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The idea made him even harder but it was balanced by the fear that if he could not find his way permanently into her heart, he might lose her to
life altogether. Every step of her life, every desire appeared to be tormented by demons of her past, demons that took that desire and twisted it into an addictive and hazardous death wish.
It was time to stop relying on pride. In the morning, he would call in some favors.
He wanted to know everything there was to know about Marguerite Perruquet.
He pulled the tie away. As she moved restlessly he replaced it with his hand, bringing his warmth and strength over the fragile bones and windpipe, the pulse. She settled in with a soft noise, her hand coming up to lie over his, falling into a deeper sleep with a quiet sigh.
“I’m here, angel,” he murmured.
And I’m not going to let hell take you, so whoever the fuck is trying to drag you down into it, you deal with me. Because she’s not alone anymore.
He curved more tightly around her, giving her his warmth and all of his protection.
Staying awake to watch over her, he waited for the dawn to drive the night from the sky and her nightmares from the corners. And ignored his own that watched from the same hopeful vantage point.
Chapter Three
Marguerite surfaced slowly, disturbed by a hesitant sound. Feet on the staircase.
“Marguerite? Hon?”
She rolled over, her muscles aching from an orgasm that had been an exercise in prolonged isometrics. As she turned, she had a moment of panic when Chloe warily pushed the door open a bit.
She realized quickly she was alone in the bed, no evidence of Tyler in sight and her still naked body was modestly covered with a sheet.
“I’m so sorry to come up in your personal area. I was just worried because you’re usually up to let us in when we get here at seven and it’s seven-thirty. ” Marguerite blinked, shifted and sat up, pressing a hand through her disheveled hair. His scent was still here. She smelled it on her skin, felt surrounded by it. She needed a shower. Needed it now, to clear her brain. To stop her from wondering why there was no note, no…
“How did you get in?”
“Tyler let us in. Talked me into making him coffee, the savage. ” Chloe shook her head. “Startled the heck out of me when he opened the door. And not just because he looked like he’d been a bar fight. Said you’d had a rough night. ” Her attention moved to the floor. “He wouldn’t say he was the cause of it but I’m guessing a big, fat yes. ” Marguerite looked over the edge of the bed to find the remains of her dress on the floor. He’d taken the time to leave her bed, cover her, retain her modesty and dignity but he’d left—what were Chloe’s words—a big, fat statement of his presence in her bed lying on the floor.
“Nice flowers, by the way. I put them on a pedestal right outside the screen door since it’s going to be a pretty day. Thought it’d be a lovely welcome when people come up the stairs. I wasn’t sure about the tiger. What do you want to do with him?”
“I’ll think about it in a bit. I need to do my yoga first then I’ll get a quick shower and we’ll be open at our usual time. ”
“But—”
“Chloe. ” Marguerite put her hands over her face, laid her head over the side of the bed so all her hair tumbled toward the floor. “I really need a few minutes, okay? Let me do my yoga before I deal with anything else. I need to get on routine, all right?” She interpreted the girl’s startled silence like a judgment. She was always ready to handle everything. She was not being the Marguerite they knew. But if they could give her a frigging half hour and a shower, she could pull it all together. She refused to believe she was as tattered as her dress.
“Okay. ”
Surprised by the quiet reassurance in Chloe’s voice, she stiffened when the girl laid a hand on her shoulder and dropped a quick kiss on the top of her head. “Don’t worry about a thing. You do what you need to do. We’ll handle the rest. ”
“I’ll be with you in forty-five minutes. ” Marguerite stated it forcefully into her palms. “Run the new black tea with peppermint and cloves as the Manager’s Special. ”
Chloe came back into the kitchen to a curious-eyed Gen. “She’s freaking out,” Chloe reported calmly. “And my guess is Tiger Man’s the reason. ”
“Is she coming down?”
“She’s going to do her yoga first in the back garden. ”
“Does she know he’s still here?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t tell her. ” Chloe’s eyes were thoughtful. “Thought I’d give her some time to pull it together. She’s seriously off balance, Gen. ”
“Good way or bad way?”
