Page 64 of Long Live the King

CHAPTER 25 - ASH

ASH’S HOUSE

He texted his brother to come. He was dressed and ready, except for his suit coat folded over the back of his chair. I was going to miss him.

“Two weeks?”

“Aye.”

“And then you’ll call, right?”

His head went back, in that sexy way he had. “Och aye, Mistress Ash of Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life, I will call and I will come see ye first thing.”

“Good.” Then I stood and went up to him and stood between his legs and hugged around his head, his arms went around my waist and we held each other like that until his phone vibrated. I let go.

He checked his phone. “M’brother is here.”

“You won’t forget me? I mean, wait, don’t answer that, I don’t want you to think I’m being too needy or clingy, I just…” No matter how I finished that sentence I would sound too needy.Why couldn’t I stop talking? I was going to scare him away.

“How could I forget the bonny Mistress Ash of the soft breast tae lay my head?”

I shrugged. “You might.”

“Seems doubtful now I hae tasted yer pie.”

I grinned.

He said, standing to put on his coat, “And besides all the other things that make ye unforgettable, how could we forget each other? We hae pressed our thumbs taegether and recited the oath, tis unbreakable.”

“We had sex, but the thumb thing was the unbreakable oath?”

“Aye. Tis how it is. Tis how it has always been, so I will see ye in two weeks Mistress Ash. I canna wait.”

He kissed me. And then left my apartment and went down the stairs, the small sound of a bonk and a grunt as he lightly hit his head on the way.

CHAPTER 26 - MAGNUS

MAGNUS’S TRUCK

Lochinvar climbed intae the backseat of the truck. Fraoch said, “Did ye hae a good night, Og Lochie?”

“Aye, twas verra fine.”

The edge of Fraoch’s mouth twitched with a smile. He twisted to look over the back seat at Lochinvar. “Ye spent the night in her guest room? Twas uncomfortable? Ye look as if ye dinna sleep.”

“I slept, and I am nae goin’ tae talk on it, because she is a good lass and I winna allow ye tae besmirch her reputation.”

“Yet ye spent the night with a good lass and ye daena think this will besmirch her reputation? I ken she is modern, but ye still must be careful.”

“I daena hae tae be careful, we hae made a thumb oath. She is mine and I will come for her when we are done with this errand.”

I looked in the rear view mirror and met Lochinvar’s eyes. “What on earth is a thumb oath?”

“Tis when ye press yer thumbs taegether and promise not tae beguile her. I promised her, she promised me. We are as good as married, ye daena hae tae worry on us.” He returned tae looking out the window as I drove him home.

As soon as we pulled up in front of the house I said, “Ye hae thirty minutes tae eat and gather yer things before we go tae the jump spot.”

He said, “Aye, I will be ready,” and left tae go up the steps tae the house.

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