The Rakehell Regency Romance Collection Volume 2(51)
Once in her own room, she brushed out her hair by the window, and gazed out at the stars. She donned a loose wrapper, and kept a candle burning just in case she had to look in on him in the middle of the night.
She stretched out on her bed under the covers, and felt the tension melt from her body. She tumbled into sleep like a boulder over a cliff.
It seemed as if Sarah had only been asleep for a moment when her eyes flew open and she sat up quickly. She had forgotten to draw her curtains and the first rays of dawn were starting to stream in through the window. She lay bathed in sunlight and listened to the birds singing for a few moments, until she heard it again.
"No, no! Marielle! No! Leave her alone! Nooooooo!"
She ran to Alexander's room and found his thrashing about on the bed. "I'm here, it's all right. You're safe, Alexander, you're safe."
He clutched her to him convulsively. She lay on his chest, listening to his rapid heartbeat gradually subside into a more normal rhythm.
"Better now?" she asked softly, hardly daring to breathe, the contact of her crested nipples against his chest through the thin fabric of her nightrail an exquisite torment.
"Yes," he sighed. His grip loosened, but moved down to her waist. He rolled her off him slightly and tucked her in close to his side.
She forced herself not to stiffen at the intimacy. It was startling, but nowhere she didn't want to be.
"Can you remember anything about the nightmare?" she asked once his breathing had evened out.
"No, nothing."
She didn't press him. She didn't want to know. A jealousy such as she had never known burned in her breast. She knew it was selfish and unreasonable of her. She might have known that he was already spoken for. A handsome virile man like him, it stood to reason. He probably had several children who would be delighted to see their father. Though of course, a lot could happen in a couple of years, including a wealthy widow being persuaded to re-marry.
She forced the myriad of conflicting thoughts and imaginings from her mind. It was enough to lay there with him as the dawn peeped through the trees and the music of spring filled the room. It might indeed have to be all she could ever have of him.
"Sarah, are you asleep?" he whispered against her hair, hugging her to him even more tightly for a brief moment.
"No, I'm just resting, and glad you're all right."
He stroked down her back with one hand, while the other reached up to put her head more snugly on his shoulder. His gradual steady breathing told her that he'd fallen back to sleep, and she closed her eyes. Just a few more minutes couldn't hurt...
Chapter Thirteen
When Sarah awoke a few hours later, the sun was up fully, pouring in through the wide windows, bathing the bed in a golden glow. She and Alexander were twined around each other most intimately, legs and arms tangled, his hands upon her waist and hips.
She was tempted to simply close her eyes and enjoy the feel of his breathing, the sound of his heartbeat. But the clatter of pots and pans downstairs intruded, alerting her to the fact that Jenny and Caleb were getting breakfast and a bath ready for them both. They would no doubt come to look for them soon if they did not go down themselves.
She lifted her head from his shoulder sleepily and peered into Alexander's handsome face.
He smiled up at her. "Good morning."
"Good morning."
"This is a fine way to wake up. I thought I was dreaming for a minute. I'm afraid I checked to make sure you were solid and real."
"I'm not complaining," she said breathlessly as his hands moved over her with devastating assurance.
"Can you do something for me?"
"What is it?" she asked with some trepidation.
"Kiss me, please?"
She touched his cheek and bent her head, kissing him tenderly on the lips. The heat flared between them in an instant. She gasped as his tongue probed her mouth, searching and tasting her most intimately.
"Breakfast!" Jenny called from below.
They sprang apart guiltily, diving to opposite sides of the bed. They kept their backs to each other while they fumblingly adjusted their clothes.
It was just as well. His hands had already begun to seek for her bare flesh underneath her loose wrapper. Sarah knew if Alexander had begun disrobing her, she would never have had the strength to stop him.
"We'd better go," she said, scurrying around the foot of the bed and heading for the door.
"All right," he agreed reluctantly, but reached over to try to snag her wrist and pull her to him for one more kiss. He aimed far too high and accidentally brushed her breast through the thin fabric. Her nipple sprang to life under his hard palm, thrusting against it eagerly.