Page 40 of Forging Chaos

“Congrats, grad. You are officially smarter than me.”

I lean against the stone wall of the building, feeling the sunshine on my face. “I’ve always been smarter than you. Now I just have paperwork.”

Odin’s laugh is deep and slow. “What are you doing now? Wyatt just left with the rest of his shit, so I know you’re not hanging with Fern.”

I bite the inside of my cheek. I decide I don’t have any reason to be coy or avoid the blatant truth. “I have no idea,” I admit. “I have literally no plans.”

He whoops. “I was hoping you’d say that,” he says, voice urgent with excitement. “I have a really terrific idea if you’re willing to drive my car for a bit.”

I frown and push off the wall, walking toward a spot of shade. “What are you talking about?”

“Go pack an overnight bag and come to my place. I’ve got a top-notch celebration idea for us.” I hesitate, confused by what he’s asking. He continues, saying, “In fact, you don’t even need to pack a bag if you don’t want to. We’ll just be naked. Come to my apartment.”

“Odin Stag, you are insane. I am not going to be naked for an overnight trip.”

“You better be naked for some of it, Janssen. Hurry your ass up and get here when you can.” He hangs up before I can protest.

CHAPTER 30

ODIN

My cousin Wyatttook his girl to the family ski house for a romantic escape, and his fatal flaw was not checking the schedule to make sure nobody else would be there. I am committed to avoiding getting caught with my ass in the air by any member of the Stag family, so I cross out the next three days on the shared calendar.

I order a bunch of meal kits delivered to the house from a service local to the area, and I beg my brother to grab me a few bottles of wine from the store when he’s out restocking on chips. By the time Thora hesitantly knocks on my door, I’ve packed the whole safe and satisfied basket along with a few outfits.

“Are you ready to be wined and dined?” I close the door behind me before she can engage Stellan or Gunnar in conversation.

Thora looks confused, so I hand her my knee roller and swing down the stairs. “The Stag family has a vacation house,” I tell her. “It’s like an hour from here. Super private. There’s a hot tub.”

She points to my cast. “Can you use a hot tub?”

I frown. “Good point. We’ll just focus on other activities while we’re there.”

Thora squeezes around my backpack to open the front door of the apartment building, setting my scooter on the ground right outside the step. “What makes you think I want to be naked with you again?”

I wink at her. “I have so many more ideas for things we can do together, Thora Janssen. You are a college graduate. Don’t you want to celebrate with the safe and satisfied basket?”

Her cheeks are pink, and I pull my car keys from my sweats pocket. I click to unlock my car and hoist myself inside as she tosses her bag in the back and climbs into the driver's seat. It takes her a long time to get it all the way up close enough that she can reach the pedals and see over the steering wheel. “Would it kill you to drive a car sized for regular people?”

I laugh. “You think you’re regular-sized? You’re fun-sized.”

That has Thora roaring, and I’m glad I put her at ease. “Okay, you win. Tell me where to go.” I direct her out of town and east on the turnpike for a few exits. We put the windows down and breathe in the mountain air when we get off the highway and wind our way along the curvy roads to the ski resort where our house is located at the top of the mountain.

“It’s really quiet here in the summer,” I promise. “There are people here for hiking and stuff, but there is absolutely nobody up on the slopes where the house is.”

By the time Thora pulls into the driveway, she looks completely shell-shocked. I gotta admit, the house is pretty impressive. It’s got a sloped roof and multi-story windows overlooking the woods. I hop out of the car and smile at the trio of meal boxes on the porch, which I shove inside the door with the front of my scooter. “Come on,” I call to her. “Come see.”

I grab her hand when she steps in the door, eyes wide at the sight of the great room. There’s a remote-controlled fireplace along one wall and a massive sectional sofa. My favorite part is the huge wooden table that seats 20. She drops her bag on the floor and I tug her against my side, kissing her neck. “Welcome,” I whisper. “Want a tour?”

She shakes her head, still staring.

I scratch at my chin, considering the open staircase leading up to most of the bedrooms. “Well, that’s maybe okay because I don’t think I can make it up to the second floor.”

She chuckles. “I think we will be okay on this floor.”

“There’s a basement, too,” I tell her. “That’s where the foosball table is. And the theater room. And the hot tub, which we’ve already established I can’t use…” My voice drifts off, and I stare out onto the deck, where the heated swimming pool is also off-limits while I’m still in the cast. Shit.

I let my hand trace along her arm as she looks around. “Are you okay? We can always play a game. Or watch a movie. I brought wine.”

---