Page 31 of Viking
I stared up at Viking, his words echoing in my mind.As real as we make it.Could it be that simple?That complicated?The world had shifted beneath my feet so many times in such a short amount of time -- Kris’s death, discovering Athena, learning about government conspiracies, and now this.Viking offering himself, his protection, his life.Offering a future I hadn’t dared imagine but suddenly couldn’t stop thinking about.
“I’m scared,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.“Not just of the men hunting us.Of this.Of what happens if I say yes.”
Viking remained crouched before me, his presence solid and unwavering.“Tell me what scares you.”
I hugged my knees to my chest, making myself smaller in the narrow hallway.“Becoming dependent.Owing my safety -- Athena’s safety -- to you and the club.What if it doesn’t work out?What if you realize this isn’t what you wanted after all?I don’t want you to resent me later.”
“I don’t make promises I can’t keep,” he said, the intensity in his eyes almost too much to bear.“And I’m promising you now, whatever happens between us, I’ll never leave you or Athena unprotected.”
“You can’t guarantee that,” I argued softly.“People change.Feelings change.”
“Some do.”He shifted, settling on the floor beside me again, his broad shoulder pressing against mine.“But not this.Not me.”
The certainty in his voice made my breath catch.I’d known this man since I was a child, idolized him from afar, but the adult Viking was still largely a mystery.Yet something in me trusted him completely, a bone-deep certainty that had nothing to do with logic.
“I’ve spent my whole life being Kris’s little sister,” I said.“I need to be my own person, not just someone you’re protecting or feel responsible for.I know you promised him you’d watch over me, and as much as I want to stay, I’m worried things could go badly.”
Viking was quiet for a long moment, his breathing steady beside me.When he spoke, his voice was lower, rougher.“This isn’t just about keeping a promise to your brother.Hasn’t been since the moment you walked through my door.”
He shifted to face me, the movement bringing him even closer.The hallway suddenly felt impossibly small, the air between us charged with something I couldn’t name.
“Every morning when I wake up and hear you in the kitchen, making coffee or talking to Athena, it feels right,” he continued.“Every night when I check the locks and know you’re sleeping down the hall, it feels like I’ve been given something I don’t deserve but will fight to the death to keep.”
My heart hammered against my ribs.I’d never heard Viking speak this way, with such raw emotion, such vulnerability.The tough biker exterior had cracked, revealing the man beneath.
“Athena likes you,” I said, my thoughts turning to my niece.“She doesn’t warm up to anyone, but she watches you.Yesterday, I found her arranging her stuffed animals in a line, telling them they needed to ‘stand guard’ like you do.”
A small smile softened his features.“Smart kid.Observant.”
“Like her father,” I agreed, the mention of Kris creating a momentary ache in my chest.“She needs stability.Safety.After everything she’s been through…”
“We could give her that,” Viking said, the “we” hanging between us, full of possibility.“Together.”
I studied his face in the dim light, the strong lines and angles that had haunted my teenage dreams, now matured into something more compelling.This wasn’t a crush anymore.This was something deeper, more complex, built on shared danger and quiet moments and the way he looked at me when he thought I wouldn’t notice.
“You said you wanted me to be yours.Did you mean it?”As much as I wanted to believe him, to jump in with both feet, I was too terrified to hope everything would be okay.
Viking moved closer, his large frame shifting until he was directly in front of me, his knees brushing mine.One hand came up, callused fingers gently touching my cheek.The contact sent electricity racing through me, a shiver I couldn’t suppress.
“It’s real and I meant every word,” he said, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw.“You have to know that by now.”
I leaned into his touch, unable to help myself.“Show me,” I whispered.
His eyes darkened at my words.Slowly, giving me every chance to pull away, he leaned forward until his face was inches from mine.I could feel his breath on my lips, could smell the whiskey and something uniquely him -- leather and motor oil and man.
“Karoline,” he murmured, my name a question and an answer all at once.
I closed the final distance between us, pressing my lips to his.The kiss was gentle at first, tentative, both of us exploring this new territory.His beard was softer than I’d expected, tickling my skin as his mouth moved against mine.Then his hand slid into my hair, cradling the back of my head, and the kiss deepened.
A soft sound escaped me as Viking’s other arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer.I found myself responding with an urgency that surprised me, my hands clutching at the front of his shirt, my body arching toward his.All the tension of the past days, all the fear and grief and uncertainty, channeled into this connection between us.
His kiss was nothing like I’d imagined during my teenage daydreams.It was better -- real and raw and hungry, yet somehow reverent too, as if he understood how monumental this step was for both of us.My head spun with the sensation, with the knowledge that this was Viking -- my brother’s best friend, my protector, the man offering me a future I’d never anticipated.
When we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Viking rested his forehead against mine.“I’ve wanted to do that since you showed up at our gate,” he admitted, his voice rough.
“I’ve wanted you to do that since I was sixteen,” I countered, earning a low chuckle that I felt rumble through his chest where my hands still rested.
“This complicates everything,” he said, but he didn’t sound upset about it.
