Page 62 of Swamp Kings 2

Her brain imagined being in the same tent with him and she panicked. “You said you had extra blankets!”

“You’ll need body warmth,” he said, his tone final. “Don’t worry, our flesh won’t touch.”

He stood and tossed more logs onto the fire as she frantically searched for an escape. She couldn’t sleepin his tent and share body warmth!

“You’re a nurse, Mabel,” he said, simply. “Think of it as a medical procedure to save your life. Come. I need to prepare.”

She stood, watching him dismantle her tent then draped his with several fur pelts before covering that with her tent and tying it down tightly.

“Get in,” he ordered as the wind picked up, the blizzard reality suddenly crashing into her brain. There was a blizzardnow?

She dove for the entrance and scrambled into pitch darkness, her heart banging against her chest, breaths labored as yelling erupted outside.

“Lock it all down!” Gideon’s voice roared through the air, the deep sound riding up and down her spine and making her heart beat faster. She could hardly believe how the wind already howled and shook the tent, sending her scrambling into a corner. Where was he? Did they need help?

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Mabel hurried to the entrance and the flap flew open, something hard slamming into her nose and knocking her on her arse.

“Fuck,” Gideon swore, as she grabbed her nose. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she assured, so happy he was there as warm blood leaked onto her mouth. She leaned her head back and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to slow the flow as a match scratched and light gradually filled the little room.

“Jesus,” he muttered, his hand cradling the back of her head briefly. “Hold on,” he said, yanking on something near her as material ripped. Did he just cut her dress? His hand cradled her head again and he placed the wad of whatever he’d ripped under her nose. “I’ll owe you a dress,” hemuttered, confirming. “Does it hurt?”

“No,” she said, trembling, blinking the tears from her eyes till his fierce face came into focus above hers.

“Then why are you crying?”

“Because I got hit in the nose. The eyes water,” she added, when his doubtful gaze locked on hers. “I hope it’s not a problem that I don’t cry over a busted nose,” she warned, watching him as he wiped her mouth, realizing he was twice as handsome when angry.

He removed his coat and tossed it in the corner, grabbing a container of something and setting it down. “One more piece,” he said, ripping more of the dress and placing the wad over the top of the container and tilting it.

“Whiskey?” she half joked, her pulse out of control with his naked, cut, tanned torso filling up the entire, shaking room.

“It’s water,” he said, his tone as soft as his fingers now holding her lower jaw as he gently cleaned her face. The storm felt like a secondary threat next to him towering over her half naked. Having to touch him for any reason, even medical at this point, would require another bloody miracle andquick. There were two storms raging, one outside and one in her body! She’d taken a vow too when she came to America to fulfill her dream of nursing full time, fully prepared to give all for the purpose, nothing would stand in her way. But damn her biology! Her chemicals were throwing a bloody tantrum, dormant whore-pores sucking in everything in that room. The sight of him, the feel of his very large, strong fingers. Dear God, his smell. She closed her eyes as the raw masculinity saturated her tastebuds while being forced to breathe through her mouth.

“There,” he murmured, his rough fingers gliding off her face and producing a full body shiver. His touch then moved gently along the bridge of her nose, his tenderness reaching her pathetic soul.

“Lay down,” he ordered. “I’ll warm you.”

Oh dear God! “I’m not cold,” she gasped, fluttering her eyes open.

“You’re shivering,” he said, his tone edgy.

“I’m… the storm is...” Her eyes bounced around the tent like a crazy ball till she had to clench them shut just to keep them off him. She lay down right where she was, turning on her side and covering her ears from the screaming wind.

Do it. Cover me with your body. I’m a nurse. Trained for difficult situations. Nudity is nothing, it’s bloody medical!

Nobody’s nude!

Her body disagreed one thousand percent. Even if she had five layers of clothes, gettingthosemassive hot muscles pressed into her? She’d feel it clear to her bones, andworseplaces.

She hadneverwanted another human being like this, to thisburning, desperatedegree. Ever. She was literally craving him. Why? What was happening? Was she drugged? She felt drunk. Drunk on a lust she’d never experienced, never dreamed she could or would. In a blizzard!

****

Gideon braced for the war ahead. The storm was nothing compared to the fire burning his blood. Keeping his side of the deal would have been possible until heglimpsed her hunger, her craving for his touch. It had pulled a secret cord in him and unraveled him completely.

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