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Rachel heaved a sigh and stepped away from Caroline. “You’ll never understand. And Iwascareful.”
Caroline turned her attention to Marc. “Wherewasshe?”
“Spotted her in the mews behind Drury Lane. She’sunharmed.”
But she could have been harmed. She could have been taken and abused and never found. She could have been killed, for God’s sake. Caroline shook her head and refocused on her oldest child. “Go to your chambers. And don’t you dare leave there until I saydifferently.”
Rachel huffed indignantly, but she did start for thestaircase.
Caroline closed her eyes as a fresh round of tears began to stream down her cheeks. “I have no idea what I’mdoing,Marc.”
He slid his arms around her waist and urged her against his chest. “She’s here.She’ssafe.”
“Because of you.” She opened her eyes then and tipped her head back to see him. And his tiredness radiated from him. “I can never thank you enough.Ican—”
“Shh,” he whispered and pressed his lips to her brow. “It’s been a long night, Caroline. Climb into bed, get some rest, and I’ll be by sometime in theafternoon.”
He didn’t mean to leave? “Marc.” She grasped his lapels in her hands. “Pleasedon’tgo.”
A weary smile settled on his lips. “You’re exhausted, love, and I could hardly perform at my best at the moment anyway. We’ll wait for the stars torealign.”
She certainly was in no mental state for love making, not after the panic and stress of the evening. She was exhausted, and her muscles ached, and she wanted to fall into bed and never leave it. But she didn’t want to relinquish him either. She didn’t want to climb the stairs to her empty bedchambers and stare into the darkness while awful thoughts about what could have been plagued her. She just wanted him beside her, his arms around her, and to revel in the strength of him. “I would sleep much easier if you werewithme.”
His weary smile turned a bit wolfish. “You could tempt asaint.”
“You’re not asaint.”
“Not even on my best day,” he agreed with the shake of his head. “Are you sure about this? You’re not worried someone will see something, saysomething?”
Who would say anything? Rachel was already in her chambers. Only Simmons knew Marc was still there. And Simmons might be the one servant in all the world who could truly be trusted, at least where Marc was concerned. “I want youtostay.”
He kissed her brow once more. “Then lead on,mylady.”
* * *
Without a doubt,it had been the most surreal night of Marc’s life. And that was saying something. He shrugged out of his jacket and placed it on the back of a chintz chair in the corner of Caroline’s bedchamber. His waistcoat soon followed suit. And then hisshirt.
He was tugging one Hessian off when Caroline breezed inside the room, already in a nightrail and wrapper, her dark blonde locks already down about her shoulders. Marc dropped the boot to the rug and started on the next one as he lamented aloud, “I had such plans for that reddress.”
And even though he knew she was emotionally drained, she smiled at him. The most sweetly seductive smile he’d ever seen. “Nexttime?”
“I’m counting on it.” And the time after that and the time after that. Marc dropped his second boot to the floor and pushed out of her chintzchair.
She pulled back the counterpane and his gaze dropped to her nicely rounded bottom. It wasn’t the red dress, but there was something to be said for her nightrail. He’d never seen her curves on display in such a way before. He could get used to that. And he had a feeling he could get even more accustomed to her in absolutely nothing at all. But nottonight.
“Do you think you need another pillow?” she asked, looking back at him over hershoulder.
Pillows, no pillows. He couldn’t care one way or the other. He was in Caroline Staveley’s bedchamber. And she wanted him to stay the night. How could he possibly care about pillows? “I’ll be fine,” he said, hearing the exhaustion in his ownvoice.
Her brow furrowed slightly as she stepped away from the bed. “Do you want the right side ortheleft?”
Marc reached out and captured her waist with his hand and pulled her to him. “I only want you. Just tell me where youwantme.”
“Here.” She slid her arms around his back and sighed against his chest as her lithe form pressed against his. “I want you right here.” The silk of her nightrail was so thin, it was almost as though she had nothing on at all. The curve of her breasts, the gentle slope of her belly, the softness ofherskin.
And even though he was well past exhaustion, his cock hardened. How could it not? Marc blew out a breath, not that he could do a damned thing about any of his urges tonight. But tomorrow was another matter entirely. “Here? Standing in the middle of your rug all night? You’re hardly the most accommodating hostess,Caroline.”
“Right beside me.” A soft laugh escaped her as she stepped away from him. “You know what I meant.” Then she slid her hand into his and towed him to the side of her four-poster.
