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"You actually projected that thought to me"

"Did I really?" she asked

"Yes It was most likely accidental, but with practice you&039;ll be able to do it at will"

"Really? Can you teach me how?"

He was silent for a minute, then said, "I have a better idea I&039;ll project a thought to you and you try to read it"

"Okay," she agreed, then tilted her head "How do I do that?"

"Just open your mind to me and I&039;ll do the rest," he told her, then went silent, his eyes narroith concentration A bare hts as clearly as if he were speaking in her ear

Ifrom life when you aren&039;t there I want you back inbeside you I love you, Rachel

Rachel stared at him, hardly able to believe she had heard correctly "Then why haven&039;t you called? If Thoht--"

"I would have found another place and way to approach you," he assured her soleet my deadline out of the way so I could concentrate solely on you"

Rachel thought that sounded rather laet his work out of the way first? She ca

"Youyour thoughts out clear as a bell"

When she didn&039;t sht let hio somewhere quieter"

Rachel nodded solemnly, downed the last of her drink, and stood They were both silent as they exited Night Club and made their way to his car She didn&039;t deet in and didn&039;t ask where they were headed Neither was she terribly surprised when they pulled up in front of his house It here most of their relationship had taken place It seeical place to resolve it

Rachel followed him inside and into the library on thethe rooether in this rooether

"Okay," Etienne said as they sat on the love seat and he settled his arainst his chest "It wasn&039;t work That was an excuse"

She wasn&039;t terribly surprised at this admission but remained silent and was rewarded when he added, "I was afraid"

Now that did surprise her, and Rachel sat up and turned to peer at hi hurt, Rachel," he said quietly "I&039;ve never thought of myself as a coward, but this was an entirely new experience for me I&039;ve never hts I couldn&039;t read It was a new experience and not very comfortable I felt vulnerable from the start And confused too, I suppose You should reed to live three hundred years without falling in love The feelings you brought about in me took me by surprise"

"I was rather taken by surprise too," Rachel admitted quietly and settled back into his e hurt Actually, I was afraid you would realize what you had given up to save me and would come to hateher a squeeze "I knehat I was doing right fro, even when you were sick and pale and looked ready to keel over" When she glanced up at hiht her chin in his hand and said, "Rachel, I can&039;t iine a life without you You have ht want more time to consider it, but--"

"I don&039;t need more time, Etienne," she interrupted quietly "I know this is all happening quickly, but you&039;re the man I&039;ve wanted all ine what the man I loved looked like and the qualities he would have, you would have been who I dreamed of I love you," she said sih

"Then marry me," he blurted

"Yes," Rachel said at once, but he shook his head

"You have to think about this, Rachel This isn&039;t a piddling twenty-five to fifty years I&039; my people--at least the people intime"

"I hope it&039;s an eternity," she said solemnly "I love you, Etienne I would spend eternity with you You have my heart too"

A slow suard your heart all the days of my life" The words were a bare whisper before he leaned forward and claihed into hisho his invading tongue with her own, she twisted where she sat and slid her hands up his chest She allowed one to continue up around his neck and into his hair to catch in the silken strands there With the fingers of the other she caught at his shirtfront to tug him closer Her body arched into his of its own accord and desire was a sudden rush through her body, ry and bold Rachel wanted him under her, on her, and in her all at once She wanted to join with him and feel his body fill her She wanted to hold him and be held like this forever

And you can The words whispered through her brain, a ht a chuckle from deep in Rachel&039;s throat But her happy arowl as his hand found her breast through the cloth of her blouse Things were suddenly quite serious

Rachel allowed herself to fall backward on the love seat, tugging more insistently at the cloth of his shirt as she did so and forcing him to follow her down Etienne shifted and caWithin moments, Rachel&039;s white blouse was open and the hooks that fastened the front of her bra were undone She shivered in anticipation and arched beneath hi her naked breasts When he bent his head to capture one already erect nipple, she clasped his scalp in both hands and held him close, then suddenly released her hold on his hair and pushed him away

The startled expression on his face as he raised up away fro at his shirt buttons to take aped open as he leaned over her, then spread her hands over the wide expanse of bare skin Rachel loved his chest, the hardness, the strength She stopped when her palht theers to fondle therowl at the caress, then lowered himself over her to claim her lips once more Passion burst between them, hot and unstoppable, and the time for exploration was over It felt as if they had been apart forever and the need between the bright and furious Their kisses becah, and she scraped her nails up his back as his hands roa them into the backs of his upper ars to press against the leather of her skirt

"I need you," she gasped It was a de between theh his jeans

Etienne&039;s reaction was is on the couch, pushed her skirt up the few inches necessary, grasped her panties and, rather than draw them down, simply snapped the sides of the flimsy silk so that it fell away like sohis jeans as he came back down on top of her, then he slid one hand under her bottohtly, and slid into her as she wrapped her legs around his hips

Rachel groaned with relief as he entered her, her body welcoroaned at her ear Then he began to , al for the release they needed Etienne made sure Rachel found hers first, but the moment she cried out and clenched around hih clenched teeth and allowed himself to join her Then he collapsed on top of her and they lay panting together

Etienne was the first to stir Releasing a wry, still breathless laugh, he shifted them on the couch so that he lay flat on his back and she now lay splayed on top of hi doll

"Well, that was" His voice was husky and he let the words trail off

"Hrin at hi, he clasped his aro?"

"Oh yes, I--" She stopped abruptly and lifted her head again, her eyes wide

"What?" he asked with concern

"I didn&039;t faint," she said with amazement "That&039;s the first time I haven&039;t fainted"

"Then I definitely didn&039;t do it right," Etienne decided and sat up, forcing her up with him

"Oh, but I er enjoyed it asbut unable to stop it "Maybe rinning rather sly as he scooped her up in his arms and stood to carry her across the library

Rachel shook her head at the ainst his chest as he carried her into the hall They were halfway up the stairs to the second floor when Etienne suddenly asked, "What were you drinking at the club?"

"An Enduring so with the hair at the base of his neck

"Ah" Etienne nodded

"Ah what?" Rachel asked raising her head off his shoulder to peer at his face curiously

"You won&039;t be fainting tonight," he informed her with amusement

"Oh?"

"Hed it so that I&039;m in for a real workout"

"Really?" She asked with interest as he carried her into the bedrooht now, I do too," he said with a laugh He kicked the bedroom door closed behind them