“Are you sure?”
She gave him a tremulous smile. “Yes.”
As he came down to her, gently lowering her to the floor, she castigated herself for being ten times a fool.
But Arnprior needed her warmth and her comfort. Andsheneeded to comfort him, with a desperation that almost stole her breath.
She found herself flat on her back on the carpet, the soft woolen pile prickling the back of her neck and her calves. He wrapped his body around hers, his face resting on her chest. Her bodice had slipped a bit, and his bristly cheek nestled against her sensitive skin. He was incredibly big and muscled, and the size and strength of him should have scared her out of her wits.
Instead, it felt wonderful.
Arnprior tucked her close and let out a long, weary sigh that wrenched her heart. She rested a hand on the back of his head, stroking his thick, soft hair as their breaths settled into one steady rhythm. Peace stole over her, the kind she’d not felt in a long time. All her tensions and fears slid away, allowing her to feel warm, safe, and cherished.
She drifted into a dreamy state for a minute or two before realizing his breathing had changed. It was now slow and deep. His body had also relaxed to the point where he was slumped heavily on top of her.
“My lord?” she murmured.
No answer.
“Lord Arnprior,” she said in a louder tone, nudging him in the shoulder.
A soft snore was his only reply.
She groaned and let her head fall back to the carpet. Perfect. Not only had he passed out on top of her, he was so heavy she would probably strain her back just trying to move him.
As she was trying to deduce the best way to wriggle free, she heard an alarming series of rattles, then approaching footsteps. Her startled gaze flew up to meet the equally startled gazes of Angus, Royal, and Mrs. Taffy. All three stared down at her, their mouths gaping in almost identical ovals.
“I see you found an extra key,” Victoria finally said in a weak voice.
Royal recovered first. “And I seeyou’vedone quite a good job of calming Nick down,” he said with a chuckle.
“Aye, that she has,” Angus said in a thoughtful tone.
“This is not what it looks like,” Victoria protested.
Taffy’s perusal traveled slowly over their tangled bodies. “I’d venture it’s exactly what it looks like, Miss Knight.”
Victoria craned her head to look down at herself and had to repress a groan. Her skirts were hiked around her knees, exposing her garters, and her bodice was a disaster. The earl’s head rested comfortably on her breast, his mouth only a fraction of an inch from where her nipple was barely concealed by her chemise.
“Would you like help getting up?” Royal asked politely. “Or would you prefer to spend the night on the floor with Nick.”
She thunked her head back onto the floor. “I’d prefer you leave and pretend you never saw anything.”
Angus grinned. “Sorry, lass, but there’s no unseeing this.”
Victoria sighed. “Then you’d best just shoot me and get it over with.”
Chapter Sixteen
A bloody great headache awaited Nick on the other side of sleep. And was he lying on a block of wood? It was either that or his mattress urgently needed restuffing.
He cracked open his eyelids. Above him was the plasterwork medallion of his library ceiling, not the canopy of his bed.
“It’s about time ye returned to the land of the livin’,” barked a voice he had no trouble recognizing. “We were about to send for the surgeon.”
Nick shot upright into a sitting position, then clutched his head as pain knifed through his skull. “Jesus.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “Don’t yell.”
“He was practically whispering.” Royal said. “At least as much as Grandda can whisper.”
