Thor lay down again, gently pulling Celina until her head rested on his bare chest. She snuggled up without resistance, as if that place were the safest in the world. He wrapped his arms around her and, in an affectionate and almost instinctive gesture, kissed the top of her head, inhaling the soft scent of her still perfumed hair.

His thoughts, however, were in turmoil.

"How did she manage to affect me so much?" he wondered, as he caressed her silky strands with his fingertips. "Such a short