Page 33 of Valkyrie Unknown

“Yes.”

Did his answer hurt? Leave me relieved that I wasn’t the only one?

I didn’t know anymore. “Why?”

He huffed and strolled past me to his side of the room. With his back to me, he grabbed clothes from his luggage and dropped his towel.

Nice ass. And was that a hint of cock between his legs, as he pulled on clean boxers?Damn. He yanked on jeans, too, and I pushed my gaze back to my prophecy journal when he faced me again.

He sat on the edge of his bed. “I spent centuries doing what one god or another told me to. I got tired of it, and I stopped. Somehow, I keep getting sucked in. As an example, I’m here because Freya sent me to you.”

“But that’s not why you’re staying.” I had to force myself to keep from holding my breath as I waited for his answer. I needed him to sayno.

“No.”

I let out a quiet exhale.

“I’m staying because…” He frowned.

Wrong place to stop. “Why?”

“There’s that question again.” He turned his attention to his hands, as if they were suddenly the most fascinating thing in the room.

I shrugged. “I’m a curious lady.”

“Because this is interesting.You’reinteresting. If I were to make all my decisions based on defying the gods—walking away from this prophecy thing, for instance, simply because they want me here—that would be as bad as staying because they want me here. So I’m doing this because I want to, instead of because they said so.”

I huffed a laugh of understanding. “Fair enough.”

“I’ll ask you the same thing. Why are you here with me?”

The same thing I’d been asking myself all day, and despite having an answer, could I explain it to him? “You’re going to train me. You saved me. If the prophecies are going to come for me, I’m done hiding. You’re part of that.”

“Hmm.” That was the most generic grunt ever. Davyn nodded at my book. “Those are notes about the prophecies? Because if we’re going to travel together…”

He needed to know the things I did. “I’ll fill you in on all of it, if you’ll tell me what you know in return,” I said.

He grabbed a menu off the nightstand. “Agreed. Now, food. We can get breakfast sandwiches delivered. Tell me you’re not a vegetarian.”

The shift away from difficult questions was welcome. “I’m a big fan of big meat.” I could go back to teasing.

He gave me a raised-eyebrow look and shook his head but didn’t successfully tuck away his smile. “Do you have a favorite?”

Just because I didn’t plan on having sex with him didn’t mean I couldn’t have fun with him. “Double sausage.”

“They have bacon,” he said through a chuckle.

My stomach grumbled and ruined the moment. “That’ll do.”

While he called in the order, I reached for my wallet. My paycheck would last a few weeks, and then I’d need to find work again.

Davyn hung up, and pushed my hand away when I tried to give him my share. “I’ve got this,” he said.

“I pay my own way.” Always. I had to call in enough favors, looking for Ulf and other answers, that I didn’t need to addsomeone else picked up the tab for dinnerto my list.

“This morning, this is on me. You don’t owe me.” Did he read my mind?

I could argue, or I could concede. I chose the latter. While we waited for our food, I showed him the pages I’d been studying about him. He didn’t have much to add, but he did sound impressed I’d uncovered so much.

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