To Vex A Valkyrie

by Jane Cousins

  Whoa, his first instinct was to retreat but too late. Saffron had obviously been waiting for him. The frilly apron she wore over the baby-doll nightie was a bit much, and it reminded him uncomfortably of a French porn flick he’d seen during his impressionable teen years.

  “You’re up.” Saffron smiled his way, even as she spooned food onto a large plate… that smile managing somehow to be equal parts sex kitten, and potential mother of his children, beatific.

  “Um.” He couldn’t retreat now… and he was hungry.

  “Sit.” Saffron gestured to the nearby old scarred dining room table that one day soon, Fen planned to sand back and restore. “Eat, while everything is still warm.”

  “Thanks.” Fen nodded as Saffron placed cutlery and a plate piled high with toast, scrambled eggs, roasted mushrooms and tomatoes in front of him. Thank Goddess, no tofu in sight. “Where’s Brodie?”

  For an instant, Saffron’s shoulders tightened, a hand coming up to absently massage her throat. “Still asleep… oh, juice.” Saffron sashayed hurriedly away towards the small second-hand fridge Fen had bought. He had big plans for the kitchen, and in the interim, there was no point in stocking it with top of the line appliances.

  “Did someone say my name?” Brodie halted in the doorway and scoped out the cosy domestic scene in front of her. Saffron scurrying about the kitchen, feeding her man… the apron.

  Fen shovelled food into his mouth in self preservation, no woman should look like that in the morning; sleepy, dazed, soft and sexy as hell. Wearing a barely there, baby blue tank top, that gave him a glimpse of toned abs and curved hips. And ridiculous tiny blue shorts with clouds on them that hugged a world class butt and showcased athletic thighs that looked more than capable of crushing a man, if he was lucky.

  And oh Goddess, her hair. Fen had barely finished his last mouthful but he determinedly shovelled more in. Brodie’s hair was down and loose, the black mass rippling down her back, making him think of soft, silky, black sheets. All he wanted to do was bury his hands in the mass and discover if it felt as good as it looked.

  “Morning.” Brodie smiled, watching Saffron’s smug, possessive grin drop abruptly, a sullen, petulant look settling in those blue eyes. “Breakfast smells wonderful. I hope you made enough for everyone?”

  Saffron placed a glass of juice down in front of Fen, perhaps a little harder than she intended as some of it spilled over the edge onto her hand. “I wasn’t sure when you’d be getting up.” Saffron crossed to the sink to clean her hand. “I don’t have any extra at the moment.”

  Brodie smiled, shrugging. “That’s okay.” She walked over to sit in the chair next to Fen, snagging a mushroom from his plate. “Fen can share. He looks like he has enough here to feed a Valkyrie battalion, let alone one man.” Hmm, the mushroom was good, next she filched a piece of toast.

  Saffron glared at the Valkyrie, colour flooding into her cheeks. Turning abruptly, she strode to the old stove, grabbed a tea towel, removed a plate of food and slammed it down in front of Brodie. “Here, you can have mine. I can always make myself more.”

  “Thanks.” Brodie grabbed a fork and began to dig in. Watching out the corner of her eye as Saffron sank into the seat across from Fen at the table, a cup of coffee clutched tightly in her manicured hands.

  Silence reigned for a few minutes. Brodie was just munching into a second piece of toast when a smell assaulted her nostrils, she breathed it in, her nose wrinkling. She sniffed, lifting her head, looking around before settling her gaze on Fen.

  “What?” Fen had noticed Brodie sniffing, and the fact that she had stopped eating and was now looking at him funny.

  “You.” Brodie leaned over, her nose hovering just above his shoulder. “Reek of Saffron’s perfume, did I miss something this morning?” She gripped her cutlery tightly, she would not disgrace herself by calling Raven here at the breakfast table. If Fen chose to rub up against Saffron then he was allowed… she didn’t own him… but she would make him pay for it… later.

  “What?” Fen grabbed his t-shirt and lifted it, taking a smell, his nose wrinkling in distaste; patchouli, musk and seagrass flooded his senses. “Crap, why do I smell like a summer meadow?”

  Saffron’s contrite look was at complete odds with the triumphant glow in her eyes. “Sorry, I must have spilled my perfume when I was cleaning and folding the clothes you left here.”

  Brodie had to give the woman credit. She was tenacious, sneaky and persistent, saturating Fen’s clothes, hoping her perfume would subconsciously make him think about her. Brodie was tempted to spill something deliberately on him. Anything that would disperse the smell of another woman clinging to her property… no, that sounded way too permanent. Fen was her future conquest. Temporary, future conquest at that.

  “Oh, it’s fine. Honestly, after five minutes at the Station I’ll be elbow deep in ash and evidence. The last thing I’ll smell like is a summer meadow.”

  “You’re going to the Station?” Brodie enquired.

  “Ideally. I’ll drop you off at the Fitness Centre on the way if you like. You can take a swim, or jump on a treadmill.”

  “Maybe I could train with the Enforcers again?” Brodie asked hopefully.

  “Perhaps, I don’t know their schedule though.” Fen turned his head to look at Saffron. “And I wasn’t kidding about you moving out, it’s for your own safety. I can’t leave you here alone, not with this manic Firebug running around.”

  Saffron reached across the table to rest her hand over Fen’s. “It’s so sweet you care. And I don’t want you worrying about me. I’ll grab my latest silks and head over to Reverie Valley, spend today making deliveries… of course I’ll be back tonight.”

  “No, it’s way too dangerous for you to return here. Goddess, for any of us to be here. I need to think of a new location to stash Brodie overnight. Preferably a fireproof one.”

  Brodie huffed a sigh. “I’ve told you before I am quite capable of looking after myself.”

  Saffron smiled and nodded. “Well, I for one don’t doubt you Brodie, not with all those muscles, the broad shoulders, huge feet… why, I bet from the back you sometimes get mistaken for a man. Am I right?”

  Brodie met Saffron’s patronising smile, giving her a blank, innocent look before standing abruptly and turning away from Fen, looking back over her shoulder. “What do you think?”

  Fen swallowed hard. He was face to well… butt, and what an amazing rear end it was. Those pale blue shorts with the clouds hugged Brodie’s tight rear like they were painted on. How could an ass be so damn firm and yet soft looking at the same time? He had to fight the insane urge to lean over and take a bite out of the nearest cheek.

  Thank Goddess his phone chose that moment to ring.

  “Elijah. What’s up?” He frowned, listening to Elijah’s response. Fen’s gaze automatically resting on Brodie. “I see.” He listened some more. Elijah was pissed. “I see… No, I wasn’t aware of any conversation… well, because I busy fighting a fire…. No, You’re right, the responsibility shouldn’t fall to you…. Okay, okay. I’ll have her there in twenty…. no, there’s no Portal here yet. No point since I intend to tear the place down…. Fine, we’ll hurry, see you soon.”

  Brodie had been doing her best to follow the one sided conversation, without much success. “Problem?”

  “Elijah wants you down at the training arena pronto.”

  “Cool. I’ll spend the day training with the Enforcers whilst you are at the Fire Station.”

  Fen was about to elaborate on the particulars when Saffron interrupted, standing up noisily she undid the apron strings, yanking off the garment, she posed, letting Fen get the full effect of the gauzy, practically see through white nightgown. “I do hate to see you rush off when I went to so much effort to make you breakfast.”

  Fen immediately cast his gaze down at his still half full plate. “That’s okay, I can finish up whilst Brodie gets changed.”

  Saffron, a triumphant smile clinging
to her lips, looked over at Brodie. “Well, off you go, don’t worry, I’ll keep Fen company until you get back.”

  Brodie met and matched her triumphant smile. “No need.” She pulsed magic, suddenly she was wearing her lace up to the knee gold boots, dark red running shorts and a matching tank top, no bra needed, she was a Valkyrie after all. Even her hair was tightly braided back on either side of her head, the end trailing down between her shoulder blades. She was good to go.

  Saffron swallowed the flash of anger that zipped through her eyes, her plan to spend more time alone with Fen thwarted.

  “I’m ready. Let’s go.” Brodie thumped Fen on the shoulder to get his attention.

  Fen pushed his plate away and got to his feet. “Thanks for breakfast… And, I’m serious about you getting out and staying away from here, Saffron.”

  The blue haired woman rounded the table, eyelashes fluttering, mouth parted just ever so slightly, bosom heaving. She grabbed Fen’s hand, pulling it in close so it rested over her heart, or more precisely over one of her barely covered breasts. “I love it that you care. It’s so sweet how you’re always putting my welfare first.”

  “Um.” Fen tried to pull his hand away but Saffron had a tenacious grip on him. Awkward. “I was going to call you anyway.”

  “Of course you were.” Saffron’s eyes widened expectantly.

  “A construction crew will be here Tuesday to start demolishing the house…”

  “Well about time. This place has such potential and it’s going to be so cosy when we finish. I’ve been saying for ages we need that second bathroom.”

  We? Cosy?

  This woman was working on Brodie’s last nerve. Bad enough she was thrusting her untethered - practically bare - breasts, into Fen’s face, now she was all but rubbing Brodie’s face in the fact that not only had she been in Fen’s life longer, they had some sort of connection.

  “Power is going off Sunday, water Monday. So you’ll need to move your silk screen press and find somewhere else to sq… live, not just for tonight, but long-term.”

  Saffron batted her eyelashes up at Fen. “Perhaps you could recommend a place. Or better yet, just tell me where you are staying.”

  “The Station… I’ll be at the Station, working.” Fen did his best, trying to wrestle his hand free without shredding the delicate nightgown Saffron was wearing.

  Brodie leaned forward, resting her mouth against Fen’s ear. “For a man who claims to be celibate, you sure are seeing a lot of action.” She directed a hard gaze at Saffron. “He’s going to need that hand to fight fires with.”

  “Oh.” Saffron looked down, feigning surprise as if just now noticing that Fen’s hand was resting on her breast. “Of course.” She dropped his hand reluctantly. Watching as Brodie gripped Fen’s arm and began dragging him from the room. “See you soon…” She trilled after him. “… I’m in a baking mood, I’ll drop something scrumptious off at the Station.”

  With gritted teeth, Saffron forced a smile and a wave goodbye. She may be turfed out of Fen’s house, but that was just a small upset in her grand plan. No way would she be letting a gorgeous man of Fen’s calibre slip from her grasp into the arms of an overbearing, muscle bound Valkyrie… this was war. One she intended to win.

  * * *

  Silence descended in the car as Fen drove back up the rutted driveway. He didn’t know what had Brodie brooding, but he personally, was trying to work out how to break it to the gang that Saffron would probably be dropping by the Station any day now, with another tofu spice cake, or something equally inedible and hideous. The woman should stick to making breakfast.

  His thoughts soon switched to the phone call he’d received from Elijah; his cousin had sounded far from happy. Not that Elijah ever sounded particularly happy these days. Still, he pressed his foot down slightly harder on the accelerator, better not to keep him waiting any longer than necessary.

  Brodie, for her part, was wrestling with how much she loathed the idea of Saffron getting her claws into Fen. Oh, not in the foreseeable future, not until after Fen and she had indulged in a wicked bout of hot, filthy, monkey sex.

  Which hopefully would happen tonight… tomorrow at the latest.

  But once she returned to Los Angeles and the battlefields of Fjornfiall, there would be no one to stop Saffron from tricking Fen into bed and sinking her claws into him for good. The water sprite had no honour. With all her cat in heat props, and sneaky, underhanded manoeuvring. Look at the way she’d moved into Fen’s house.

  No doubt Fen’s match making - grandbaby mad - mother loved Saffron. She cooked, she washed and cleaned his clothes. Saffron was every mother’s dream daughter-in-law. Whilst Brodie was no one’s dream anything. She was selfish when it came to her career. She didn’t cook or clean. Her first love in life was battle. Her second was training, in preparation for battle.

  Fen’s future should not concern her. His health and well-being should only matter in relation to keeping him fit enough to be capable of having sex with her. So why then were there knots in her gut tightening and spasming? Why was it taking all of her self control not to demand Fen turn the car around so that her sword, Reaper, could give Saffron a wicked, fatal kiss goodbye?

  Freyja… she liked Fen. Which seemed ridiculous. She didn’t want to like him… she didn’t even need to like him. Sex had never been anything but a purely physical act for her in the past. A way to work out when there wasn’t a handy gym or a sparring partner nearby to burn off her excess energy.

  But Fen was different. Or was he? Perhaps she’d just never bothered to take the time to get to know a man before. No, she’d forced herself to chat with a lot of men since embarking on this holiday, and within seconds, often within a heartbeat, she had dismissed them. They weren’t Fen.

  Although, maybe she was only having these… feelings because he was the first man to refuse her. To say no. Though that wouldn’t explain why she wanted to smile when she was with him. Why she enjoyed listening to him talk, even about things that normally didn’t interest her; like his job, his house, his plans for the future.

  And the man kept on insisting that it was his duty to protect her. Laughable, and misguided, but also kind of sweet. Truthfully, she wasn’t infallible. And Fen’s magic and expertise was more suited to dealing with a crazed Firebug hurling rocks her way. The man might actually end up being a useful tool in defeating the unknown arsonist. On the other hand, he might just end up getting hurt. Once more the knots in her gut tightened.

  A horrified thought swept through Brodie as Fen turned the car into the Fitness Centre parking lot. Was she really sitting here sorting through her feelings… feelings? Like some teenage girl with an out of control hormonal crush?

  Liking Fen was not important to her plan. Of course liking him wouldn’t hurt when it came time to do the deed. She wouldn’t be dry-retching during the act and she was curious to see the man fully naked. Hmmm… Fen naked.

  She was getting distracted again.

  Honestly, tighten your breast-plate and get your head in the game Valkyrie. Jumping Fen’s bones was all that mattered. And the sooner she accomplished that feat, the sooner she could ditch this insanely peaceful beachside town. There was nothing here for her, no guts, no battlefield glory. Fen would just have to fend off that blue haired leech by himself after she was gone.

  And in the meantime, she would train. Hurt some people. Clear her head. Review and refine her plan of convincing Fen to change his no into a yes. She would have him, she was Valkyrie and would accept nothing less than the best.

  Chapter Nine

  “You!” Elijah paused in his pacing. Pointing an accusing finger at Brodie as she stepped through the double doors into the gallery overlooking the training arena, Fen close on her heels. “This is all your fault.”

  Brodie eyed him with curiosity. Where was the calm, tightly controlled lead Enforcer from yesterday? Today he looked… frazzled.

  Upon meeting him, Brodie had felt instantly at ease i
n Elijah’s company, recognising the hard, flat look in his eyes. Here was a fellow veteran of many campaigns. But today his slate grey eyes burned with a variety of complex emotions; frustration, impatience and anger.

  “Twenty highly experienced Enforcers have pled ill and gone home, because of you.”

  Brodie was flattered, and couldn’t hold back a smug smile. “Well, I do have a bit of a reputation.”

  Elijah heaved an exasperated sigh. “They didn’t go home because they were terrified of you, they ran off because they are terrified of her.” He stepped aside so that Brodie could get a clear line of sight.

  “Um.” Brodie stared at the only occupant out on the training field.

  “Uh-oh.” Fen shifted nervously beside her.

  “Don’t even think of making a break for it, I will hunt you down.” Elijah snapped out. Slate grey eyes pinning Fen in place with a promise of pain and swift vengeance.

  Brodie didn’t get it. She looked at Elijah, he seemed serious and certainly Fen wasn’t laughing. Stepping closer to the railing, she focused all of her attention on the Enforcer working out in the middle of the arena. Wincing as the woman over extended, tripping over her own feet as she faced off against a computer generated figure of a Japanese Ninja.

  This was definitely no Enforcer.

  Awkwardly, the woman turned, heaving up the sword and swinging wildly. Stumbling to the side, but not falling. The Ninja’s sword was raised, but all he had to do so far was side step to avoid the wild swings and thrusts of the woman dressed in bright aqua bike shorts and a sunshine yellow t-shirt. There was something familiar about her, had they met before?

  “You did this.” Elijah gestured to the training arena. “And I expect you to fix it.”

  “Me?” Brodie was bewildered. “How am I responsible for some woman getting lost on her way to a yoga class?”