SNOWBOUND: The Protectors Series - Book Two, page 6
Tossing off the blanket completely, he took off the pants and socks, but left on her bra and panties. A concession to them both.
She was shuddering, her teeth chattering and though he wouldn’t have thought it possible, she shrank into herself further. Seeing that, knowing he was about to cause her what would amount to pain, he hesitated. In the end though he was going to do this. Her body temperature had to be brought down. He had no choice.
He passed a hand down his face. “I’m going to turn you onto your stomach.” He lifted her. She was trembling in his arms. Hell, she was burning up.
He set her back down on the couch carefully, facing him. Her eyes were closed. He sat beside her, dipped the cloth he’d been using on her forehead into the water and passed it across one shoulder. Gooseflesh pebbled her skin at once. She gasped and her back bowed. When her body dropped back to the sofa, she was still. Gage’s heart rate jumped, but she was breathing. He closed his eyes briefly as his heart regulated, then continued on his course.
He continued to run the cloth over her until her skin cooled then gently turned her onto her back and did the same to the front of her body. He repeated the process again and again. The wind was howling now and flinging snow at the window and the walls of the cabin with audible thuds. The bit of light from outside that showed along the edges of the curtains faded. Gage left Mallory to douse the lights but for a small lamp on one end table then resumed his task.
He was still at it when the first weak streaks of dawn appeared. Mallory’s lips moved and she mumbled something he didn’t catch. It was the first sound she’d made in hours and he felt relief hearing it.
She now felt cool to the touch. A check with the thermometer showed that her fever was down. He brought the blanket to her shoulders, then rubbed a hand over his eyes and down his jaw. The night’s growth of beard made a rasping sound.
Now that Mallory’s condition had improved, he was beginning to feel the night without sleep. He’d been running on adrenaline. The rush ended and he was crashing. He couldn’t let that happen. She was better but her fever could spike again. He couldn’t take for granted that because her fever was down at the moment, it would remain so.
He plopped the cloth into the basin then went into the kitchen, straight to the coffee pot which still had yesterday’s coffee in it. It was as thick as sludge and bitter. Regardless, he drank deeply then poured a second cup and leaning back on the counter, stood watching Mallory, alert for any sudden movement.
The next moments brought no change with her or with conditions outside. The storm that had been raging since yesterday wasn’t letting up. The day promised to be a dark one. Dawn had come and gone but it still looked like morning was breaking.
Gage finished his coffee, abandoned the mug on the counter and returned to Mallory. He placed his palm gently on her forehead. Still cool. When he straightened away from her, he found that she was watching him. She looked heavy-eyed from sleep. Her dark hair was tousled. Her lips fuller and a deeper shade of pink.
It was a combination that sent a punch of lust shooting through him. He felt a burst of self-directed disgust. The woman was ill. Still, he had to clear his throat before he could speak. “Morning.”
“It’s morning?”
“Has been for a while now.”
The sleepy look was gone from her eyes in an instant, replaced by full-on panic. “What’s happening outside?”
“No change.” She visibly eased at that. “How do you feel?”
“Could I have another couple of aspirin?”
Gage lifted her so she could sit. He gave her two tablets and a bottle of water. “You should eat something. How about some soup?”
She swallowed the pills. “You can make soup?”
“I can heat soup. From a can.”
She smiled. It was the first time he’d seen her smile. She had a crooked incisor and for some reason he found that small flaw wildly attractive. He felt an influx of blood where he needed it least. He steered his thoughts back to where they belonged: Soup.
He was still holding her to ensure she didn’t slide down the couch. “Can you sit up alone while I get on that soup?”
“Yes.”
He removed his arm from around her slowly and saw that she was able to maintain that position without his help. He went to the kitchen and began opening cupboards.
Mitch kept some stock items. Cans of soup among them. Gage found the double row of stacked cans on a top shelf. Chicken Noodle. Vegetable. Steak and Potato. He opted for the chicken noodle and fifteen minutes later carried a steaming bowl to her.
She was still seated as he’d left her, in the center of the couch but when she reached out for the bowl, he saw that her hands were unsteady. “Gonna need some help with that.”
“I think I’ll be fine on my own if this were in a mug.”
He complied and while she sipped from a mug with a bison decal on it, Gage drank more coffee and kept an eye on her in case she faltered with the soup. Before she was half done, she leaned forward to set the mug on the table. He took the mug from her. “That’s it?”
She nodded. Her eyelids drooped.
Gage watched her. “Get some more sleep.”
She rubbed her eyes. “You haven’t slept at all. You need to sleep. I’ll be fine.”
“I can manage one night without sleep.”
She looked to him now. The strain was back in her eyes and it got to him. He was glad when her eyes drifted closed and he could no longer see it.
* * *
Mallory opened her eyes. Where was she? Her heart pounding, she realized she was still at the cabin. Considine hadn’t found her.
How long had she been out? Was it still day or now night? Was it still snowing?
She heard the shrill cry of the wind and heard snow pelting the cabin. But those weren’t the only sounds. She heard others, dull repetitive thuds, these inside the cabin.
With an effort she raised her head above the arm of the couch. Gage was stretched out on the bench press, lifting a barbell. As she watched, he blew out a breath, lowered the bar, lifted, then lowered it again.
He’d been at it a while by the look of him. Long enough to work up a sweat. Damp spots showed on the blue T-shirt he wore. Sweat sprang on his brow now as his biceps bulged with the strain and his chest swelled. Mallory’s mouth went dry in a way that had nothing to do with the effects of the fever.
He paused, locking the barbell in position above his head and his gaze honed on her like a laser. “You okay?”
“Fine.” She gave a small shake of her head. “What time is it?”
“Ten.”
“AM or PM?”
“AM.”
She’d slept through a day.
Gage released a gust of air, then set the bar back on the brace with a clang of metal on metal and slid off the bench. A towel was draped over the back of the arm chair. He picked it up and swiped it across his brow. “How you feeling?”
“Better.”
He crossed the short distance to her, pressed his palm to her brow. “Cool, but I want to take another look at your head wound anyway. Make sure it’s not infected.”
She could see the first aid kit on the kitchen table. He left her to retrieve it and make a stop at the fridge for juice and a sport drink. He poured juice into a glass then put the other bottle to his lips and drank deeply. When he’d all but drained it, he washed his hands, took the glass of juice from the counter, and snagged the kit.
He placed the items he carried on the coffee table. Standing over her, he gently parted her hair. Despite his light touch, Mallory grimaced. “How does it look?”
Gage smoothed back the hair that had fallen across her face. “Clean.” He held out the glass of juice and more aspirin. “I need to shower. Will you be all right for a few minutes?”
“Fine. I’m fine.”
He hesitated, peering at her from beneath brows that were now drawn together. He rubbed the back of his neck. “I won’t be long.”
She wanted to shower as well, but before she could, she’d need to be sure her legs would support her. She pressed her lips together in frustration, hating the weakness. “Take your time.”
Though they believed an attack from Considine would come under cover of night, before he left her, Gage placed his gun on the sofa beside her.
True to his words, he was back with her quickly. He went into the kitchen and shortly after, the microwave began to hum. A few moments later, Gage set one of the two frozen meals he’d heated on the coffee table in front of her. Mallory’s stomach balked at the thought of anything more than soup and when she voiced that, he brought her another mug of the chicken noodle.
The wind had increased. Instead of losing strength, apparently the storm was gaining. Even if the drapes hadn’t been drawn, she wouldn’t be able to make out the trees through the swirling snow, but this mountain had been rich in them. “Must be pretty here when there isn’t a storm happening.”
“I never noticed.”
She hadn’t realized she’d spoken aloud until he’d responded. She frowned at his comment. He’d spent six months in these mountains, how could he not have noticed their beauty? She would have asked him about that, but since he wasn’t big on conversation, she kept the thought to herself.
Once he’d delivered her soup, he’d returned to the counter to eat his meal as he had before. He said nothing more now. She wondered if he was naturally a man of few words or if the solitude had made him so. Or, maybe the reason he wasn’t chatty was a night and most of a morning without sleep. “Why don’t you go into the bedroom and get some sleep?”
“I can go without a little longer.”
She gave a little hum of agreement. “A hazard from pulling all nighters on the job—or a perk, some would say.”
“In my case, it’s a result of all the coffee I drank.”
Mallory winced. “I don’t know if what I saw in your cup earlier could still be considered coffee.”
“Point taken. I never did get around to making a fresh pot.”
“You might want to get on that. That stuff you were drinking looked like battery acid.”
He gave a little laugh. “Tasted like it could be.”
He had faint lines at the side of his mouth that suggested he’d done a lot of laughing in his life, that being unfriendly and unapproachable weren’t the norm for him. Mallory wondered what was.
Gage pushed off the counter and went to her. “You’re looking a little flushed.” He reached out and touched her forehead. “Still cool.”
“Glad to hear that.” Her relief was evident in her tone. She didn’t want to repeat the night she’d just had.
Gage gave a little grunt in what sounded like relief as well. “Let’s keep up the aspirin for today anyway. Okay?”
“Yes. If the fever comes back, next step I think will be a cold bath. I’d rather avoid that.”
“A cold bath will cause chills which would end up increasing your body temperature. Would have to be lukewarm. Regardless, I’d also prefer we didn’t have to put you through that. I found a bottle of ibuprofen in the back of the cupboard under the bathroom sink. If we need to, we can alternate with the aspirin. They have different elements that will work on bringing down your fever.”
Mallory’s brows arched in surprise. “Where did you learn so much about this?”
Gage’s eye lids lowered, shielding his gaze. His eyes became shuttered as she’d seen them do once before. Something she’d said? Surely not. They’d been talking about treating fever. What then? She opened her mouth to ask if he was all right, but before she could he spoke.
“Focus on getting well.” His voice was hard. “When the snow lets up, I don’t want to have to delay getting you off this mountain.”
He left her and went into the bedroom, slamming the door.
CHAPTER FIVE
Gage had retreated to the bedroom to get the sleep he needed, Mallory presumed. Despite his unprovoked outburst, he returned to her three hours later to check her temperature. She’d told him that wasn’t necessary, that she was monitoring herself. He’d made no comment at all and three hours after that was back again to stick the thermometer in her mouth.
He was just as closed-off as he had been immediately following his outburst. Clearly he wasn’t a man who got over a bout of temper quickly.
She’d been on the verge of rethinking Gage Broderick. For an instant, she’d thought she’d glimpsed another side of him. A lighter side. Her mistake, obviously, and now that she thought about it, it was well and good that she’d been mistaken. That lighter side had been attractive. She was already physically attracted to him. The last thing she needed was to actually like him and deepen that attraction. Well, she need not be concerned about that.
On one of his temperature checks, he’d taken time to brew coffee and while he was on watch, she’d taken that time to shower and to change into one of Gage’s warm T-shirts that covered her to her knees.
That was hours ago. Now, Mallory huddled more deeply into the blanket, clutching the ends so hard her fingers cramped. She was freezing and not from fever. The temperature inside had dropped drastically. The cabin felt as cold as a meat locker.
The bedroom door opened. Gage wasn’t due to check on her for some time yet. The cold must have awakened him. The lights were off in the cabin. She only saw him emerge because of the long-barreled flashlight he held that gave off a wide beam of light.
He hadn’t changed for bed and was still dressed as he had been in a T-shirt and jeans. He cast a quick glance her way but didn’t acknowledge her, and didn’t break pace, continuing on to the window.
So he was still in a mood. Her lips firmed. She would have been content to just leave him to it, but at the moment that wasn’t an option. “What’s going on with the heat?” Her tone was as frosty as the temperature in the cabin.
“Generator tank must have emptied.”
Of course, that would explain the cold. Another thought struck her that had her insides quivering. She leaned forward on the couch. “On its own? Could someone have emptied it?”
“It’s a possibility.”
Mallory’s stomach clenched. “You’re not going out there to check are you?”
He peered briefly into the darkness, then let the curtain fall and turned to her. He shook his head. “Gas could have been emptied in an attempt to get me outside.” His jaw tightened. “Someone may be looking to take me out so he can get to you.”
Mallory shivered as much from his words as the cold.
He crossed the room then returned to her, his parka in hand. “Put this on. I’ll get a fire going.”
“Should we do that? We might give ourselves away.”
“No way of knowing when the storm will end. If we don’t, we could freeze by that time and then it won’t matter. And if someone has tampered with the generator, they already know we’re in here so there’s no reason to be discreet.”
He crouched by the fireplace and took wood from the crate. He struck a match, and brought it to several pieces of kindling. As the flames caught, one by one he tossed each strip of wood into the fire.
Mallory shivered. She left the couch and moved close to the flames. Gage added more wood, a few thick logs that looked like they’d burn for hours.
“We’re going to need to stay close to the fire if we’re going to stay warm,” Gage said. He went into the bedroom, dragged the mattress in front of the fireplace, then took several blankets and comforters from the linen closet and added them to what was already on the bed. “All yours.”
Mallory lowered herself onto the mattress and got beneath the mound of covers Gage had provided. For himself, Gage moved the armchair from the living room and brought it to the hearth. He put on the other parka then took a seat.
A silence ensued in which only the wind and the pop and hiss of the logs in the fire could be heard. For her part, Mallory couldn’t have made conversation if she’d wanted to. Though Gage had placed the mattress as close to the fire as possible, she was still freezing. Her teeth chattered nonstop and her body trembled from the cold.
Gage rose from the chair with a creak of leather and then his shadow fell across Mallory. “We need to get you warm.”
He joined her on the mattress, setting his gun down within easy reach. He lifted the blankets briefly while he got under them with her, then lay on his side and put his arms around her.
Mallory hesitated, battling with awkwardness at being pressed up against a man she hardly knew. It was ridiculous to feel embarrassed after she’d been so exposed to him while he’d tended to her injuries and treated her illness, yet she did. But the delicious heat he offered overrode her embarrassment. Meeting his gaze, she nodded and leaned into him. He hadn’t fastened his jacket and now wrapped that around her as well.
She was snug in his arms. Her cheek rested against his hard chest. Though they were both fully clothed and also wore overcoats, their position was unquestionably intimate. Pressed tight as they were, light couldn’t pass between them and when her gaze traveled upward, she saw each individual whisker that darkened his strong jaw.
She lowered her gaze not liking that her eyes had wandered. Well, okay, what else was she supposed to look at? Gage filled her range of vision. Or so she told herself. But even as she did, she sacrificed some of the blessed heat, and turned so her back was now against Gage’s front and he was out of her view.
* * *
Mallory turned in his arms. Gage bit down on his molars to stifle a groan as her sweet ass pressed against his groin. He needed to put some distance between their lower bodies and end the torment. End some of it. As long as he held her pressed to him, with her scent filling his every breath, there was no way his body would be at ease. Hell, at this point, though, he’d take anything he could get. He shifted position, introducing a few precious inches of space between them and closed his eyes, willing his body back under control.
The woman had a man after her intent on killing her. Her would-be assassin might have someone outside now, waiting for a chance to get to her. That’s what Gage needed to keep his mind on. That was all he needed to be thinking of when it came to her.
