She must have felt his gaze on her. She glanced up and reddened. He found her blushes inflaming. And her eyes. So green. And her hair. Frfaexen. And her breasts and the buttocks the breeches she called jeans revealed so clearly. Dear Freya and her maidens, this woman was attractive to him. So attractive he was like to lose his soul.
“I’ll brush him. We’ll feed him good food. He’ll heal and his coat will shine.”
Galen nodded, swallowing.
“You . . . you want some Vicodin?”
He shook his head. He had forgotten about his shoulder and his thigh. He pretended he didn’t want to raise her to her feet and drag her to his bed. Instead he peered out the small, high windows. The rain had brought twilight early. The boat that had been the dog’s home was making a noise like Lucy’s car as it moved out from the docks. “He goes.”
Galen heard her clear her throat. “How about pork for dinner? Swine?”
“Ja. Is good.” Now how was he going to get through the night without ravishing her?
Chapter 16
Sunday
Lucy had lived through another rainy evening, trying to focus on the dog rather than the pull toward Galen that was becoming unbearable. Worse, it seemed that the attraction was as much emotional as physical. The man practically radiated the fact that he had a core of goodness and honor. But how could you reconcile that with the fact that he was a Viking, with his smug looks that said he knew he was attractive to women and used it to his advantage, or with that look of shame that crossed his face sometimes? What in God’s name would a Viking, who had probably done everything, be ashamed of? She resolved not to think about him. Again and again.
The dog was settling in nicely. Galen took him out before they went to bed last night and first thing this morning. A clever creature, young and playful, the dog threw himself into everything with total gusto. He nipped at your heels when he wanted to relate or nosed his way under your elbow for petting. Definitely a sheepdog. He was still worried, though. He would return anxiously and touch Galen’s thigh with his nose to reassure himself that Galen was still there. And if you made a sudden movement with your hand or your foot, he’d cringe away. Maybe someday that reaction would fade, but for now, it was a reminder of the kind of life he must have led. Lucy caught herself vowing that she’d make him forget that life. She was not in a position to make promises.
She’d lived through another morning sitting next to Galen as they studied, trying to control her responses. But her nerves were much the worse for wear. They’d walked up to the convenience store during a break in the weather. They bought overpriced dog food, though the dog was more than happy with the scraps of pork and gravy from last night. He gamboled beside them as if they’d always been a threesome. She’d picked up a can of tennis balls. Galen insisted on carrying the supplies home in his good arm and she let him. A Viking had his pride after all. The look of shame she’d grown to watch for had flickered across his face as she paid for their purchases. She’d have to teach him about money. He needn’t be ashamed he didn’t have any. She didn’t, either. They were both living off Jake at the moment.
On the way back to the boat, she threw a ball for the dog, who trotted after it, a little gingerly. He’d soon be racing after it when he felt better. Galen marveled that the ball bounced.
“Plastic inside,” she explained.
“Like the bowls?”
“Not really. I can’t explain. I don’t understand it.”
“You live in a world you do not understand?”
“Yeah. Get used to it, guy.” He might have to get used to it if she couldn’t get him back to his time. “And don’t believe everything people tell you.” She showed him the can the tennis balls had come in. “ ‘Miracle bounce,’ ” she read. That took some Latin to translate. “Not true. It’s not a miracle. Just plastic.”
“Men lie to you about your world?”
He was serious, as she had not been. “All the time. That hasn’t changed.”
“Men do not lie about balls in my time.”
“Only because they didn’t have tennis balls.” The dog brought it back, a little soggy. She threw it out again and the dog trotted into the green weeds blooming with small yellow flowers. “Men lie and trick and steal.” The man was a Viking, for goodness’ sake. Vikings weren’t naïve. “What do you call conquering the east of England but stealing?”
He looked indignant. “Mighty people are meant to spread over the world.”
She raised her brows. “Doctrine of manifest destiny if I ever heard it.” She sighed. “Not that America is any different. Bush doctrine of preventive wars and all. And the Mexican-American War. And the War of 1812, now that I think of it.” The dog brought back the ball.
“So, Lucy, your people are like Danir.” Galen’s voice was sly.
“Do not think that’s anything to brag about.” She threw the ball with two fingers. Yuck.
“Danir are a good people. They do not lie about what they want.”
“Of course they do,” she protested. “Look at Leif Eriksson.” His expression was puzzled. How does he not know one of the most famous Norsemen of all time? Oh. “You were before his time. But he is known by all. He discovered a great island west of Iceland and even colder. He named it Greenland so he could get settlers to go there. Real estate scam if I ever heard one.” Now how would she explain “real estate scam”?
But Galen didn’t ask what it was and indeed seemed unfazed by the accusation. “Who would take his woman and lytlings to ‘Ice and Snow Land’?” He watched the dog go after the ball. “This Leif Eriksson is a wise man.”
“What about Danegeld? Your people asked for payment to leave a kingdom in peace.”
“We took the silver. We went away.” He shrugged and looked his question.
“But you didn’t stay away. You came back the next year.”
“It was the choice of the king. Pay again, we go away again. Or we settle there.”
“So that’s what you call it.” She grinned. “Settling. I’d call it conquering.” A disturbing crinkle around his eyes made her sure there was no use arguing with him.
But he came back to being serious. “No land in Denmark for second sons. Only land in England, Iceland, Brittany, the lands around the Volga River. My father was second son. You think we are thieves? We do not take the land of the English. We make villages beside them. Often the land of our village is not so rich as their land. But we do not fear work.”
She sighed. “I guess it’s the way of the world, anyway. That’s how America was settled, too. We did take land from the people who were here.” Vikings had nearly been the ones to settle North America. Their settlements in Nova Scotia, way before Columbus, didn’t take. She had to admire that they’d crossed the North Atlantic in boats that couldn’t even tack before the wind. “Your people were good sailors.”
“We know the sea.”
Lucy noticed that he used present tense and she used past tense to talk of his time. Another signal of the barrier between them. They walked on in silence. Lucy was worn-out. Maybe it was all the lessons or the constant electric arc of attraction between them. He felt it, too, even if it was just desperation for a lay. But he didn’t act on it. Was the only reason because he had promised not to kiss her? He was an honorable man, but was that all?
She knew why she didn’t act on this growing urge. Because he didn’t. She wasn’t going to risk rejection. And because he was from another time and would soon go back.
God, how? How will I get him back? She tore her thoughts away. Don’t go there, Lucy.