He gently took hold of her chin and turned her head to face him. “It does matter. You matter and I love that you are generous when it comes to making love and I love that you’re demanding when it comes to making love. Mostly, I love that you enjoy making love with me as much as I do with you.”

“Always, husband. Always,” she said a soft smile surfacing.

He kissed her and they lay there content until he felt her skin begin to cool, then he pulled the blanket out from under them and tucked it around them.

“Tarass,” Snow said after a few minutes of silence.

“Aye, wife?”

“You know what this incidence with the dwarf means, don’t you?” she asked.

“Aye. You think the same?” he asked, tucking her tighter against him as though he suddenly needed to shield her.

“I do. The dwarf is someone in the clan.”

Chapter 25

It took more than a week before paths were cleared through the village, making it maneuverable, and Snow was eager to take advantage of it.

“You are to remain with Nettle at all times,” Tarass ordered, adjusting his wife’s fur-lined cloak on her shoulders.

Snow rolled her eyes, having heard it several times all morning. “How many times must you remind me of that?”

“How many times will it take for you to obey me?” Tarass countered.

Snow laughed.

“That’s what I thought, hence the constant reminders, which do no good anyway, and yet I keep trying.”

Snow bounced up on her toes to give him a quick kiss. “Because you love me and want to keep me safe.”

His arm snagged her waist and lifted her to press his nose to hers. “Then take pity on your husband, for he loves you beyond measure and couldn’t live without you.”

She kissed him again, more slowly this time and he responded, demanding a bit more from her, which she eagerly gave.

Snow rested her nose to his, this time, after the kiss ended. “My word that I will do as you say, husband, while I wait impatiently for you to join me.”

“Then I rest easy and will hurry to join you,” he said, reluctantly placing her on her feet and letting go of her. “I have a few things to discuss with Rannock. I won’t be long.”

Snow watched him leave the Great Hall, her heart pounding in her chest, not just from the kiss. She could see a distinct shape to him, but what had gotten her heart pounding madly had been the shock of seeing a hint of the bold blue color of his eyes.