Page 101 of Storm of Desire
"I think that word came from someone else. I think whoever told you that you were selfish wanted to force you to follow the path they'd set out in life for you. And the one time you fought free, the one time you took what you wanted, you were punished for it. Am Icorrect?"
Árdís clenched her eyes shut, but the truth reverberated through her like she was a struck drum. She could have fled the court with Marduk all those years ago. But she'd been scared to break free, frightened to take what she wanted... and laced with enough guilt to make her question her everymove.
"If your mother wasn't involved, then what would you choose for yourself? Me?" Haakon's voice shivered roughly over her skin. "Would you still denyme?"
"No."She didn't even have tothink.
"You're stronger than you think you are. Isawthe look on your cousin's face when you unleashed your power upon him. You could burn the world to ashes with yourmagic."
But so can she.Her fingernails snagged in his damp shirt. She wanted so very badly to believe him. She wanted to claim what washers.
But if she wasn't strong enough—if she couldn't defeat her mother—then she would losehim.
Forever.
He saw all of it in her eyes as she looked up at him, his own softening. And a look of ragged fury came over him.Desperation.
Haakon's head lowered toward hers, and her breath hitched. He'd stolen kisses in the past few days, but he'd been so careful with them, as if he did not dare allow her to know how deeply he wanted her. He'd been holding back. Hot, wet kisses designed to inflame her, but distant somehow. Hands all over her, stroking her body to the edge, each move designed to give her pleasure, but nothingmore.
This was different, in almost everyway.
A fierce, hungry kiss, unlike all the others they'd shared since they'd met again in Reykjavik. She could remember meltingly slow kisses, kisses that lingered all over her skin when they'd shared a bed as husband and wife, but they seemed a distant memory. It felt as though there were not enough moments left between them now, and she could feel the same urgency echoing through his tightly strungbody.
A kiss, before time caught up to themagain.
A kiss, before she remembered the weight of everything that lay againstthem.
A kiss to stay the darkness in her heart when she faced such an uncertainfuture.
She clung to him, her hands curling around his wrists. And a desperate thrill lit through her veins as his tongue touched hers. Árdís melted against him, letting him know in so many silent ways how much she'd longed forthis.
Touch me.Please.
Promise me forever, even if we both know it's alie.
"It's not a lie," Haakon whispered, against her mouth, and she drew back with a startled jerk, mentally checking her psychicshields.
They were firmly in place. But the moment had jolted her, sending her tumbling into a stormy sea of hope that her greatest wish was coming true, and fear it was not. That it was simply a joke Fáfnir had been playing uponher.
They separated, both breathing hard. Haakon studied her face, her eyes, her swollen lips. "I will wait for you," he whispered, as if he saw her indecision. "No matter how long it takes, Árja. I will wait for you to make yourchoice."
This man. She didn't deserve thisman.
Árdís pressed her forehead against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her as if he knew how much she needed him to hold her. Not even the frigid air blowing in off the sea could touch her. All she could feel was the heat lingering in hisskin.
"What do we do now?" shewhispered.
He'd tried once more to remove the manacle the second they were out of the svartálfar's house, and had failedagain.
"I said I would get you safely to your brother and I meant it. I'll signal the men. We'll sail for Akureyri. From there, it's another day or so to your brother's lands." His hand stroked up and down her spine, pausing to cup her nape. "You'll be safe there, Árja. Finally free of your mother and hermachinations."
A tremor ran through her. "We're not thereyet."
"Not yet," he replied grimly. "But do not doubtme."
Árdís swallowed. There was something to be said for his stubborn, infuriatingnature.
Nothing could vanquish it, when Haakon set his mind tosomething.
