Quicksilver Passion (71 page)

Her big eyes gave him the answer and he cursed himself for having told her how much he desired her. What kind of a saloon girl would rather face death in the snow than bed a man? Surely she did it all the time?

Here, I’ve got some whiskey in my pack.” He dug it out.

No, no whiskey,” she struggled, but she was too weak to fight him.

He forced the bottle between her teeth.
Drink it, Silver, if I don’t get you warm, you may have frost bite and lose the tip of your nose and some of your toes and fingers.”

Even though she fought him, he got a good slug of the whiskey in her belly. He pulled off her gloves and felt her fingers. They were freezing cold.
Can you feel them?”

She shook her head.

He jerked open his jacket and shirt, grabbed her hands, forced one of them under each of his armpits, then pressed her face against his big chest.

Silver struggled and protested.

Shut up,” he ordered, and he turned her face so that his warm flesh was against her other cheek. Her small hands under his arms felt frozen and lifeless.
You’re lucky I turned up when I did.”

She didn’t argue, but pressed her face against him. He felt her shivering through both their clothes, and heard her teeth chatter.

Silver, I’ve got to get you back to the cabin.”

She looked up at him, trembling with cold.
I was going to town.”

The hell you say! Of all the stubborn, stupid women I ever met, you get the prize!”

Still, he secretly admired her spunk as he swung her up in his arms and stepped over the dead wolf.
Keep your hands under my arms and your face against my chest.”

She looked up at him as he started back up the trail.
Aren’t you cold with your shirt open?”

Damned right! Now snuggle up there and see if I can put some heat into you by the time we get back to the cabin!”

She acted for a moment as if she would protest, but Cherokee refused to argue with her. After all, he was bigger than she was and she was hurt and half-frozen. He carried her back up the trail with long strides, worrying all the time about her feet.
That was a crazy thing to do! If your toes freeze and you lose them, you won’t be dancing for me in those silver-heeled slippers anymore!”