Moments later, Colin saw amid the distant rocksstrands of dark hair whipping wildly in the wind. He hurried toher.
She was lying curled up tightly in a shallow cleftbetween two rocks. For a moment, he thought she might be dead. Heknelt beside her, pushed her long hair to the side, and touched theside of her throat. Her skin was icy cold, but he could feel afaint pulse. He pulled her out of the hole and rolled her into hisarms. She mumbled something unintelligible and tried to push himaway.
“I’m taking you back to your house.”
She made a feeble attempt to push away from himagain, but she was clearly exhausted. She ceased her struggle andslumped limply against him. Lifting her in his arms, Colin pushedhimself to his feet.
“But I am warning you, lass. No more attacking mewith my own weapon. No kicking. No fighting. No more attempts tounman me.” He started toward the priory. She was slightly built,but Colin hadn’t forgotten the courage she’d shown in facing himlast night. “And no running away, either.”
She mumbled something again and tucked her handinside his shirt. Her fingers were like ice.
“I don’t know how long we are going to be togetherlike this, but you’d better get used to having me around.”
Stirring slightly, she wrapped her arms tightlyaround his neck and pressed her face to the exposed skin of hisneck. Her cheek was soft as cold silk.
“And I’ll do my best…to get used to you, too,” hefinished hoarsely.
Tess tried to burrow deeper into the ground, butsomething was stopping her. The wind was stronger and colder.Something was pulling at her. She was so cold. She had to pushherself in deeper to stay warm. It was right there, so near. Shecouldn’t bear being separated from it, but she was being pulledaway. She held on tighter.
“You need to let go, lass.”
She shook her head. The words were spoken very closeto her ear. It was a deep voice. It was the Highlander’s voice. Shetried to bury herself deeper beneath the stones. She had to hidefrom him.
“I cannot be much help with you wrapped around melike this.”
Wrapped around me. Wrapped around me. Shedidn’t know what he was talking about. She was wrapped around apiece of rock. She clutched more tightly. She was growing warmer.If she could just hold on tightly enough...
“Not that I’m complaining. But you’re cold and wetand…and I suppose we need to get you out of these clothes beforeyou come down with a fever.”
Wrapped around me.The words were finallysinking in. She forced her eyes open and found herself looking atsmooth muscles of a man’s neck. She lifted her head off a broadshoulder and looked into eyes the color of a turbulent blue sea.His face was so close to hers. Hazy and confused, she studied everyaspect of his chiseled face. At the same time, she became awarethat her feet were not touching the ground. Her weight was beingsupported by pair of strong arms. An unfamiliar warmth seepedthrough her, and her gaze fell on his mouth. A hint of a smiletugged at the full lips.
“So, you’ve decided to come around.”
“You…aren-not…g-getting me out of thesec-c-clothes.”
His expression turned sober. “I’m afraid you haveleft me no choice.”
She started struggling in his arms. “L-let…me…g-go.Let…me…go!”
Immediately, he dropped her onto her bedding,extracting a sharp cry in return as she fell. She scowled up athim.
“You…didn’t have…to drop me!” Separated from hiswarmth, she felt the chills again wash through her. The skin on herface was stiff. Her eyes felt puffy and dry. She tried to tug ablanket from beneath her and pull it over her, but her hands hardlyresponded. She could not move her fingers. She watched him moveaway from her to the hearth. Squatting, he started building up thefire. Helpless in the light of her useless limbs, she put her headdown on the covering and pulled her knees to her chest. She was sotired. She felt like crying but fought back the impulse.“’Tis…c-cold in…h-here. ‘Tis very…c-c-cold.”
“You’ll be warm soon.”
The Highlander put another piece of wood on thefire. In a moment the flames were snapping and hissing, and he roseand came to her. He crouched down beside Tess and tucked the edgesof the blanket around her legs. “I am glad that you at leastunderstand what I am saying.” His strong fingers started removingher roughly-made shoes. Tess was too weak to protest As he pulledthem off, she realized she had no feeling in her toes.
“I am Colin Macpherson. Do you have a name?”
She stared at the pale skin of her feet as his largehands cupped them.
“We’ll worry about your name later.” He looked aboutthe room. “Weneedto get you out of those wet clothes.” Hereached for another blanket that was lying at the foot of herbedding and tucked it around her bare feet. “Do you think you canmanage it by yourself?”
She nodded weakly. But the loud chatter of her teethwas making it impossible for Tess to speak clearly.“D-d-dry…clothes.”
“Where?” He looked about him again and then followedthe direction of her gaze to the ladder and the opening above. Shenodded when he pointed at it.
Leaving her, he crossed the room and climbed upthrough the hole to the area beneath the roof.
