"What's wrong?" Kristen asked. She followed my gaze, leaning around the table to see the cat. "Oh, what a gorgeous cat!" Getting up, she started over to him.

"Stay away from him," I said in a tense, low voice, before I even knew the words were going to come out of my mouth. The flash of anger surprised me, but I didn't want anyone else touching him. He's mine, damn it.

In confusion, she paused, her hand outstretched to the cat. She shook her head. "What's the matter with you?"

Hurrying to cover my unexpected comment, "He bites," I warned her. "He bit Mike earlier." I narrowed my eyes at the cat. Warm pleasure flowed through me at the thought of how he'd defended me. I couldn't deny the shiver of arousal, either.

Damn. He certainly knows how to push my buttons.

Conflict bubbled inside me. I shouldn't feel this emotionally attached. It was too fast. I wasn't comfortable with it. I didn't want it.

It's just a fling.

Yet, it was there. Undeniable. Like a force of nature. It left me confused.

"Cat has good taste then. Mike is an ass." She pulled her hand back. "Speaking of assholes, any word from your ex?"

I sat back down in my seat and ate the last few bites on my plate, eyes flicking to the cat. "Nope. He hasn't tried anything since I told him I'd get a restraining order if he didn't stop coming by my house last year."

She gave a growl of disgust. "You are well rid of him. What about the other asshole? How's your Department Head been treating you?"

"The usual bullshit, but despite him, my promotion came through." I grinned.

"Holy crap! That's awesome! Congratulations. It must really burn his ass that you are the youngest Full Professor in the faculty and he's still only Associate rank." She raised her water glass, clinking it with mine.

I drank to the toast and chuckled. "Yeah, the Dean pushed it through, despite Bill's objections."

"We totally have to celebrate with the guys later. Tell me more about your guy, though," she teased.

The cat tilted its head, looking from Kristen to me. Was he waiting to see what I'd say about him? "I suspect you will get to meet him." The absurdity of my situation hit me as I shook my head.

"I would hope so, but give me the dirt now." She wiggled her eyebrows, grinning.

Shaking my head at her, I smiled as humour replaced my internal confusion. "You are incorrigible."

"Of course. What are friends for, right?"

Watching the cat out of the corner of my eye, I described Loki. "He currently lives here in London, although I'm sure that's not where he's originally from." Mentally, I snorted a laugh to myself at the absurdly simple statement. "He's taller than me, a sharp dresser, and can be quite gentlemanly when he wants to be."

My mind flashed on exactly how ungentlemanly he'd been pounding me into the desk. I couldn't help but press my thighs together in reaction.

"Not too gentlemanly if he gave you those love bites," she snorted. "But that's the best sort, isn't it? A gentleman that knows how to be bad?" Her eyes twinkled as she teased.

I smiled when she echoed my thoughts. It was an incredibly sexy combination. Despite my uncomfortable tenderness, I ached to explore that depth of passionate euphoria with him. Like Pandora, god, but I wanted to open that box again.

"Yes, he definitely has a wicked side. There is certainly more than meets the eye." Ha!

"I want to hear more, but we better get back to the talks. Will he be coming to the reception tonight?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up," I said as I turned to look at the cat, who gave me a slow blink. Since he's already here.

"Good! I want to meet him. He can help fend off the sketchy types that think conferences are a great place to cheat on their wives and hook up with female colleagues." She rolled her eyes, rose, and headed back to the lecture theatre.

Standing, I picked up the cat and cuddled him to my chest, stroking his fur as I followed her. I did love the feeling of running my hands through it. Quietly murmuring so no one else would hear me, "I know it's you, Loki. You do make a stunning cat."

The cat simply purred in my arms, with no other response.

Two can play at this game, Loki. A plan came together in my mind that had me smiling at its simplicity and wickedness.

"Very well, don't admit it. I bet I can make you reveal yourself before I leave here tonight, but if I can't, I will meet you at my hotel afterwards. I expect you've already figured out where I'm staying?"

Again, the cat simply purred.

I sat next to Kristen in the theatre, absently stroking the cat's thick fur as I considered my plan. Although I wasn't sure it would work, especially given my limited knowledge of him, I knew a few easy modifications to my current agenda and the few buttons of his I'd observed might be just enough. Or I'd make a fool of myself. Still, that he'd sought me out here gave me the confidence to try it.

Kristen quirked an eyebrow at me, inclining her head at the cat.

"I thought it bites?"

"He does. Just not me, not unless I want him to." I smirked at my joke when the cat lifted his head and slowly blinked at me. I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. Yeah, I understood cat behaviour, and he gave himself away without even realizing it.

Kristen looked puzzled, but just shook her head.

In the hours that followed, the cat curled up either on my lap or chest while I sat listening to the talks, trailed behind me during breaks as I chatted with colleagues, and darted away when anyone but me attempted to either pet him or pick him up.

It amused me to no end and spurred my confidence. I was definitely going to have fun with this trickster god and create a little chaos myself. He had no idea I was about to jump on one of his buttons with both feet.

"Still have your shadow?" Kristen asked. She looked around as we stood in line at one of the bar stations set up at the reception.

"I'm sure he's around," I said with a smile and a careless wave of my hand. Of course, I knew exactly where he was, as I deliberately didn't look in his direction. Instead, I sensed his gaze on me like the warmth of fire heating the blood in my veins.

"What would you ladies like to drink?" the bartender asked.

"Red wine, please."

"Me as well," Kristen told him.

With our wine in hand, we mingled.

"Shannon!" a male voice said before wrapping his arms around me. Turning my head, I saw Brian, a friend and colleague from the University of California. Perfect.

"Brian! When did you get in?" I asked as I twisted to briefly return his hug.

Slower to let go of me, he kissed me on the cheek first.

"This afternoon. Are we going to manage to get you on the dance floor, finally? After everyone has had a bit more social lubrication, I am pretty sure they are breaking out the music."

"Hmm... maybe." With a laugh, I glanced down under the nearby cocktail table to see a pair of brilliantly glowing green eyes, narrowed, glaring at me.

"Is Jay or Rick here yet?" Brian asked me. "They were due to arrive before the reception as well."

"I haven't seen them yet," I told him.

"How are you ladies for drinks? I'm going to go get us a round of tequila."

We groaned at Brian's comment. It was a tradition when we got together, but inevitably, a hangover the next day was the result.

"I beat you to it this round!" a new voice said, as a hand came to rest on my waist. "Hey babe, good to see you." Jay kissed my cheek and held a tray with tequila shots.

Damn. I couldn't have planned that better had I given him the line.

It got noisier in the hall as more people arrived and the reception got rowdier. Despite that, I heard a growling sound. The cat was several feet away under the table. There was no way I'd be able to hear growling from that far away. My ears had to be playing tricks on me.

We each took a shot glass, clinked our toast, and downed the tequila in one burning gulp.

"Damn! I missed the first round?" Rick asked as he joined us.

"No worries, man. I'm off to get the next round!" Brian said, taking the tray from Jay, who'd released my waist to do his shot.

Rick finished hugging Kristin and came over to me for a hug. "Looking sexy and ravishing as ever, Shannon. When are you going to ditch that wet rainforest and come live with me on the beach in the sun?"

"Funny, Rick. Very funny," I told him, stepping out of his arms when the growling sound increased. No one else seemed to notice it. I bit my lip in amusement. I didn't know how I was hearing it, but I suspected the source.

As Brian returned with a second round of shots, Kristin held up her hand. "We need to celebrate! Shannon got promoted to Full Professor!"

"That's fantastic!"

"Congrats!"

"To Shannon!"

"Keep kicking ass and taking names!"

I laughed and told them how much I appreciated their support after we tossed back our shots. The DJ started the music, kicking it off with Bon Jovi's "Living On A Prayer" blasting out of the speakers.

"Here's to the awesome music of the eighties!" Brian toasted when Rick came back with another round.

"Absolutely!" we agreed, and started to sing along to the lyrics, dancing in place.

Coming over beside me, Brian and I used our shot glasses as pretend mics as we sang, leaning into each other. The guitar intro of Guns N' Roses "Sweet Child Of Mine" had us bumping our sides together as we sang.

When the Cranberries "Zombie" came on, Rick and Brian each put an arm around me, and we danced as I sang. As a group, we enjoyed karaoke, but I tended to avoid dancing or more contact than a simple hug of greeting. Yet the guys always tried. It was exactly what I'd been counting on.

The growling sound increased in volume until it was almost louder than the music. Deliberately, I ignored it and didn't look over at the cat under the table.

When Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" started, I didn't object as Jay boldly pulled me into his arms, far more closely than I'd normally allow. He attempted some dirty dancing, and I hid my smile. Yeah, I knew they'd take a mile if I gave them the slightest opening. If this didn't get Loki, I knew I'd have to call a halt, so I didn't lead them on more than intended.

The growling turned into a distinctive British voice full of menace. "If he doesn't get his bloody hands off you right fucking now, I'm going to shred your friend into oblivion, so even Hela won't be able to find his soul."

It took me a minute to realize I was hearing him in my mind. Elation surged, and I bit back the laughter that wanted to bubble out of me with his threat.

Seconds later, I was tugged out of Jay's arms and back into a hard chest. The familiar scent of woodsy citrus surrounded me. His left arm formed a rigid band around my waist, hand on my right hip pressing my ass tight against his aroused length, moving us to the music.

Laughter was incinerated by erotic heat as my senses caught fire.

With his right hand, he started at my waist, slowly gliding up over my breast with its taut nipple to my throat, tilting my head to the side with his mouth to my ear.

Pulse pounding, my breath caught.

"You are MINE and the next mortal to touch you will die," he warned in a deep menacing growl.

I knew his touch, his voice, and his body against mine. I couldn't deny the chord it struck within me. Like raw metallic ore put to the forge, I yielded, softened, and surrendered to his dark masculinity, even as my body clenched with quivering need.

Putting my right hand over his arm at my waist and reaching my left up to tangle in his short ginger hair, I pushed my ass back against the stark, unyielding evidence of his desire.

"Yes, Loki, I am yours. Only yours." At least for now. At least like this.

He bit me on the neck, tongue caressing the bite mark, and electricity sparking in my veins.

"Mine," he growled, lips continuing to explore my neck.

We danced the rest of the song like that, oblivious to everything else around us.

When the music shifted to Third Eye Blind's "Semi-Charmed Life", Loki turned me in his arms, looking down at me and smiling as he gently brushed my cheek with his fingertips.

"You are a tease, darling," he said, amusement in his blue eyes.

"I won the bet," I told him with a half smile.

Throwing his head back, he laughed. Smiling widely, he leaned down and kissed me. "Indeed you did, my gorgeous wicked temptress. So what do you want as your reward?"

"I'd like to try Asgardian mead. Or is that a myth?"

"No, darling, it's not a myth. Introduce me to your friends. Promise me you will stay out of their arms, and I will go get your reward." His eyes were serious while he waited for my answer.

"I promise." I had no desire to be in anyone else's arms but his tonight.

He kissed me again before we turned to face my friends. "Remember to introduce me as Tod," his voice in my mind again.

Looking at my friends and their varied reactions had me bursting out laughing. Kristen was smirking at me. Brian and Jay were arguing. Rick simply stood there with his mouth gaping.

"Hey guys, this is Tod." I gestured to him, as I told him each of their names and where they were from.

Loki shook each of their hands. When he got to Jay, he gave him a hard smile. "Sorry mate, but I really don't share well."

Jay put his hands up in surrender with a grin. "Totally get it."

Rick finally got over his shock and spoke. "You're Tod Corvus. Wow, I'm a total fan."

Loki gave him a little nod. "Thanks. It's nice to hear you appreciate my work."

Kristen laughed as she came over to elbow me. "Damn, Shannon. Go big or go home, right?"

I coughed as I almost snorted the wine I was sipping out my nose at the combination of her comment and Loki's, "Am I that big, darling? Are you sore? Is that why you aren't wearing knickers?" in my head.

With a half smile, eyes gleaming in amusement, he patted my back as I caught my breath. "I believe it's my turn to go get a round of drinks," he announced. "Remember your promise. I'll be back in a few minutes."

As soon as he was far enough away, my friends started bombarding me with questions.