Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 114917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
The woman’s reactions continued to shock him.
“Bliss,” she said.
Bliss had eluded him, and he was not foolish to believe he would ever find it. How could she think this was bliss—could she mean? “Your name is Bliss?”
“Aye, Bliss,” she repeated.
He smiled—barely—a surprise since he could not remember when last he smiled. It looked like he was wrong… he did finally find Bliss.
“This is not going to be pleasant,” he warned.
“I know,” she said and shut her eyes.
He could not imagine what her thoughts might be. Here she was naked and vulnerable in front of a strange man and yet she trusted him. And people thought him insane. Yet, the urge to help her, see her kept safe, overwhelmed and surprised him.
She winced when he dribbled water on the wound, but managed to say, “Look again for splinters.”
Rannick was surprised to see a few had washed out with the blood. “We got some out.”
A heavy sigh had her chest rising and falling with relief.
“I am going to give you a stick to hold on to—”
She hurried to interrupt him. “It would be better if you held me tight in case I flinch.”
She shivered and he wasn’t sure if it was from fear or from being cold. “We need this done. You need rest, and warmth.”
“Aye,” she agreed and reached out to him.
He settled her in the crook of his arm, leaving the wound exposed where he could easily sear it. Her hand latched onto his arm that held her and she buried her face against the side of his chest.
He did not wait. He reached to the corner of the hearth where he had placed the knife and grabbed the handle with the wadded cloth he had left there. He did not hesitate; he pressed the scorching blade against the wound. She cried out against his chest, then her body went limp in his arm.
The odor of burning flesh permeated the room. He eased her out of his arm and arranged blankets over her, keeping the soft wool away from the seared wound so it would not irritate it. The only thing left was to pray and he had long ago lost any faith in that.
Rannick woke to soft groans. He had fallen asleep sitting braced against the end of the fireplace where he could keep an eye on Bliss. He looked at her now and saw how she shivered. He hurried to her and felt her head, thankful to find it cool. Since she had no fever, it was either dreams or discomfort that had left her restless enough to chase the blanket off her.
He placed it over her, but she did not stop shivering. He tried another blanket, but it did little good. He could not let her shivers continue, and he needed some solid sleep himself. He made a hasty, if unwise, decision and slipped off his boots and shirt and eased himself beneath the blankets to carefully take her in his arms.
His warmth drew her to him, and she turned and snuggled against him as if she could not get close enough, then finally as if she found the perfect niche, she settled quietly, her shivers fading away.
He shut his eyes, not so much to sleep, but to let himself have this moment with this woman in bed. It had been years since he had slept beside a woman, held her while she slept, felt the warmth of her naked body against his.
Strange that he should find with her what he so ached for… “Bliss.”
Bliss woke with a wince and cuddled closer to the warmth that embraced her. She didn’t want to leave it. It was far too comforting. She pressed her face against the heat, and an earthy scent, quite pleasant, filled her nostrils. She should open her eyes. She needed to start the day and see to those in need.
Her eyes flew open to see she was pressed against a hard chest, and everything came rushing back at her. She went to move and winced.
“Easy,” Rannick said, his hand going to her shoulder and easing her onto her back, relieved to move her away since he woke aroused against her.
Bliss shut her eyes for a moment, partly against the pain that jabbed relentlessly at her and partly at trying to focus and recall all that had happened. Good Lord, she was in bed with her husband where she needed to be—he, however, had no knowledge of that. She felt him slip out of bed and a shiver of relief ran through her.
“You need to leave here,” Rannick said with intentional roughness. “I will have you taken to my clan village where you can rest and heal.”
Bliss had to think fast. She could not allow him to return her to the village. His father would claim she failed, and all would be lost. Her sisters would no longer be safe.