This Time Around (Sequel to All Over Again)

Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

By bedtime, McKenna was exhausted and sore and she flopped face down on the bed with a low, "Oh, God... I hurt."

"Rough afternoon, love?"

"You have no idea." The heavy black comforter muffled her voice, but she didn't pick up her head. To do so would require far more energy than she had.

The bed dipped and she felt Loki straddle her back, one knee on either side of her waist. A moment later, and his hands were on her shoulders, fingers gently working the stiffness from her aching muscles. She couldn't hold back her sigh. It felt so wonderful, those steady, kneading touches, and a delicious drowsiness settled over her, her eyelids growing heavy.

She let them close, sighing again as she said, "Do you know a man named Royce?"

"I know of one. He's one of the Royal Guard. Why?"

"I knocked him on his ass."

Loki's hands went still. "What?"

"This afternoon. In the Northern Courtyard." She turned her head to the left and forced that eye open to peer up at him. "He had it coming."

"Why?"

"He's kind of a jackass."

"What did he do?"

"I don't want to tell you. You'll probably zap him to Jötunheim."

"What did he do, McKenna?"

She hesitated as his jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed slightly. "It's nothing, Loki. Really. I'm probably just being a little over sensitive because everyone else I've dealt with here has liked me-or at least pretended to, to my face."

"I hate to disappoint you, love, but I'm not about to zap anyone, as you put it, simply for not liking you." He went back to kneading her back muscles. "Unless you really want me to, of course."

"Nah. Well, not yet, anyway."

Loki lifted her ponytail to the side and she bit down on her bottom lip at the feel of his lips against her nape. "What did he do, McKenna?" he murmured before kissing her again.

"Mmmm... you're making it hard to think, you know."

His laugh came warm on her skin. "I am not about to apologize, love."

"I didn't think you would."

He kissed her again, and then pulled back. "So what did he do?"

"He has a mouth. And he's kind of a wiseass."

The bed shifted again and Loki stretched out on his back beside her. "How so?"

She rose onto her elbow, reaching out to trace small circles in the middle of his chest with her forefinger. "Oh, you know, taunting me. He seems to get a kick out of calling me 'Princess' just loud enough for a few of his friends to hear."

"Well, you are a princess."

"I know, but he doesn't mean it respectfully." She traced a larger circle across the black linen of his tunic.

His eyes grew heavy-lidded and closed, a slight smile playing at his lips. "So you knocked him-how did you say it?-on his ass?"

"I did. With a roundhouse kick that made Sif proud."

His smile widened, although his eyes remained shut. "That's my girl."

"Is he always like that?"

"I'm afraid I don't know him, love. Outside of Thor, the Warriors and Sif, I kept to myself."

"Oh. Okay. Forget I mentioned it."