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14
CELIA
Celiahad lived inFloridaall her life, but she’d visitedNewEnglandfor a special client in the dead of winter once.Thatwas as far north as she’d ever been and it had been a chilling experience.
Butthe temperatures onTranqPrimeblew anything inNewEnglandaway.Theair was so cold, it felt like knives going down her throat and the moisture in her nose and around her eyelashes immediately froze into hard little crystals.
“MadredeDios!”she gasped, staggering as she tried to step down from the shuttle.
Fierceturned and caught her or she would have fallen.
“Becareful,lelka!Youall right?” he shouted, over the whipping of the wind.
“Don’t…don’t know,”Celiagasped.Shestill felt like she was being stabbed from the inside with a thousand ice cold knives and the tips of her ears and nose were rapidly going numb.
“Wehave to get her inside before she gets frostbite or worse,”Holdshouted.Heheld out his arms to his brother. “Giveher to me and get that door open!”
Fiercehanded her over—both brothers lifted her as though she weighed no more than a pillow,Celianoted faintly.Shewas beginning to shiver despite the warm suit—the wind felt like blades assaulting her body.
Holdwrapped the folds of his shaggy fur coat around her and cradled her close to his big body asFierceran on ahead to the entrance of the grotto.
Itlooked like a frozen white hillside toCeliabut there was indeed a large metal door in the center of it—a door thatFiercewas currently fighting with.Eitherit was locked or frozen closed.
Finallyhe pulled out his blaster and aimed at the door’s hinges.Severalblasts of deadly, brilliant blue light later and he was finally able to pull it open.
“Gether inside!Hurry!” he shouted, gesturing toHold.
“I’mgoing!” theLightTwinshouted back.Hehurried into the grotto withCeliaheld in his arms andFiercefollowed behind him, pulling the door shut behind them.
Insideand out of the wind,Celiacould finally breathe without feeling like knives were stabbing her lungs.Itwas still freezing cold, but the absence of the whipping gale made a huge difference.
“I…IthinkIcan stand now,” she said, looking up atHold, who was staring down at her with concern.
“Letme hold you a little while longer to share my body heat,” he said, frowning. “Kindredrun hotter than humans and you’re even more delicate than we thought—you need to be warmed thoroughly, my lady.”
“Well…all right.”Celiawasn’t going to fight with him.Shecouldn’t deny it—shelikedbeing held in theLightTwin’sarms.Hewas so big and warm and his delicious scent of clean laundry and cedar wood and masculine spice filled her senses and made her want to breathe him in and stay close to him.
Infact, if she was really being honest, she hadn’t minded being held inFierce’sarms either—or so shethoughtuntil he came and said,
“Youneed to look at the hinges,Brother—they may be fucking broken beyond repair but tell me what you think.Idon’t like leaving the door unlocked behind us.”
“Allright—here, you warm our lady for me then.”AndHoldhanded her off toFierce, who cradled her in his arms as gently as his brother had a moment ago, despite the fight they’d had on the way over.
“Um…Ican stand on my own,”Celiasaid, feeling uncomfortable.
“Notuntil you’re warm through,”Fiercegrowled. “Howare your ears?Theylook bright red to me.”
“Oh…did my hat slip?”Celiareached up and pulled down the hat as well as she could with her mittened hands.
“Mmm-hmm—red,”Fierceconfirmed, frowning. “Arethey cold too?”
“They’renumb,”Celiaadmitted, frowning. “ButI’msure they’ll warm up in a moment.”
“Notwithout some help.Here.”TheDarkTwinput her on her feet, but kept his hands on her shoulders.Thenhe leaned down and breathed a long, slow steady breath against her right ear.
“Oh!”Celiagasped and writhed in his grip.Herears and the sides of her neck had always been very sensitive areas for her.Fiercewas so close she could feel his beard and mustache tickling her skin and his warm breath seemed to start a fire inside her.Itdidn’t help that his spicy, wild scent was invading her senses the wayHold’shad a moment ago, either.Whydid both of them have to smell so damn good, she wondered?
“Youall right,lelka?”Fiercerumbled softly in her ear. “Didthat help?”
