A Viking For The Viscountess Read Online Free Page B

you?”
    “I know of no man named Marcus.” He glanced back and saw the consternation lined upon her face.
    “You’re dressed like no one I’ve seen before, and you’re speaking a language that I haven’t heard since my maid, Grelod, taught it to me.” Her fists curled at her hips. “What is it you want from me?”
    He pulled the oars against the current, bringing them as close to the shore as he dared. “I might ask the same of you. You tempted me in your arms last night, trying to ensnare me before I could reach Valhalla in Asgard.”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I nearly drowned last night.”
    “Or the gods brought you to me.” He released the oars and stood before her. “Our fates are intertwined, so it seems.”
    “No, they aren’t,” she argued. “I’ve been through enough without needing another man to make me into a fool.”
    He sent her a dark look. “You should be grateful that I am willing to return you to your home instead of keeping you as my thrall .”
    She frowned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but no man will keep me from my son.” There was a cool tone to her voice that held a warning.
    Arik moved to the bow of his ship and dropped the anchor near the dock. Juliana let go of the rudder and stood with her shoulders back, walking toward him as if he were her slave instead of the other way around. She reminded him of a Norsewoman, strong in her demeanor.
    But she was sorely mistaken if she believed he was going to let her go. Somehow, she was tied to his fate. And he wouldn’t rest, until he learned what his purpose was.

CHAPTER TWO

    A fter the boat was secure upon its moorings, Juliana allowed Arik Thorgrim to lift her to the dock. His hands lingered upon her a moment too long, and his touch made her nervous.
    “Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Thorgrim.” She clasped her hands together, trying to distance herself from him, like a proper English widow. Not at all like a woman who had been intimate with a stranger.
    The very thought set her cheeks on fire. She still couldn’t believe that the dream had been real. She wasn’t at all a woman of sensual desires. Hadn’t William told her, time and again, what a disappointment she was? The day after their wedding, he’d told her that she needed to respond better to him, to grow aroused simply by looking at him.
    But he’d had little effect on her—unlike this man, whose physical form reminded her of a Greek statue. He was tall, with broad shoulders, and she’d felt his ridged abdomen last night. His strong thighs had held not a trace of softness, like a warrior who had come off a battlefield.
    His face seemed familiar somehow, and she tried to think of where she might have met this man. Long dark hair hung below his shoulders, and his brown eyes held interest, as if he remembered what they’d done last night. A stubble of beard lined his cheeks, and she thought of the way it had abraded her breasts as he’d licked and suckled her.
    The thought sent a thrill through her body, making her respond against her will. No, she couldn’t let herself be seduced again. The sooner she escaped his company, the better.
    “Thank you for bringing me home. Now I’ll bid you a good day.” She nodded in dismissal and turned to leave.
    “You will go nowhere without me, woman,” came his reply.
    Oh won’t I? She stared at the man, disbelieving that he would have the gall to order her around. But he stepped out of the boat and tied it to the dock. It was a strange vessel, one that resembled a longboat from long ago. She hadn’t seen anything like it. At the prow of the boat, there was a carved female face and a bronze weather vane.
    Mr. Thorgrim strode across the dock until he reached her side. She suddenly realized how very large he was. Though she was taller than most women, the top of her head barely reached his mouth. Her eyes made direct contact with his muscled shoulders, forcing her to look up.
    He