Flipping the burner off without looking away from me, Tod stalked towards me like a predatory animal intent upon its prey. My heart stopped, skipped a beat, then picked up again at a rapid tempo. I was frozen in place, immobilized by his smouldering gaze.

Hands outstretched, he stopped, halted by greasy smears on his fingers. He closed his eyes and gritted out, "Darling, you are absolutely stunning. I need you to go into the kitchen and eat, out of my line of sight, so I can go get ready without completely losing my head."

My eyes travelled from his tightly closed eyes, heavy controlled breathing, down to his now clenched hands, and the rigid outline in his slacks that emphasized just how much he liked what he had seen. I was tempted. Oh, was I tempted.

I absolutely loved his reaction. Damn, it was so insanely hot, seeing him barely holding onto his control like that. A part of me definitely wanted to tease him more to see what he'd do. It might be spectacular to see him break that rigid control. 

Yet, I was torn. It seemed he had some itinerary in mind for our day. My curiosity warred with my desire... perhaps I wouldn't push him more right this minute. I was enjoying our flirtation. Maybe I should wait to see what else he might be planning.

Biting my lip as I smiled to myself, I lightly stepped past him while staying out of reach. I slipped onto a stool at the island with a plate and fork.

When he heard the clink of my fork, he strode to the bedroom without another word or backward look. The sound of the shower echoed in the flat a few minutes later.

Looking down at my food, I hummed in satisfaction. I hadn't realized how hungry I was. Tod had made a full English breakfast, complete with over-easy eggs, sausage, bacon, fried potatoes, fried tomatoes, and a black disc I looked at with skepticism. I suspected this was the black pudding. No nasty beans in sight.

I'd eaten everything on my plate, including the black disc, which had been surprisingly good, before I heard the shower turn off. Placing my dishes in the dishwasher I found tucked under the counter, I cleaned up the kitchen, leaving Tod's plate of food ready for him.

He came out of the bedroom clean-shaven, in a black bespoke suit with a black vest, black tie and crisp white shirt. I tried not to stare as he prowled over to me. Really, I did. He moved like a jungle cat, smooth, dangerous, and with purpose.

Stopping with a few inches between us, he put his finger under my chin to tilt my face up to him. "Open your eyes, darling," he said in a low, deep voice.

I hadn't realized I'd closed them when he stopped in front of me.

My lashes rising, I was caught in the intensity of his sensual gaze. Trembling thighs clenched together instinctively against the flood of heat while I heaved in shallow, rapid breaths.

"You are deadly to my self-control, darling. I find myself thinking such wicked thoughts that I can scarcely hold back from making them into reality. Your dilated pupils, rapid heartbeat, and flushed cheeks tell me the response is mutual, but if I've misread, I need you to speak up. This desire has taken on a life of its own, that not even the repeated assistance of my hand and imagination can seem to tamp down in your presence."

Picturing his meaning had me biting back a needful moan. 

Oh my god! I want to see that. Please!

My eyes closed again to halt my train of thought. Yet, he was imprinted on the backs of my eyelids, and imagining him taking himself in hand was so arousing, a shiver rippled over my spine as everything tightened within me. Licking my lips, I opened my mouth to attempt an answer with a mouth gone utterly dry.

"Bloody fucking hell, woman, you are killing me!"

Surprise had my eyes popping open again to see him staring at my mouth, then I realized what I'd done. A surge of boldness hit, and I met his gaze as I retorted, "You're the one who is the walking orgasm. God, talk about meltdown."

Humour broke through the cutting intensity of desire and we both laughed. Tod snorted. "It's certainly not food I'm hungry for. We might as well go now, so we aren't late."

We walked over to the entrance, and I slid on my stiletto heels. Holding his elbow out for me, I slipped my arm into his as we made our way out to the elevator and down to the car. After helping me settle into the low seat, he walked around the car and got into the driver's seat. The throaty purr of the finely tuned vehicle rumbled through the car park when Tod exited and wove his way through the London streets.

Without knowing our destination, I simply enjoyed the scenery and Tod's skill behind the wheel. Of course, that made me consider how skilled those hands were with other pleasurable pursuits, which did not at all help me maintain my composure. I couldn't get the visual of him in the shower out of my mind.

Pulling up to a line of cars, we inched along until Tod stopped at the start of a red carpet. After getting out, he handed the keys to a valet and came around to open my door and help me to my feet.

As he tucked my hand into the crook of his elbow, I muttered, "Well, I'm glad I wore a posh dress, considering you didn't tell me it was a red carpet affair."

"Darling, if you were any sexier, we would never have made it out of my flat." He smiled and our eyes met. "You don't have to talk to anyone. Just stick with me, so I don't lose my mind if some idiot attempts to hit on you in front of me." His voice dropped to a low growl with those last words, surprising me. I could see from his expression that he meant every word.

Yet, I felt the same. We only had a short time together. I wasn't about to share him for the duration. He might not be mine, but he was mine right now. "Same, Tod. I won't deal well if some woman puts her hands on you."

He looked at me with surprised speculation, then nodded agreement with a little smile and the squeeze of my hand on his forearm.

As we walked along the carpet, the flashes of cameras were blinding. There were deafening shouts from all sides demanding Tod look this way or that for photos, and a flood of questions—wanting to know who I was, were we dating, where did we meet—as well as requests for autographs. Tod stopped every five feet or so, posed with me on his arm, then waived off all the requests and questions with a polite smile or laugh. It was like running a gauntlet, and I knew I'd never want to go through that experience on my own. It was so much worse than the media interviews and film crews I'd dealt with in my career.

Tod greeted his fellow actors, writers, directors, and others on the carpet that he knew with a quick hello, never lingering. Some faces I recognized, many I didn't. Eventually, we exited the carpet and entered the building. The escape from the shouts and blinding flashes made me wonder if I'd actually gone deaf and blind. I was grateful to be away from it. That kind of fame wasn't anything I'd ever sought for myself.

"Are you okay, Shannon?" Tod asked quietly, as we walked through the lobby. "I'm so used to that by now that I forgot how it was for someone experiencing it for the first time. I'm so sorry."

He turned me to look at him, tilting my chin up with a finger.

Blinking, still trying to clear the flash afterimages, I gave him a wry smile. "Well, I might be permanently blind and have hearing damage. Do you still have a face? All I see is a bright blur."

He laughed. "It's probably an improvement. No loss there."

"Hey!" I put my hands on his cheeks. "This is a very handsome face. Don't criticize my taste in men."

"I wouldn't dare, darling," he said with a chuckle. "Let's go find some seats."

Instead of one big theatre, the building was divided into numerous smaller theatres. Although they all had a big screen, each theatre was unique, with eclectic seating ranging from benches, to couches, to reclining chairs, and even bar stools with high-top tables.

"What's your preference?" Tod asked.

Choosing a theatre with couches and reclining chairs, we settled into a deep loveseat with an ottoman at the back of the room. After removing my wrap to lay it on my lap, Tod put his arm around me while we waited.

His fingertips caressed my arm, elbow to shoulder and back again, occasionally up to my neck, or down to my inner wrist and back again. The light erotic touch gave me shivers, raising gooseflesh. I loved the teasing, even as it drove me crazy.

When the lights dimmed, I moaned Tod's name and our eyes met. A light sheen of moisture had broken out across my sensitized skin. With his tantalizing touches, the movie was the last thing on my mind.

His lips turned up in a little wicked smile and he blew lightly on my neck. A wave of electricity rippled over my skin. My back arched with an involuntary gasp, nipples tightening to hard points, while my fingers dug into his thigh. I'd never been aroused so quickly, so effortlessly.

Instead of stopping his sweet torture, Tod lifted me over his leg to sit between his now spread thighs. I wasn't sure what he'd planned, but whatever it was, I wanted it. As the opening theme started, he lifted my hair to the side, and his lips found the nape of my neck. Pleasure spiked, my fingers flexing, and I scraped my nails on his thighs. His every touch had my complete and utter attention.

Fingertips glided down my shoulders, arms to my hands, which he caught in his larger ones. He nibbled along the base of my neck and shoulder. My core clenched, and I bit my lip to hold back a rising moan. God, it was like he knew my every erogenous zone without having to ask.

Pushing back against him made me aware of his rigid length against my ass. Need surged, like a drumbeat pulsing in my veins. My hands flexed in his firm grip. Being unable to touch him was increasing the intensity of my desire to touch him.

"I am going to make you cum, but only if you remain silent. Can you do that for me?" he asked in a low purr against my ear.

Electricity shot through me, like I'd touched a live wire. "Yes," I promised in a soundless whisper. Yet, a small bit of sanity forced me to ask, "Won't someone see us?"

"No, I'll make sure no one sees or notices us."

I was puzzled how he'd ensure that, but he distracted me from further questions by easing his hand under the wrap on my lap and into the slit of my dress. He tugged the opening up to the top of my leg. Wrapping a hand around my thigh, he pulled my legs wider inside the cage of his own. He lifted my one knee on top of his thigh, pinning my foot under his calf to keep my leg where he wanted it.

I scarcely dared breathe as those long fingers teased their way up my inner thigh. Lightly, he brushed over the gusset of my thong, leaving tingling in his wake. The anticipation was driving me wild.

"Someone has been thinking very naughty thoughts to have soaked her knickers right through. That is so fucking hot, darling," he murmured in my ear.

"Totally your fault," I moaned quietly on a breath of air. Holy fuck, but I loved him talking dirty in my ear as he teased.

Moving the thong to the side, he stroked lightly over my heated flesh, before parting me to dance over the quivering bundle of nerves. 

A bolt of electricity shot up my spine. My teeth clenched to muffle a gasp as my hips jerked in reaction. I couldn't hold still with the intensity of it shocking my system.

He let go of my hands to pin my hips in place, using a strong arm wrapped low around my waist and a hand on my hip. My body still tried to jerk, but his strength held me fast, as the fingers of his other hand stroked, tapped, and circled in a merciless rhythm. Good god. It was like trying to ride lightning.

My heart pounded faster with each movement of those clever fingers, like it was going to leap right out of my body. I gripped his thighs as I fought to keep my breath shallow. Muscles quivered under the onslaught. Only his firm hold kept my hips from bucking and writhing. Like a champagne bottle, the pressure was building with relentless force, and I struggled to keep quiet.

"Cum darling," he demanded as he bit my neck. Helpless to resist, I slapped a hand over my mouth to muffle the sound, as the orgasm exploded through me, up my spine, and out of my head in a fiery surge. Ripples of sensation rolled over my skin in waves.

Holy shit! Silently, I panted, trying to recover as he continued to play with me, teasing around my opening.

"Mmm, I liked that," he murmured.

A small moan of agreement slipped out from behind my hand. It had been absolutely incredible. I couldn't remember the last time I'd cum so hard. Maybe I'd never cum that hard. It was hard to think, with his fingers continuing to tease me.

His strokes became more insistent, driving my arousal up again. I wouldn't have thought it possible so fast, so soon, but he was relentless. Still, the pulsing of my core was creating an aching need to be filled.

As if he'd sensed it, two long fingers dove inside me, curling to find just the right spot, as his thumb circled and pressed against my clit. 

Holy fuck! How was he... It was driving me insane, the pleasure almost too much. I fought to not scream while the heat built into an inferno.

"More," he growled in my ear. "I want you to cum again."

It was as if my body was keyed into his words, and he had all the passcodes. Helplessly trembling in reaction, he mercilessly drove me to orgasm again, and yet again, in the dark of the room while the movie played. Blind to my surroundings, pulse pounding in my ears and thoughts scattered, I could scarcely recover between waves. My core spasmed around his fingers at every thrusting movement.

Slipping his fingers from my body, he pulled down my dress.

With my brain still buzzing, it took me a minute to realize he was trying to get me up. My legs didn't want to respond, trembling and limp, but with his arm tight around my waist, he helped me out of the back of the theatre.

Opening doors to look in rooms as we walked down a back hallway, he found what he wanted. He pulled me into a small office and closed the door.

"What?" I managed to utter before he had me lifted onto the desk. 

"I'm done waiting," he growled.

Despite the previous orgasms, my body clenched hard at his words. 

"Then fuck me, Tod." His expression, so carnal and predatory, had me shivering. I wanted him hard, and deep, and pounding me into this desk.

He raised my dress above my hips. With our eyes locked, he ripped my thong off, then stared hungrily down at my aroused flesh for a few seconds. I'd never felt so desirable and wanton. The look in his eyes had me opening my legs in explicit invitation.

After meeting my gaze, he deliberately raised my legs over his shoulders and lowered his head to kiss his way up my right thigh. His lips were cool against heated skin. Bypassing my core, he ran his tongue up my left inner thigh, making me tremble.

"You are a tease," I moaned.

He lifted his head for a minute to catch my eye, and a slow smile stretched his lips. Holding my gaze, he lowered his mouth to blow cool air across my core. "Such a pretty pink flower, blooming with nectar just for me." He licked a long stroke, and my hips jerked at the flash of sparking nerves. "Like that, do you, darling? So do I. Fuck, you taste like sunshine and lemons."

"Yes, oh god yes," I told him on a moan.

Flicking his tongue, my brain scrambled. Each talented stroke had relentless heat blasting outward, searing over my skin. I covered my mouth with one hand to muffle my scream. He rapidly drove me up and over again, scorching pleasure straight up my spine to explode in my brain. 

Breath sawed in my heaving lungs and my heartbeat throbbed in my core. It took longer for me to become aware again in the aftermath.

"I could eat you all day, but I can't wait. I've got to be inside you." He rose and swiftly unbuckled his pants with those long, clever fingers.

"I want." I tried to reach for him, but he was having none of it.

"No, not this time." He held my hand. I still tried, unable to help myself.

Growling, he took both of my hands in his left, pinning them above my head on the desk. With his right, he teased his cock over my soaked folds, coating himself.

"Please."

I writhed, fighting against his hand, trying to drive my hips up to impale myself, desperate to have him inside me, but unable to find the right leverage.

Positioned at my entrance, I could feel the tip. I squirmed in frustration, needing him.

"Please! Oh my god, please!" I begged.

A dark smile grew on his face as his right hand came up to pin my throat to the desk, tight with warning, but not hurting me in any way. 

With my hands pinned as well, it was such a dominant hold that every female instinct sat up to take notice. Not something I was used to. No, not at all. But it struck an erotic chord within me, nonetheless.

"Begging for your god, are you? Let me fulfil that desire!"

He slowly filled me, a burning stretch despite how ready and wet I was, right on the threshold of pleasure and pain. It was exquisite.

He groaned, speaking, but I couldn't understand what he was saying. Once fully seated, his eyes closed. I writhed, needing him to move.

"Please, please," I moaned, unable to articulate my needs.

Leaning down over me, eyes opening only a few inches from mine, he started pistoning in and out, holding my gaze. I was unable to look away as his eyes changed from pale ice blue to brilliant deep emerald. His auburn hair darkened and lengthened to a thick, vibrant black. Even his face narrowed to sharp-edged cheekbones, losing the divot in his chin, and his skin took on a paler cast, despite the flush to his cheeks.

Intensely aroused at the friction of his cock with each hard thrust and the erotic hold on my neck, I shook my head. Blinking, I tried to clear my vision, but still, his changed appearance remained. With overloading senses, my thoughts kept scattering.

Maintaining eye contact, his thrusts sped up, pounding me into the desk, inflaming my body. "Who do you belong to?" he demanded in a low rumble.

Belong to? I didn't understand and shook my head.

A tightening of his hand at my neck, hips driving into me. Each stroke sent lightning up my spine. I was falling into those unrelenting green eyes that wouldn't let me look away.

"Tell me, who do you belong to?"

The masculine possessiveness and overwhelming dominance in his tone, his hold, and every move of his body had me instinctively tilting my neck, even as the words tumbled out of my mouth in a breathy moan. "You Tod, I'm yours, all yours."

"Loki! You belong to Loki! To me! Say it!"

"Loki! I belong to you, Loki," I yelled, unable to imagine any other answer as I writhed on the sharp spikes of intoxicating pleasure.

Removing his hand from my neck, he reached down to circle the bundle of nerves at my apex, while his other hand released my hands to grab the back of my neck, lifting my lips to his.

"Cum with me!" he demanded between fierce kisses.

Crying out into his kiss, I shattered, clenching hard around him. Wave after wave tore through me, the bursts of fireworks exploding from my centre and propelling my soul right out of my body. He roared something I didn't understand, then a long guttural moan as he pulsed deep inside me, extending the waves of my orgasm.

We clung to each other, panting. He feathered kisses on my lips, my cheeks, eyes, and down my neck, holding me there as our breathing finally calmed.

Gently, he slid out of me, setting off another delayed orgasm while my body clenched in reaction. He gathered me in his arms as I trembled, completely wrung out emotionally and physically.

Looking up at him and his changed appearance, I tried to get my exhausted, passion-fogged mind to work. With a hesitant hand, I reached up to touch his hair. He seemed taller, or perhaps my limbs were just that weak.

"I don't understand. Am I asleep?"

A rueful half-smile appeared as he stroked my face with featherlight touches. "I know. Yes, this is me, my real appearance. Tod is me too, but he's a role I play, a character I invented to allow me to move around this world easier. I've had many names over the years, but I was born Loki, an immortal god."

The more he talked, the more my head cleared. My calming heartbeat began pounding in my chest, like it was preparing to take flight. Who or what was the man, god, being, I'd given myself over to so fully? I'd never made myself so vulnerable, never responded so quickly, so completely to another. I didn't know if I liked it. I definitely didn't trust it. It was supposed to be just sex. Not this intense connection. Just sex.

Keeping my face outwardly the same, I pushed up out of his arms.

"I need to go clean up." I tried to stand and staggered with more than post-coital weakness trembling my limbs.

"Are you sure you are okay to make it to the restroom? I'm going to come with you. It's my fault you can't walk."

Straightening my dress and putting my wrap around my shoulders, he tidied his clothes with a wave of his hand, returning his appearance to that of Tod.

It was unnerving. I locked down my expression. There was no way I wanted to give any indication anything was wrong. I had no idea how he'd react to the fear surging inside me. A cold sweat had broken out on my back and I shivered.

"I'd like to be myself with you, but I need to get you out of here and into a bath first. You are going to be sore. I should have restrained myself. I lost my head and my control." His tone seemed apologetic, but how could I trust it when I couldn't even trust his appearance? "I can at least save you a short walk. Hang onto me." He wrapped his arms around me.

In a blink, we were outside the women's restroom. Alarm shot through me, and I clenched my jaw to not cry out. Instead, I blurted a short query. "How?"

"I teleported us. I can teleport a few kilometres." He gave a little half smile as he opened the restroom door for me.

"I can manage." I waved him off irritably to cover the fear I kept trying to stuff down, so it didn't show.

Hands up, he backed away from the door. "Okay, I'll be right outside here when you're done."

As soon as the door closed, the panic I'd been trying to deny surged like wildfire over dry prairie grass.

I looked for another exit and found one on the far side. Bolting out and down some hallways, I found myself at a side door.

Driven by fear-induced adrenaline, I shoved it open and strode down the street on weak, trembling legs. I flagged down a taxi. Giving the driver my hotel address, I sank back into the seat, shaking and thankful I'd insisted on bringing my little clutch purse with me. It had my wallet and passport. Anything else, I could replace.

I was running, but whether I was running from Loki or what he'd made me feel, I wasn't yet willing to face that question.

All I knew was that I needed to escape.