₣łⱤɆ฿ɎⱤĐ

Chapter Thirty-Four: High Treason

╟╫╫╫╫╢

Waking up with his arms around me, I felt safe, warm, and happy.

Until my mind caught up with my actions of last night. Until I fully grasped who it was with his arms wrapped around my waist and my head against his chest.

"Shit."

"Good morning to you, too, pet," the sarcasm had returned to Loki's voice. That, I guess, was a good thing.

"I warned you about using that name," I said, turning around to face him. Heat pooled in my cheeks when I remembered that neither of us was clothed in the slightest.

"You seemed to enjoy it last night," he smirked, lifting my good hand to his mouth and pressing his lips to my knuckles.

"I will smite you."

"Give it your best shot, my darling."

I groaned, pushing myself to sit. I wrapped the blankets around my upper half as I surveyed the room for my discarded clothes. Joy, they were all the way on the other side of the room. Loki had likely thrown them there on purpose, the calculating, infuriatingly handsome jerk.

"Turn away," I ordered him.

An amused grin overtook his face. "Why? I can assure you, there is no part of you I haven't seen. Even if I turn, my mind can paint me a lovely image."

I didn't even want to know how red his comment had turned my face, but judging by his triumphant smirk, I probably resembled a tomato.

"I can't stand you."

"Your screams from last night tell me otherwise."

I scoffed, standing and walking away, covering what I could with the sheets. Based on the low whistle Loki released from behind me, I wasn't doing a great job. My entire body prickled with heat as I snatched up my dress and pulled it on behind the folding screen.

When I stepped out, I saw that he'd put his pants back on, and was in the midst of buttoning up his shirt. He paused when he saw me.

"I have to thank you, for last night," he said. I opened my mouth to shoot back a retort, but he stopped me. "Not just for how it ended, I mean. Though I very much took pleasure in that."

I rolled my eyes, coming to stand in front of him, where he was leaned against my desk. He pulled me in close to him by the waist so that I stood between his legs, and I placed my hands on his shoulders.

"I didn't think anyone in this place had a care for me."

"Can you blame them?" I asked, mindlessly finishing the task of buttoning up his shirt for him as I talked, "You push people away at every turn."

"I suppose not."

I tilted his chin up so that his gaze was level with mine. "You have more people here than you care to admit to yourself."

"I only need one," he said softly, pulling our faces together.

A knock at my door sent me stumbling back several paces.

"Alivia?" Thor's voice sounded from the hallway.

"Well, isn't this a familiar situation we've found ourselves in?"

I swatted his shoulder, my eyes frantically searching for someplace to hide him. They landed on the closet, and I pulled him by the collar, hurriedly stuffing him inside.

"You make one sound and what happened the other night will be the last time," I warned.

"I didn't realize we were planning on doing that again," he smirked.