Free Her Viking Valentine (All Fired Up) by Kristen Painter

 
     
    HER VIKING VALENTINE
     
    By Kristen Painter
     
     
     
    * * * * *
Kindle Edition
* * * * *
     
     
     
    Published by: Kristen Painter
     
    Cover by Kristen Painter
     
    Copyright © 2010 by Kristen Painter
     
     
     
    All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
     
    This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Her Viking Valentine
     
     
     
    “He’s too happy.” Freya, goddess of love, stared into her all seeing mirror and studied the Phoenix who’d gotten away from her, Viking chieftain Alrik Gunn. He’d been one of her favorites. Stubborn. Vengeful. Deliciously handsome. But thanks to the mortal woman at his side, Calleigh McCarthy, he’d found a loophole in her system. The mortal woman had given one of the three changes meant to transform her life to Alrik. Changes he’d been charged to give to her.
     
    Freya had yet to get over it.
     
    Eros crossed his arms. “Happy is good. He deserves happy. Let him be.”
     
    She raised a brow at the original Phoenix. “Are you telling me what to do?”
     
    Eros shook his blond curls. “Merely a suggestion.”
     
    She narrowed her gaze. “Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us. Shouldn’t you be out shooting your magic arrows into the lovelorn?”
     
    “My job as Cupid has nothing to do with this.” Eros frowned. “They’re in love. Why does that bother you so much? You should be happy for them.”
     
    “They only think they’re in love.” She snorted indelicately and her attention went back to the mirror and the disgustingly happy couple pictured within. “They’ve been married a little over six months. They’ve had no trials, no tribulations, no obstacles. They don’t know any better!”
     
    “Don’t you think they went through enough when they first met?”
     
    “When a sword is made, the metal is hammered to make it stronger. If they are truly in love, a few trials won’t weaken them.” And if they weren’t in love, a few trials might break them apart. She crossed her arms and tapped one finger against her upper arm. Maybe Alrik would beg to be taken back into her service.
     
    “Whatever you’re thinking, I don’t like it,” Eros said.
     
    “You don’t have to like it.” She slanted her eyes at him. “You’re just a demi-god, lover. Now go fetch me my wine. This sort of thing makes me thirsty.”
     
    * * *
     
    Calleigh smiled at herself in the mirror as she added a petite pair of diamond hoops to her ears. Life was good. No, life was great . She’d lost seventeen pounds since reopening the dance studio and started teaching again. Her cat, Snickers, hadn’t gifted her with any dead mouse parts lately. And what was that other thing? She laughed and twirled so her red dress spun out around her like a budding rose, thankful that other thing was downstairs where he couldn’t see her giddiness.
     
    She was married to the most amazing man, amazing because he adored her in a way no other man ever had, he’d given up so much just to be with her and he was, without question, the kind of man other women looked twice at, but he never looked back—if he even noticed them in the first place. He was far too loyal, not to mention anything that smelled like betrayal was on his