Free Blood Blade Sisters Series by Michelle McLean Page A

funny. But I’m freezing too. We’ll both be a lot warmer if we huddle up. I’ll be on my best behavior, I promise.”
    Cilla believed him. Somehow it didn’t make her feel as relieved as it should have.
    Another gust of wind blew through the clearing, and Cilla nodded, her teeth clattering. She crawled back inside her bedroll and held her body as stiff as she could while Leo crawled in behind her, tucking their coats and his bedroll around them both. Cilla tried to keep from touching him too much but as soon as his body heat started seeping into her, she pressed back against him with a sigh.
    Leo pulled the blankets over their heads and wrapped himself about her, draping a leg over hers and running his hands up and down her arms, his warm breath heating her neck. And other parts of her.
    “Better?” Leo asked, his breath tickling her ear.
    Cilla nodded, not trusting her voice to remain steady.
    “You’re trembling.”
    Yes, she was. But it had nothing to do with being cold.
    “I’m fine now, thanks,” she said, trying to scoot away from him.
    He wasn’t having any of that. He kept his arms firmly about her. “Good. Let’s keep it that way. You won’t be any good to anyone if you freeze to death in the middle of the night because you were too embarrassed to let me hold you.”
    “I’m not embarrassed!”
    Leo pulled her closer. “Yes, you are.”
    Cilla tried to elbow him and he chuckled.
    She let him hold her, sighing as some heat returned to her body. Leo molded himself to her, encircling her in a cocoon of muscle and heat. His leg tightened around hers and the hand that rubbed her arm slowed, following the line of her shoulder to her wrist and back again in a leisurely caress. The warmth permeating her body began to spread much deeper, down to the hidden core she usually tried her best to ignore. Cilla could feel every hard line of Leo through their clothing and she was surprised at how badly she wished they were wearing a little less.
    After a few minutes, she turned enough so that she could look up at him.
    “Leo, about Jake…I don’t know…”
    “Shhh.” He rested his forehead against hers. “We’ll talk about it later.”
    Cilla closed her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest so loudly she was afraid Leo could hear it. She tried to keep her breaths regularly spaced and even, but with his breath mingling with hers, his lips so close, Cilla was in serious danger of hyperventilating.
    Leo raised his head and Cilla opened her eyes to look up at him. Her lips parted and Leo’s arms tightened about her. He leaned down a fraction of an inch. Cilla almost rose up to meet him but she froze.
    What was she doing?
    This was her sister’s husband. Temporary, maybe, and not in the true sense of the word, but if they couldn’t find Jake, and it seemed less and less likely that they would, then Brynne was going to need a husband at her back. Cilla had no right to be doing…what she thought they were about to do.
    She turned her face and rolled back onto her side. “Good night, Leo.”
    He exhaled behind her and for a moment Cilla was afraid he might not take no for answer. If he put any effort into it at all, she’d be done for.
    But he didn’t do anything. Instead, he sighed and settled back down behind her, his arms becoming an innocent cocoon of warmth about her. “Good night, Cilla.”
    It seemed to take forever, but Cilla finally fell asleep, waiting to feel a sense of relief that never came.

Chapter Seven
    It took another week of uneasy nights before Leo and Cilla finally made it back to the ranch to deliver the depressing news that they hadn’t found out any information on Jake or his whereabouts. Brynne took the news better than Leo expected. Perhaps she was beginning to accept what, deep down, they all probably knew. That something terrible had happened to Jake and he was never coming back.
    Cilla had taken to avoiding Leo at every turn. After a few days of her giving him the cold shoulder,