hunchbacked man sleeping next to her. Alana closed her eyes and slowly opened them
again. He was still there. When the hump upon his back moved, she nearly leapt out of the bed. The
fact that she was too weak to move so quickly was all that kept her in place long enough for good
sense to prevail.
The man sleeping next to her had long, shining black hair. His scent was familiar to her. Even the
weight of the arm draped around her waist and the sound of his breathing were familiar. It was
Gregor sleeping next to her, she realized, and smiled faintly. She had fallen asleep to that not-quite-a-snore sound he made too many times not to recognize it now that she had a moment to think
clearly.
Then Alana frowned. Since she did not believe someone could grow a lump upon his back in but a
day or two, what was that lump? Cautiously, she lifted the covers, and her newly recovered calm
immediately dissipated. The gray cat staring at her from its warm, comfortable place upon Gregor’s
broad back did not disturb her at all. The fact that she was completely naked did, however. It
disturbed her a lot.
She quickly lowered the covers, resisting the strong urge to see if Gregor was also naked, and
clutched the blankets to her chest. A slight movement at her side drew her attention and she slowly
turned her head. Alana found herself staring into Gregor’s beautiful eyes and felt herself blush.
“I am naked,” she whispered.
“Aye, lass, that ye are,” replied Gregor, idly wondering just how far down that deep blush went.
“Why am I naked?”
“Because ye were all asweat when your fever broke and I didnae think ye should be left lying in a
damp shift. The other shift wasnae dry enough, either, and I had to rip up your third shift so that I would have rags to wash ye down with.” As he watched the import of those words sink into her
mind, Gregor was amazed at how her blush deepened, for he would not have thought she could get
any redder.
“I had a fever?” Alana asked and immediately began to recall several things that she had thought
were only strange dreams. “Ah, I think I do recall feeling ill. How long was I feverish?”
“Nearly three days.”
Alana stared down at her hands, still clutching the blanket tightly against her chest, and idly noticed that those hands were no longer bandaged and were nearly healed. She knew she ought to be deeply
embarrassed by the knowledge that Gregor had cared for her for nearly three days. Now she could
recall the feel of a cool cloth bathing her skin, easing the heat that ravaged her body. There would
have been other intimacies as well. Yet all she could think of was that he now knew she was no
child. Her breasts might not be large, but he could hardly have missed them when he removed her
binding.
He knew she had lied to him. Perhaps lie was too strong a word, she thought. She had simply not
corrected his assumption. Alana inwardly cursed. It was a lie and it revealed a lack of trust she truly had not felt. It was going to be difficult to explain why she had not told him the truth, especially
since she was not completely sure of the why of it herself.
She looked at him again. He was watching her closely, the hint of a smile curving his mouth. At any
other time, she would have found the sight of the cat’s head poking out from beneath the blanket
amusing. It was watching her as closely as Gregor was. Alana wondered if there was any chance
they could simply ignore the lie.
“Ye have a cat upon your back,” she said and could tell by the look in his eyes that Gregor knew
what game she tried to play. That look also told her it was not going to work.
“I am aware of that,” he drawled.
“Where did it come from?”
“Whoever lived here obviously decided to abandon it when they left. How old are ye, Alana?”
The abrupt question startled her so that she answered without hesitation. “Two-and-twenty.”
Gently turning so that the cat removed itself from
again. He was still there. When the hump upon his back moved, she nearly leapt out of the bed. The
fact that she was too weak to move so quickly was all that kept her in place long enough for good
sense to prevail.
The man sleeping next to her had long, shining black hair. His scent was familiar to her. Even the
weight of the arm draped around her waist and the sound of his breathing were familiar. It was
Gregor sleeping next to her, she realized, and smiled faintly. She had fallen asleep to that not-quite-a-snore sound he made too many times not to recognize it now that she had a moment to think
clearly.
Then Alana frowned. Since she did not believe someone could grow a lump upon his back in but a
day or two, what was that lump? Cautiously, she lifted the covers, and her newly recovered calm
immediately dissipated. The gray cat staring at her from its warm, comfortable place upon Gregor’s
broad back did not disturb her at all. The fact that she was completely naked did, however. It
disturbed her a lot.
She quickly lowered the covers, resisting the strong urge to see if Gregor was also naked, and
clutched the blankets to her chest. A slight movement at her side drew her attention and she slowly
turned her head. Alana found herself staring into Gregor’s beautiful eyes and felt herself blush.
“I am naked,” she whispered.
“Aye, lass, that ye are,” replied Gregor, idly wondering just how far down that deep blush went.
“Why am I naked?”
“Because ye were all asweat when your fever broke and I didnae think ye should be left lying in a
damp shift. The other shift wasnae dry enough, either, and I had to rip up your third shift so that I would have rags to wash ye down with.” As he watched the import of those words sink into her
mind, Gregor was amazed at how her blush deepened, for he would not have thought she could get
any redder.
“I had a fever?” Alana asked and immediately began to recall several things that she had thought
were only strange dreams. “Ah, I think I do recall feeling ill. How long was I feverish?”
“Nearly three days.”
Alana stared down at her hands, still clutching the blanket tightly against her chest, and idly noticed that those hands were no longer bandaged and were nearly healed. She knew she ought to be deeply
embarrassed by the knowledge that Gregor had cared for her for nearly three days. Now she could
recall the feel of a cool cloth bathing her skin, easing the heat that ravaged her body. There would
have been other intimacies as well. Yet all she could think of was that he now knew she was no
child. Her breasts might not be large, but he could hardly have missed them when he removed her
binding.
He knew she had lied to him. Perhaps lie was too strong a word, she thought. She had simply not
corrected his assumption. Alana inwardly cursed. It was a lie and it revealed a lack of trust she truly had not felt. It was going to be difficult to explain why she had not told him the truth, especially
since she was not completely sure of the why of it herself.
She looked at him again. He was watching her closely, the hint of a smile curving his mouth. At any
other time, she would have found the sight of the cat’s head poking out from beneath the blanket
amusing. It was watching her as closely as Gregor was. Alana wondered if there was any chance
they could simply ignore the lie.
“Ye have a cat upon your back,” she said and could tell by the look in his eyes that Gregor knew
what game she tried to play. That look also told her it was not going to work.
“I am aware of that,” he drawled.
“Where did it come from?”
“Whoever lived here obviously decided to abandon it when they left. How old are ye, Alana?”
The abrupt question startled her so that she answered without hesitation. “Two-and-twenty.”
Gently turning so that the cat removed itself from
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