Page 52 of House of Crimson Cloak and Silver Teeth

I ignore it. My job is to watch for threats, not play nursemaid. The square is empty now except for a few stragglers heading home. I look at the alleys between buildings.

The chattering comes again, louder this time.

Damn it.

I glance back. Garrett is curled tight under the blanket, but even from here I can see him shivering.

He’s going to catch a cold. Or worse, given how soaked he was.

I turn back to the window. Not my problem. I’m here to keep him alive, not comfortable. There are threats to watch for and potential dangers to assess.

The teeth chatter again, rapid and violent.

Fuck.

I cross to the bed. Garrett is asleep but shaking like he’s caught in a blizzard. The thin blanket does nothing against the chill settling into the room. No fireplace, no heat source except the dying warmth from the malachite crystal in the bathroom.

I pull the blanket back slightly. His skin is cold to the touch, lips tinged faintly blue.

This is ridiculous.

But I’m half werewolf, Sylverin clan blood. My body runs hot, always has. Higher temperature than pure elves or even most half-bloods.

I could warm him up. Easily.

But that means getting in the bed with him. My hands hesitate on the blanket’s edge.

After what I just did in that shower. This is a fucking terrible idea. I should go downstairs, ask Muireann for more blankets, build a fire, anything but this.

Garrett’s teeth chatter again and his whole body jerks with the force of the shiver.

Gods damn it.

I slide under the blanket and sit on the edge of the bed first. It’s just to warm him enough so he stops shaking. I gather him closer, carefully. His body is ice against mine. I pull him against my chest, wrapping my arms around him. My hands find his fingers first. They’re frozen cold. I rub warmth back into them, then move to his neck, his shoulders.

Please don’t wake up. Please don’t wake up.

This is embarrassing enough without having to explain why I’m holding him like this.

Garrett makes a small sound and burrows closer, seeking heat instinctively even in sleep. His face presses against my neck. His cold nose makes me flinch.

I stay very still, hardly breathing. Slowly, his shivering eases. The tension leaves his body as warmth seeps back in.

I should move now. Get back to the window. He’s fine.

But I don’t move.

Instead, I watch him. His lips are slightly parted, no longer blue. I wonder what it would feel like to kiss him. The thought comes unbidden and I freeze.

What the fuck is wrong with me? Why am I wondering about kissing a fucking guy?

But even as I think it, my eyes stay on his mouth. The curve of his bottom lip. How soft it might feel against mine. Then the thought shifts and turns filthy. I imagine those lips wrapped around my cock, looking up at me with those green eyes while he takes me deep.

No.

I shake my head sharply, trying to dislodge the image. I do not need another hard-on. Not while I’m holding him like this.

I close my eyes, tightening my arms around him. It’s just for warmth. That’s all this is.