This morning Conrad was fortunate enough to wake up before Victoria. Careful not to aggravate her injured ribs, he grabbed her waist, pulling her closer to him. He kissed her head, eliciting a muffled moan. She stretched within his embrace. Conrad reveled in the feel of her hips brushing against him. He didn't often have the chance to look at her without her noticing, so he studied as much of her as he could, hoping every detail would engrave itself into his brain.

He saw the small wrinkles that had sprung up around her eyes and in the corners of her mouth. He let his eyes follow the straps of her nightgown, admiring the way it dipped to expose her upper chest. She was undoubtably the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"You're staring." She uttered the words before her eyes fluttered open. He wasn't sure how she could sense those things but he wasn't surprised. He had long ago accepted the fact that Victoria would be the smartest person in the room, regardless of what room or what company she was with.

"Good morning, my dear. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. I actually slept better than I have since before the accident." She wanted to go further and admit that her sleep was due to Conrad's presence and not because of her injuries healing. She had been so anxious to heal and regain her independence but lately, she didn't mind it. Her accident had brought something out in Conrad. He was thoughtful and caring. She let herself enjoy the attention but she wasn't considering her husband a changed man. She just needed to figure out what angle he was working. In order to do that, she needed to keep herself in line. Starting fights and losing her temper would get her nowhere.

"I thought we could spent the day in the pool."

"The pool? I haven't gotten in there since-"

"Since you taught Charlotte to swim. She refused to work with the swimming instructor. She just cried for you." Victoria smiled at the memory. It was nice having Charlotte constantly cling to her mom. It broke Victoria's heart that things had changed so dramatically.

"I thought it might help your foot. They say water aerobics is a form of physical therapy."

"Who says that?"

"I looked it up." He said sheepishly.

"What exactly did you look up?" She began sitting up, her interest piqued.

"You know, broken feet and broken ribs and things that could help ensure you heal properly. Different techniques and things." She was genuinely touched at how caring he could be. It was taking every fiber of her being not to get swept up in the sudden romance in their relationship. She wanted to relinquish her power, to let him do the deciding but she knew it never ended well.

"Let's get breakfast and then we can get ready for the pool." She was more convinced than ever to figure out what game he was playing.