Will Marsden is a man on the run from his memories and his past. Steward of Denton Manor was a good position until Captain Dearne, the owner, lost the manor on the turn of a card. When the feckless Dearne is dumped unconscious and near death on his doorstep, Will grudgingly accepts an enormous sum of money to care for him.<br><br>Dearne regains consciousness but has no memories of how he came to be in the bed of a dark-haired, angry, but gorgeous man or how he came to be so badly injured.<br><br>When nightmares drive Dearne into Will’s arms every night, the attraction between them explodes. As Dearne battles with lost memories, he is forced to accept the fact that someone in his family wants him dead, and Will is forced to confront his past head on. Will the revelations uncovered manage to tear them apart?

Memories

“You had another nightmare,” he said, and then got out of the bed and fled.


This pattern continued for the next two nights. Dearne went to sleep alone, and woke up in Will’s arms. It was becoming far too comfortable. By the third day he was feeling stronger. Will had fed him endless concoctions and vile tasting brews, but they seemed to be working as his strength was definitely returning. He felt sure today he would be up and about. Dearne opened his eyes in the stillness of the early morning light. He moved and, again, Will moved with him unconsciously. They fit together alarmingly well, and as Dearne settled his head on the pillow, Will’s arms tightened around him as usual, but this time he kissed the back of his neck. It was a soft, almost not-there gesture, but he felt it to his bones.


“Again,” he whispered into the pillow.


Chapter 18