Marcello held her hands up against his cheeks. "Warm enough, my lady; you may enter," he replied airily, and held open the covers. "But I must warn you, in the grand Christmas tradition, you shall not be permitted to leave this bed again until you are thoroughly satisfied."

"Good neighbor for granting me permission to my own bed, my lord." She let the robe slide backwards until she shrugged her shoulders. It puddled around her feet. Delicately, she slipped in beside him, tucking the covers back around her--before jamming her ice-cold feet against him.

"Ah!" Marcello yelped, sitting straight up. "You witch!"

Niabheara cackled in delight--very like a witch. "The least you could learn is that a Dowd woman is ne'er without a weapon!" She crooked a finger, beckoning him back to her. "Come here, a chuisle. I'll kiss it better."

He crawled back to her, one hand against her shoulder to pin her to the bed, and he kissed her greedily. "What happens if I ask for more than kisses?" he asked, his other hand moving back to her breast. "Will you oblige then, too?"

"Mm. That would depend on what you asked for, wouldn't it?" With her free hand, she traced the curve of his back, down to his buttocks. Her not-quite-so-cold foot coiled around the back of his knee, so that he couldn't easily escape her.

He nipped at her ear, sliding his fingers down between her legs. "Will you...hmm...get my clothes out so I don't have to touch the icy floor?" he asked, in his most seductive whisper.

Her hips bucked upward, even as she let out a loud burst of laughter and smacked his upper arm. "Rat!" Giggling, she put a hand on the back of his neck. "I will e'en put on your socks for you so that your feet ne'er touch the floor," she whispered, mock-tenderly. "How's that?"

He grinned and kissed her. "That sounds perfectly divine," he replied. "Now you get to ask something of me."

"Dressing you is its own reward," she replied, lowering her eyelashes modestly--yet a flash of her dark eyes moved beneath the lids, shooting toward him. She rolled her body gently upward, pressing against him. "Why are we suddenly being so cruel to one another this morning? After you brought me presents and everything. You gave Omauduan a gift, for pity's sake. There was once a time I would have married a man for that alone."