Page 22 of Scotch & Shortbread

He gently held her leg as he helped her slide one foot at a time out of her winter hiking boots. She whimpered as the pain of frozen toes bit at her. They throbbed as they now slowly began to thaw.

“Ye were out there for quite a while,” he stated matter-of-factly, handling her frozen feet with care to avoid worsening her discomfort.

Alex could tell the lass had been through an ordeal. In the brief interactions he’d had with her, this was the quietest he’d known her to be. He could sense that she was processing the experience she had gone through. Likely she was in a bit of shock. It disturbed him to think what would have happened if Bear hadn’t found her. Alex felt a wave of protectiveness. He had to fight the urge to wrap his arms around the lass. God, he was relieved that she was there safe with him. He silently vowed that he’d take care of her and not let any harm come to her.

Being as careful as he could, he gently slid off her thick wool socks from one foot and then the other. Her bare frozen feet rested on his thighs just above his knees. When he pressed his warm hands onto them, it struck him how fully his hands engulfed her wee feet.Good, he thought,all the better to warm them.

The lass’s feet were vivid red and white in some parts. To his chagrin, Alex also noted the cherry red polish that adorned the feminine feet in his hands, reminding him of his unbidden attraction to her.

“I dinnae think they are frostbitten. Do ye huv any pain, lass?

Quinn nodded. “A bit, they feel burny and like they are throbbing.”

“Likely ye’ll be okay once we get ye warmed through,” he said as he took care to gently rub each foot.

“That feels good.” She sighed, and Alex glanced up at her face still wrapped in the hood of her coat.

Her eyes were closed and she had the most beautiful pleasure-filled expression on her face, and without warning, Alex envisioned her under him looking similarly as he slowly glided in and out of her. Swallowing, he forced his eyes away and set her feet gently back down as he stood up. Thoughts like that were dangerous, and he needed to leash them in immediately. The woman needed his help, and he’d be wise to keep his focus on that.

“Come, lass, let’s get ye by the fire.” He held out a hand to help her up, and it felt impossible not to notice how delicate and distinctly feminine her hand felt in his. Christ, it brought out every masculine urge in him to protect her like some kind of gallant knight from the fourteenth century. When she faltered with a whimper of pain and grabbed onto his arm to steady herself, somewhere deep in his core, he intuitively understood, like trusting the sun rises in the east, that there was nothing he wouldn’t do to protect this lass and keep her out of harm’s way.

Not letting himself think on it, he instead focused on the task at hand. “Let me help ye,” he said, and she nodded trustingly. It broke him that she stood about as stable as a newborn kitten.

Alex didn’t ask. He just took control and scooped the lass up into his arms. Perhaps he should have thought it through as he had to steel himself not to appreciate the feel of her petite, curvy body nestled so perfectly against him.

They looked at each other face to face.

“It’s easiest, aye?” he asked, belatedly realizing he hadn’t cleared it with her.

16

Alex's Cafe

Quinnimmediatelyfeltbereftas his arms released her. The absence of his warmth and strength around her felt visceral. God and his scent. She could happily keep her nose shoved in his neck until the New Year. That fresh woodsy spicy scent did things to her and her lady bits. Regretfully, he’d already stepped away from her, so she tucked her legs up under her and sank into the chair that hugged her like a well-worn glove.

It felt as though the chill in her bones would never ease. As he added logs to the fireplace, Quinn was mesmerized. The man looked like he could be a model for a sexy spread inWoodsmen Magazineor something. All ruggedly handsome with a full day’s stubble on his strong jaw and muscles bulging under his fitted long-sleeve T. This was the first time she’d seen him without his intimidating black uniform, and the woodsy guy effect was downright delicious. All that rugged gruffness was hot. And he’d been kind to her. Not something she would have expected from him. Quinn watched him, realizing that perhaps he wasn’t so bad after all. Had she misjudged him?

The new logs he put in the grate crackled and snapped as fire licked at them. The glorious heat radiated blissfully through her. Quinn willed herself to finally pull off the hood of her coat and her toque. Then she unzipped her coat, and a fresh shiver quaked through her. It was wet from all the snow, but at the same time, it was a warm wetness that made her reluctant to pull it off of her chilled body even though she knew she needed to.

Steeling herself, she peeled off her coat and snow pants as quickly as her cold limbs would allow. Left with her teeth chattering again as she sat in her long-sleeved shirt and black leggings, she was still glad to be rid of the wet outer layers. He must have noticed her shivering because he pulled a blanket from a hall closet and strode back, handing it to her.

“Thank you,” she said, looking up at his face as she greedily pulled the blanket up under her chin. He caught her eye and held her gaze, and something seemed to pass between them. Quinn half feared he’d say something to make her feel even more stupid than she already did or that the spell of kindness would be broken, but as he looked at her, she saw no disapproval in his stormy blue eyes. Instead, there was something more akin to concern.

“I’ll make us some coffee,” he said, breaking the moment as he strode back to the kitchen.

“Um, or maybe do you have tea? I’m more of a tea girl. Weird right? Everyone loves coffee, but not me. I think it tastes like mud.” She scrunched her nose. "The only way I drink coffee is in a latte. Mmm, like an oat milk eggnog latte—those are divine." She groaned. "Can't even taste the coffee."

“Right, tea it is then,” he muttered ignoring her cheer-filled little tirade.

“Thank you.” A smile curved her lips as she thought about how delicious a mug of hot tea sounded right now. “Do you have oat milk by any chance and maybe a bit of honey?”

“This isnae a bloody Starbucks,” he bit.

“Sorry,” she said, fearing his kindness was going to evaporate and Mean Cop might make a comeback. She hastily added, “It’s just that dairy makes me sick. I can’t have it at all and honey makes everything nicer, but I don’t need anything in the tea if you don’t have it. I can take it as is. That’s fine.”

“No dairy, as in no cheese? No ice cream? Ye poor unfortunate soul.” He looked at her like she was some kind of alien.

Quinn giggled relieved at his teasing. It was far better than his wrath. “I know, it’s heartbreaking, right?”

---