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Mayfield grunted. Then he beckoned for Manning to follow him.
“Come, Manning. Let’s get some sleep.”
“Shouldn’t I stay in case I’m needed?”
“I think Lady Blackmore has it covered tonight. If she needs someone, she can send for us.” Mayfield gave Victoria a nod. “Goodnight, my lady. Good luck.”
“Good luck?”
“At holding him down if he starts thrashing again by yourself. If he does, get away from him and let him get through it on his own. He’ll eventually calm down.”
Victoria frowned.
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then we’ll be back. But only if you call for us.”
With a final slight bow, Mayfield left the room, Manning following close behind. Leaving Victoria alone with her husband. And wondering why she had agreed to this.
***
When Rafe started to wake up, he was aware of someone in the bed with him. Someone was curled up against him, arms around his waist with a head on his chest. It was a position he hadn’t experienced for a while.
He lay there for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on. Had he done something last night? As far as he knew, he hadn’t gotten drunk and brought someone into the bed with him. Rafe was sure he would remember that.
Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Rafe looked at the sleeping woman next to him. There was something familiar about her. Was it…?
It was Victoria. She was in the bed with him.
Rafe couldn’t believe it. Two nights ago, he had been plagued with dreams about Victoria willingly coming to him and letting him make love to her. It had left him in a bad mood the day after his own wedding. That wasn’t something he was about to force on someone, even if he saw desire warring with her fury.
What had happened? Had she actually come to him, and he had blacked out?
Rafe checked himself. He was still wearing the breeches he had gone to bed in, and they hadn’t been undone. The bed was a little cool, and the sheets were sticking to him, but that didn’t mean anything.
What was going on?
Rafe shifted, trying to get his arm out from under his wife. While having her sleeping against him, feeling her body pressed to his side, felt like heaven, he couldn’t be doing this. His body was getting more aroused as he gained more of his senses, and if he didn’t get away from her, he would be ripping that nightgown off her.
But dislodging Victoria had her stirring. She shifted and opened her eyes, blinking up at him. Rafe cleared his throat.
“Morning.”
“What?” Blinking some more, Victoria rubbed her eyes. “Is it morning?”
“The birds are being very loud, so I’d say that was a good indication that it’s morning.” Rafe frowned. “What are you doing in here? I thought you said you would never willingly come in here.”
“Oh.”
Her cheeks turning a little pink, Victoria sat up, brushing her hair away from her face. Even with her hair in a mess from sleep, Rafe didn’t think he had seen anything more beautiful. He liked seeing her with her hair down.
“You…you were having a really bad dream. It woke me up.” Victoria bit her lip. “Mayfield was in here, but he couldn’t get you to calm. Yet you did when I touched you.”
“I did?”
“You seemed to settle down, so we decided that I would stay with you. You started shivering even with the fire on during the early hours, so I got into bed to give you some warmth.” She shot him a look. “That doesn’t mean that anything has changed between us, just so you know.”
“Noted,” Rafe murmured.
