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Runaway. Carolyn Davidson
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If the rising wind and the rain that was beginning to fall in earnest would tamp down his urges, he’d edge her from the doorway and do his own wood gathering. The only issue was getting past her without his randy hands taking hold of the temptation she offered.
“I’ll be back directly. You stay inside,” he said gruffly, bending to pick up his hat from the wooden floor. He who was so careful of the wide-brimmed hat that had perched atop his head for the past two years could not even remember it falling from its place.
Her face lit with a relief she made no attempt to hide. “I’ll sort out something for supper,” she offered.
He nodded, hunching his shoulders as he bent into the slanting raindrops. His steps were quick, his hands reaching for dead wood beneath the trees. It was barely dampened by the rain, protected by the trees towering overhead, and he found a double armful within minutes. Probably enough to last the night, if they were careful.
Beneath the small porch he caught a glimpse of more firewood, apparently gathered by an earlier occupant, and he welcomed the discovery with a satisfied grin. Dumping his heavy load just inside the door, he stepped back out to gather up the heavier chunks from under the porch. His shirt clung to his back, thoroughly soaked, and he thought longingly of the warm fire inside.
The small blaze welcomed him as he staggered through the doorway with his burden. Cassie knelt as closely as she dared to the fire, tending the small pot she’d placed in the coals.
“I opened a can of beans from your pack,” she said, glancing at him over her shoulder. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat, her hair gleaming in the firelight.
This was not going to be an easy night, Will decided, carrying the heavy pieces of firewood closer. He bent, stacking them quickly next to the hearth, then squatted beside Cassie, his fingers working at the buttons of his shirt.
“Can you find me something dry to put on?” His hands were stiff, his movements slow, and he closed his eyes for a moment, soaking in the welcome warmth of the fire.
He heard her murmur of assent as she crossed the room to close the door against the rain. His every nerve attuned to her presence, he flinched at the click of her boot heels as they touched the wooden floor. The swollen wood of the door protested loudly as she dragged it across the uneven floorboards, and then she knelt by his saddlebag. The rustle of her movements had him gritting his teeth and closing his eyes, the better to visualize her as she handled his clothing, sorted through his belongings.
His hands tightened into fists, and he bent his head, aware only of her presence. Her clothing brushed the floor as she rose to her feet, and then he sensed her approach. His heartbeat slowed, his breathing deepened and once more he lifted his hands to undo his shirt buttons.
He stripped the shirt from his body, and unseen hands took it from him. Never had a fire felt so welcome. Grunting his thanks, he stretched out his hands to the crackling flames.
“Your undershirt is pretty well soaked, too,” Cassie said from behind him.
He nodded agreement, his fingers once more working at buttons and buttonholes. He made quicker work of it this time and eased his way from the wet fabric. From behind him, Cassie enclosed his shoulders in the blanket from his pack and he basked in the warmth it captured from the flames as she draped it around his body.
She knelt next to him and reached to stir the beans. “They’re almost hot,” she offered. “We can put them on the biscuits left from breakfast if you want to.”
“That’s fine.” He’d be willing to eat most anything she put in front of him right now, he decided. Between the sound of rain on the roof and the fire crackling in front of him, he was pretty near ready to doze off. If it weren’t for the empty spot in his middle, he’d be content to drop his chin on his chest and spend the night where he sat.
“Here.” Cassie’s hand touched his and his fingers curled around the biscuit she held. Warm beans oozed from its depths and he licked one from his finger, then took a mouthful of the simple meal. He blinked, his eyes gritty with the need for sleep, and chewed slowly, savoring the flavor.
“I never knew beans could taste so good,” Cassie said.
“Hmm.” It was about as much conversation as he could manage. The night without sleep had caught up with him. It was hard telling what time it was, what with the early dark coming on, with the storm overhead. He suspected Cassie was about wiped out, too, even though she’d managed to doze in the saddle a few times throughout the night.
Will swallowed the last of the biscuit. “How many more of those you got?”
“Enough,” she answered, her fingers deft as she split another, scooping on a generous helping of beans from the pot. She handed it to him and he muttered his thanks before he took a bite. Grasping the pot handle gingerly, she turned it toward him, handing him the spoon.
“Here, eat the rest. I’ve had enough.” Settling her bottom on the floor, she folded her legs as she leaned toward the heat.
“You sure?” Will cast her a doubtful glance. She nodded, her gaze captured by the flames. “Here, have a bite,” he offered, holding the spoon in front of her lips.
Her mouth opened obediently and he watched as her lips closed on the spoon. He eased it from her mouth and filled it again, feeding himself the next bite. There was about the small ritual a strange bonding, and he filled the spoon again, lifting it, watching as she ate from his hand. Scraping the last bite atop his final bit of biscuit, he popped it in his mouth, chewing slowly, savoring the flavor.
“Can we sleep now?” Cassie asked, not bothering to cover the yawn that accompanied her question.
Will cast a look around the small cabin. Against the far wall a rudely constructed bunk offered dubious comfort. “Seems to me we’d be just as well off right here by the fire,” he said. “That bed doesn’t look like much, and we’ll be warmer here.”
“I’ll put some more wood on,” Cassie said, rising. “Here’s your shirt, Will.” She dropped it into his lap, then found several chunks of wood to stack over the coals.
He watched as she worked, then, shedding the blanket, he hastily pulled his shirt in place. The fire would dry his trousers, he figured. Taking them off would likely scare the bejabbers out of Cassie.
“Are you pretty well dried out?” he asked, pulling his pack closer, shoving the contents about as he sought a soft spot for his head.
She watched him, her eyes wary. “I’m all right. I’m warm, anyway.” She tugged at her boots, placing them to one side of the wide fireplace. “These should dry out pretty well by tomorrow.” As if she had done all she could to put off the inevitable, she turned to him.
“I’ll roll up in the other blanket. You can sleep closer to the fire.”
He shook his head. “No, we’ll sleep together, right here.” His hand motioned to the space they occupied and he stretched out, the blanket over his shoulders once more. “Bring the other blanket here,” he told her, patting the floor in front of him.
She obeyed, moving silently on stocking feet as she gathered up the dark woolen square from his pack. Lowering herself to the floor, she spread the covering over them both, then settled down in the space he had indicated, just next to the hearth.
He moved to curl his body around her back, arranging the blankets to form a double layer over them as he slid his arm under her head, easing it from the floor. His other hand scooped her closely to his chest and she stiffened for a moment.
“Ease up, Cassie,” he ordered in a rusty growl. “I need to get warm.”
Getting warm wasn’t the issue, Will thought, even as he muttered the words against the crown of her head. He was managing to generate enough inner heat to keep them both going all evening and half the night. He’d be better off if he kept his hands to himself and stayed six feet away from the bundle of