He crossed his arms across his chest in response.

Of course not. God she hated him.

Abby went through the whole process again. This time she was determined to send the jerk even farther.

Yet, she couldn’t do it.

She kept trying as hours passed. Sweat formed and fell down her cheeks, the warm beads reminding her how cold her skin was. Light faded from the sky turning it dark and hazy. Alrik still stood there without saying more than “do it again.”

After God-knows-how-long, she dropped her arms and sank to the ground. Her entire body hurt including her head which sported a massive, pulsating headache at her temples.

“That’s it I can’t take it anymore.” Hours of work led to nothing. She’d moved him right off the bat and that was it. No more progress, and if that was progress she couldn’t tell.

She saw the disappointment and anger on his face that she was quitting but it didn’t faze her one bit. She was done for the night, totally. If she continued with how she felt now she might accidently curse him.

“Fine, I hope you’re ready for a cold night of sleep.”

She groaned at the thought. Her breaths didn’t form clouds but it was close. She shivered and walked gingerly with her aches back into the stone house. The floor was too cold to sleep on so she huddled back against the wall—not much better. Before she realized it, exhaustion took her and she fell into a fitful sleep.

She never saw or felt Alrik come into the room and pull her close, wrapping her in his heat. And she never saw him put her back where she’d been come morning.

Alrik woke at first break of light.

Something soft, warm, and feminine was curled in his arms. He stiffened; he’d almost forgotten. He’d been so angry with her for giving up on him last night after making so much progress that he’d wanted her to suffer the cold.

Yeah, well, he hadn’t managed to keep that goal. When he came in to sleep she’d been tossing and turning, her brow pinched, and arms wrapped tightly around her. Something had softened in him. He told himself he was just protecting her for his own purposes, that if she stayed cold remove she may not stay in peak health like he needed her to be, but even he wasn’t sure if he believed that.

She was steadily breaking down something inside of him. First, by flashing her bare skin at him at the lake. Then taunting him yesterday with her heated eyes and pouty lips. It had nearly undone him not to kiss her, and she’d wanted him to do it. To have a woman look at him with desire…no one had done so since Arianna. He’d brought forth passion in Arianna with his touches but Abbigail had looked at him with passion without his touch. She did it of her own free will and that had thrown him. He’d wanted to give in to her so he could show her what she was asking for, and mostly so he could taste her and feel that passion for himself.

He didn’t know how much more he could take before he caved. Already he felt his resistance waning. Every moment around her, he had to remind himself that he needed her for a purpose that could lead to her death. It wouldn’t do giving in to the carnal heat she awakened inside him. This task was proving harder to deny than he could ever have imagined.

She rested in his arms so perfectly. Her backside pressed into the curve of his body with his arm tucked around her slender waist. She’d snuggled against him in the night. Her delicately scented hair taunted him and he couldn’t escape it. He’d had no choice but to bury his head there and breathe in her unique scent all night long. She smelled feminine and gentle, as a woman should. The scent stirred his cock.

After he took her in his arms, she’d stilled for a moment before falling into a deep sleep while he’d slept on and off all night. She fit him well. Small and delicate, curvy and soft where he wasn’t. It didn’t help that the image of her naked body haunted him. Hardly a moment passed that he didn’t remember her heart-shaped bottom, firm thighs, and rounded hips.

Morning light spilled over her now casting her hair into something much prettier than he’d originally thought. Shafts of gold and copper colored her hair. He shouldn’t have slept with her. What if she had woken during the night to see that he’d taken her into his arms?

Her bottom moved against him again making his body stir and his blood heat. His cock filled with blood, turning hard and demanding against her. He stifled a groan at the erotic sensation. He’d lingered too long already.

Moving slowly, he placed her back against the wall where she’d fallen asleep. He cast one last look at her, then shook his head and left her to find more food.

He hunted for nearly an hour and slew two futhorcs. Good, they’d need the meat to give them enough energy for the traveling they’d be doing today. He couldn’t be sure how far south they needed to go, but he recognized the rolling hills in the distance. They were on the right path.

By the time he came back, she was up and moving about. Her eyes were bright and the circles under her eyes gone. She hadn’t slept well since he’d taken her. After just one night of good sleep, she looked refreshed and, his chest tightened painfully, more beautiful. She looked over at him as he approached and a small smile teased her lips.

“About time you woke up,” he scowled.

The light in her eyes dimmed instantly. He wished he could take back his words, but this was for the best. He didn’t need to make his job of sacrificing her any harder. Distance would be good.

“If it’s a problem then you could always wake me up early.”

He ignored her valid point, lit the fire, and started skinning the small animals. From the corner of his eye, he watched her mouth flatten and anger flash in her eyes. She didn’t argue, for which he thanked the lucky stars. Her anger only fueled him in a way he craved entirely too much.

She took a seat across from him. “Well is there anything I can do?”

He eyed her pensively. Warily he grabbed a small knife from his ankle holster and tossed it into the dirt next to her. Her legs jumped to the side and she gave him a wide-eyed look.

“Make some skewers.” She picked up the knife and handled it in a tight, awkward grip and not like a warrior would. Still he had to make his point clear. “Make any move at me with that and you’ll regret it.”

Her jaw clenched, but then she gave a mock bow. “Yes, my Lord.”

His mouth quirked with a smile and he saw surprise light her features. Quickly, he killed it. He had to remember his purpose. He couldn’t let her get under his skin. He needed her for one purpose only.

After she finished making skewers from thin sticks, they ate and he packed up the rest of their belongings. They didn’t have much and he needed some blankets for them and maybe some soap for her. He stilled in mid-motion of putting his swords back on the holster on his back. Was he making plans for her to be more comfortable? He jerked his mind off the thought. He wasn’t going there because that’s not what this was about. They’d both enjoy the added comforts.

They headed south by mid-morning and it didn’t take long for her to grow restless. He saw it first in the way she sighed, then when she started to open her mouth to speak but stopped herself. He didn’t encourage her even though a part of him was curious. Just what had her fumbling so?

They stopped around mid-day to eat more and rest. He found himself wishing she would speak. It was while he surveyed the hill that sloped down gently before them that she finally let it out.

“Oh my god, I can’t stand this. You have to talk to me. I feel like I’m losing my mind here.”

Alrik barely contained his stunned expression. She wanted him to talk to her. What about?

“Come on, we’re heading back out. I want to reach the Drego river before nightfall. We’ll sleep there.”