Page 13 of Storm of Desire
Her gaze narrowed in upon the rumpledblankets.
If there was one place where she'd ever felt both vulnerable and strangely secure, it was there. He was the first lover she'd ever taken, and a part of her suspected he'd be the last. She'd never been able to hide her true heart when she was in hisarms.
A hand softened in the small of her back and she realized she'dfaltered.
"We haven't got all day," she said, turning around and allowing him past her. Her skin shivered where he'd touched her. "Speak your questions. I assume you wish to know why Ivanished."
Haakon ignored her, lighting the small candle on the table. "You might as wellsit."
It was either the bed or the chair, and to get the chair she would have to pass him. Árdís gingerly settled on the edge of the bed, summoning all her pride in an attempt to guard herself. "Please. I need toleave."
Haakon blew the match out, glancing up at her through the thin wreath of smoke left behind. For a second she could barely breathe for the sudden sense of longing that swept throughher.
"Why?" he asked softly. "That's all I want toknow."
"Why I leftyou?"
His eyes glittered like pure ice. "Why you marriedme."
3
Why I married you?"she repeatedsoftly.
Haakon straddled the chair backwards, resting his muscled forearms along the back of it, and rocking back until the front two legs left the ground. His eyes narrowed as he waited for her tospeak.
"It's a simplequestion."
It wasn't a simple question at all. She found her feet, pacing toward the window, as far away from the bed aspossible.
"Because you asked me to." The window was grimy. Árdís dragged the hem of her sleeve up over her palm and wiped a small circle in it so she could see the street outside. Nothing moved outthere.
Yet.
The heels of the chair hit theground.
"Árdís," hegrowled.
She took a deep breath. She wasdreki. She could spin words into pure life, careful truths woven together like a tapestry. She could do this in such a way that he'd never truly see the truth behind herwords.
"Do you remember the summer we firstmet?"
Gruffness filled his voice. "Ofcourse."
Árdís closed her eyes, conjuring the memories behind her lids. "I was travelling the world, drinking in all these new places, all these new sights, when I flew north one stormy night. The wind blew me off course, and I'd been flying all day, trying to get clear of the cities. When I landed, I only ever intended to stay long enough to hunt and feed, but you came barreling around the corner"—into my life—"and.... I'd never met a man before. Not up close. I'd watched them from afar, curious about their lives. And there you were, trying terribly hard not to look at me. Bundling me into your cloak and offering to take me into your home." Her lashes fluttered open. It was too painful to look back at that night, when their lives had slammed into each other, changing the course of both theirdestinies.
"I should have said no," she whispered. "I was curious. You were kind. And handsome. Sometimesdrekitake mortal lovers, and the way you looked at me—" Árdís sucked in a sharp breath. "It was the first time I've ever felt like that before. It seemed a simple proposition. I would come home with you, and we would tumble into bed, and then I would vanish on the wings of anotherstorm."
She could feel his eyes resting upon her, his gaze a molten hand that slowly caressed herspine.
Árdís rested her fingertips on the glass, her head bowing.Breathe. Just breathe. "But of course, you had other ideas. And your mother was there, greeting me with a hot bowl of stew and a kiss on the cheek. A welcome. It was the strangest night. People. Home. A family. It baffled me. I tried to kiss you when you showed me to my room for the night, but you shied away, and turned your cheek and all I could feel was the rasp of stubble beneath my lips. You cannot imagine my confusion when I found myself in a bed in the attic, all alone.Drekimales battled for my attention. They clamored to be the first in my bed. And I'd chosen you, only to be rebuffed. I spent all night staring at the ceiling, thwarted by your honor and determined to claimyou."
A rough grunt escaped from him, but when she stole a glance, he was glaring determinedly at thefloor.
"Originally I'd intended to leave the next morning, but the very idea you could find me wanting made me stubbornly determined to have you. None of the following days made any sense to me. You would bring me flowers, but merely smile at me every night as you shut the door in my face. You dragged me through the mountains, trying to teach me how to hunt with a bow and arrow, while I tried to lure you into swimming naked in mountain streams. You would barely kiss me. It was somaddening."
"I was there. I remember it all," he snapped. "What the hell does this have to do with marryingme?"
"If you'd just listen." Her fingers curled into a fist. "Do you think I wish to rouse these memorieseither?"
