Free To Tempt A Viking by Michelle Willingham Page B

you.’
    You could warm her ,his weak-willed body suggested. Hold her in your arms for the night. It was as close as he’d ever come to having her.
    She was so close to him, he could feel her arm pressed near. Her skin tempted him, making him want to lie upon her and take the offering before him.
    ‘Go back to sleep,’ he commanded.
    And stay far away from me. He didn’t want her to know how she’d gotten under his skin. Better to let her think he was her husband’s friend, someone who would never be a threat to her. She needed someone to trust.
    She turned over and the wind tore at their tent once again, ripping open the flap. Ragnar rose from his sleeping place, limping towards the opening. He tied down the ropes, securing them to hold back the worst of the wind. Rain spattered down hard, making him glad of their shelter.
    He tried to get back to sleep, ignoring the vicious pain that plagued him. But then Elena spoke softly, ‘I meant what I said earlier. I am glad to be with you. All of this is more bearable with a friend.’
    He couldn’t answer, for she was far more than a friend to him. The innocent kiss she’d given him, days ago, was a memory burned into him. He’d never known what it was to kiss her and now it was all he thought of.
    ‘I swore to Styr that nothing would happen to you.’
    And it wouldn’t. He’d throw himself upon an enemy blade for her.
    ‘I’m so afraid for him,’ she confessed, curling up with her back against his. ‘And...even if we do find him, I don’t want things to be the way they were. Especially now with the baby.’
    She let out a heavy sigh and the weight of a marriage hung in her breath. ‘Something’s wrong with me, Ragnar. I don’t enjoy sharing his bed and...that’s my fault. He’s tried so many things, but I just don’t feel the way he wants me to.’
    Ragnar didn’t trust himself to speak a single word. This was a female question that was designed to ensnare a man, for there was no right answer. Anything he said would get him into trouble. Instead, he reached out and took her hand in his.
    ‘He’s never said it...but I’m cold to him. I don’t know how to change that.’ She rolled on to her side. ‘I know you’ve been with women before. Should I—’
    ‘This is not something I want to discuss.’ He cut her off, not caring that his tone was harsh. ‘Talk to Styr.’
    ‘That’s just it. I’ve never been able to talk to him the way I talk to you. He’s so fierce and forbidding. It’s like trying to talk to a mountain.’
    Whereas Ragnar was her friend, someone who was hardly a threat at all. He wasn’t certain whether to be complimented by that or offended.
    ‘What should I do to make my marriage better?’ she asked.
    ‘Seduce your husband,’ he said automatically.
    ‘I couldn’t!’ Her words were shocked, as if he’d suggested that she slip a knife between Styr’s ribs. ‘He wouldn’t like that at all.’
    Ragnar forced himself to roll over and face her. ‘If a woman as beautiful as you came to me one night, wanting me to lie with her, there’s nothing on earth that would make me turn her away.’ He tried to keep his words light, not letting her see the truth beneath them.
    ‘I’m not a strong woman,’ she argued. ‘I’m too shy to do something like that.’
    ‘You picked up a living snake and let it coil around your throat,’ he pointed out. ‘Most women would lack the courage to do that.’
    ‘It was a matter of saving our lives.’ She shuddered, adding, ‘I hated every moment of it.’
    ‘But you did what was necessary. And so you will, when it comes to your marriage. Especially for the sake of your child.’
    ‘I suppose you’re right.’ Her fingers laced in his, reminding him of all the nights he wouldn’t share with her. ‘I’ve wanted this child for so long. I know it will make Styr happy after so many years.’
    And if it doesn’t? he wanted to ask. But he would never voice the question. For a woman like