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Earth are bastards. She was left to bring up her first son alone, wasn’t she?”
    “She was.” His expression grew savage. “I cannot understand how a man could abandon his woman and his child. If I had such an opportunity again I would give my life to protect them.”
    After his explanation as to the courting habits of the average Valhallan male, she had no problem believing he meant what he said.
    “Women don’t need men to bring up a child. We’re perfectly capable of doing it ourselves.”
    Sven picked up the remaining two slices of garlic bread and held one out to her, one eyebrow raised. “Women are the givers of life. They are far stronger in some ways than men.”
    She waved the bread away, watching in fascination as he downed both slices and finished off his beer. Perhaps two pizzas wouldn’t be enough after all.
    She raised her glass. “I’m glad to hear you admit that women are the strongest sex. I didn’t think you had it in you to be so honest.”
    21

    Kate Pearce
    “I didn’t say that women are always the strongest.” His considering gaze dropped to her chest. “I would be able to knock you to the ground in less time than it took you to say my name.”
    “I doubt it.”
    His brown eyes gleamed. “We will have to test out my theory one day in the gym.”
    She held out her hand. “You’re on. I’ll see you there tomorrow at five.”
    He shook her hand and kept hold of it. She shivered as he turned it over and dropped a kiss on her palm. The hot hard tip of his tongue branded her flesh. “I will look forward to it. I’ve often imagined you on your back.”
    Thea felt her skin heat and was grateful for the arrival of the pizzas.
    Sven gave a murmur of appreciation as he bit into the first thick slice. “Some of your Earth food is strange but this pizza is good. The queen says we shall take the recipe home with us and instruct the palace cook on how to prepare it.”
    “Do you think it will be safe to go home again?”
    He looked at her over his pizza. “What do you mean?”
    “Well, if your people spend most of their time stealing women, will the queen be safe?”
    “Since King Marcus took power, things have improved. He has encouraged tribes to negotiate with each other for women rather than just steal them.”
    “Don’t the women have any say in this? You make them sound like cattle.”
    Sven winced. “Now you sound like the queen. She has great plans for the future of women on Valhalla.”
    “I’m glad to hear it.”
    “The king had already introduced laws to ensure women received the same education as men and access to the courts if they felt their families were forcing them to make a particular match.”
    “Good for him. I would’ve expected nothing less.”
    Sven snorted into his beer. The first pizza was gone and he was already halfway through the second.
    “Don’t you agree with the reforms?”
    “Of course I do. There is nothing worse than a woman who is unhappy. Why would a man want to live like that?”
    Thea found herself smiling back at him. Who would’ve guessed that behind that macho exterior lurked a man who understood that his life would be a lot easier if he kept his woman happy?
    “Are you married?”
    Sven’s smile faded. “No.” He drank more beer and then picked something off his slice of pizza. He held it out to Thea. “What is this?”
    She squinted at the object and then sniffed. “It’s an anchovy, why?”
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    To her astonishment, he started to blush. “An anchovy. That is good to know.
    Thank you for telling me.”
    “What about it?”
    His gaze dropped to his plate. “Nothing, I just wondered what it was. The taste reminded me of…something else.”
    She squinted at the tiny fish. “What?”
    He sighed. “This is a business meeting, yes? Then I cannot tell you or you will accuse me of getting personal.” He sucked the anchovy into his mouth, his expression considering. “Mmm…”
    Thea set her teeth. He was