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"I didn’t suggest that you were," Darcy said "I was just curious about what you really wanted"

"Uhed suddenly "Don’t look at me like that I don’t have any plans to off my kin so that I’m the only Stone left to inherit the place I’m not sure I’d want Melody House The place can be a damned headache The upkeep is exorbitant But don’t worry about ht for a few years, did you know that?"

"No What did you teach?"

"English Hey, don’t look now, but the sheriff has been watching us suspiciously Want toas she shook her head

"Too bad," he said, but lightly

"Well…what shall we do now? Want to order soood"

"And there’s an eather the forces"

They headed for the table Clint had indicated, gathering their group as they did so Adam had been deep in conversation with Matt, but the two of theer had been earlier, Matt displayed none of it at the Wayside Inn

Neither did he come particularly near Darcy When the conversation at the table started to veer toward the haunting at Melody House, Matt stepped in to ask Carter about so to know eneral area The meal passed pleasantly, and when it was over, yawns around the table indicated that it was tio home

Darcy drove back with Adam, Penny, and Carter They reached the house first Darcy went straight up to the Lee Roo the video and audio tapes that had been running froht in here?" he asked

"Absolutely," she assured him

"I can stay in the chair, if you want," Adam said

"Adam, if I don’t let these dreams come, I’ll never see it out to the end"

He nodded "But you’re sure you’re all right?"

"Yes! Get out, Adam Go to bed," she told him

He kissed her cheek, and left her

Darcy had just started to doze when she thought she heard movement on the balcony She lay in bed for several seconds, listening

After a ot up and went to the French doors, but didn’t open them She paused, and listened Sound… to pound in her throat

There was someone on the balcony Matt He was at the rail near the door to his own bedroo she could go out There was no reason to do so

Painfully, she turned, and went back to bed

The wo at the foot of the bed She was in a haze; Darcy saw no details in her face, no colors, just the wo at the foot of the bed

Then, she faded

And the dream carowing more desperate, determined that Darcy understand

Darcy slipped into the entity Into the woman And into the past

She ran

SheAnd it was there that he caught her, falling upon her

She struggled briefly, aware of his heat and strength as he grappled her down

Once…

It had been so different But now, she knew

Still, she fought fiercely, struggled, desperate, aware that her life was at stake The very urgency gave her a burst of power she ht have never known that she possessed She scratched, swore, kicked, punched, and fought to gouge out his eyes She caught hiainst the jaw that he went iainst his body, casting hiht of his liered up herself, and ers entwined around the he her back down She fell atop him, the breath knocked fro The pain in her temple dazed her; she realized she had hit her head on the second step At her side, while she remained paralyzed, he rose up to a half-seated position beside her And again, their eyeswithin his softened suddenly He reached out a hand She flinched, but his fingers felt as gentle as raindrops against her cheeks "I did love you so much," he said

She touched hi for her hands, drawing her up and against hiht, when they had ht, when she could not bear to keep her hands off him, or he her The room continued to spin, the pain in her te now, the words that could so arouse…and his hands, they were on her, his lips…nuzzled those whispers against her throat

It was a fight, surely, nothing more His eyes could not have been so deadly

His whisper caainst her lips, throat, her earlobes, her …into his arainst the hard wood floor, aware of his ht

They returned to the bedroom, and he set down upon the bed, tenderly She closed her eyes, thinking that the affair was too passionate, ruled by the senses, nothingBut he moved away, and she knew Knew that he had left her only to shed his clothing so that he could return, and flesh could burn against flesh

But…

Silence Nothing

Theinto the room, but no touch of his warmth, no vibrance and heat as he crawled atop her for he did not do so