Tro (Elsker Saga Book 3) (3 page)

“I concur. A little privacy goes a long way.” Ull trailed his finger down the back of my hand, leaving a trail of sparks in his wake. It felt like I’d been shocked. I jumped away, then shook my head. If I didn’t get control over my nerve endings soon, this honeymoon was going to be all kinds of embarrassing.

“Sorry,” I murmured, stepping back into Ull’s arms. “My skin’s still a little over sensitive.”

“There is no need to apologize. This must all seem very overwhelming. What do you say I leave you to your shower? Dinner will be waiting when you are ready.” Ull stepped out of the room, pausing in the doorway to give me a wink. “I do think you will appreciate the setup in there.”

“Can’t wait.” I smiled, then grabbed my toiletry bag and scurried into the bathroom. Ull hadn’t been wrong—this room was every bit as magnificent as Ull’s bath at Ýdalir, with a generous six-headed shower and a separate jet-filled bathtub.

My fingers were clammy as I undid the buttons on my dress and slid it off my shoulders. It fluttered to the floor, the beads clinking softly on the tile. With a twist of the knob, warm water rained from the showerheads. I stepped into the enclosure with a sigh. Steady streams hit my body from all sides. I let the warmth work through my stiff muscles, then reached for my toiletry bag and pulled out my razor. When I’d washed away eight hours of flight time, I grabbed a fluffy towel from the heated rack, and stepped out of the shower.

I wasn’t sure what appropriate honeymoon attire was for a newly-anointed goddess on a private Asgardian island, so I grabbed a white sundress and gold strappy sandals, and hoped for the best. Then I shook my hair free from its messy half-updo, and tied it into a loose braid. As an afterthought, I took a hibiscus from the bowl by the sink and pinned it over my ear, then I sent a silent prayer to any god listening. There was no turning back now.

I padded across the hardwood floors and out to the wraparound deck. Ull had set a table for two, complete with flickering tapers in silver candlesticks. I smiled shyly as he held out a chair. Somewhere along the way, he’d changed into island apparel too. He looked more beautiful than any human ever could. His thighs strained against khaki shorts that fell to his knees, and his white linen shirt was mostly unbuttoned, rendering my imagination useless. Thick, blond hair flopped over his eyes as he laid a plate of jerk chicken on the table, and I caught a whiff of that impossibly heady, woodsy smell from his bare chest. I was torn between my desire to eat the delicious meal he’d prepared and an altogether different and much more embarrassing desire.

If Ull sensed my mood he was too refined to say anything. We were starving after our long flight, so there wasn’t much room for conversation anyway.

Ull was a good cook, and I quickly finished two portions of chicken. When I set my utensils diagonally across my plate, he stood with a slow smile.

“Shall we?” He reached out, and I took his hand. Fingers entwined, we walked down to the beach. A mild breeze caressed my skin, soothing the burn brought on by Ull’s touch. I sent calming thoughts to my palms, and the burn went away. My new Asgardian skin was going to get a stern talking-to if it didn’t stop overwhelming me with every touch. But I had a feeling Ull’s touches would always overwhelm me. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

We kicked off our sandals and waded just far enough in the ocean so it lapped against our calves. The water was bath-temperature, despite the setting sun, and I relished the feeling of warmth that settled over me. Ull and I stood hand in hand, our feet buried in soft sand beneath the waves. We watched in silence as the sun dipped below the horizon, and the stars came out in the darkening sky. The full moon reflected off the water as Ull slowly turned his body to face mine. My heart accelerated to twice its normal pace and I shifted from one foot to the other. Ull’s eyes smoldered beneath unnaturally long lashes, leaving no doubt as to his intentions.

I dropped my gaze.

“Ull, I…” I broke off. I had no idea how to do this.

“Hey.” Ull lifted my chin with one finger. I had no choice but to look at him. “It is just me.”

“I know, but…” I bit my bottom lip. There was absolutely no accounting for my sudden anxiety. It made zero sense that the thing I’d spent months all but begging for was the thing that suddenly had my palms sweating.

“I get it,” Ull whispered. He put his hand on the back of my head and pulled me against his chest. “Me too.”

We didn’t move for a long moment; we just stood knee-deep in the water, Ull’s hands cradling me to him while I took slow breaths to stop the jackrabbit executing a tap routine in my chest. When it became apparent the jackrabbit was planning several encores, I balled Ull’s shirt in my hands.
Get a grip, Kristia
.

“How about I tell you a story?” Ull rested his chin on the top of my head.

My lips moved against his chest. “Okay.”

“Once upon a time in Asgard, there was a god named Freyr. Freyr was the god of, among other things, fertility.”

I blushed. “I remember.” Ull’s grandmother Olaug had given me a mildly inappropriate wedding gift in Freyr’s likeness. Something about wanting grandbabies…

“Right.” Ull chuckled. “Well, in time, the god of fertility got lonely. He moped around Asgard, and made everyone around him miserable. Our sea god, Njord, could not take it any longer, so he asked Freyr’s servant, Skirnir, to find out what was wrong. Freyr answered that he had seen a woman—one so beautiful that when she raised her arms, the light bounced off her skin and the whole world brightened. Skirnir asked why this made Freyr sad, and Freyr answered simply, ‘Because I cannot be with her.’ The woman was Gerd, the daughter of mountain giants, and relationships between the races were deeply discouraged.”

Boy, oh boy, had I been there.

“Freyr was consumed—he thought of nothing but Gerd, and he knew he would die if he could not have her. He was far too infatuated to be bothered with something as trifling as Asgardian law, or proprietal convention, so he asked Skirnir to bring Gerd to him. Skirnir agreed, on the condition that Freyr lend him his sword.”

“That doesn’t seem like a huge deal,” I pointed out. The water lapped around my knees as I shifted my weight.

“In most cases, it would not be. But Freyr’s sword had magical properties; some said it fought of its own will. To lose such a weapon, even for a short time, would put Freyr in grave danger. But his love for Gerd meant more to him than his own survival, and he willingly handed over his weapon and risked his life so they could be together.”

“What happened?”

“When news of Freyr’s vulnerability got out, his enemies swarmed. But the god had something worth fighting for. And when Gerd appeared, nine nights after Freyr sent for her, they were married. They have lived together happily ever since.”

My lips curved up against the lines of Ull’s chest. “That’s a really nice story.”

“It is.”

Ull put his hands on my arms and gently pushed me away. When I looked up, his face bore a reverence that sent warmth shooting through me. Even though my feet were planted firmly in wet sand, I swayed just a smidge. How was it possible this spectacular deity could see me the way he did?

“What Freyr felt for Gerd, what he was willing to risk for her, was not even a hundredth of what I feel for you. I love you, Kristia Myhr. There is no one else I have ever wanted to share my life with. From the moment you walked into that museum, you have been my world, and nothing gives me greater pleasure than knowing I get to spend an eternity with you at my side.”

The moisture that was building in my eyes escaped, and I pressed the heel of my hand against the top of my cheek to slow the tears. “Ull,” I murmured. Then I wrapped my fingers through his tousled locks and pulled his face to mine. The strands twined around my wedding band and I tugged gently, crushing his lips against my own. His taste was intoxicating, a spicy blend of mint and wood that was overwhelming and familiar all at the same time.

I stepped closer so that only our clothing separated us. The movement caused the water to lap against the backs of my knees. Ull ran one hand down my ribcage, settling it firmly around my waist. The sensation sent a wave of heat coursing through me, and I stood on tiptoes to deepen the contact. My tongue pressed against his, the languid dance draining the blood from my head to somewhere entirely less appropriate. I let out a soft sigh as the sensation overtook me, pressing my chest against Ull’s and wanting to eliminate any possible distance between us.

God, how I loved this god
.

Ull groaned, a hushed sound that reverberated through his torso. I felt it through the thin fabric of my dress. It tickled my overly sensitive skin, and awakened a longing I’d waited nineteen years to fulfill. Ull was mine. I’d literally laid down my life so we could be together, and I knew he’d go to the ends of the worlds to protect me. There would never be anyone who made me feel the way he did. And there was nobody else I wanted to experience this with. Ever.

I was overwhelmed by the enormity of this moment, but I was ready. Boy, howdy, was I ready.

“Ull.” I pulled my lips away long enough to murmur my consent. He cupped my jaw in his enormous palms, and pressed his forehead against mine.

“I will take care of you, Kristia. In this, and in all things.”

“I know you will.”

And with that, Ull swept me off my feet. Saltwater dripped from my calves as he cradled me in his arms and carried me with otherworldly speed across the beach and through the French doors that led to the master suite. He set me on the oversized bed with the utmost care and gently loosened my braid.

I cupped his face in my hands. “I love you, Ull Myhr.”

His eyes turned to inky-blue pools. A shiver worked its way up my back. That color…so many good things happened when his eyes turned that color.

“Lay back,” Ull commanded. I obeyed. He ran his eyes up my body, pausing when he reached the hemline of my dress. A slow smile played at his lips and my shiver turned to a warm glow. My insides began to hum as Ull raked his gaze along the curve of my hips, over my stomach, pausing again at my chest. His smile disappeared and the inky-blue pools deepened a shade. They smoldered at the low
V
of my neckline, a look so intense I squirmed under his stare.

My movement broke his focus and he pulled his eyes up to my face. As I watched, my consummate gentleman disappeared and the warrior took over. The veins in Ull’s forearms throbbed as he placed his fists on either side of my waist. His jaw was locked, his eyes steely in their focus. His sights were set on a singular goal—a goal I was suddenly desperate to reach.

“Ull,” I breathed. I reached up to touch his chin. “Please.”

His eyes glazed at the words, and he dropped his head. His lips met the side of my neck. He sucked gently, causing my chest to rise and fall. I hadn’t adequately prepared myself for the intensity of the sensation. When Ull had touched me before I’d been changed, it had felt amazing, but I’d always known he’d stop before he reached a certain point. Now, knowing we were going to see this through…it altered things. My nerves were one thousand times more highly strung, my skin infinitely more aware, and something inside me had given up any illusion of self-control. A six-foot, five-inch Norse deity hovered over me, and I wanted to be his, in every conceivable way.

Right. Now.

My hands flew up to claw at the fabric of Ull’s shirt. Without breaking his kiss he shifted his weight to one fist and ripped his shirt clean off. It sent ripples through the air that brushed my skin as it fluttered to the ground, but I was too distracted to watch its descent. My hands now had total access to the multitude of muscles that made up Ull’s back. There were literally hundreds; I could have spent all night exploring them.

But Ull had other ideas.

“Are you particularly fond of this dress?” His voice sounded thick as he lifted his head. His eyes were hazy; I doubted he could see me with any degree of clarity. I also doubted he cared.

“Mmm.” I wrapped one hand in his hair and pulled his face back to its rightful spot on my neck. His teeth scraped lightly against my flesh and I gripped the sheet in my free hand.
God, he felt so good
.

“If you like the dress then tell me now.” Ull spoke through a clenched jaw. His mouth had made its way down to my neckline. “Because one way or another, it is coming off.”

I pushed against him so he was forced onto his back. Without thinking, I rolled over, shimmied out of Victoria’s spectacular design, and turned back to Ull. Now I lay on my side in the lacy white lingerie I’d been mortified to receive as a honeymoon gift. Turned out, my flatmates knew
a lot
more than I did.

“
Faen
.” Ull’s eyes rolled closed. “You are wearing…that is just…I cannot…”

Ull dropped his head and the stubble of his jaw scratched the tender tissue above my bra. His lips covered the abrasion, hot kisses tracing the lace along the edge. I fisted the sheets, pulling them tight between my fingers to keep from crying out. With a slow exhale, Ull grazed his nose just below the underwire. My entire body shook as the cool air chilled my skin. Every single part of me wanted to belong to him.

As if sensing my thought, Ull shifted so he hovered just on top of me. I pulled him closer, desperate to close the distance between us. He stilled, and I released my grip so I could look at him. When I did, the Asgardian assassin stared me down.

“
Jeg elsker deg
, Kristia,” he vowed. He stroked my temple with the back of one finger.

I blinked. “I love you too.”

“And I will always take care of you. Always.” The fire in Ull’s eyes sparked something inside of me. My desire burned, slow at first, then building to the point of pain. I didn’t know how much more of this I could take.

“Prove it,” I whispered. Ull’s eyes turned a shade so dark, they were nearly black.

“Gladly.” He covered my mouth with his and I melted under his touch. With a grateful sigh I gave myself over to the unbelievable reality.