Page 10 of Storm of Desire
A thousand emotions danced over her face. He was prepared for rage, or fury. Prepared to fight her onthis.
But what settled in her eyes was a flicker of fear. "And youwillreleaseme?"
A single hint of worry, and his guts twisted intoknots.
Damn you, she's playing you for afool.
"Once we've spoken." He pushed away from the wall, and her body tensed, as if prepared to flee. The moment froze him, their gazesclashing.
Haakon slowly reached for her hand, moving with careful intent, so she'd have all the time in the world to shove him away if she wished it. "Ipromise."
Her shoulders slumped. Then she punched him in the chest with a balled fist. "You idiot! You should never make deals with such creatures. What did it cost you? Yoursoul?"
Far too late for that. Someone else had owned that from the moment he set eyes uponher.
"Notquite."
She glanced up at the skies, and lightning stabbed the town. Clearly the bracelet hadn't entirely muted her powers. "I swear to all the gods, Haakon, you should take this off me and let me go, rightnow."
"Or what?" He was beyond caring. "You'll tear my throatout?"
Her eyes flashed with heat. "You truly think the worst of me, don't you? Where are we going? And what do you want fromme?"
"I have rooms intown."
"Rooms?"
"Don't fear, my lying little wife. I have no intention of touching you ever again. Once was enough, and I'd rather skin myself alive than taste such sweet poison again. All I want isanswers."
* * *
"We don't havetime for this," Árdís said, looking at the skies as Haakon dragged her toward theinn.
Haakon.
In theflesh.
The shock had cleared and she was able to thinkagain.
All her secret hopes and dreams melded into one horrific nightmare—for though her heart soared at the mere sight of him, she could sense them plunging desperately toward a confrontation she'd giveneverythingto avoid. There weredrekiin town. She could feel the shiver of the storm over her skin, fueled by theirpower.
If Sirius caught sight ofhim....
Ifher motherheard word ofthis....
"I have all the time in theworld."
"I'm not here alone. There are others, and they would not take kindly to you manhandling me," she cried, wrenching at hishold.
Haakon turned abruptly, and once against she was face-to-face with him. Or nose-to-chest, as it were. She'd forgotten how tall hewas.
Or perhaps he'd changed over the years they'd been apart. He'd been a man just past the threshold of youth when they first met. Tall and lean, with shoulders twice as wide as his narrow hips, and hair that gleamed silver in themoonlight.
The promise of the man he'd mature into had more than beenfulfilled.
Haakon was almost the same size as Sirius now, his shoulders heavily muscled beneath the strict black wool of his coat. The top button of his shirt was undone, despite the cool air, and a healthy swathe of tanned skin gleamed there. The bulky wool of his coat couldn't quite hide the strength in his forearms, or the firm grip of the hand locked around herwrist.
It thrilled herdrekiheart, the one that secretly longed to surrender to this man, even as she noted the cold gleam in hiseye.
