idea. You ought not to tempt a man with an offer like that.”
“Are you trying to be a cad?” she said, her hands propped on her hips. Her feet had begun freezing on the ground since she hadn’t taken the time to put her shoes on . This fool of a man would catch his death bathing off in this weather . How he’d reached the age he had was beyond her—obviously, he needed a woman around to keep him alive. Since his mother wasn’t here, she would accept the task . “Come back to the cave. I will warm you up by the fire and we’ll have some dinner.”
Reluctantly, he took her hand and allowed himself to be led back to their cave. His hand engulfed hers, reminding her that she was much smaller. She harrumphed, thinking he was just a big baby, or maybe a gentle giant—loud, but easy going in spite of his size. Malleable.
The cleaned fish lay on a flat rock near the fire to keep them from freezing before they could be cooked. Kimber sat the him on the floor and stoked their campfire. She grabbed one of his wools and draped it around his shoulders, then slipped her cloak and shoes on before going out to collect the makings of a spit and more wood for the fire. By the time she’d finished her preparations, she’d worked up a sweat under her clothes and had to fan her face to keep from dampening her dress . Braeden watched as she spit the fish over the fire before taking a seat just next to him. He sat with a stiff spine, not daring to look away from the flames. She was amused that someone as small as she could put alarm into someone so big.
“Now, you are warm a nd soon fed, you can hear me without complaint ,” she said , poking the fire with a stick . The fat from the fish dripped into the fire and crackled, smelling heavenly and making her stomach rumble.
Braeden swallowed audibly , making the lump on his throat bobble. His odd anxiety tickled her. He slanted a glance her way, and s he put her hand on his knee trying to reassure him . “I wish you to introduce me to uh … private matters. ”
He opened his mouth, closed it, and was silent a long minute before finally speaking again. “I’ve no idea what you are talking about.”
She scowled and waved her hands in exasperation . “I see I’ll have to resort to being crude if I’m to be understood. ” She looked at him pointedly. “ Sex, Braeden. I want your lessons in sex. You seem capable enough. I enjoy looking at your body, and I can see you enjoy looking at mine. We will fill the cold winter nights with my lessons, and by thaw , I will be ready to find a mate of my own with the confidence I lacked this year. You are not so handsome that I will form an emotional bond with you. ”
He wrinkled his face into a frown. “Thanks for your honesty, ” he said in a gruff voice. He groaned and covered his face with his hands before slowly returning his gaze to her . “I lied. I ’v e no experience. And you are a madwoman for even thinking this. I should have known from the start that you were since you decided to stay. ‘ Tis clear you don’t know what you’re asking, and I’ve doubts you’ve any experience of your own . ”
“I’ve made up my mind, and no amount of lies will deter me. I’m no dummy. My mother made sure we all learned to read, write, and do mathematics . You needn’t worry about virgin’s blood. That’s been taken care of. ” She looked away when she said it, but he uttered a strange sound, and when she glanced at him, his face had lost all its color. She thought he might be sick or faint, but he pulled himself together with her attention on him.
He nodded . “ Prepared except in personal matters.”
She sighed. “That is my dilemma. Our differing clans should work to our benefit. I can’t see myself attaching to a bear, nor you to a wolf . ”
“Your inexperience and youth show in your grand plan. You’ve not given this a lot of thought, have you?” He scrubbed his chin, giving her an assessing stare. “I can’t