A Dom and His Not So Submissive Sub (5 page)

             
She took a shower alone, much to his consternation, but figured out quickly that it would be for the best. When she stepped out fresh, he gave her a nice surprise. As his underwear did not fit, he had gone to buy some as he lived near a small boutique. While she changed into her clothing, Freyr rushed his way through a nice freezing shower. All he could think of was the wild night he had with Vanessa and how much he hoped to have another chance to be with her. His eyes closed for a brief moment. He wanted a second chance at happiness. If he had his way, Vanessa would be just the thing to bring him back to the way he used to be. If not, then at the very least they could have some fun exploring. His lips crooked into a bright smile. Certainly, either way it was a win-win situation for him.

Chapter 4

Freyr heard conversation near the front of the house and groaned. He had forgotten to tell the girls not to return home before the evening. The last thing he needed so early in the day was to have his nieces bothering Vanessa, especially since they had no idea how to keep their mouths shut. From what he could hear, his nieces were already relaying his business to his woman. He just held back a grimace as he rushed to finish getting ready.

             
“So you see it was a horrible situation,” one of the girls said, her accent marking her as not being Vanessa.  “Poor uncle was forced to leave his home in Sweden just to come all the way here.  I feel so bad for him, nearly deleted –is that the correct use?  Anyway he was nearly deleted from the company because of that bitch.”

             
“I think you mean he was almost fired,” he heard Vanessa say quietly.

             
“
Ást-mær
?” he called as he stepped through the open doorway of the kitchen.  Vanessa sat at the table, a nice mug of coffee in her hands she sipped nervously.

             
“I see you’ve had some fun uncle,” his niece Hnossa said in Old Norse.  Her sister Gersimi lifted an eyebrow in agreement.  “She is quite different from anyone I would have imagined you with.” Both girls grinned broadly. “But, I like her. There’s certainly enough of her to keep you fully interested.”

             
Freyr narrowed his eyes at the girls, not caring what the two thought, but wondering at the same time whether or not they were making a derogatory comment toward Vanessa. “Have you introduced yourselves,” he asked in English for Vanessa’s benefit. “I will not have you be rude to my guest.”

             
Hnossa rolled her eyes. “Of course we introduced ourselves. Do you think us silly twits?”

             
He chose to say nothing as he couldn’t afford to incriminate himself. He turned his attention to Vanessa. “Are you ready?” It did not escape his notice that Vanessa jumped out of her seat to his side. She allowed Freyr to lead her toward the elevator bank.

             
“Where are you going?” the ever nosy Hnossa questioned.

             
“Shut up,” Gersimi came to her uncle’s defense.

             
Freyr rolled his eyes at Vanessa. “They do not mean to be trouble. It just is who they are. Next time I will be there to save you from them.” He felt Vanessa sigh against him. It made him smile.

“Hello,” the very female voice said over the phone.

              Gerd bit back her snarl of frustration. “Where is my husband?” she demanded.

             
Gersimi laughed, grating on Gerd’s nerves. “Do you not mean your
ex
-husband? It was you who decided you wanted nothing to do with him if I remember correctly.”

             
Unseen in her home, Gerd clenched her fists tightly. “That is none of your concern.  I wish to speak with Freyr this instant. Now put him on the phone.” No little brat was going to disrespect her. Did no one understand anymore just how powerful she was? She was a giantess, beloved by all immortal men.

             
Unfortunately, Gerd’s already poor day was about to get worse. “Freyr is gone. He is taking his new woman out for food. If you want, I can see he gets your message.” Gersimi enjoyed upsetting the bitch to nearly ruin her uncle’s life. While he suffered terrible embarrassment, she walked around as if she were a queen. He had done everything within his power to be with her, including giving up his prized sword, which almost cost him his life in the
Ragnarök
. And Gerd, ungrateful tramp she was, didn’t appreciate it. Well there was no way Gersimi was going to allow Gerd to sink those ridiculous claws back into her uncle. This time, there was his happiness at stake.

             
“He would not dare take another to bed.”

             
Gersimi laughed again, remembering the exotic black woman Freyr called his sweetheart, the woman named Vanessa. “You should see her. Her tits alone would put you to shame. I can honestly say he looked quite happy with her by his side. I’ve not seen the sun shine brighter than it has today.” Gersimi hung up. Content to bring more anger to Gerd now that she did not have to treat her like family. “Take that you nasty hag.” She heard her sister laughing behind her.

Vanessa swore if the waitress gave her the evil eye one more time, she’d pop her one good.
Freyr had noticed no one but her in the whole time they sat in the glamorous restaurant.  From the moment the maître d guided them to the best seat in the house, one with a gorgeous view of the sky line, Freyr had only seen her. Their waitress had rushed to the table, eager to please with a plate of appetizers neither had ordered. From then on, the girl had tried her hardest to gain even the smallest recognition from her male patron.

             
“How can you not notice how she is practically hanging off you?” Vanessa finally asked.

             
Freyr shrugged. “She is unimportant. It is you I am wooing, not her.”

             
Well that wasn’t an answer Vanessa had expected. Her mouth dropped opened slightly, too stunned to speak. Finally, she could hold it in no longer. “You want to date me?”

             
Freyr nodded, his dimples popping out in a brilliant smile. “I would have thought it obvious.”

             
“I don’t date white men,” Vanessa felt the need to explain. He had to understand that sleeping with him was one thing and actually seeing him more than once was another. Okay, so she couldn’t necessarily answer the question herself about what is the difference, but if she could, she certainly would answer it. As long as he understood that they were not going beyond last night and what happened today. A complicated life was something she had no interest in.

             
Freyr chuckled. “Then we have something in common. I do not date white men either.”

             
Vanessa laughed, her whole face lighting up with her amusement. She had to give it to him. He was a smooth one. The waitress returned, bringing their meals before they spoke further.  They ate, leaving very little time for conversation, all while Vanessa tried to figure out a way to avoid having to start building a new relationship. If she were the kind of girl that indulged in such pursuits as no strings sex, then she would go for it. Unfortunately, current actions aside, her mother raised her to be a good girl and she really couldn’t in good conscious do something like that and be able to look at herself in the mirror.

Freyr wasn’t sure what it would take to keep Vanessa with him for the day. He assumed her car would be fixed by the early afternoon when he would have to take her to retrieve it from the shop.
Did she like to go to the movies? Or did she like to cuddle up on the couch watching films. He was more partial to the cuddling. Of course, he thought as he eyed her, should he draw close to Vanessa, a movie would be last on his mind. He could never sit so close to such outrageous curves and not be tempted to touch her. Gerd had been svelte, but had been nowhere near as enchanting as Vanessa was in her lushness. Perhaps, if he’d ever known what he’d been missing, he would have never given Gerd a second look.

             
Freyr paid for the meal, discarding the phone number the waitress tried to press upon him. He drove them to the car shop of his friend, finding that Vanessa had more wrong with her car than just a flat tire. At first, she did not want to have the extra work done for fear of cost, but after a long argument with Freyr about the safety of her life she decided to have the work done.

             
They spent the rest of the day visiting Millennium Park and the Art Institute. When the sun set, Vanessa decided it was really time for her to go home. As much as she enjoyed her time with Freyr and thought she could actually come to like him, she just wasn’t sure if it were worth the stigma of being an interracial couple, especially since he was so noticeable.

             
Freyr drove her home, but didn’t leave the premises until she gave him her phone number to set up another date soon. She may not have realized she was his, but he did and he planned to keep her. He smiled as he walked away, leaving Vanessa absolutely breathless from his kisses. He had all the time in the world to make sure that Vanessa gave him his way.

Freyr called nearly every day for the next few weeks before Vanessa finally gave in to what was clearly before her, a man so smitten
by her he was driving her crazy. Sad as it seemed for her family, she actually liked him.  Some nights they went out for a drink. Other nights he treated her to dinner. One day, he actually stopped by the library just because she was looking for a book and they made out like randy teenagers. He was always sending bouquets to her house, filling her apartment with the fresh scent of flowers that never seemed to wither.

             
He intrigued her. He so clearly wasn’t American in his thinking or ideals. It was almost as if he were from a completely different time period sometimes. She curled tighter on her couch, dressed in the rattiest sweats she owned. She had planned to invite Freyr over, but he had to work late. She understood it and was grateful for every reprieve she received. Being around him caused her emotions to shift out of control. It was just so hard to imagine being interested in a guy she knew almost nothing about and being comfortable with it, especially when he barely knew how to speak English.

             
“I’m going crazy,” she said with a sigh. When she finally got the chance to talk to Rachael about Freyr’s origins, she suggested Vanessa try to learn something about his homeland. It sounded like such a good idea, Vanessa had gone right away to the video store and the library to see what she could pick up. Of course, since she knew absolutely nothing about any of the countries in the Scandinavian area, she didn’t know where to start. Imagine her surprise to find that they were known for Vikings. She was further shocked to learn that what she thought she knew about Vikings was so completely wrong it bordered on the ridiculous.

              The phone rang. She reached over the arm of the couch searching for her cell and noted that the caller ID said private.              Vanessa set the phone back down. Whoever the caller was must be a fool if they thought she was about to answer. A person who did not want their number known was someone with something to hide. She returned to her television viewing just when they began the segment about the Norse gods. Her neighbors began yet another fight interfering with her listening. She picked up the remote to turn off the program, figuring it a lost cause with so much noise until one name slammed right through her breastbone. She turned up the volume, drowning out any other disturbance as she listened. “Well I’ll be a son of a gun. His mother had some balls.”

             
Freyr was a phallic fertility god. Simply hearing some of what the god was known for sent Vanessa into a fit of giggles. Who’d have imagined she’d be considering dating someone named after a Norse god? Her phone rang again. “Speak of the Devil,” she muttered before she answered with, “So Mr. ruler of the shining sun and the rains. When were you going to tell me that you were named after a god?”

             
“Named after? You mean you do not know who I am?” he asked.

             
Bless his heart, he was really confused. Vanessa explained about the program she watched. Freyr listened, growing more agitated by the moment.

             
“I was not married to my sister nor did my sire mate his sister. Mortals were always exaggerating.”

             
Now it was Vanessa’s turn to be confused. Why was he speaking as if he really were this fictional god? She hoped she hadn’t been involved with a crazy man. Crazy people set her on edge. As she waited for Freyr to get himself together, she noticed he had unintentionally slipped into his native language. “In English,” she said during a lapse in conversation.

             
“Let me come over to talk.”

             
“You aren’t about to go crazy on me are you?” She had to make sure whether the cops were needed or not. If he tried anything, for certain she would set about defending herself, but it would be better if she didn’t have to go out of her way to do so.