plastered to my back and shoulders in a tangled mess. I hugged my arms around myself tightly, trying my best to keep what warmth I had.
“ Then… I can keep you warm,” he offered, indicating the space behind me. “It’ll help—may I?”
I looked to the opening of the cave, wishing the warmth of the fire would spread to us. No man had touched me since David laid his hands around my throat—since his arms had shoved me to my death. Carefully I weighed the options, and differences. Sure, the big guy had touched my abdomen to heal me, but it wasn’t the same as having him embrace me. I trembled more now, which I wouldn’t have thought possible.
It came back to my not wanting to die. I f I didn’t allow him to warm me, I could go into hypothermia. Trust him , the voice whispered again.
I nodded—a slow and resistant permission.
He crawled in behind me, and slowly positioned himself, spooning me. Scorching heat radiated from his body.
T he embrace was intimate, intended or not. I held my breath cause, ‘ya know, he was naked except for his sword harness. Never had I been so grateful for a torn dress. At least I had a layer of something in between us.
“I’ve stopped the bleeding, but you lost a lot of blood —you’re going into shock from it. I’ve done as much as I can right now, but if we get you into the water, and you transform, I can complete the healing. It works better in Mer form,” he whispered, into my ear, sending shivers down my spine. The edges of his sword harness pressed against my back. My posture likely signaling the discomfort, the big guy adjusted the way the swords laid. “We’ll stay here until the beach lovers have gone.” One arm protectively draped over my waist, he tentatively nudged a leg between mine, settling in as if this was an everyday occurrence.
Despite my reservations, his intense heat melted my frozen body and my trembling slowly subsided. It felt good… almost too good, and I tensed.
Memories of David forced themselves to the front of my mind. Pushing back the unwelcome comparison, I decided David no longer controlled my life.
Voices carried on the wind , snapping me out of my dark thoughts. The memories of David receded as my body thawed, shock fading.
The big guy left me for a moment, crawled to the front of the cave, and stealthily watched them. His absence allowed the chill back and I started shivering again. Whether the heat or companionship, I didn’t know, but I wanted him back, his arms around me.
As if he heard my thoughts, he crawled to me, and reclaimed his position. With his body again pressed up against mine, the heat radiated from him, filling me with a cozy warmth. “They have sleeping bags and are starting to make love now. I think we’re in for a long night. We’ll have to wait until they’re asleep, and then try to sneak around them.”
The tension I experienced before was now gone and a comfortable, safe feeling cocooned me. I found my non-shaky voice, and spoke softly. “Thank you for your help. I didn’t mean to be a bitch before, I was in a lot of pain,” I justified, ashamed of my lack of gratitude.
H e grunted in response.
“What’s your name?” I cautiously rolled onto my back to see his face better and he shifted his position to accommodate me. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the cave, but it was still hard to see.
He was lying on his side, propped up on one arm , legs crossed, with his left lying on top of my right. His long hair tickled my neck and shoulders when he moved. “They call me Roman,” he yawned.
“My name’s Anna , Anna Ryan.” I stuck out my hand to shake his falling back on old formalities.
He glanced down at my hand and then back to the cave entrance, as if he wasn’t familiar with the gesture. Before I dropped my hand in rejection, he reached down, and brought it to his lips. He gently kissed the back of my hand, but didn’t drop it immediately. Instead, he continued to gently hold it and
“ Then… I can keep you warm,” he offered, indicating the space behind me. “It’ll help—may I?”
I looked to the opening of the cave, wishing the warmth of the fire would spread to us. No man had touched me since David laid his hands around my throat—since his arms had shoved me to my death. Carefully I weighed the options, and differences. Sure, the big guy had touched my abdomen to heal me, but it wasn’t the same as having him embrace me. I trembled more now, which I wouldn’t have thought possible.
It came back to my not wanting to die. I f I didn’t allow him to warm me, I could go into hypothermia. Trust him , the voice whispered again.
I nodded—a slow and resistant permission.
He crawled in behind me, and slowly positioned himself, spooning me. Scorching heat radiated from his body.
T he embrace was intimate, intended or not. I held my breath cause, ‘ya know, he was naked except for his sword harness. Never had I been so grateful for a torn dress. At least I had a layer of something in between us.
“I’ve stopped the bleeding, but you lost a lot of blood —you’re going into shock from it. I’ve done as much as I can right now, but if we get you into the water, and you transform, I can complete the healing. It works better in Mer form,” he whispered, into my ear, sending shivers down my spine. The edges of his sword harness pressed against my back. My posture likely signaling the discomfort, the big guy adjusted the way the swords laid. “We’ll stay here until the beach lovers have gone.” One arm protectively draped over my waist, he tentatively nudged a leg between mine, settling in as if this was an everyday occurrence.
Despite my reservations, his intense heat melted my frozen body and my trembling slowly subsided. It felt good… almost too good, and I tensed.
Memories of David forced themselves to the front of my mind. Pushing back the unwelcome comparison, I decided David no longer controlled my life.
Voices carried on the wind , snapping me out of my dark thoughts. The memories of David receded as my body thawed, shock fading.
The big guy left me for a moment, crawled to the front of the cave, and stealthily watched them. His absence allowed the chill back and I started shivering again. Whether the heat or companionship, I didn’t know, but I wanted him back, his arms around me.
As if he heard my thoughts, he crawled to me, and reclaimed his position. With his body again pressed up against mine, the heat radiated from him, filling me with a cozy warmth. “They have sleeping bags and are starting to make love now. I think we’re in for a long night. We’ll have to wait until they’re asleep, and then try to sneak around them.”
The tension I experienced before was now gone and a comfortable, safe feeling cocooned me. I found my non-shaky voice, and spoke softly. “Thank you for your help. I didn’t mean to be a bitch before, I was in a lot of pain,” I justified, ashamed of my lack of gratitude.
H e grunted in response.
“What’s your name?” I cautiously rolled onto my back to see his face better and he shifted his position to accommodate me. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the cave, but it was still hard to see.
He was lying on his side, propped up on one arm , legs crossed, with his left lying on top of my right. His long hair tickled my neck and shoulders when he moved. “They call me Roman,” he yawned.
“My name’s Anna , Anna Ryan.” I stuck out my hand to shake his falling back on old formalities.
He glanced down at my hand and then back to the cave entrance, as if he wasn’t familiar with the gesture. Before I dropped my hand in rejection, he reached down, and brought it to his lips. He gently kissed the back of my hand, but didn’t drop it immediately. Instead, he continued to gently hold it and
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