Viking Heart (The MacLomain Series: Viking Ancestors Book 3) (7 page)

She only had a split second to admire his amazingly tight ass before he turned and gave her something else entirely to appreciate. Fully, unabashedly erect, he held out his hand and curled his fingers. “Get over here, Little Tease. Let’s have some fun then.”

The skin dropped from her limp fingers as surely as her jaw dropped. She couldn’t help but drift his way. After all, what harm was there in some fun?

Kol would never know why he didn’t rip Amber’s clothes off right then and there and slide into her sweet, little body. But he didn’t. Instead, taking his time, he pulled off her dress but not the thin chemise. She could remove it if she wished. Still, he wasn’t above giving her more mobility so he crouched and ripped off the lower half of her skirt exposing a firm thigh.

She gasped, hooded eyes watching him intently.

Loki’s balls, but it was a well-formed thigh. Perfect. His hand encompassed nearly all of it and he ground his teeth against a sharp surge of animalistic desire. He wasn’t used to such a small female, one he could easily overpower. Determined to keep a safe distance between them, he only let his hand linger a moment but it was long enough to tighten her nipples and make his cock jerk with anticipation.

Yet as he took her hand and led her into the water, he realized once again that though he desired her, he was more interested in pulling out the joy he had seen on her face earlier. The way she’d looked when she played the drums. The simple pleasure she seemed to find in life. He found that as addicting, if not more so, than sex…which he didn’t understand in the least.

But he wanted it.

The feeling he got when her eyes came alive.

It was as if she sucked all that was good on Middle Earth into a tight little sphere around her then spun it out until it enfolded everyone she was near. He had never met a more unintentionally selfless person.

“The water’s so warm,” she exclaimed, smiling as she waded in after him.

“Hot springs run beneath some of the mountains. All it takes is a little dragon magic to redirect some of that warmth.” Waist deep, surprisingly glad his arousal was beneath the water and no longer tempting her; he held her hands and walked backwards. “But this spot is my favorite. Especially when the snow comes.”

“And when will that be?” Amber’s eyes were taking on that special light as her enchanted gaze roamed over their surroundings.

“Soon.” He sunk into the water and pulled her after him.

“Oh, this feels
so
good,” she whispered and tilted back her face to the cool mist.

“Yes,” he agreed, thoroughly enjoying not the pond but her expression as she gave into pure feeling.

Eyes shut, a wide smile split her face as her lips parted. Fascinated by her unrestrained response, he couldn’t help but smile as well. But when she moaned and her tongue snaked out and licked her lips, Kol went from simply admiring her, to gut-clenching lust in a heartbeat. He shook his head and was about to pull away when her eyes shot open.

“Have you ever tasted it?”

Kol quirked his lips, not entirely sure where she was going with this. Words low and curious, he said, “I have
tasted
a lot. What are you wondering about…specifically?”

Eyes slightly rounded, she released a low, throaty, feminine laugh that sharpened his arousal. “Not what you think.” She again closed her eyes and tilted her head back. “Stick out your tongue and taste the mist. It’s amazing. So icy. A great sensation when combined with the heat rising up off the water.”

Startled, he realized she felt things like one with dragon blood. Or at least appreciated it more than any human he had ever met. Though tempted to tell her he tasted the air and its moisture every waking moment, he wouldn’t take this from her so tilted back his head, closed his eyes and tasted.

“Intense, right?” she whispered.

“Very.” He opened one eye a fraction so he could keep watching her.

After several long moments, her eyes drifted open and she laughed as she squeezed his hands. “This is
awesome
. Thank you.”

Kol nodded and couldn’t help but laugh, truly happy that she was happy.

Amber kept laughing then dove under the water.

He watched her until she burst free, flung her arms in the air, spun then sunk beneath the water again. At that moment, he decided the best thing he could do for her was bring her swimming in every bit of heated water he could find in Scandinavia.

Anything to keep her face this alive…to keep
her
so alive.

Happier than he could ever remember being, he grinned, sunk beneath the water and followed. When she pulled away from him and Kjar earlier, he had been tempted to let her go. No doubt, he well understood the need to escape. Yet whatever happened when she was between them had not just happened to her.

It had happened to him and Kjar as well.

Though his cousin only frowned and headed in the opposite direction when Amber left, the demi-god was rattled. And Kol couldn’t remember that ever happening. Did he think the shipwright desired Amber? Yes. But not in the typical sense. Some sort of unfamiliar magic had fluctuated between the three of them shaking Kol to his core.

But he shouldn’t say the magic was
unfamiliar
.

He had felt it before.

Once.

On the mountain with the seers. It certainly wasn’t Helga’s. No, he knew hers well.

It had been her sister, the Unnamed One.

But why the
hel
had it flared between him, Amber and Kjar?

“Are you coming or what?”

Kol grinned as Amber swam toward the other side of the pond. With a few long strokes, he caught up with her. Hands wrapped around a tree root, she peered up. “Have you ever climbed this before?”

“Yes.” He shot her a challenging look. “It’s not easy, but great fun to jump back down.”

“Is it then?” She rolled her jaw and eyed the root structure. “Once upon a time, I used to be able to climb trees better than my sisters.”

“I always climbed better than my brothers,” he admitted.

“Did you?”

“Yes.”

Amber again peered up. “Wanna race then?”

“Race?”

A very bad idea. Pine tree roots were slender and unpredictable. If that wasn’t enough, they were slick with moisture. But he didn’t have a chance to respond before she said, “Yup!” and started moving.

Though frozen in place as he admired not only her finesse in climbing but her sweetly rounded backside, the competitor in him took over. Chuckling, he started up the roots. Shocked by her agility, he barely kept up and they reached the top at nearly the same time.

Laughing and winded, she plunked down on the edge of the rock, leaned over and looked down. “That was great.” She made a gesture with her hand. “All of this is
so
cool.”

“It’s especially cool up here.” He eyed her. “I can use my dragon magic to warm you if you wish.”

“No, it's cool.” Still smiling, her eyes met his. “Like good not like I’m cold.” Her smile widened and it seemed she didn’t question that he was half dragon in the least. “But thanks for the offer.”

Then, as if she secretly loved saying it, she offered a little shrug. “Sorry, but I’m pretty sure I won.”

Won? Yes, because it had been a race. One he would have won if he had
wanted
to. One he would have won if he hadn’t spent the entire time admiring how swiftly she climbed...amongst other things.

“You did win.” Kol nodded. “I’m impressed.”

Their eyes held for a long moment, the smiles on their faces still there but softening, before she dragged her gaze away and focused on the forest below. “It’s higher than I thought.”

“Does that frighten you?”

Amber pressed her lips together and kept looking down. “Not especially.”

“Would you like to jump?”

Kol liked the way her eyes widened and her body tensed, as though the idea both terrified and thrilled her. “Based on how deep it was down there I’d say it’s not survivable.”

“Are you afraid of death then?” he asked softly.

“Isn’t everyone?”

“I am not.”

“Right, because of the whole Vikings travel on to Valhalla when they die an honorable death thing.” She slanted a look at him. “But would Odin think breaking your neck because you jumped off a cliff into shallow water admirable?”

“You know about my people’s beliefs.”

"My sister has loved Viking history since I was seven so I made a point of learning all I could.”

Kol nodded then shrugged. “A death like this would not be admirable and Odin would likely laugh and cast me out of Valhalla before I got there but..." He peered down then met her eyes. “I do not intend to die here and would never allow you to either.” He stood and stretched, keeping his words soft. “I was just curious about your courage, woman.”

Her eyes drifted up his body and a flush spread over her cheeks at his rampant arousal. It didn’t matter the cool air or dire conversation, his cock truly appreciated her. But then her body was well outlined in the damp, clingy dress. Rounded, full, he could almost taste the dark, pebbled peaks of her breasts. Hands clenched, he again imagined the tight cinch of her waist before he rounded his hands over the firm globes of her ass.

“Well?” he prompted and held down his hand.

“Well, what?”

“Have you the courage?”

Obviously trying her best not to linger on his arousal, she pursed her lips. “I’m not so sure what I’m thinking about right now has anything to do with courage.” Then something entered her eyes as they met his. “Or maybe my thoughts have everything to do with it.”

“Good.” Kol pulled her up and though beyond tempted to pull her backside against his front, he didn’t. Instead, he pointed down at the one area of water that was darker than the rest. “Land there and you will be safe.”

Her well-arched brow rose as her eyes met his. “And if I don’t…” She flicked her fingers. “Then
splat
?”

That was one word he didn’t need translated. “Yes.” He made the same gesture. “Then
splat
.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

Not at all but he was curious to see what she would do. “I did not say that.”

“But you implied it.”

“I did?”

“Yup.” Hands on her hips, she shook her head, a silly grin hovering on her lips as she eyed the water. “But I like it.”

“You do?”

“Yup.”

Kol was about to keep up the ‘game’ with her, but it seemed Amber was done with that as she strode away from the cliff. Good, because it was a dangerous jump even for a dragon shifter never mind a mere human. He was about to tell her that she had made the right decision by not doing it when she pulled the remnants of her undergarment off and tossed it aside.

He was so damn busy appreciating all the perfect flesh unraveling to process the words coming out of her mouth as she jolted past him and jumped.

“I always did want to
flyyyy
!”

His heart slammed into his throat. Stunned, but every inch a dragon male, he dove after her. Red haze filled his vision as he straightened his body and flew past her. The second he hit the water, he slowed, fell softly to the bottom and waited. If nothing else, his body would protect her from the rock beneath.

Amber hit the water and sunk fast, but she surprised him yet again when she rolled and stopped inches from him, her back to his front. They hovered that way beneath the water for a long moment before he wrapped his arm around her middle and pulled her up.

The minute they broke the surface, she gasped, “Holy
shit
, that was amazing!”

Both baffled and irritated, he pulled her to the side and grabbed a root. Once he knew she had a hold and was safe, he grabbed a root on the other side of her head and scowled. “You could have killed yourself, woman.”

“I know,” she acknowledged. “You said as much.” Her beautiful eyes rounded and she puffed water from her lips. “But I didn’t.” She shook her head, obviously proud. “Seriously, that was
so
much fun.”

Even if he
had
tempted her to do it, Kol didn’t find her plummeting to her potential death fun in the least. Pressing closer, he reveled in the fact she was safe and kept her pinned between his body and the rock. “Don't do that again, Amber.”

He would never know if she stilled at the threat in his voice or the feel of their nude bodies being so close. Caught between the blatant fear he’d felt when she jumped and the sensation of her soft body pressed against his, something entirely unexpected escaped his lips as his mouth fell close to her ear. “Tell me about Sean.”

Amber tensed. “Move away, Kol.”

He needed answers. More so now than ever and he had no idea why. Every muscle in his body was rigid, unbelievably unbending. He cupped her cheek so that she had no choice but to meet his eyes. “Please.”

Her pupils flared and a shiver rippled through her body. Something undefinable flickered in her eyes and a small gust of air left her lips when she whispered words he knew she’d only just realized.

“I fell in love with him.”

Kol closed his eyes and lowered his head. How could so few words hurt so much? But they did. He tightened his hand around her jaw ever so slightly before he pulled it away.