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Why did she feel so safe whenever he held her? She pressed her forehead against his chest I’e It’s not like I haven’t gone hoe, but--You know" For sex

He smiled faintly "I doubt you were perfectly sober those times"

"Ah" She blinked and scowled That sounded a little…bad "I guess" No wonder this felt different Not only home with a dom, but without any nice inhibition relievers

"We can fix that, at least You go take yourself a shohile I open so, dirt on her hands and knees Major sticky ew "I’d love a shower"

He reached into the closet and pulled out a long, dark blue silk robe, then showed her the bathroo you like There’re spare toothbrushes and combs in the bottom drawer"

Well She shook her head The ain--well-off, char wars over hie walk-in shower, she let the hot water beat some sense into her brain He’s not for you Re at the various bruises, she ran her fingers through her hair Twigs Leaves Ew

The built-in shelf held shampoo that smelled like Marcus, as well as a handful of hotel sauests Sheesh, her love life should be so lively She tried to ignore the unhappy twinge I’m just one of many Actually, her status was even lower She was merely a trainee he’d rescued because she’d wussed out on hiet herself home Remember that, Gabi You’re not here as his date

She picked a shampoo that smelled like citrus and spice, washed her hair, then stepped out into the steae of a wo balls, or he’d screarinned Poor man After she’d cried all over him last week, he’d had to look at her raccoonlike, streaky ht Do on the borrowed robe, she walked into the living roo, soft voice of Sarah McLachlan came from the speakers Glass clinked in the kitchen A few seconds later, Marcus appeared, handed her a glass of wine, and brushed a kiss over her lips

"You look better" He glanced down at himself and smiled ruefully "I need a shower too You led hed and tugged a lock of her hair "So pleased with yourself" He nodded toward the living rooht out"

The tile floor felt sainst her bare skin as she walked across the room She took a sip of her red wine A lovely pinot noir Just what the doctor ordered

She wandered over to one wall to check out the pictures Faray-haired man who had Marcus’s chin and eyes One with a ers of all ethnicities on basketball courts, in karate tourna a house A picture with Marcus at the center of a bunch of teens She s to get closer Marcus with his ar tattoos The boy grinned from ear to ear

She studied the karate photos for a i, only his belt color was… OhDon’t start a fight with the nice black belt, Gabi

The bookcase contained a variety of subjects: law, ethics, best sellers, horror with Stephen King predo Huh Hers held social services books, psych books, sociology, Shakespeare, ro at all in real life Then again--she studied the pictures of hiht have a few ht God knew her father wouldn’t be caught dead on a basketball court, let alone one in the slums

At the sound of footsteps, she turned

Marcus walked into the roo on a silky robe like hers, and as he tied it shut, she sa the hard, contoured muscles of his chest tapered down to a taut, flat abdoers tingled with the need to touch The alcohol had definitely given her a buzz, dammit She rubbed her hands on the robe--bad Gabi--and smiled at him "Nohat?"

He rill you about your life"