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Madelaine could not stop herself fro now that he would reht of his absence lifted froiven the circu to do"

"Prudent," he repeated ironically "What a word to use for anything pertaining to you and me, Madelaine"

"All theherself that the tub would be ready when the water was hot She set out two large sponges and a rough washing cloth on the rack next to the tub, and then pulled out a brass towel rack "I’ll get a robe for you froress and pulled her to hi to kiss her as his eave herself over to his caresses as if she had never before experienced them Finally when she could speak at all, she said softly to hi that displeases you"

"I know that," he said indulgently as he stroked her breasts through her clothes

"You’re distracting me," she objected without any determination to stop hiht and long, full of suggestions that left both of them breathless "Why don’t you let ot on?"

’Tecu a last-ditch effort to keep frory, will you? For ry?" He kissed the corner of her ize for failing you"

"You mean you had not resolved to break off with me?" she asked

He stared at her, a hint of defiance in his answer "After what I have done, I ary withpins from the neat bun at the back of her neck "That’s better," he said as he loosened her hair with his fingers

"I could not be angry with you, not when I have tasted your blood," she said

’That again," heto her "And why is that, Madame Vampire?"

"Because I know you, and I knohat you are" She looked up at him, and read vexation in his eyes "I know that you despise weakness, especially in yourself, and you often regard your feelings for me as weakness"

He looked at her in amazement "How the devil--?"

"It is your nature," Madelaine said swiftly "It is intrinsic to your soul You have decided that if you love me, you are weakened I don’t kno to th, not weakness--that it takes courage to love because love’s risk is so great"

Sher down at her "If I were not ht be true, for there truly are risks in loving But as I have a wife, and you, ence"

"But you don’t," she said softly, "look upon this as an indulgence"

The light in his eyes warainst him "No, I don’t"

This ti; it was the strangest thing Madelaine thought in a remote part of her mind, but it was as if Sherman wanted to absorb her into himself, to pull her into hiht go and gave herself over to the desire he ignited in her

When they broke apart, Sher a little with shy embarrassment "Sorry That was clumsy ofattention," said Madelaine as she ran her hands under the lapels of his jacket and peeled it off hi his waistcoat and the shirt beneath it, working so precipitously that he got the shirt tangled in his suspenders and had to let Madelaine disengage therumbled

"If you say not," she told him with a smile that pierced his heart