When Bridget finally awoke, Blair was fully dressed and kneeling close to a small fire. Three large, cooked fish lay on leaves near the edge of the fire and the magnificent smell was drifting her way. She saw him pick one up by the tail, quickly flip it over and then suck on his hot fingers.

Where were they? The sky was a gorgeous shade of blue, there were thin white clouds moving quickly across it and the sun was high. She remembered something about cold water, feeling his skin and him putting his cheek next to hers. Then her eyes widened. "I am naked!"

"It could not be helped." He was so happy she was not witless, he couldn't help but smile. After she finally went to sleep, he constantly touched her cheek or watched the plaids move up and down with her breathing to make sure she was alive. Not until he was convinced she would not die, did he turn his attention to feeding her when she woke up.

"Kevin will kill you for this."

"Aye, right after he thanks me. Are you hungry?"

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"Of course I am. I have not eaten in weeks. Where are my clothes?"

"You are wearing them, though not in the usual way."

Holding the plaid up to her neck, she struggled and finally sat up. "You looked!"

"I tried not to."

She was disgusted. "You tried not to." She glanced around looking for her long, white shirt. When she didn't see it, she lifted the plaids and looked around inside. Finally finding it, she yanked it out and glared. "Turn your back."

"If it pleases you." He flipped another fish, moved around to the other side of the fire and turned his back. Bridget came up with a whole new string of hostile things to call him. Pig-headed was his favorite -- arrogant was good, but then she called him a truly insulting name. She said he was worse than an Englishman. He would remember that and return the favor someday. But then she got quiet and he was tempted to turn around.

"Blair."

"What?"

"I cannot..."

"You cannot what?"

"I cannot pleat this thing, my arms hurts too much."

"Would you like my help?"

She raised her voice again. "Of course I want your help; you are the only other person here!"

He moved the fish away from the fire and went to her. She had her plaid around her waist and was holding her belt. Now what was he going to do? He should have watched Kevin do it. Surely, it wasn't any more complicated than pleating his own, but... He took the belt out of her hand, wrapped it around her waist and tied it. Then he got down on one knee and started tucking the pleats under the belt one by one.




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