Chapter 1 - No Time to Take

Alex sighed and absentmindedly began twisting one of her long, honey colored curls around her index finger. Eli was not going to give up, and all the excess wine in her system was making his attentions even less tolerable than usual. She desperately wanted to leave him at the table and mingle with her other friends and co-workers, but she didn't think she could stomach the inevitable hurt look in his eyes and his childish pout.

Why didn't he ever take the hint? She had managed to find some excuse for every time he had asked her out (what was it - eight times so far this month?) that she thought for sure he would have given up by now. She knew she was going to have to eventually spell it out for him in no uncertain terms, but it wasn't going to be here, tonight, at the party.

Eli really was quite attractive, she observed, in a clean-cut, wholesome way. He was the epitome of the All-American boy, sandy brown hair and blue eyes, tall with broad shoulders. He was kind and attentive and so not Alex's type. She wondered how someone so brilliant could be such a complete moron when it came to understanding that she had absolutely zero romantic interest in him. Damn Jillian for leaving her at the table alone with him.

Alex could see Jillian on the far end of the ballroom laughing it up with Tony Stark, their boss and gracious host for the evening's festivities. The pert, little blonde had an overabundance of energy and a zest for life that was infectious. Stark didn't know all of his many employees, but he knew Jillian. She pulled no punches and was always direct, which made people either love her or hate her. Alex loved her like a sister and had since they met in middle school.

Stark, the dashing genius philanthropist turned super hero, frequently threw lavish parties for his employees whenever there was a major breakthrough discovery or invention of some sort.

Stark Industries' latest achievement had taken renewable energy to the next level; something that could be safely and relatively inexpensively implemented in highly developed and Third World countries alike. It was a true feat of environmental engineering that would forever change the world. Of course, there would be a high publicity, grand affair with government officials and international dignitaries, but Stark always made a point to celebrate with his employees first. And tonight he had spared no expense in honoring the teams who were responsible for this groundbreaking work.

Alex loved working for Stark Industries. She had graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a Master's degree in Environmental Science and had immediately landed a job with Stark thanks to Jillian, who was an accomplished engineer in the aerospace division. Taking the job at Stark Industries had meant moving from her home town of Baltimore to New York City. She hadn't wanted to leave her roots, but it was a career opportunity of a lifetime and she had needed a fresh start. Even now, three years later, her trendy studio apartment in the East Village still didn't feel quite like home.

"I really think you would enjoy it," Eli said, looking at her expectantly. "I could take you there next Spring if you want."

She stared at him blankly. What the hell was he even blathering about anyway? This was a party for God's sake and Alex wanted to party. She scanned the room looking for someone, anyone who would rescue her.

Amidst the crowd, to the left of the bar stood the very pretty and delicately featured Jane Foster, gazing up adoringly at her boyfriend. It was difficult not to notice the gorgeous blonde Goliath standing by her side who effortlessly exuded strength and power as if it were simply a by-product of his breathing. Thor was considered a god among men, and regardless of his limitless super powers, his perfect physical form and golden features alone could compel the women of Earth to worship at his feet.

Alex had met Dr. Foster a few times before this evening through Jillian, who occasionally worked with the astrophysicist. Jane was a brilliant and driven scientist, but with a kind and gentle spirit. Alex had liked her instantly. And apparently, so had Thor, who had briefly considered giving up the throne of Asgard just to be with her. For now, they were content with the mother of all long distance relationships.

What was it like, Alex wondered, to be going steady with an actual god? Did he shoot thunderbolts out when they argued? Or when they had sex? Did gods leave the toilet seat up? If Alex ever got the opportunity to get to know Jane better, she would definitely ask.

With one arm draped possessively around Jane and the other holding a bottle of beer, the God of Thunder looked strangely in his element sporting a blue button down shirt and jacket with jeans. Where did he stash his mighty hammer, Mjolnir, in an outfit like this, Alex mused.

As she continued to watch them, Thor threw his head back in laughter, opening her line of sight to the person standing to his left. It was his brother, Loki, the Dark Prince of Asgard, who clearly seemed pleased with himself to have elicited such a response. He leaned into Thor's ear to say something else and Thor doubled over, laughing even harder.

Alex felt her pulse start to quicken. She had seen pictures of Loki before in magazines and on TV and had considered him attractive in a dark, sinister, bad boy kind of way. But here in the flesh, looking so gleeful and downright relaxed — he was beyond breathtaking.

While his brother was all bulk, muscle and brawn, Loki had a lean, sinewy look that could only be described as powerful and elegant. He wore a dark black English cut suit that was impeccably tailored, accentuating the V-shape of his shoulders and torso. All of his movements appeared graceful, yet carefully controlled, giving him an almost panther-like quality.

His hair was long and slicked back, a slight curl forming at the ends. Alex found the length of his hair style to be somewhat at odds with his conservative attire, but he managed to pull the whole look together. She imagined how it would look, loosened by her fingers as she ran them through his thick, black locks.

Thor made a comment and Loki flashed a dazzling smile that had Alex completely awestruck. Could anyone really be this ridiculously gorgeous? She scrutinized the planes of his face and could find no discernible flaws marring his exquisite features. His cheekbones were simply killer.

If only she could have noticed him earlier, she thought. Then at least she could have stared at him all night and been pleasantly distracted while feigning interest in Eli's very one-sided and dull conversation.

Just as she was about to turn away, Alex noticed Loki's eyes shift from Thor and move toward her direction. He raised a single eyebrow quizzically at her, then drew his lips into a knowing smile and winked. She almost dropped her wine glass.

At the very least, her mouth must have dropped open because Eli stopped mid-sentence and prompted, "You were about to say something?"

Alex quickly set down her glass and blinked a couple of times to clear her vision. Was she really that drunk? She thought she had a nice buzz going on, but she had to have hallucinated that wink — which could only mean that she was completely shit-faced. She closed her eyes and willed herself to think rationally. The most logical conclusion was that Loki must have directed the gesture towards someone sitting behind her. Of course, that was it.

"He will never be able to give you what you require." The low, silky voice broke through her thoughts, causing her to jump in her seat. She could feel his presence next to her as surely as if he had reached out and touched her. Her heart began hammering in her chest.

"Pardon me?" she asked, turning to face him.

There was no mistaking the God of Mischief, who was sitting so casually in the chair next to her as if he had been there all night. Up close, he looked even more beautiful to her than he had from across the room.

"That sniveling mortal." Loki nodded in Eli's direction. "He will never be able to give you what you require."

She blinked. There was something so irresistibly sexy in his voice and in the way that he carried himself that she found herself completely drawn to him despite the warning signals that were going off in her head. Did he know the effect he was having on her, she wondered? The attraction she felt for him was so intense and visceral that her body felt like it was burning from the inside out. She was sure that he could feel the heat radiating from her skin.

She reached for her wine glass to buy herself some time to respond. "And what exactly is it that I require?" she asked as coolly as she could, trying to hide the nervous tremor in her voice.

He nonchalantly inspected his fingernails as if they were conversing about the weather. "Total possession."

The sip of wine she had just taken threatened to choke her. "Umm, what was that again?"

"Total possession." He leaned in even closer, enveloping her with the clean scent of spice and sandalwood. "You require a lover who will possess you in mind, body, and spirit. You crave to be completely consumed by your mutual passion. And this ridiculous, mooning dolt will never elicit even a simple spark within you."

Loki was speaking in such low, melodious tones that it was doubtful that Eli could hear him above the din of the party. Even so, Alex stole a sideways glance at him to gauge his reaction. It was clear that Eli was perplexed to see the God of Mischief sitting at the table next to his self-proclaimed "girl", but his dumbfounded expression gave no hint at registering the god's insult.

She turned back to face Loki. He had a look of smug superiority that should have made her roll her eyes, but, instead, only made her insides flutter. His commanding presence and the effect it was having on her was making her exceedingly nervous. Unfortunately, under times of distress, extreme sarcasm was her typical go-to response.

"Good to know that the obvious isn't lost on you. Why don't you tell me something I don't know?" she snapped.

For the briefest of moments, Loki looked stunned. He cocked his head slightly to get a better look at the perplexing creature before him. She was quite pretty, he observed. Impossibly large green eyes dominated the whole of her face which was surrounded by a thick mane of loose, wide curls. The lips that had just delivered the affront to his ego were lush and full and much better suited, he thought, for crying out his name in the throes of pleasure.

He had expected her to be flattered by his attentions as all women usually were. But her response had a sharp bite that he simply was unaccustomed to. Was it possible that she was immune to his charms, he wondered? He was certain that he had sensed her deep attraction to him from across the room. Despite her surprising remarks, he decided not to let them derail his purpose for crossing the room.

"I assumed you needed to hear the words since you were doing nothing to rid yourself of this fool."

As he spoke, Alex felt involuntary shivers run up and down her spine. Her physiological response to his simple proximity was so overwhelming that it bordered on the embarrassing. She knew that if he touched her, she would be done.

She murmured weakly, "I didn't want to be rude..."

"Alex, do you want to join me in getting another glass of wine?" Eli interrupted hopefully. He had absolutely no idea what was going on between Loki and Alex, but he knew that the god's presence here was going to ruin his chances with her if he didn't manage to get her away.

Loki shot him a dangerous look that had the young scientist withering in his seat. "Perhaps, you could be a gentleman and get the lady a drink while we finish our conversation," Loki suggested, icily.

"Umm, yeah, sure... Another glass of…of... what was it?"

Alex surveyed the room. The longest line seemed to be at the champagne fountain. She didn't really have a specific plan, but she knew she wanted Eli gone for as long as possible.

"You know," she said, "it is a celebration. I really feel like switching to champagne. Do you mind getting me a glass, Eli? I'd really appreciate it." She smiled as sincerely as she could.

Eli beamed and said, "Of course," as he got up from the table and started making his way towards the crowd in the champagne line. He was highly relieved to be getting away from Loki while doing something that would surely gain him some points with the object of his affection. It was a total win, win.

Loki smirked. "Toying with his unrequited affections seems far more rude if you ask me."

"I am NOT toying with his affections and I didn't ask you!" she exclaimed, her face feeling hot. A pang of guilt shot through her. She knew Loki was right and she cursed herself for not just being open and direct with Eli. The realization of how she had been inadvertently leading the poor guy on this last month made her feel even more uncomfortable.

"Did you come over just here to chastise me?" she spat. "Why are you even talking to me?" Despite sounding so harsh, these were legitimate questions considering the nature of their conversation and the fact that they had never before met.

"I was under the impression you were looking for someone to save you from your predicament," Loki replied simply.

He looked knowingly into her eyes, challenging her to deny that she had only just moments before been hoping to be rescued. When she looked down and then away in silence, it was obvious to both that he had been correct in his assessment.

His interest shifted and his gaze moved down toward the plunging neckline of her form-fitting cocktail dress which revealed just enough cleavage to spur the imagination. For the first time in years, Alex felt herself blush under the appraisal. She was neither shy nor retiring, but never before had the notion of being undressed by someone's eyes held such meaning.

Loki noticed her blush and inwardly smiled. It was evident that she wanted him, and now it was only a matter of time.

Alex struggled to respond, but the words she had been trying to form died on her tongue. What the hell was wrong with her? She had never been this flustered in front of a man before. Okay, so technically he was a god (or an alien - depending on one's perspective) but she seldom, if ever, lost her composure in social situations. She didn't know what was worse - her snarky comments or her total stupefied silence.

Taking advantage of her discomfited state, Loki prompted, "He'll be back soon. Do you wish me to leave?"

Hell, no, she thought. She desperately wanted for him to stay and would have chained herself to him if it were an option, as undignified as it seemed. But beyond shaking her head, she was too unsure of herself to act on anything more.

Knowing that she couldn't just sit there saying nothing, words began tumbling out of her mouth in a nervous torrent. "Look, Eli is a very nice guy and I don't want to hurt him. But you're right. I will never feel the same way for him that he feels about me. And, obviously, my not so subtle hints aren't getting through. All I wanted was to have a good time tonight and there is no way that that is going to happen if he stays stuck to me like glue for the rest of this evening. So, no, I don't want you to go."

There was a slight gleam in Loki's eyes. This was the moment to seize upon.

"Having a good time this evening is not dependent upon you staying here at this party," he stated casually.

The hammering in her chest returned. "Okaaay," she said, drawing out the syllables and then pausing. "Was there something else you had in mind?"

"Nothing more than your total possession," he replied, grinning slyly at her.

If she hadn't already been sitting, she surely would have dropped to her knees. Her legs felt like Jell-O and her breathing had become much too shallow. She could think of absolutely nothing to say and it frustrated the hell out of her. She wanted to be coy and clever but she was failing miserably. She wanted to dazzle him with her witty repartee but could barely hold up her end of the conversation. Instead, she just stood there, slack-jawed.

Loki had expected some sort of response to indicate her joy at his words. When the silence lasted a beat too long, he continued, "You and I both know that I could completely satisfy all your requirements for an enjoyable evening."

Surely with all the arrhythmia happening to her heart, Alex was going to pass out right here in front of him. She had heard her fair share of pick-up lines over the years at the various bars she and Jillian frequented, but most lacked the right amount of innuendo and intrigue. There was absolutely no mistaking the intent behind Loki's seductive words, and it both excited and unnerved her.

Her brain once again betrayed her with its inability to form a satisfactory response. "I...Uh...I don't understand... What exactly are you suggesting?" she asked, knowing full well exactly what he was suggesting.

All the amusement left his face and Loki suddenly rose from the table. It had never been this difficult to seduce a woman before and he was aggravated. "I grow weary of this conversation. I somehow took you for a mortal of at least average intelligence. Perhaps I was mistaken."

Alex's temper immediately flared. She abruptly stood up from her chair, her confidence temporarily bolstered by her anger at his words. He was so damn tall that she practically had to strain her neck to look him in the eye.

She jabbed her finger into his chest. "Listen Dickhead, there's no need to insult me. It's not like getting propositioned by a fucking god is a common occurrence for me. So excuse me if I don't know exactly what to say or how to act."

Loki looked down at the finger poking into his chest and a broad smile returned to his face. "My, you are a fiery one. I think I shall enjoy your company immensely."

She glared at him. What a cocky bastard.

Her finger continued to assault his chest. "I would rather spend the rest of this night folding laundry than to suffer another minute with you!" As soon as the words were out, she regretted how childish and foolish they sounded.

"Yes, I suppose that's one way to remedy your situation," he replied. "Although, I dare say that my offer sounds like a far more pleasurable option. For both of us."

Taking her hand from his chest and pressing it to his lips, he said, "But I am glad that you have come up with a solution that will save your evening. I leave you now, comforted in the thought that my help is no longer required."

All her anger immediately subsided as a sense of panic rose in her chest. Fuck. Yes, she had been irate, but this is not how she wanted their brief encounter to end. She knew full well that he was toying with her by threatening to leave. But she also knew that the ball was now in her court. Whatever happened from this moment on was completely up to her.

She was a grown woman, for God's sake. One who was fully capable of making complex decisions. Hadn't she just helped solve the world's energy crisis? So why was she having such a hard time with this? This was just sex. Hadn't Jillian only last week told her to lighten up and go get laid?

The truth was it had been far too long since she had participated in the act itself. No one had really piqued her interest enough until now; but, even so, this was not something she felt she could jump into lightly.

All that she knew of him told her that he was dangerous and that she would regret giving in to her basest desires. But the way her body seemed to liquefy at his touch was pushing her towards his promises of pleasure and possession. What harm could one night really do? Didn't people do this sort of thing every day? What was she trying to prove to herself with either course of action?

Loki was showing remarkable patience under the circumstances. He sensed she was conflicted and allowed her to wage war with her own thoughts, never breaking eye contact.

When she could no longer stand the intensity of his gaze, she lowered her eyes and confessed, "I know what I want to do, but it is completely at odds with what I feel I should do."

Loki's eyes widened in surprise. He was so taken aback by her admission, that it was now his turn to be stunned into silence. He lowered her hand but did not let go of it. He thought of the hundreds upon hundreds of women he had taken to bed over the last few centuries and not once had any of them expressed hesitation. This one intrigued him unlike any other and he was not willing to let her slip away .

"Please forgive me for doing everything in my power to persuade your decision," he said softly.

And then he leaned over and kissed her, his tongue just barely licking the entrance to her mouth. It was soft and gentle and no less arresting than if he had claimed her lips with a forceful intensity. When he gently pulled on her bottom lip with his mouth as he slowly withdrew from her, she was shaking with her need for him.

And just like that, all the indecision she had felt was gone.

Sensing his impending victory, Loki said, "I return to Asgard tomorrow. Perhaps we should make the most of what little time we have together."

She looked across the room and could see that Eli had neared the front of the champagne line. She squeezed Loki's hand and said, "Let's go."