Torr mumbled a few choice oaths when he saw her shiver. He hurried and flipped the lumpy mattress over to a dyer side, unrolled his blankets, arranged them on the bed, and then turned, scooped her up, laid her gently on the bed, and climbed in beside her, pulling the blanket up over them.
Wintra warned herself to keep her distance, but Torr had no such thought in mind. He grabbed her, resting her back against him so that their bodies could share the heat. He also draped his leg over hers, tucking them between his two.
She tensed when his arousal poked her backside, and she tried to wiggle away from it.
He gave her body a yank and warned, “Lie still or suffer the consequences.”
He needn’t tell her twice, she immediately stilled, not moving the slightest bit.
Torr would have loved to massage the cold spots that lingered on her body, but that wouldn’t be a wise move. He would let their bodies’ heat finish the chore of warming them.
It wasn’t long before warmth began to take hold, linger, and spread. With the cold easing and her body beginning to relax, Wintra noticed that her head hurt. She raised her hand to touch where it pained her, but Torr grabbed her wrist before it could reach her face.
“Do not touch there,” he warned. “You have a wound at the edge of your scalp and the frigid air stopped the bleeding. If you touch it now, you may start it up again.”
Wintra lowered her hand once Torr released it, tucking it back beneath the blanket.
“After we’re sufficiently warm, I’ll see to the wound for you.”
“I can see to the wound myself.”
“As you say.”
“Why did my brother send you?” Wintra asked, needing to get her mind off the fact that she was lying in bed naked in the arms of a stranger. Besides, she was curious as to why out of all his men, Cree chose Torr for the chore.
“I am the best looking,” Torr said.
“Cree would have sent Sloan if looks mattered. No, your scar tells me that you are a seasoned warrior with more than fine skills. My brother evidently respects and trusts you with the chore of returning me to him safely and untarnished.”
She was not only tenacious; she was perceptive as well. And she reminded him that he should not take advantage of their present situation.
“But then my brother is greatly feared, and there are few—if any—who would dare challenge him.”
“That makes me wonder why that fool Owen would even think to try,” Torr said. “Cree would never let you wed such a man.”
“Owen loves me. He rescued me from my abductors and has seen to my safety. He has been nothing but honorable.”
“Spending the night alone in the woods with you is not honorable.”
“And you being naked in bed with me is?”
“Now there’s a question to ask yourself. What will Cree do when he discovers that you spent a night alone with Owen and the next day naked in bed with me?”
Chapter Five
Wintra would have bolted out of the bed if Torr hadn’t had such a firm grip on her. It would be one thing for Cree to discover that she and Owen had spent a night alone together. It would probably be the very thing that would have him grant permission for her and Owen to wed. However, discovering that she and Torr had been naked in bed together was an entirely different matter. And with her touting how kind and honorable Owen had been, would Cree have no choice but to force a marriage between her and Torr?
“Don’t worry I will confirm that Owen was a perfect gentleman and slept on the opposite side of the campfire from you.”
“How would you—” The thought startled her silent for a moment, and then she swatted his arm that hugged her stomach. “You were spying on us.”
“That I was, so I will be able to confirm that nothing improper happened between you and Owen.”
“Nothing improper has happened between us,” she snapped.
He laughed. “We are naked in bed together.”
“To save our lives.”
“And your brother will want to save your reputation.”
“He can easily do that by granting permission for Owen and me to wed,” Wintra said, though had her doubts.
Torr pressed his cheek to hers. “Owen is not in bed with you naked, I am.”
Wintra gave his rib a good jab with her elbow, though it did not seem to bother him in the least. “You would force me to wed you? And you claim to be honorable?”
“I would not force you to do anything unless…”
“Unless what?” she demanded.
“Unless you were too stubborn to see that it was best for you.”
With a sharp, unexpected wiggle, she managed to loosen his grip and with a swift turn of her body, faced him. “Too stubborn? What is best for me? And, of course, just like my brother, you would know what is best for me.”