Summary: Thorin Durin likes his life just the way it is—his pub is successful, he’s happily playing the field when it comes to women. He wouldn’t change a damn thing about it. At least, not until he meets Leda Andrews, who stops to help him when his car dies on the side of the road.
Leda is new in town, and late for a job interview when she stops to help a guy with his broken down old car. The last thing she expected was for him to be the same guy who owns the pub where she’s applied to be a bartender, never mind to be one of the hottest men she’s ever seen.
Sparks fly, and while Leda’s got a few ground rules that Thorin is more than willing to abide by, neither one of them expected their fling to turn into anything more serious, or that they would be faced with a situation neither one is prepared for. So, what happens when a no-strings-attached affair teeters on becoming the real thing…
Summary: Leda and Thorin check out Thorin’s competition and Leda comes close to breaking another rule…
The Dunraven was crowded for a Sunday but Leda figured that was because it was the New York Giants Opening Day and the televisions were all tuned to Fox Sports, which was televising it.
Leda leaned against the bar, peering over her shoulder as Jimmy yelled, “God damn it, Jones! Hold on to the fucking ball!”
“Easy, Jimmy,” she said as she turned back to him, shaking her head. “There’s other people in here.”
“Oh, right…” He looked from his left to his right and offered up sheepish smiles to the woman to his left and the two guys on his right. “Sorry.”
The room was quiet and dark, the only light coming from the overhead light in the hallway outside the bedroom door. Thorin fought to keep his eyes open as he trailed his fingers along Noelle’s long tangle of dark red curls. Her hair was every bit as soft, as silky, as it looked, and he couldn’t resist touching it. Those curls spilled over his arm, which he’d tucked about her shoulders, while her head rested peacefully against his chest. He thought she might have fallen asleep, her breathing was soft and even, whispering across his chest as a caress in itself.
He wasn’t ready for this wonderful evening to end. It went far beyond any night of his dreams as pleasure unlike anything he’d ever felt before still rippled through him. It wasn’t anything he could have ever prepared himself for, no matter how hard he might have tried. Perhaps she was just a very gifted woman, and perhaps not all men were as fortunate as he was in that respect. He couldn’t say for certain, of course. All he knew was that she made him feel sensations no one ever told him existed, ones he’d never have believed possible, hadsomeone told him they existed, and she wasn’t at all shy with introducing him to them, either. His entire body tingled now as the image of her on her knees before him, her lips, her tongue, teasing him to the brink of utter madness flashed through his mind. And that paled in comparison to how it felt when he slid inside her and thrust deep. Mahal, even now he wanted to sigh with the sensual bliss those thrusts sent screaming through him.
Aaaaw They had such a fantastic time together. Of course it’s good that Thorin is back where he belongs, but it’s still sad. There is a glimmer of hope though and I’m holding on to that
Summary:Everyone in Cranford Falls knows the Prescott family. Not only do they run Miss Fortune’s Crystal occult shop in town, but they’re also known for their psychic abilities. On occasion, they’re even called into service to assist the police on particularly difficult cases. All except Alex Prescott, that is. Unlike her three sisters, she’s inherited none of her family’s gifts. At least that was what she thought until the day the dead guy showed up in her bedroom asking for her help in solving a murder. His own.
Six months after his brother Frerin’s death, Detective Thorin Durin is on a downward spiral of self-destruction until Frerin starts showing up in his apartment, claiming his death was not an unfortunate accident but was, in fact a murder. Trouble is, Frerin doesn’t know who did it, so he wants Thorin to reopen the case and solve it, with Alex’s help.
As they work together to find out just exactly what happened to Frerin, Alex and Thorin grow closer. Neither one knows it, but Frerin isn’t just looking to solve his own murder, he’s trying to help his brother cope with his loss as well, and to find happiness with the Prescott sister who’s known as the quiet one…
Summary:Alex and Terri have an odd encounter while shopping for Gram’s birthday…
Terri chattered on as she flipped through the racks at Macy’s, but Alex didn’t hear a word she said. Instead, thoughts of Frerin cluttered her mind. What she’d promised him. Find his killer. Bring them to justice. Cripes. How on earth was she going to find the person (or persons) responsible for the fire, when trained experts couldn’t? Just what did he expect her to do? How did he expect her to do it? She’d already screwed it up with Frerin’s brother. Now what?
“Hey! Are you still on planet Earth?”
Alex snapped back into the present. “What?” she asked, peering at Terri. “Did you say something?”
“Yeah. I asked you if you dreamed about Mr. Tall-Dark-Dead-and-Handsome?”
She shook her head. “No. Not last night.” She shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe since I can see him now, he won’t bother my sleep. I’m actually kind of hoping that’s how it’ll work. I could use a solid night’s sleep, you know.”
“I don’t know. Are you sure that’s what you’d want? At least in your dreams you can get a little funky with him.”
Alex fought the urge to groan. “Terr, I’ve already told you—I don’t wantto get funky with him. He’s cute, but he’s not my type.”
“Damn, I wish I could see this guy. Too bad I can’t just develop that Sight thing—poof!— just like you did.”
It was a little weird to think that two days ago, she wouldn’t have been able to see Frerin, either. But she wasn’t so sure the Sight was really a gift for her. Too soon to tell, she thought, mentally shaking her head as Terri held up a gaudy brown-and-orange silk top.
“That is hideous.”
“Why?” Terri held it at arm’s length and squinted at it. “These colors would look great on Gram.”
“She’ll kill both of us if you bring her anything she considers old lady-ish, and thatdefinitely looks old lady-ish. It’s got old lady written all over it.”
“You’re crazy. Gram will love it.”
“I think that is nothow she’ll feel about it.” Alex frowned at the sheer, oversized top, fighting to keep her nose from wrinkling in distaste. It was the last thing she could ever see Gram wearing—no matter what. A nuclear bomb could go off in the center of town and melt everything else, and stillGram would refuse to wear that monstrosity. In fact, she’d probably forbid Terri from ever setting foot in her house ever again and she considered Terri an honorary Prescott. Or she would until Terri showed up with that top for her.
“Put it back, Terr. Trust me.”
Terri sighed a heavy, weary sigh. “Well, I hope you have some ideas, Lex, because I got nothing.”
“We’ll find something. If nothing else, we’ll head over to Spencer’s.”
Terri giggled. “Remember last year, when Syd got her that windup penis?”
Alex couldn’t help her snort. “And she said she wished it’d come with a manattached?”
Both women burst out laughing rather loudly, which earned them a few strange looks from other shoppers. Alex ignored them, though, even as she grasped at a rack of blouses to keep from tipping over, and wiped her streaming eyes with her left hand. She didn’t know which Gram thought was funnier—the wind-up penis or that a room full of senior women were horrified by it.
“God, I thought Teddy was going to wet her pants!” Terri blurted, clutching her left side with one hand and reaching to steady herself on a table of folded jeans with the other. “Remember how red she got?”
“Remember? She didn’t talk to Syd for almost two weeks,” Alex gasped, managing to right herself as she fought to control her giggles. It felt so good to laugh like that, better than she would have imagined. Especially since she’d found yet another threat on the blog that morning. It was tempting to call the police, but she didn’t see what they could possibly do, since she didn’t even have a name. Most likely, the police would ask her what she expected, given her family’s business. Nut jobs came with the territory and this one wasn’t the first, although he was the meanest so far.
The back of her neck prickled then, as she noticed a string bean of a man on the other side of the main aisle, casually flipping through a table display of vee-necked sweaters. It probably wouldn’t have bothered her, except that he’d only begun paying attention to the sweaters when she turned to look at him. She was pretty sure he’d been staring at them a moment earlier.
Of course, why shouldn’t he? She and Terri were laughing like maniacs just a few minutes earlier and the words wind-up penis probably carried a little farther beyond their earshot. He wouldn’t have been the only starer, that was for sure. In fact, a couple of blue-haired old ladies were stillstaring at them. Then again, that could’ve been because Terri was wearing a short skirt and a white blouse that was practically sheer and she was one of those women who was naturally blessed with ample curves and thin thighs and seemed to be all leg, while Alex felt like a fire hydrant next to her—short and squat.
She forced herself to turn away, forcing out of the corner of her mouth, “Terri!” in a throaty whisper.
Terri’s head jerked up. “What?”
“Keep your voice down!” Alex muttered. With a slight tilt of her head in String Bean’s direction, she whispered, “See that guy?”
Her lips barely moving, Terri muttered back, “Skinny dude with the girly sweaters?”
“That’s him.”
“Yeah. Why?”
“What’s he doing?”
Dropping her gaze to the rest of the hideous orange-and-brown blouses, Terri said, “Flipping through—wait… he just stopped. I think he’s checking you out, Lex.”
That made her want to shiver. “Ugh.” She tried to feign an interest in the stack of faded Donna Karan distressed jeans. Lifting up a couple of pairs as if searching for one in her size, she waited a beat and then jerked her head up.
String Bean’s cheeks went ruddy as he twisted away from them. Even from where she stood, the flush sweeping up the back of his neck was plainly visible. His movements were too deliberate, too careful, to be anything other than a feigned interest of his own. To Terri, she whispered, “I don’t think he’s checking us out in the way that you think he is. I think he’s trying to eavesdrop on us.”
“On Gram’s taste in gifts? That’s… weird…”
“No.” She glanced out of the corner of her eye again. String Bean had moved closer. “He ignored us until you brought up Frerin, then pretended to ignore us while we were talking about Gram. Just watch and see for yourself.”
“Lex—”
“So, I think I know who dream man is, and it’s so weird, because he’s dead, Ter.”
“What?”
“Yeah. He’s been dead for years.” Alex smiled as String Bean perked up again and moved closer still. She moved from tops to athletic wear, moving closer to the narrow corridor that led to the elevators and rest rooms. She kept talking as she moved. “And get this… he doesn’t know how he died.”
“Get out!” Under her breath, Terri muttered, “Where are we going?”
“The elevator. But act casual.”
“What—”
“Right? It’s so weird and he thinks Ican help him.” Alex resisted the urge to grab Terri by the arm and drag her down into the hallway. The last thing she really wanted to was to look or act suspicious.
“Help him? How?” Terri rolled her eyes, but did as she was told. No sooner had they both moved toward the corridor, then Alex saw String Bean drop a melon-colored vee neck and causally saunter their way. Her heart began a dull, triple-time staccato in her chest as she grabbed Terri’s arm and pulled her around the bend.
“What the hell are you doing?” Terri demanded.
“Just wait…” Although her instinct was to just hurry to the elevator and get into it, she forced herself to remain just where she was. “He’ll be here in three… two… one…”
String Bean came around the corner then and Alex rounded on him, planting a hand firmly in the middle of his skinny chest as she shoved him up against the wall. “Is there a reason you’re listening in on me talking to my friend?”
Bean groaned as he hit the wall. “What the—what are you talking about, lady? I’m just shopping.”
“Uh huh. Do I need to call security or are you going to leave us alone?”
“Leave you alone? I wasn’t even bothering you! Christ, can’t a guy look at sweater?”
“You’re shopping in the women’s department,” Terri pointed out.
“What are you,” he glared at her, “the clothing police? If you must know, I’m shopping for my sister, you twit.” He knocked Alex’s hand from him. “So, fuck off or I’llcall security.”
“You were listening to us and don’t even try to deny it.”
“I wasn’t listening to you, it’s just that… I thought you were someone else. You look like an old friend. I was wrong.”
“An old friend?” Alex just stared at him. “Who?”
“Teddy Prescott. I graduated with her and it’s been forever and I thought you were her but as I got closer, I wasn’t so sure. Sorry I bothered you.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You thought Iwas Teddy? Do you wear glasses? Because if not, you might want to get your eyes checked out.”
“You look enough like her. I’m sorry, lady. I didn’t mean to spook you…”
“You didn’t spook me. I don’t like when people listen in on my conversations. What was your name again?”
“Again? I never said it to begin with. I’m Yuri, why?”
“Teddy’s my sister and I’m pretty sure she’s never mentioned you.”
“Does she tell you about all of her friends? Christ, you really are the fucked up Prescott, aren’t you?”
Alex narrowed her eyes. “What did you call me?”
“Listen, Yuri,” Terri broke in, stepping up to stand beside Alex. “You watch yourself when you’re talking about my family. You got that?”
“Fuck off, bitch. Both of you,” Yuri muttered, twisting to get to his feet.
Wrong thing to say. Terri just smiled and then swung. Her tote bag hit Yuri square in the groin and with a yelp, he hit the floor like a sack of sand. She then grabbed Alex by the arm and they sprinted toward the elevators. Terri punched the button and Alex uttered a silent prayer of thanks as the light lit up, the doors chimed, and then opened. They dove inside and Terri jabbed at the door closed button as Yuri’s deep swears grew louder.
The doors slid shut just as his face appeared in the slit and Alex slumped against the back of the car. “Oh my God…” she breathed, her heart racing and her hands shaking uncontrollably. “What the hell was thatabout?”
Terri, however, was glaring at her. “What’s going on, Lex? You’re jumpy as hell today and I’ve never seen you attack a guy for following you down a hallway. Now, what gives? And don’t tell me nothing because I swear to God, I’ll—”
“Easy, Terr,” Alex sighed, pushing up and away from the cool steel. “I’ll tell you. But you have to promise to let me handle it, okay?”
“Handle what?” Terri’s eyes narrowed suspiciously and she crossed her arms over her chest.
“Promise me first.”
“Alex.”
She shook her head. “No dice, Terri. You promise, or I don’t spill.”
Terri sighed, but uncrossed her arms. “Okay. Okay. I promise. Now, will you tell me already?”
The elevator chimed as they reached the third floor. As the doors slid open, Alex grabbed Terri’s arm. “Let’s go grab a coffee and I’ll tell you everything so far.”
***
“Holy… are you kidding me?”
Alex was more than a little surprised at the starkness of her friend’s face and the heat in her voice. She knew Terri would be upset, but she didn’t think she’d be thisupset. “Look, we get hate mail from time to time and it’s really no big deal. It comes with the territory and we all know to just ignore it unless there is a real, honest threat somewhere.”
“I’d say hoping you die sounds like a threat to me.”
“Mrs. Urlino says stuff like that to us all the time. Well, not to me, maybe, but definitely to the others.”
“Yeah, well we all know she’s harmless. Batshit, but harmless.” Terri shook her head. “This isn’t Mrs. Urlino though, Lex. You should report it. Tell Detective Durin. He’d probably want to know.”
“Why? What can he do? It’s just an email.”
“Well, I don’t know, but you’re telling him. Or else.”
Alex rolled her eyes. “Or else what, Mom?”
“I’ll tell Gram and your ass will be cooked.”
Alex sunk into her chair. “You would, wouldn’t you?”
“Damn straight I would.”
“Too bad we don’t know when she’ll be back, because that just mightget me to spill.”
“I’m not kidding, Alex. I’ll call her right now.” Terri dug around in her bag until she came up with her Samsung Galaxy. She waved it at Alex. “Spill. Now.”
Alex sighed. The last thing she wanted was Gram thinking she needed to come home now instead of finishing her job finding the missing teen. Terri had her and she knew it.
She sighed. “Well, what if I tell Frerin?”
“Damn. I forgot about your ghost. Well, does he know your cop?”
“He’s not my ghost, Thorin’s not my cop, and of course they know each other, they’re brothers. Jeez, Terr, were you completely stoned all through high school? Everyone knew them. They were the biggest jocks in town and knew it.”
“Oh, right…. Sorry… You were chasing football players, I was out stealing car parts with Troy McInierny, remember?”
“Tell me again how we’re still friends?”
“Right?” Terri dropped her phone back into her bag. “Regardless, you need to ask one of them. What if it’s not just any empty threat?”
“Well, I don’t know what Frerin can do, unless it’s something like make the walls of the emailer’s house bleed, but I’d imagine we’d need to know where his house was to begin with, wouldn’t we?”
“Lex… you’re wandering again.”
“Sorry.” She set her cup down, tracing the rim with her fingertip. After a long silence, she said, “What if I’m just imagining him?”
“Imagining who?” Terri asked, wiping the lipstick smear from her own cup.
Alex fought the urge to reach over and throttle her. “Frerin!”
“Oh, right.” Terri sat back, folding her arms over her chest. “Do you think you might be?”
It was something that had been worrying her on and off since she first realized she could see him. How was it possible, when she’d never had the Sight before? What if she was just losing her mind instead?
“No,” she finally said, “I don’t. But I’m the weirdo in my family my entire life and now all of the sudden I’m not? It doesn’t make any sense. They all knew what they could do from the time we were kids, Terr. Why is this only possible for me now?”
“You’re asking me?I don’t know, Lex. Maybe you need to talk to one of your sisters. Or Gram—she wold probably know best. But ask oneof them if it’s possible. I have no idea if it is or not.”
Alex stared down at the cardboard cup. All around them in the food court, mothers wheeled babies in strollers or argued with older kids about this and that, while teenagers mingled about chattering away in their own foreign language. At the next table, a guy in a charcoal gray Armani suit was busy regaling his lunch companion with stories of his latest barroom conquest, being graphic enough that Alex wanted to throw up.
Leaning closer to Terri, she whispered, “Did you ever wonder how much of this bull is made up?”
Terri grinned. “Probably ninety-five percent of it is.” She shook her head. “There is no way that guy’s ten inches anywhere.”
Alex snorted hard enough to make her sinuses hurt and Terri quickly gathered up her things as Armani Suit shot them both a look. Still chuckling as they walked away, Alex said, “I guess I could ask Teddy. Gram’s in Maine and I don’t have any idea when she’ll be back. I’m only barely speaking to Charlie and Syd’d just tell me to go talk to Teddy anyway.”
At the main elevator, Terri punched the down arrow. “What’s Gram doing in Maine again?”
“Missing teenager. The parents called her last Friday absolutely beside themselves. You know Gram. If it’s babies or kids, she’s outta here.”
“But this is a teenager.” Terri pointed out as the bell dinged and the doors slid open. “Gram’s always grumbling about hexing the lot of them.”
“That’s only the ones who insist on daring each other to touch her house every Halloween,” Alex replied as they stepped onto the small, overheated car. “And it probably wouldn’t be so bad, except then she had to go and predict that Ty Randall’s father would catch Ty’s mother in bed with their neighbor’s son.”
“Oy, I remember. He was what? Eighteen?”
Alex shook her head, remembering the scandal that resulted, as Ty’s mother was also Cranford Falls High’s Spanish teacher. “I don’t think he was even that old. And you know what the killer is? Gram swears she made the whole thing up.”
“Did she?”
Alex never thought so and she shook her head at Terri. “I don’t believe it if she did. Come on, Terr, she had it nailed down to what color bra and panties Carol Randall would be wearing!”
Terri chortled over that. “Green and blue leopard print. Real tasteful.”
Alex sighed softly as they descended into the parking garage. “I don’t think there is a guy in the neighborhood who gave a damn whatfreaky-ass print lingerie she wore. It didn’t stay on her long enough for it to even register.”
The bell chimed and the doors slid open. Stepping out into the dank parking deck, Alex shivered. She hated parking garages—always had, always would—and this one did not have one redeeming factor about it. It was even hotter and stickier than the summer air outside, and the dampness mingled with the smell of gasoline fumes, burnt oil, and worn rubber, to create a perfume that was second only to skunk on the terrible-smell scale.
Terri’s car was at the end of the row and, by the time they reached it, Alex had looked over her shoulder five times. On the sixth peer, Terri sighed gustily as she beeped off her alarm. “What is it, Lex?”
She didn’t know if she could put it into words. Shaking her head, she looked over the car’s roof at Terri. “I guess I’m still spooked about Yuri,” she said, resisting the urge to peer over her shoulder yet again. “I don’t remember Teddy ever mentioning a guy named Yuri. Guess I’ll add that to the things I want to ask her. She’s going to think I’ve lost my mind completely.”
Pulling open the passenger door, she sank into the seat and reached for the seatbelt. “Do I really look all that much like her?”
Terri nodded. “Yeah, Lex. You do. A little shorter, maybe, but from a distance, I can see how someone might think you were her and she was you.”
“Maybe.” Alex didn’t think she looked all that much like any of her sisters. Sure, she and Teddy both had the Preskova’s black hair and the same odd shade of green eyes, but that was it. She was the shortest, not to mention the heaviest, of the girls. Syd resembled her figure-wise, where Charlie was naturally skinny (which made Alex hate her at times). Teddy, on the other hand, worked out like mad to keep her willowy frame just that. It was almost flattering, that Yuri thought she looked like Teddy. At least, it would be if it weren’t so damn creepy.
A/N: A bonus chapter today because when I was revising Chapter Nineteen, I realized it was a monsterof a chapter and so broke it into two. Enjoy!
Summary: Thorin Durin likes his life just the way it is—his pub is successful, he’s happily playing the field when it comes to women. He wouldn’t change a damn thing about it. At least, not until he meets Leda Andrews, who stops to help him when his car dies on the side of the road.
Leda is new in town, and late for a job interview when she stops to help a guy with his broken down old car. The last thing she expected was for him to be the same guy who owns the pub where she’s applied to be a bartender, never mind to be one of the hottest men she’s ever seen.
Sparks fly, and while Leda’s got a few ground rules that Thorin is more than willing to abide by, neither one of them expected their fling to turn into anything more serious, or that they would be faced with a situation neither one is prepared for. So, what happens when a no-strings-attached affair teeters on becoming the real thing…
Summary: Thorin reassures Leda she’s got nothing to worry about and on Super Bowl Sunday, Leda’s mother calls.
Pairings: Pairing: Modern!Thorin x OC Female
Characters:Thorin, Leda, Frerin, Zana. Jimmy, various other pub patrons, Leda’s mother
“You’re quiet, memsel,” Thorin said, easing the Mustang’s transmission into neutral at the garage doors. “What’s on your mind?”
She sighed, looking over at him. “I’m still feeling kind of… R2D2ish.”
“Leda…”
“I know, I know. I sound so fucking needy, but you did ask.”
He tugged the keys from the ignition and pushed open his door, climbing out of the car without a word. She sat there for a moment, just staring at the white garage doors with their somewhat peeling paint. Christ, she hated feeling this way. Normally, she didn’t care how she stacked up against other women. Part of the freedom of loving who you were with meant it didn’t matter how you stacked up because there was always another guy in another room.
But she didn’t want any other guys now. The one she wanted was the same one a hell of a lot of other women wanted as well. And while she knew Thorin wasn’t about to cheat on her, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be put off by the way her body was changing now.
Why do I do this to myself?
With a low sigh, she opened her door and climbed out. He’d gone inside, annoyed at her, no doubt, and it was tough to blame him. She was annoyed at herself. Annoyed enough for both of them, actually.
Conan let out a woof and bolted past her. Thorin stood just inside the kitchen door, holding it for her. He didn’t say a word as she brushed by him, but just waited for Conan to do his thing, while she went through the parlor and up the stairs. She was tired. Her back hurt. Her legs hurt. She just wanted to lie down. To crawl into bed and pull the covers over her head.
Inside the bedroom, she kicked off her shoes and whisked her tee shirt over her head and as she did, the floor creaked softly behind her. Although she knew it was Thorin, she still jumped when he came up behind her and slid his arms about her waist to pull her against him. Her eyes closed as he swept a gentle kiss along the curve of her neck, up to her ear.
“You should only know what I see when I look at you,” he whispered, sliding a hand up to cup her left breast gently. “And it doesn’t matter where we are, mesmel. You could be here, like this, or standing behind the bar, chatting with Jimmy. I look at you, and you fucking blow me away. Do you know that?”
“Thorin—”
“Shhh….” He turned her toward him and caught her face with both hands. “Just listen, okay? You’re beautiful, Leda. I’ve thought so since the moment you pulled off your helmet and I realized you were a woman and not just a tiny guy.”
He slid his hands down along her neck, skimmed them across her shoulders, hooking her bra straps with both thumbs to slip over them. The fabric skimmed along her in a light caress that set her head to slowly spinning as he slid a hand around her to pop the clasp on her bra. It fell away, and his smile made the butterflies in her stomach reappear, flapping their wings with enough force to send a shiver rippling through her. His eyes glittered in the faint glow of the nightlight, and a smile played at his lips.
“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, mimûna. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever been with. Now even more so. Do you have anyidea what seeing you like this does to me?”
As he spoke, he traced a fingertip about her left nipple, his eyes never leaving hers even as that nipple beaded beneath his touch and her eyes grew heavy-lidded. As it sent a new rush of flutters through her, each one stronger and tinglier than the last. He smiled, releasing her breast to sweep those fingers along her stomach. She held her breath as he brushed along the curve, then crouched before her.
“I love this bump. And I know you think you’re getting fat, but let me tell you something,” he murmured, pressing a kiss just below her navel, his hands curved on either side. He caught the waist of her leggings to slip them down, to let them puddle about her ankles, and when he looked up to meet her gaze, his eyes were soft and tender. “I am in awe of what you’re doing, Leda. Mahal, there’s a child in you. We did this utterly amazing thing and here’s the proof.”
His words washed over her, the amazement in his voice almost visible and she pressed her lips together as they trembled. To hear him phrase it that way… it wasn’t anything she ever expected. She caught his face between her palms, let her thumbs just graze along his cheeks. “We didn’t mean to—”
“I don’t care.” He shook his head. “I don’t, Leda. It doesn’t matter if we set out to do this or not. We did it. And to watch this, to see this as it plays out… You just can’t possibly know what it feels like to me to see this amazing thing you’re doing. And do you have any idea how much I love you, Leda? Any idea at all?”
“Because of this?”
“Yes and no. I mean, I was already falling in love with you. I’ve told you that. But if you think I would trade this for a roomful of Jäger shot girls, you’re crazy. You’ve ruined me for all women, Leda. And I don’t care how how much weight you gain with this baby, and I don’t care if you never lose it. You will always be the hot girl who pulled off Route Seven to help me get my Ford POS back on the road. You will alwaysbe the hot girl I leaned into and kissed after getting my ass handed to me at shooting pool, and you will alwaysbe that same hot girl who felt the need to apologize because her bra and panties didn’t match the first time I pulled her clothes off, and you will always be her, Leda. Always. And those shot girls don’t even come close to touching you, amrâlimê.Not even close.”
He slowly stood and she bit down on her bottom lip as he caught her by the wrist and guided her hand to him, to the erection he already sported. “Thisis what you do to me, Leda. I can’t fake that. I can’t make it happen at will. You know that.”
“I’m also standing here topless. In my underwear.”
“And you look really fucking good, baby.” He hooked a thumb in the lace of her thong and tugged, smiling as the garment slipped down over her thigh.
Her heart skipped a beat as he sank to his knees before her, dragging her thong down to her ankles. He caught one foot gently and lifted, easing the lace from around it, then did the same with the other. Then, he leaned back, pressing a kiss into the fluff of dark blond hair between her thighs. He nuzzled that fluff. Then, with just the tip of his tongue, delved into it to slowly caress down and around her clit.
“Thorin…” His name was an airy mist on her lips, her hands sliding down into his hair as he leisurely swirled about her clit, teasing her slowly, deliciously. Each caress rippled through her, sent sparks of sweet pleasure swirling through her. His hands slid up along the backs of her thighs, his fingers gently pressing into her with each teasing flick.
Her hips did a slow roll toward him, each pass melting her core just a bit more. Hot and sweet, the sensations rippling through her made her shiver, made her tremble against him as little by little, the delectable pleasure built. He took his time, in no hurry at all as he stroked her so perfectly, brought her to slowly to the edge of madness, that as each knot tightened, she moaned a little louder, twisted her fingers a little tighter in his hair. The slow melt burned thorough her, turned her knees to jelly and her blood to smoke. His tongue was slick and hot, rough and gentle, to send fire licking right long with him. He moved along her clit, over it, down to her opening and back, each caress hotter than the last, each one moving her closer to the edge. With every moan, every slow arc toward him, he responded in kind, pleasure spinning through her, sparkling and dancing like a live wire to make her quiver around him.
Everything inside her clenched as he moved faster now. Faster. Harder. The knots grew even as they tightened inside her, fire hot and sweet as it blazed through her core. He licked harder still, and slid a finger inside her, crooking it to just touch that one sweet spot where she ached the most.
“Ooh…” Leda couldn’t hold back her moan, her fingers twisting harder in his hair. It all felt far too good to keep quiet, to not let him know just what he did to her. And oh, lord, what he did just felt so fucking amazing.
He shattered her, bursts of starlight erupting before her eyes as she crested the peak, as the wave crashed over here, as she came in a fiery flash of desire and need, pulsing and clenching about him, coming and squirting at the same time, the sensations spicy hot and sinfully sweet at the same time as he continued tormenting her with his skilled tongue and gifted fingers. She rocked to meet him, desperate to draw out every last drop of pleasure he could give her.
She shuddered and moaned, fighting to get away as the sensations overwhelmed her, but he wouldn’t release her. He continued his onslaught until she erupted once more and almost screamed, “Thorin!” as her knees buckled and she collapsed against him, almost sobbing from how good it all felt.
“I love you,” he growled, rising once more. He bent to her, seizing her lips with his in a kiss so furious, so hot and demanding, she wouldn’t have been at all surprised to see smoke billow between them.
She wrapped her arms about his neck, caressing his tongue with hers, drawing his back into her mouth to tease as his hands fell away from her. His belt buckle rattled as he yanked it free, as he yanked open his his jeans and tugged out his cock.
He snaked one arm about her, lifted her easily, pinned her between him and the wall as he guided himself inside her and slid deep, his first thrust hard and powerful. She wrapped her legs about his waist with that first thrust. His lips found hers, devoured hers, damp with her essence and sweet with her taste and she savored it as much as she did the taste of him. She throbbed all around him, on the verge of another orgasm without any warning. It robbed her of her senses, of her ability to speak or see, to do anything other than to feel.
“Thorin…” His name was a husky cry as he surged hard and fast, his entire body shuddering with each thrust. Her thighs tightened against him, her walls gripped his cock, squeezing and pulsing in time with his quickening thrusts.
He arched hard against her, lifted and lowered her against him as he did, growling, “Oh, baby… thisis what you do to me… Oh, holy fuck.. Leda!”
He thrust hard, buried himself as deep inside her as he could, and crushed her against him with a low, satisfied moan as his body emptied into hers. He shuddered against her. Rocked her against him. And when he finished, he cradled her as he staggered back and sank into the armchair in the corner, his arms tight about her, her name a breathless whisper on his lips.
She fought to breathe as she collapsed against his chest, smiling as he wrapped his arms about her and just held her until his heartbeat slowed and she went still against him. “Thorin… oh… oh, my god…”
“Yeah.That’swhat you do to me, mesmel. Holy, shit… you turn me inside out, beautiful girl and trust me, you have nothing to worry about.”
She sat back, chuckling as he actually whimpered. “You didn’t even take your jeans off.”
A sleepy smile lifted his lips. “I was too close and all I cared about was being inside you. Mahal, you have absolutely ruined me. I hope you know that. No other woman could ever do what you do to me. Not ever.”
“If you expect me to apologize…”
He let out a soft laugh. “No. I expect you to tell me the same.”
“You have ruined me, Thorin.” She curved her hand against his cheek. “I thought you knew that.”
He offered up a sleep smile. “It’s still nice to hear on occasion.”
“I love you,” she murmured.
“I love you, too, Leda.” He opened his eyes and offered up a tender gaze. “And if those shot girls really bother you, I’ll cancel for tomorrow.”
She sighed softly, tracing a circle into the black cotton stretched taut across his chest. “How much revenue did they bring?”
“Believe it or not, we did about ten percent higher sales than any Saturday in the last six months and fifteen percent over what we did this time last year.”
“Then I’ll suck it up. They’re good for your business.”
“My business. Ourfuture. I’ll be able to support you and a couple of kids if we keep going this way. And I’ll be able to do it easily.”
“A couple of kids?” She smiled, her hand curving about her stomach. It found its way there on its own more and more these days.
“Yeah. Two. Maybe three. We’ve got the room. Pub’s doing well. You can stay home if you want, or we can afford daycare, whichever.”
“Oh, damn… I hadn’t even given any thought to that.”
He smiled, shifting just enough to slip from her. She bit back a wince at the trickle of spend accompanying his withdrawal, and with a soft grunt, he rocked forward and stood, then moved to set her on the bed. “It’s up to you, Leda,” he called over his shoulder as he retrieved a towel from the linen cupboard in the hallway and brought it back to offer to her. “If you want to stay home, I’m cool with it. If you want to go back to work, still cool with it.”
She sighed as she dabbed at her inner thigh. “I haven’t really thought about it.”
He whisked his tee shirt over his head, and the sight of him, in just the undone jeans, was enough to make her sigh. Damn, he looked amazing in Levi’s. It was almost criminal, how handsome he was.
Balling up the tee shirt, he fired it toward the laundry basket by his dresser, then tugged off his jeans as well. “It’s up to you, mesmel,” he said, stretching out alongside her. He turned toward her, his cheek pressed into his folded hands, and let out a low whistle. “Damn… you look good like this.”
She smiled. “Wiping jizz off my legs?”
A low chuckle rolled toward her, followed by his murmured, “Naked.”
He lifted his head and stretched to brush her lips with his. He shifted further still, and she couldn’t help her laugh as he pinned her on her back, and moved to cover her completely. “Mahal, you’re beautiful,” he murmured, dipping to nuzzle her.
Her eyes closed, the damp towel forgotten as he brushed a sensitive spot just below her ear with a kiss. She felt silly for getting so upset earlier. She knew how he felt about her, and now, as his beard scraped so gently against her neck, against cheek, she shivered and whispered, “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
For the first time in her life, she said the words without fear. For the first time in her life, she said them because she felt them. And they still weren’t enough to convey what she actually felt for him. Not by half.
His lips swept lightly over her ear, his, “Tell me,” a playful whisper.
The gentle touch and even gentler whisper sent a shiver through her, her eyes closing as he left a teasing trail of equally soft kisses down along her neck. Her thoughts muddied with each caress, her ability to concentrate on anything other than the sweet tingles he brought to life almost impossible. She sighed, her head lolling to the right as he moved into the curve of her shoulder, then lifted his head to offer up a smile. “Leda?”
“Oh, you make thinking difficult, you know that?” She curved her hand against his cheek. “And I couldn’t possibly begin to describe it, Thorin. I just… you are the only person I ever want to have sleepovers with.”
His laugh came as a warm caressed, followed by a light kiss, then he lifted his head and gazed down as he said, “Same.”
He bent back to her, brushing his lips along the inner curve of her left breast, down over her stomach, where he paused. She traced her fingers along the waves of his hair as he swept a light kiss across the curve and she couldn’t hold back her smile when he murmured, “I cannot wait to meet you, you know. And…”
With that, he lapsed into khuzdul, whispering words she could only barely hear, and didn’t understand, his lips just brushing her skin with each one. It was a sight to see, and as she stroked his hair, she murmured, “If only those shot girls could see you now, sharing secrets with your unborn baby. Their ovaries would explode on sight.”
“I want Junior to know the sound of my voice,” he said, lifting his head to smile at her.
“He will.” She tucked a long curl behind his left ear. “He absolutely will.”
The bed squeaked softly as he came back up to stretch out beside her. He took the discarded towel to fire into the laundry basked, then settled back, easing an arm about her. “Do you feel better now?”
“About the shot girls?”
“About the shot girls.”
“More or less, yes.”
“Good.” He shifted to nuzzle her, and added, “Maybe tomorrow night I can finally get you up on that pool table?”
“Thorin!”
“What? You have no idea how badly I wanted to fuck you on it that first night.”
“Trust me. I know exactlyhow badly. You really can’t hide it, you know.” She smiled up at him. “And you can’t fake it. It gives you away every time.”
“I notice you haven’t said no.”
“We’ll see.”
“We’ll see. It’s not a no, so I can live with we’ll see.” He shifted back onto his side, cradling her against his chest. “We really should get some sleep.”
****
Sundays were generally quiet at the Dunraven, but Super Bowl Sunday was another matter entirely. By one o’clock, there wasn’t an empty table in the building, even though kickoff wasn’t until after six.
The Jägermeister girls didn’t bother Leda at all, not even when Miss Perfect Brunette shot her look. Threesome. Fuck her. She wasn’t sharing Thorin with anyone. Not that it seemed to matter, as Miss Perfect Brunette seemed to be just as annoyed with Thorin, which was funny to watch because she had to be careful what she said or did around him.
Thorin came out of his office and back behind the bar. “I’ve got two possibles coming in to interview for Lacey’s job, Zane. You want to sit in with me?”
“Me?” Zana glanced over at her. “Why not Leda?”
“She’s only been here a few months, you’ve been here eight years.”
Leda smiled as Zana’s expression grew slightly pained. “It’s okay, Zana. He and I talked about it this morning. I don’t want this responsibility, so it’s all you if you do.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to step on any toes.”
“You’re not.”
“If you’re really sure…”
“Zana, I am. Really.” Leda’s cell rang, so she dug it out her pocket and when she turned it over and saw the name and contact picture, she froze.
“You okay, mesmel?” Thorin asked, his brows pulled low.
She nodded, kicking the call to voicemail. “I’m fine.”
“Who was it?”
“Just… spam…” Leda shoved her phone back into the pocket of her leggings and move down to the far end of the bar, where Jimmy had been displaced from his usual stool. “Whoa… I didn’t recognize you down here.”
Jimmy glowered at the kid who’d commandeered his usual spot. “He’s in it. Card his ass.”
“I will. He looks like he’s about twelve. Can I get you your usual?”
“Naw… I’m moving uptown, Miss Leda. New barstool, new James.”
“Oh, so it’s James now?”
Jimmy nodded. “Yeah. You still wasting your time with Durin? Or do you want to give James a chance?”
“Oh, love, I’m still having his baby and I’m still pretty crazy about him as well, so…”
“Damn. Well, can’t blame a fella for trying. Can I get a Shock Top?”
“Whoa, James, a Shock Top? You feel okay?”
He grinned. “I’m sick of the same thing every day.”
“You got it.” She snatched up a pint glass and held it under the Shock Top spout. “Are you interested in anything to eat? Special Super Bowl menu today.”
“Can I see a menu?”
“You know you can.” Her phone buzzed in her pocket, but she ignored it as she retrieved a menu for Jimmy. “I suggest the sausage and peppers. Dori’s outdone himself today, judging by how good it smells.”
“And everything makes you sick right now, doesn’t it?”
“Just about, yeah.”
“That speaks volumes about those sausage and peppers. Sold.” He smiled as she set the beer in front of him. “Start a tab for me?”
“You got it.”
Her pocket buzzed again and this time, Thorin was behind her when it did. “Aren’t you going to answer it?”
“Nope. There’s no one I want to talk to who isn’t right here.” She smiled at him over her shoulder.
But he didn’t smile back. Leaning against the shelves holding the liquor bottles, he folded his arms over his chest. “Who was it who called before and why don’t you want to tell me?”
“It’s nobody, Thorin, that’s who.”
“Leda.”
“Really. It’s nothing.”
His stare never wavered and although she tried to ignore it as she turned back to the customers, she’d swear she felt his eyes boring straight into her back. Her phone buzzed a third time, and then her voicemail chime went off, and still, she ignored it as she put Jimmy’s order into the POS system.
“Leda,” his voice was low and serious, “a word in my office?”
“Not now, Thorin,” she said without turning around, “we’re getting slammed.”
“Amy can take them.” His hand came to rest at the small of her back as Amy came back behind the bar. “If you don’t mind.”
She shot him a look over her shoulder. “Don’t you dare pull rank on me.”
“I’m absolutely pulling rank.” He looked over at Amy. “We’ll be right back. Yell if it gets reallycrazy.”
Amy nodded. “Everything okay?”
“It’s fine.” Thorin gave Leda a gentle nudge.
She moved, gritting her teeth as she walked around the bar and down to Thorin’s office, where she sank onto the sofa while he closed the door. “What’s going on, Leda?”
“Nothing is going on.”
He leaned against the edge of his desk. “Who are you avoiding and why?”
“Thorin—”
“Who is it? You went white when you looked at your phone screen the first time it rang. Why?”
She sighed, sinking against into the sofa’s stiff back. How on earth did she and Thorin have sex on it, when it was so damn uncomfortable? And why did thatthought pop into her head?
“Leda,” the vinyl crackled as he sank beside her, “what’s going on?”
“Nothing.” She leaned her head back, turning to look at him. “It was my mother.”
“What?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I don’t know what she wants and it’s been at least two years since I last talked to her. So…. I panicked and sent it to voicemail.”
“Did you listen to the voicemail?”
“No.” She shifted to tug her phone from the pocket and let it just sit in her lap. “I don’t want to.”
“You want me to listen for you?”
“I—I don’t know.”
He reached over to take the phone from her thigh and toggled to her voicemail. With a soft sigh, she leaned her head against his shoulder as he hit play.
“Leda, it’s Ma. It’s been a while and I was just thinking about you. I hope everything is good with you. Give me a call back if you feel like it. My number hasn’t changed.”
Thorin looked over at her. “That’s not so bad.”
“No. But she’s not one hundred percent dick, either.” She traced her forefinger along the length of his thigh, over the slight bulge of his quadriceps muscle, along the solid rise of it along his outer thigh. That muscle was solid, no give beneath her fingertip, and when she traced down into his inner thigh, a smile came to her lips at his soft groan.
“Careful,” he told her, his hand coming to rest atop hers to still it, “you give me a boner and I’ll expect you to do something about it.”
“You’re almost forty years old, Mr. Durin,” she told him with a grin, “surely you have more control over your body than that.”
“Ordinarily, I would, but with you? Not so easy.” He winked. “Do you want to call her?”
“I don’t know. Do you think I should?”
He shifted, draping his arm about her shoulders, and tugged her again him. “I can’t answer that, mesmel. I don’t know her. And what I doknow of her makes me want to choke her, so I’m probably not the best person to ask. What does your gut tell you?”
She closed her eyes as his fingertips brushed along her upper arm. “I think I should at least tell her she’s going to be a grandmother.”
“Do you want to call her now?”
She turned the phone over to stare at her home screen, which was a picture she’d taken Christmas morning of him and Conan stretched out on the sofa, watching A Christmas Story, and was one of her favorites. “I don’t know.”
“I’ll go back up front and cover for you. Take all the time you need.” He pressed a kiss into the top of her head, then pushed up from the sofa.
“Thorin?”
He paused in the doorway. “Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“Of course.”
She smiled. “Thorin?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
He winked and softly closed the door. The silence settled around her, thick and heavy. She stared down at the screen, tracing over Conan’s left ear as she debated whether or not to call her mother back.
Then, she drew in a deep breath and picked up the phone to toggle to her mother’s contact information, and hit call.
“Leda.”
“Hi, Ma. I saw you called.” Leda tried to concentrate less on the roar of her pulse in her ears and more on what she actually wanted to tell her mother. It had been so long since they last spoke, and it ended in an argument, so she wanted to tread carefully. Trouble was, treading carefully was never her strong suit.
“It’s been while. What’s going on with you?”
Leda glanced over at Thorin’s desk, at the black leather racket draped over the back of his chair. She pushed up from the sofa and moved to sink into his chair. “I’m good. I’m in North Jersey now, in this cute little town. And I—uh—I met someone.”
“So what else is new?”
Leda leaned back in the chair, smiling as the scents of sandalwood and eucalyptus teased her nose. “No, this is different, Ma. I’m living with him. And—”
“Does he have a name?”
“Well, yeah. Of course. His name’s Thorin. And he owns a pub and—”
“Another boss, Leda?”
She gritted her teeth at the smirk in her mother’s voice. “I just told you it was different, didn’t I?”
“The only difference I hear so far is that when he’s done with you, you’ll be out of a job and a place to live. Two birds, one stone.”
Her mother’s words brought a tightness to Leda’s chest, one she tried to ignore as she cleared her throat and tried again. “You’re wrong, you know. This is the real deal.”
“The real deal. I’ve heard this before, Leda. And—”
“We’re having a baby, Ma,” Leda broke in softly. “In July.”
Silence. The roar in her temples grew louder and for a moment, Leda thought maybe her call had gotten dropped. “Are you still there?”
“I’ll be damned,” her mother said softly. “You finally got knocked up. I thought it would have happened a lot sooner than this.”
“That’s what you have to say? That’s it?”
“What else shouldI say? You finally managed to trap a guy. Good for you. But, are you sure it’s his? Is he sure it’s his?”
Her throat tightened and tears stung her eyes. “I thought you might be happy, actually. And I didn’t trapanyone. He’s asked me to marry him, and—”
The door opened and from the corner of her eye, she saw Thorin standing in the doorway. She swallowed hard as her mother then said, “I’ll believe that when I see the actual invitation.”
She looked over at Thorin and shook her head. “Well, I won’t keep you, then. I just thought you should know.”
A low sigh and then her mother said, “I appreciate it, Leda. Take care of yourself.”
With that, her mother clicked off and Leda didn’t know why she expected anything different. She tossed the phone onto Thorin’s desk and with a low sigh, buried her face in her hands.
The floor squeaked as he came over. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. I don’t know why I thought this conversation would go any other way.” She pushed up from his chair. “It’s probably crazy out there, so—”
He caught her, wrapping her in his arms to pull her against his chest. “I’m sorry, mimûna.”
“Why do I try?” she murmured, letting her head come to rest against his chest. His heart beat softly beneath her ear, beneath the black long-sleeved tee shirt he wore, and it was the most comforting sound in the world at that moment. “Why did I think she might actually give a fuck this time?”
“I don’t know. But, you tried. I know you, Leda, if you hadn’t, you’d be wondering what if forever. Now you know.”
“Yeah.” She rested her chin against his chest and looked up at him. “I know.”
His eyes were soft, his arms tightening about her. “Even if it sucks, it’s better to know than to wonder.”
“I know, but… damn, it really does suck.”
“Yeah. It does.” He bent to brush her lips with his, then held her a few minutes more before breaking the comfortable silence with, “I hate to play boss man with you, mesmel, but it really is getting crazy out there.”
“I know.” She pulled out of his arms and with a soft sigh, let him steer her back out behind the bar. They were three deep and Leda was grateful for the crowds to help take her mind off the things she couldn’t change no matter how hard she tried. She hated the fact that after all these years, and after all the things her mother had said and done, her mother still had the power to hurt her so badly. Leda hated it, hated the fact that she could still be so hurt by this woman. It made no sense, how she could insulate herself from just about anyone else on earth, but somehow, her mother alway found the chink in her armor, always found the crack in the foundation, and was able to worm her way through it and straight into Leda’s soul to make her doubt everything all over again.
Well,almosteverything. She gazed over at Thorin, laughing at something with Jimmy, and smiled. There were some things she didn’t doubt in the least.
Thorin Durin and how he felt about her topped that list.
Summary:Everyone in Cranford Falls knows the Prescott family. Not only do they run Miss Fortune’s Crystal occult shop in town, but they’re also known for their psychic abilities. On occasion, they’re even called into service to assist the police on particularly difficult cases. All except Alex Prescott, that is. Unlike her three sisters, she’s inherited none of her family’s gifts. At least that was what she thought until the day the dead guy showed up in her bedroom asking for her help in solving a murder. His own.
Six months after his brother Frerin’s death, Detective Thorin Durin is on a downward spiral of self-destruction until Frerin starts showing up in his apartment, claiming his death was not an unfortunate accident but was, in fact a murder. Trouble is, Frerin doesn’t know who did it, so he wants Thorin to reopen the case and solve it, with Alex’s help.
As they work together to find out just exactly what happened to Frerin, Alex and Thorin grow closer. Neither one knows it, but Frerin isn’t just looking to solve his own murder, he’s trying to help his brother cope with his loss as well, and to find happiness with the Prescott sister who’s known as the quiet one…
Summary:Frerin pays a disbelieving Thorin a call and has to convince him he’s not imagining things…
“Look, I knowyou can hear me. I know you can hear andsee me, so just knock it off and talk to me already, will you? I’m not kidding, man. This is important!”
Thorin continued to ignore the familiar voice as he clicked through television stations. If he continued to ignore Frerin, maybe he’d go away. If not, Thorin was pretty sure he’d end up on Cuthbert’s sofa, explaining how he must have cracked, because now he was seeing ghosts. More to the point, the ghost of his dead brother. And not only that, but the ghost of his dead brother talkedto him. Well, yelledat him, more or less.
Too bad there was nothing decent on. The Rangers had gotten knocked out of the playoffs in the first round weeks ago and he didn’t give a damn about the Capitols, so—
Something yanked the remote from his grasp and the screen went black. “Stop it, goddamn it! You knowI’m here. Why are you being so fuckingstubborn?”
Thorin wasn’t sure what to say. His jaw clamped shut as his eyes went downcast. He felt awkward and exposed and vulnerable. Change was hard, just as it was terrifying, and he didn’t feel quite as authoritative as he normally did. There were no furs to protect him, no mass amount of layers to make him feel armed, but if this was what it took to blend in for a night on the town…then so be it. He’d be back in that fur-lined coat of his before the night was over.
“Do the buttons on the vest offend you? If you glare at them any harder, they might just pop off.” Bilbo asked, approaching cautiously and swatting Thorin’s hands away to finish out the buttons.
“I feel like I belong in a fucking circus.”
Thorin was more of the ringmaster of this particular circus, but Bilbo kept his mouth shut on that one. Low-hanging fruit like that wasn’t nearly as fun to grab a hold of when it came to sassy commentary. “Well, I’ll say it again. I think you look nice.” The words came out far quicker than he anticipated, but there was a strong level of truth to them.
Raising his eyes and finishing off the last button, Bilbo aimlessly was plucking at the dress shirt. “Besides, you might feel better once you have it paired with something to go over the top? I know how much you pride yourself in that big ridiculous coat you wear.”
“It’s not ridiculous.”
“It is, but you wear it like armor. It makes you feel safe, I understand that. Though I can assure you, there are no dangers here.” At least not any immediate dangers by Bilbo’s standards. “There, now you look like you’re ready to hit the town.” The buttons were all fastened, the dress shirt no longer was awkwardly tucked in places around the neck of that vest, and Thorin looked rather sheepish beneath Bilbo’s gaze. Odd as it was to see such a look, Bilbo admired it greatly, even if it did nothing for his blossoming feelings towards one grumpy nut.
Thorin wasn’t sure what to say. His jaw clamped shut as his eyes went downcast. He felt awkward and exposed and vulnerable. Change was hard, just as it was terrifying, and he didn’t feel quite as authoritative as he normally did. There were no furs to protect him, no mass amount of layers to make him feel armed, but if this was what it took to blend in for a night on the town…then so be it. He’d be back in that fur-lined coat of his before the night was over.
“Do the buttons on the vest offend you? If you glare at them any harder, they might just pop off.” Bilbo asked, approaching cautiously and swatting Thorin’s hands away to finish out the buttons.
“I feel like I belong in a fucking circus.”
Thorin was more of the ringmaster of this particular circus, but Bilbo kept his mouth shut on that one. Low-hanging fruit like that wasn’t nearly as fun to grab a hold of when it came to sassy commentary. “Well, I’ll say it again. I think you look nice.” The words came out far quicker than he anticipated, but there was a strong level of truth to them.
Raising his eyes and finishing off the last button, Bilbo aimlessly was plucking at the dress shirt. “Besides, you might feel better once you have it paired with something to go over the top? I know how much you pride yourself in that big ridiculous coat you wear.”
“It’s not ridiculous.”
“It is, but you wear it like armor. It makes you feel safe, I understand that. Though I can assure you, there are no dangers here.” At least not any immediate dangers by Bilbo’s standards. “There, now you look like you’re ready to hit the town.” The buttons were all fastened, the dress shirt no longer was awkwardly tucked in places around the neck of that vest, and Thorin looked rather sheepish beneath Bilbo’s gaze. Odd as it was to see such a look, Bilbo admired it greatly, even if it did nothing for his blossoming feelings towards one grumpy nut.
Thorin wasn’t sure what to say. His jaw clamped shut as his eyes went downcast. He felt awkward and exposed and vulnerable. Change was hard, just as it was terrifying, and he didn’t feel quite as authoritative as he normally did. There were no furs to protect him, no mass amount of layers to make him feel armed, but if this was what it took to blend in for a night on the town…then so be it. He’d be back in that fur-lined coat of his before the night was over.
“Do the buttons on the vest offend you? If you glare at them any harder, they might just pop off.” Bilbo asked, approaching cautiously and swatting Thorin’s hands away to finish out the buttons.
“I feel like I belong in a fucking circus.”
Thorin was more of the ringmaster of this particular circus, but Bilbo kept his mouth shut on that one. Low-hanging fruit like that wasn’t nearly as fun to grab a hold of when it came to sassy commentary. “Well, I’ll say it again. I think you look nice.” The words came out far quicker than he anticipated, but there was a strong level of truth to them.
Raising his eyes and finishing off the last button, Bilbo aimlessly was plucking at the dress shirt. “Besides, you might feel better once you have it paired with something to go over the top? I know how much you pride yourself in that big ridiculous coat you wear.”
“It’s not ridiculous.”
“It is, but you wear it like armor. It makes you feel safe, I understand that. Though I can assure you, there are no dangers here.” At least not any immediate dangers by Bilbo’s standards. “There, now you look like you’re ready to hit the town.” The buttons were all fastened, the dress shirt no longer was awkwardly tucked in places around the neck of that vest, and Thorin looked rather sheepish beneath Bilbo’s gaze. Odd as it was to see such a look, Bilbo admired it greatly, even if it did nothing for his blossoming feelings towards one grumpy nut.
Thorin wasn’t sure what to say. His jaw clamped shut as his eyes went downcast. He felt awkward and exposed and vulnerable. Change was hard, just as it was terrifying, and he didn’t feel quite as authoritative as he normally did. There were no furs to protect him, no mass amount of layers to make him feel armed, but if this was what it took to blend in for a night on the town…then so be it. He’d be back in that fur-lined coat of his before the night was over.
“Do the buttons on the vest offend you? If you glare at them any harder, they might just pop off.” Bilbo asked, approaching cautiously and swatting Thorin’s hands away to finish out the buttons.
“I feel like I belong in a fucking circus.”
Thorin was more of the ringmaster of this particular circus, but Bilbo kept his mouth shut on that one. Low-hanging fruit like that wasn’t nearly as fun to grab a hold of when it came to sassy commentary. “Well, I’ll say it again. I think you look nice.” The words came out far quicker than he anticipated, but there was a strong level of truth to them.
Raising his eyes and finishing off the last button, Bilbo aimlessly was plucking at the dress shirt. “Besides, you might feel better once you have it paired with something to go over the top? I know how much you pride yourself in that big ridiculous coat you wear.”
“It’s not ridiculous.”
“It is, but you wear it like armor. It makes you feel safe, I understand that. Though I can assure you, there are no dangers here.” At least not any immediate dangers by Bilbo’s standards. “There, now you look like you’re ready to hit the town.” The buttons were all fastened, the dress shirt no longer was awkwardly tucked in places around the neck of that vest, and Thorin looked rather sheepish beneath Bilbo’s gaze. Odd as it was to see such a look, Bilbo admired it greatly, even if it did nothing for his blossoming feelings towards one grumpy nut.
Thorin wasn’t sure what to say. His jaw clamped shut as his eyes went downcast. He felt awkward and exposed and vulnerable. Change was hard, just as it was terrifying, and he didn’t feel quite as authoritative as he normally did. There were no furs to protect him, no mass amount of layers to make him feel armed, but if this was what it took to blend in for a night on the town…then so be it. He’d be back in that fur-lined coat of his before the night was over.
“Do the buttons on the vest offend you? If you glare at them any harder, they might just pop off.” Bilbo asked, approaching cautiously and swatting Thorin’s hands away to finish out the buttons.
“I feel like I belong in a fucking circus.”
Thorin was more of the ringmaster of this particular circus, but Bilbo kept his mouth shut on that one. Low-hanging fruit like that wasn’t nearly as fun to grab a hold of when it came to sassy commentary. “Well, I’ll say it again. I think you look nice.” The words came out far quicker than he anticipated, but there was a strong level of truth to them.
Raising his eyes and finishing off the last button, Bilbo aimlessly was plucking at the dress shirt. “Besides, you might feel better once you have it paired with something to go over the top? I know how much you pride yourself in that big ridiculous coat you wear.”
“It’s not ridiculous.”
“It is, but you wear it like armor. It makes you feel safe, I understand that. Though I can assure you, there are no dangers here.” At least not any immediate dangers by Bilbo’s standards. “There, now you look like you’re ready to hit the town.” The buttons were all fastened, the dress shirt no longer was awkwardly tucked in places around the neck of that vest, and Thorin looked rather sheepish beneath Bilbo’s gaze. Odd as it was to see such a look, Bilbo admired it greatly, even if it did nothing for his blossoming feelings towards one grumpy nut.
Thorin wasn’t sure what to say. His jaw clamped shut as his eyes went downcast. He felt awkward and exposed and vulnerable. Change was hard, just as it was terrifying, and he didn’t feel quite as authoritative as he normally did. There were no furs to protect him, no mass amount of layers to make him feel armed, but if this was what it took to blend in for a night on the town…then so be it. He’d be back in that fur-lined coat of his before the night was over.
“Do the buttons on the vest offend you? If you glare at them any harder, they might just pop off.” Bilbo asked, approaching cautiously and swatting Thorin’s hands away to finish out the buttons.
“I feel like I belong in a fucking circus.”
Thorin was more of the ringmaster of this particular circus, but Bilbo kept his mouth shut on that one. Low-hanging fruit like that wasn’t nearly as fun to grab a hold of when it came to sassy commentary. “Well, I’ll say it again. I think you look nice.” The words came out far quicker than he anticipated, but there was a strong level of truth to them.
Raising his eyes and finishing off the last button, Bilbo aimlessly was plucking at the dress shirt. “Besides, you might feel better once you have it paired with something to go over the top? I know how much you pride yourself in that big ridiculous coat you wear.”
“It’s not ridiculous.”
“It is, but you wear it like armor. It makes you feel safe, I understand that. Though I can assure you, there are no dangers here.” At least not any immediate dangers by Bilbo’s standards. “There, now you look like you’re ready to hit the town.” The buttons were all fastened, the dress shirt no longer was awkwardly tucked in places around the neck of that vest, and Thorin looked rather sheepish beneath Bilbo’s gaze. Odd as it was to see such a look, Bilbo admired it greatly, even if it did nothing for his blossoming feelings towards one grumpy nut.
Summary: Thorin Durin likes his life just the way it is—his pub is successful, he’s happily playing the field when it comes to women. He wouldn’t change a damn thing about it. At least, not until he meets Leda Andrews, who stops to help him when his car dies on the side of the road.
Leda is new in town, and late for a job interview when she stops to help a guy with his broken down old car. The last thing she expected was for him to be the same guy who owns the pub where she’s applied to be a bartender, never mind to be one of the hottest men she’s ever seen.
Sparks fly, and while Leda’s got a few ground rules that Thorin is more than willing to abide by, neither one of them expected their fling to turn into anything more serious, or that they would be faced with a situation neither one is prepared for. So, what happens when a no-strings-attached affair teeters on becoming the real thing…
Summary: Thorin and Leda hear the baby’s heartbeat for the first time and later Thorin surprises her…
Thorin drummed his fingers lightly against his knee and tried not to stare at the clock. He looked over at the magazines in the rack, but they seemed to be geared toward expectant women and somehow, he really wasn’t all that keen on reading articles about how to keep one’s nipples from chafing while breastfeeding. He wouldn’t dare say that to Leda, though. She’d junk punch him for his effort, probably.
He was the only man in the waiting room, which he found odd, since there were at least half a dozen women there in various stages of pregnancy. Where were the fathers? Leda told him that most appointments were little more than weight and well-being checks, but fuck it, he planned on being at as many as she’d let him go to. She rolled her eyes when he’d told her, but he didn’t care. He was going to prove to her one way or the other that he wasn’t just here to make it look good. He had every intention of being with her every step of the way, unless she killed him first.
