Wife for a Week(19)

‘Trust me, you don’t have to patrol the wall. There is nothing happening on your northern border tonight. Get some sleep.’

He disappeared behind the wall of pillows only to return again almost immediately.

‘No raiding party?’

‘No. There is nothing on your side of the wall that the barbarians want.’ This was a lie. She knew for a fact that there were enormous treasures to be found just a cushion’s length away.

‘Here’s the problem,’ said Nick. ‘I’ve never slept in the same bed with a woman and not slept with her, if you get my meaning. I feel like I should be doing something.’

‘Go to sleep. Think of the wall.’ She, however, would be spending the rest of the night fantasizing about what it was he thought he should be doing.

‘Have you ever slept with a man and not slept with him?’ he asked.

‘Yes.’ Did sharing tent space on a camping trip with a nine-year-old brother count? ‘It’s not hard.’

‘Wrong,’ he said. ‘It’s extremely hard. A raiding party would know this already.’

Hallie’s stomach clenched and her toes curled as she tried not to picture in vivid detail exactly which part of Nick was hard. ‘Sending a raiding party over that wall would be suicide,’ she countered.

‘What if I invited you over for peace negotiations?’

‘Hah! I’m not falling for that old trap.’

‘I can’t believe you ever thought this plan was going to work,’ he said as the bottom-most pillow tumbled from the bed.

‘Fine then. I’ll sleep on the floor.’

‘You can’t sleep on the floor. The floor is too hard.’

‘Then go to sleep before I strangle you,’ she yelled. And after a moment’s reflection, ‘You’re deliberately inciting the Mongol horde, aren’t you?’

‘Is it working?’

‘No.’ She punched the pillow at her head until it was shaped to her liking and deliberately turned her back to him. ‘The Mongol horde is wise to your tricks.’

She heard his low, sexy chuckle followed by the rustle of sheets.

‘Goodnight, Mrs Cooper.’

And much, much later, when the regular, even rhythm of his breathing told her he’d fallen asleep, ‘Goodnight, Nicholas.’





CHAPTER FOUR




NICK woke before the dawn with a sleeping Hallie snuggled tightly into his side. Her head was on his shoulder, her arm was resting on his chest, her legs were entwined with his, and there wasn’t a pillow in sight. What was more, he noted with no little satisfaction, she was on his side of the bed, his, which meant that, technically, she was the one doing all the invading. Her body was relaxed, her breathing slow and even. The Mongol horde was vulnerable. Question was: what was he going to do about it?

A gentleman would slide on out of bed without waking her and head for the shower. A rogue would wake her with kisses, slide on into her, pleasure her until she was sated, then carry her to the shower. Tough choice.

He was still debating tactics when he felt her stir. Her long, smooth legs tangled even more closely with his and her hand traced a leisurely path from his chest to his stomach sending a shiver of pleasure straight through him. Even in sleep she knew just what to do to get his undivided attention. And then she stopped.

Nick felt her body stiffen, heard her sharply indrawn breath. She was awake.

‘Morning,’ he said huskily, although at this hour, with silvery darkness still enveloping them, that was debatable. She jerked up on one elbow, looked around wildly, and her knee connected with his crotch. ‘Oomf!’ His eyes crossed. His breath left his body. So much for his wake-up sex fantasy.

‘Sorry,’ she muttered, removing her knee and patting him better abstractedly. ‘What happened to the pillows?’

‘Try the floor,’ he wheezed as the patting continued. Was this heaven or hell? He couldn’t decide. He levered himself up on his elbow and looked over the side of the bed. ‘Yep. There they are.’

‘Oh.’ She stared at him and all of a sudden the hand on his crotch stilled.

‘You’re leaning on your elbows,’ she said.

‘So?’

‘So if your arms are there, my hand is—’

He watched her eyes grow round and her cheeks grow rosy with no little satisfaction.

‘That’s not your arm I’m patting, is it?’

‘Nope.’ Nick settled back against the headboard, amused, aroused and altogether curious as to what she’d do next. ‘It’s not.’

The colour in her cheeks had spread to her chest, her nipples had pebbled against the thin cotton of her singlet. Her eyes were downcast, hiding her expression. But it was her hand that held his attention. Because it hadn’t moved.