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Plus, the isolation was good

And now that they were getting to know each other, he doubted she’d want to leave She hadn’t even screah Not his girl She was special

Thank God, because he needed her He needed to sleep It was dark and it had been too long since he’d really slept Good sleep Deep sleep

But with her here, all that would change Now he could rest

Because noasn’t alone

Chapter 23

HE WAS IN THE BED WITH HER

Even if Violet hadn’t felt the slant of thefronized the imprints on hiainst that sa the soup Tooprone made her back ache like it had never ached before Even the prickling sensation that Caine brought with him couldn’t overshadow this kind of pain The noxious rubber smell he bore only made it easier for her to remain alert His i as fluidly as she could She didn’t want to disturb him She didn’t want him to know she ake

But her foot didn’t just flexit shifted And her eyes widened as she lay there for several long, unblinkingto decide what to do next

Shepattern If he woke, she wanted him to believe she was still asleep And then slowly, carefully, she tried her hand--the one farthest from Caine’s side

It moved too

Relief blossomed and she drew it down as steadily as she could She clutched it against her own chest, against her heart Curling her wrist, she wanted to sob with relief as the pain in her shoulder subsided at long last

When, after endless moments, she was sure she hadn’t disturbed his, she let her hand drift upward until it found her throat

She gasped as she realized the bindings at her neck wereher own cry of relief

She stiffened, waiting Until she was certain Caine still slept

He’d untied her She was free But why? Why would he take a chance like this?

A low, rowl or a bellow, not like a coot how to breathe, her chest collapsing in on itself

She stayed where she was, un After what felt like an eternity, she closed her eyes and tried again, ently as she could onto her side When he didn’t react to that, either, shebreath by breath toward the side of the mattress