Then I started giggling, this, I knew, was definitely hysteria.
Then I did more laundry, folded clothes, tidied them away and put clean sheets on the bed.
Then I did another round of phone calls to my friends, none of whom, again, picked up.
After that, I started freaking out.
And after that, I started pacing, waiting for Tor to return and trying not to panic.
And now, it was after eight, he left just after nine thirty, it was raining and he wasn’t home.
He was probably in an emergency room, every bone in his beautiful body broken, having been hit by a bus.
Sure he was a dick and an ass**le who ripped my heart out and stomped on it, but when I was new to his world, he took care of me. Yes, there was a curse that started and the small fact he thought I was his wife that made him take care of me, but he did.
He killed rabbits for me.
And I let him go out and be hit by a bus.
Shit!
The door opened and he walked through, hair wet, clothes drenched and plastered to him, looking hot.
Not thinking, I ran to him, grabbed his shirt in my fists, pressed to his wet body and tipped my head back to look at him as his arms slid around me.
“Thank God you’re home,” I breathed.
Tor stared into my face.
Then he smiled.
Chapter Nineteen
Only You
After Tor smiled at me, his eyes moved over my face then over my head then they scanned my living room. Then his smile faded, his expression went decidedly ominous, his gaze dropped back to me and he growled, “What are you doing out of bed?”
I didn’t have time for Tor’s ominous look. There was a shitload of money in my TV cabinet, none of my friends were talking to me, Cora had hooked up with my world’s Noctorno and we had a date to have dinner with my freaking parents tomorrow night. I had to stay on target.
“Where have you been?” I asked, my voice pitched high, my fingers still curled into his wet shirt.
“Out in your world,” he answered and before I could say more, he did. “You were right, love, it’s colorless.”
“I know, but –”
“Gray. So bloody wet. And it’s loud.”
“I know, listen –”
“And grimy,” he cut me off again, “so much filth, even the air doesn’t taste good.”
“Tor, I know, but –”
“And so many bloody people, all in a hurry, all impatient, gods, hideous.”
“Tor!” I shouted.
“What?” he asked.