Courting Mortality (Brothers of Fate Book 1) (3 page)

Marley scooted on the carpet, until her back connected with the wall. Every inch of her ached from bending, crawling, and feeding cable through small tubes for the last however-many hours. It was dark outside, and a couple of LED lanterns around them provided the only light in the building. The rush she’d felt after her post-electrocution dizziness passed had evaporated hours ago. But at least Eli finally stopped hovering and treating her as if she were made of porcelain.

While she’d really enjoyed the attention, she knew she shouldn’t have.

He sat across from her, the lamplight casting his features in shadows, making the scruff of his unshaven face look even more rugged. Damn it, why did he have to be handsome and considerate? Why couldn’t he just be an asshole boss like most of them?

The reminder that he was her supervisor snapped her back to reality. “We’re more than half done. That bodes well for our schedule.”

He glanced at his phone before dropping it back into his pocket. “And it’s not even ten. Wow. I owe you dinner. And then we’ll get back to it?”

She nodded. They’d made headway, but not nearly enough that they’d be done before tomorrow, if they called it a night. “Anything but pizza.”

“You love pizza.”

Just the word turned her stomach. “Yeah, but last night…cold pizza, warm beer, and a live band that was louder than they were talented—I’d just rather walk away from that memory for now.”

“All that on top of the asshole. No wonder your night was a bust.” He stood and offered her a hand up. “Note to self and all that.”

At least if she was blushing, the dim light would hide it. She tried to be subtle about pulling away, before they could do an encore of the awkward moment from that morning. She might not be able to say no this time. “I want to get the west section prepped while I’m still thinking about it, and then we can break.”

His gaze raked over her, lingering on her face for a moment. “All right. Tell you what. I’ll order dinner and finish up in the executive office, and we should be done about the time the delivery guy arrives.”

“Who are you going to get to deliver out here so late?”

He winked. “I know people. Trust me.”

They hashed out a few more details, and he walked away to finish his tasks. The silence sank in around her for the first time that day, and gave her thoughts a chance to ramble. Combined with exhaustion, her brain did something she never let it do. It wandered into thoughts of what it would be like to spend time with Eli outside of work. Not as friends, but more along the lines of how different the night before would have been if he’d been her date.

She let her mind trip lazily over the delicious thought, while she worked. It was easier to lose herself, when she didn’t have to worry about her attraction to him being written all over her face. With no one to see her gaze drifting off to nowhere, it didn’t matter.

She would’ve invited him in at the end of the night. There was no question there. Offered him a drink. Maybe slid up next to him on the couch. Before today, she’d wondered if he’d be the one to make a move, but after the incident on the counter, there was no doubt he’d take charge if the situation was different.

“You okay?” His concerned voice broke into her rambling thoughts. She scrambled to her feet, and whirled to face him, pulse kicking up another notch. “I’ve been calling you.”

She stashed the images in a mental side-drawer, and gave him what she hoped was a neutral smile. “I’m fine. Just engrossed.”

“I see that.” Was that awe? “You did all this in twenty minutes?”

She looked around the room, surprised herself. She’d been so lost in thought, she hadn’t realized she’d finished prepping the quadrant, and then some. “I guess.”

He stepped aside, and gestured toward the other end of the building. “Food’s here.”

She fell into step beside him. The familiar scents of lemongrass pork and curry wafted over her, and her stomach growled in response. He’d ordered from one of her favorite places. “I didn’t know they delivered.”

He shrugged. “The owner owed me a favor.”

They reached the office that would be the CEO’s after the move, and she paused in the doorway, any response evaporating. He’d lined the walls with a handful of flashlights—she had no idea where he’d gotten the extras—all pointing straight up like electric candles.  A blanket sat in the middle of the room, with a neat arrangement of takeout and two place-settings. A wine bottle even sat in the middle, adding an elegant feel despite the paper cups.

Had he brought all that with him? Bribed the take out boy to pick it up? She didn’t care. She wouldn’t be able to drink more than a cup, since they still had work to do, but the gesture still warmed her.

“I figured we might as well pick the nicest room in the building for dinner since there’s no furniture anywhere, including the kitchen. Sitting on the floor in here should be a lot more comfortable than the cold tile in there.” He waved a hand, and it seemed to grow brighter in the room, as if all the lights cranked up a notch. “Take a seat.” He rested a hand at the small of her back, and nudged her forward.

She burned the memory of his touch into her thoughts, along with the entire setup. It was an incredible feeling, and a lot better than focusing on whether he’d really just made the flashlights intensify. She desperately needed to find a guy who got her on this level, and wasn’t her boss.

*

Eli leaned against the wall, watching Marley talk. They’d cleaned up dinner at least an hour ago, and he knew they needed to get back to work, but he couldn’t bring himself to interrupt. They both sat on the blanket, less than a foot between them, and she was as animated as he’d ever seen her. Arms moving and eyes bright, even in the dim light.

“No. I’m serious.” Her smile was gorgeous and genuine. “My grandfather would tell these bedtime stories, every time he visited. Bible stories. But only the ones with dismemberment or beheading. Who needs Grimm, when you’ve got gentiles and worshippers alike getting their heads chopped off?”

He’d always been a fan of the brothers Grimm. Their version of the stories was more accurate than anyone else’s up to that point in history, and no one had told the tales quite the same since. Still, she had a point. “I can’t argue with that. It definitely sounds like a way to scare someone straight.”

She laughed—that was an amazing sound. “It didn’t work on me, but I’m odd.”

“In the best way possible.” He couldn’t tear his gaze from her face.

She met his eyes, and pink flooded her cheeks. She ducked her head. Her voice dropped in volume, but her enthusiasm didn’t vanish. “What kind of stories did you grow up on?”

The single question brought his entire universe crashing back into focus. There’d been hundreds of tales over the centuries. He’d watched people write down the original history, and then witnessed as it warped and mutated over time, as each story was retold, and the occasional new one was created.

But one stood out over all the others. A reminder of why it didn’t matter how much he adored Marley. Even if she weren’t off limits for professional reasons, there could never be anything more than a physical relationship between them. “There was one…”

She looked up again, eyes soft and curious. She scooted closer on the blanket. “Tell me?”

He shouldn’t. He should put everything away now. They had a deadline to meet. They had… Every excuse evaporated from his thoughts, when she leaned forward, arms resting on her crossed legs and attention focused intently on him.

Maybe repeating the curse would help him get his thoughts back in order. “All right,” he said. “But there’s no beheading, or other body parts being cut off.” At least he hoped not. The sudden thought terrified him, and he squashed it. He’d never forgive himself.

“I’m sure I’ll live.”

He hoped so. He dredged up the thousands of years’ old memories. “My grandmother used to tell me this when I was very young. We’d sit around the fire every year at holidays, and beg her to relate the story.”

“You and Loki?”

“And our other brother Helblindi.”

“I didn’t know you had a third brother.”

Most people didn’t. Hell, most people didn’t know Loki had any brothers at all. They thought Eli’s brother was the son of Odin. Stepbrother to Thor. As if. Sometimes Eli hated that no one knew his history, but at least he hadn’t been written into comic books and films with an entirely different bloodline.

“Blake manages affairs overseas. Maybe someday you’ll meet him. Anyway.” Eli breathed deeply, and let his memories drift back. “She’d always start off by reminding us we were the stuff of legends. That brothers born in threes—it never happened in our family. The oldest was always meant to take the reins of the household, and the youngest to explore the world. But when there was a middle brother, balance was disrupted.”

Her brow furrowed. “That’s a little harsh.”

He’d never thought of it that way. “I guess. I’m the youngest, so I didn’t mind.” At least, he’d never minded until just a couple of years ago, when a frustrated brunette sat across from him in a job interview and told him outright that she’d be one of the best employees he ever had, but there was some shit she wouldn’t tolerate.

“It’s just a fairy tale anyway, right?” She almost sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

It was so much more than that, but he didn’t correct her. “There was a poem she’d recite. I can’t remember all the words, but she’d chant it in front of the fire, the words mingling with flame. Sometimes I swore, if I stared at the flames long enough, I could see them becoming real. The words.” He shook his head to clear away the vivid memory. He hated to lie to her. He remembered each verse as if it were in front of him. But speaking the words always felt like giving them power. At least speaking all of them. There was one verse she had to hear.

She stared at him, mouth barely open, eyes wide. “What was the general idea then?”

He swallowed. “No one would be suited to take over family affairs, unless he proved himself. Instead of assuming his birthright, the first brother would hop from wife to lover to wife, traveling the world, drifting for ages, until he finally found the woman who could calm his heart.”

“Helblindi.” She repeated the name flawlessly, even though she’d only just heard it.

He nodded. “The second brother would know fame. Celebrity like none of us had ever imagined. And it would change him into something none of us recognized.”

She looked like she wanted to speak, but she snapped her mouth shut again. Silence hung between them, until she finally asked, “And what about the youngest?”

The words flowed to his lips without thought. After centuries of pondering them, he knew them better than his own name. “As you are, for all of time, to taste neither love nor death. When you find the one worth more than life, she’ll draw her last mortal breath.”

“Wow.” Her single word was shaky. “Harsh. But it’s just a fairy tale, right? Meant to scare you as a kid, by being vague and threatening?”

He forced something genuine into his smile. “Sure. Absolutely.”

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “Still, it’s not a very nice thing to tell a kid.”

Or to burden an immortal soul with. “It is what it is.”

He wished to everything ever it wasn’t. Now more than ever, he wished it wasn’t real. But the scare that morning… The rest of the curse was true. And he wasn’t willing to take that chance with her. He didn’t dare fall for Marley and risk her life.

Cold flushed Marley’s cheeks, and jarred her back toward consciousness. She and Eli had worked for a few more hours the night before, including testing every last connection in the executive offices twice. When exhaustion had become impossible to ignore, they agreed to nap for a couple of hours. But she was certain they’d fallen asleep several feet apart.

The familiar scents of new paint and recently unwrapped everything filled her head, but she wasn’t ready to open her eyes yet. Every moment of the night before was seared into her thoughts. And even though it was cold in the building—no heat plus an overnight snowstorm meant it was probably almost freezing—her back and arms, and everywhere Eli touched was warm.

She wasn’t sure when she’d curled up against him, or who had pulled the blanket from dinner over them, but she wasn’t complaining. She let sleepiness have control, and stretched back against him with a sigh. His arm snaked tighter over her hips, fingers brushing the bare skin above her jeans, where her hoodie had tugged up during the night.

Floating in that wonderful haze between wakefulness and sleep, every touch lit her thoughts on fire as much as it warmed her skin. He moaned and pulled her closer. This was incredible. His palm glided up to her stomach, and his warm breath caressed the back of her neck. Was he awake, or was this all just a reaction for him?

His forehead rested against the back of her skull. “You’re freezing.” His soft words barely reached her ears. “I know a cure for that.”

The innuendo sent need and a wash of images surging through her—letting him warm her up. His skin pressed against hers. Those skilled hands searching out her buttons.

Her every nerve ending pleaded for more. She pressed tighter against him, and the hard length digging into her butt. “I’m listening.” She wouldn’t open her eyes. Wouldn’t destroy this moment by letting reality seep in completely.

Desire surged between her legs, and her head swam with images of their clothes coming off, his mouth roaming her body, and his thick cock—currently pressed against the small of her back and tempting her—as it dove inside her.

His hand brushed the bottom of her breast, and she arched her back with a moan. When he glided higher and caressed her nipples through the fabric of her bra, the dampness in her panties grew. Her hips rocked, her ass grinding against his erection.

Something whispered at the back of her mind. A reminder that she shouldn’t do this. Fuck it. She wanted him, and she knew the attraction went both ways. She was tired of hiding behind the past. Eli wouldn’t threaten her job, and she needed to stop using her fear as an excuse. Even if there was nothing between them beyond the physical, she was going to enjoy every minute of it.

She reached a hand behind her, seeking him out by touch alone. His groan echoed through every inch of her, and sent pleasant chills over her skin when she grasped his cock and stroked through his jeans.

“Stop.” His arm fell away, and seconds later cool air flooded in around her, chilling everything he no longer touched.

“What?” Confusion flooded her, and she rolled into a sitting position so she could look him in the eye. “Did I misunderstand?” Keeping her tone clinical and cool was the only way she could keep the hurt from leaking into her voice.

“No.” He turned away. “I shouldn’t have done that, though. I’m sorry.”

What did that mean? “So we were both good with it, and nothing’s wrong, but it’s not right?”  Uncertainty and doubt twisted her gut in on itself. It took every ounce of her control to keep her tone steady. Even then, she wasn’t sure she managed.

“You should get home.” He folded the blanket. “I can finish up here.”

The ache of rejection grew in her chest. None of this made sense. “No.” She stood in front of him, forcing him to look at her. “We don’t operate this way. Talk to me.”

His gaze bored into hers. “We do this time. The conversation is over. I’ve got this. Go home.”

His cold command destroyed the wall of composure she was building around herself. She narrowed her eyes, and tried to obliterate any feelings using anger. “You’re the boss.”

*

Eli wanted nothing more than to call out, apologize, and spend the rest of the day with Marley. The only thing that kept him from stopping her, from pinning her to the wall and stripping her down, and doing everything to her they both wanted, was his fear of what it would cost her.

Seeing her hurt, betrayed expression was better than seeing her dead.

He tried to lose himself in his work. The hours ticked away, as he finished his wiring and cleaned up the traces of their presence in the building. But he never managed to banish the images of Marley from his thoughts.

The entire drive home, fantasy taunted him. Of christening one of those executive offices. Stripping her clothes off a piece at a time. Kissing along her bare breasts. Hearing her gasp, as he tasted her nipples. Tasting every inch of her skin. Sliding his cock inside her. Watching her ride him. Drinking every gorgeous curve, and making her moan until she was spent from pleasure.

He pulled up in front of his house, unable to shake the images. It was true there was nothing he wanted more… Except for her to live.

What he needed was a cold shower, and something to distract him.

He stepped through the front door, and a growl slipped out before he could stop it.

“Late night?” Loki lounged on the living room couch, ankle crossed over the other knee, and arms stretched across the back.

Eli tossed his keys on the stand by the entrance way. He was rarely in the mood for his brother anyway, but knowing he’d been responsible for the delayed cable… For Marley losing her weekend. For— “Get out.”

Loki didn’t move. “How’s your top worker? A little extra tingly after yesterday?”

A denial rushed to Eli’s lips, and he cut it off. He rolled the words over in his head, looking for the angle. It was easy enough to assume Loki thought they’d slept together, but denying it meant admitting he’d at least had the thought. Not that he could deny it at this point, but he was going to try. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Charged. Lit up. Electric?”

Rage roared through Eli. He should’ve known the accident yesterday morning was more than just shitty wiring. He crossed the room in a few short steps, grabbed Loki by the front of his shirt, and hauled him to his feet. “You asshole. Stay the fuck away from her.”

Loki laughed, and held up his hands. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

But he did. Eli knew it. An entire family of people who held the gift of elements—specifically electricity. It wouldn’t have taken anything for Loki to shock Marley. It would’ve been a passing thought. Eli had no idea about the why, but the verbal taunting was too much to ignore. Except it didn’t make sense. “Why Marley? I thought you liked her.”

“She’s fine, I guess. It’s you I don’t like. This will make you miserable. She’s just a casualty.”

Right. The drawback of having a brother who was not only immortal, but had zero regard for human life. Every couple of decades, Eli managed to forget about that. Fury poured through him. “Don’t go near her, or her environment, again.”

Loki wrenched out of his grip, straightened his clothes, and stared back, eyes cold. “Or what?”

“Or I’ll find a way to make your eternity a living hell.” Energy crackled over Eli’s skin. Sparking and flickering. His clothes might not survive. He didn’t care. He wasn’t going to rein the fury in.

Loki patted him on the shoulder, and stepped around him. “Like yours is? At least I know you’ve got practice.”

Eli snarled. Keep this verbal or make it physical?

“I’ll make you a deal.” Loki cut him off, before Eli could swing.

Eli turned to face him, rage gnawing at his senses, roaring to be let out.

“I’ll stay away from her. I’ll even resist the urge to off her just to see how you react, if you keep your distance from her as well.” Loki smirked.

No. Not in a million— Eli cut off his own rampaging defiance. “Deal.” The single word sounded foul as it struck his ears. He’d intended to anyway. Besides, as reason clawed its way back into his skull, he remembered the best way to win an argument with his brother and piss him off at the same time was to concede.

“Wait, what?”

“I’ll stay away from her, if you will. It’s a deal.”

Loki’s mouth worked up and down, but no sound came out. He held up his index finger, and then dropped it. Finally he shook his head and turned away. “Good. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”

As Loki walked out the front door, Eli collapsed onto the couch. None of it made any sense. Why had Loki tried to hurt Marley? All that, just for a bargain he knew Loki wouldn’t uphold?

He had no intention of keeping his promise to Loki, either. Even if he needed to keep some distance between himself and Marley, he needed to also make sure she was safe.

He needed to find a way to keep her from the harm of his curse, and everything else associated with his family. Maybe it was time for him to move on. Leave the family business behind. Make up his mind about whether Marley was safer with him keeping an eye on her or just leaving her to her own life.