Wanted Man (Loki Fanfiction - Book #1)

Chapter Twenty-Six

"What's on your mind?" McKenna peered down at Loki, whose head rested in her lap, his eyes closed as he sprawled across the bed.

"Absolutely nothing," he replied sleepily. "My mind is blissfully blank at the moment."

She smiled, stroking his black hair away from his face. "Well, you did just exert an awful lot of energy."

He cracked one eye. "Are you complaining?"

"Hardly. But-" she squinted at the clock on the opposite nightstand-"I do have to get ready for work. I have to be in by five." She slid her fingers easily through his silky hair as he closed his eyes again. "So you will have to move."

"Must I? I'm quite comfortable."

"I'm sure you are, Jötunn, but I need to shower and get dressed."

"You don't need to, you know." He opened his eyes again and turned his head to gaze up at her. "If you wish to quit, you can. You never need work again, if you'd rather not."

She sat back against the headboard, stunned into silence. She'd never really given not working much thought although technically, Loki was a prince. Never mind that he was a god as well. And knew magic. He could probably conjure a fortune out of thin air, if he so chose to.

"McKenna?"

She shook her head. "I-I don't know. I've never thought about not working. I mean, I like my job, I like the hours-"

His hand came up to curve against her belly. "You're going to have a child in a few months, love."

"I know. I haven't even sat down with Scott and talked about maternity leave." She sighed, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. "We still have so much to do and not a lot of time. We need so many things."

"Have you given any thought to when you might wish to marry?" he asked, sitting up and shifting to face her. He caught her left hand, turning it so the diamond on that hand winked merrily. "You haven't said much about it."

"I don't know. I'm getting too fat for a wedding dress-" she held up her free hand before he could interrupt-"and I'm not going to cry, so don't tell me I'm not. And I don't know what sort of wedding it would be. I have no family. You don't speak to most of yours."

"Perhaps I need to rectify that," he replied softly, lacing his fingers through hers. "It's something I've been thinking about, now that I'm to be a father myself."

"But if you go back, won't Odin just throw you back in the dungeon? And what about the baby? What if he tries to take him or worse?" She reached for her tee shirt to draw over her head, and slid off the bed to pad into the bathroom, where she started the shower. The thought of Odin learning Loki's whereabouts filled her with apprehension. She didn't want him to know, didn't want him to be able to find them.

"What if he doesn't?" Loki appeared in the doorway, leaning against the jamb, his arms folded over his chest. He'd slid into his jeans, but that was it.

"Do you really want to take that chance?"

"I don't know," he admitted, his forehead creased with worry. "I don't wish to risk you or the child, but at the same time... it almost feels as if I should at least try to mend the bridge."

As the water heated up, she walked over to him and slid her arms about his waist. "Do you think that's even possible?"

"I don't know." His blue eyes were troubled and she knew his thoughts were far heavier than he was letting on. And this was one thing she couldn't help him with-the one thing she couldn't make easier for him.