Page 108 of The Last Viking

“I love you, Merry-Death Ericsson.”

The earth moved then as they came to an explosive, mutual climax. Or mayhap it was just the desk skidding across the wooden floor from the force of their lovemaking.

He preferred the former explanation. Another sign from the gods. In truth, he could swear he heard a clap of Thor’s thunder in the distance. Or was it the Christian one-god clapping at this thick-headed heathen finally fulfilling his destiny?

As he and Merry-Death lay sated in each other’s arms, murmuring their awe at the fates that had ordained their converging paths, Geirolf pondered whether it was too soon to ask Merry-Death if she had any Oreos at her keep.

Meredith couldn’t believe how dramatically her life had changed in a few short hours. As they headed toward the pink convertible in the faculty parking lot, she kept looking at Rolf just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

“You kept the car,” Rolf commented with a smile, reaching over to brush a wisp of wind-tossed hair behind her ear. He couldn’t stop touching her. She felt the same way.

She raised her chin defensively at his remark about the car. “I haven’t had time to get rid of it yet,” she lied. Although she’d protested his purchase of the horrendous car in the beginning, threatening to sell it the moment he was gone, she’d come to love the gas guzzler, which could be seen even from this distance—a football-field length away, thanks to its Pepto-Bismol color.

He laughed, and continued to ask her nonstop questions. She had a ton of questions for him, as well. What happened when he’d traveled back to the tenth century? Had the famine ended? How had he managed to come back? But she let Rolf talk first.

“I feel like I’ve been gone a millennium, instead of six weeks.” He expelled a breath and pulled her snugly against his side, kissing the top of her head. “Tell me everything that’s happened since I’ve been gone.”

“It’s been hell.”

“For me, too, sweetling.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Is Thea adjusting?”

“Extremely well. Oh, she’s been distraught over your”—she stared at him with dismay—“death. But kids are resilient, and Thea is blooming in this environment.”

“Speaking of blooming—why is your face so flushed? You’re not feverish, are you?”

Meredith’s heart skipped a beat. Rolf didn’t know about her pregnancy yet. In fact, no one did; she’d planned to keep the secret to herself until she began to show in another month or two. She cast him a shy sideways glance. Would he be happy? Of course, he would. But this wasn’t the time to give him the news. Later. She wanted the moment to be special…just right.

Rolf cocked his head. “Merry-Death?” he prompted.

“It must be the sun,” she answered evasively, and then wiggled her eyebrows at him. “Or our lovemaking.”

He nodded with arrogant satisfaction. “Just don’t think of getting sick now—at least not till we’ve made love another ten or twenty or fifty times.”

Yep, arrogance was second nature to Rolf. As they arrived at her car, she tossed her briefcase into the back seat and turned to him, lifting a skeptical eyebrow.

He winked.

“Promises, promises,” she taunted, barely able to suppress a giggle at the flutter of butterflies in her stomach that his mere wink engendered. “By the way, where did you get the fancy duds?”

“London,” Rolf remarked idly, about to open the car door.

Uh-oh! Geirolf thought, realizing his blunder immediately.

“London?” The soft expression on Merry-Death’s face went hard as a rock. She speared him with an incredulous scowl. “You just got back after six weeks in the past, and you decided to go to London before seeing me?”

He’d also forgotten her talent for ear-splitting shrieks.

“What? No, you misunderstood, Merry-Death,” he said, trying for a casual tone. “The time-travel reversal failed. I have been…” His words trailed off as he saw her demeanor become even stiffer.

“The time reversal didn’t work?” she gritted out. “Are you saying that you’ve been around the neighborhood for the past six weeks and you never bothered to inform me of the fact?”

“Not the neighborhood, sweetling. Europe.” He tried to put an arm around her shoulder. He wasn’t surprised when she shoved his hand away.

“You moron! You beast! How could you do that to me? Oh, to think of the agony I’ve been through!” She put her face in her trembling hands. “I never thought you could be so cruel.”

“Merry-Death, let me explain.”

“No!” she shouted and stormed to the other side of the car, opening the driver’s door. Bracing her hands on her hips, tears of anger and hurt welling her eyes, she told him icily, “I thought I was used to betrayal, after Jeffrey, but this…this is the worst thing any man has ever done to me. I never want to see you again. Do you hear me? It’s over.”