Page 42 (1/2)

"No," he sighed, thinking that he was bone tired, and if he couldn't ht--which he knew he couldn't do no ly fantasized about it during the past few days--then at least he'd like to get a good night's sleep on a softchair in the corner of the rooht, just the sort of chair that was ood posture Not very coain, this time loudly "I suppose I can sleep in the chair"

"The chair?" she echoed

He pointed at the piece of furniture in question "Four legs, a seat All in all, a rather useful item for one's home"

"But it's--it's here"

"Yes "

"I'll be here"

"That is also true"

She stared at hilish "We cannot both sleep here"

"The alternative is that I sleep in the stables, which, I assure you, I have no wish to do Although" He cast an eye at the chair "at least I would be able to lie down However, the innkeeper said the stables were even more crowded than the inn, and quite frankly, after pen, the delicate sraved permanently on ht of spending the night wedged in between horse droppings is decidedly unpalatable"

"Maybe they justto stop theht" He closed his eyes and shook his head Never in ahorsedubiously at the chair "I--uh"

"I'll just wait in the hall" He straightened his spine and walked fro he was the noblest, most chivalrous, and possibly the ainst the wall just outside the door, he could hear heraround He tried desperately not to think about what those soundsher frockNow she was letting it slip fro the pain would steer his thoughts in a more appropriate direction It didn't work

The devil of it all was that he knew she wanted him too Oh, not in quite the same way and certainly not with the same intensity But it was there Despite her sarcastic mouth, Henry was a complete innocent and did not kno to hide the drea in her eyes whenever they accidentally brushed up against each other And the kiss

Dunford groaned She had been perfect, so completely responsive until he'd lost control and scared her In retrospect, he thanked God she had becohtened, because he wasn't certain he would have been able to stop