Page 19 of Viking Unchained

He did that shaking his head exercise at him again. Then he exhaled with a whoosh. “Here’s the deal, Finn. I’ll take you out tomorrow and give you another driving lesson if you promise not to call any woman a wench tonight, or ask her if she wants to be tupped, or brag about your . . . um, talents.”

Thorfinn thought, but only for a moment. In truth, he got the better of the bargain, in his opinion, since he harbored a fascination with Torolf’s shiny black jape.

A woman? Or a shiny, black, horseless cart which moved at exciting speeds?

No contest!

"’Tis a deal.”

Chapter 4

Hooking up was a little like

fishing . . . for men . . .

“The Wet and Wild? Oh, no, I don’t think so,” Lydia protested.

She and Kirstin Magnusson had just finished dinner in a small Coronado cafe and were sipping their second glasses of wine when Kirstin suggested they wind down their evening at the hangout, which catered to Navy guys and gals from the base, including SEALs.

“Why not?”

“It’s a singles bar, isn’t it?”

“Not really. A lot of singles hang out there, but married folks stop off after a billet, too. They serve food, and there’s a band on weekends.”

“I’ve already told you about my bad dating experiences. I don’t need to add a military man to the sad mix. Besides, I’ve given up on dating.”

“Hey, we’ve all had dating nightmares. That doesn’t mean you give up. I told you about the guy with the penis piercings. And the jerk who expected me to pay for our dates . . . for both of us. And the one who talked about his yacht and it turned out to be a bass boat. Worst of all was the guy who kept smirking at me and saying, ‘Who’s your daddy?’ I mean, Toby Keith can get away with that crap, but a stockbroker in a bow tie? I don’t think so!”

“See? That’s what I’m talking about.”

“You gotta lick a few warts to find a prince, honey.”

“Yeech!”

“You’re too young to be so jaded.”

Lydia just shrugged. Kirstin was thirty-two, only a few years older than she was. The difference was, Lydia’d had the best. It was hard, if not impossible, to settle for less.

“Who says we’re looking to hook up with men tonight anyhow? Can’t we have a girls’ night out, enjoy a drink, dance a little, without men being involved?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“Besides, your son left yesterday for his farm vacation; so, lack of a babysitter can’t be an excuse.”

“But—”

“Okay, truth to tell,” Kirstin sighed deeply, “there’s this guy, and I don’t want to appear too obvious going by myself, and if I just happen to show up with a friend—”

“Enough said!” Lydia laughed. She could recall a time when she’d managed to accidentally bump into Dave. A lot. Later, he’d confessed to doing the same thing. Ah, the games of love! “I’ll go with you, but I don’t want to be stuck there without a car if you do hook up.”

“We can both drive.”

It was Lydia who sighed now and finished the last of her wine . . . for fortification.

She had a feeling tonight was going to be a colossal mistake.

Little did she know.