“Good morning, husband,” said a voice. That was his wife’s voice. And those were Gabby’s warm eyes laughing at him.

“Oh, God,” Quill said. It was a prayer and a thank-you.

His wife raised an eyebrow. “What happened to ‘Good morning, Gabby. Did you sleep well?’ Have you forgotten all the instructions I’ve given you?”

“Are you all right?” he asked hoarsely.

“No,” she said, dropping her teasing tone. “I’ve been a fool, Quill, and I need to make an apology. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I woke up. I should never have lied to you. And I should never have let my temper govern my actions like that. Why, Sudhakar’s medicine could have had serious consequences!”

Quill stared at her. “It did, Gabby.”

“The medicine?”

“Sudhakar said you were going to die. That we couldn’t save you.”

“You found him before he sailed?”

“Yes. He said—”

Gabby shrugged. “He’s ever the naysayer, Sudhakar. I’m just fine, Quill. Or at least I would be if you would move off the coverlet so that I can rise out of bed.”

Her husband stared at her, not moving an inch. “I may never let you out of bed,” he said tenderly. “Oh Gabby, I love you so much.” He cupped her face in his hands. “I can’t live without you, do you know that?”

She smiled at him. “So you’re in love with me now, are you?”

“I should never have lied to you about it. But I’m glad I did, because I maneuvered you into marrying me,” he said, kissing her.

“You didn’t lie to me,” she said gently.

Quill stopped, his mouth just a breath from hers.

“You were in love with me. You just didn’t know it. Remember?” She whispered, “I burn, I pine, I perish.”

And Quill remembered his burning wish to marry his brother’s fiancée, the way in which he breached every code of gentlemanly behavior in order to do so. He groaned. “I suppose you are right, oh, uncomfortably intelligent wife. But”—and his lips grazed hers, very gently—“how I loved you from the first moment I saw you on the dock has no resemblance to how many fathoms deep I am in love with you now.”

“Oh, Quill,” Gabby said, before he stole her breath and sank into a kiss. But she pulled away after a few moments. “Now I have to rise from this bed,” she said with renewed vigor.

But Quill had other plans. “You cured me,” he said. “My beloved wife cured me, and now I am going to make love to her all day, and all night, and all tomorrow as well.”

Gabby stilled. Her eyes shone. “I’m in love with you as well, do you know that? I think only someone I loved as much as you could make me behave like such an idiot.”