Page 121 of A Night of Desire with a Duke
"We've already made quite a lot of it."
"The night is young."
"It's past three in the morning."
"The morning is young, then."
"James, we're not twenty anymore. We need sleep."
"Sleep is overrated."
"Says the man who doesn't have to wake up with twins at dawn."
"The twins aren't here."
"No, but..."
He kissed her, effectively ending the argument. And Catherine decided that maybe sleep was overrated after all.
They dozed eventually, as dawn light crept through the windows. The storm had finally passed, leaving the world washed clean and gleaming. Catherine woke to find James watching her, a soft expression on his face.
"What?" she asked sleepily.
"Just thinking."
"About?"
"How different this morning is from that first one."
Catherine remembered then, the frantic dressing, the painful goodbye, the certainty that they'd never see each other again. Now she stretched luxuriously, knowing she had nowhere to be but right here.
"Better?" she asked.
"Infinitely better." He traced a finger down her arm. "Though I do remember something about that morning that was quite nice."
"What?"
"You asked me to stay."
"You said you couldn't."
"I was a fool."
"Yes, you were."
"But I'm here now."
"Yes, you are."
"And I'm never leaving."
"Never?"
"Well, eventually we'll have to return to London. But metaphorically, never."
Catherine laughed. "Metaphorically never is my favourite kind of never."
They stayed in bed embarrassingly late, only rising when hunger finally drove them to seek breakfast. The inn was quieter this morning, some travelers having departed despite the muddy roads.
