you?”
The captain stepped forward and removed his hat then clutched it against his chest. He looked directly at Mercedes. “Mrs. Braxton? Can you confirm your husband has been here in the house with you all night?”
She snuggled closer to William and he wrapped his arm around her. He still couldn’t understand why she’d offered to help, but at the moment he was grateful she had. Yet, could this be a trap? Awaiting her answer, he held his breath.
“Yes, Captain. My husband was with me the entire night.”
William exhaled a deep sigh.
“My deepest apologies, Mr. and Mrs. Braxton.” The captain nodded, then stepped away as did the other soldiers. A few moments later the thudding of their boots on the stairs echoed their descent.
Gabe winked and nodded at Mercedes. “I shall leave you two alone now.” Then he closed the door behind him.
Silence ensued for a few awkward minutes. William prolonged the moment, savoring the feel of her nestled against him. But then reality struck, and he pulled away and tried to think of something intelligent to say. Her beauty created an unexplained numbness in his brain. When he glanced at her, a timid smile touched her heart-shaped mouth.
“I suppose I can say a pleasant morning to you now,” she said.
He sat up fully, keeping the covers protectively around his lower half as he pulled up his knees and rested his arms across them. “Well, considering the way I was awakened, I do not think it has been very pleasant so far.” He cocked a brow and ran his focus over her tousled figure. “Of course, I must amend that. The way I was awakened was quite pleasurable, but once I awoke, reality intruded. Tell me, how was your night? Did you sleep well?”
A blush tinted her cheeks and she looked adorable. “Aye.”
He chuckled. “I want to thank you for what you did, but—” He blew out a gush of air and ran his fingers through his hair. “Why did you crawl in bed with me, knowing the soldiers were on their way up?”
Her eyes averted his. She appeared to study his back and his chest. That simple look caused the inner demon of desire to ignite his body, and he finally admitted he enjoyed the way she studied him, as if she’d never seen anything so pleasing in her life. That was something she had never done before!
Her cheeks darkened and she cleared her throat. She pulled herself into a sitting position beside him. “Considering I have not led an exemplary life since I married you, I realized the soldiers would not believe my story unless they saw me in your bed. I did not want you accused of a crime you did not commit, and this was the only way for me to prove them wrong.”
Could he believe her sincerity? She appeared so innocent, so honest. Yet, her past made him cautious. He wasn’t about to tell her the real reason he and Gabe were at the tavern last night. She would run to her precious Captain Wilkes with any kind of information about The Sons of Liberty’s meetings.
He gave her a nod. “Thank the good Lord for your quick thinking, then.”
She turned to slide out of bed, but he reached out and placed his hand on her leg, stopping her. Her brilliant green eyes stared at him, bringing back feelings he didn’t want to have, but this time he rather enjoyed the way his body burned. “I know not why you did it, but thank you. You saved my backside.”
Her gaze dipped down in that area. A brilliant red blush graced her cheeks. “And such a perfect backside to save.” She smiled, then climbed out of bed and slipped the robe around her.
He let out another big breath and lay back in bed. It was getting harder and harder to resist her. Strange, because he’d been so immune before she’d left to go help her sister. What could be different now? Was it possible she really had changed?
He dismissed the insane notion as he climbed out of bed. This morning had been odd, and he needed to talk with Gabe about keeping a closer eye on his wife. She was certainly up to no
The captain stepped forward and removed his hat then clutched it against his chest. He looked directly at Mercedes. “Mrs. Braxton? Can you confirm your husband has been here in the house with you all night?”
She snuggled closer to William and he wrapped his arm around her. He still couldn’t understand why she’d offered to help, but at the moment he was grateful she had. Yet, could this be a trap? Awaiting her answer, he held his breath.
“Yes, Captain. My husband was with me the entire night.”
William exhaled a deep sigh.
“My deepest apologies, Mr. and Mrs. Braxton.” The captain nodded, then stepped away as did the other soldiers. A few moments later the thudding of their boots on the stairs echoed their descent.
Gabe winked and nodded at Mercedes. “I shall leave you two alone now.” Then he closed the door behind him.
Silence ensued for a few awkward minutes. William prolonged the moment, savoring the feel of her nestled against him. But then reality struck, and he pulled away and tried to think of something intelligent to say. Her beauty created an unexplained numbness in his brain. When he glanced at her, a timid smile touched her heart-shaped mouth.
“I suppose I can say a pleasant morning to you now,” she said.
He sat up fully, keeping the covers protectively around his lower half as he pulled up his knees and rested his arms across them. “Well, considering the way I was awakened, I do not think it has been very pleasant so far.” He cocked a brow and ran his focus over her tousled figure. “Of course, I must amend that. The way I was awakened was quite pleasurable, but once I awoke, reality intruded. Tell me, how was your night? Did you sleep well?”
A blush tinted her cheeks and she looked adorable. “Aye.”
He chuckled. “I want to thank you for what you did, but—” He blew out a gush of air and ran his fingers through his hair. “Why did you crawl in bed with me, knowing the soldiers were on their way up?”
Her eyes averted his. She appeared to study his back and his chest. That simple look caused the inner demon of desire to ignite his body, and he finally admitted he enjoyed the way she studied him, as if she’d never seen anything so pleasing in her life. That was something she had never done before!
Her cheeks darkened and she cleared her throat. She pulled herself into a sitting position beside him. “Considering I have not led an exemplary life since I married you, I realized the soldiers would not believe my story unless they saw me in your bed. I did not want you accused of a crime you did not commit, and this was the only way for me to prove them wrong.”
Could he believe her sincerity? She appeared so innocent, so honest. Yet, her past made him cautious. He wasn’t about to tell her the real reason he and Gabe were at the tavern last night. She would run to her precious Captain Wilkes with any kind of information about The Sons of Liberty’s meetings.
He gave her a nod. “Thank the good Lord for your quick thinking, then.”
She turned to slide out of bed, but he reached out and placed his hand on her leg, stopping her. Her brilliant green eyes stared at him, bringing back feelings he didn’t want to have, but this time he rather enjoyed the way his body burned. “I know not why you did it, but thank you. You saved my backside.”
Her gaze dipped down in that area. A brilliant red blush graced her cheeks. “And such a perfect backside to save.” She smiled, then climbed out of bed and slipped the robe around her.
He let out another big breath and lay back in bed. It was getting harder and harder to resist her. Strange, because he’d been so immune before she’d left to go help her sister. What could be different now? Was it possible she really had changed?
He dismissed the insane notion as he climbed out of bed. This morning had been odd, and he needed to talk with Gabe about keeping a closer eye on his wife. She was certainly up to no
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