Free Gods and Mortals: Fourteen Free Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Novels Featuring Thor, Loki, Greek Gods, Native American Spirits, Vampires, Werewolves, & More by Laura Howard, Kim Richardson, Ednah Walters, T. G. Ayer, Nancy Straight, Karen Lynch, Eva Pohler, Melissa Haag, S. T. Bende, Mary Ting, Christine Pope, C. Gockel, DelSheree Gladden, Becca Mills Page B

what happened?”
    “We ate dinner. That hall is amazing by the way. All wood-paneled and hand-painted and everything.”
    “Serious?” Emma took another drink of her latte. “I’ve never been in it. It’s not part of the regular tour. It’s just for banquets and events.”
    “Oh.”
    “Enough about the room. Did he kiss you?”
    “Yes.” Thinking about it made me dizzy all over again.
    “And?” Emma bounced on her toes.
    “It was amazing. Everything you’d think a kiss from Ull Myhr would feel like. I literally forgot where I was. And then the tour guide came back all annoyed, and Ull said something like ‘we have all the time in the world’ and–”
    “Oh my gosh!”
    “I know, right? So after dinner, I figured we’d pick up from there and… we did. Sort of.”
    “What do you mean ‘sort of’?”
    “We drove out to this other castle that was built for one of the Marquesses that lived at the first castle.”
    “Castell Coch,” Emma sighed. “So pretty.”
    “It really is.”
    “But it closes super early. How’d you get in there?”
    “We didn’t go in, we just parked on the road and walked into the park.”
    “But the guards?”
    “I wondered the same thing,” I shrugged. “But you’ve met Ull. People don’t generally tell him no. Plus the guard was a girl, so that helped.”
    “Okay, so your date flirted his way into the Castell Coch grounds after hours. What did you do?” Emma tugged at my arm.
    “We… well…” I blushed.
    “Yes?” she grinned.
    “We totally kissed again. It was fantastic. He backed me up against this tree and he just…” What should I say? That he’d grabbed me by the hair and pulled my head back so he could ravage my neck? That I’d had an uncharacteristic moment of indiscretion and let his mouth wander just south of my collar bone? That I had been strongly considering asking him to move an inch lower when another guard found us and made us leave?
    “And he just what?” Emma was beside herself.
    “And he just… kissed me. I can’t describe it.” I couldn’t. Not without turning five shades of red.
    “Oh, Kristia,” Emma sighed.
    “I know. But another guard told us we had to leave, so we got in Ull’s car. And he was really sweet and held my hand on the drive home and walked me to the door and everything. But then he just kissed me on the cheek and said good night and that was it. He didn’t try to come in. I didn’t ask him to.” I wasn’t a total slut.
    “Well.” Emma chewed her lip. “Maybe he had an early morning. Or maybe he’s a gentleman and he didn’t want to steal your virtue.”
    “He didn’t have to steal my virtue.” I blushed. “But another couple of kisses would have been okay.”
    “I’m sure that’s coming. When are you going to see him again?”
    “I don’t know.” I shook my head. “He didn’t ask me out again.”
    “He will.” Emma finished her drink and tossed it in the trash.
    “I hope so.” I heard a muffled ringing and dug around in my backpack until I found my phone. I checked the screen. “It’s him!”
    “You still have a flip phone? Good Lord Kristia, join the twenty-first century.” Emma shook her head.
    “Hello?” I stuck out my tongue at my iPhone-toting flatmate and answered Ull’s call.
    “ Hei hei Kristia.”
    “Hi Ull,” I breathed. Emma did a poor job of hiding her laughter.
    “I like your sweater. That color looks nice with your hair.”
    I spun around and saw him across the quad. He sat on a bench, his ankle resting on a knee. One hand held his phone while the other arm stretched lightly along the back of the bench. He was the epitome of relaxed. A slow smile spread across his face as he stood and pushed a button to end the call. As he walked towards me, my insides turned soft.
    “I cannot believe you got to kiss that.” Emma followed my stare.
    “Shh.” I elbowed her in the side. “He might hear you!”
    “So?” She rubbed her ribs.
    “Kristia.” Ull pulled me