Embrace of the Damned (41 page)

He scooped her into his arms and carried her over the rise of a nearby hill. Setting her on her feet, he swept off his worn leather duster and laid it on the wet grass, then eased her down on top of it. They were both soaked; the coat was saturated; everything was wet. She should have been cold, but not with Broder hovering over her body, covering her, protecting her.

Her fingers fumbled desperately with the button and zipper on his jeans, even as he also attempted to get her jeans off her. Slowly, inch by inch, they managed to drag fabric over damp skin. Somehow they managed to get most of their clothes off—the important pieces, anyway.

The rain. The wet duster. The hard earth beneath them. None of that mattered now. Her entire reality had narrowed to the feel of his body rubbing against the bare skin of her thighs, the pressure of his chest against hers.

Pushing her hands underneath the hem of his sweater, she ran her fingers over his hard body, exploring the way the muscles of his back bunched as he moved, running her hands over his amazing rear, his lean hips, and strong thighs. She almost purred as she moved her fingers over the hard, warm, and leanly muscled expanse of his chest. Sinking into every movement, every moment, every breath they took, she tried to memorize each inch of his body so she could keep the memory with her forever.

Broder gave her one last, mind-numbing kiss, then moved down her body, pushing her damp sweater up to kiss her abdomen, then moving lower still. He eased her thighs apart and laid a long kiss to first one inner thigh, then the other.

Groaning with anticipation, she allowed her head to fall back as she sank her fingers into the silky hair at the nape of his neck. He ran the tip of his tongue slowly over her inner thigh—right at the soft, tender place where it met her sex. A moment later, he slid his tongue directly to the center.

She let out a long, slow breath as his tongue skated over her most intimate of areas. He took his time, delivering a slow, thought-robbing amount of pleasure that left her
incapable of anything but the most minimal level of cognition. Pleasure ruled her now, pleasure mixed with love.

Finally she shuddered beneath him and came, his name on her lips. Then he was there, between her thighs, pressing the head of his cock inside. He pushed in little by little, slowly letting her have an inch of him at a time. She was ready for him; he didn’t need to take such care. It was as though he savored her, melting into every moment the way she was doing, to hold them close and keep for some lonely night in the future. He also knew their moments would be coming to an end.

Finally he hilted deep within her.

He stayed that way, completely sunk within her body and staring down at her in the late afternoon light. Jessa gazed up at him, thinking she might get lost in the depths of emotion showing in his dark eyes.

Broder moved a tendril of hair away from her face in a gesture of complete love and caring. Tears filled her eyes and several rolled down her cheeks. She hated that she was crying, but she couldn’t make it stop. The emotion coursing between them was too great and their impending separation too awful to consider.

Hilted deep inside her body, he lowered his head and kissed her forehead very gently. Gentleness from this man was a gift, unique and special. Tenderness from a man this big and strong, so brutal and protective in a fight, was the most erotic thing Jessa had ever experienced. He took her mouth in a masterful, possessive kiss, drawing a small sound from her throat.

Then he began to move inside her. Slowly at first. So slowly it made her moan, made her see stars, made blissful waves of sexual ecstasy crash through her body. Then his thrusts grew harder, faster.

His gaze locked with hers as their bodies moved together as though they were one being. She had the odd, flashing sensation that the sliver of frozen Blight buried deep in his chest was melting, easing away until there was nothing of it left. Little by little her love was overpowering the magick
that bound him. Broder closed his eyes and sighed, as though he felt it, too.

She wished it could be true, but it was just the power of the moment, their combined desire. A fantasy they both shared.

“I love you,” she whispered.

He buried his face in the curve of her neck and whispered it back to her, over and over.

Her climax came from the very depths of her. It overwhelmed everything else. The pleasurable waves filled her, took the very breath from her. She couldn’t scream, couldn’t moan, couldn’t do anything but lose herself to it.

Lose herself totally and utterly to him.

When it was over, they lay still linked for a long time, as if a warm bubble had settled over them—a magickal barrier that separated them from the rest of the world. If they moved, it would pop.

Jessa never wanted to move. Not ever again.

But eventually the chilly, damp earth reached through even their strong bubble of love and Jessa began shivering violently. Broder kissed her softly, and then pulled her from the ground, helping her to dress in her still-damp clothes, telling her they needed to get to somewhere warm. They made their way over the rise to the motorcycle.

Loki was standing near Broder’s bike, dressed in a suit and looking like a Ken doll, completely out of place in the Scottish countryside. Smiling, he opened his arms wide. “Broder! Jessamine! It’s so good to see you.”

Broder and Jessa stopped on top of the hill and Broder’s hand entwined with hers. They both stood stock-still, watching the god with trepidation and tight muscles.

When they made no reply, Loki walked toward them, his fancy, expensive loafers squishing into the wet grass. He smiled as though happy to see them. “Well, Broder, how did you enjoy your furlough? Was it pleasurable for you?”

Broder’s grip on her hand increased.

“Don’t torment him, Loki. He knows it’s time to go.” She had to be brave and let Broder leave. She knew all too well
that if Broder fought Loki, things would not go well for him. However, from the feel of Broder’s stiff body beside her, his leaving without a fight was unlikely.

Loki’s smile tightened a bit. “Really? I suppose he does know that. He also knew that it’s forbidden for a Brother of the Damned to step foot on the land of the seidhr. Especially
this
particular brother.”

Jessa looked up at Broder. She’d figured as much, but from the note in Loki’s voice she realized that his punishment might be more than a simple slap on the wrist.

She leveled her gaze at Loki. “Don’t touch him.” Her voice sounded hard, but she knew she was like a kitten baring her teeth at a lion.

Loki laughed at her, but his eyes were cold. “None of your business.”

“He’s suffered enough.”

“
I
say when he’s suffered enough. The time has come for you to say good-bye. I’ll give you a second.” He crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his foot. “Okay, time’s up.”

“I’m not leaving her.” Broder’s voice came out a low, dangerous growl.

“The hell you’re not. You got your treat, Broder, now back to reality.”

Broder growled and lunged at Loki with intense ferocity, covering the ground that separated them like a bullet.

Loki raised his hand as though bored. Clearly he’d been waiting for Broder to attack him. Now he was going to employ magick of some kind, Jessa supposed.

But nothing happened. No magick sparked. Broder kept coming.

Loki’s eyes widened in shock as Broder barreled toward him, tackling him to the rain-soaked earth with a thump. Jessa yelped and clasped a hand over her mouth. Broder rolled off the man, looking surprised. Clearly Broder hadn’t thought he’d actually be able to do it.

Loki gasped on the ground, clutching his chest. “What in the name of Hel—”

Broder lunged at him again, but Loki disappeared,
reappearing again a short distance away and dressed in a fresh, new suit.

Loki straightened his lapels. “Broder, you appear to be missing something.” His voice shook almost imperceptibly. He was clearly disturbed.

What did it take to shake up a god?

Broder pushed to his feet and touched his chest. Then he raised his gaze to Jessa’s.

Jessa’s eyes widened. “Is Broder free?” she asked Loki.

“No,” Loki snarled at her. “I didn’t fucking free him, so that means he isn’t fucking free.”

“I freed him,” came a low, melodious voice to their right.

They all turned to find the most beautiful woman Jessa had ever seen. She had long, deep electric ruby hair, shimmering in the light like threads drawn from the stars and planets above. Her dewy, flawless, pale skin glistened almost iridescently, and she had enormous blue eyes that seemed able to swallow a person whole. A shimmery pale gold gown swathed her slender body.

This had to be a goddess, Jessa decided.

“What the fuck, Freyja?”
Loki blew out a breath as though totally put out. He set a hand to his hip and stuck out his lower lip like a pouting child.

Jessa looked between Loki and … Freyja, thinking for a moment she’d lost her mind. This was
Freyja
, as in
the
Freyja—the Norse goddess of love? Jessa took a shaky step backward, just catching herself from collapsing to the ground.

“Broder Calderson’s sliver has been removed.” Freyja’s voice gave Jessa shivers. It was beautiful, but in a marble sort of way—cold and untouchable—yet light and compelling. Alluring, yet dangerous. Oddly, her voice seemed like love itself. “He has suffered enough, feels genuine repentance for his original crime, and has found love. He is not yours any longer, Loki.”

Broder met Jessa’s gaze across the distance that separated them. Could it be possible?

Loki stomped his foot. “You can’t do this, Freyja! The Brotherhood is
my
dominion and you can’t interfere.”

Freyja smiled and lifted one slim shoulder. “Watch me.”

Jessa struggled to remember what she’d read recently about the Norse pantheon. Freyja was pretty high up, higher than Loki, if memory served.

Loki pinched the bridge of his nose. “Freyja, I am trying to end a threat here. A threat to
you
, my beautiful one. To all we hold dear—”

“From now on, any Brother of the Damned who has redeemed himself of his original crime and who finds genuine love will be freed from punishment. This will be the second way they can dissolve the sliver of Blight that pierces them. A loophole of sorts.” She paused, her mouth curving into a sweet smile. “
Odin
agrees.”

Loki’s face turned red and his body seemed to quiver for a moment with rage. “You cannot do this, Freyja!”

“It is done.” She turned her attention to Broder. “Broder Calderson, you are free from the Brotherhood of the Damned. Your sliver has been removed. You are completely human again, but your lifeline is now tied to Jessamine’s. You will live as she lives, love as she loves, die as she dies. May you know happiness.”

Then she was gone.

Jessa and Broder stared at each other in shock, while Loki threw a fit. The god stomped his feet, exclaiming in languages that Jessa couldn’t even begin to decipher.

Broder took a step toward her, but Loki snarled and attacked him. They scuffled, fists flying. Loki landed a punch high on Broder’s cheekbone, making his head snap to the side.

The god bounced backward like a boxer on the balls of his feet. “With the sliver goes your extra strength and healing ability. How does it feel to be normal again, brother? Kind of jarring, isn’t it?”

Broder staggered to the side and gave his head a sharp shake. “I’m not your brother anymore, Loki.”

Loki bounced up to him and sneered close into Broder’s face. “Give me back my dagger.”

Broder stepped toward him, close enough to kiss. “Try and take it from me.”

“I’m going to give you an ass kicking that’ll—”

Broder brought his head down hard and fast, connecting with Loki’s nose. Loki howled, blood spurting from his nostrils. Jessa brought a hand to her mouth, surprised to see that the god could bleed just like a mortal.

“How dare you!” Loki held his nose, blood gushing beneath his fingers. “Now you’re really asking for it,” he bawled, his voice pinched and nasal sounding. He raised his hands and the air crackled with power. Jessa bet this time whatever magick Loki was cooking would work.

She gripped her pendant and sought one of her spells, wishing like hell she had more than fluffy little charms stored on it. Murmuring under her breath, she peeled off a layer of magick. A bright burst of white light exploded in front of Loki’s eyes, making him yelp with surprise.

Broder chose that moment to take advantage of Loki’s distraction. He turned and kicked Loki hard in the hip, then he brought his massive fist up and punched him sharply in the side of the head. Broder’s movements were smooth and easy, oddly beautiful, like a dance.

Loki staggered backward, looking stunned.