“Let her go,” the strong voice called to the two men.

They did and he held her firm as she slowly slid the rest of the way down into his arms, her shift and tunic bunching up at her waist as he eased her to her feet to rest against him.

It was when she felt his manhood press against her that she realized he was naked. She hurried her arms down to adjust her garments, but they landed on his bare shoulders and her worst fears were confirmed. He was completely naked.

“There is no room to turn or do anything but to stay as we are,” he said, a bit of an angry bite to his tone. “If you remain still, I’ll adjust your garments for you.”

Willow didn’t know where his anger came from, but then she had stolen what little space he had. She dropped her arms to her sides. “I can do it.” She gasped when she felt him squeeze her backside.

“No, you can’t.”

She went to step away from him and he yanked her up against him.

“There is little room to move. Back up too fast and you will dislodge the earth wall, and possibly cause it to come crashing down around us.”

Instinct had her pressing herself against him as if she couldn’t get close enough. Good Lord, could things get any worse?

She felt something stir between her legs, and it took her a moment to realize what it was.

“I’m not a eunuch and I’ve been too long without a woman. I have no doubt Beck did this on purpose. What that purpose is, I’m sure we’ll find out. So, lass, let’s get you covered and I will do my best to ignore your inviting scent and how nicely you fit in my arms.”

He eased her a bit away from him and struggled to get her garments down around her, mumbling a few oaths as he did.

She almost sighed with relief when her shift brushed her shins and fell to her ankles. When his hands fell away from her, she went to stand straight, if only to keep a hair’s breath away from him, but her legs were so limp from walking, riding, and fear, that they gave way on her.

His arm hooked around her waist in an instant. “Damn. You’re weak.”

“I am not weak. I’m fatigued from walking and riding at a ridiculous pace, and fearful of being trapped in a dark hole with a crazed man who has gone too long without poking a woman,” she argued, tired of all she had suffered and in only one day. “And if you think I won’t fight you if you dare try to poke me, you’re wrong.”

“So you rather the walls crash in around us than me poke you? A shame since I do give a woman a good poke.”

Sound reason fled her, she responded without thinking. “I have no way to judge how good a poke you give since I’ve never been poked.”