Page 36 of Tyr

“Give me a battlefield, blood, and fighting any day. Even after thousands of years, I could go into battle tomorrow and not think twice about what I needed to do. But places like this…” He gestured around. “I don’t know what to do with myself. It’s foreign to me.”

“I’m sorry, Tyr. I should have realized…”Compassion shone through her eyes, but not pity.

He opened his mouth to say something but stopped. Usually, he would have told her she was right. Peace made him as uneasy as arguing, or violence did to most people. But he hadn’t once felt an ounce of unease with her. With her, he wanted to go anywhere and do anything as long as she was with him. Hel, he’d lay in bed surrounded by puppies and butterflies, and he’d be utterly content.

Dammit, if he didn’t leave ASAP, he’d kiss her. Tea or no tea. Sy or no Sy. There was only so much a guy could take before he cracked. And her saying that he was her Flynn Rider…

Tyr’s phone beeped, and he pulled it from his pocket and read the message.

“Crap. I gotta go.”

“Oh.” Disappointment laced her voice.

“I forgot. I have plans. Dang it. I think I have enough time to get you back to the estate before I need to head out.”

“Where are you going?”

He licked his lips. It was dumb. He should cancel. But he’d promised. And in that moment, he really, really freaking needed to do and think of something other than how much he wanted Celeste.

“I’m going to a concert.”

“Like a rock concert?”

“Yeah… uh… My favorite band is playing tonight. I don’t get to see them often, but I try to at least twice a year. I have a standing date to go.”

She frowned. “A date?” Was that a hint of jealousy in her voice?

“It’s a friend. We always go together. That’s all.”

“A female friend?”

She was jealous. Something about that made Tyr happy.

“No. A guy friend. I don’t have any female friends.”

“Oh.” A slight smile replaced the frown.

“What?”

She shrugged. “You don’t seem the concert type.”

“I’m not. But you’d have to see these guys to understand. They aren’t a regular band.”

“What are they like?”

How did he explain? “If Metallica, Europe, and Scorpion had a baby with a Viking shield maiden.”

She scrunched up her face. “So heavy metal Vikings?”

“Exactly.”

She broke into a broad smile. “Disney movies and heavy metal. You are a conundrum, Lord Tyr. A total, absolute conundrum. Which is why I find you fascinating. What are they called?”

He blinked several times. How did she do that? How did she keep mixing him up into knots and making him lose his train of thought? He never lost his train of thought.

“Who?” he asked.

“The band you are going to.”

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