Ella lay sprawled on the grassy verge and he bounded through the surf and sprinted across, dropped down beside her and tipped her back over onto her back. Her hair lay tangled around her face, her skin ashen and her lips an icy blue with barely a whisper of breath moving from her mouth. She was cold. Too cold. “Bring me as many blankets as you can and get a fire lit,” he yelled to Ivor, the closest of his men running toward him.
“Will do.” Ivor skidded in the sand, turned back and raced to the galley being hauled the last few feet into shore.
Gently, he scooped Ella up and carried her toward a more sheltered area under the trees while his men saw to the fire. Sticks caught alight and flames soared as they built the heat. Hamish tossed several logs onto the crackling blaze and Duncan laid Ella down as close as he dared to the flames, wrapped her tight in his arms and rubbed her back. “Wake up, Ella.”
“I’ve got what you need.” Ivor bounded back, spread blankets and furs over him and Ella and tucked them tight. “Does she breathe?”
“Aye, but barely.” He had no choice left to him and underneath the layers piled over him, he tugged Ella’s wet clothing off, her riding boots, tunic and breeches. She likely wouldn’t appreciate that he’d done so, but sharing his body warmth with her right now was imperative. Even his men understood that, wouldn’t question his decision to strip her and do so. She was under his protection and he wouldn’t fail her now, or at least not again as he’d just done.
Once he’d stripped them both, he stuck her frozen fingers between them and clamped his legs either side of her legs. Skin against skin, he warmed her as best as he could, the heat of the fire penetrating through the blankets and warming them further.
Hamish wrung out their wet clothes and tossed them over the branches of the closet tree before handing him a skin. “’Tis whiskey. Make sure she gets some of it down.”
“She needs more than whiskey.” He lifted the skin to Ella’s lips and dribbled a little of it into her mouth. She gagged but got some down and he took a swig himself, then nodded at his man. “It might be a long night.”
“I’ll keep the fire burning, as well as ensure our men patrol this area. This is MacDonald land and we’ll need to take every precaution while seeking shelter on it.”
“Mayhap Gavin and his men too were forced to seek shelter as we have.” None could sail far in such a heavy fog.
“I’ll remain alert for a vision, will send out some teams to search the coastline immediately.” Hamish disappeared within the foggy haze, his men dispersing as well although a small guard remained near his beached galley to watch over them.
“Ella, open your eyes for me, please.” He tucked the covers over their heads to keep the warmth fully inside, the fire’s light penetrating through with a reddish-orange glow. She released the softest sigh against his chest then wriggled closer. “That’s it, seek the warmth you need from me. I’ll always offer it.”
“You arenae dressed and neither am I,” she grizzled, her husky words barely audible but easing the tightness within his chest all the same.
“That’s right, my grumpy one. Keep talking to me.”
“I’m no’ your grumpy one.” She moaned again then rubbed her cold nose across his chest. “Well, actually I might be grumpy at the moment, and how on earth are you so warm when that water was so dreadfully cold?”
“’Twas no’ cold for me, no’ when I train daily in the sea.” He swam several miles at the break of dawn each day, no matter the season. “A number of my men have left to search the coastline for Gavin. If he and Ethan are here, we’ll find them.”
“Dinnae let any of them hurt Ethan.”
“None of my men would ever harm one of the fae. You can be assured of that.” He caressed down her back, stroked over her smooth bottom and pulled her even closer against him.
“You are getting rather familiar with me, Duncan MacKenzie.” She snuck one hand out from between them and swatted his backside. “You need to cease touching me where you’ve no right to touch me, unless I say you can.”
“For now, I’ll touch you wherever I please.” Such relief poured through him, her grumpiness soothing him beyond belief. “Put your hand back between us. I’ve no wish for you to lose your fingers due to the cold.”
“My fingers are perfectly fine where they are.” Still, she did as he’d commanded her and snuck her hand back between them. With her nose buried in his neck, she nipped his flesh.
His cock twitched and hardened, his blood pounding and his need for her rising so swiftly.
“I can feel you,” she breathed raggedly. “And I mean that part of you prodding into me.”
“That prodding is an expected reaction when a man is forced to hold a woman so close while wearing naught. Ignore my arousal.”
“How do I ignore that? You’ve a rather large, well, it’s rather large by the feel of it.” She wriggled some more, her squirms only making him harden further.
“Staying still might help.” Gritting his teeth, he kissed the top of her head. “Please.”