Yuletide Mischief (2 page)

“No tricks, Vivienne. I am fascinated by you. I have never met a mortal who can see beyond our glamour. I want to know more.” She looked up into his face, trying to read his eyes. He made her uncomfortable because she couldn’t see his motivation, not like she usually could with anyone else.

“What I can do cannot be used to benefit you, Loki. You’re barking up the wrong tree,” Vivi snapped. “I am of no use to you.”

“Why do you think I’m such a bad person?” He spread his hands wide.

“Really?” Vivi laughed. “How many mythology books should we search to show your modus operandi?”

“Half of that stuff is misrepresentation,” Loki scoffed. “My limo is on the way. Please honor me with the pleasure of letting me take you home or maybe out for dinner.”

Vivi considered it for a moment. “Okay, but I have a few conditions. One, I want you to know this, Loki. I am on to anything you may be planning. Two, if I’m going out to dinner with you and you’re taking me home, get rid of the glamour.”

“You can see me, so why should I?” Loki asked.

“Because you’re in hiding and I don’t do hiding. Plus, it’s like looking through one face to another and it’s creepy,” Vivi said firmly. She could’ve still said no, but her curiosity was getting the best of her. How many people could say they had dinner with a demigod, even if it was Loki?

“Fine. I will drop the guise in the car.” Loki pointed to the end of the block and she watched as a sleek black limo came around the corner. He helped her into the car and got in beside her. He pressed the button to speak to the driver. There was a black solid piece of glass that separated them from the man who was at the wheel. “Driver, the Cardiff in Times Square.”

“Is there really a driver or is this magic?” Vivi asked.

He laughed. “Bill is actually up there. You can see for yourself when we get out.”

“Trust me, I will,” Vivi replied. “You’re still wearing someone else’s face.”

Loki grinned and, without taking his eyes off her, let his glamour slide away. “Is that better, Vivienne?”

“It is, thank you, and you can call me Vivi,” she replied.

“I think I’ll stick with Vivienne,” he said. “I don’t want to use the name everyone else uses to refer to you.”

Did he mean to flirt or did he do it without even trying or was it a ploy? She didn’t like that his gaze made her heart skip a beat or that he was so damn handsome that she could easily forget who he really was. Loki was a deity and from the lore, a not-so-nice deity, yet she was in a warm limo sitting on soft leather with him going to dinner. It made Vivi wonder what exactly the Christmas season was bringing to her door.

Chapter Two

What on earth am I doing sitting across from Loki sharing a drink and waiting for dinner?
Vivi twirled the stir stick in her margarita and pretended that the demigod wasn’t staring at her. She generally stayed away from the second natured, especially vampires, and when the occasional ghost decided to stick around her place, she lit a white candle to lead them to their final rest. But here she was breaking all her self-imposed rules and for what? Because he was handsome? Okay, so Loki went past handsome, past hot, and straight into drop-dead gorgeous, and he was tall. Vivi had a soft spot for tall, well-built men, but she had to remind herself that Loki was not just a man.

“Are we going to sit here and stare at each other all night?” he asked in a conversational tone.

“No, I figured we’d eat while we sit here and stare at each other all night,” Vivi replied.

Loki laughed. It was a rich sound that was entirely too pleasant. “You are a very interesting human.”

“I’d say the same about you, but some of the things that are written about you make you seem not too nice. That and you’re really not human.” A moment later the waiter brought her appetizer of fried calamari and she stabbed a piece with her fork. Vivi dipped it in the spicy mayo before popping it into her mouth. “You can have some if you like.”

“I’m fine, thank you.” Loki took a sip of his Disaronno on the rocks.

“Don’t you people eat?” Vivi asked.

“I do. I enjoy various human foods, but eating something that could be akin to eating a kelpie makes me somewhat hesitant to taste it,” Loki replied.

“Is that like a distant cousin or something?” She took another bite of her appetizer and gleaned some enjoyment from the look on his face.

“More like an ex-girlfriend…Think mermaid.” Loki smiled. “Tell me about you, Vivienne. Were you born this unique?”

“I guess so,” she answered honestly. There was no reason to lie. She let him in on her secret when she confronted him in Barneys that afternoon. “I started to see the true nature behind people when I was around thirteen. Puberty kicked in and then—bam—the monsters literally came out to play.”

“That must have been hard being so young,” he murmured.

“Is that caring coming from Loki?” Vivi said, amazed.

Loki made a disgusted sound. “We’re back to that, are we? You know nothing about me, only what you’ve read in books. I care for my family and I’m a trustworthy friend. So I like to play and cause a bit of a ruckus wherever I go? If more people would embrace their devilish side, the world would be a happier one.”

“Really? So murderers should kill and rapists rape?” Vivi retorted.

He leaned forward over the table. “Don’t be blatantly naive. I don’t think people should be hurt. I actually like humans—they are fun to play with. My cousins are both married to mortal women. Well, they were mortal when they met and fell in love, and I care for them deeply. They actually take the time to talk to me instead of believing foolish misconceptions. And I’m allowed around their children and haven’t eaten any of them or caused them harm, I must point out.”

“So what are they now?” Vivi asked, ignoring his comment about eating the kids. If she still wanted to eat her dinner, it was best to ignore that.

“Who?”

“Your cousins’ wives. You said they were once human,” Vivi reminded him. She was fascinated by him and would never be able to deny her attraction to him. Warning bells signaled in her head at that knowledge.

“When a human goes to Valhalla, it slowly changes them to be like us,” Loki explained. “They are now immortal. When they married Jack and Nick they accepted the gift of eternal life from Odin.”

“So I was correct about your cousins? Nick is Santa Claus and Jack is Mr. Frost himself?”

“Yes on both points,” Loki said as their food arrived. She had the grilled salmon on rice pilaf, while he had one of the biggest steaks she’d ever seen. He had ordered no side dishes, just a steak.

Vivi laughed. “Who would have thought? Santa really has a Mrs. Claus. What about you, Loki, any wife and kids waiting for you when you go back to the cold?”

As she took a bite of her food, she watched his eyes grow distant and cold. She almost shivered at the change apparent on his face.

“No, and there will never be one. I’ve seen my family fall prey to that emotion,” Loki said. “It’s a ploy to weaken and manipulate each other. I refuse to play the game.”

“That seems so very jaded,” Vivi said.

“What you call jaded I call honesty. Would you rather a man tell you all the right things and then disappoint you months later?” Loki asked. “Any woman in my life hears this from the very beginning then she makes her choice to be with me or not. Either way, it won’t be a permanent thing.”

“I’m sorry,” she said simply and watched his eyes widen in surprise.

“Why are you sorry?” He cut into his steak and put a piece in his mouth.

“For whatever it was in your life that left you so hurt that you refuse to even consider letting love in,” Vivi answered honestly. “Love is not a tool and it can only enhance your life when you meet that perfect someone.”

“Don’t feel sorry for me. I like my life just the way it is,” Loki said simply.

“Somehow I don’t think you do,” she murmured. “Oh, and before you ask, no, there is no special someone yet, but I will never stop looking.”

“Well, hurrah for you.” Loki grinned.

She couldn’t help but smile and pointed her fork at him. “Don’t be snide. It’s not becoming.”

“Don’t be an incurable romantic. I may break out in hives.” His voice was droll when he spoke.

She couldn’t help but laugh. Vivi liked him. She had to admit, his candor was refreshing. She didn’t have to look at him and wonder what he was thinking because he openly said it. He was flawed, but still spoke of family and how he cared for them all.

“Why do you dress as an elf if you are part of the higher society New Yorkers seem to love?” Loki posed the question and brought her from her thoughts.

“Because I don’t want to be a part of that elitist horse crap,” Vivi said mildly. She looked down at the elf costume she still wore. She didn’t care what people thought. “My parents were well-off. My dad was a judge in the appellate courts and my mom was vice president of Schmidt, Parker, and Gallant. She had her name on the front doors in gold.”

“Where are your parents now?” he asked.

“Killed when I was sixteen. Their boat capsized in the Hamptons. It was a freak storm,” she explained. “Then the family lawyer was my caretaker until I was twenty-one. The sick bastard wanted me to marry him so he could keep his hands on my parent’s money.”

“What happened?” She noticed Loki wasn’t eating anymore and was idly moving the pieces of meat around on his plate.

“My mom and dad were teaching me law before I even started high school, and my dad gave me a head for business. I played stupid and let him spend money on trips and his women until he got court papers.” Vivi grinned. “That wiped the smile clean off his face and at eighteen I overturned the will and was making my own financial decisions. One of the first things I did was form a charity in my parents’ names since they loved Christmas so much.”

“Still doesn’t explain the elf,” Loki said.

Vivi laughed. “I do it because I like it. I work hard all year until December, then that’s my time. I work with the charity I created and set up Santa visits to foster homes, low income housing, and to people who wouldn’t have a Christmas for their children and families otherwise. And I get to dance around Barneys in a green suit.”

“It’s very becoming on you, by the way.” Loki smiled.

Vivi winked at him. “So I’ve heard.”

“What happened to the lawyer who was zealously spending his way through your inheritance?” Loki drained his glass before lifting his hand and the waiter came over almost instantly with a fresh drink.

“He probably still lives in the Hamptons somewhere, sucking off another rich teat.” Vivi took a sip of her own drink, which was now watered-down considerably.

“He wanted to marry you. Did he try to—”

She cut him off. “He failed.”

“So that means—”

“He failed,” she repeated in a voice that she hoped said she didn’t want to talk about it.

He inclined his head. “Very well. May I ask his name?”

“Why?” she asked warily.

“In case we ever meet, so I will know who the bastard is,” Loki said mildly.

“Jonas Waverly,” Vivi said. “Even though he is scum and I don’t like him, that doesn’t mean I want to see him hurt.”

The rest of dinner went rather well. They talked, shared stories, and Loki told her more about his home. By the time they walked out of the restaurant, she was laughing with Loki like they were old friends. She pulled her coat around herself tightly and fixed her scarf around her neck so she wouldn’t freeze on her walk home. Winter and what seemed like subzero temperatures in Times Square didn’t mean it was any less busy, but oddly, right now, the streets seemed deserted. People were probably enjoying the warmth of the various eateries and attractions that kept them out of the cold.

“Let me escort you home,” Loki said.

“No, thank you.” Vivi smiled. “I don’t live too far from Times Square. It’s about a five minute walk from here.”

“Very well,” Loki said and reached out his hand. “Good-bye, Vivienne. It has been an interesting night.”

She smiled again and took a step toward him to take his hand. The wedge heel of her shoe caught on the pavement and a startled cry escaped her as felt herself falling forward. Loki caught her in his arms and she clutched at his broad biceps as he helped her to her feet.

“I am so sorry. I wish this city would fix the uneven pavement…” Her words died on her lips as she looked up and met his intense, dark green gaze.

“Stop looking at me like that,” he murmured.

Vivi shook her head. “I’m not looking at you in any kind of way.”

“Hmm. So be it.”

That’s the last thing he said before his lips descended to hers and Loki kissed her. Vivi immersed herself in his taste and in the deep haze of just him and her, and she remembered thinking that a man shouldn’t be allowed to taste so good. Then she remembered that he was another kind of being, a second natured. But when his tongue slipped deep into her mouth she forgot even that.

He made a sound in his throat, a mix between a growl and a moan, and pulled her closer. Vivi slipped her fingers in his long lush hair and felt him shudder. He liked it and it thrilled her. She did it again, pulling slightly this time, just to feel his body tremble. Suddenly, he pushed her away and glared at her, breathing hard.

“I don’t want this,” Loki snarled. “I don’t do love and affection. All those emotions that mortals crave, it sickens me. Do you understand me?”

“I understand that you felt something and that scares you,” Vivi retorted.

He grabbed her shoulders and gave her a little shake, laughing harshly. “Vivienne, just because you can see us in our true form doesn’t make you special. It makes you an oddity that makes people like us curious. If it isn’t me, it will be someone else who will fuck you and then laugh at your puny weak body as you lie beneath them. Is that what you want?”

“Let me go,” Vivi said softly.

“Why? This is what you want, isn’t it? To feel like you belong? Well, you’re a freak to mortals and you’re one to us too,” Loki said cruelly.

Vivi refused to let him see the hurt she was feeling. “You may love your family and play with the children, but you’re dead inside. This is why your cousins have families and you wander the world looking for something to entertain you like a spoiled child who breaks his toys. I may be a freak, but tomorrow I’ll get up and do something that makes me happy and fulfills me, and I will laugh with people who love me. I’ll go to bed with a smile on my face and wake up to the same thing the next day. What you will have is nothing but the empty, hard feeling that’s like a rock in your chest. Merry Christmas, Loki, I hope your endless solitude brings you joy.”