Page 52 of Heart of Fire
“Consequences?”
“Yes,” he hissed. “You’ll let me in by the end of this night, Freyja. I swear youshall.”
Thedrekiturned her sideways and Freyja clung to him, sliding her arms around his neck. A cool wash of power whispered over her skin like static, as though she’d stepped inside the heart of a storm itself. “What isthat?”
“It’s a portal to my Chaosbubble.”
The static shot straight through her, current consuming her until she gasped. Whatever they stepped into, she could feel the immensity of his power riding through the walls and humming through the floors. The air was cooler here too, and something sweet lingered in the room like a scented oil. It wasn’t painful, but she couldn’t escapeit.
“Here we are, Freyja.”He let her slide slowly down his body, each glorious inch of him pressing against her. Freyja’s feet landed on the floor with a small jolt, and she leaned against his chest to catch herbalance.
Her hands fought to make sense of what her eyes could not tell her. Bare skin met her touch everywhere, and she could feel the heavy thrust of his cock against her stomach. Her first instinct was to step back, but as her fingernails raked over his abdomen, she found herself hovering inindecision.
And then an evil thoughtbrewed.
It would serve him right for deceiving her. “I want you,” Freyja whispered. “I’ve never before wanted a man like I wantyou.”
Hands softened on her hips. “Never?”
“Never.”
Thedrekistilled. “Surely there has beenone....”
“Not a single one.” Let him chew onthat.
A faint growl sounded in his throat. Then he moved past her, the brush of his skin against her sleeve turning her head. Fingers trailed over her hip.“Let me close the portal so we won’t bedisturbed.”
Behind her she heard the soft swish of a rug—or carpets—parting beneath his heavy tread. Freyja’s heart jumped into her throat as she lifted her hands. Dare she? A wave of resolve swept over her. Pandora… Psyche… she knew their weaknesses well. And the growing certainty in her heart made her fingers jerk to the blindfold and tug itfree.
Freyja blinked as the room swam into view, the haze of candlelight melting over an enormous bed covered in decadent red sheets of some material she’d never seen before. Cushions spilled over the surface, white and gold and red. Her eyes couldn’t quite take in all of the gilt. Mirrors clung to walls everywhere, sconces gleaming with candlelight. And small lashes of static lightning seemed to arc through the walls, as if they weren’t quitesolid.
Her eyes lifted to the arched stone ceilings far above. Columns of heavy rock supported the roof, craggy and unfinished, as though he’d hewn this bubble out of the heart of the volcano itself. The mixture of savage nature and human decadence suitedhim.
Freyja’s breath caught as she took a step forward, toward the bed. A room fit for aprince.
The sudden loss of static alerted her to the fact that the bubble was now closed. She spun on her heel, the strip of black wool hanging from her fingertips as her gaze raked over him. One hand splayed against a stone circle in the wall as he whispered ancient words to thestone.
Golden windswept hair brushed against his nape, smooth amber skin sweeping all the way down…. Her ruthless gaze raked over the heavy muscle in his back and the taut globes of his buttocks. Her mouth dropped open, but it was too late. Something told him she was watchinghim.
Rurik turned aroundsharply.
Amber eyes narrowed over that once-broken nose as he saw her glaring at him. Silence fell, and Rurik tilted his head curiously. “You don’t seemsurprised.”
“I only just figured it out,” Freyja snapped. “Fierce? That’s a word you use to describe me, in bothforms.”
“I see. You’reangry.”
Freyja set her hands on her hips. “I was starting to care for you. I trusted you, and you don’t know how rare that is for me.” There was a lump forming in her throat. “You told me ‘we were done here.’ And I felt bad about your history and what your family did to you. I even tried to cook something nice foryou....”
Those eyes turned considering. “You thought I had said we weredone?”
Freyja stilled. “That’s what yousaid.”
There was a dangerous look in his eyes. “It was an uncomfortable conversation for me, one that brought up many old memories. I didn’t mean....” He cursed.“And you:‘Not a single man has ever tempted me’?” he paraphrased her, crossing his arms over his broad chest, a move that highlighted everythingelse.
Donotlook down.Too late.She could feel heat spilling into her cheeks. “You deserved that. You lied tome!”
“I never lied,” he growled, taking a step toward her. The hard planes of his stomach were dusted with golden hair, and his cock bobbedagainst—
