The Viking's Highland Lass by Terry Spear Page A

could absorb from his body.
    â€œAn old Roman ruin, some of the outer curtain walls partially standing. A tower keep is sitting inside. Mayhap we can take refuge in it. It appears to have lost its roof, but inside the tower, we can at least take shelter from the winds.”
    â€œAye,” she said. “It would be better than being out here in all this weather.” Then she sat up a bit taller, but losing his heat, she squeezed up against him again. “What if they are there?”
    â€œWe will have to take that chance. My horse needs rest, and we canna afford to lose him.” He moved slower now toward the tower.
    She listened for sounds of men talking, but unless Seamus and his men were huddled inside and trying to keep warm, maybe sleeping, she heard no one.
    Then she felt the sudden shift in temperature, the ancient stone walls blocking the wind so effectively, she felt much warmer, not enough to release her hold on the Viking, but still, she sighed with relief. “No sign of them?” she whispered.
    â€œNay, lass. We are alone.”
    That sent a sudden chill up her spine, and it had nothing to do with the frigid weather.
    â€œI will help you down,” he said, his voice hushed, and she suspected he said so because she still hadn’t released her grip on his body as if she was afraid, when it wasn’t that at all! She was attracted only to the heat of his body. She would have felt the same if it had been anyone’s body. Well, mayhap not if it had been Seamus or any of his men.
    Reluctantly, she let go of Gunnolf and he swung down to the dirt floor, then reached up to help her dismount. “It will be dark soon.” He set her on her feet. “I have enough bedding so that we can bundle up together, and my horse should be fine here.”
    When he mentioned bundling up together, she eyed him warily. He did not entertain any notion that she would want to satisfy some male need, did he? Though as cold as it was, she couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to do such a thing. And yet, a wicked thought flickered through her mind so quickly, she couldn’t believe she would think such a thing—of being naked with the Viking beneath the furs, of kissing him, and more.
    A light amount of snow covered the floor, but it wasn’t nearly as deep as outside the walls where it had blown into drifts, the tall stone walls of the keep blocking most of the snow and the wind. Gunnolf caught her attention as he brushed the snow away from an area of the floor with his boot.
    She eyed the bedding as he spread it out over the cleared area. She shouldn’t want to lie with a man she didn’t know, or any man who was not her husband, for that matter, but she wouldn’t have it any other way as warm as he had already kept her. She had seen what the cold could do to a body when someone had been out in it for far too long without proper clothing. Blackened toes and fingers. Not a pretty sight. So though she felt uncomfortable sleeping with the Viking to an extent, she knew that she had no other choice.
    As soon as he finished spreading out the bedding, he turned to feed his horse some oats. And then he offered Brina ale and a piece of bannock. In silence, she sipped the ale, then chewed on the bannock while she sat on the makeshift bedding. After covering his horse with a spare blanket, which she thought was admirable that he took care of his mount just as much as he took care of their needs, he pulled out a length of cloth. “Let me see your arm, lass.”
    â€œâ€™Tis naught.”
    â€œ Ja , but I would have a look at it anyway.”
    She let out her breath and pulled back her brat to reveal her sleeve. He tore the brown sleeve, making her wince. He paused for a moment as he saw a red sleeve after that. He smiled. “How many layers do you have on, lass?”
    â€œDinna tear my red kyrtle overmuch. ‘Tis my favorite and the warmest of my gowns.”
    He pulled