." I nodded over at the bar. "I fell in love with a Valkyrie right there."
"And I, my Viking." She sniffed, grinning. "I love you, Gunnar."
"I love you, baby."
She tilted her face up, and I obliged her, willingly drowning in her kisses.
She called me her god of thunder, but she was the one who'd summoned me - changing my world.
Epilogue
Ella
I didn't normally work nights in the bar anymore. Not since the kids had come along and we'd opened the three other restaurants and the two functions centers. Between the marina, Gunnar's workshop, our numerous hospitality ventures, and the kids (not to mention one very naughty puppy), I just didn't have the time or desire to work the night shifts any more.
But we'd been shorthanded thanks to a gastro bug that was floating around, so I'd pulled on my big girl panties, farmed the kids out to their grandparents for the night, and headed in to work. My gorgeous husband had been forced to leave us yesterday to deliver a yacht to a business man – his normal delivery guy struck down by the same illness. Ten years on and we still hated to be separated even for one night.
"Ella," Anika came waddling out of the kitchen, a hand on her pregnant belly. "I'm gonna head off. This storm has chased everyone away."
