“I better go in.”
Torin’s arms tightened around me, telling me he didn’t want to let me go yet. “I’m heading back to the theater to make sure Eirik doesn’t do something stupid. Can I come up later, hold you until you fall asleep?”
I grinned, loving the idea. “Only if you promise to tell me who you owe a favor to.”
“I can’t, but I’m happy this is our new base because I found you. Again.”
That shut me up. For now. We kissed, and then he escorted me to the front door, waiting until I unlocked the door and went inside.
***
I peered into the kitchen, but I didn’t see anyone. Weird. Whoever had turned on the kitchen light was gone. I went to switch off the light and saw Dad’s legs sticking out from behind the counter. What was he doing on the floor? Probably fixing something. He was always fixing something at odd hours.
“Dad?”
His legs didn’t move. Panic rolled through me. I couldn’t explain how fast I moved, but one second I was in the doorway separating the living room from the kitchen, and the next I was staring down at him.
“Mom!” I screamed and dropped beside his still body. His face was ashen. “MOM!”
Mom entered the kitchen, runes on her body visible through her white lingerie. “Why are you screaming—?”
“It’s Dad.”
Her eyes widened, and she practically flew across the kitchen and knelt beside me. She reached under his head and felt around. Dad moaned.
“He’ll be okay,” she said calmly. “He has a bump, but it’s not life-threatening.”
“He’s unconscious, Mom. That’s not good.” My hands shook as I reached for the phone. “I’m calling for an ambulance.”
“No. Runes can take care of him faster.” Despite her calmness, she glanced up at me, and I saw the worry in her eyes. She was scared. “Get whoever is at home next door.”
Torin. I started toward the door, but he stepped out of the mirror as I crossed the living room. Tears of relief rushed to my eyes. “How…?”
“I told you I always know when you need me. What’s wrong?”
I pointed toward the kitchen, “Dad… unconscious on the floor.”
He followed me back to the kitchen. He exchanged a look I couldn’t describe with Mom and, without saying a word, knelt down beside Dad, an artavus already in his hand. I winced as he etched runes on Dad’s arm then studied his face for signs of movement. Life. Anything. He didn’t open his eyes, but his color improved.
“Why isn’t he waking up?” I asked, my voice rising.
“He will,” Mom said, coming to stand by my side. “Give them room.”
Runes appeared on Torin’s face and arms. Then he placed one arm under Dad’s knees and the other under his arms and lifted him like he weighed nothing. Dad might have been on the scrawny side since his return, but he was as tall as Torin.
“Is he going to be okay?” I whispered.
Mom nodded. “Yes. He must have slipped on the kitchen floor. I always tell him not to walk around the kitchen in his dress socks. They don’t have traction.”
We followed Torin upstairs and into my parents’ bedroom. Watching him gently put Dad on the bed reminded me that he’d rescued my father. Mom covered Dad and brushed the lock of wavy hair from his face, her movements gentle.
“Thank you.” Mom glanced at Torin. “He’ll be okay in the morning?”
Why was she asking Torin?
“And well-rested,” he said, “but he needs to take it easy.”
“I’ll make sure he does. Thank you.” Mom smiled at me, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was more worried about Dad than she let on. “Goodnight, sweetheart. We’ll talk in the morning.”
“Night.” I kissed her cheek, then walked to Dad’s side and studied his face. Leaning down, I pressed my lips to his forehead. “Night, Daddy.”
I sagged against the wall after closing their bedroom door, reaction setting in. Torin pulled me into his arms and just held me.
“You okay?” Torin asked.
“No.” I wrapped my arms around his waist. Slowly, we walked toward my bedroom. “We almost lost him before, and the thought of losing him again… I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to him.”
Torin dropped a kiss on my forehead. “You’d go on because you’re resilient.”
I leaned back and frowned. “What kind of a response is that? You’re supposed to tell me ‘nothing will happen to him’ or something along those lines. He’s the glue that holds my family together. We barely made it—”
Torin pressed his finger to my lips. “Easy, Freckles.” He pushed open my bedroom door and closed it behind us. “You are wrong. You are the glue that holds your family together. I see it in your father’s eyes and your mother’s smile when they look at you.”
“You really think so?”
“I know so. Now stop stressing about your father. I’ll back as soon as I speak to Eirik.” He dropped a kiss on my lips and walked toward my mirror, runes appearing on his arms and face. The mirror dissolved into a portal, until I could see a row of urinals. He winked and stepped through it.
As soon as the portal closed behind him, I went to the bathroom to wash the makeup off my face and brush my teeth. I searched my closet for the right PJs, a two-piece silk and lace lingerie Cora had guilted me into buying. It had been gathering dust in the back of my closet. I put it on, studied my reflection, and grinned. Nice. I crawled under the blankets and waited.
Seconds became minutes, then an hour.
I almost gave up on him coming back when a gentle whoosh of warm air filled the room and the portal appeared. Torin stepped into my room, and his eyes found me. For a moment, time stood still, the smile disappearing from his lips. I wondered what he was thinking. Maybe we were having the same thoughts. I wanted to rip the clothes off his gorgeous body and do really, really naughty things to him. He’d changed into gray sweat pants and a white tank shirt that showed his muscular arms. Seriously, he could wear a sack and still look sexy.
“How’s Eirik?” I asked, sitting up.
Torin’s eyes widened. He shook his head. “He’s fine, but there’s no way I’m getting into your bed while you’re wearing that.”
“What?” I pouted. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Where do you keep your real pajamas?” he asked.
I gawked. “Are you kidding me? These are real.”
“Those are screaming things I shouldn’t be thinking about right now,” he growled, entering my walk-in closet. He studied the shelves of clothes.
I had achieved my goal. I knelt on the bed and waited for him to turn around. “So what’s stopping you?”
“I don’t hold back when I make love, Freckles, and I’ll make sure you don’t, so this is neither the place nor time to make you mine.”
Images flashed through my head, and I grinned. I couldn’t wait to be his.
“You know, it’s bad enough I can’t think straight whenever you wear those ridiculously tight jeans, which should be outlawed. And don’t let me get started on your tops.” He glanced over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. “Wipe that smile off your face, and tell me where you put your ugliest pajamas.”
I giggled. Not thinking straight? Oh, I was going to love being his girlfriend. He hadn’t seen anything yet. “I don’t own ugly pajamas, but if you prefer boring ones, I’ll get something.”
“No, you stay put. In fact, get under the bloody covers and pull them to your chin.”
“You’re a whiner,” I said.
“And you are a tease and shameless and…” He studied me. “Tempting. Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”
“Yes, it is.” The last thing I wanted was for him to leave. I slid under the covers and pulled them to my chin, then gave him a toothy smile. “The pajamas are on the middle left shelf.”
He rolled his eyes then dug through my clothes and pulled out two-piece, flannel, red pajamas with white and black reind
eers. Not those ones. They were beyond ugly. I usually lounged in them on Sundays during winter. I doubted even Eirik had ever seen me wear them.
Torin held them against his chest and grinned. “Cute.”
“Ugly and they’re too warm.”
“So we’ll sleep on top of the covers.” Still grinning, he handed the PJs to me and gave me his back. I was tempted to change right there just to tease him, but he did have a point. We couldn’t do anything with my parents down the hallway. Mom, if she was still awake, probably knew he was in my room. I flung aside the covers and got out of bed.
“Whiny,” I muttered and whacked him on his butt with the PJs as I passed him.
“Witch.”
“Jackass.”
“Cute ass,” he added. I looked over my shoulder and caught him grinning. I forgave him. Anyone who thought my wide butt was cute had me.
I was smiling by the time I closed the bathroom door. The smile disappeared as soon as I changed and looked into the mirror. Argh, the pajamas did absolutely nothing for me. The top swallowed me, making my chest look pitiful. The faded red color was f-ugly, but the bottoms were worse. The reindeers watched me with a mocking gleam in their beady eyes.
Feeling like a troll, I opened the door and shot Torin a mean look. He lounged on my bed with his arms crossed behind his head, and looked amazingly gorgeous and sexy. On principle alone, I should have insisted he changed his tank top. The problem was I loved all that bare skin at my disposal.
He grinned. “You look adorable.”
“Shut up.” I crawled beside him, lay on my stomach, and studied him. I couldn’t believe he was once again mine. “No, I take that back. Tell me more.”
He chuckled, stroked my hair, and studied my face as though memorizing it. “You’re going to be impossible to love.”
“But I’m adorable. You said so.”
He kissed me, and I felt the smile on his lips. Soon, I was lost in him. His scent became the air I breathed, his taste the nectar on my lips, and his muscles musical instruments to my caresses. Kissing him was like eating a forbidden delicacy, and I never wanted to stop.
My senses leaped as they recognized his touch. When he nibbled my neck, I tilted my head and gave him better access. A burning fever rolled through me, making the stupid PJs he’d forced on me feel like an oven. As though he knew we were reaching a point when we’d have to take everything up a notch, he lifted his head and studied me with burning eyes, blue flames leaping in their core. He reached over, turned off the bedside lamp, flopped on his back, and cradled me against his chest.
“Go to sleep, Freckles.”
“But—”
“No buts. I want you with every breath I take. Don’t ever doubt that. But I’m not going to have you while your dad is—” He exhaled. “Your parents are sleeping across the hallway.”
“Then let’s go to your place,” I whispered, looping my arms around his neck.
He grinned. “Once I fulfill the favor I owe and you still want me, I’m all yours.”
Still want him? What a weird thing to say. A terrible feeling washed over me. Mom once told me if you were meant to die, you couldn’t escape death. I reached over Torin and turned on the light. He squinted against the sudden glare while I studied his expression.
“The favor doesn’t involve reaping the souls of my friends, does it? You know, Cora, Eirik, and the people I ‘saved’ during the last meet?”
“No-oo.”
“Good, because I’d never forgive you if you were here to reap their souls and didn’t tell me.”
“I know.” He turned off the lamp once again and pressed a kiss to my forehead, cradling me close. “Now go to sleep.”
I couldn’t help thinking that his favor had something to do with me. It might explain what Andris had meant by Torin was still sacrificing so much for me while I was clueless. Maybe I’ll ask Andris.
17. WATERFALLS
I woke up, turned, and reached for Torin, but the other side of the bed was empty. His scent lingered on the pillow and sheets. I burrowed where he’d slept and smiled like an idiot. Torin St. James loved me. He might not have said it, but deep inside I knew that he did.
Stepping away from the bed, I rushed to the window and pulled up the slats. He was seated on his window seat as though waiting for me, a mug in his hand.
“Good morning,” I said.
He beckoned me with a finger.
Shaking my head, I indicated my pajamas. I refused to walk across our lawns in my uglies.
He put his mug down and disappeared from sight. In seconds, he walked through the portal and into my bedroom, runes still on his skin. I flew into his arms for a morning kiss. He tasted amazing, coffee mixed with mint and his unique taste, which I loved. The extra zing came from the runes, and I wondered if my senses would be hyped too when I had runes.
“This is how you say good morning,” he whispered.
I loved it. “I could get used to this.”
“You’d better.”
He kissed me again, longer, deeper. When he eased off, he studied my face. “Do you want to do something fun today?”
“Depends. Will you be there?”
He chuckled. “Yes. Remember the waterfalls you said we visited?”
I nodded. “Multnomah Falls.”
“Let’s go there today.”
It might trigger some of his memories. To be honest, I’d already given up on him remembering anything. It didn’t matter anymore. We were creating new memories. “Okay.”
He dropped a kiss on my lips. “Hmm, someone is cooking bacon and pancakes.”
“Blueberry pancakes, Dad’s specialty.” He must be feeling better to be up and about. “Do you want some?”
He laughed. “No, I’m good.”
“Come on. Sundays are breakfast-in-bed for my parents. Dad brings a tray upstairs, and the two of them disappear in their bedroom for hours while I eat downstairs. Alone.” I pouted.
He pinched my nose. “Cute, but no. You and I will share many breakfasts together, and I’ll cook them just for you. Now go spend time with your father. Your mother is still asleep.”
“How do you know? Never mind. Heightened Valkyrie senses.” I watched him walk back through the portal. He was still wearing the gray sweatpants and white tank top from last night. Even in wrinkled clothes, he managed to look good. I waited until he reached his room and turned before asking, “When are we leaving?”
“In a couple of hours. Dress warmly. I don’t want you to catch a cold.”
After the portal closed, I left my room and bounded downstairs. Dad stood in front of the stove flipping pancakes. After the scare of last night, I was happy to see him looking so well-rested. He saw me, smiled, and lowered the volume of the TV.
“Morning, pumpkin. Ready for my special blue-berry pancakes and extra crispy bacon?”
“Absolutely.” I gave him a hug and stepped back. “How are you feeling?”
He gave me a sharp glance. “Fine. Why do you ask?”
I didn’t know whether to bring up last night or not, so I went with, “You ran far and it’s been a while, and then you made dinner.”
Dad chuckled. “You think a few miles and whipping up a few dishes would tire me? There’s still energy left in these old bones.”
“You’re not old,” I protested, remembering how he’d looked lying on the floor. Like a rag doll.
“Want to count the gray hair you put on my head?”
“I’m a model daughter,” I said and grinned when he laughed. “Can I help with anything?”
“Pour me another cup of coffee then start on your mother’s tea.”
“Is she still sleeping?”
“Like a baby.”
I replenished his coffee, poured myself some, and added vanilla creamer to mine. He’d already set the tray for two, and a single rose lay in the middle. It was sweet the way he doted on Mom. I glanced out the window, wondering what Torin was doing. If Dad noticed the way I kept glancin
g out the kitchen window, he didn’t say it.
The weather map popped up on the TV screen. There was a fifty-percent chance of rain, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t wait to go to Multnomah Falls with Torin. Hopefully, we’d take the Harley. Rod. The name was perfect for the powerful machine.
“Take the tray upstairs,” he said when he was done.
He usually took it upstairs himself. “Aren’t you coming?”
“Right behind you, sweetheart.”
I carried the tray upstairs, propped it against my stomach, and knocked on their bedroom door, but there was no answer. Careful not to make too much noise and wake up Mom, I turned the doorknob, pushed the door open, and peered inside. She was still out. I placed the tray on their bedside table, tiptoed back to the door, and carefully closed the door behind me.
Voices drifted from downstairs. I recognized Torin’s voice. He must have decided to join me, or came to cancel our date. I hurried to the kitchen. As though he sensed my presence, Torin looked up and smiled. His hair was wet, and he’d changed. I still wore my ugly pajamas. Life just wasn’t fair.
“Hey,” I said, my eyes volleying between him and Dad. “What are you doing here?”
“Don’t be rude, sweetheart,” Dad said. “Torin came to ask if he could take you out for the day.”
That was bold and noble, but I could tell Dad wasn’t too thrilled. “Oh.”
“Well, I better go and wake up your mother before her tea gets cold.” He smiled, but his eyes looked troubled. He patted my shoulder as he walked past. I turned to watch him walk away. For some reason, he looked like he’d aged in the last few minutes. Was dating a Valkyrie such a terrible thing, especially one as courteous as Torin? He had done the right thing. The noblest thing. Guys didn’t ask fathers if they could date their daughters. Not in this century anyway. On the other hand, Torin came from another time and hadn’t forgotten his noble upbringing.
“You came to ask my dad to date me?” I asked.
Torin studied me intently as though thinking over what to say. Then he shrugged, a sheepish expression softening his chiseled face. “Would that be so terrible?”
Immortals (Runes book 2) Page 24