Page 27 of Valkyrie Confused

The on-screen muscles are built in gyms, while the scars on Arnlaug’s huge body point at more extreme workout methods. Is he a fighter?

And Panos… He could have been sculpted by Praxiteles himself, though he wouldn’t be broody and thinking. He’d be grinning and fucking. Andboy, was that thing between his legs made for fucking. Assuming he took it easy, because—big. Bigger than Arnlaug’s even, and that was already worth writing home about.

How can they have ruined me for other men when they haven’t laid a single finger on me?

And when will Mia call, so I can dump my frustrations on her? She does sleep in some times on Saturdays, but can’t she sense I need to talk? What are BFFs for?

As if summoned, her name pops up on my screen, accompanied by theAcceptandRejectcircles, and the Skype ringtone shrieks in my ears.

I accept her call eagerly. We haven’t managed more than texts the whole time I’m here.

“I’ve missed you, bitch,” I say as soon as her face fills my screen.

It’s a little after ten in the morning in New York, but she’s obviously just woken up. She’s adorably bleary eyed, herlong, dark hair a mess. “Missed you too, you skank.”

First time she and I met, we fought over a parking space. Words were exchanged.

I was stressed because I was five minutes late for my first book signing—an event that had been near-impossible to book, after a worse-than-usual tropical storm had swept through the area and flooded almost every other bookstore I could’ve signed at. Mia was stressed because she’d overslept and hadn’t opened her shop on time, and shereallyneeded to save that spot for her special guest.

Long story short, her shop was where above-mentioned book signing was to be held, I was herspecial guest, and neither of us had to worry, because the only people who showed up were looking for the Spiderman comic that launched on the same day. One of them bought a copy of my book, though. Good man.

Mia and I drowned our sorrows with the celebratory champagne I was planning on consuming with my husband later that night, and she told me to get rid of said husband when I called him, too tipsy to drive home, and he laughed me off and hung up.

It took me a couple of years to take her advice, but I’ve listened to her since. And hey, if Dennishadn’t been such an ass, I wouldn’t have had what would be the first of many sleepovers with her.

“Hey, you spaced out again.” She snaps her fingers, pulling me out of my head. “I was hoping you’d stop that, now that you’re literally living your dream.”

I laugh. “Not gonna happen. I’ve cut down, though.”

“Oh.” She widens her dark eyes. “Does that mean you’ll have a book for me soon?”

I nod. “And it’shot, Mia. Seriously.” Or it will be, when I add in the smutty scenes.

“Aww, don’t tease. Actually,dotease. Send me what you have?”

“How about the first draft, in about a week?”

“Yes.” She pumps her fist in the air. “Before I forget, Nyx sayshi. I ran into her a couple days ago. She was asking how you like the place.”

“Oh, Mia, it’s incredible. Hold on.” I grab my laptop and jump off the bed. “My apartment is small. No kitchen.” I show her around. “But look at that view.” I balance the laptop on one hand, to slide open the balcony door and let her see outside. “This is where I write every morning.” I tilt the screen downward. “And this is the back yard, where meals are served when the weather allows it. Hold on, I’ll show you the front yard too.”

I go back inside and give her a small peek of the bathroom with its oversize tub, before taking her out the front. I give her a sweeping view of the downstairs and turn the laptop to face me again. “See? The whole place blossoms in the spring. And the air here… It smells like—“

“Freedom?” Her voice is wistful.

“Freedom.” For a moment we’re both silent, and then I say, “You should come over this summer. You’ll love it.”

“I can’t wait.” She tilts her head to one side and squints, the way she does when she’s about to ask something personal. “So… how’s the hired help? You’ve been using adjectives such ashandyandobligingandcapable, but Nyx tells me he’s hot. Likestupidhot.”

I roll my eyes. “And how does she know that?”

“They’re old friends, apparently.”

Huh. That’s a coincidence. And also— “He didn’t mention that when I told him she pushed for me to get this place.”

Mia shrugs. “I got the feeling there was more there. Maybe they were lovers and had a falling out.”

Yeah, no. “Panos is gay,” I say.

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