The Viking's Highland Lass by Terry Spear Page B

out his sgian dubh and then made a small slice in the red sleeve. “You will be able to mend it easily.”
    She gave a lady-like snort. Easy for him to say since he didn’t have to do the mending. But she watched in fascination the way he blotted up the blood and took great care not to hurt her. Then he tied the piece of cloth around her arm and looked up at her, frowning. “It will heal, no stitches necessary. Let me see your fingers.”
    She showed him her fingers, still cold, a little numb, and they were burning.
    â€œThey look good, the color is good. Now your toes.”
    She couldn’t help but look affronted. His mouth curved up a bit, which had the effect of making her body instantly heat. “They are fine.”
    â€œI have warmed myself by a couple of fires today. Have you?” Gunnolf folded his arms across his broad chest, looking down at her like she was a stubborn child.
    She shook her head.
    â€œThen I will remove your boots and check your feet to make sure your toes are not too cold. That is if you dinna wish to lose them, lass.”
    Exasperated, she finally nodded and pulled her cloak tightly about her as he removed one boot, and then a damp sock, and took her cold, numb foot into his hands and began to rub it.
    â€œIt burns.” She tried to pull away from him.
    â€œâ€™Tis good. If you had no feeling in them, then that would be worse.” He removed her other boot and sock. “I know how to warm them, but you might not like what I have to say. However, your feet will thank you for it later if you allow me to offer my aid.”
    She narrowed her eyes at him, wondering just what he might suggest that she would not like. Both of them naked came to mind, and she scolded herself for thinking such thoughts yet again.
    â€œAs much as it will chill me, if you put your feet between my legs, my body will warm them and make them feel just as they did before you undertook this journey in the snow.”
    â€œNay,” she said, shocked to the core.
    â€œâ€™Tis your choice, lass. But if we dinna warm them, you could lose all feeling in them on our continued journey. The truth is it will be me who will suffer much more than you. Though for a while, your feet will burn. But this is a good thing. You wouldna want to know what happens when a man or woman loses the feeling in their toes or fingers completely.”
    â€œI have seen what happens,” she said softly. “What must I do?”
    â€œI will sit sideways in front of you and place your feet between my thighs.” Gunnolf resituated himself on the blankets and waited for her to agree.
    She shuddered from the cold and from the idea he would be so intimate with her. Yet the notion he would take her frozen feet and place them against his skin to help warm her when it would chill his own skin made her realize just how much he was willing to sacrifice for her—not just with warming her feet, but with attempting to keep her from Seamus’s grasp.
    â€œWhy?” she asked.
    â€œSo that your feet have a chance to warm up again before we continue on our journey.”
    â€œNay, why are you risking your life for me?” She pulled the blanket from her feet and offered them to him.
    He lifted his blue and green plaid enough that she saw his bare, muscular legs, and then he maneuvered her so that they were positioned between his legs, the soles against the inner thigh on his left leg, and the tops of her feet pressed against the inner thigh of his right leg. Then he pulled down his plaid and covered himself and her with the furs.
    He didn’t even shiver as her cold flesh pressed up against his hot skin. “Better?” he asked.
    â€œThey are burning.”
    â€œGood. They will warm up and you will feel better.”
    â€œWhat about you?”
    He smiled, and she thought his look was a bit— mischievous. “I will suffer silently.”
    So would she. She couldn’t help