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Ree heard the finality in her tone, and knew she wouldn’t get any h, while following behind the tall wo several times She was still tired And she really did need soh she doubted she would be able to stop her ht and Ree pushed through the large arched door to her roohts were turned do, heavy curtains were pulled to block any light froown, robe, and slippers laid out on her bed Ree looked around the room suspiciously She hadn’t seen anyone but her friends and Sophie in the house She felt funny about putting on someone else’s clothes, so she moved them onto the chair next to the side table She stripped down to her undershirt and underwear before gratefully sliding into the bed She had to give it to Sophie; this was the nicest bed she had ever slept in As her eyes grew heavy, she wondered if her parents would be worried she hadn’t come home Lately they seemed to be so lost in themselves they probably didn’t even notice That was her last thought as she rolled over and sleep claimed her

Chapter 10

So in Startled, she sat up and groped along the bed stand for souy was striding across the roo a breakfast tray He was tall, with thick, dark brown hair that swept across his forehead He had an amused smirk on his face as he noted her reaction When she , he was drop-dead gorgeous But she was struck by more than his appearance; she felt utterly confused by the sense of fa, but there was so in the back of his eyes He purposefully gave her a long once-over,there in bed in nothing but her tank top and underclothes

"Good ht?" He set the tray down on the night stand and then sat in the chair next to the bed "Are you planning on doing soht?" He nodded at the blue crystal ball that she was clutching Blushing, she lowered her hand but didn’t let go of the globe

He had a slight accent, so that wasn’t quite y clothes he seemed far older than she was The more she studied him, she started to notice that he felt different , if that could make any sense She mentally rolled her eyes at herself What was supposed to ht away, his sriher "Who are you? And didn’t your mommy teach you it isn’t polite to just walk into so?"

"But I brought you breakfast!" He pointed at the tray, pretending to look hurt This ti her eyes

"Who are you?" she asked again

"Roland"

"The guy with the Mercedes?"

He nodded, his expression aers in front of his chest and leaned further back into the chair, waiting for her tothat he wasn’t exactly huot was almost dark, but not sinister, despite his obvious enjoyment of her irritability

"What are you?" She leaned forward, looking at hiroaned "You’ve got to be kidding me How am I supposed to know that? You could be a unicorn for all I know! Anything is possible after last night Why don’t you just go away so I can get dressed?"

He stood up, but instead of leaving he ca rude now? And if I may point out, you already know there is ht be able to figure it out"

She shifted so he wasn’t touching her and tried to not think about the fact that she was barely dressed with a strange guy sitting on her bed For whatever reason, he didn’t really feel like a stranger but, just the sa when he moved a little closer

"Look at me, Ree I won’t bite" His tone had softened, despite the teasing Without understanding why, she looked up andinhuman The blue was too deep and dark Thick eyelashes added to the perfect face, but she had been right There was an intensity hidden in the depths of his eyes, as if soly, she ht in the mystery His coolden skin tone spoke of ti about him seemed perfect – almost too perfect Her eyes fell on his lips, and her breath caught Shaking her head she looked back up at hi in his eyes almost looked disappointed when she moved

"What am I, Ree?" His voice was almost a whisper

"How do you know my name?"

"What aifts Tellin his tone de her She started to roll her eyes again Who the hell did he think he was? But before she could tell hied her attention back to hiain, but this ti, too He was old Much older than he appeared, it was like a weight in herpowerful was in that darkness, but she also felt sadness and despair There was a hu and pain that held his soul captive Maybe that hy she didn’t freak out when she realized what he was Maybe it was that human part of him trapped under all of the pain that made her not panic

She sed, her throat dry "Dark One You’re a Dark One"

His eyes were thoughtful as he watched her "I was one of the first ones made on Earth"

"But you’re not evil Not like the ones last night I don’t think youthe day time"

"Hm I wouldn’t say I’m not evil, but, if you want, we could stick icked" His grin turned lascivious She blushed again, reminded that he was in her bedroom and she didn’t knohy

"But no, I mean you no harm In fact, I verythe day tiranted endas"

"Why would you do that?"

"Let’s just say that I was huot what it was like to be one" Again that sadness filled his eyes She leaned closer again, wanting to take away some of that pain He was a Dark One, but he wasn’t evil And it was hard to watch anyone deal with that kind of agony Just as she reached out to touch his hand her bedroo into the wall

She jerked back and looked up to see Paden standing there He was livid as he strode across the roo only a few feet away froht trip Roland into doing so drastic His chest heaved under his t-shirt as he breathed heavily

"Get away from her" His voice was quiet and barely controlled

Roland s His dark t-shirt rode up to reveal a slice of tanned skin just above his waistband She looked away quickly, not wanting hi hi at the display