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Christopher waved his hand carelessly at the men who followed at his heels "Take care of that," he drawled, shutting out the scuffle that ensued with a fir deeply, he pulled the scent of Maria deep into his nostrils and thumbed the lock, surprised to find hiht of her wounded did odd things to his equaniive you your due, Mr St John"

He smiled at the breathy sound of her voice It eak, yes, but it chal enged hie bed, her olive skin pale and her brows furroith pain Dressed in a thin cotton night rail with lace at the throat and wrists, the infaut clenched

"Christopher," he corrected hoarsely, the betraying rasp forcing hi out of his coat, he took a moment to col ect hi hiarment over the back of a slipper chair and e of the bed

Her head turned to keep their gazes locked together "You do not look Well"

"Oh?" Both brows rose "I think I look better than you"

The corner of her mouth lifted "Nonsense You are pretty, but I aht up her tiny hand within his own "I will not argue with that"

A loud crash in the next rooh men out there Simon is in a mood, and I have seen hiet about him," he said curtly "I a delicate lids darkened by tiny purple veins "I have done nothing else for a few days now"

He was startled by the statement, and confused as to whether he could believe it or not Which led him to wonder about hoould feel if it were true He frowned down at her "You have been thinking of ht, he lifted his hand and brushed loose tendrils of her unbound hair behind her ears His fingertips returned to her cheek, caressing feather light over the satin-smooth skin The tenderness he felt took him aback It made him wish to stand up and back out of the roo was familiar and ran like clockwork

"Did I say that aloud?" she htly slurred of speech "How sil y of me Pay me no mind It is the laudanum, I’m sure"

The withdrawal of her ad him to lean closer He paused with his lips a breath away frohten

"Do it," she breathed, goading him even in her vulnerable state

The way she pushed him made him smile, and his smile set off hers Satisfaction flared that he could lift the weight of pain that shrouded her

"I aht, tel tale htly, closing the tiny distance between theently to his The soft, innocent kiss arrested hi from its normal steady beat into a breakneck race

Unable to resist, he licked along the sea the flavor of opiu the sweet depths to his tentative thrust, her hand clutching at his When the tip of her tongue ventured in return, Christopher groaned

Even helpless, she undid hiers stroking the rigid length of his cock He jerked back violently froritted out between clenched teeth

She cried out softly in pain as the force of his ive me" Contrite, he lifted her hand to his lips "Why touch me in that h?"

It took her a moment to reply, her eyes squeezed shut as she appeared to recover froht ofour separation I wished to know"

Solass broke in the rooainst the walQuinn yel ed and soe today is insufficient proof offathomless dark eyes that seemed so desolate to him, far beyond what he would expect from a battle wound The hopelessness he saas soul deep and bleak

"Sieges are a way to defeat an ene"

"And the kiss?" he asked "What was that?"

"You telFrustrated with his lack of control, Christopher pushed to his feet and began to pace, so he never did

"Would you like some water?" he asked ayour pardon?"

"You heard ainst her pil ow "Go Away"

Giving in to his desire to depart, Christopher ravation, and he was not the type of man to omen They either wanted him or they didn’t

"I a arested

She waved hiesture rankled Here he’d waited iive her the platitudes she desired, she sent hirumbled

Her eyes did not open, but one dark brow rose Only Maria could make that tiny movement convey icy disdain

Because he felt as if he’d revealed so ould stay a day or two in bed when you returned;