Don’t Play With Odin by Cynthia Eden

Chapter Twelve

She’d been doing it wrong.

Maisey understood this truth with one hundred percent certainty. Sex had never been like this for her. It had never felt this good.

She’d been doing it way, way wrong before. Or maybe her partners had. Whatever. This—this was a whole other level of pleasure. So good that her body still quivered. So good that aftershocks were exploding through her. So good that she wanted to have sex with Odin a million more times, please.

“Thanks for straightening that out for me,” Maisey murmured.

Odin’s head slowly lifted. His expression was both savage, and sated. He was heart-stoppingly gorgeous, and he was also still in her.

“I won’t make the mistake again,” she added. Nope, she would not be repeating that error. Never, ever again. He’d gone and ruined her for the amateurs.

His lips brushed over hers. “What the hell are you talking about?” But the words were oddly tender. Almost like an endearment.

“Now I know what it’s supposed to feel like. Won’t be able to settle for anything less ever again.” A glow seemed to spread through her, and she just had to ask, “Was it…was it really good for you, too?”

Odin shook his head.

Her heart squeezed. “I’m sorry. I, uh, if you show me what you like, then I can do better.”

“The hell you can.”

Her eyes widened.

“It wasn’t really good, Maisey. You were the best ever. Got it? Ever. So good, so make-me-crazy-perfect, that I need you again.”

He was still in her. Still big in her. “Again, as in…right now?”

But he withdrew. Pulled out of her and she winced because she might be the tiniest bit sore. Not that she’d noticed the soreness before, but—

He strode away. Didn’t say anything. She rolled over and watched his ass and almost whistled because, damn, every single inch of him was muscle. Steel. Strength. And—he was back. Already heading toward her and now she had a view of his front.

Maisey swallowed.

He bent. Reached into the nightstand drawer. Pulled out another condom. Staring at her, he slowly rolled it over his thick length.

Then he waited.

Her gaze rose to catch his.

“Right now,” he said flatly.

That was some admirable recovery time. She made a mental note of it even as she scrambled upright. “Are you always like this?”

He eased onto the bed. Stretched out. “Right now, I can’t think beyond you, so I have no clue.” He motioned toward her. “You’re up.”

“Excuse me?”

“On top. You control it this time. Otherwise, I’ll be too hard.”

She rather thought he was already too hard. But she wasn’t exactly sure that was a problem.

“I don’t want to be too rough with you.”

Oh, he’d meant hard that way.

“You show me what you need,” Odin added.

“That’s simple.” But she crawled on top of him. Straddled him and pressed her hands to his chest. “I need you.”

His eyes widened. “Maisey, what am I supposed to do with you?”

Everything. His cock pressed to the entrance of her body. But she didn’t move to take him inside. Not yet. Instead, she leaned down and her tongue licked over one tight nipple.

Odin hissed out a breath.

She took that as a sign that he liked what she was doing, so she licked him again. Opened her mouth. Sucked.

“Baby, you are pushing…”

Yes, she was. And she liked doing it. Her hips arched down against him, taking the head of his cock inside of her just the smallest bit. She tensed a little, worried about pain, but…

Only pleasure.

She was wet and sensitive and every small push of his cock into her was sending off little waves of pleasure. She kept rocking against him, taking him in deeper. Ever so slowly. She worked him inside of her even as she licked and played with him. Her hands slid down his chest. Felt the raw power beneath her touch.

“All the way, Maisey. Take all of me.” His hands clamped around her hips.

She looked at him. His expression was so fierce and hungry.

Did she look the same way?

Her hands pushed down against his chest. She lifted her upper body and pressed down with her hips.

All the way. He lodged fully inside of her. Maisey’s head tipped forward and her hair fell around her face as she took a moment to savor having him all the way inside of her. He filled her completely. So tight. So full. Curious, experimenting, she deliberately clamped her inner muscles around him a little more with a squeeze.

“Maisey!” His hold hardened on her.

She did it again.

And saw Odin break.

He heaved up against her. His hips pounded with fast and frantic thrusts and she held on as she enjoyed the hell out of the ride. He drove deep. She felt him in every inch of her core. He was driving into her, she was shoving down against him, and they were racing toward release. Maisey could feel the climax coming. It was bearing down on her even as he thrust into her again and again.

She cried out Odin’s name when she came. One moment, she was flying desperately toward release, and in the next instant, her whole body seemed to be going supernova as the pleasure lashed at her.

Odin tumbled her back onto the bed. He grabbed her legs. Lifted them higher. Slammed into her and just had the pleasure increasing. Soaring higher. She didn’t even know if this was another orgasm or if he was just intensifying her feelings. All Maisey knew was that the pleasure was so good it seemed to be consuming her.

Then he was there. Erupting into her. Shoving hard with his hips right before his body stiffened against her. She was staring straight into his eyes when he came. She saw the pleasure wash over his face, and she knew she would never, ever forget the possessive look in his gaze as he whispered, “Mine.”

***

A phone was ringing somewhere. Blearily, Maisey cracked open her eyes. Something big and warm was on top of her. She pushed against it. Realized it was…an arm?

Odin’s arm. He’d curled it around her stomach.

A phone rang again.

“Yours,” Odin rumbled.

Hers?

“Your new phone.” He slid from the bed. The room was in darkness, but he seemed to know exactly where he was going. She strained to see him as her eyes adjusted. He was bending down, picking up a phone from her bag. When had he brought her bag in the room? She didn’t remember. She’d kind of passed out after the second round.

Or had it been the third?

“No caller ID.” He put the phone to his ear. “Who the hell is this?”

The glow from her phone’s screen let her see the hard angles of his face.

Maisey sat up, pulling the sheet with her. They’d just gotten that phone, but it had been programmed with her old number. So anyone who knew that number could call her—or it could just be some random, spam call.

“Hung up.” Odin lowered the phone. He took a step back toward the bed.

The phone rang again.

“Sonofabitch,” Odin began. His finger swiped over the screen.

“Put it on speaker,” Maisey urged him as tension snaked through her.

He came closer to her. Tapped the screen to turn on the speaker.

“Who is this?” Maisey demanded. The clock on her phone told her it was almost one a.m.

“I need you…” A woman’s voice. A voice that was somewhat distorted, but still familiar.

Goosebumps rose on Maisey’s arms. “Who is this?”

“You have to help…” Again, the same voice. But it sounded funny. As if the voice was coming from very far away.

Maisey shook her head because this couldn’t be right. She had to be confused. The caller could not be…

“Maisey?”

Her heart squeezed in her chest. “I’m here. Tell me what I can do.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Tell me where you are. I will help you. I will do anything.”

She could feel Odin’s eyes on her, but he wasn’t saying a word.

“Have to help…” The woman’s voice was even softer.

“How?” Maisey demanded. “Tell me how, and I will. Tell me where you are—I will come to you right now! Please, tell me. Where are you—where—”

The call ended.

A tear leaked down Maisey’s cheek. “No.” She grabbed the phone from Odin’s hand. “We have to call her back.”

“Who was on the phone, Maisey?” Careful. Quiet.

The light from the screen glared up at her. “How do I call her back?” Because there wasn’t a number listed. It had been blocked. “How?”

“Who was on the phone?” Odin repeated.

Her breath came too fast. Her chest burned. And hope had her feeling dizzy. “That was Whitney’s voice.” She hadn’t thought it was possible. She’d been so horribly certain but… “My God, Odin. She’s alive. Whitney is still alive!”

And she wanted Maisey to help her.

***

“I don’t like it,” Jinx announced the next morning as he stood on Odin’s balcony and peered down at the beach. “The woman is missing and suddenly, right after your lady is nearly taken, she calls Maisey?”

Odin glanced back toward the closed balcony doors. Maisey was showering. She hadn’t been able to sleep after the call. She’d had him pull every string he had in order to try and get a trace on the caller.

So far, his strings weren’t doing any good.

But he did have a monitor on her phone now. If she got another call…

“Is Maisey sure the caller was Whitney?”

He focused back on Jinx. “She says it was her friend’s voice. Swears she is one hundred percent certain.” She’d been crying by the time the call ended. Silent tears that had leaked down her cheeks and made his chest ache.

“Sonofabitch.” Jinx shoved his hands into his pockets. “And how long has this woman been missing?”

“Two months.”

Jinx closed his eyes. “If she’s been held for that long…”

“Maisey’s coming,” he said quickly because he’d glanced back once more and seen her approaching the door. “Don’t paint any damn pictures. The last thing I need is for her to get those images in her head about what might have happened to her friend.”

The door opened. Maisey stood there, her feet bare, her hair still wet, no makeup on her face. She’d put back on the clothes that she’d worn the previous night. She looked lovely and delicate and so damn breakable.

No one will break her. Odin wouldn’t let that happen.

“What’s the plan?’ Maisey’s shoulders squared. “How do we find her?”

Jinx and Odin shared a long look.

“No,” Maisey said instantly with a shake of her head. “Not happening. You two aren’t running off and leaving me to sit and twiddle my thumbs. This is my friend.” Her voice thickened. “I’m the one who gave up hope and thought she was dead. I should have kept going, kept hoping, and I will. I swear, I will do it now.” Tears filled her eyes. “You won’t shut me out. I will help on this. I will.”

He couldn’t watch her cry. Odin reached for Maisey and pulled her into his arms. His hand patted her shoulder.

Over her head, Jinx winced. “That is like watching a bear swipe at someone. Try a gentle stroke. It will work way better.”

He was gently stroking her. Couldn’t the man see that?

“And, Maisey, I’ll be the one to say this because Odin doesn’t want to crush your dreams and tender feelings but…”

Oh, hell. Frantic, Odin tried to glare the guy into silence—

Jinx ignored his glare. “But it’s too convenient.”

Maisey’s head whipped up. She spun to face Jinx. “Excuse me?”

“Too convenient,” he repeated and enunciated it extra slowly. “Sorry, but I’m a suspicious bastard even on my best days. All of a sudden, right after you’re nearly abducted, your missing friend reaches out and calls you? Nope. Not legit.”

“It was her voice. I know Whitney’s voice.”

“And voices can be faked. They can be altered. They can be digitally changed in a thousand different ways. Give me five minutes and your phone, and I’ll download an app that lets me sound exactly like my great-grandmother.”

Her body trembled. Odin could feel her pain.

“Jinx,” he warned.

“What? I’m telling her so that you don’t have to do it. So that you don’t have to be the one to watch the hope shatter in her eyes.”

Maisey whirled to face him. “Odin?”

But Jinx wasn’t done. “Look, you contacted the cops last night. Did the whole due diligence bit after you got the mystery call, but, O, you and I both know this is shady. The odds of it actually being the missing woman calling—those odds are so low that no one would take that bet.”

Maisey’s eyes were on Odin. Hope was still clinging to her expression. He didn’t want to destroy the light in her eyes.

“Do you think it was her?” Maisey asked. Then she held her breath.

I don’t want to hurt you. He also didn’t want to lie to her. “I don’t know.”

“Fuck me,” Jinx called out. “Odin, get your balls back. You are as doubtful as I am and allowing Maisey to hope now does nothing but make her vulnerable.”

He couldn’t look away from Maisey. “Sometimes, people need hope.” Maisey needed it. “Until I see a body—”

Maisey flinched and retreated from him.

Yeah, he was back to his usual level of tact.

“Until then,” Odin added, “I can’t know for certain. None of us can.”

Some of the tension slid from her shoulders. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“But…” He just had to say this. “It is suspicious. It could damn well be the perp, Maisey. You should prepare for that.”

“Why?” She tried to blink away the tears in her eyes. “Why would he do this?”

Jinx moved to her side. “To jerk you around? To torture you? Because he’s a sadistic prick who gets off on playing with people’s pain? Lots of reasons come to mind for me.”

She frowned at him.

“Could be another reason.” Jinx shrugged.

Jinx had even less tact that Odin did. Odin cleared his throat. “It could be a trick. Could be that he thinks he might have a way of luring you to him. If he offers you Whitney, then you’d come running.”

She nodded. “Yes, I absolutely would.”

No, baby, you absolutely will not.

“If my friend is out there, if she is still alive and this guy is willing to let her go…” Now Maisey grabbed Odin’s hand. “I will help her. I have to help her!”

Jinx sighed. He peered woefully at her. “That’s why it’s called a trap. The perp dangles some bait at you. You run ahead, not even looking at the danger, and the next thing we know, bam, you’re the one who has been missing for months and no one knows what the hell happened to you.”

A dark rage burned within Odin. “Not happening.” There was no way anyone would take Maisey. If he had to chain her to him, he would do it. Maisey was not going to run into danger. She sure as hell wasn’t going to vanish on him.

“What do you want me to do? Ignore the possibility that Whitney might be alive?” She let go of Odin and gestured between him and Jinx. “What if it was the two of you?”

Odin met Jinx’s stare.

“What if someone had Odin?” she asked Jinx.

Jinx gave a rough laugh. “Then the guy is a damn fool. He made the worst mistake of his—”

“Would you risk everything to save Odin? If you thought there was a chance he might be alive, would you risk yourself for him?”

Jinx’s lips pressed into a thin line. After a beat of silence, with his eyes still on Odin, he said, “If she has the chance, your girlfriend will rush off into who-the-hell-knows what kind of situation. She’s going to do anything she can to save her friend.” A pause. “Because it’s the same shit you and I would do for each other.”

It wasn’t the same. Not even close. “We’ve had training. We know how to protect ourselves.”

“Train me!” Maisey piped up.

“We know how to kill.” Flat.

Maisey sucked in a breath.

His gaze locked on her. “That’s the thing, sweetheart. When you’re in one of these situations, when you’re going up against some sadistic asshole who doesn’t care how badly he hurts you or the people you care about, you have to be willing to cross that final line. You have to be willing to take a life.” He stared at her. “You can’t do that.” Maisey had an innate goodness about her. That goodness burned like a light whenever he looked at her. Maisey wasn’t the kind of person who could take a life. She wasn’t a killer.

But I am.

Her body had trembled, but her stare hadn’t wavered. “Yes, I can do it. You don’t know me well enough to make that call.”

“After last night, I’d say I knew you damn well.” He took a step closer.

“Oh, jeez,” from Jinx. “This just took a very awkward personal turn. I think I should step inside—”

“Don’t move a muscle,” Odin ordered him. Because he wanted Jinx to back him up. His gaze remained on Maisey. “You kill someone, and that will stay with you. The blood will be on your hands for the rest of your life.”

“I am prepared for that.” Her chin jerked up. “If this guy has hurt Whitney, if he’s hurt those other women—I will stop him. I won’t think twice about what I have to do!”

Easy to say. But killing was hard. “And he won’t think twice about hurting you. Once he gets you, what do you think he’ll do?” He didn’t want to scare her, but there wasn’t a choice. This was her life.

And she matters too much.

“He won’t let your friend go. He isn’t going to magically trade her for you. He’ll get you. He’ll hurt you.” Just the thought had Odin’s hands fisting. “That’s not happening. Not on my watch. There is going to be no running off when you get mystery calls, do you understand? No trying to be the hero. No thinking you can do this on your own.” Because you can’t, baby.

Her eyes shot sparks at him.

“Every step, we take it together.” There was no debate on this. Your life matters too much, Maisey. “You keep Jinx and I in the loop.”

From the corner of his eye, Odin saw Jinx make a little circle with his hand. “This is the loop.”

Odin ignored him. “You try to hide something from us, you try to lie to us…you put yourself at risk…” His nostrils flared. “And you and I will have a very big problem.”

“She is my friend!”

“And you are—” He caught himself just in time. Stopped right before he growled Mine. And he sure wouldn’t have meant that Maisey was his friend. She was one hell of a lot more than that.

“Ahem.” Jinx cleared his throat. “How about we all take a big breath? We want the same thing here, people We’re on the same side. In the same big, old loop of trust.” Once more, he made a loop with his fingers. “How about we come up with a game plan that works for everyone?”

“We need to find Whitney,” Maisey said empathically. “That’s the game plan. Look, I get that isn’t why I originally hired you, Odin. I went to you because I thought Clay was guilty. I wanted proof one way or the other.”

Proof they still didn’t have.

“If you need more money, I’ll give it to you,” she added quickly. “I will give you anything. Please. Just help me find her.”

Oh, hell, no. “Don’t.” Bit off. “You don’t have to plead with me for anything. I’m on your side. Always. Remember that.” He shifted through possibilities. They had to start somewhere. They had to get moving. And the place that seemed to keep connecting dots for him? “The college.”

Maisey’s brow furrowed. “I don’t have a class today—”

“You work there. Clay is there. Whitney was there. And you were almost taken from that location. It’s a central point. I want to go back and start rattling cages in that place.” Cages that belonged to other staff members, students. Whoever the hell came into his line of suspicion. His head turned toward Jinx. “And I want you to keep shadowing Clay. Stay on him.”

“Done.” He strode for the door. But stopped just before he left the balcony. Jinx threw a glance over his shoulder. “And what about the new friend you made at the club last night? Do I need to worry about him?”

Ramsey? Hell, they all needed to worry about him.

“We need to tell him,” Maisey said. “If Ramsey thinks Whitney might still be alive…”

He’d be even more desperate. Ramsey would be frantic in his efforts to locate her. Did Maisey understand just how dangerous and unrelenting Ramsey could be?

“He has a right to know about the call,” Maisey added stubbornly.

“Provided he’s not the one who made the call.” Jinx’s voice was carefully expressionless. “Granted, I don’t know everything that went down in that closed-door meeting last night, but Odin did give me a few of the highlights this morning.” He sniffed. “Just because a man says he’s innocent, doesn’t mean he is. Just because a man pretends to be in love…doesn’t mean he is.” He inclined his head toward Odin. “Your girl is too trusting. It’s a good thing you’re not.”

No, Odin wasn’t the trusting sort. His thoughts had already dipped along the same path about Ramsey. “Maisey, it’s awfully convenient that call—basically a proof of life call—came right after we had our meeting with Ramsey.”

Her lower lip trembled. “You think she’s dead.”

“I think it’s convenient,” he repeated. “I also think things are about to get a whole lot more intense. From where I stand, Clay and Ramsey are our lead suspects. They know we’re hunting, and it’s time to step it up even more.” He wanted her to be ready for what would come. “If I had the option, I’d send you someplace safe with Jinx. I’d get you out of the way while I learned the—”

“Get me out of the way?” Her voice had risen. A lot.

Jinx whistled. “Wrong thing to say. Typical you.” He glanced at Maisey. “Let me translate. Odin is worried about you. If something happens to your sexy self, he will lose his shit. When that happens, when Odin goes off book, bad things happen.” A shrug. “So, judging by your expression, going to a safe house is off the table?”

“Off,” Maisey affirmed. “Way, way off.”

“Then you need to make sure that you follow orders to the letter. When things get intense, you do what Odin says. Hell, it’s what I do.” A roll of one shoulder. “And Odin has saved my hide more times than I can count.”

Her gaze darted back to Odin. “I won’t be put aside. I am in this with you.” An exhale. “But I can follow orders. It’s not like I want to get hurt. You’re the professional. I get it. I’ll follow your lead, but I won’t be cut out of the investigation.”

Jinx clapped his hands together. “Fabulous. We’re in agreement. So, I’ll go and snoop on Clay, and the two of you will tackle the college and we’ll catch the bad guy and everything will turn up roses.”

Yeah, Odin didn’t think things were gonna be that easy.

But Jinx walked out.

Maisey stayed there, staring up at Odin. “You saved his hide?” she finally asked.

“We saved each other. It’s what you do.” When you’re in war zones and the world is exploding around you.

“He was…Delta, with you?”

Jinx had been many things. “Classified.” That was the truth when it came to him. “I can’t tell you. I’m sorry.”

She peered toward the closed balcony door. “He doesn’t seem serious enough for classified work.”

“Jinx is hell on wheels in the field. Don’t let appearances fool you.”

Her attention shifted back to him. “I’m not too trusting.”

Uh, yes, she was.

“I trust you,” Maisey said after she did a little nibble on her lower lip. “And I’ll trust Jinx, if you vouch for him. But I know the world is dangerous. I know dangerous people are out there.” A long exhale. “I won’t take unnecessary risks, okay? But I need to be in this. I need to help. I get that you’re in charge, and I’ll follow orders.”

Would she? He wasn’t so sure. But before they left his place… “I think some instruction is in order.”

“Instruction?”

“Yes, you keep asking for some tricks, so I’ll show you a few.” He turned away. Headed inside. Heard her hurry to follow him. He waited just inside the door, and when Maisey came in—

Odin pounced. He grabbed her in an instant and shoved her back against the nearest wall. He held her easily. One of his legs was between hers so she couldn’t knee him in the groin, and with one hand, he’d chained both of her wrists over her head.

“What are you doing?” Maisey’s voice was breathless.

“Far too trusting,” he muttered. “Baby, you never know who will attack…”

“Odin?”

“I want you to hurt me.”

“Excuse me?” She jerked beneath his hold. He didn’t let her go.

“Or try to hurt me,” he amended. “We don’t have a lot of time, but we need to go over some quick and dirty techniques.”

“Quick and dirty? Now?”

“Right now.” His right hand moved to her throat. His fingers curled over her. “I’ve got you. Pretend I’m the bad guy. What would you do? How would you get away?”

“Odin, look, I don’t like this—”

“You want to waltz right into danger.” Anger hummed through him. A fear that he didn’t want to acknowledge. “You want to put yourself out there when we know the perp is focused on you. Then you damn well better show me what you’ve got. If he comes at you, if something happens and I’m not there…what the hell will you do?”