The Angel Wore Fangs(55)

Now, Andrea noticed Dyna leaning against a nearby wall with that handsome rogue Thorkel, whose elbow was braced above her head, putting them almost face to face. Was he bothering her? Should Andrea intervene, or ask someone to aid the woman? No. Dyna was smiling up at Thorkel as he spoke earnestly, trying to convince her about something. Andrea could guess what. But Dyna wasn’t fighting him off. In fact, she appeared to be flirting . . . oh, so this must be the man Dyna had alluded to, the one she liked but who couldn’t keep his penis in his pants. Hopeless, was Andrea’s guess.

After the meal, there was music. One of the men, an Irishman named Brian the Skald, played a lute type instrument and sang softly of Kristin, a maid whose lover, Erland, went a-Viking and never returned. Was the man lost at sea or did he find another love? Years went by, her hair grew white, and still she waited for her jarl to return.

Then a woman who proclaimed herself a skald as well stood up and said she knew a different version of that story. Apparently, it was unusual for a woman to be a poet, and the crowd appeared uncertain about whether she should be given the floor to speak. The skald with the lute was definitely not happy. They all looked to Cnut for direction.

“Wonderful! I have always wanted to hear a female point of view in these sagas. And there is naught wrong with having more than one skald in a keep. Go on, Luta.”

Erland went a-Viking

As men are wont to do.

Kristin stayed at home

As women are wont to do.

Erland loved Kristin

But he loved other women, as well.

In fact, his dangly part

Would always swell.

At mere sight of a shapely

Arse. Oh well!

What Erland didn’t know

All Viking men didn’t, in fact,

Is that their lady loves

No brains do they lack.

Whilst men are out a-playing

Swiving everything in sight,

Their women are doing the same

With a much-younger knight.

So, Erland, go about your ways

Ride your silly boat

Because Kristin isn’t pining,

Your absence she does not even note.

For she is busy at home doing

A-Viking of a different sort.

The moral of this saga is:

What is good for the gander

Is good for the goose.

The women hooted and cheered. The men looked a bit disgruntled, but they smiled as well. And Cnut called out, “Well done, Luta! Well done!”

Andrea loved that these Vikings had a sense of humor. There was nothing sexier than a man who was self-confident enough to laugh at himself.

Whoa! Where did that observation about sexy men come from? Andrea glanced down and saw that the fingers of her free hand were laced with one of Cnut’s. When had that happened? He was always doing that, since he returned this morning. Touching her in passing. Brushing against her. Taking her hand. Caressing her with his eyes.

Now that she’d noticed their joined hands, she became intensely aware of the sensations there. The pulse at her wrist beat a counterpoint with his. His thumb unconsciously stroked her thumb. And she tingled! Oh . . . my . . . goodness! Like ripples, the tingles started where their skin touched and went out in long, slow waves to other parts of her body. Her breasts seemed to swell and the nipples engorged. Between her legs, there was a rhythmic pulse, matching that at her wrist.

It was alarming and, at the same time, felt so good.

She glanced up and saw that Cnut was staring at her. His eyes had become so silvery, they were more gray than blue. “What are you doing to me?” he asked.

“The better question is, what are you doing to me?” She shivered as a massive wave of tingles passed over her, and she was assaulted with the scent of peppermint. She would never be able to chew gum in the future without getting turned on. Assuming there was a future for her.

“I feel such a hunger,” he said.

Oh! He’d told her before that he was a glutton. “Do you want something else to eat? The doughnuts are gone, but—”

“It’s not food I hunger for.” He squeezed her hand.

More tingles, and now she could smell coconut mixed with the peppermint. Someday, she was going to make a three-tiered white peppermint cake, with a frothy whipped cream frosting, and coconut and peppermint sprinkles on top. She was going to name it Tingling Mint Coconut Dream Cake. It would be a hit, she just knew it would.

“What is it you hunger for then?” she asked, as if she didn’t already know.

“You.”

Meanwhile, back at the ranch . . .

Jasper was having a hell of a good time. The Circle of Light was overrun with Lucipires and evil terrorists. Yay for our team! The innocents had run for the hills, or were dead if they’d been dumb enough to get in a demon vampire’s path. Big dumb deal! The vangels had been chased away. Tomorrow is another day. Lucipires had ruled the day.