Page 40 of Truly, Madly Viking

Although Steve claimed happiness in not having bred children, Jorund could see the lie in his lifeless eyes. Jorund could understand this. Had n't he disdained children all his life, too? Then hadn't he seen the mistruth of his lifelong protestations the moment his daughters were born?

"I have heard much on The Young and the Restless this week about divorce... which we have in my land, too. Did you divorce your wife... or did she divorce you?"

"Shelley's back in Iowa, teaching school. I figured she'd file for divorce once she met another man and wanted to get married again. I never received any notification, though, so I really don't know." He stared blankly at the screen for a long time before he spoke again. "I thought she'd find someone else fight off the bat. In fact, I hope she did. Shell is so beautiful. She deserves more than a broken-down ex-baseball player." His voice cracked on that last, making it as clear as a sunny day on a northern fjord that Steve's biggest problem wasn't his impotence, or aleheadedness, or black night-frights, but the empty hole left in his life by a woman.

That was the way of it throughout time, Jorund decided. Women were the root of all men's problems.

Maggie rarely went back to the hospital at night, but the girls were attending a birthday party at a friend's house, and she just couldn't stop worrying about Joe. The anguished look on his face when she'd last seen him stabbed at her heart.

"Joe?" She stepped tentatively into his room, which was dark except for the light from the TV screen.

"Are you awake?"

He didn't answer, though she could make out his semirecumbent form on the bed arms folded behind his head.

"I came back to apologize," she said, closing the door behind her, then stepping closer to the bed, where she could see that his eyes were open and staring right at her. "I shouldn't have pushed you with all those family inquiries. It was too much, too soon. And you have a right to some privacy. When you're ready—"

Before she had a chance to finish her sentence, Joe reached out and grabbed her by the waist. "Oh, I am ready, wench. I am more than ready."

In a blink, she was flat on her back on the bed, and he lay on top of her, his upper body braced on his extended arms.

"M'lady, you are driving me mad," he said in a husky growl.

"Mad?" she chocked out. With his maleness pressed against her femaleness, sanity seemed to be lacking in her as well.

"Yea, all your probing interrogations are driving me mad. Then, too, there are your kiss-some lips, and sexvoice, and eyes so blue they draw a man in and catch him unawares, and legs just the right size to wrap around a man's waist, and breasts... holy Thor, your breasts would fit just perfectly in my hands.

All these things are driving me mind-draining mad." He took a deep breath, one she felt against her diaphragm, then continued. "I was sane when I arrived in this godforsaken land. Why are you doing this to me?"

"Why do you think I'm doing this to you?" she squeaked out.

"Aaarrgh! Always you turn my questions back on me. Can you not give a straight answer just once?"

"Well, yes," she whispered.

"And you will answer straight and true?"

She nodded.

Maggie knew it was a mistake even before Joe uttered the delicious words, "Do you want me as much as I want you?"

Oh, this was dangerous territory for a psychologist to enter with her patient.

Maggie could lose her license. But even if no one found out, she would know there was an ethical line that had been crossed, if she answered honestly with herself.

He put his fingertips to her lips. "Shhh. Don't speak. There are some things that need not be said aloud."

He lowered his upper body so that he rested on his elbows. Furrowing his fingers through her hair on either side, he cupped her head. "Why did you cut your hair so short?" he asked, even as he inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of her shampoo.

"I lost a bet with my girls."

His face jerked to the side at the mention of her daughters, as if he'd been slapped. It was she, then, who cupped his jaw and turned his face back. "Joe? What is it? Tell me why the mere mention of my daughters upsets you so,"

"You overreach yourself my lady."

"I want to help."

"What you want does not signify in this situation. You can't help... not with this. Leave be, I tell you.