revelations 01 - on a red horse Read online

  He suspected her resistance was more in response to his forceful tone than the actual leaving. Tyr attempted to moderate his voice. “Scarlet, I would prefer to sleep in a place that is able accommodate my height from wall to wall. I would be more comfortable somewhere else, and I would be very happy if you would join me.”

  She eyed him belligerently with her arms crossed under her breasts in defiance. Her gaze said she was skeptical of his motives, but she turned toward her bed and pulled out a bag from underneath it.

  He watched as she grabbed her necessities, which seemed to be almost all of her belongings. Scarlet turned to walk out, but he grabbed the bag and slipped it over the curve of his left arm. It weighed nothing to him. As they left, she stopped suddenly and went back to grab a great sword from behind her door.

  “You keep one of the seven items used for Ragnarok behind your door?” he asked in disbelief.

  Scarlet shrugged. “It discourages intruders.” She held the sword in her palms and closed her eyes. In moments the sword transformed into an ornate navy blue ink pen resting in the palm of her hand. She slipped it into her purse and walked out the door.

  In his many years he would never understand women, immortal or not. A heavenly object clunking around against lip-gloss and feminine hygiene products took some of the mystique out of the situation.

  They traipsed back to the curb, and he hailed a cab. Tyr was beginning to think he missed his calling summoning the yellow vehicles. Once inside, the driver asked where they were going. Tyr turned to Scarlet and took her hand in his own.

  “My dear, I need you to tell me where a hotel is. One that I would enjoy staying in, not one that you would prefer to stay in to spare me the expense.”

  She pursed her lips and remained silent.

  “Fine,” he turned back to the face the front to address the driver. “Take me to the grandest hotel in this fine city.”

  The cabbie pulled away, and Scarlet gasped. “You can’t. Besides I doubt they will even have a room for you. These places don’t rent by the hour.”

  “Well then perhaps when I ask you a reasonable question you might give me a answer rather than remain silent.”

  She huffed and turned to face the window. Back in their marriage for one day and they were already fighting.

  They arrived at a hotel called The Palace, and Scarlet grabbed his arm as he tried to get out. “We can’t stay here. I don’t even think I can walk in there looking like this.”

  “We will stay here. If it makes you feel any better you can pay for the taxi.”

  She sighed loud and passed money up to the driver before getting out behind him.

  They entered, and Tyr decided this was more like it. She should be living in a place like this. He walked to the front desk lined in ornate gold plating and beautiful marble. The elegant gentlemen standing behind looked him over before addressing him. “Can I help you, sir?”

  “I would like a suite, please.”

  The man tapped on his computer. “And how long will you be staying with us?”

  “Open ended stay, I’m afraid. Can you please find one I can book for some time?”

  “Of course, sir, we have a number of extended stay suites. Will it just be you, or will you have a guest?”

  Tyr dragged Scarlet toward the desk. Once upon a time she would have looked down at this man as if she were a queen. Now she stood cowering at the opulence of the place. Tyr’s jaw hardened, and he resolved to fix her no matter what it took. “My wife will be staying with me.”

  The man gave her a quick look but said nothing.

  Tyr slid his credit card across the counter, and the man processed it.

  “It is a pleasure to have you with us, Mr. Asgard. Please let us know if there is anything you need.” The man slid back his credit card and a set of key cards in a gold embossed envelope.

  “Thank you.” Tyr hiked Scarlet’s bag onto his shoulder and grabbed her upper arm in case she felt the urge to flee. They went to the elevator and up to a room with an amazing view of the city’s skyline.

  When he closed the door, he tossed her bag to the floor and turned around in an attempt to control his growing anger. “What is wrong with you?” he shouted, unable to moderate his tone.

  “What do you mean, ‘what is wrong with me?’”

  “You’re acting like some damned wounded animal. You’re Scarlet, wife of Tyr, Horseman of the Apocalypse, and the embodiment of War itself. You cower to no one. You bow to no one. And yet I thought you would melt into the floor as we stood before the check-in desk downstairs. You’re not the woman I married. What the hell did you do with her?” For a moment Tyr feared he’d gone too far, but even so he felt justified in trying to piece together why she was acting like this.

  “I don’t know,” she replied in a tone that made him want to shake her. “I don’t know. I have been trying to figure it out for myself for some time. One day I became this person, and I haven’t been able to go back.” She turned away from him, and he thought she might cry. But that would be impossible.

  “I don’t want to fight with you.” Tyr approached her back and ran his hand down her arm. “I came here to be with you. I want to spar with you, make love to you, and be your partner in whatever battle you’re currently facing. I still love you even after everything you’ve put me through. Just let me be with you, please.” He hated the note of hysteria in his tone, but he needed her to see how much he needed her. She may think herself immune to everything, but he wasn’t. Her touch could bring him to his knees. He would even give his only hand, his life, anything. All she had to do was ask.

  “Why? Why after all this time do you still love me? After everything, your search, your sacrifices...how can you still love me? I don’t think I can forgive myself. How can you?”

  Tyr spun her around so he could look into her eyes as he spoke. He needed to be absolutely clear and ensure she heard him as he spoke the words. “I love you. I have loved you since you first challenged me. You’re my wife and my life. There is not a single thing I would not do for you. Except leave. That is something I’ll never do.”

  Scarlet held his gaze for a few nerve wracking heartbeats. “Please,” she whimpered before stretching so he could meet her lips with his own. He didn’t hesitate for a second but pulled her into his arms, completely enfolding her into his embrace.

  She tasted like Asgard, like home, and when she parted her lips to allow him access, he felt the towers of the palace and the walls encircling his favorite garden. He didn’t need Asgard when he held her. She whimpered into his mouth, and he broke away, his breathing heavy, and attempted to regain his composure. “My love, did I hurt you?”

  Scarlet looked down at the floor and shook her head. When she raised her eyes to meet his gaze again, a fine sheen of tears coated them. Not a single drop fell, but it was enough for him to know that he affected her as well.

  “I love you, Scarlet. I will always love you.”

  There was nothing else to say. She kissed him again, and he lost himself to those plush lips and her roaming hands.

  Chapter Seven

  IT HAD BEEN SO long since Scarlet felt this surge in her blood, this need for another person. Hell, any need at all. Compounded with his absolute intent to take care of her, Scarlet worried for a moment she’d died and gone to heaven. If she even went to heaven, she wouldn’t have known. Technically she didn’t have a soul so...she shook the thoughts from her mind and focused on Tyr’s lips.

  He let her hands roam up his back and down his ass as he kissed her. She loved every hard curve of his body pressing against hers and slid her fingers into his hair pulling it through her hands. It was soft and warm as she cupped the back of his neck her hands still entwined in the strands.

  He delved deeper into her mouth pulling her close. Part of her warred against her eagerness to touch him. The other half wondered if she was ready for this. When he backed her further into the room, she broke the kiss and stepped out of his embrace. He l
ooked at her, the question clear on his face.

  She ran her hands down his arms to soothe him. “I want to shower and eat. I need some time to get used to this again.”

  Tyr reached out and ran a thumb across her swollen bottom lip, and she cupped his hand. “I’ll order something to eat while you shower.”

  She nodded and searched for the bathroom. It was exactly as you would imagine the palace bathrooms to look complete with beautiful white marble, gold leaf accents, and clear clean glass. She ran her hand across the vanity top and up onto a neat stack of fluffy, white towels. They were folded perfectly, one stacked on top of the other.

  Scarlet turned on the faucet in the shower. After the water warmed she flipped it to the showerhead. The droplets hit the glass and slid down as steam poured behind the shower door. She stripped anticipating the hot blast of water on her stiff muscles. Stress always made her stiff and sore, and today had proved to be more stressful than most.

  The main spray hit her back in a fine blasting fan as she stepped behind the glass. She sighed aloud as the water coaxed the knots from her shoulders allowing her to release some of the tension that had wound her tight since Tyr’s arrival. It sure beat the plastic shower curtain from her old place. The steam built up slowly as it fully immersed her in the heat and damp she often sought solace in. Long, hot showers were her one luxury.

  The door handle rattled, and Tyr entered. She was tempted to duck further into the steam, but after a few seconds the action seemed ridiculous. He’d seen every inch of her more than once and never once complained about her appearance. She locked eyes with him through the glass as he approached staring enrapt as water cascaded down her body.

  “You lost weight,” he said, leaning against the vanity countertop so he had full view of her. “I noticed earlier, but I did not think it appropriate to say anything at the time.”

  She didn’t really have an answer to that so she remained silent, dropping her gaze to focus on washing her hair. As she lathered Scarlet felt his eyes on her. When she finally looked at him, the large bulge at the front of his trousers caught her attention. He made no move to hide it and showed no shame. That was something she missed about non-humans. Humans seemed to feel shame for everything they did, even if it was enjoyable. Oh I ate a piece of cake and now I feel terrible about myself. Oh I read a good book; that was a waste of time. Tyr’s complete lack of shame turned her on. Or it might have been the kiss. Heat snaked through her, and a wicked feeling consumed her. She might not be ready for sex, but she could do other things.

  After she finished rinsing her hair, she licked her lips and met his gaze which he eagerly accepted. But he dropped his gaze as her hand trailed down her body to rest in the curls at her core. She parted herself to rest her finger on her swollen clit. It had been a long time since she allowed herself this, but it wasn’t really for her. It was for him. Scarlet wanted him to see that she was still a sexual creature, and that she still wanted him.

  In turn he unzipped his pants and delved his palm inside. She couldn’t see all of him through the fabric and his grip, but the glossy pink head stood tall above the waistband of his pants amplifying her own arousal. He matched her swipe for swipe as she circled her clit sending pulses of lighting through her veins. He pumped himself inside his pants as she watched.

  It didn’t take long with such beautiful visual stimulus before she felt the slow, hazy edge of her orgasm creeping on. She circled her clit faster adding a third finger and bracing herself against the shower wall for balance. As she clutched her hand between her legs and rubbed harder, Scarlet watched him move faster. He bit his lip, and she knew he was on the edge of his own orgasm. After a moment all thought fled, and she broke apart against her hand. She closed her eyes as the sensation washed over her in a chill juxtaposed against the wet heat of the shower spray. It was a soft, gentle wave that ebbed back slowly. As she removed her fingers, she opened her eyes to see he had spent all over his hand.

  It felt good to see him undone. His hair was wild, cheeks pink, and his lip red where he had bitten it during his own climax. He washed his hand and redid his pants without a word, but she wasn’t finished with him yet. She wanted him, and he was her husband.

  The doorbell rang as she stepped out of the shower to approach him. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment, but the hard rumble of her belly reminded her she had time to fuck later. The food was here now.

  He left to answer the door as she dried off and slipped into a robe. It was some sort of ridiculous terry material because it rested against her skin with the comfort of animal fur. As she exited, the delivery concierge eyed her, and she scowled at him. He would regret that look if Tyr saw it. Once the boy left with the tip, Scarlet curled up in a chair next to the table where the food was laid out.

  “Dare I ask what that was that was about?” Tyr asked removing the silverware off his napkin and picking up the white linen to spread it on his lap.

  Scarlet froze in the act of grabbing her own utensils. “What was what about?”

  “The shower,” he said pointedly.

  Realization dawned. He wasn’t shy, but he probably didn’t want to be graphic at the dinner table. “You miss me as I was before. I miss me as I was before. I want to be that woman again, and I think I can, if you help me. I don’t think she’s gone.”

  He nodded in agreement as he perused his food options and selected a heavy pasta dish. “I keep seeing her here and there. In small gestures or sometimes when you look at me. I would be very happy to return you to your rightful self. To be honest I think your friends miss you too.”

  “I don’t know. They have changed since we’ve been here as well. I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m supposed to be making a life here, but I feel like I’m in some sort of holding pattern, waiting for something. I don’t enjoy my job; I barely eat. All I really do is work out, and I’m starting to hate that too because I do it so much.”

  “That explains the weight loss.”

  “And because I don’t eat the same way as I used to. Food is expensive. Living is expensive here. I had to learn how to live on a meager salary.”

  “You would not have if you’d have accepted your friends’ offers for help.”

  “When do I ever accept help?”

  He nodded. Scarlet knew he’d been on the receiving end of her stubbornness before. He knew it well.

  She stared down at the heaping plates before her. There was a five star chef in the kitchen, but she wasn’t in the mood for the heavy steak he’d ordered for her. Instead, Scarlet grabbed the salad and ate it dry with her hands cradling the bowl.

  He swallowed some of his food and stared at her with a severe frown. “Please tell me that is not all you’re going to eat.”

  “I’m not in the mood for heavy foods right now. If I want more salad, I’ll call for more.”

  That seemed to placate him because he dropped the subject and continued to eat. She watched him scarf down his entire plate of pasta. After he finished, he eyeballed some of her food, and she pushed her plate forward still clutching the salad to her chest.

  “I would not take food from you.”

  “You won’t be, eat it. I have this, and as I said, if I want more I’ll ask.”

  Tyr nodded again and pulled her plate to his side of the table tearing into the steak. She watched him eat, this small act as comforting as if he held her in his arms. She’d spent countless hours watching the man eat and to be doing so now seemed both surreal and comforting all at once. After he finished a contented smile played on his lips.

  “Are you finished?” He peeked into the empty bowl.

  “Yes.”

  “Then let’s go to bed.”

  “To sleep.”

  He chuckled. “Are you asking me or telling me?”

  It felt good to smile, to feel something other than anger or despair. For a while Scarlet thought she’d bordered on the fine line of depression, but she wasn’t quite sure if immortals could become depressed. S
he tried not to think about it.

  She didn’t answer him but pulled off her robe and climbed into the bed. Tyr didn’t need encouragement. He stopped at the edge of the bed and eyed her naked body from her toes to her head. As he loosened his tie, he held her gaze. She squeezed her thighs together, slowing the ache, to keep from climbing him like a tree. His unfaltering gaze constituted a seduction and a challenge rolled into one. This had always been their game. More than love and lust, it was passion and power, a heady mix of mind games and sex. She wouldn’t sleep with him tonight, but she would do a lot of other things.

  His tie hit the floor, and his jacket followed. She swallowed to try to clear her mind as he unbuttoned his shirt starting at the top. The usual way they played, neither could show interest. They remained completely neutral to one another, and when one cracked (and it always happened), they lost the right to choose the evening’s activities.

  Scarlet focused on him and on keeping her mind and face blank. It was difficult to maintain her composure. She’d been without the touch of a man for three years, and he looked so damn good. He got the buttons undone and pulled the shirt from his pants with two hard jerks. She swallowed again trying to maintain her composure. The bastard knew exactly how much she loved watching him undress, and he took advantage of that fact.

  As the shirt joined the rest of their clothing, she saw his erection pushing at the fly of his pants but flicked her eyes up to keep them focused on other things, simpler things, thing that were far less likely to make her moan out loud.

  He almost smiled. The sexy dimple on the side of his face almost came through. The man knew his effect on her. The three years they’d been apart did nothing to him physically. He looked the exact same as the last time they’d seen each other. That night, so long ago, she knew she would leave him in the morning and made love to him all night.

  She closed her eyes and recalled the heavy weight of his body above her own, the rough scratch of his stubble against her cheek, and the fan of his breath against her neck. Most of all she remembered how he whispered I love you into her ear at least a hundred times that night. Her heart shattered the moment she climbed from that bed. Part of it remained on that pillow as she walked away. The morning sunrise always reminded her of that day. Something intended to be beautiful only hurt.