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imagining his hand as her tight, wet channel. Afterward, a good soak in the bathing room would help relieve the tension he felt right now.
    Staying around the new arrival would only cause problems, ones that would probably cause him more woes in the end. He closed the door and bolted it tightly, then walked toward the bed.
    The beauty still slept, her face peaceful in her slumber. Maybe in the morning, they could communicate. He thought about the food he found every morning, and about the many comforts he’d asked for and received. Now that his request for a woman had been answered, he prayed to Odin that she wouldn’t be taken away. He realized, though, that he was probably offering his prayer to the wrong person.
    Please, witch, I know you’re angry with my father. But I would like nothing more right now than to keep the woman who is currently sleeping in my bed. If you can grant that wish, I would be eternally grateful.

 
     
     
    Chapter Three

     
    Venise stirred, snuggling down further into the bedding, savoring the warmth that surrounded her. In the back of her mind, she remembered the bed at the hotel hadn’t been very comfortable, and she’d had to pile on every blanket she could find in the room to stay warm.
    The blankets there had not seemed as soft as the furs that now covered her. She stirred, opening one eye as the information registered in her brain. She moved her hand out from beneath the coverings and ran her fingers over the soft down. Yes, she was sleeping under furs.
    As the idea took hold, she lifted her hand and stared at it. It was wrapped in white cloth, and it all came crashing back to her. The man in the woods, the fall from the tree, the blood soaking into the snow.
    She sat up cautiously, glancing around the darkened room. There was a large fireplace carved into the wall, and she wondered exactly where she was. The walls seemed to be made of stone.
    Was this some sort of primitive hut? No, that couldn’t be, at least she didn’t think so. She thought about it for a moment and then decided that yes, she could be in a cave somewhere. The man who had offered her the fur had brought her here, obviously. Did he live here? That much was obvious, too. That’s why there was a bed here, and the fireplace and a chair and…a large lump, covered by fur, lying on the floor near the fire.
    Her captor. Or was he? It was Mrs. Westergard who had led her into this trap. Finding a way out couldn’t be that difficult, could it? If she was quiet, could she sneak out of here and find her way back to the place she’d first seen him. And if she did, would she be able to find a portal that would take her back home? She rolled her eyes then put her head in her hands. She was thinking crazy thoughts again, about portals and other worlds, but it was obvious to her right now that she wasn’t in some sort of drug-induced haze.
    If Mrs. Westergard had drugged her, the effects would have worn off by now. The temptation to run for the door was strong, but that wouldn’t be the smartest thing she could do. Rather than face the elements again she needed to think.
    She glanced again at the lump on the floor. When he’d spoken to her, she hadn’t understood him, not totally. It was obvious he’d been speaking Old Norse. She’d caught a few words, since her knowledge of the language was very scarce. She certainly didn’t know enough to converse with him.
    Venise focused on the man. He’d been as surprised to see her yesterday as she had him. Now that she was thinking clearer, she realized that. The shocked look on his face had been genuine. Either that or he deserved an acting award. Maybe he was a native who Mrs. Westergard had tricked, using the same methods she’d used to trap Venise. No, that couldn’t be right. His dialect was not of this time period.
    She needed information, and to get it she had to search. The best way to do that would be by getting up and examining things while he slept.
    If she looked