He made no mention of stopping for the night, and even though she knew the importance of pushing on, her heart sank. What she wouldn’t give for a warm place to sleep for awhile. It seemed it had been years since she had succumbed to a deep, healing sleep.
Thirty minutes later, when the sun had completely sunk behind the trees and they could no longer make out the path they were on, Merrick turned his horse toward the road.
Just over the horizon, the moon shone faintly, not long from its new phase. She silently gave thanks that it wasn’t full. Full moons attracted highwaymen and other ne’er-do-wells.
Though she was a competent rider, the long hours in the saddle were wearing on spots that weren’t mentionable in polite company. She shifted slightly, trying to adjust to a more comfortable position.
“Do we need to stop?” he asked.
Did he miss anything? His perception was beginning to annoy her. “No, I am quite all right. No need to stop on my account.”
“Shhh,” he said, suddenly pulling his horse to an abrupt stop.
He turned and stared behind them for a long moment then turned back to her. “Into the woods,” he said urgently, spurring his horse forward.
She kicked her heels and lowered her head as the horse bolted after Merrick into the woods. Once in the cover of the trees, he pulled up short and motioned for her to be still.
A few minutes later, she heard a rumbling noise and shortly after, a carriage rolled down the road followed by two men on horseback.
They watched until it was completely out of sight then Merrick listened intently for signs of any other traffic. Evidently satisfied that there was no more, he gestured back toward the road.
In the excitement of the moment, she had completely forgotten how cold she was. As they resumed travel and her heartbeat went back to normal, the chill started to creep back in. As did the fatigue. The slow rocking motion of the horse lulled her until it was difficult to keep her eyes open. But still they plodded on.
Just when she was convinced she could go no farther, he once again motioned for her to follow him off the road.
“We’ll stop here for the night,” he said as he dismounted.
As she slid from her horse, her knees nearly buckled beneath her. She stood up hastily, not wanting him to see her weakness. Though it was doubtful he failed to notice anything at all, she thought sourly.
She glanced around at their surroundings, trying to make out the details in the dark. There was a small clearing in the trees but otherwise, the area was unremarkable.
Merrick walked the horses down to the small stream and secured them to a nearby tree. After rubbing them down with clumps of grass, he left them drinking and munching contentedly on the grass and returned to where she stood.
“We’ll make camp near the horses. They will alert us if anyone approaches.”
She followed him back to the stream, her walk stiff and excruciatingly painful. Her legs trembled as she watched him unpack one of the bags he had tied to the saddle. He spread out a blanket on the ground then placed another on top.
“We’ll have to sleep close,” he said a little hesitantly. “It is the only way we will stay warm. By using our body heat.”
She absorbed what he said, and her cheeks grew hot as she imagined sleeping tightly against him. “Yes, yes of course,” she managed to get out. “Perfectly logical.”
“Do you want to eat before we bed down?”
“To be honest, all I want is to lie down,” she admitted.
He held out a hand to her. “We’ll get some sleep then and eat in the morning.”
She slipped her hand into his, and he helped her over to the blanket. Warmth was already spreading up her arm in a delicious swirl. Reluctantly, she released his hand as he urged her to lie down.
Gingerly, she settled down, praying the moisture from the ground hadn’t already permeated the material. He took out more blankets then crawled up beside her. Before she could ask how he wanted her positioned, he reached around her and pulled her up close to him.
He wrapped the blankets tightly around them, trapping her against his chest. She breathed deeply, his warm scent surrounding her. His arms held her close, and she sighed in contentment.
“Are you all right?” he asked softly in her ear.
“Mmmm.”
His husky voice slid sensuously over her. “Sleep now. We’ve another long journey tomorrow.”
