Page 74 of Mistletoe Mischief

“I’m freezing. I can hardly feel my feet.”

Ryler got up from the chair and crossed the room. “Are you serious? You can’t feel anything?”

“Not well. They’re kind of tingling.”

Ryler grabbed the end of the comforter, pulling it out from its tucked position at the end of the bed.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to help get your feet warm.”

Pike tucked his feet up and away from her as she reached under the blanket. “That’s okay, you don’t have to do that.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, it is no big deal. They’re just feet.”

Ryler climbed onto the bed with her head facing the footboard and took his feet, sliding them under her shirt. When she sucked in a breath, Pike tried to pull away, but she wrapped her arms around his legs, keeping his feet against her stomach. Pike was afraid to move, aware of how close his feet were to her breasts.

“Is this any better?” she asked, rubbing his feet through the outside of her sweatshirt.

“This cannot be comfortable for you,” he said.

“I’m fine, but how are you? Any warmer?”

The heat of her skin was penetrating his cold feet, and her touch was firm, the press of her fingers into the muscles in his feet wonderful and painful at the same time.

There was a knock at the door, and Ryler got up to open it, letting the doctor in. He came over to the side of the bed and checked Pike’s vitals before looking over his hands and feet.

“You’re lucky it wasn’t lake water, or you’d have been worse off,” Doc said, tucking him back under the blankets. “Ryler, why don’t you turn on that electric fireplace and get some more heat in here? I want you to stay like this and warm up. I’m going to send up some whiskey and lunch for you while your clothes dry. Hopefully a few hours in a warm bed will get you all toasty and good as new.”

“He’s also got a cut on the side of his head,” Ryler said, and Pike shot her a disgruntled look.

Doc looked at it and prodded it a bit with a grunt. “You got a little bump back here, so I’m going to suggest you stay awake for the next six hours. Watch a movie, tell stories, whatever tickles your fancy, but keep him entertained so he doesn’t doze off.”

“I will,” Ryler said.

The doctor cleaned his head wound, clicking his tongue. “At least you won’t need stitches.”

He got up from the bed, cleaning up his supplies and carrying his medical bag out of the room with him. “You’re welcome to stay the night, of course, free of charge. I’ll get the food and drink sent up shortly.”

When the doctor left, Ryler grabbed the remote and sat down on the bed with him, turning on the TV. “Do you want me to keep warming your feet?”

“Nah, I’m good.” Pike watched her flip through channels until she found a rom-com and settled back next to him. The sweet, floral scent of her hair drifted around him like a hug, and he found himself inching closer to her. “That was nice of you.”

“What was?” she asked.

“To ignore me while I stripped and then drive me here,” he said, watching her cheeks redden. “To warm my feet and offer to stay with me.”

“I think if our positions were reversed, you’d do that and then some.”

“I would have, but I was responsible for you. You don’t owe me anything.”

“It’s not about owing anyone,” Ryler said, meeting his gaze. “It’s about being a decent human being.”

Pike touched her hand briefly. “I appreciate that about you.” He snuggled into the blanket and yawned. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

“You’re most welcome.”

Chapter Twenty-two