“Here we are,” she said.
Someone from the restaurant opened the door and he dashed inside, putting her down once they were undercover. The smell of steak made his mouth water.
A group of young women in brightly colored dresses clapped from their seats at the bar.
“Nice chariot,” one said.
“Yeah,” said another. “Where do you find a guy like that?”
Calleigh straightened her coat and smiled. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
The women raised their glasses. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” they chimed.
One added, “At least someone’s getting to enjoy it.”
“Thanks,” Calleigh said, then turned to him. “You’re a big hit,” she whispered, her eyes glowing. “I’ll go tell the maître d’ we’re here.”
Alrik moved away from the door and the women at the bar. A few gazed at him in a way he did not wish to encourage. Calleigh returned a minute later, her mouth twisted in an unhappy line.
“You’re not going to believe this.”
“What?”
“They have no record of our reservation. None.” Tears lined her lower lids, making her bronze eyes look enormous. “I mean, really, what else could go wrong tonight? Do you know how hard it’s going to be to find another place to eat on Valentine’s night?” She sniffed and looked away. “Maybe we should just go home.”
Damn Freya. This was definitely her doing. “Calleigh lass, don’t weep.” The desire to strangle the goddess of love overwhelmed him. How dare she make his wife cry?
“I just wanted tonight to be perfect. It’s our first Valentine’s Day.”
He lifted her chin with his fingertips. “It is perfect. We’re together.” He put his arm around her and led her back outside. The rain had turned into a soft drizzle. Every cab that went by was full. His anger at Freya grew. “Come.” He took Calleigh’s hand and led her down the street until they stood under the awning of an apartment building. “I will be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“To find a place to eat. There are many restaurants on this street.”
“Okay.” She sniffed. “I love you.”
“And I you, lass.” He took off down the street, ducking into the first alleyway he came to. “Freya.” He might be human now, but on Valentine’s Day, any mortal could call upon the goddess of love. “Show yourself.”
A crack of blue lightening brightened the alley, sending rats scurrying. Freya stepped forward out of the smoky wisps left behind. “Viking. How pleasant to see you again. Have you changed your mind about the little mortal? Do you wish to return to me?”
Her gown was a sheer slip of silk crossed with bands of gold that matched the ribbon tying off the blonde braids woven through her hair. Most men would find her irresistible. Alrik just found her irritating. “Stop your games. Whatever you are trying to prove, it won’t work.”
She raised one shoulder. “Whatever do you mean?”
He took a step closer and lowered his voice to a threatening growl. “You know exactly what I mean. The bee, the champagne cork, the flat tire, the rain, the canceled reservation, all of it was your doing.”
She smiled. “It’s just a little test.”
He lowered his head. “You hurt my wife.”
Freya waved his words away with a flutter of her hand. “The mortal will live. Well, not forever, but…” She laughed at her own joke.
Alrik snapped forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. “You will fix everything you’ve done. Do you understand me?”
Her eyes darkened to the blue-black of storm clouds. “Unhand me, Viking. What’s done is done. If she no longer loves you because of a few minor inconveniences, that isn’t my fault.”
“She still loves him. Like I told you she would.”
The voice came from behind Alrik. He spun, already recognizing who it belong to. “Eros.”
“Alrik.” He nodded. “Freya, fix what you’ve done and leave these two alone.”
She tugged out of Alrik’s grasp. “You’re both fools if you think I will obey either one of you.” She smirked at Alrik. “You’re mortal now. What recourse do you have?”
He glowered at her. “If you do not do as I ask, I will find a Phoenix talisman and I will call a Phoenix of my own. And you will not like the changes I make.”
She snorted. “Like I would let a talisman fall into your hands.”
“I would.” Eros walked to her side. “Do what he asked.”
“Stupid mortals,” Freya muttered. “Fine. All is undone.”
The rain stopped.
Alrik studied the goddess suspiciously. He’d never trusted her, now more than ever. “All of it.”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s done, I swear.”
Eros grabbed her hand, twisted off one of the rings she wore and threw it to Alrik. “Here.”
“How dare you,” Freya sputtered. “Give that back.”
“Freya, my love, you are a horrible woman. That’s a small price to pay for all your nonsense.” Eros tipped his head at Alrik. “Give it to your wife. So long as she owns it, Freya cannot touch her.” He laughed. “It’s worth a small fortune, too. That probably doesn’t hurt.”
“Thank you.” What Eros held over Freya, Alrik had no idea but he suspected the demi-god would pay later. Alrik looked at the ring. Diamonds surrounded a fat ruby atop a band of gold carved with cherubs and inlaid with more diamonds. Perfect for Valentine's Day. “This will make up for Freya’s mischief.”
“Mischief. Hmph. You make me sound like a spoiled child,” she said.
Alrik gave her a look that said that was exactly what he thought of her. “Goddess, Eros, I bid you good bye. My bride awaits.”
He tucked the ring into the inside pocket of his coat and jogged back to Calleigh’s side.
Her face brightened as he approached. “Did you find a spot for us to eat?”
“Aye, that I did.” He took her hand and they started walking back toward the way they’d first come.
“Shouldn’t we be going the other way?”
“Nay. This is the correct direction.” He smiled to himself. “How are your hand and your eye?”
She felt the spot above her brow. “You know, I don’t even feel a knot there anymore and my hand…” She flexed her fingers in front of her. “I’d actually kind of forgotten about it. Doesn’t hurt at all.”
Good. Now he would not have to kill Freya. Killing a goddess often had unpleasant consequences. “Are you sure? Perhaps your hand is cold?”
“Cold? No, not really.”
“Not even a little bit?”
She slanted her eyes at him. “Why?”
“I was just thinking I could warm it up for you.”
“How? You’re already holding my other hand.”
As they reached the restaurant that had lost their reservation, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ruby ring. “With this.”
She glanced at what he was holding and stopped walking. Her chin dropped and her mouth opened, but no sound came out. “Oh, Alrik. It’s…it’s beautiful.”
“Just like you.” He slipped it onto her finger, not surprised when it fit perfectly.
She held her hand out and admired the ring for a moment before turning and taking his face in her hands for a kiss. “You are the most amazing man. I love it. And you.”
He kissed her back, then reached for the restaurant’s door. “After you.”
She hesitated. “Honey, I don’t think they’re going to magically find our reservation.”
He laughed. “I think that’s exactly what they’re going to do.”
Once inside, she went to speak to the maître d’ again. This time, she returned with a smile. “I don’t know what you did, but they have a table for us.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re not still holding onto some super secret Phoenix powers you haven’t told me about, are you?”
He winked. “Let’s just say Cupid’s a friend of mi
ne and he protects those in love.”
No matter what.
The End
About the author:
When the characters in Kristen Painter’s head started to take over, she decided to exorcise them onto paper and share them with the world. She writes paranormal romance and has the first of three books in her gothic fantasy vampire series, Blood Rights, coming from Orbit in fall 2011. The former college English teacher can often be found online at Romance Divas, the award-winning writers’ forum she co-founded. She’s represented by Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency.
Connect with Kristen Painter online:
Website: www.kristenpainter.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Kristen_Painter
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KristenPainter
Blog: http://www.kristenpainter.blogspot.com
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/KristenPainterAuthor
Check out Alrik and Calleigh’s full story in All Fired Up, available at these locations:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Samhain Publishing
Other books by Kristen Painter:
Heart Of Fire – fantasy romance
Miss Bramble And The Leviathan – steampunk romance
The Perfect Dish – light paranormal romance
Dark Kiss of the Reaper – dark paranormal romance
Coming soon from Kristen Painter:
The House of Comarre series
(gothic urban fantasy vampires from Orbit Books)
Blood Rights – book one
Flesh And Blood – book two
Bad Blood – book three
Her Viking Valentine (All Fired Up) Page 2