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“This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve found myself in a situation like this,” he said in a conversational voice.
It took her a moment to respond. “I find that hard to believe.”
Her wild curls tickled his nose. She smelled like peat smoke and fresh mountain air, and her skin carried a faint, salty tang. A sudden yearning twisted through him, and he had to resist the impulse to lean down and kiss the soft skin at the nape of her neck.
“When I was in Canada, I was stupid enough to get caught in the middle of a blinding snowstorm.”
She shivered, so he tucked her even closer. She didn’t protest.
“That sounds dreadful,” she murmured. “How did you survive?”
Logan vividly remembered Joseph Pisnet, his future partner and father-in-law, arguing against going out that day. But Logan had been foolish enough to think that growing up in the mountains of Scotland had prepared him for the wilds of Canada.
“I was lucky to have a partner who knew how to survive in such conditions. He showed me how to build a makeshift shelter and taught me the best way to keep warm.”
“Like this?” she asked in a sleepy voice.
“Yes, though the best way is to strip naked, crawl under a pile of furs, and huddle together as close as you can.”
“I’mnotdoing that with you, no matter how bloody cold it gets.”
He stifled a laugh. “Not necessary, in our case. But when you’re truly on the verge of freezing to death, needs must.”
“If your partner was so smart, why did he let you get into such a fix?”
“I didn’t really give him a choice. I was a hardheaded Scot, and he reckoned it was the only way I would learn.”
She fell silent, and Logan began to think she was dozing off. He, however, was wide-awake, not surprising, given the lovely, round arse curved so sweetly against his groin. And ofcoursehis blasted cock wanted to do what came naturally in the vicinity of such an enticing female.
Even if the female was entirely off-bounds.
“Did you like living in Canada?” she asked softly.
He welcomed the distraction, although the question was too complicated for a simple answer.
“It was a good challenge. I needed that.”
“So you left Scotland for the challenge?”
“Yes.”
What other answer could he give? That he’d left because he’d all but destroyed his family? That he’d betrayed his brother—his laird—in the most profound and tragic of ways? It had been years ago and Nick had fully forgiven him, but it wasn’t something Logan ever wanted to talk about.
Especially not while holding Donella in his arms. For some odd reason she made him feel . . . well,vulnerablewas the best word.
“I’ve never been anywhere exciting like that, Mr. Kendrick. I wish you’d tell me about it.”
“I will, after you get some sleep.”
She gave a soft huff. “No, you won’t. You’re just like me. You don’t like to talk about yourself.”
He blinked, startled by her insight. He held himself still, mentally bracing against more questions, ones he would do his best to dodge.
When her quiet breaths evened out and she slumped against him, he exhaled a sigh of relief. Certain secrets were simply too ugly to share—especially his.
Chapter Eleven
Donella slowly began to surface. Something warm and hard surrounded her, cocooning her against the chill. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so deeply, and instinct urged her back into slumber.
