Players (Lessons by Loki) (4 page)

Katie watched as Josiah sat on the floor and leaned in under the sink. His body was long and lean and he seemed more relaxed than she remembered. She still wasn’t sure why Loki had suggested this scenario. He’d said Josiah wanted to feel like a hero, that he wanted to rush in and rescue her. Did unhooking a drainpipe qualify as a rescue? It seemed unlikely that this would lead to anything romantic.

No sooner had the thought passed through her mind than she heard a strange hiss.

“What the fu—?” Josiah jerked out of the way then twisted out from under the sink. Water sprayed out in a fan shape, soaking his face and chest before he could retreat beyond its reach.

Katie knelt beside him and tried to locate the source of the sudden delu
ge. “I turned the water off. Honest, I did.”

He reached over her, his chest pressed against her back. He quickly turned the valve one way and then the other, but there was no result. “Where’s the main shutoff?”

“In the basement.” She jumped up and dashed toward the basement door, her feet sliding on the wet floor.

“Careful,” he called, obviously watching her.

She ran down the stairs and frantically shut the master valve. “Did that do it?” She projected her voice toward the stairwell.

“
We’re good.”

She returned to the kitchen with more caution, not wa
nting to slip on the wet floor. “Let me get you a towel. I’m so sorry about this.” She ran into the guest bath and snatched the two decorative towels off the rack by the bathtub. When she returned to the kitchen, he’d peeled off his shirt and was drying his face with the damp cloth. “Here.” She handed him one of the towels, trying not to stare at his toned torso. Chase frequently walked around shirtless, but this was the first time she’d seen Josiah’s chest. And what a chest it was. His muscles were well-defined, yet lean. He was sleek and sexy, like a runner or a dancer.

His lips
slowly parted as he noticed her appreciative stare. “Now you’ve seen more of me than I’ve seen of you.” He dried off then set the towel aside, his gaze never leaving her face. “Do you need some help?”

He moved forward and she moved back.
Loki had warned her not to give in too easily. This was a game to Josiah. It was all about the chase. He backed her against the counter without actually touching her. Then he reached behind her and slowly dragged the fastener from around her ponytail. His gaze bore into hers as he took the nearly forgotten towel from her hand and gently stroked her face.

Awareness swirled around them like currents of electricity. Her chest felt heavy and her skin tingled. Was he going to kiss her or just tease her with the towel then move away? He dried her face and arms then moved on to her hair. Each movement brought their bodies closer
until their hips were flush and she could feel the heat of his bare chest.

He set the towel on the counter then slowly reached for the hem of her wet
top. Rather than pull it off, as she’d expected, he slipped his hands beneath. His fingers were warm against her chilly skin and a muffled groan rumbled in her throat.

“Show me
what you try so hard to hide,” he whispered as his hands drifted up and down her sides.

She shook her head, tension making her almost giddy. “This isn’t why—”

He cut off her words with his mouth. His lips forced hers apart, but his tongue only teased, rimming her lips and tracing her teeth without thrusting deeper. She moved her head to a better angle and encouraged his tongue with hers. He tasted of coffee and desire and something uniquely him.

For five years she’d imagined what it would be like to touch him and be touched by him. She’d alternated between Chase and Josiah when she formed her fantasies. And when she felt particularly naughty, she’d imagine having them both focused on her, wanting only her.

He moved one hand to her hair, his fingers loosely fisting the damp strands as he took the kiss deeper. His tongue pushed into her mouth and his taste grew stronger, each element more distinct. Then he pulled back. His breath caressed her damp lips as he whispered, “Show me.”

It was an order this time and his tone growled, sending excitement skittering through her body. Instinctively she’d known he’d be like this, confident and demanding.
He freed her for a moment so she could comply. She grabbed the bottom of her shirt then shook her head. “I’m not going to sleep with you.”

One of is dark brows arched in silent challenge then he
subtly changed tactics. “Raise your arms.”

Unsure she should give in at all, she slowly obeyed. He drew her
top upward, momentarily blinding her before he tossed the sodden fabric aside. Her bra was damp too, her nipples pebbled beneath the lacy cups. He reached for the front clasp, but she caught his wrists. “Don’t. I mean it. I’m not having sex with you.”

He chuckled then pulled her closer.
“Fine, Katie-cat. We’ll just play.”

She started to tell him she didn’t like nicknames, but h
is mouth returned to hers and his arms wrapped around her body. He was warm and strong, and God did he know how to kiss. She relaxed in his embrace and focused on the sensual slide of his lips and tongue. Her body warmed and began to ache, but she knew better than giving in to her desire. If she went to bed with him now, the game would be over. His quarry would be caught and he would have learned nothing.

For a while he seemed content to kiss her
. She stubbornly held her needs in check and waited for his patience to elapse. He stroked her back and teased the outer swell of her breasts. Each touch was gentle, featherlight and transitory. One of his hands returned to her hair as he leaned back, separating their bodies. His other hand swept downward along her ribs and across her belly, drawing tingles deeper into her abdomen. He eased his fingertips inside her pants and she tore her mouth away from his.

“
I think you should go.” With a firm grasp on his forearm, she moved his hand away.

“Is Chase right? Are you still a virgin?”

There was no scorn in his tone, just honest curiosity. Still her cheeks burned and she disentangled his fingers from her hair then scurried out of reach. “Any woman that won’t sleep with you must be a terrified virgin? Do you realize how arrogant that sounds?”

He chuckled and ran
one hand through his damp hair. “Indulge me. Are you a virgin?”

“No.” She drew her hair forward, wishing it were long enough to hide the distinct peaks of her nipples. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

His gaze swept down her torso then back to her face. “Then why do you hide a figure like that under baggy clothes?”

“So assholes like you can keep their eyes on my face.”

He laughed, unfazed by her annoyance. “I suppose I had that coming, but I won’t apologize for the kiss. I’ve wanted to do that ever since I moved in.”

She didn’t believe a word of it
thanks to Loki’s warning.

Josiah
motioned toward the sink. “The damage is already done. Do you want me to leave or see if I can get your ring out?”

As she
rubbed her arms with a sigh, her awkwardness returned with a vengeance. “Try the pipe. I’ll go get a mop.” She hustled from the kitchen and ran upstairs, more than ready for dry clothes. Her bra was damp, so she unfastened it and let the straps slip down her arms. If it hadn’t been for Loki, she’d be naked and writhing beneath Josiah right now. Her pussy clenched and her heart ached. It had been so long since she’d lost herself in passion, so long since she’d felt desirable. Dillon, her ex, had convinced her that men were more trouble than they were worth and she’d yet to meet a man—or men—to prove her conclusion wrong.

Josiah’s
attraction to you isn’t real. He’s trying to win a bet
. The reminder shouldn’t have been necessary, but the tantalizing images wouldn’t leave her mind. She saw him kneeling between her thighs, his hands clasping her hips as he drove his cock deep into her body. It didn’t matter that her senses had come alive with the first brush of his lips. She would not be a pawn in a competition between friends. She thought more of herself than amusing two selfish men.

With her determination firmly restored, she found a clean bra and a dry T-shirt. Her
scrub bottoms were damp on one side, but she shrugged it off and donned the other garments. When she returned to the kitchen she found Josiah seated at the kitchen table. How could he look so comfortable while he was still half naked?

“I thought you were going to get a mop.” Amusement made his lips twitch but he didn’t quite smile. Then he held up her ring and looked into her eyes. “Do you forgive me for upsetting you?”

She took the ring from his outstretched hand and slipped into the chair beside him. “I’m not upset and thank you for this.” She slipped the ring onto the middle finger of her right hand. Though not expensive, it once belonged to her beloved grandmother so Katie treasured it.

“Can I ask a question without making you angry?”

“I won’t know until I hear the question.” She looked everywhere but at his bare chest, not trusting herself to remain calm in the face of all that toned flesh. Even knowing he was manipulating her, she wanted to straddle his lap and pick up where they’d left off.

“Why do you spend so much time alone?”

She looked at him, stubbornly keeping her gaze focused on his face. “What makes you think I’m alone a lot?”

“My office window faces the street. I can’t help but notice things.”

“Such as?” She’d always thought he was oblivious to her. It was nice to know she wasn’t completely invisible. Still, she wasn’t sure how she felt about him watching her, analyzing her habits.

“Your life is extremely regimented. You leave for work at 7:
30 each morning and return at 5:00, give or take ten minutes. You’re always alone. When’s the last time another person set foot in this house?”

“Besides today?”

“I don’t count.” He finally smiled and his dark gaze warmed. “I’m just the nosy neighbor.”

“This is my private sanctuary.” She did her best to sound convincing, but his doubtful expression made it clear she was failing. “Just because I don’t bring my dates home doesn’t mean I don’t date.”

“When’s the last time you went on a date?” His tone was gently challenging.

“
As a matter of fact, I had lunch with someone just a few hours ago.” It wasn’t an outright lie, more like a distortion of the truth.

“Really?”
He folded his arms and tilted his head, clearly amused by her claim. “Tell me about him. Where did you meet? Was this your first date? Are you going to see him again?”

“Why do you care?” Too anxious to sit, she pushed back her chair and stood. “My social life has nothing to do with you.”

“Maybe I’d like to change that.”

“No you wouldn’t. Your social life is even less eventful than mine.
Every week or so you have a booty call, but it’s seldom the same person and you never bother leaving the house with any of them.” He stood as well and stalked toward her. This time she didn’t back down.

“
See. We’re perfect for each other. You’ve spent as much time spying on me as I’ve spent spying on you. I say we stop fantasizing about each other and try it for real.”

“I will not be your biweekly booty call.”

He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck then used his thumb to tilt her face up until their gazes locked. “What are you so afraid of?”

Telling him was far more tempt
ing than it should have been. The truth was humiliating and painful. Why would she even consider confiding something so personal in someone like Josiah? “You don’t want to know all my dirty little secrets. You want to get in my pants.”

He chuckled and slowly lowered his hand. “I definitely want to get in your pants, but that’s not all I want. I want to be your friend as well as your lover.”

She sighed. He was harder to resist than she’d anticipated. Knowing his true motivation should have been enough to protect her from his skillful come-ons. So why did she find herself liking him? “Let’s start with friendship and see where that leads. But I’ll warn you now, I’m a hard person to get to know.”

He winked at her, dark eyes gleaming. “I look forward to the challenge.”

Katie dug her cell phone out of her purse and called Loki as soon as Josiah left. Her kitchen was trashed and her legs felt like Jell-O. And worst of all, she honestly wasn’t sure who’d won the round. Josiah had returned home without seeing her naked, so she supposed that was a victory. Still, his kiss left her feeling achy and restless.

“Hey
, Kat.” Loki’s voice sounded clear and casual, which only accented her agitation. “How’d it go?”

She cringed at the diminutive.
Dillon had called her Kat and now hurt and anger tagged along every time she heard the nickname. Yet Josiah had called her Katie-cat and she’d barely registered the reaction. She’d started to object out of habit not any real hurt. Maybe Katie-cat was just different enough that the nickname didn’t bother her or maybe anything sounded good when Josiah whispered it in that sensual purr.

“Katie, not Kat.
” Josiah might be able to get away with a nickname, but Loki had bigger questions to answer. “How the hell did you trigger the leak? There is no way you’re going to convince me that was a coincidence.”

He took so long to answer that she thought he hadn’t heard her. She was about to repeat the question when he asked, “Do you really want to know?”

“I came straight home after our conversation. When were you able to set up the gag?” He had to have been in her house without her knowledge, likely
before
they met. “Was your ankle injury even real?” Her chest tensed and her stomach fluttered. The sensations were uncomfortable rather than exciting. Swelling and discoloration couldn’t be faked, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t intentionally caused the sprain. “How did you get inside my house?”

Clutching the phone so hard her knuckles ached, she paced the front room.
Maybe Loki was in on the bet. The three of them could have worked out this elaborate—

“Katie.”

She spun toward the sound of her name in time to see Loki flash into view. The phone slipped from her numb fingers and her jaw dropped.
What the fuck?

In a blur of motion, he
sailed across the room and rescued the phone before it hit the floor. A slight smile bowed his lips and amusement made his blue eyes gleam. “You sensed me the first time I entered this house.” He handed her the phone as he continued. “You were upstairs watching TV and you thought I was a ghost.”

She pressed her
free hand over her thudding heart, scrambling for a logical explanation for his instantaneous appearance. And how had she heard his voice before he was physically present in the room? And her phone. No one could move that fast. Her mind filled with white noise and no possibilities came.

“W
-what are you?” The whispered question sounded so absurd it made her giggle and she hadn’t giggled since she was a child. She remembered the night he meant clearly and yet she still couldn’t bring herself to believe this was real. “What name did I call when I opened my bedroom door?”

He
grinned, all shaggy blond hair and swagger. “You thought I was your grandmother. Does her spirit haunt this house?”

She backed up, hand extended to ward him off. “That’s close enough.”
Not trusting her shaky hands, she slipped her phone into her pocket. Somehow she didn’t think 9-1-1 had a response for this.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” He shrugged and plopped down on the sofa
, calm and confident. Nothing about him seemed threatening—except for the fact that he’d flashed into view like some special effect from a comic book movie. “Human existence is so limiting. I find the pretense tiresome.”

“
‘Pretense’? As in pretending…to be human?” Her voice sounded thin and unusually high, so she took a deep breath. Unless she was hallucinating, which seemed unlikely, there had to be a reasonable explanation for what she’d just seen. If he’d snuck in through the back door, then how had he thrown his voice or known about the other night? And nothing explained the speed with which he could move. “Are you a ghost?”

He smirked, the expression both irritating and charming. “Can you x-ray a ghost?”

He had a point. She’d touched him at the hospital, positioned his leg and helped him onto and off of the table.

“How often do you see your grandmother?”

His wording left no room for denials, so she didn’t bother lying. “Every couple of months or whenever I’m upset. She should be floating down here any minute now.”

“Does she speak to you or just appear?”

His inference was obvious. Communicating with the dead wasn’t any more fantastic than believing in whatever he was. However, accepting his existence and trusting him were two entirely different things. “Usually I’ll see Gran or sense her and then she’ll be in my dreams. She was my best friend as well as my grandmother. Old habits are hard to break.”

He
nodded, his smile softer now. Suddenly, she understood his strategy. He’d distracted her with something familiar and nonthreatening as he waited for her to adjust to his presence in her living room.

“If you’re only pretending to be human, what are you?”

“What do you think I am?”

Another evasion.
Fine. She’d move on, for now. “What do you want with me?”

“I want to help you best your
obnoxious neighbors. I thought I’d made that clear.”

Her legs
were still shaky, so she sank onto the recliner. “They couldn’t have seduced your sister, so why do you care?”

“Why do you presume I don’t have a sister?” He placed his ankle on his opposite knee and stretched his arm out along the top of the cushions.

“Do you?” She was growing tired of his evasiveness.

“
I don’t have a sister, but what made you so sure?”

She stilled as an obvious possibility solidified in her mind. His
desire to meddle in the lives of others and his apparent abilities could both be explained if she took his name literally. “It’s not a nickname, is it? You really are—Loki.”

He smiled, looking entirely too comfortable in her living room. “Loki is one of many names I’ve used down through the
centuries.”

A fresh wave of disbelief inundated her mind. The Nordic
gods didn’t exist. They were just stories, primitive people trying to explain things they didn’t understand.

And most people didn’t believe in ghosts
, but she knew for a fact that at least one existed.

“
You’re…a god?”

He laughed. “Do you believe in
gods and goddesses? Should I demand a sacrifice?”

Suddenly the only rational
reaction became crystal clear. She didn’t care if he was Loki or some technologically advanced alien. He’d lied to her and entered her home without her permission. The last thing she needed was more chaos in her life. “I’m no longer interested in this game. You need to leave.”

His gaze narrowed and something dangerous flashed
in the depths of his eyes. “You’re going to let them get away with this because you’re afraid?”

She responded better to challenges than
criticisms. Somehow his question managed to be both. “Of course I’m afraid, but that’s not the issue. You lied to me. How am I supposed to trust anything you say?”

That brought him up off the couch
though he kept the coffee table between them. “The only reason I told you the truth is because I want you to trust me. It would have been much easier to remain the avenging brother. Even now I could reach into your mind and erase this conversation.” He paused as if waiting for the significance to sink in. “But I won’t. I want no secrets between us.”

He was right. She didn’t understand the extent of his abilities, but his power was undeniable. He could
likely force his will upon her, and yet he’d asked for her willing participation instead. Shouldn’t that buy him the benefit of a doubt; at least a try at earning back her trust?

She stared at him, waiting for her shock-addled mind to
choose her next step. First and foremost, she had to know that her participation was voluntary. “I need to think about this. I’ll call you once I’ve decided what to do.”

“As you wish
.” He didn’t sound pleased by the postponement. “But keep this in mind. The game has already begun. They will ruthlessly pursue you until one or the other wins. Do you really want to go head-to-head with those two without the insights I can provide?”

Loki
flashed out of the room before she could reply and Katie allowed herself to smile. Being “ruthlessly pursued” had never sounded so tantalizing.

* * * * *

“Are you sure all you did was kiss her?” Chase grumbled. He’d arrived home a few minutes ago, after another exhausting day of physical and emotional therapy. Dealing with injured athletes took as much mental fortitude as it did recuperative techniques. “You’ve been sporting wood since I got home.”

“Why are you looking at my crotch?” Josiah laughed and handed Chase a beer.
“Should I be concerned or flattered?” He opened a cupboard and grabbed two plates then retrieved flatware from one of the drawers.

Chase ignored the semi-playful come-on
and set down the bag of Chinese takeout he’d picked up on his way home. The day Josiah stopped flirting with him he’d be worried. Both of them could cook. They just generally chose not to utilize their skills.

“The first move was supposed to be mine.”
Chase pulled open a drawer and grabbed a bottle opener. He pried off the cap then tossed it onto the counter.

Josiah snatched
up the cap and casually dropped it into the trash can in the corner. Anal retentive to the core. Chase had always found the contrast amusing. He wasn’t exactly a slob, but what he found acceptable was worlds away from Josiah’s obsessive neatness. Not wanting to start a fight, he tossed the bottle opener back into the drawer and picked up the bag of takeout food.

“She came over here.
” Josiah took the plates to the small wooden table. The formal dining room was largely ornamental. They almost always ate in the sunny kitchen nook. “What was I supposed to do, slam the door in her face?”

After
setting the bag on the table, Chase joined Josiah at the table. “The pipe burst, soaking you both, but all you did was kiss her?” He took a swig of beer before adding, “Why don’t I believe you?”

Josiah
took one of the plates and handed the other to Chase. “All right, I might have gotten her out of those horrid scrubs she always wears, but that’s as far as it went.”

“You saw her
naked?” Chase paused in the process of unloading the takeout bag. “Details, my friend. I need details.”

“
Not naked. Just the top. She even stopped me before I could unhook her bra. I’m not sure why she tries so hard to conceal her curves. I certainly saw nothing worth hiding.”

“
Are we talking Marilyn Monroe or—”

“Hollywood
would put her on a diet, but I like females with a little flesh on their bones.”

Chase laughed.
“When you like females.”

Josiah glared at him and snapped apart his chopsticks. “I’ve had as many
female lovers as male, maybe more. You just feel less threatened to think of me as gay.”

It was pointless to
argue with facts, so he opened one of the cartons and looked inside. Shrimp lo mein. He made a face and passed the box to Josiah. “How’d she respond to the kiss?”

“Like she wanted a whole lot more than kissing.”
A secretive smile quirked his lips as he dumped a pile of lo mein onto his plate. “I wasn’t surprised when she shut me down. Still, it was obvious she was fighting herself every step of the way. I picked up another interesting tidbit, but I’m not sure I’m going to share.”

“Then why bring it up?”
Chase grumbled.

“I think our lovely Katie is a submissive.”

It was all Chase could do not to roll his eyes. “More like wishful thinking. She resisted your slick approach, so you can’t wait to spank her nicely rounded ass.”

“I’ll admit the thought appeals, but it actually explains a lot.”

“I’m listening.” He happily devoured half his food as he waited for Josiah to elaborate.

“
She could have been visiting her Dom all these years or meeting him at a club somewhere. That’s why we never see her with anyone.”

Setting down his fork, Chase thought about it for a second then shook his head. “I don’t buy it. You’ve watched her come and go too often. She’s never gone.
Someone burned her bad and she hasn’t recovered.” A pang of guilt accompanied the thought. If she was nursing a broken heart, the last thing she needed was to be the focus of one of their games.

“
Probably her Dom,” Josiah persisted. “All I know is what I saw. Sweet little Katie responded without question to every command I gave her.”

“
You try it your way; I’ll try it mine.” He paused for a humorless chuckle. “As soon as I figure out what the hell my way is. You’ve screwed up everything. All the ideas I came up with today were excuses to drop in on someone I didn’t know well and hadn’t seen in ages. If she’s already started a flirtation with you, I’m going to have to be a lot more creative.”