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deal?”
    “Nope.” Thinking about a night curled up on
the couch with my favorite god and my favorite beverage brought on
a grin that made my cheeks tingle. I felt almost giddy as I placed
my hand in Forse’s, and followed him outside. “Let’s do this.”
     
    * * * *
     
    “ Elsa.”
The low rumble of Forse’s voice pulled me out of my dream. It had
been a really good one—Forse and I walked hand in hand in the forest
behind my cabin, and as we passed a moss-covered redwood, he spun
me behind the tree. He leaned against me, pressing his chest to
mine, brought his lips to my neck and—
    “ Elsa,”
Forse murmured again, pulling me fully into the present. Dang it . I dragged my
eyelids open, only to realize my reality was so very much
better than my
dream.
    Apparently we’d fallen asleep on the couch watching The Tempest . Our bodies
were twined together in a way Forse would never allow if he were awake. He
rested on his back, one hand behind his head and the other tucked
securely around my waist. I nestled against him, my torso draped
comfortably across his, and my cheek pressed against his heart. Its
steady beat pounded in time with mine, confirming my long-held
belief that we were really two souls destined to come together in a
glorious—
    “ No, hjärtat . ” Forse interrupted me again. “The broadsword is
too heavy for you…use the rapier…” My mouth turned down at Forse’s
mumbling. The poor god couldn’t dream about walking on the beach or
skiing in the Alps like the rest of us; even in sleep he worried
about me, recounting his instructions from last night’s
lesson. Identify two plausible escape routes in any
scenario. Assess an opponent’s weakness, then exploit it. Use the
most lethal weapon at your disposal, or barring that, the first one
you can reach. Strike to kill.
    A chill ran through my torso. My healer’s
instinct wouldn’t allow me to kill; the concept went against the
very purpose of my gift. If we went to Svartalfheim today and I had
to end someone’s life to save my own, would I be able to do it?
    Dear Odin, please don’t let it come to
that.
    Forse
stirred underneath me, bringing my attention back to the present. I
rested my chin on his chest and ran the tips of my fingers along
his collarbone as he woke. Long, dark lashes fluttered, revealing
emerald-green eyes clouded with sleep. One corner of his lips
pulled up in a lazy smile, and when he spoke, his voice sounded
deep and gravelly. “Morning, hjärtat .”
    Please let this happen again. Please, please dear Odin, don’t let this be a one-time
deal.
    “Morning,” I murmured. “Did you sleep
well?”
    “Better than I have in years.” Forse lifted
his head. He took in the way my body was nestled against his, my
arms folded over his chest. The arm he held around my lower back
flexed, pressing me closer to his side. His eyes twinkled as he
brought a hand to my cheek. “We fell asleep like this?”
    “Kind of.” My neck grew hot.
    “Mmm.” Forse tucked an errant strand behind
my ear. My pulse skyrocketed as I leaned into the touch.
    “ Is that
a good mmm or a
bad mmm ? You’re
kind of hard to get a read on.”
    Forse ran
his thumb along my jaw and closed his eyes. “It’s just mmm .”
    I had no idea what that meant, but the fact
that he hadn’t leapt off the couch and run out of my cabin was
definitely a good sign. Last night, I’d enjoyed the most peaceful
sleep I’d had since Fenrir’s attack—no night sweats, no bad dreams,
and not even the standard-issue ache from teeth-grinding. At the
moment, I inhabited the Zen-like state I’d enjoyed before all
Helheim broke loose for the Fredriksen family.
    Forget meditation. The key to inner peace was
a night in Forse’s arms.
    “ I can’t
believe I forgot.” Forse shifted to reach into his jeans pocket,
and his hips pressed against mine in a movement that sent my pulse
to the stratosphere. Breathe, Elsa. Breathe. He shifted back, and I buried
my