All Over Again (Sequel to Wanted Man)

Chapter Thirty-Four

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

After both Aislinn and Selig were tucked away in bed for the night, McKenna found Loki in the family room, watching television. She flopped down onto the sofa next to him. "What're you watching?"

"A little of this and a little of that." He flipped through a few more channels and then sighed, setting the remote on his thigh. "Unfortunately, there isn't much in the way of this and that. It's all awful."

"Welcome to Midgardian television." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "You look tired."

"I am tired. It's been a long few weeks." He draped his arm about her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. "For both of us."

She peered up at him. In the soft bluish glow of the television screen, his skin almost glowed white, but there were faint hints of shadowing beneath his eyes. His hair had been combed back earlier but now it was curlier, as if he'd been running his fingers through it. "You should go up to bed."

"I will." He gazed down at her and smiled as he picked up the remote again and punched in a number. As a love song oriented music station came onto the screen, a smile lifted the corners of his lips. "Dance with me."

"What?"

"You heard me." His smile widened and he stood, holding out one hand. "Dance with me, Midgardian."

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

She shook her head, but laid her hand in his and allowed him to draw her to her feet. "Why now? You don't even like dancing."

"I like slow dancing with you." He guided her into the middle of the room as Frank Sinatra's Strangers in the Night came on. He caught her hand in his and slid his free arm about her waist, his hand warm on the small of her back.

She let her hand come to rest on his shoulder and smiled up at him. "What brought this on?"

"We haven't danced in a while." His fingers grazed along her back. "I thought we should change that."

"That's right. The last time we really danced was before Aislinn was born. The night of the celebration of the peace treaty on Vanaheim being signed."

"Seems like a lifetime ago."

"Well, we've been busy since then. Between Selig and Aislinn and Tesseracts, we've been a little crazy." She gazed up at him. Sometimes, when he looked down at her the way he did just then, she wondered just what she'd done to deserve him to come into her life. True, she didn't see it that way at first, when he was menacing and arrogant and demanding her help.

But that didn't last long. It was only days later she began to imagine what it would be like to be kissed by him, and that was it. Her heart was a goner. And now? Now she couldn't imagine her life without him in it.

He wiggled his fingers and the lights dimmed. She gazed up at him as he pulled her closer still and his eyes glittered in the soft light as they held hers. His hair skimmed over the backs of her fingers, soft and silky.

"As I said," he murmured, "A lifetime ago."

"What brought this on?" she asked as he pulled her even closer.

"I can't dance with my wife?"

"Of course you can, you just never want to."

Loki's fingers grazed over her hip and the hand that held hers tightened. "It seems as if lately we concentrate so much on the children and S.H.I.E.L.D. that there's nothing left over for either one of us."